Mark Brooke Photographers -Los Angeles, Orange county-

SOOO RAD!

2009-02-27T00:27:00.000-08:00

New blog post up!

http://www.markbrooke.net

And if you did not realise we have a new blog so you should update your rss feed (click here to do that)!

2009-02-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

New blog post up!

blog.markbrooke.com!

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!

NEW BLOG!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-21T18:27:00.001-08:00

Hi all! We have some exciting news! We have a new blog! We are stoke to have all of you as readers so please..... update your google readers/RSS feeds and let us know what you think!

Blog.markbrooke.com

Monica and Scott = Wonderful-ness

2009-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Monica and Scott rock our world! We had a blast shooting their E-session a few weeks ago. We shot it at the Huntington Beach horse stables and the local park across the street (side note: that is were Mark and I got engaged). It was awesome to have such a natural atmosphere with the horses and stables.

Monica and Scott are perfect for each other. You can tell they have a love and a respect for one another that sets such a great example to those around them. You can tell they have a blast together and love each others company.... We had such a blast capturing their love for one another.

Thank you so much for letting us be apart of your wedding story. We had blast, and we can not wait to see you soon!

Eddie and Janet :: doctors of awesome

2009-02-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Eddie and Janet are two awesome people! We met them a few months ago in our studio. When they walked in all we could remember was how full of smiles they both were.

We decided to do their shoot in San Diego where they went on their first date. We got to car pool with them on the way down, and during the drive we realized that Eddie and Janet are some of the most pleasant people to be around. Their personalities are so sweet and they can really make us laugh.

It was awesome just to walk around down town San Diego and capture all the different aspects. We took a few shots on the beach and some other along the busy streets. We had such a blast.

Eddie and Janet thank you soooo much for picking us as your wedding photographers. We are so excited for your big day!

WPPI...BIG BEAR...AND BROOKE'S MENU

2009-02-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

WPPI: Over the past year we have met with many new photographers, we have learned a lot about running a company, we have risked it all to make our passions a reality, we have made some awesome decisions, and a few mistakes.... Last year was our first year at WPPI. It was honestly an amazing experience. We were able to get amazing discounts on products and meet some rad people that are now some of our bestest friends. We are super excited to see you all there!

Last week I posted our WPPI menu options(business consulting) for Photographers and promised we would be posting our calendar as well. Mark and I were talking, and we think the best way for people to be in touch with us (candice and Mark) is to join twitter . We are super stocked to meet with everyone!

Sunday:

Afternoon: 3:30 we will be doing our "Big Huge Steak (3 hour IN-DEPTH consulting)". We only have 2 more spots open. Contact us directly if you want more info.

Evening: we will be attending Sara France's party

Monday:

Morning: Throughout the day we will be doing our individual "Crab leg and Veggies" sessions with Photographers (these are the individual headshot shoots and hour consultations, we only have one spot left for each). Contact us for more INFO! .

Afternoon: 12:00 ish - 2:30 ish we will be hanging out at the shootsac booth with Jessica Claire

Evening: Becker's B -school party

Tuesday:

Morning: 11:00 a.m. we are having Crepes at the Paris Hotel. We would looooveeee to meet everyone and hang out for some breakfast... see you there :)

Evening: We have the Mammoth Men and Blu domain party. If you are not already going to this you need to be! it will melt your face off!!!!!

Big Bear: Last week we got to head to the snow with some of our Bestest friends (Jessica, Jeff, Michael , Cyndie, Nate, Jaclyn, Amelia and Justin)! We rented a cabin for the long weekend, went skiing, bowling, had guacamole contests, and pretty much stayed up until 3:00 am every night laughing about nothing.... well now that I think about it Im sure it was something :) Thanks to Nate and Jaclyn's Point and shoot they captured the craziness!

Matt and Karen = Rad

2009-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

On December 27th Mark and I had the opportunity to rock out a wedding with Matt and Karen. They have been clients of our for almost a year now. So when their wedding day finally rolled around we were super stocked to be apart of it.

Their wedding had the most beautiful view! They had their reception at a restaurant call "Orange Hill restaurant". As the sun was setting the view became even more and more beautiful. Another aspect of the wedding that rocked was the fun dancing that took place. Karen's family did some traditional cultural dances that made the night super entertaining and fun to be apart of.

Matt and Karen are such awesome people and we know they are going to have a great marriage!

Thanks for letting us be apart of your rockin day!

A cigarette break....

a simply breath-taking view!

Karen and Her dad had the RADDEST dance ever, ! It even broke out into a little SOULJA BOY!

New Years Eve Wedding

2009-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

On New Years' Eve, I Headed out, with Jessica Claire and Michael Norwood, to Atlanta to photograph the 10 year vow renewal of Ami and Scott. I know what you are thinking "New Years EVE?!? that was over a month a go!" Well in my defense there were soooo many amazing photos to choose from!

Ami is the brain and writer behind the HUGE wedding blog Elizabeth Anne Designs. Ami's attention to detail practically blew my mind. it was incredible!!!!!!!! Anyway.... here are some shots from the day.

It's GOOOOOOOLD!

2009-02-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

in the early wintery months of 2008, eight celebrated, award-winning and downright awesome photographers from all over the country grabbed their snowboards to ride the mountains of mammoth, california. this marked the beginning of what is now known as…wait for it…the MAMMOTH MEN. what ensued during that getaway was a week filled with adventure, spontaneity, hijinks and storied tales. a bond was forged amongst these men and a commitment made to doing it again, and doing it often!

during the summer of 2008, the MAMMOTH MEN hit the road again. only this time, they loaded up 10 photographers in a prevost rock star tour bus, drove for five days up the california coast and shared it with everyone via their traffic happy blog. so much so that their blog readers actually got to choose their day-to-day adventures while watching them play out the next day. the blog following continued even after the west coast trip ended and garnered media attention in the blogosphere.

well, the guys are back for their much anticipated third installment of the MAMMOTH MEN. watch the mayhem unfold as these 12 photographers board their prevost and head into the american southwest to document their route 66 road-trip. packed with more guys, more miles and more camaraderie, it's not just a roadtrip...it's a lifestyle.

In case you missed all the action while it was happening, chiggy check out WWW.MAMMOTHMEN.COM for a horse tranquilizer sized dose of awesome! The MAMMOTH MEN will be embarking on another adventure VERY soon...stay tuned!

Mammoth Men 4 Trailer | The American Southwest from FRED EGAN on Vimeo.

Tony and Nathalie

2009-02-02T11:46:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we got to hang with Tony and Nathalie. They are some really awesome people! We were able to do two locations that had two different "feels" to them. The first one was the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach and the second was a Field in Irvine.

