healedbygod's Xanga

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 05:18:35 GMT

I've moved!!

Our new combined blog is now up and running. Kerri and I are combining both our blogs, so go visit our new site and subscribe there! This is my last post on this site, as we will use the new site to tell you about our life and what is happening.

The exciting part is you now can visit one blog and see whats happening with both of us!!

Also check out our updated website @ www.lydellphoto.com. Be sure to check there often as we will be adding new pictures, galleries and slideshows on a regular basis.!!

Thank you for being such a good and loyal friend and visitor to my blog and I look forward to seeing you on the new one!!

Friday, March 31, 2006

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 08:35:42 GMT

IT'S HERE!!!

We have a new website up now - check it out @ www.lydellphoto.com It's around 1:30 in the morning. Kerri and I just put the finishing touches on it. Check it out and let us know if you see anything we need to fix up - you are all our beta testers!!

ALSO - BIGGER NEWS:

Kerri and I will are combining our Blogs into a joint blog - that is also having the finishing touches put on it. Once that is up, you wont have to visit both places to see what is up with us - we'll both be on one!! There isnt anything on there yet, but we plan on having something there soon.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 07:24:56 GMT

Mike Colon - FINAL POST!!

OK, so today is back to the real world. No more sunny Southern California. No more waking up in a hotel, eating out and taking pictures all day. But it's exciting in the sense that there is so much I learned on this trip. I wish I had a wedding to shoot this weekend so i could start practicing!!

I put two final slideshows together.

One is of all the photographers who were there. Click here

The other is the three photoshoots combined: Click here

More pics coming up soon!

EDIT:
Exciting news!! (at least for me!!) I got an email tonight from one of the models who was in the Fashion Shoot. She had someone else send her a link to my slide shows, and she wants some of my pics for her portfolio!

EDIT2
More news!! each of us who were in the seminar sent our best shots to the dress designer for her consideration in her new ad. I sent off my picks, and I'm sure the other 20 photographers did the same....Well, I got an email tonight asking about a couple of my images. There are a couple edits that she wanted to know if i could do to them. I sent her back the full images, and am waiting to hear from her.
If she uses one of my images, it will have print credit next to the picture for our studio, and will be in several well-known wedding magazines/internet sites.
More news as it comes out!! It's just excitiing to be in the hunt!! It's such an honor to just be considered...

Friday, March 24, 2006

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 20:56:15 GMT

Mike Colon, Day 4

The last day was packed again with information. After listening to Mike, as well as all the other photographers there, I feel like a cable was attached to my head this week, and there was just a massive download....now I need to process it all.

But the experience was GREAT.

Today Mike talked about shooting in available light. After that Jasmine came again, but this time she brought her husband. (Thats right guys, she's married...)

So we got to head out again with our cameras and try to put into use what we learned. It was fun watching them since they really were married, rather than just two models. Plus, they both are so comfortable with the camera.

Click here to see my slide show.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 05:39:21 GMT

Mike Colon, Day 2 (&3)

All I can say is I am EXHAUSTED!!

Well, technically, I should have posted Day 2 yesterday, but I couldnt get Xanga to let me post from my hotel connection. It seems to be working tonight, so here is what we did yesterday.

TUESDAY

Day two was more great info from Mike. In the afternoon, we headed out to the beach with two models he had arranged for to do a shoot on location. Mike is big on using natural light as much as possible, so he wanted us to get time to practice what he talked about.

Here are some pics of all of us taking pictures: The last two pictures are of his assistant, and his son, who has visited us each day in class. I put a slide show together of the pics I took of the models.

Click here to see that show.

WEDNESDAY

Today we went with Mike to a fashion shoot in Anaheim. It was a long day - we were in the warehouse location from 8 till 5. My finger hurts!!

There were 3 models with 12 dresses. The lighting was tough, but there was a time in the middle where I was able to get my settings dials in, so here is the slideshow from today. I have some pics of all of our group taking pictures, but it is late here and I need to get to bed since tomorrow is the last day of the seminar.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 04:55:49 GMT

Mike Colon, day 1

Today was the first day of the semiinar, and so far it's everything I expected. Most of today was Mike talking about his business strategy and marketing approach. It was mostly listening, and very little photo time, so there isnt a lot to post...

