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New Blog

2008-12-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

My blog has moved to a new home. You can visit my spanking brand new blog here at http://www.williaminnes.com/blog/

Be sure to bookmark the new page!

William

Michelle and Charles

2008-12-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

We finished the 2008 wedding season last weekend photographing the wedding of Michelle and Charles on the Campus of Cal. Lutheran University. It was a very special day for all involved.

I was extremely fortunate to have my daughter-in-law, Lisa, my trusted second photographer/assistant with me. I also had the extreme pleasure of having with the wonderful Joey Carman come and shoot with us. He is a very gifted photographer - you can check out his awesome work here.

The bride and groom were very excited about getting married in the campus chapel, since they both are CLU alumni.

Here are Michelle and Charles having a special moment before the ceremony.

Some group shots on campus before the ceremony

We photographed this awesome bridal portrait just before Michelle walked down the aisle.

The bride and groom leaving the chapel to attend their reception. They had this really neat British taxi for transportation

Charles proposed to Michelle by using a fortune cookie. As a gift - Michelle presented Charles with a "bling" fortune cookie. We took an image with their wedding rings inside.

One of my favorite images from the reception was captured by Lisa. Michelle and Charles had a anniversary dance. Michelle's grandparents were the lucky winners for being married a wonderful 61 years. This image proves they still "have it".

Bailey and Steve's Wedding

2008-12-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my good photographer friend, Tibor Deme, and I traveled to Robinson Ranch GC to photograph the wedding of Bailey and Steve. Robinson Ranch was fabulously decorated for Christmas by Charmaine's Bouquet Canyon Florist. Charmaine also provided the flowers for the wedding.

Bailey and Steve are a wonderful couple and were surrounded by great friends and family. The Best Man - Brian Adams (no, not the rock'n'roll guy), was one of the most attentive Best Man's I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

It was an awesome day and really helped get me in the Christmas spirit. Here are some images from the wedding.

Ceremony and reception venue: Robinson Ranch GC - Santa Clarita
Floral Design: Charmaine's Bouquet Canyon Florist
Ceremony Officiant: Rev. Marilyn Doffing - divesofcrystal@yahoo.com
Entertainment: J&M Entertainment

Haleh and Jason's Wedding

2008-12-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we captured the small intimate Iranian wedding ceremony of Haleh and Jason. The ceremony was very rich in customs and traditions. The bride wore her mother's wedding gown. A fine hand-sewed wedding cloth, glittering with gold and silver, was spread out in front of the mirror of fate. Many beautiful items were arranged on the wedding cloth - all symbolizing aspects of the bride and groom's future life together.

After the ceremony a wonderful meal was served, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I found out the bride's mother spent two days preparing all the food.

Haleh and Jason are traveling to Hawaii in a couple of weeks with friends and family, where they plan on having another wedding ceremony.

Here are a couple of images from Haleh and Jason's day.

Some of the beautiful items placed on the "wedding cloth".

It's all about the shoes!

Gotta love red billy boots!

The Bride's dog, Bebe, was a special guest.

Family Picture

2008-11-28T16:39:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving day yesterday.

Just before we all sat down to enjoy our Thanksgiving diner - we drove on down to the local park and captured a quick family portrait. I think this is becoming a Thanksgiving day tradition. I also ended up taking tons of pictures of my favorite two subjects. Here are a couple of images.

Rachel and Rich at Bridgeport

2008-11-21T16:46:00.001-08:00

I walked the Bridgeport Lake here in Valencia yesterday with Rachel and Rich. We were hanging out taking engagement photographs. It was a perfect evening for a leisurely walk, with many other people out walking with their dogs and children.

Along the way we stopped by benches, rocks, bridges, piers and trees to capture some fun images. Here are a couple from the evening:

Amanda & Adam at the Beach

2008-11-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I traveled to El Matador Beach in Malibu to photograph Amanda and Adam's engagement images. The weather was perfect - complete with an awesome sunset for the drive home.

Amanda and Adam were super easy to work with, which made hanging out at the beach a lot of fun! When the session was over they gave me an awesome bottle of wine, "Zealear Fusion" Zinfandel. It is their new favorite and I have to agree it is excellent.

Here are a couple of images from our day at the beach.

Granddaughters

2008-11-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, my two little granddaughters attended the recent wedding I photographed. One as a guest and the other as a Flower Girl. Lisa and I could not help ourselves - taking way too many images of the cute little girls...

Lorelai - Wondering what a Flower Girl does at a wedding = curious

Isabel - pre-wedding snack = satisfying!

Putting on your favorite party dress = exciting!

Figuring out what a Flower Girl does = exhilarating!

Striking the perfect Flower Girl pose = PRICELESS!

Rachelle and Steve's Wedding

2008-11-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we photographed the wedding of Rachelle and Steve. This wedding was definitely a family affair. The beautiful bride, Rachelle, has spent countless days and evenings at our house hanging out with my kids. My daughter-in-law and her sister were the Matron of Honor and Maid of Honor. My little granddaughter was one of two flower girls (will post images later this week).

The groom, Steve, is into all things medieval and as you can see below in the second image, I could not resist photographing the bride's ring with the knight.

Sara and Joe's Wedding

2008-10-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we traveled to Ventura County to photograph Sara and Joe's wedding. The setting was laid back with their family and best friends in attendance. Sara's awesome dress included a fuchsia shawl and the venue had this real cool vineyard.