Tony and Nathalie are both super laid back people that love to sport lots of color. (We love when our clients rock lots of loud colors and show off their personality in their shoot). They both showed up with two awesome new outfits and some rockin Sun glasses from Urban Oufitters. It is always so awesome to see a couple click and be totally into each other. They had obviously been practicing their posing because they knew how to look awesome in every shot.

Thanks for letting us be apart of your E-session. We can not wait for the Big Day!

Matt and Angie: Christmas 2008!

2009-01-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

This year we had the opportunity to shoot an amazing wedding at the Four Seasons hotel in Vegas on Christmas day. While most people were sitting around in their P.J.'s sipping hot coco, over 200 people were traveling to the City of lights to celebrate with Matt and Angie. It was truely amazing to see all the support and love that walked through the doors.

We met Matt and Angie only a few weeks before Christmas. We quickly shot their Engagement session and then made them a RAD guest book out of the photos. Only a few weeks after that, It seemed like we were on our way to Vegas to shoot their wedding.

Matt and Angie are both lawyers! After they met they quickly fell in love and soon after tied the knot. Its always so awesome to be apart of weddings were you can see how in love and how much in common the couple has together. We had a blast and we feel so blessed to be apart of their wedding!

Here are just a few of the awesome shots from the day!

Dad Looked so happy during the prayer.....

Genevieve and Mitchell

2009-01-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we walked the streets of the "Orange Circle" with two super rad people. Thanks to some other awesome clients we were able two work with Genevieve and Mitchell as their wedding photographers. We think only a percentage of the world is made up of super funny and fun people.... And Mitch and Genevieve are two of them.

The Orange circle is a very popular place to shoot. Why? Because it has sooo many different "looks" to it. We will usually have our clients pick two spots to shot at, but when it comes to a place like the Orange Circle than we just rock one spot.

Thank you soooo much guys for letting us be apart of your Engagement! We can not wait to see you soon.

Cyndy and Scott! Talk about COLOR !

2009-01-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

Cyndy and Scott are some awesome people! We met them in Starbucks almost a year ago, and we immediately knew their wedding was going to be hard-core awesome. Their wedding was split into two different ceremonies. The first one was gorgeous with all the different colors, and the second (traditional western) ceremony was breath taking. We love each and ever client the same...but different... they all bring so much to the table. And each of their love stories are different. You can tell that Cyndy and Scott are perfect for each other, and we are soooo happy for them.

In the next few weeks we are going to be doing another portrait session with them, and we honestly cant wait!

*edit* we are rocking out some new Post-Processing (along with a special finishing touch courtesy of Micheal Norwood.) let us know what you think!

We have all been to weddings were there is that "one" guest who is just groovin' to the music! Well... here is that guy.

WPPI MENU WITH THE BROOKE'S.

2009-01-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

Over the past year we have met with many new photographers, we have learned a lot about running a company, we have risked it all to make our passions a reality, we have made some awesome decisions, and a few mistakes....

Because of the large number of inquires from photographers to meet up at WPPI, we came up with this "menu" of different options. We are super duper excited to see everyone!

Starter Bread: About a week before WPPI we are going to be posting our schedule. Mark and I are going to be helping out with a few booths on the trade show floors. So when we post this please make note of where we will be so we can meet all of our blogger friends. Also we will be setting up a coffee morning for our "family club members" on The B-school (everyone is welcome to that)! The more you get to know us you are going to realize that we love meeting new people, so make sure you can coordinate your schedule to meet up with us.

Veggies: We already have a few of these shoots set up so we wanted to extend the offer. If you are in need of Head shots or just want an awesome "Mark Brooke" 1 hour photo shoot, then email us! We would love to rock it out! Price: $350.00. Email us for all the info and booking times.

Sweet Potatoes: If you are traveling with a good friend or significant other (husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend etc)... We are also going to be offering a portrait session similar to our engagement sessions. It will be a two hour shoot all over the Vegas strip or in the desert. The Price is $500.00 Email us for all the info and booking times.

Crab legs (yumm): Mark and I were very blessed to have a successful beginning in our business. We were able to book over 40 weddings our first year, and we were able to work with some perfect clients. Many people have asked us how we got started in our careers... Well for NEW photographer we are offering an hour coffee meeting were we will map out the exact steps Mark and I took to get to where we are today. We can answer questions and help you feel more comfortable with your 2009 photography goals. Price is $200.00. Email us for all the info and booking times.

Big huge Steak (only three spots opened): Mark and I are going to set aside a three hour window of time were we will get together with three photographers. We will spend about an hour shooting, an hour editing, and an hour of answering questions. This is an opportunity for you to watch, shoot, and learn how we do what we do and mold it into something you can call your own. Its going to be freakin' awesome!!!! Price is $400.00 Email us for all the info and booking times.

Lastly we would like to play a fun game. Try to answer the following 3 questions in our comment box!

Q #1 Mark and my company is called "Mark Brooke Photographers". Does anyone know the reason why we are called that? (hard questions)

Q#2 What kind of car does Candice drive (a hint is in one of our posts).

Q#3 Did Candice want Mark to get a nose ring? (loaded question)

The first person who gets all of the questions right will win their choice of veggies or crab legs on the menu.

Update: Winner is Gretchen Knoblock

80's Prom! embarrassing... and RAD!

2009-01-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Last week was amazing... why? Because we got to hang out with some of our great friends at Chenin Boutwells 80's prom Baby shower. After going to a "baby shower" like this there is no way I am going to be able to beat it when mark and I have kids. It was so fun to just goof around for a few hours. I did have one embarrassing moment while I was at the shower ( I always seem to have one:) .... Check out Jessica Claire's Blog to see what I am talking about. In my defense I am "that girl" that was not able to watch PG13 movies until I was 18, so my mind is clean I promise.

Here are a couple of photos (that i stole off Jessica's blog!) that sum the night up.

Tomorrow I am going to be posting a game plan for WPPI so stay tuned!

Ren and Lacey:: wow wow wow

2009-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago we shot an AMAZING engagement session with Ren and Lacey at Disney Land. It was one of our favorite moments with a client because not only did we get to hang at "the happiest place on earth" but we got to hang with some amazing people.

Ren and Lacey have shocked us with their RAD personalities every time we get together with them. They are nothing but thankful people, and some of the most pleasant people to be around. We honestly want to be like them.

We were so lucky and blessed to be apart of their wedding. And because they allowed us to use our creativity to the fullest on their wedding day, we were able to grab some super fun shots.

Thank you so much for letting us be apart of your wedding. You guys rock!

Atlanta, New Years Eve Wedding Part 1.

2009-01-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

This past week Michael Norwood and I had the opportunity to fly out to Atlanta with our good friend Jessica Claire........ it was RAD! On the first day Ami and Scott (of the awesome wedding blog: Elizabeth Anne Designs) had their dinner rehearsal at Tuner field! When we arrived I felt like i was 9 years old again..... the field was huge and just plain breath taking! The entire field was empty and we were able to take them pretty much, wherever we wanted... it was sooooo much fun!

