Filed in: West Coast Wednesday

Good morning everyone!  I am one Newport Beach Wedding Photographer that just wrapped a super awesome weekend shooting out of town and I got a treat for you for this week’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week.

I woke up this morning thinking about what I wanted to share with you & had the thought, what about sharing some of the all time best music videos.  Then I thought – how about sharing them from the inception of MTV back in 1981 to current.  There’s got to be quite an amazing lot of artists to enjoy.  So that’s what I want to do for this summer’s series of the West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week.

The first band that I want to kick off with – takes us wayyyyyyyy back to 1981 and it just so happens that they’re one of my favourite bands of the 80′s too – so I just had to share them with you.  The group is Depeche Mode and if you’re not too familiar with Depeche Mode, check out their history that I picked up on Wikipedia, it’s awesome!

(Oh… And they’re from the UK as well.  Hmmm… Maybe I am continuing the British Invasion subliminally?!?  Hee Hee Hee!)

“Depeche Mode (pronounced /dɨˈpɛʃ/ də-pesh) are an English electronic music band which formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group’s original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), Andy Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter 1980–81). Vince Clarke left the band after the release of their 1981 debut album, Speak & Spell, and was replaced by Alan Wilder (keyboards, drums) with Gore taking over songwriting. Wilder left the band in 1995 and since then Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher have continued as a trio.

Depeche Mode have had forty-eight songs in the UK Singles Chart and #1 albums in UK, US and throughout Europe. According to EMI, Depeche Mode have sold over 100 million albums and singles worldwide, making them the most successful electronic band in music history. Q magazine call Depeche Mode “The most popular electronic band the world has ever known”.”

So!  Before you check out this week’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week and you’re thinking… Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Newport Beach Wedding Photographer (Previously a Huntington Beach Wedding Photographer) that loves 80′s music & fashion, photography and art, feel free to contact me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

So without further ado, I give you Depeche Mode with a live performance recorded at the Odeon in 1982 of “I Just Can’t Get Enough” from Newport Beach for today’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week.  I wanted to share the “Official” video with you from 1981, but unfortunately You Tube has it blocked from being embedded, so I’m going with the same song, but recorded just one year later – which kinda sorta makes it from 1981.

So feel free to sit back with your favourite morning beverage (I’ve got my coffee!), enjoy some awesome synth pop of the 80′s and kick off your West Coast Wednesday positively in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach or another part of this huge planet that we’re all a part of.

Have an awesome West Coast Wednesday and also remember to keep the “Butterfly Effect” happening and make it a totally positive one for someone else too – cheers!

PS, Thanks so much for your patience with a lot of the events that I’ve been shooting and not able to get online as quickly as I prefer.  There’s quite a bit of growth happening with Esquire Photography and I’ve recently needed to bring on a Business Manager to give me more time to take care of the weddings and events that I’m photographing around Newport Beach, San Diego and Ventura (Like this past weekend with a wedding on Friday & one on Saturday – both up at the Wedgewood in Ventura & then an encore photo shoot with UK model & actress; Jane Lavin.  Yeah!).

PSS, You may have seen me chat it up over the past year or so about the “Butterfly Effect” and how much it means to me.  It’s stemmed from Chaos Theory and in chaos theory, the Butterfly Effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state.

For example, the presence or absence of a butterfly flapping its wings could lead to creation or absence of a hurricane.  Or… let’s say one positive action by one person can create a series of other positive actions carried on through other people.  If we think about it, just one person can make all the positive difference in the world.  Cool I know!!!

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Filed in: West Coast Wednesday

Good morning from Newport Beach everyone!  This is one portrait & wedding photographer that has been to a couple events in the past few weeks and I got a treat for you for this week’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week.

If you saw some of my Facebook updates last Friday after my Laguna Beach Portrait Photo Shoot with Natalie for her Sweet 16 Portraits we did, then you may have seen some of the fun photos that I was sharing with my friend; Carri at Club 1984 in downtown Los Angeles.

It was a last minute GTG and I’m so totally stoked that I went.  There was so much amazing music from the 80’s, awesome clothes, great dancers and some special guests that performed like; Stacey Q, Trans X and even the world famous Richard Blade!  Definitely a perfect place for a die-hard 80’s and Duran Duran fan like me.  Yeah!

I was really excited that Trans X performed as they were one of my favourite bands of the 80’s – so I just had to share them with you.  If you’re not too familiar with them, check out their history that I picked up on Wikipedia, it’s awesome!

“Trans-X was started by Canadian musician Pascal Languirand, previously known for his albums in the Ambient, Cosmic and Space music genres. He later recruited Montrealer Laurie Ann Gill as the second half of the Trans-X duo. Gill can be seen in the early videos where she performed backing vocals for synthpop group Nudimension. When their first song “Living on Video” was released it was an instant hit in Canada and the single later sold two million copies and reached British and European Top ten charts on its 1985 re-release.”