The whole wedding had a very relaxed "vibe", with everyone being very friendly. We showed up a little early and the Bride and Groom invited us to sit down and have breakfast with them and their friends.

Here are some images from the day.

Uber cool dress with awesome shawl!

These are some of my favorite images of Sara and Joe. We all went for a stroll through the vineyard - just as the sun was setting.

New York City - Nikki & Mark - Part II

2008-10-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

As promised - here are the wedding images from Nikki and Mark's New York City wedding. The service was held at the Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem and the reception was at the Riverside Church.

It was an amazing day with perfect NYC weather. And the venues - what can I say? Both churches and the National Park with Grant's Tomb made for awesome image making.

Nikki and Mark along with their friends and family made this a very special experience for Lisa and I.

New York City - Nikki & Mark - Part I

2008-10-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

We traveled to New York City last weekend to photograph the wedding of Nikki and Mark. Lisa and I decided to arrive a day early and capture extra engagement images. We drove all over Brooklyn, Manhattan and Harlem finding awesome locations including the famous Lenox Lounge. The Lenox Lounge has been around since 1939 and has hosted well known artists such as Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and John Coltrane (my favorite saxophonist).

Nikki and Mark's NYC engagement images are shown below. Part II - the actual wedding will posted in a couple of days.

Hollywood and Vine

2008-10-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind on my blog posting. Last week I spent an afternoon with Sara and Joe in Hollywood California. We started at the famous Hollywood and Vine intersection and went exploring from there. Along the way we discovered some real cool alleys and doorways, and a high rise rooftop pool and cabana.

Joe use to be in the music business so we discussed various bands that we both like and it turns out that their wedding song is from one of my favorite Canadian bands - "The Cowboy Junkies".

Sara and Joe are getting married in less than two weeks - so I wanted to get some of their engagement images posted. Check back in two weeks to see some of their wedding pictures.

Shellie and Steve - Wedding Day

2008-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we headed out to Acton California to photograph the wedding of Shellie and Steve. They were married in their backyard with many friends and family attending.

Steve had worked real hard getting his house and yard looking like a million dollars for the big day. The yard flowers were awesome.

Shellie and Steve treated Lisa (my second photographer) and I like guests. Thank you for the hospitality and making us feel so welcome.

Here are a couple of shots ....

Erin & Adam

2008-10-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to be blogging about photography again after the last couple of weeks. (I really appreciated all your calls and emails concerning my father's situation).

We photographed two weddings last weekend. The first was Erin and Adam's wedding at Robinson Ranch Golf Club. The light for photography was perfect and as you will see below the sky turned awesome shades of red and pink.

My usual second photographer and wonder daughter-in-law, Lisa, could only be present for the second half of the wedding, so I asked Tibor Deme of "Close Up Photography" to hang out with me. Tibby as Tibor likes to be called was a bundle of energy that would not quit. The great vintage shot of Erin below is Tibor's

One of my favorite DJ's, Bino Bates rocked the house for Erin and Adam with non-stop dancing.

Here are a couple of images.

Miracles and Guardian Angels

2008-09-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

First I can't believe how well my father is doing after his terrible accident. He is definitely out of the woods and is very stable. I cannot offer enough praises about the hospital staff where he is. The doctors, nurses and therapists have all gone out of their way to make his recovery an absolute miracle. I look at him today and cannot believe how he looked last week after the accident. I believe in miracles!

Although he will be in the hospital for another couple of weeks - it is now a spinal cord issue we have to deal with. Many tough decisions and choices for my father and mother. Just remember how precious life is and how quickly it can all change.

Last, while up here in Canada before the accident the local TV news ran a story about how 42% of Americans believe in angels - especially guardian angels. Well, all I can say on the night of my Dad's accident I met a real live guardian angel named Mike Calhoun. My father fell on the road and hurt himself real bad - with lots of bleeding. As I held my dad and tried to control the bleeding - a set of headlights appeared on the road and stopped. Out jumped Mike who helped with first aid and coordinating the arrival of the ambulance. While we were sitting in the hospital emergency waiting room, who should appear - Mike Calhoun - to make sure we were alright!

It turns out Mike lives around the corner from my parents and has offered to help all he can when I return to California. Mike you are truly a guardian angel. Thank you so much.

Canadian Update

2008-09-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday and has been three days since my father's accident. Although there are many bridges to cross over the upcoming days, weeks and months, I am extremely pleased with his progress. The staff at Victoria Hospital in London Ontario Canada are awesome! The journey my dad has traveled the last three days is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you for your comments and concerns.

My Hero is Hurting

2008-09-21T03:56:00.001-07:00

Sorry I have not posted since my last wedding. I flew up to Canada to visit my parents and expected to be home by now. Last Friday evening I decided to go and have a coffee at the local coffee shop and work on emails. It was suppose to be my last evening in Canada so I invited my Father to tag along and hang out. Walking to the car parked in front of his house he tripped and suffer a horrific accident. He fell straight on his face shattering bones - including his nose and cheek bones. He has also suffered bruising to his spinal cord resulting in a strange syndrome that results in extreme nerve pain in his hands.There were also many lacerations on his face. It seemed the ambulance took forever to arrive as I held my Dad in the middle of the street. Many good samaritans stopped and offered assistence. We spent 24 hours in emergency and he is now in the Trauma Critical Care unit. The good news is he is in one of the best teaching hospitals in Canada and the nurses and many doctors have been awesome.