While jessica was working it i snapped a few of Micheal........ I have a few of jessica but i will be posting those later. :)

Stacy and Jonathan :: engaged!

2009-01-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Stacy and Jonathan are two of the most awesome people in the whole world! You know those type of people that when you hang out with them you feel cooler, like they just oozed some of their cool-ness on to you.... ya, they're kinda like that!

We headed out to awesome town, otherwise know as downtown Fullerton and had an extremely rad time shooting and hanging out with them. They were up for any of our crazy shenanigans ("hop on this, stand on that, sit down, stand up, lay down on this") that seem to often occur during my shoots. :) They were seriously soooo much fun!

Zoha and Kevin :: rocking it out!

2009-01-01T22:05:00.001-08:00

Right before Christmas we met two amazing people. Zoha and Kevin are seriously so awesome together. They got engaged a few months ago and they currently live in San Diego. We met for the Engagement session in New Port Beach at the Balboa Fun Zone.

Right when we met Kevin he quickly explained his outfit. I guess he had forgotten his first get-up at home so they quickly bought something from a thrift store across the street. It was seriously amazing, maybe even one of our best guy outfits ever.

Thank you so much for letting us be apart of your Engagement! You both rock!

kyle Sebastian :: from chile!

2008-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago we had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with Sebastian and Kyle. We were visiting family and Florida and Kyle saw our post on the blog about our rocking portrait sessions. Well they are from Chile and they happened to be visiting family in Florida the same week we were. So it worked out perfect!

Sebastian and Kyle are also photographers in Chile. Mark and I always love shooting other photographers so we can talk "shop". And of course our favorite topic was the tilt shift lens.

Kyle and Sebastian have a rad love story... Kyle met Sebastian when she was doing a semester of school abroad. She was only suppose to stay one semester but after meeting Sebastian it turned into three semesters which turned into a wedding! They are so awesome together.

Thank you so much for letting us take some Funky photos of both of you!

We need your Help!!!!!!!

2008-12-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

Justin and Amelia Lyon are 2 of the most awesome people on the whole planet! Over the past Year or so we have grown to call them some of our really close friends. Their family has been hit pretty hard with some recent developments. I will let her explain it.......

"As many of my blog followers may agree, I am definitely a picture-taker and not a writer. I do my best to write positively and according to my entries in order to describe the many adventures I experience as a photographer, mother, and wife. Well this time I am writing as a daughter and I ask my readers, in advance, for forgiveness as I stumble over this blog post in order to put into words the way that I feel about an unfortunate trial that has been placed in the lap of my family (in fact, as I am trying to type this my heart is pounding so loud I can hear it in my ears). This is for my dad.

Earlier this year he found himself randomly falling down and even found himself having trouble walking and lifting his right leg. He went in for some testing to see what was going on, only to find that there would be no solution and that he would never walk normal again. To make the long story short he was diagnosed with ALS (or many of you may know it as Lou Gehrig's disease, please click here to find a site that describes exactly what this disease is and how it can effect the victims that get diagnosed with it). In simple terms, this disease causes muscles to stop reacting to the brain's commands and eventually takes over the whole body. My dad was diagnosed with ALS officially in September and since then he has lost complete use of his right leg and his left leg is now fading faster than the right. The progression of this disease takes a different toll on each one of its victims, with my dad his ALS is progressing rapidly and he is already in an electrical wheelchair.

Now here is the reason for this post, I am reaching out to the world for help. I already know that my dad won't survive this, but with help, he can be comfortable in his last months (hopefully years). I am auctioning off a family portrait session to help raise funds that will be put to helping him with medical bills, rebuilding a handicap bathroom, or the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van. While I know that one family portrait session won't pay for all of this, every little bit will help, especially since my dad hasn't been able to work since August. I am starting the auction bidding at $250. I usually charge $500 for our portrait sittings. The sitting will include approxiamately two hours of coverage, online proofing, and a $100 print credit. Please email me at amelia@amelialyon.com to submit your bids, I will close the bidding at midnight on new years eve. There has already been a savings account set up for him and everything donated is tax deductible. I really appreciate any help in this effort, I plan to do a few more auctions in the near future, but this is my first attempt......

.......I have had an overwhelming amount of response to last post about my dad and I feel so blessed to see the amount of love and concern for this situation! Many people have responded with either a bid or just wanting to know how to donate, so I decided to post some info for those who just would like to send a donation. Please send all donations in a check form made out to "Faye Brady" (the account is under my grandmother's name) and on the bottom left part of the check write "Ken Brady handicap van fund". Donations should be mailed to:

Faye Brady
1048 E. 13590 S.
Draper, UT 84020

I really am so thankful by everyone's kind words and encouragement, I feel strengthened by people I have never even met and that feels amazing. Also, I know my dad has been reading all of the comments posted and he feels that love as well. Thank you all!"

Stop what you are doing right now and help them out if you can!!! SERIOUSLY, every little bit helps! Like she said every donation is TAX deductible and the bidding closed on NEW YEARS EVE at the stoke of midnight! so bid NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

email all bids to: amelia@amelialyon.com

Joanne and Jimmy = Awesome!

2008-12-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

When ever we start talking about our clients Mark and I get a huge smile on our face and we cant help but brag about how rad they are! Joanne and Jimmy are honestly some of the coolest people, and they are way to cute for each other.

We met Joanne and Jimmy almost a year ago to start planning for their big day. They immediately fell in love with our artsy photo-journalistic style. After all the plans were made and the Engagement session was finished we kept looking forward to the Big Wedding day.... and finally that big day came!

Joanne and Jimmy, You are both sooooo perfect for each other. We had the times of our lives shooting your wedding. Joanne you looked gorgeous, and Jimmy you looked amazing. Thank you for letting us be apart of your special day!

Thanks to my mom....we documented our x-mas this year.

2008-12-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

This year Mark and I have a wedding on Christmas Day in Los Vegas. We are super duper excited about this but we knew we could not miss our Christmas. So... We had a fake Christmas at our house Yesterday. The best part about our Christmas 08' was that my mom saved the day by taking lots and lots of photos of the event. She is officially known for always having her point and shoot with her. (I dont know why this always happens to us... we are known as the "photographers" but we never take photos of US, its sad :(

Mark and I have celebrated every holiday together since we were 16. We are lucky enough to have families that actually enjoy spending time together. Because of this we have had some very amazing memories of our two families together for the holidays.

I would also like to mention that Mark and I made out like bandits when it comes to the gift department. Everyone really did a great job picking out our gifts.

Here is a photo of my mom and me.

Here is Marks Family:

Mark and I got mountain bikes this year for christmas from my AMAZING parents. In ladera Ranch there are lots of mountain biking trails, so we are going to get our buns in shape this year.