Here is Mike talking. He is such a humble guy.

I was so impressed by the fact that he opened the seminar by talking about his faith, and how it guides him in his business. In fact he has posted on his website the following quote about himself:"Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I'm so thankful that I have Him in my life and for the sacrifice He made on the cross. I owe everything to Him. I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for God's grace on my life." You can see his site here .

He showed us the Grace Ormande magazine that he shot the cover photo for.

We had a break, and there were some kids in a park with their dog.

Here is TJ chimpin one of his shots!

The next two days will be fun - We are doing a photo shoots each day, complete with models, lighting, etc. I don't want to share all the details, so you'll need come back and check in!

We'll be out late tomorrow, but I'll try to post some pics.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 03:08:26 GMT

Well, I'm down here in Irvine for the Mike Colon seminar.

Flew out of Sacramento this afternoon.

Checked into the hotel. Warm 50 degrees here - no look of rain!!

Made a new friend in the lobby.

Got settled in my room.

Sampled the local cuisine - El Torito - the only one within walking distance of the hotel..

Had an interesting experience in the restuarant. A waitress from another section was walking by and saw my camera on the table. (she wouldnt let me get her picture) I was trying to take pics inside, but it was very dark. I thought i waz gonna be told i couldnt take pics inside. Instead she wanted to ask about my camera. She spoke broken english - was here from mexico - and has a film rebel and a small canon pocket camera. I asked her what she liked to take pics of and she said flowers.

About 10 minutes later she came back again with her camera. (She must carry it with her in her purse.) She wanted to show me the flower pics she had taken. She was soooo proud of them. It never ceases to amaze me that anytime Kerri or I am seen with our camera, simply due to their size and look, people assume we are photographers. (not that we mind the assumption....)

These days, anyone with the money to buy a Rebel, 10D or 20D (or even a Nikon!!) can be taken for a photographer, even if you have none of the skills.

After dinner I walked back to the hotel. Saw this on the way back.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Mike Colon seminar. I havent seen anyone else in the hotel lobby with camera or anything else that would tell me they are photographers and here for the seminar. (Remember, you just have to HAVE a camera to be a photographer...)

I'm curious to know who I'll see there, and if it will be anyone I know from OSP. While i'm looking forward to the seminar, it is daunting to know I'll probably be sitting with other photographers who have been doing this for a while, and I'm still so new at this on a professional level i dont have a lot to talk about or a professional wedding portfolio.

I know I'll not only be learning from Mike, but from the others in the room.I have to make sure i get my notes from each day down so I can relate all this on to Kerri when I get back!

I think we take some pics tomorrow during the seminar, so I hope to have more to post then!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:01:54 GMT

New Website!

We upgraded our website - visit and let us know what you think. www.lydellphoto.com

I'm headed out of town today for a weeklong seminar with Mike Colon in Newport Beach! For those who don't know Mike, he is one of the premier wedding photographers, and his seminars are phenomenal

I'm so excited about what I'll be learning!!

Old Sacramento!

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 20:39:57 GMT

Yesterday we headed out as a family to Old Sacramento. For those who arent around here it's the part of town where Sacramento started on the river. They have kept it old fashioned and a fun place to go visit.

I picked out a handful of pictures from the several hundred I took. It's only a few of them - it was really hard to pick some...between the three of us, we took over 1300 pictures! I know Kerri will probably post some of her on her site soon...She had her fisheye lens on all day, and got some really great shots.

Lindsay and Brian came along too, and they had a blast. I think they are starting to get bitten by the (shutter)bug.

Brian is going on a school trip to the coast next week and is taking one of our 300D's with him, so he wanted to get some practice in. I'll post some of theirs in a day or so.

Click here to see some of the pics.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 23:32:07 GMT

Birthday Party, Part II

As you know from my last post, we were hired to shoot a friends 40th birthday party - a surprise FUNERAL!!

The slideshow was in my last entry...I just finished designing the draft album. You can see it by clicking here.

(As is, this is a 40 page album, and was designed for 8" x 12.")

Let me know your thoughts!