My hero and friend is really hurting and looks terrible with bruises, swelling and stitches everywhere. He has been examined by emergency, trauma, orthopedic, and plastic surgeons. But I tell you - my Dad is one tough guy. The staff in the hospital has commented that his generation (folks from the WWII era) are extra tough.

Although my Dad's vitals are stable, I believe he is in for a long road to recovery. I have to return to California next week as I have five weddings in October to photograph. I am very lucky to have a sister that lives an hour away and is here too. I am going to spend this week by my fathers side and try to make new living arrangements for my mother and father.

I will keep you posted. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Audra & Dan

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

On Saturday, we traveled to Le Chene in Agua Dolce for the wedding of Audra and Dan. Although it was a little hot, it was a perfect day for an outdoor ceremony and reception.

The outdoor setting at Le Chene is awesome. We photographed the bride's dress outside by the water wheel -

Audra and her MOH - Tisha

The Brides daughter, Kirstin, baked all the yummy wedding cakes. I usually don't eat the cake at wedding receptions - but did have some this weekend. The lemon cake was my favorite.

The bride and groom getting a little time to themselves out front of Le Chene.

New Website

2008-09-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to launch my second website - WilliamInnes.com I've been busy working on this site for the last couple of weeks. This website will showcase images not available on my regular website. Please check it out and feel free to leave me a comment.

Bailey and Steve

2008-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me how many different looking images you can capture in an hour or less. I hooked up with Bailey and Steve yesterday morning at the Santa Monica Pier for an engagement session. We covered a lot of ground (including the spot where they had their first kiss)!

Here are some of the images we found...

It's Only Rock'n'Roll, But I like It...

2008-08-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last night my youngest son rented a local hall and promoted a concert with five bands. I decided to hang out and take some black and white pictures. It was an awesome experience. I now have have total respect for those famous Rock'n'Roll photographers. Low light and difficult focusing conditions are very challenging. Here are a couple of my shots:

Raising the Bar at the Olympics

2008-08-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love the Olympic Games (both summer and winter). There are always great personal stories about the athletes and world records being broken, but this year's games seemed different - more special. Performances by Michael Phelps winning 8 gold medals and Usain Bolt of Jamaica smashing the 100m and 200m world records were awesome. Of course there were many other special moments and performances - like the USA Men's Volleyball team and Roger Federer's victory to name a few.

It got me thinking how mankind using both technology (new training methods etc...) and human spirit is able to continuously "raise the bar" and set new milestones of excellence. I think it is what drives most of us to continuously be the best at what we do. Personally, I am always using a strong desire to improve and the latest technology to "raise my bar". Although there are no Gold Medals awarded in photography, it is always my desire to excel and strive to be the best I can be.

Camille & Jean Claude

2008-08-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we photographed the wedding of Camille and Jean Claude. The ceremony was held at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Los Angeles and the reception was held at Samba's in Redondo Beach, California.

I had the pleasure of being joined by local wedding photographer Brienne Michelle. We both had a blast hanging out with Camille and Jean Claude. We ended up walking the Redondo Beach Pier Boardwalk in order to get to a local park for photographs. Along the way we encountered many interesting stops for images (not to mention all the boardwalk patrons clapping and saluting the new couple).

Here are a couple of images:

Things are changing around here...

2008-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was getting tired of the colors on my website so I spent the night updating www.innesphotography.com with tons of new images and display colors. I have also updated this blog to reflect the new color scheme.

Next up is a new website titled www.williaminnes.com. I expect to have it live within the next couple of weeks. I want it to compliment my current website by showing additional examples of my work.

Last, I am making a committment to blog at least once a week about something non-photography related.

Hope you like the changes around here...

Patti & Chris

2008-08-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we traveled to downtown Los Angeles for Patti and Chris' wedding at the Jonathon Club. They just don't make buildings like this anymore. The hall were the ceremony took place had 20 foot plus high ceilings and gorgeous red and gold walls. Later in the evening we visited the rooftop with Patti and Chris to capture a City of Angels skyline image.

Here are a couple of images from the Jonathon Club.

OneLight

2008-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Portland OR, where I attended the OneLight Workshop. I spent a day (a very long day - 15 hours) with Zack Arias - master lighting wizard and a group of very talented photographers. The time flew by, because Zack is an awesome teacher and is willing to share everything he knows. Here are a couple of images from the day. I can't wait to start using some of these new lighting techniques.

Becky and John - 8/8/8 at El Matador Beach

2008-08-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

The number eight has long been considered fortuitous in China, where people pay extra to have it in phone numbers and license plates. August 8th, 2008 turned out to be extremely lucky for me - hanging out with Becky and John all day. They got up very early in the morning and flew to Los Angeles from Dallas Texas. We hooked up in Manhattan Beach at 9:30 AM and took engagement pictures. Later in the day it was off to El Matador Beach in Malibu to get married. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful beach. The couple then headed to the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills to enjoy the company of close friends and a couple of cocktails by the pool.

It was a very magical day. Here are a couple of pictures:

Robyn & Randy - Malibu California

2008-07-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we photographed the wedding of Robyn and Randy in Malibu California. The wedding took place at the Sunset Restaurant. This was not your typical wedding .... it was a little crazy! First, Robyn informs me she only bought great wedding shoes (instead of flip-flops) because she knows I like to photograph shoes. Hence, the first two "shoe shots" below.