Mark and Candice Brooke (these are not professional photos)

2008-12-20T12:37:00.000-08:00

Mark and I went down memory lane last night with some of our friends. We have been together for over 8 years and we have some pretty hilarious stories in our resumes. I thought it would be fun to share a few of them with our Blog stockers and Brides.

Mark and I have always been up for the "ugly" challenge. So when ever the situation arises were we can dress like a fool we take it. My mom is a kindergarden teacher and mark has spend the last 6 years of her life raiding her closet for all her "cool/awesome" cloths. She is the kind of mom who we could count on to have a winnie the pooh jumper or the perfect sweater for our Ugly sweater parties. I remember at this party mark had not quite grown a full mustache yet so with the help of mascara he transformed into the winner of our christmas party.

Mark and I went to small Christian schools in California. Because they were christian we were not allowed to dance (of course dancing from the devil :) So instead the school would have events for us to do. We would usually go to a show or a nice dinner for the evens. Because of this Mark and I felt that if we were going to go at all to these LAME school functions then we were going to have the time of our life. So for Marks and my Junior Senior prom, while everyone else wore normal prom attire, him and his two best friends rocked the three amigo costumes (of course they were hand made by Mark and his friends!). Mark has always been this RAD!

Here is Mark, me, and Brandon (our best friend). Both Mark and I went to Biola University. We had pep rallys every semester so we decided to rock it out at this one. Mark and Brandon wore mullet hats and we went around the whole gym screaming at the top of our lungs to get the crowed pumped. This was also the night that I got on the shoulders of a complete stranger who had green face paint on. When the night was over my crotch was covered in green paint (which sucked... and was awkward).

Mark and I have loved having a life were we are NOT in the least bit cool. I wish I could post 20 more photos with background stories but I have get back to cleaning our house. Today we are having a fake Christmas with our families since we have a wedding in Vegas on Christmas day. Wahooo we are so excited and we appreciate all your blog comments.

Michelle and Tylers RAD Sess.

2008-12-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

There are some clients that we can not get enough of, and Tyler and Michelle are one of them! They are soooo freakin rad in every way. They share a lot of the same interest as us, as well as their similar personality's. We were super stoked when they asked us to be apart of their wedding.

After contemplating a few different locations we ended up in the Orange Hills and Down town Orange. It was for sure the perfect location. (note: Our Favorite makeup artist, Nicole, did her hair and makeup. she is AAAAAAAAAAAAmazing and you should call her...NOW!)

Not only did Michelle come dressed from head to toe in an Anthropology outfit she wanted her photos to have that feel.... So the first location was very natural. The second location, as you see, was more romantic and hot.

Thank you so much for letting us be apart of your E-session! we are way to excited for your wedding.

Jacob and Becky's E-session

2008-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

One thing we love about the business of Wedding Photography is that our name gets passed around to the whole family once we are hired. Because of this we are able to work with so many amazing people!

Jacob and Becky are cousins of one of our previous clients. Like our previous clients, they do things a little differently. Instead of exchanging rings, they exchange watches to symbolize their love for one another. It is really quite amazing when you hear the back story and meaning behind why they do this.

Jacob and Becky are AWESOME. Through out the entire shoot we had a blast taking their photos, and Running around downtown L.A.

We are so excited for them!

Thank you guys so much for letting us be apart of your wedding! We are excited to see you again soon!

Andi and Dave: Married!!!!

2008-12-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

There are certain things we love about shooting weddings. One of them is the element of surprise.... our first surprise was getting a phone call from Andi two weeks before her wedding date asking if we had her date available. Luckily we did!

The second surprise was meeting Andi a few days before her wedding to figure out the details and meeting a seriously RAD girl.

Our third surprise was finding out that their love story rocked our world. They both work at LAX and with the occasional conversation they slowly fell head over heals for each other... A few years went by and they decide to tie the knot with a traditional Catholic wedding, followed by a rockin party.

Andi and Dave, Thank you sooo much for letting us be apart of your wedding. We loved every minute of it!

To all our Florida Peps!

2008-12-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

Last night mark and I played a few rounds of cards, watched some Dexter and chatted with friends until 2:00a.m. (yeah Ladera Gang). Then we went home, packed, did some photo work, and found ourselves waking up to a very annoying alarm. With only two hours of sleep we crawled out of bed, took showers, and rushed over to Jessica Claire's house for our ride to the airport.

10 hours later...We are now sitting at my grandmothers house in Florida, we are refreshed, and both of us have a casserole deep in my stomach. We have been setting up a few photo shoots, editing photos, and getting everything organized for our dinner with all the Florida Photographers.

So here is the plan.... This Wednesday the 10th at 8:00 pm we are going to be meeting ANY photographer or "blog stocker" for dinner at Olive Garden. The address is 10500 Ulmerton Rd # 470, Largo (it is in the Largo out door mall). If you are still planning on coming give a shout out in the blog comments and write us an email (mark@markbrooke.com).

We are super duper excited to meet with everyone in a few days! And I hope everyone can make it since we made the dinner so late.

And for all of you who do not live in Florida... Here is a sneak peak of a wedding we are going to post in a few weeks. It is a fresh Mark Brooke Style of lighting.

Matt and Karen making their E-session "personal"

2008-12-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

Matt and Karen are Radical! We met them a few months ago, and decided that no matter what we wanted to be apart of their amazing wedding and their life story.

Matt and Karen are perfect examples of how our clients can make a shoot "personal". They put a few extra thoughts into getting ready for their shoot. They brought things that were sentimental to them. For example the big lollipop and the fluffy flowers. The fluffy flowers were from her Engagement party a few days before! Also, they went the extra mile to make sure they got a few shots for their thank you notes and Christmas cards. They were so creative!

We are sooooo excited to be apart of their special day!

Just in the nick-of-time Christmas Photos!

2008-12-04T23:39:00.000-08:00

Mark and I were not going to be doing X-mas cards this year, but due to the amount of inquires we are going to offer them for ONE DAY ONLY! This is super exciting for me because I love Christmas and I love awesome photos... So when you mix those I get all gitty inside.

This Saturday the 8th, we will be scheduling Xmas card session starting at 8:00am. It will be a 30 minute photo session with your family, lover, or friends... You will get a CD with about 10 different X-mas photo options. The price of this shoot will be $175.00.

If you are interested email us directly: Mark@markbrooke.com

p.s. we have a few slots open on Sunday Morning.

The Brooke's are headed to Florida!

2008-12-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

Hello blog readers, brides, and friends. Mark and I are headed to Florida December 8th -17th to hang out, visit family, chill with Mickey, and shoot alot of photos! Anyone who is interested in having us do an engagement session, family shoot, Head shots, or Day after session while we are out there than please contact us. Our pricing starts at $500.00.

And if you are a Florida Photographer, we would love to meet up for lunch. We are going to be all over the state of Florida so feel free to email us directly to get more info.

