February 8th, 2010:
After a solid weekend of 5 engagement shoots, Today I am hard at work at my computer to edit the 4000 or so pictures I took. The first couple I shot on Saturday morning was Ana and Christian in Old Town Orange, and the rain couldn’t decide whether it would clear or not. But our soon-to-be-wed couple took it in stride, and never missed a beat.
Jan 29th, 2010:
I just finished up pictures for Cindy and Mike at Santa Monica Pier, where we shot under the clear blue sky after a week of storms here in Southern California.
Also be sure to check out the new “Engagement Photos” section on my webpage, where I’ve featured some of my favorite pictures!
Jan 26th, 2010:
Just got finished shooting an engagement session for Ben and Sanja at Venice Beach. Here are a few of my favorite shots!
Jan 19th, 2010:
The insane rains in Southern California cleared just in time for us to carry out our planned afternoon engagement session in Long Beach. What we didn’t count on was the flooding of PCH and the consequential closure of the 710 freeway, whilst we were on it… So Felicia and I sat there parked, when we were supposed to be meeting Amberlynne and Chirag, who I may have saved from a similar fate by giving them a traffic update before they made it to the 710.
Sitting locked on the freeway at 4:15pm watching the winter sun set while I was supposed to be shooting is a photographer’s tragedy. All the pictures I was going to miss kept flashing through my mind like epileptic fits.
The happy couple arrived only 20 minutes late at 4:35pm and called to let me know they were walking up to the meeting spot. I said “I’ll be there in 10 minutes”, hoping I wasn’t lying to them as I finally pulled off the freeway 3 miles from the shore. I turned a corner and found I was in luck, a street that wasn’t jammed with freeway overflow traffic. I hit the gas (perhaps driving a little too fast) and made it out front of the Aquarium of the Pacific (in Long Beach) just about 10 minutes after Amber and Chirag.
We started moving fast and shooting fast, and before we knew it the sun was gone and we were shooting in a spectacular purple twilight. Amazingly the catastrophe that I imagined in my head while sitting on the freeway never happened, and I was able to leave this shoot with some images that I am quite proud of, I hope Amber and Chirag enjoy them too.
92 and Counting:
This is RCP1. He is a solid 92 years old and still kickin around and making a fuss. I am Robert Carl Paetz III, barely 30, but if my namesake is anything to go by, I have a solid 60+ years to go to check out all the awesomeness in this world.
Today my father (RCP2), wife and I headed out to seal beach to introduce Felicia to Grandpa. Up until recently he and his wife lived in Prescott, Arizona and I have seen very little of him in the past couple of decades other than a crisp $5 note every Christmas. So in the spirit of reconnection, we bought Grandpa a 6 pack of German beer (more on that later), some potato chips and brought his wife some flowers. Felicia and I spent a couple hours chatting and showing him our wedding pictures and taking the obligitory RCP/RCP2/RCP3 shots that are required whenever the three of us unite.
Now the beer story. I guess a few years back he went in for his annual check up with his doctor and the doctor did the normal physical checks (breathing, weight, heart rate, etc, etc) then started asking questions “Do you smoke?” “No” “Do you drink?” “Well yeah… a man’s got to live, I have a couple a day” Grandpa replied. The doctor then told him that whatever he is doing is keeping him in tip-top shape and he needs to keep doing it, so Grandpa may be one of the rare people in the world prescribed “…not one, or three, but two drinks a day.”
Gotta love that.
Jan 16th, 2010:
The second shoot of my new “Free Engagement Session” promotion went remarkably well with Brianna and Mike in Griffith Park here in Los Angeles. We wandered about the Old Zoo Picnic Area (which is complete with empty animal cages from the 30’s). We had a glorious morning walk, and got some great shots.
Jan 14th 2010:
Just a few hours ago I wrapped up an engagement shoot with Star and Allen. A local couple who is getting married VERY soon. Recently I decided to try a new venue of advertising for my Wedding Photography. Many photographers will give out a free engagement session when a couple books the photographer for their wedding, but I got to thinking why not find couples who are getting married soon and give the free engagement session PRIOR to them booking a wedding?
My thinking is that picking a photographer is hard. Made harder by the large financial investment and the fact that many times doesn’t know what they will get until after they get home from their honeymoon. So why don’t I find people who will most likely need my services in the next year, and give them a sample for free. If they like how I work and the images I present them, hopefully they schedule their big day with me. If they aren’t impressed with what I can do for them, well then I widen my portfolio. Win-Win.
So last week I listed on Craigslist and a few Wedding websites offering completely free sessions to any couple who is planning on getting married in 2010. I got an overwhelming response, and already have 10 engagement sessions set up for the next two weeks. After that I get to wait and see if my marketing plan worked.
Just an FYI, this engagement shoot was shot in Downtown Pasadena.
Just Finished!
Just finished up working on this video with my friend, Erik Rodgers. Shot completely on my Canon 7D. The little girl in it is my niece Madalyn, who is staring in her breakout role!
Enjoy!
New Years Day 2010:
The tree stand looks sad and empty, and the front of the house looks dull with no lights. Thus we begin a spectacular new year!
5 Years and Counting:
This blog is starting its 5th year now. When it started I never thought I would see things through that long. I also never thought I would be a married man. The fact that both happened are spectacular, and I look forward to dedicating more time to my wife and my blogging in the year to come!