The event coordinator was Myra Harbour from Celebrate in Valencia California.

We spent a lot of time on the beach with Robyn, Randy and their friends and family. We took so many amazing images - (not my usual romantic style). Too many to show here unfortunately.

I am sure many of you have heard of "Trash the Dress" - where brides are going out a couple of weeks after their wedding and doing crazy things in their wedding dress - including water, mud, fire etc.... you get the idea. Well on Sunday my fun bride, Robyn, trashed her dress by accidentally getting knocked over by a wave and falling in the ocean. I had Robyn and Randy standing in about six inches of water, when this wave came along and knocked her over. The second to last image below is my favorite - about 2 seconds before going in the drink!

Here are some images from the crazy day.

Rachelle and Steve

2008-07-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Rachelle is part of our family! She has been friends with my kids and their spouses forever. I was very excited when she asked me to be the photographer at her upcoming wedding. My daughter-in-law is going to be in the wedding party.

On Sunday Rachelle, Steve and I drove down to the Ventura coast to capture some engagement photographs. We had fun visiting about five different areas. Here area a couple of images:

Roxanne and Ali

2008-07-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we photographed the wedding of Roxy and Ali at the scenic Palos Verdes Estates Country Club. They had a beautiful outdoor ceremony. The reception rocked with a live band that kept everyone on the dance floor.

They also had a vintage Rolls Royce waiting to whisk them away. Check out the "Bond" (as in James) image below.

New Promo Video

2008-07-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

My good Videographer friend, Ari, recently completed a promo video for William Innes Photography. I plan on showing potential clients the complete video when they visit my studio. You can check out a trailer from the new promo below.

By the way - if you are getting married, having a party or doing anything that requires video, Video Impact Productions is for you. Their video's rock!

A Little Black & White

2008-07-18T14:17:00.001-07:00

I went out with some friends last Sunday morning to capture some local B&W images. Here are a couple of my favorites from the excursion.

Nichole & Jason

2008-07-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Mattie's! On Saturday we had an absolute blast photographing Nicole and Jason's wedding. Jason recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and I only had the pleasure of meeting him a week before the wedding. He assured me his friends were a little wild and we would get great photographs. Additionally, the reception had a "Pirate" theme - all the guests arrived in pirate attire. Even the bride and groom eventually changed. (see the last image below).

It was a very special day for all. Here a couple of images:

Ashley and Brandon

2008-07-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

I headed out to Mentryville on July 4th to take some engagement photos for Ashley and Brandon. Brandon was recently transfered for work and had to leave today. The engagement session was planned very quickly.

I even tried a new lighting technique! Here are a couple of their images...

Shellie and Steve at the Rock Inn

2008-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I packed up my gear in a backpack, jumped on my Harley and rode out to the Rock Inn in Lake Hughes. I hooked up with Shellie and Steve to capture some engagement images. Now Steve's bike was nice, but Shellie's was awesome! A custom built blue softail.

We had a blast running around outside the Rock Inn taking photographs. Shellie and Steve rocked! Here are a couple of photos.

Audra and Dan

2008-06-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit the San Fernando Mission Park with Audra and Dan. Although it was an early summer afternoon - there was great light everywhere. Audra and Dan were very comfortable with my camera and made my job very easy. Here are some of their images:

Christina and Shaun at Robinson Ranch

2008-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we spent the day with Christina and Shaun. A couple I have gotten to know very well over the last year. Their wedding was held at Robinson Ranch Golf Club. It was an extremely hot day with the temperature reaching over a 105 degrees. Regardless of the heat - everyone had a great time. Here are a couple of photos...

VIntage Wedding Photos

2008-06-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

One of the latest directions for wedding photography is to offer "Vintage Style" images. I decided to play around this afternoon with some recent wedding photographs. I had a blast creating images that seem to be from another era. Here are a couple for you to check out.

Teri and Ken

2008-06-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday we photographed the wedding of Teri and Ken. The couple got ready for their day at the Long Beach Hyatt. There was this great colorful wall in the lobby where we captured the first image below.

The ceremony was at the beautiful Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes. It was then back to the Sky Room in Long Beach for a fun reception.

Here are some images from their wonderful day.

Megan & Andrew

2008-06-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

We were back at the fabulous Marvimon last Saturday to photograph Megan and Andrew's wedding reception. They had gone to Mexico in April to get married and wanted to have a wedding reception here in L.A. for their friends and family. Megan was even wearing her wedding dress for the event. Friends and family enjoyed a great Southern California evening hanging out with great food and music.

Here are a couple images of Megan and Andrew.

Shanica and Kevin's Wedding

2008-06-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we spent the day with Shanica and Kevin photographing their wedding at the Mountain Gate Country Club. It was a fantastic day with many friends and family. The party continued late into the night with non-stop dancing. They even had a saxophonist play during the ceremony. Here are some pictures:

Alicia and Jeremy

2008-05-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we photographed Alicia and Jeremy's special day. The wedding was in Los Angeles and the reception was in San Pedro. We stopped off at the beautiful Averiall Park in San Pedro to capture some images. The setting is awesome for bride and groom pictures. Alicia and Jeremy were great to work with. Here are a couple of images from the day:

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T14:33:00.001-07:00

I had the granddaughters over for a Memorial Day BBQ. I pulled out the Leica M8 and kept myself busy taking some images. It's a lot fun trying to photograph little kids with a camera that has manual focus and exposure. Here are a couple of shots.