But before you check out this week’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week and you’re thinking… Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Newport Beach Wedding Photographer (Previously a Huntington Beach Wedding Photographer) that loves 80’s music & fashion, photography and art, feel free to contact me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

So without further ado, I give you Trans X with “Living On Video” from Newport Beach for today’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week.  Feel free to sit back with your favourite morning beverage, enjoy some of the space age synth pop of the 80’s and kick off your West Coast Wednesday positively in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach or another part of this huge planet that we’re all a part of.

Have an awesome West Coast Wednesday and also remember to keep the “Butterfly Effect” happening and make it a totally positive one for someone else too – cheers!

PSS, Thanks so much for your patience with a lot of the events that I’ve been shooting and not able to get online as quickly as I prefer.  There’s quite a bit of growth happening with Esquire Photography and I’ve recently needed to bring on a Business Manager to give me more time to take care of the weddings and events that I’m photographing around Newport Beach, San Diego and Ventura (Like this weekend with a wedding on Friday & one on Saturday – both up at the Wedgewood in Ventura & then an encore photo shoot with UK model & actress; Jane Lavin.  Yeah!).  But as you’ve seen – my regular blogging schedule is beginning to resume.  Thanks!

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Filed in: Portraits

Good evening from Newport Beach everyone!  After an absolutely amazing day spent with Amanda & John yesterday in Anaheim for their Wedding (Check out some of the fun iPhone photos I snapped on my Facebook Fan Page!) that I photographed at the White House Event Center with my good friend; Kathy from Activities So Cal – I couldn’t wait to get busy working on more weddings & events that I’ve been photographing from Newport Beach, San Diego & Ventura.

One of the awesome portrait shoots that I had the recently had the honour of photographing was for Natalie for her Sweet 16 Birthday Party in July at the Westridge Golf Club in La Habra.  Natalie’s mom was introduced to me me through one of my past Brides back in 2008 & current awesome wedding planner; Monique with A Blissful Affair.

When I first met up with Natalie & her mom; Sally a week ago at Panera Bread in Costa Mesa, I totally knew we were all going to have a great time working together.  But when they said they wanted to do a portrait session for Natalie and what she was going to be wearing – I immediately had a tsunami of ideas flooding my creative brain and knew exactly where I wanted to do her portrait shoot at.

One of my favourite cities to photograph in is Laguna Beach.  Like Newport Beach and Huntington Beach – Laguna Beach offers me a veritable cornucopia of hidden treasures that I love to photograph my clients at.  So we met at Starbucks on PCH next to the movie theatre and after I grabbed a red eye coffee (black – no cream or sugar with this awesome nutrition program I’m on!) – the three of us headed out so I could photograph some of my signature artistic and “magazine cover” inspired portraits of Natalie.

Everything about Natalie’s portrait shoot was perfect and on top of that – Natalie is quite literally a born model.  I haven’t worked with someone that followed direction and was so comfortable in front of the camera since professional UK model & actress; Jane Lavin who I photographed up in Los Angeles recently (BTW! Jane is back in Southern California & I’m photographing her again a week from today for an encore photo shoot – yeah!).

But before check out Natalie’s portraits that I photographed for her in Laguna Beach and you’re thinking…  Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Newport Beach Wedding Photographer in Orange County (previously a Huntington Beach Wedding Photographer) that loves capturing artistic and “magazine inspired” portraits, feel free to get in touch with me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

And without further ado, here are a few of my favourite portraits from Natalie’s Laguna Beach photo shoot & I hope you’re having a terrific weekend – cheers!

PS, I’ve had an Eddie Izzard’athon (One of my absolutely favourite comedians!) today while in post production since 9:00 a.m. today & he shared an awesome quote in his documentary; “Believe” that I wanted to share with you.  It’s quite simple, but very powerful – check this out!  “You have to believe you can be a stand up, before you can be a stand up.  You’ve got to believe you can act, before you can act.  You’ve got to believe you can be an astronaut, before you can be an astronaut.  You’ve got to believe.”

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Filed in: Wedding Tips

Good morning from Newport Beach everyone!  I’m getting the day started after Amanda & John’s beautiful Anaheim Wedding at the White House Event Center with my good friend; Kathy from Activities So Cal I received a great tip from my friends over at About.com about Wedding stress and how to rise above it.

In today’s world, it can be really challenging planning a wedding – let alone planning a wedding and working a job (sometimes two – to pay for the wedding), taking care of kids (if you have them) and overall – maintaining some level of sanity through all this.  So when I received this note, I just had to share it with you as it has five terrific ideas on how to overcome the wedding planning stresses.

