We are finally back to work after spending 3 tiring and fun days in Las Vegas for WPPI. After seeing every album vendor in the known universe and being overloaded with every kind of photographic product information that you can think of, we are back and ready to go. We were also able to take in some very, very useful and inspiring classes and I’m so glad that I am able to absorb all of this good stuff.

I attended a class taught by Mark Cafiero from Colorado and Jim Kennedy from Huntington Beach, who are both terrific photographers and amazing businessmen. After leaving their two day class, I’m so inspired and ready to take our photography and business to the next level. We will be pushing for some exciting changes in the next few months, so stay tuned for those.

We also had a chance to relax and spend one nice evening by ourselves. We ended up going to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and had a super nice dinner with out screaming and food throwing from our little dude. That was nice. Cowboy Ribeye with extra butter and a nice Syrah doesn’t hurt either! Also had some time to sit at a few tables but that didn’t turn out so well, as usual :) Damn that 3 Card Poker!

On our trek back home, we stopped by Baker, CA (you know, the giant thermometer!) and took some shots. Here they are.

Sorry, Bub, I like this shot :)

I look pretty grungy, but hey, it was a long trip!

This past Saturday, I joined John Prado of Rome Beauty Photography in shooting Cara and Brian’s wedding in Orange, CA. John is a super cool guy as well as a great photographer and I’m glad I got the chance to shoot with him. The ceremony and reception took place at The French Inn. It is this chic old house that is right smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Old Towne Orange. Built in the 1890s, they now cater to a many weddings and other events. It’s always fantastic when the bride and groom (and the rest of the wedding attendees) make it so easy for us. They were all great and it was a stellar wedding. Congratulations to Cara and Brian!

Now, we’re off to Vegas for the WPPI Convention and Tradeshow…be back on Thursday!

The men leaving their hotel.

Almost there!

View from below.

The beaming bride.

Smiles everywhere!

Smiles, smiles, smiles. You know it’s a fun event.

A little tired.

In the streets.

Hug time.

What a look!

Congratulating a flower girl.

Sleepy.

Table in the backyard.

Cake lighting was awesome!

Thumbs up.

My favorite shot of the day. The bridesmaids are getting their charms which were hidden under the cake.

Nice moment while watching their slideshow presentation.

I got this shot of the French Inn on my way out.

What’s so great about this picture? While we went to the Circle in Old Towne Orange, we ran into my friends Melissa and Chris having dinner! Wild! That’s them on the right smiling at me :)

We just got in our newest sample album. I’m pretty pleased with how it came out so I thought I’d share. It’s an engagement guest sign-in book where your wedding guests can sign in or leave a message on the blank parts of the book. This will replace the typical sign-in book with lines for signatures and/or addresses. It’s an 8″x8″, 30 page, book bound album which I designed with a super clean layout that will showcase the images and leave a lot of space for signatures and notes. It’s a more casual and modern look compared to our leather bound albums, so it’s not for everyone, but I just love it! It comes with a cool slip cover and is just really well made. If any couples are interested in getting one, just let us know! Thanks to Lisa and Tim!

We had a super eventful afternoon on Saturday. Wing Li and Victor got married at the fabulous Ritz Carlton in Pasadena. They had a Chinese Tea Ceremony in the morning followed by traditional ceremony and luncheon. We worked with a awesome bunch, Carolyn Chen of The Special Day, Dan from DV Artistry and our buddy Regis Chen helped out as a 3rd shooter. Dan did a super cool same-day edit that was played during the lunch reception…the crowd loved it. Click here to view Dan’s video. We saw so many cool things that day. The Nintendo Wii setup for the kids (and big kids), the Red Cheese photo booth, and even witnessed a world record holder in action! Check out some of the photos below, some with captions.

I love this shot by Tey. A recurring theme for the afternoon, Victor had to solve the Rubix Cube before he was allowed to see Wing Li.

The center pieces were just fabulous.

The details of the Georgian Room were just amazing.

Victor is an incredible concert pianist! He dedicated two pieces to Wing Li. It was pretty awesome stuff.

Something I didn’t even know was possible. Victor’s friend and fellow musician solved a Rubix Cube blindfolded in about two minutes.

And some rings.

Everyday, Tey and I say to each other how big Lucas is getting. It’s true. He looks like such a big boy now. 20 Months! He’s wearing big boy clothes and shoes now. I have to say that his wardrobe is much, much cooler than mine. Thanks Grandma!