Playing with our little dog

I want some juice!

Where's the airplane - Grandpa?

Thats funny Grandpa!

My daughter-in-law reading a story

Joy and Daniel - Twin Palms Pasadena

2008-05-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Photographed the wedding of Joy and Daniel last Sunday. The couple were married by the Bride's father (Pastor of the Church) in Eagle Rock. The reception was held at the Twin Palms Restaurant in Pasadena. We were on a tight schedule all day, but still managed to capture some great images. Here are a couple:

SCVPA Photography Competition

2008-05-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the judging of the SCVPA annual Spring Photography Competition. I entered 5 prints and won four ribbons, including 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the "Wedding and Event" category. I also received a "high score" ribbon for my landscape entry. Later this evening there is a wine and cheese exposition of all the prints - complete with a three piece jazz trio.

Here are the images:

First Place Weddings and Events. Titled: "Going to the Chapel"

Second Place Weddings and Events. Titled: "The Dress"

Third Place Weddings and Events. Titled: "Daddy's Little Girl"

Third Place Non-Studio Portrait. Titled: "Little Flower Boy"

High Score Ribbon - Landscape. Titled: "Sintra Portugal"

Lucy and Amir - Robinson Ranch CC

2008-05-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we photographed the very intimate wedding of Lucy and Amir at the Robinson Ranch CC in Santa Clarita. It was a small wedding with only family and some special friends attending. It was so cool to see Amir go around to each table at the reception with a microphone and introduce every family member and friend. Here are a couple of images from their very special day.

Nicole & Randy at the Ranch of Golden Dreams

2008-05-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we photographed the wedding of Nicole and Randy at the Ranch of Golden Dreams in Castaic California. It was a wonderful day with great guests and family. Considering the heat - Nicole and Randy were very easy to work with. We took tons of pictures throughout the day and evening. Here are a couple, including one of a very cute ring bearer.

El Matador Beach - Camille and Jean Claude

2008-04-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to experience the beach twice this last weekend. I was with Camille and Jean Claude on Sunday evening at El Matador Beach. Here are a couple of images from the session. Camille's father is into photography - I hope he approves!

The Beach - Nikki and Mark

2008-04-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening's weather was perfect at the beach and I had an awesome time photographing Nikki and Mark. They are getting married later this year in New York City. Their plan was to represent both coasts into their wedding plans - engagement images from the beach (very Californian) and the ceremony in NYC.

We had a blast hanging out and capturing some fun moments. Here are a couple of images:

Leica Day in the Park

2008-04-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

I went to the park today with my two granddaughters and my Leica Rangefinder camera. My grandchildren are a blast to photograph, but the Leica is manual focus and exposure. You have to be extra fast - especially with young fast moving objects! Here are a couple of shots.

El Matador Beach

2008-04-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday afternoon with Alicia and Jeremy at El Matador Beach. I managed to stay dry (for a change), but both Alicia and Jeremy got soaked. We spent over an hour taking tons of images on land and in the water.

They were a very fun couple to work with and I look forward to their wedding this coming May.

Erin and Adam

2008-04-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Bridgeport engagement session - part II.

On Sunday evening I hung out with Erin and Adam at Bridgeport to photograph engagement pictures. The weather was perfect - and we walked the entire perimeter of the lake. Along the way we encountered lots of great areas to photograph.

Here are a couple of their images:

Lucy and Amir

2008-04-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

After photographing my Calamigos wedding last Saturday (see post below), I ran home, changed clothes and headed out the door to photograph Lucy and Amir for their engagement pictures. We had a great time hanging out at a local development called Bridgeport.

The session was very relaxed as it was a perfect California evening.

Calamigos Equestrian Center

2008-04-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

We photographed the wedding of Shannon and Robert last Saturday at the Calamigos Equestrian Center in Burbank. It was a storybook wedding complete with a horse drawn carriage and a 1962 white Rolls Royce. The atmosphere was fun, fun, fun.

Master of Ceremonies - James English from J and M Entertainment kept everyone on their feet dancing and having a great time.

Here are a couple of images:

La Venta Inn, Palos Verdes Estates

2008-04-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we photographed the wedding of Jennifer and Nick at the beautiful La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes California. We had a great time hanging out with the bride and groom and their very funny bridal party. Everyone was in a great mood. The Best Man's toast to the B&G was one of the funniest I have heard. (It actually involved a piece of toast)!

Here are a couple of images from the day.

Shanica and Kevin

2008-03-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I traveled out to the Marriott Resort in Palm Springs to photograph Shanica and Kevin's engagement pictures. We had a awesome time walking around the resort. It was my first time there - and all I can say is wow!

Here are a couple of images...

2008-03-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Marvimon House Wedding

I am a little behind in my posting. I attended WPPI's (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) convention last week in Las Vegas. It was an amazing experience. I acquired a new album company to represent at the show - Queensbury from New Zealand. I will give details in a future post.

I was actually in Vegas twice, as I flew home for the weekend to Photograph Michelle and Alex's wedding at the fabulous Marvimon House in Los Angeles. It was a very intimate wedding and the DJ/Live music had everyone on the dance floor.

Diane Wu from "Just Wu Me" (love that name) was the special event planner. She was incredible to work with - very professional.

Here are a couple of images to see.