We are super excited. Wahoooo

Also, we are going to be covering a few FAQ's while we are traveling. So if you have any topics or questions you are hoping we will cover than feel free to leave them in the blog comment section.

We love you guys! peace!

Wil and Sarah, Married!

2008-12-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Wil and Sarah are soooooo great! They were referred to us by another one of our clients. They have a love story that will rock anyones socks off, they drive a mini (like us), and they are way to cool for school. When we shot their wedding we were super excited to see them bust out their modeling moves again, since they were such great sports during their E-session.

Sarah and Wil had such a great wedding filled with so much character and laughter. Every room we walked into we could feel the joy bouncing off the walls.

Thank you sooo much for letting us be apart of your wedding.

Enjoy the photos.

Click here for the Radness!

Alex and Marlena's Cancun wedding

2008-11-29T00:24:00.000-08:00

We immediately feel in love with Alex and Marlena's awesome personalities, love story, and contagious smiles! We shot their E-session last spring at an airport because they wanted a location that was sentimental to them. They had a long distance relationship so the airport, at times, seemed like home.

When they asked us to be apart of their Cancun wedding we quickly said YES! Their wedding was unbelievable. They had family and friends fly in from all around the world to be apart of their special celebration. The weather was perfect and everyone looked amazing. We are soooo excited to see them soon for their "Day after session".

Congrats Alex and Marlena! You guys are sooooo awesome! We can not wait for you to see the rest of the photos.

(rocking out a new posting style..... I think i like it!)

A very "chill" day after session....

2008-11-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Eric and Courtney are great clients of ours. We were able to be apart of their Engagement, and then we were able to be apart of their Day after Session. Many of our brides have not heard of a "day after sessions" before they walk into our studio, so I would like to take the time to explain them.

When we shoot a wedding, we usually take about 6,000 photos, and then after the wedding we dwindle it down to the "perfect" 1000 photos and put them on a cd. Well some times a bride will want more awesome "Mark Brooke Photos". So we will suggest a "day after session". We do the shoot about a month after the wedding, we bust out some high fashion lights, and we head to a cool location. Or.... for a more down to earth feel, we will take a relaxed portrait session of the two newlyweds. Either way, the photos are super Duper fun to take, and we love doing them!

The shoot usually is ran the same as an Engagement session. We do two locations, and we usually shoot for about two hours. You can wear your wedding dress or you can think of a fun theme (like Courtney and Eric). For this shoot they wanted to go with a relaxed "now that we are married, this is what we do" theme.

The "Day after sessions" are one of Mark and my favorite things to do. We love doing more high fashion photography when you are all dressed up in your wedding dress. And we don't have to worry about time, the dress getting dirty, or any nerves.

Courtney and Eric are such awesome people and we feel sooooo cool that we got to shoot their Day after session.

Shoot Sac is rockin the coolness.

2008-11-26T23:53:00.000-08:00

One of our greatest friends Jessica Claire is having a radical ShootSac promotion! Check out their blog to see all the greatest news!

p.s. If you do not have a shootsac yet, you have to get one! Seriously I personally love them, they fit all my lenses perfectly and they look freakin good on everyones hip.

Matt and Angie: Engaged! (their album design)

2008-11-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

Matt and Angie are super awesome people. They are both lawyers and they both have a passion to make this world a better place. Angie and Matt are getting married on Christmas this year at the Four Seasons, in the city of lights, Los Vegas! We are soooo excited to be apart of there wedding.

For their blog post I wanted to post their album design. Many of our couples are taking the advantage of having an engagement album that acts as their wedding guest book. We design them so there is white space around the photos for their guests to sign, write encouraging notes, and enjoy the fun E-session photos. These albums become a priceless keep sake. Usually the bride and groom will have one of those 10$ guest books at the wedding and use it for boring addresses and names. Well, with Mark Brooke Photographers we try and be anything but boring!

Congrats Matt and Angie, you both Rock!

Click here to view the album design!

Brian and Nicole Married in Cabo!

2008-11-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Mark and I had the amazing opportunity to shoot a wedding in Cabo! We not only had a blast, but we were able to be apart of a wedding that was breath taking.

Brian and Nicole are simply perfect for each other. When we met them we knew immediatly that we waated to be apart of their wedding. They got married at the Palmilla resort. [which is insane by the way!] The weather was perfect. Though, I don't think that I have ever been that sweaty in my entire life! ;)

It was RADICAL!

Click here for your viewing pleasure!

The Chapel!

Click here for your viewing pleasure!

Ben and Lindsay

2008-11-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Lindsey and Ben Rock our World! We met Ben and Lindsay a few weeks ago and we knew immediately that we wanted to shoot their E-session and Wedding! They have more spunk, color, and tattoos then any one we know. You can tell they are perfect for each other when you talk with them.

Thank you for letting us be apart of your story!

Jennie and Pedro: Round 2

2008-11-15T22:17:00.001-08:00

Some of our biggest cheerleaders happen to be our clients. We love Jennie and Pedro because they follow our blog, our twitter, and our comments. They are seriously some awesome people and we are sooooooooooooooooooo excited that they are "mark brooke" clients. We are super stocked to see them on their wedding day soon!

Here is the second part of their awesome E-session!

kirk and Nicole's white wedding

2008-11-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

Kirk and Nicole have a very interesting story! We met nicole a few months before the wedding. She was cute, collective, and she had a game plan in mind. She explained that Kirk was in the Navy and that the wedding date could randomly switch at any minute. A few weeks later we get an email stating that she had gotten Married! Mark and I at first were super confused, since it had only been two weeks since we had last talked to her. But after she explained reason why they got married, in a courthouse,was for logistical reasons due to the navy and how they were still going to have a wedding celebration..... we were relieved.

The wedding day rolled around and it blew our minds. Kirk was dressed in a white (awesome) Navy attire and Nicole looked stunning! The wedding had so many personal touches that made us smile the whole time. Now Kirk and Nicole are living in Europe traveling the world with the Navy. We are super excited for them!

Kirk and Nicole, thank you for letting us be apart of your wedding! You guys rock!

CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW!!!!!!!

Band-aid

2008-11-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

I am the band-aid for the Band UNA....

If you know me personally you know that I think my Husband is HOT! I will tell almost anyone this in the third conversation after meeting them... I think he is even hotter when he has a guitar in his hands (which is every wednesday night and the occasional friday when he has a practice or a show). Mark has been in a band ever since I have known him. He was a guitar major at Biola University and he has always found a way to play his guitar through out the week.

Well this past week I took the opportunity to shoot some updated "Band Photos". He has an upcoming show this week and they felt inspired to spice up their image. So if you would like to join us, and see the Mark, of "mark brooke photography" rock his heart out then here are the details.