But before I present you with this week’s wedding tip and you’re thinking…  Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Newport Beach Wedding Photographer in Orange County (previously a Huntington Beach Wedding Photographer) that wants to help brides and grooms enjoy planning their wedding to the fullest, feel free to get in touch with me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

And without further ado, here is the awesome article from tips from About.com & I hope you’re having a terrific weekend – cheers!

Everybody loves a wedding … but are we living in a nation of stressed out brides? Planning a wedding can be downright painful … and all the people pleasing it often requires can zap the spirit and joy out of being a bride. Bridal stress is unique. It is essentially temporary, yet is connected to much deeper family issues and emotional challenges. It can easily be triggered by practical issues – ask any bride who has tried to interpret a tricky vendor contract or shop for bridesmaid dresses with their attendants — and is exacerbated by family dynamics. There is often a decision to make, or challenge to resolve, at every turn of that journey to the altar. Every little nuance — and nuisance — can put you in a momentary tizzy. 

It is no wonder some women get the bridal blues. Here are some of the challenges, and the antidotes, for brides-to-be:

1. Bridezillas are made, not born. It’s supposed to be the happiest time of your life – and you want it to be – yet planning a wedding is like working a second job. You have to find the time to tend to a multitude of details as part of an already busy schedule while managing vendors, family anxieties and demands, your groom, your emotions and an array of tricky wedding dynamics. True, some brides are downright demanding but most are nice people, sucked into the vortex of wedding planning stress, and overwhelmed by the stress, pressure and expectations of those around her.

Wedding Goddess Antidote: A bride has to include stress management, self-nurturing and time to chill out as an integral part of her wedding planning process. When you feel the stress building, take time out, go for a walk, slip into a movie, get a massage, go for a manicure, write in a journal, do something un-wedding. You have to love, hon

2. Everyone has something to say about your wedding – and you are not alone in feeling you can’t win! No matter who you are or what age … everyone has something to say about your wedding. You may be showered with congratulations and gifts, but you are simultaneously bombarded with unsolicited advice, wedding horror stories you don’t want to hear, and negative vibes from well-meaning friends and relatives who are too lost in their own experience to realize they are imposing on you. People tend to see your wedding as a chance to fulfill their own needs and family dynamics erupt in every which direction because as the clan prepares to gather they begin to act out what it’s all about for them – not you! The issues are classic – mom wants it to be the wedding she never had, sister or best friend wishes it were her, your groom is afraid to stand up to his family. Or the experience may be fraught with more modern challenges such as questions about mixing faiths, opting for a non-religious wedding or planning an alternative kind of affair. 

Wedding Goddess Antidote: A Bride has to clarify the wedding she truly wants, try to stay centered and set clear boundaries that no one can penetrate with words or attitudes. If all else fails, consider this: The reality is that weddings tend to be for other people, but marriage is for you two. Focus on what your marriage will mean to you.

3. Getting married can stir up a lot of emotions. The process itself sets forth period of growth and change that can be very confusing and nerve -wracking. Once you decide to marry you will begin the process of getting ready for marriage, and unresolved emotions about parents and family, past loves and concerns about the person you have chosen will come to the surface to be explored. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t marry, it just means inner work is called for along with all the outer preparations.

Wedding Goddess Antidote: A bride can embrace the awareness that she is embarking on a journey of evolution from one part of life to another, and honor and address the emotions and fears that arise. Trust they are natural and pay attention to any issues that might require support or counseling. It is important to stay on top of your emotions and be honest with yourself during this time. Don’t sweep things under the rug.

4. Wedding planning can be a crisis. There is so much focus on the external experience that a bride can become mired in details and demands and lose track of herself and the reason she is getting married in the first place. When she feels that planning the wedding of her dreams means going to battle – with parents, family, friends, groom, and almost anyone involved – she becomes hostile and reactive. What began as a joyful experience turns into a fight … a fight for having the perfect wedding. It is exhausting and can turn even sweet tempered people can turn mean and cranky. 

Wedding Goddess Antidote: Remember that the true meaning of marriage is to bring two together in sacred union – the party is meant to be a celebration not something that will kill your spirit in the planning. When two people in love literally step up to commit themselves to one another in matrimony they have the opportunity to unite not just their hearts, lives and families, but to unite their very beings. And it is not just the couple that benefits from the ceremony – anyone who witnesses a wedding can be empowered and inspired by the love in the room. Focus on the love and remember it is always your aim.