Robinson Ranch Wedding

2008-03-10T23:22:00.000-07:00

Malissa and Adam's Wedding

Venue: Robinson Ranch Country Club
Music: Joyful Noise
Videographer: Video Impact Productions
Coordinators: Gabrielle Volz and Theresa La Rue

We spent a fun filled day on Saturday photographing Malissa and Adam's wedding. We even had a streaker! (just like the 70's). The bride and groom got ready at the bride's sister's house. We then headed over to Robinson Ranch Country club for the ceremony and reception.

Here are a couple of images:

We also tried something new on Saturday evening - we produced an on-site slide show with approximately 60 images. Our assistant had a lot of fun putting it together. This is something we plan on doing at all our future weddings. Check it out below by clicking on the play button.

Robyn and Randy

2008-02-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

Went to one of my favorite places to shoot today with Robyn and Randy. We spent an hour capturing some engagement pictures and having a few laughs.

Hey Randy - the green shirt looks awesome (sorry - inside joke).

Here are a couple of moments from our afternoon.

Aloha

2008-02-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a short vacation to Hawaii to rest up before wedding season begins. Relaxing included - not taking many pictures (my goal was to lay by the pool and read all day). I did however capture a few images.

Tiggy's Winter Formal

2008-02-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

My Daughter-in-Law's sister - Tiggy, attended her Winter Formal High School dance this evening. I was called into service to capture a couple of pictures. Her date for the evening was Robbie. When you have a beautiful girl like this to photograph - it is pretty easy to take great photographs.

Nicole and Randy

2008-01-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

We headed down to Redondo Beach on Sunday to photograph Nicole and Randy. They had their first date and got engaged there as well. We had a blast shooting against some awesome murals and even under the pier.

Nicole and Randy laugh a lot and it became very infectious throughout the afternoon.

Here are a couple of images:

Value and Cost of Wedding Photography

2008-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

I often get asked about the perceived high cost of wedding photography. I know here in Southern California there are photographers that charge $700 for their services while there are others that get $10,000 or even higher for their basic services. These high priced photographers are booked solid year round. What is it - that is driving up the cost of wedding photography ?

Lets start by looking at the good old days (you don't have to look very far - maybe 5 or 10 years back). Most wedding photographers back then were using film. Although their cost per shot was high (film and development costs were $1 per image) versus digital, most photographer's were very frugal and only took about 200 images per event. After this their job became very easy - have the images developed and printed as proofs. Have the client choose images for prints or to go in their album. The photographer then ordered the prints from the lab, assembled the album and delivered the final products to the client. Very few few images were enhanced or retouched back then.

Next, along came the digital revolution. Wow - photographers were no longer stuck with only taking 200 images. On a typical wedding day I take 2,500 to 3,500 images (there is no cost, except the compact flash cards for the camera). Next, I have to edit the images down to a manageable number - say 800 - 1000 images. These are available to the client as hi resolution digital negatives. Next, the client chooses images for prints and their album. This is were the fun begins. All my album/print images are enhanced using many different computer applications , but mostly Adobe Photoshop. I personally use a special computer monitor for retouching called a Wacom Cintiq - it's worth over $2,000. I also custom design every wedding album using the enhanced images. A typical wedding now takes approximately 40 hours to complete with all the work involved.

Another cost for photographers is the advancement in digital cameras. Instead of buying a film camera and having it for 5 plus years. We are obliged to keep up with all the great technical advances. (While many current photographers won't agree with this, I believe that my clients deserve the absolute best image quality possible. Check out my new Nikon D3 camera. It takes images in low light without a flash. This was unheard of just last year.). Keeping up with all this technology costs $10,000 to $15,000 per year - these are real costs that need to be recovered.

So what does all this mean? If I look at my pictures and album from when I got married many years ago - while they have irreplaceable sentimental value for me and my family, the image quality and album design sucks! If clients are willing to pay for raw photographic talent, the latest image capture/enhancement technology, and albums manufactured by the best companies in the world, they will be in possession of awesome images and albums that will last their lifetime and beyond!

While technology has definitely increased costs, it has also taken our creative possibilities to an unbelievable new level.

Ken & Teri

2008-01-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had planned to visit El Matador Beach with Teri and Ken to capture some engagement images. Unfortunately we ran out of time and decided to visit a local park instead. We had a lot of fun and captured some great pictures. Here are a few in my new and improved larger size.

MySpace

2007-12-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well I finally have a MySpace page. Most of my clients have a MySpace page and what better way to stay in touch. Please be sure to check out my page at www.myspace.com/innesphotograph

Send me a friend request...

New York City

2007-12-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a couple of days in NYC. It was awesome - cold weather, lot's of shopping. crowded streets and friendly people. Definitely put me in the holiday mood.

Christmas ornaments - New York style!

Times Square.

Christmas trees everywhere.

Michelle and Ales - Part Two

2007-11-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Michelle and Ales two months after their wedding. We decided to take some additional images at a later date when their wedding day got a little hectic. Yesterday was very relaxed and a lot of fun. Here are a couple of images:

Susana & Joe

2007-11-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

Wedding season is starting to wind down for the year. I still have plenty of engagement sessions to photograph and albums to prepare for clients - so I will continue to be very busy.

Last Saturday we photographed the wedding of Susana and Joe. The ceremony took place at the beautiful San Fernando Mission and the reception was held at Calamigos Equestrian Center in Burbank.

I don't know why I am so lucky, but I seem to find clients that are genuinely great people - as was the case this last weekend. Susana and Joe along with their friends and family made it a very special day. Here are some images from their special day.