Location: THE WIRE 247 N. 2nd Ave, Upland, CA 91786, CA 91786

When: Friday, November 14, 7:00PM

Personal updates...

2008-11-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

To be honest I feel like Mark and I have been absent from the world for the last two months. I was just on the phone the other day with a good friend (Ashley ann) and she repremanded us for being "missing" for so long. The truth is we have given our heats and soul into our business and we know the hard work mixed with lots of fun will pay off. So here is what has been going on.

1. We finally finished our studio! It look's out of this world awesome. I am so excited to have something that screams "US". We will be posting photos of it very soon (all the wedding post come first).

2. we have been traveling our butts off. We still have to post two RAD destination weddings, so stay tuned. Two weeks ago we went to Cabo and now we are sitting in Cancun. And I have had the great opportunity to shoot with Jessica Claire at a few of her destination weddings these past few weeks.

3. Mark celebrated his 24th B-day. which was off the hook! I have known and dated mark since he was 16, so to have him turn 24 seemed so weird (time flies). We have so many memories together of his past birthdays and I feel blessed to be celebrating another birthday with him as his WIFE.

4. I have a HUGE project that I am personally working on. I am super excited and I cannot wait to officially announce it in a few weeks. When Mark is on the "Man trip" I will be driving down to LA every day to finalize things and make some VERY big decisions.

5. Jeffrey our puppy has Seizors! Yep, you heard me! It is soooo sad. We have medication for it but I am not sure what the long term out come will be.

6. We finally decided to pay the BIG BUCKS and get Red Door to do ALL our branding, website, and marketing. He has done all fo the branding for Becker and Jessica and shootsac! We also know the owner Tim, and he is a great guy. Mark and I both feel we did the smart thing by keeping our site simple and inexpensive until now.... But as our prices go up, and our number of clientele goes up, we feel it is important to put a new, "permanent" face to Mark Brooke Photographers. As far as we know everything is changing except our Grey and Teal colors.

7. HOLY COW!! over 500 people voted on the first day of the Nosering poll!!!! Now.... what to do with this information.... hmmmmmmmm.

So I think this is all the exciting news that is going on with us. We are excited for things to slow down so we can catch our breath and hang out with our family and great friends....But I am not quite sure when that will happen :)

Here is just a sneak peek at a few the up coming shoots on our blog! [don't worry we still have a bunch of other rad shoots to in the blog-pipes]

Kirk and Nicole [Newport beach, Ca]:

Alex and Marlena [Cancun, Mexico]:

Nicole and Brian [Cabo san lucas, Mexico]:

Lindsay and Ben [Costa mesa, Ca]:

A change in life-style

2008-11-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

What you are about to watch is not just a trailer...it's a lifestyle. Report for adventure November 16th in Southern California at Noon. I am so stoked to be a part of this.

Mammoth Men 3 Trailer from FRED EGAN on Vimeo.

In the early wintery months of 2008, eight celebrated, award-winning and downright awesome photographers from all over the country grabbed their snowboards to ride the mountains of Mammoth, California. This marked the beginning of what is now known as…wait for it…The Mammoth Men. What ensued during that getaway was a week filled with adventure, spontaneity, hijinks and storied tales. A bond was forged amongst these men and a commitment made to doing it again, and doing it often!

During the Summer of 2008, The Mammoth Men hit the road again. Only this time, they loaded up 10 photographers in a Prevost rock star tour bus, drove for five days up the California Coast and shared it with everyone via their traffic happy blog. So much so that their blog readers actually got to choose their day-to-day adventures while watching them play out the next day. The blog following continued even after the West coast trip ended and garnered media attention in the blogosphere.

Well, the guys are back for their much anticipated third installment of The Mammoth Men. Watch the mayhem unfold as these 12 photographers board their Prevost and head into the American Southwest to document their Route 66 road-trip. Packed with more guys, more miles and more camaraderie, it's not just a roadtrip...it's a lifestyle.

Nose Ring... poll

2008-11-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

In honor of election week.......

So today Mark picked Jessica and I up from the airport and next thing I know he has an "AWESOME" Idea.... Mark wants to get his nose peirced! He thinks its going to be the coolest thing ever. Michael Norwood and Jessica Claire think it would look RAD and Jessica suggested that I should take a Blog poll and let the world decide.

He just wants a small hoop on one of his nostrils what do you think? And please list the reasons why you think he should or should not get it.

VOTE HERE!!!!

Shawnie and Brock: Our longest post ever!

2008-10-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Shawnie and Brock are two of the most RAD people I have ever met...... EVER. Brock is part owners of a company that makes concrete flooring and counter tops for homes (please hit me up if you are interested they are amazing!). I had the pleasure of shooting their wedding while Candice was out shooting a SERIOUSLY insane wedding herself.

They had their wedding at the Fullerton arboretum. I had the pleasure of Matheu Photography assisting me for the day. There were so many different scenarios to shoot at; I have never had so much fun! We had an UN-real time hanging out with them.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW!!!!!!!!!!!

...yes that is a groomsman kissing another groomsman..........

I freaking loved this series!!!
My name is brock....... I like to party.

my name is Shawnie...... And I like to party.
Partners for life.
Yes, they did invite 1 robot. He was rad.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Liz and Kevin's E-session!

2008-10-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had the amazing opportunity to shoot an E-session for Liz and Kevin. Most our packages include an E-session so we get the opportunity to get to know our clients on a deeper level. We love pulling our clients personalities out and their individual "couple" spunk.

When we first met with Liz and Kevin they asked us to suggest a few locations for their shoot. The were looking for something outdoors-y We immediately listed a few locations that we love shooting at and they picked our own back yard! It was perfect because the hills behind our house give the perfect light right before sunset.

We loved working with Kevin and Liz and we know they are more than perfect for each other! We are super excited for their BIG day!

Thanks for letting us be apart of your story.

Yum.

Joel and Kate... married!

2008-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we got to shoot an amazing wedding. Mark use to work at Hume Lake Christian Camp as the Camp band a few years ago. Little did he know that some other Camp Staff would soon be our future clients.

When we met Kate and Joel we obviously had a lot in common. They worked at camp, they worked in the photography department, they love Jesus etc... So it was a no brainer that we would love working with them on their wedding day!

Their wedding was so unique. It was out doors under this amazing tree. Then the reception was at Down Town Disney (lots of great colors). The wedding day was perfect.

Thanks for letting us be apart of your wedding!

We wanted to throw in a photo of their party favors. We are seeing more and more of this... People are using their E-session photos as party favors. We have seen them on Soda bottles, M&Ms, Cookies, Thank you notes etc... Its a great way to make the most of your E-session.

Myra and Carlos = coolness

2008-10-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Carlos and Myra are perfect for each other! They are getting married in March next year and you can tell they can hardly wait for the day to come!