5. Your happiness in life DOES NOT hinge on your wedding alone (it really doesn’t … so lighten up!) Some brides believe that they must have a perfect wedding in order to have a perfect marriage and a perfect life. They give the wedding day too much power. They begin to treat the wedding itself as something to be worshipped and served. There is an underlying fear that if something goes wrong with the wedding, it is a sign that will make or break the marriage. Our culture places a tremendous emphasis on having a great wedding and not enough focus on having an awesome marriage. It’s okay to be temporarily obsessed and to yearn for the perfect wedding — we all go there at some point — but you have to keep your eye on what’s truly important. 

Wedding Goddess Antidote: Step back and realize, the most important part of the day is not the day itself … but that you walked down that aisle and into the arms of the person you love …  the one you look forward to building your life with. You will have a lifetime in which you can create more memories … the wedding day, while important, is only one of the many experiences and memories you will share!

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Filed in: Weddings

Good afternoon from behind the Orange Curtain everyone!  This is one sleepy Newport Beach Wedding Photographer that is sipping on a Monster drink to kick the brain into gear instead of a cup of coffee as I was burning the midnight oil last night putting the final touches on a wedding last night.

And, as I’m sure you’ve seen with some of my Twitter & Facebook updates, I’ve been spread pretty thin over the past few of months moving EPHQ from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach and photographing weddings & portraits from Ventura, Orange County and San Diego.  But!  As I mentioned in yesterday’s West Coast Wednesday Video Of The Week with the Beastie Boys, I have quite a bit coming to you and I really appreciate your patience while everything is brought back on track.

So with that said, here is the first of many events that will be flooding your screens with colour, good times & a lot of awesome experiences!

One of my recent weddings that I had the honour of photographing was down in Laguna Beach for Andrea & Ryan – who were introduced to me from my good friends & previous brides; Leah & Linsey from the Double Knot Twins (a totally awesome pair of certified wedding planners!) AND guests on my program; “How To Make The Most Out Of Your Wedding Day.”

Andrea & Ryan’s Laguna Beach Wedding was everything that the word perfect defines.  Their day started off at the Laguna Beach Inn where Andrea and her ladies were all getting ready with their hair and makeup being done by Lana from Lana’s Hair Designs in Orange County.  Lana is awesome and also was the stylist for Christina & Scott’s Halloween Wedding on the Queen Mary in Long Beach last year.

After I was able to capture some fun and silly portraits with Andrea and her ladies, I headed over to the wedding and reception site; Occasions at Laguna Village to meet up with Ryan and his entourage.  They were all sharp as tacks in their tuxedos and added their own touch to them with Converse shoes.  Awesome!  Ryan and his guys were rockin’ the portraits that I captured of them before the wedding so perfectly, that there was a little extra time for me to capture some photos of the details and the awesome floral arrangements by Annie Kim at La Tulipe Floral Designs.

Andrea & Ryan’s oceanfront Laguna Beach Wedding was totally gorgeous.  The sky had magnificent colours throughout the ceremony and then with the clouds parting letting just enough sunlight in for perfect portraits afterwards.  But once those portraits were done – let the good times roll!

From the delicious dinner that Andrew at The Cliff catered to the tunes that DJ Dave kept spinning for everyone on the dance floor, the slide show and of course a special treat just before the cake cutting — Andrea, Ryan & I doing my signature “Sexy T Rex” over the scrumptious cake provided by Rossmoor Creative Cakes – Andrea & Ryan’s Laguna Beach Wedding was everything that dreams are made of.

I would like to give an uber shout out to Leah & Linsey at the Double Knot Twins for orchestrating what I would refer to as a PERFECT wedding day for Andrea & Ryan.  Leah & Linsey are professionals that not only made sure every detail was precise, but that every guest was treated more like family.  If you’re considering having your wedding planned perfectly, totally ring them up.  Leah & Linsey will give you the red carpet treatment from the moment you meet them to the time you leave for your honeymoon.

Before you check out Andrea & Ryan’s Laguna Beach Wedding – and you’re thinking to yourself…  Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Newport Beach Wedding Photographer (Previously a Huntington Beach Wedding Photographer) in Orange County loves to capture romantic portraits, timeless moments and wedding details, then feel free to get in touch with me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

So without further ado, below is Andrea & Ryan’s oceanfront Laguna Beach Wedding in a beautiful slide show that I put together.  If you’re interested in delicious professional prints, I’ll have their wedding photography available on Pictage too.  I hope you’re having a great start to your Baby Friday and stay tuned for some more amazing events that I’ve photographed from San Diego to Orange County and Ventura – cheers!

PS, I thought I would share one of my favourite and awesome quotes with you from one of my favourite movies; “The Replacements” with Keanu Reeves (My favourite actor!) & Gene Hackman; “Pain Heals, Chicks Dig Scars, Glory Lasts Forever.” Inspiring!

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