Letty and Junior

2007-11-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we photographed the wedding of Letty and Junior at the Porter Valley Country Club.

I had an opportunity to go wine tasting with Letty and Junior earlier this year when we took their engagement pictures. (I found out that Junior is a Trivial Pursuit fanatic - I want to play him straight up some day)!

Here are some images from their wedding. My Favorite is the last one. One of the groomsmen was also the singer for the band. He dedicated a song to the newly married couple and they danced...

Socal Fires

2007-10-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Southern California is a great place to live, but paradise always has its price. Currently we are experiencing crazy Santa Ana winds with gusts up to 80 MPH with extremely dry conditions. It was only a matter of time until fires broke out. There are currently seven fires burning in Southern California, with two very close to my home. I took these pictures from a ridge a couple of blocks away from my home. Hopefully the winds will die down and the awesome firefighters can get a hold on these fires.

Shannon and Robert

2007-10-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to hang out with Shannon and Robert earlier this week shooting some engagement pictures. We went to Mentryville (an old pioneer oil town) for the photography session. The main historic town was closed to visitors, but there were many interesting areas to use in the images. I will definitely be going back with other clients.

Shannon and Robert were great in front of the camera. Here are a couple of shots:

Spain & Portugal

2007-10-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been over two weeks since my wife and I returned from Spain and Portugal. I took one of my new cameras with me and ended up taking over 800 images. I have posted a few here.

If you would like to see some more (not 800) you can click here.

Don't forget - you can see more here.

Alexandra and Stephen

2007-10-04T19:14:00.001-07:00

I have been falling behind a little in my posting. Last weekend we photographed the wedding of Alexandra and Stephen in San Pedro California. The location afforded many colorful opportunities for taking great images.

Everyone involved with the wedding was great. It was a very laid back and fun day. The bride and groom were totally cool with hanging out and taking lots of different images.

Here are a couple of pictures from the day.

Jennifer and Nick at the Beach

2007-09-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

I spent Sunday evening at the beach with Jennifer and Nick shooting engagement images. It was a perfect evening with great weather. Jennifer and Nick were extremely fun to work with. Very natural in front of the camera. I think they even forgot I was there a couple of times!

Michelle and Ales

2007-09-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we photographed the wedding of Michelle and Ales at the Luxe Hotel. Both Michelle and Ales were awesome to work with - very laid back and easy going. They both enjoyed have friends and family from around the world share their special day.

Christina and Shaun

2007-09-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy lately and getting a little behind in my posts. My most recent shoot was an engagement session for Christina and Shaun. They are getting married next June at Robinson Ranch Country Club here in Santa Clarita. Shaun and Christina are very active people who enjoy hiking on a regular basis.

New Video in the Works

2007-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

I recently completed a new video slideshow of my work to show potential clients. It very edgy and has a great soundtrack. The problem is - while it shows the final images, it does not show how they were created. Thats where Ari Perilstein of Video Impact Productions comes in. Ari is an awesome videographer. We have worked at many weddings together and his stuff is great. Check out one of his recent posts on his blog with a sample video of a recent wedding shot in Sandpoint Idaho. Anyways - today I met with Ari in Santa Monica to discuss my plans for a William Innes Photography video. Something real edgy and wild. Something to show how we work with our clients to capture amazing images. We are only in the planning stages, but I hope to have a real live video presentation early in 2008.

Johanna & Ross

2007-08-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we photographed Johanna and Ross getting married at the Bel Air Presbyterian Church. The couple were married by the Bride's Father. The reception was held at "The Olympic Collection" in Los Angeles.

We had a great time with Johanna and Ross. There were no Bridesmaids, only a Best Man and several Groomsmen - which made for some interesting photographic opportunities. The whole wedding party rocked - and some great images were captured.

Granddaughter Day

2007-08-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Every couple of months I set up the studio lighting and photograph my two sweet little granddaughters. They are both growing up so fast. At least they are still too young to ask for money - but I fret that day is just around the corner.

Here are a couple of images.

Alexandra and Oliver

2007-08-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

Photographed the wedding of Alexandra and Oliver last weekend. The event was held at the Calmigos Equestrian center in Burbank. The Bride arrived in a horse drawn carriage. She later surprised her new Husband by singing a beautiful song to him during the reception. Everyone was in tears.

Michele and John

2007-07-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday's wedding was a very out-going affair. Lots of fun with the Bride and Groom playing a little one on one basketball and taking the time to pose on a Harley Davidson!

Michele and John are very fun loving couple. Michele is always smiling and laughing - it's contagious.

The wedding was held at the La Canada - Flintridge Country Club. Some of the day's images are posted below.

Heather and Brad

2007-07-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had a great time photographing Heather and Brad's wedding. The reception was held at the Robinson Ranch Country Club. It was interesting to note that between my associate photographer, Lisa and I, we knew three people in the wedding party.

It was a very fun day. Check out some of the images below.

Amy Lynn and Chris at the Victorian

2007-07-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Photographed Amy Lynn and Chris getting married at The Victorian in Santa Monica last Saturday. I have known Amy and Chris for about a year now. I can't believe they are finally married.

The Victorian was decorated beautifully inside with awesome flowers and centerpieces.

Here are a couple of images from Saturday.