When we did their E-session last week we were warned that they were a little nervous, but after a few snaps in front of the camera you could tell they were naturals. We decided to rock the E-session right here in our own back yard. The location was perfect for them and their personal styles.

Thank you soooo much for letting us be apart of your amazing E-session! We can not wait to see you guys soon.

Brianna and Charles Rockin our socks off.

2008-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you show up to an E-session and the couple is so energetic they make you simile and laugh the whole time?... We call it a GOOD DAY!

Brianna and Charles rocked our world the minute they met us in our studio a few months back. They are getting married at the coolest location called Rancho Las lomas. The way they described it made our mouths drop. There is going to be a small zoo there with lions, zebras etc... A rad European telephone booth, and beautiful gardens. We are super stocked to be apart of their wedding!

They also picked an amazing E-session location... the wine vineyards in Temecula! We drove up to the vineyards and from the moment we stepped out of the car, Charles had us laughing! We had such a Rad time!!!!!!

Stephanie and Michael: Married!

2008-10-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

We have waited so long for this amazing wedding to come, and I still can not believe I get to post about it now! Stephanie and Michael are out of this world awesome people. When we met them we knew they were perfect for each other. They made us laugh so hard when they first told us their love story and what they wanted in photography. And their laughter was contagious.

Not only are they amazing, but every single person that was apart of their wedding rocked our world. When we shot their E-session a few months before we were warned that they were photogenic and their friends were awesome people...and of course they were right! Stephanie and Michael looked smokin good on their wedding day, and we had a blast being able to capture their love for one another!

Thank you for letting us be apart of your wedding!

Location: Westin south Coast Plaza

Officiant: Tie the Knot Cerimonies

Flowers: This Old Garden Gallery

Cake: Rossmoor Pastries

Videography: Magdelana Video Productions

DJ and Lighting: Carcano Dj & lighting

Hair and Makup: Design Village

Click Here for the Slideshow!!!

This guy was so RAD! He did not put down the pillow all day!

Click Here for the Slideshow!!!

Image X, New Orleans style : Candice

2008-10-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I had an amazing opportunity to rock it with Jessica Claire in New Orleans. Not only is she one of my greatest friends but she can teach a "HE*L" of a work shop!

The week started off with me meeting about 60 new amazing photographers, and it ended with me at a roulette table having the time of my life winning $170.00...wup wup.

Through out the work shop there were times for all the students to take photos of models that Image X had provided. So here are a few shots I grab over 30 other photographers shoulders.

I also had the opportunity to do a maternity shoot for my new photo friends Ryan and his wife. They are super cute together and they are way pumped at the thought of having their third child in the next few weeks.

The trip was RAD! And I had such a blast helping J.Claire out!

Lastly I can not go with out giving a shout out to JEN BERRY! SHE IS KINDA AMAZING! Her blog comment was stinking out of this world! She really took "sharing the love" to a whole new level.

I know nothing about this guy other then he was super kind enough to let me take his Birthday photo as he made his way down the street.
The Maternity shoot!..

Radical.... Jennie and Pedro's E-session

2008-10-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

When I first met Jennie and Pedro we were meeting clients in Starbucks (we did not have our studio yet). I walked in the doors and saw Jennie and and pedro sitting at a round table busting up laughing. I knew right then and there that they were the perfect client for "Mark Brooke Photographers".

Last week we met Jennie and Pedro In Whittier, where years before they had shared their first date. We spent the entire time walking up and down the streets re-enacting great memories. Among our stops was the Bar that Jennie use to work out (where they met), their favorite record store, and the movie theater they went on regular dates on.

The shoot went great, and we are so excited to see them soon for their wedding day!
Candice & Mark

...outside the movie theater
....inside the theater ;)

Nate and Kristie Married!

2008-10-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Nate saw kristie at his graduation

Kristie smiled

Nate liked kristie

Kristie liked nate

Nate asked kristie out on a date

Nate and Kristie are now married!

A few weeks ago Mark and I had an amazing wedding at the Mission INN. It was outstanding! Nate and Kristie are some of the coolest people! They trust what we "do" and because of it their photos always turn out great! Not only did Nate and Kristie go to BIOLA University (like Us!) but they share many of our same interests and we love hanging out with them.

Thank you soooo much for letting us be apart of your radical wedding. We can not wait to see you both around town!

Thought....

2008-10-06T20:22:00.001-07:00

Note: We just posted a rad Family shoot right under this post, so check it out... This is just my Monday night thought....

I am here at Image X in New Orleans, helping Jessica Claire out with her amazing workshop. She is doing an outstanding job teaching 30 photographers a day and sharing all her wisdom! Something that has inspired me today is all the "love" in the room. Out of the 30 people that I met today, I love all 30 of them and hate 1... The "1" is me! I hate that I am not showing the love at all times. I found myself seeing "newer" photographers needing encouragement and I tried my best to give it today, so why don't I do this when I am sitting in front of the computer?

I am inspired to do more blog commenting and sharing the "love". Tiffany made my night....She is a blog commenter on our blog. She seems to always be the first to blog comment and she is always so positive. I am very encouraged by tiffany and all the other blog commenters that love and support us!

I am going to leave with this question.... Why don't people share the love on each others blogs? Why do only a few photographers leave comments? Why do I/people look at blogs for a few hours a week and not stay an extra 30 sec and write a nice little comment?

Well get ready world! I am going to be sharing the love!!!!

Candice

family shoot

2008-10-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Mark and I shoot primarily weddings, so when ever we get an inquiry about something else (family shoots, boudoir shoots etc..) we get super excited. We met Maria, Alex, and Alex Jr. through a mutual friend. They are an amazing family with so much energy. And as you will see in the photos their dog is way to cool!

Thank you soooo much for everything. We loved being apart of your family story!

kickin it with the Band!

2008-10-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a chance to go back to the basics. Before Candice and I started the wedding photography adventure I use to shoot Bands. This week I had the opportunity to shoot some promo-shots for the Adam Watts band. They are such rad guys!!! Candice and I are really great friends with Nick (The guy on the right of the photo). So it was awesome to get a sneak peak into his every day life with the Band.

Thanks guys! You all rock!

Raymond and Maria: Rockin it with style

2008-09-30T11:50:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we were able to be apart of an awesome wedding. We became friends with Raymond and Maria after they booked us for their wedding. We immediately clicked with their humor and personalities. We knew they would have a radical wedding just by knowing they are awesome, and when the day arrived....we were right!

Raymond and Maria dated for 12 years before they tied the knot (and I thought mark and I had a long dating relationship of 5 years). They got married at the Millennium Biltmore in LA. It was amazing; from the flowers to the lighting.

Thanks for letting us be apart of your fan-FREAKING-tastic day!

CLICK HERE FOR THE PICTURE SHOW!!!!!!

FAQ: Marketing?

2008-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Many of you have sent us emails asking questions like these:

"How do you get business and set yourself apart from other photographers?"