Playing With my Birthday Present

2007-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

My wife surprised me with a new Leica M8 rangefinder camera for my birthday yesterday. Leica lenses are the best in the world. The camera focuses manually - so it would not be good for wedding photography. Today I had the two most beautiful models in the world to shoot - my two granddaughters. Her are the first two pictures I took with my new camera.

The Big 50

2007-07-13T18:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a milestone - I turned 50 years old. I feel like I just graduated from High School, but my wife keeps reminding me that was over 30 years ago!

We rounded up our three sons, their respective wives and a sister of one of the wives and headed out for breakfast. There I received some awesome birthday presents. After breakfast we headed out to Universal Studios Hollywood to have some fun. It was a great day that I will never forget.

My kids and their wives and Meaghen gave me a chauffeured driven day of "wine tasting" in Santa Ynez California. They also gave me a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch.

Waiting in line for Terminator 3D with our 3D glasses.

The whole Innes clan - hanging out.

A cocktail before dinner with my beautiful wife of 27 years.

Valerie and Jorge on 07-07-07

2007-07-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Valerie and Jorge's wedding on July 7th. There were a record number of weddings this July 7th, 2007. It was very evident when we arrived at the park to take family pictures. Real Estate was at a premium with no less than 10 other wedding parties having pictures taken.

My favorite image is of the Bride with her dog - Nemo!

Letty and Enrique

2007-07-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday my Wife and I drove up north to wine country in Santa Ynez. We had a wonderful day of wine tasting with Letty and Enrique. I also managed to squeeze in a couple of engagement images (which was the main purpose of the trip), but the wine was pretty good as well!

Alex and Stephen

2007-07-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Motored down to Venice Beach on Thursday evening to shoot engagement pictures for Alex and Stephen. Had a great time walking the canals and hanging out in downtown Venice. Here are a couple of images.

Carmen y Ernesto

2007-06-26T14:47:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we were very fortunate to photograph at the beautiful San Fernando Mission in San Fernando California. Carmen and Ernesto were so into their wedding day. It was awesome. They had over 1000 guests show up to the reception that included an 18 piece band.

Carmen and Ernesto made a large effort to have a great wedding and provide a fun evening for their friends and family.

New Website

2007-06-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

My new website went live today. Check it out at www.innesphotography.com.

I have been working on it for over two months. I plan on adding some new galleries in the coming months.

Competition

2007-06-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am one to never worry about competition. I believe my images and customer service is what delivers customers to my door.

Although - while shooting family images at last weekends wedding I happened to turn around and saw the competition!

Vicky and Gabriel in Laguna Beach

2007-06-20T16:00:00.001-07:00

We spent an awesome day in Laguna Beach last Sunday - photographing Vicky and Gabriel's wedding. The wedding took place at the fabulous Sand and Surf Resort. The weather was classic California beach weather.

This was one of the most relaxed couples we have photographed in a long time. Taking these images was so much fun - it goes to prove how much I enjoy my work.

Susan and Erik in Malibu

2007-06-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the wonderful experience of photographing Susan and Erik's wedding in Malibu. It was a very small wedding with only family and a few friends. The wedding took place at a beautiful cliff side house in Malibu.

The bride wore a Vera Wang dress and looked very elegant.

It was so much fun capturing images at such a small and intimate affair. Here are a couple of images.

Amanda and Erik

2007-06-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Erik were married last weekend at the TPC Valencia Country Club. Like many of our clients they agreed to see each other before the Ceremony. We visited an orange grove with a huge mansion and captured images of the special moment when they first saw each other on their wedding day.

Amanda and Erik were a great couple to work with. Check out a couple of images from their day below.

Natalie and Arthur

2007-05-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we photographed Natalie and Arthur's wedding at the California Country Club. We all had a great time. I knew this was going to be a fun wedding - because I had so much fun when I shot Natalie and Arthur's engagement photos up in Wrightwood. You can tell by Natalie's expression in the first image - how happy she was.

Val and Ryan

2007-05-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we shot Val and Ryan's wedding. The bride got ready for the wedding at her Aunt's house and the ceremony/reception took place at Tesoro del Valle here in Santa Clarita. The wedding was planned and coordinated by Gina from Extraordinary Events.

It was evident from the images we captured that Val and Ryan are madly in love!

My Second Photographer - Lisa - and I had a great time.

Publish Post

Change is Inevitable

2007-05-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

I will be launching a new website next month. So I decided to make some minor changes to the Blog today. The new background color will tie in with the new website. I finally posted a new picture of yours truly. I have also added a "Wedding News and Articles" section (see the bottom of the right hand column).

I have two weddings to shoot this weekend - so I am off to get some rest and drink a few Red Bulls!

Diana and Ryan's Wedding

2007-05-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

I shot Diana and Ryan's wedding last weekend at Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado California. It is a beautiful venue with many areas to take awesome photographs. Diana and Ryan had a great time with their guests - still partying strong when we left late at night. We also had a chance to work with some great videographers - Sheri and Mike from Ashley Video Productions in Newport Beach.

Diana and Ryan are taking a well deserved honeymoon and should be back soon to see their images.

Vicky and Gabriel

2007-05-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

I had a great time shooting engagement pictures for Vicky and Gabriel at the beach last week. They are a wonderful couple. I am very lucky to have clients like this.

It was 98 degrees where I live, but the temperature dropped to 64 degrees by the time I reached the beach. I almost stopped and bought a sweatshirt. Although it was a little chilly, the sun was shining and we captured some great images. I look forward to their wedding this June.