"What do you do to market yourselves?"

"How do you book someone on the spot?"

"How can I get my booking percentage up?"

etc.....

We would like to answer one of these questions this blog post, and hopefully the answer will help you with your other questions....

Marketing:

Marketing is sooooo important to your business. When talking with Photographers I have found that the most popular forms of Marketing are these: Networking, word of mouth, wedding expos, Magazines, and wedding ADs. We have tried them all, and so have our friends in the biz. They are all great areas of marketing, and they will ALL help your biz. Of course word of mouth is a slam dunk. You get the Brides you want, they will value your work, and they spread your name like it's free candy. I would say the second best is Networking. When we first started photography, we had an excellent group of photographers that would pass biz around. And we are still Blessed beyond all belief with great referrals from other photo friends. Also networking with Vendors has really helped our biz. They love our style and they believe in our product of photography. Any referrals we get from our vendor friends are very strong, and much more effective then a 1/2 page ad in some random magazine.

Marketing your biz is fun, and if you do it right you will grow your business successfully.

In our next post I will spend more time talking about different ways to network and get referrals.

Completely off subject: Mark just got back from "Man-cation 2008!" He, Doug Boutwell (Totally Rad Actions), Victor Sizemore, Alex Hill, and Micheal Heddin of Evoke Photography, headed out to Vic's home town.

They did many manly activities: Victor hooked it up and got us some private tours of the Louisville bat factory, Four Roses Bourbon distillery, Church hill downs (where the Kentucky derby is held) and shot some guns.....Yes very manly things!

Brittany Fay video in the light...

2008-09-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

Mark Brooke photographers has an awesome Wedding videographer that we refer to our brides. She is artsy and super fun to hang with, and her new Biz is quickly growing! We trust her as a person and a videographer because she is one of our Bestest friends. She is the kind of person you want to be around, the kind of person that will make you laugh in all situations, and the kind of person that will be there for you in all of life's trials.

This past week Mark Shot Brittany and I up in the hills behind our studio. We have shot there several times before, and we plan on shooting there lots in the future... But this time was different. Mark used some awesome off camera lighting to spice up the shoot.

speaking of Brittany Fay, today when speaking with her on the phone, she mentioned that she is going to swing on our neighborhood swing set for 10 minutes every day to clear her mind. This got me thinking....How much would our work flow, our lives, our stress levels, and our relationships change if we just took 10 minutes in the day to reflect? I am inspired.

Shawnie and Brock: Rocking the E-sess.

2008-09-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

This past week we were able to hang with Shawnie and Brock. Not only do they both have radical names, they are both amazing people! When they first showed up for the shoot, We knew we were going to have a blast with them! They were both in awesome outfits, and they both had the hugest smiles on their faces. Shawnie and Brock were so wonderful to work with, and they allowed us to take our creative thoughts to a new level.

We decided to shoot their engagement session in Down town fullerton. This was their home turf, and ours, so the photos turned out great!

Thanks for letting us be apart of your Engagement!

Brian and Nicole: E-session

2008-09-20T12:05:00.001-07:00

WOW! is the first word I think of when I sit down to wright about Nicole and Brian's E-session. When we first met Brian and Nicole in Starbucks we feel in love. They are awesome people (with great style)and we are sooooo stoked to be apart of their destination wedding in a few weeks! So after meeting such awesome people, Mark and I were beyond pumped to shoot their Engagement session.

The first location we went to was the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. There was an event going on in the Mission that day, so our space was limited, but they rocked it with no fear (and never mind the few times we go reprimanded by the staff:). The second location that we went to was the San Juan Capistrano Train station. We have done this location before with other clients, but we have never taken these shots before! (its always fun to shoot the same location twice, this way you can find more hidden awesomeness that you did not find the first time).

Nicole and Brian, Thanks for letting us be apart of your Engagement session. We are "out of this world" excited for your up coming wedding!

Nancy and Chris ='s the Awesome Wedding!

2008-09-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

Mark and I showed up to a wedding that screamed color and awesomeness! Nancy and Chris have always impressed us with their artsy funk and personalities, but their wedding was out of this world. They got married in a beautiful church over looking the water. Their reception was at the CIUDAD restaurant in LA. There was no dancing, no cake cutting, no first dance....There was just an amazing party. The details and effort that they put into this wedding blew our minds, and we cant wait to see more radical weddings like this in the future!

I wanted to share this story in their wedding blog post: When we first met Nancy she was sooooo nervous and very shy in front of us, especially when taking pictures of her at her Engagement session. She had to worm up for a few shots, but by the end of the E-session she was rocking it!.... At the wedding Nancy was not shy or nervous, she felt confident and secure to be marring Chris that day. Mark and I turned to each other with a smile and said at the same time, "they are perfect for each other"! If a person can complete you as well as Nancy and Chris together then it is meant to be! We are sooo excited to see what is in store for them in the next few years.

Thank you so much for letting us be apart of your wedding, your engagement session and your life, you guys rock.

These Saints were all over the place!

Would you like a little more sneak with your peek?

2008-09-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

...
... more will come soon soon, i promise!

BLING!!!!!!

2008-09-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Rings: the bling of the wedding biz! Rings can be some of the best models ever. You can put them places and they don't complain, they are always looking hot, and they always get some attention in a crowd.

Wedding photographers love to shoot rings! When I (Candice) first started in the biz, contrary to Marks best advice, I felt the need to put the wedding rings in the most embarrassing/ 1980's spots [you know, the pictures where the ring is in the bouquet of flowers or on the brides dress?] Well yes, that was me when I first picked up a camera.

So After being inspired, and having some sense knocked in to me by Nate Kaiser to shoot some "decently awesome rings shots" instead of my lame old shots, I have finally put together a few pictures that could/maybe/quite possible; compare to their amazingness that Nate and Jak post every week.

So Nate, as I have said to you before... You will be seeing some much more radical shots in the future... And let the competition begin.

Noah and Michelle ::

2008-09-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

This week has been AMA-SHWING (yes that is a mix of amazing and sha-wing)! We finally chose some fabric's and leather for our new custom furniture for the downstairs!! We are finally getting some RAD canvases for our walls, i installed/ re-wired our new chandeliers, [yes I am all that is man] and we are putting the finishing touches on our studio!!!!! don't worry we will post about this soon!!!

On to the REAL reason for this post...

Noah and Michelle are 2 of the MOST radical people you or I will ever meet!!!! They are Fun, hilarious, WAYYYY HOT, and put up with all of our crazy shenanigans that make our fun-funky-fashion style so unique [from the posing to the lighting and everything in between!]

So, as we mentioned in the "teaser post" thier wedding was up in Ventura California at the Camarillo Ranch, which was awesome!!!

Candice cried... I almost cried.... they DEFINITELY cried... it was off the awesome chart!