Hey…just wanted to let you know that the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers has aimed their “member spotlight” on me and is featuring an interview on their blog.  Check it out here.

In this interview I share a bit about how I got started in wedding photography, my favorite part of the wedding day, what I like the most about weddings, and a bit about some of my favorite venues.

Anyway, enjoy and feel free to ask any other questions you may have here!

I sure hope all of you are doing fine and if you’re in the Houston area you did not suffer any adverse impact as a result of hurricane Ike.

I am finally back up and running after spending well over 1 1/2 weeks without power or internet service.  I suffered no damage to my home (thank God!) aside from a part of my yard fence coming down.  I managed to borrow a generator and have been powering my refrigerator, TV (and related items), a light, and a couple of fans with it.  Today, Wednesday, September 24 - twelve days after the storm - I finally got power and internet back.

I learned a few things from this experience.  First, my backup procedure worked perfectly.  All my images are stored on external hard drives - two of them.  I keep one at my home based office and one at an off site location.  I was able to keep up with e-mail through internet based interfaces - though I do need to update my on-line address book!

What I also learned is that a disaster such as this is very difficult to recover from.  As I’ve watched the news, I have seen those less fortunate and what they are going through.  I consider myself very lucky and hope all of you were also.  If so, I encourage you to donate to one of the relief funds that have been set up by many organizations - and check with your employer for any matching funds programs.

Many businesses will suffer from this storm and as a result many couples will find themselves in search of new vendors.  If you are one of those, please contact me and let me know so we can work together to meet your needs.

It’s been a while since my last post.  Time flies they say and part of the reason for that “tempus fugit” is the new website.  Did you notice it?  If not, check it out.  It took me a bit longer than I expected - mostly because not only did I change the entire site but I also changed hosting company and I had to make sure I had no service interruptions.  I can do with the site being down for a short while, but e-mail communication is very important to me.

Anyway, its done and I hope you like it.  Let me know with comments here.

Now, the REALLY big news is that I had a couple of winning photos in a recent photo contest.  I never enter contests.  I don’t know why - I just don’t.  As a member of the Internatiional Society of Professional Wedding Photographers (ISPWP), I decided I might as well enter a couple of images and if nothing else learn from the incredible talent represented there. 

Imagine my surprise when the results were announced this week and this photo from Saritha and Austin’s wedding took second place in the “First Dance” category!

Now, as if that wasn’t enough, I also had this image from Shelah’s “anti-bridal” place fourth in the “Bride Portrait” category.

I am very proud of this accomplishment and it has really energized me to do even better at the next contest.  See, it’s not just about the contest, it’s about seeking new and creative ways to capture images for you that just happen to be recognized as such by some of the best photographers in the world!

So, let me know what you think about the new website.

This week saw me continue my education.  My commitment to delivering the best possible photographic products and customer service includes continuing education and I’ve had the absolute pleasure of learning from some of the best. 

This week, that tradition continued by attending the “Two Views” seminar with Joe Buissink and Yervant - two of the top wedding photographers in the world.  Two different individuals.  Two different approaches.  Two different styles.  Two views resulting in the same outcome:  incredible quality of work and very satisfied customers.

While they are different, they both share the same passion for quality, customer service, improving the industry, and capturing outstanding imagery during weddings.  While they “are” different, I think they are very much alike.  While Joe takes a more “documentary” approach, Yervant takes a more “fashion” approach.  The thing is, they both catch the key moments and emotion - differently.  Joe mentioned a wedding they both photographed.  When Joe asked the bride about the images, her response was “Joe, your images made me cry while Yervant’s made me smile.”  Different, but the same.  That’s what weddings are about:  emotion and capturing those moments so the memories can live on forever and re-ignite that emotion when you see the images.

They shared openly everything they had.  Joe’s ”moments”.  Yervant’s incredible style and “sexy” approach.  They shared their very different roads to success.  They shared how they run their business.  They shared personal stories.  They photographed a bride, explaining what each looks for.  They “developed” those images, explaining what they seek.  The outcome was incredible.  The passion they both have came across loud and clear.

What an opportunity to finally meet two giants of the industry that I had spoken with in the past via cyber space but never had the opportunity to meet before - OK, I had the opportunity to meet Yervant while in Tampa earlier this year but passed on it so I could mentor an aspiring photographer and pass on some of my knowledge.

Joe, Yervant, thank you for everything.  Look forward to chatting with you again in the near future.  Most of all, thank you for sharing your passion.

L to R:  Joe Buissink, Jesus Tirso, Yervant.  Photo courtesy of my friend Roy Krisanto.

This week was a bit crazy - which is why this post is so darn late!

When I started the blog I told myself I’d post at least once a week and I’d try to include photos with every post.  This past week was tough since I couldn’t use photos from my two sessions last week.  Why?  Well, they were bridal sessions and the dresses are to be kept from the prying eyes of the groom-to-be.  Let me just say that I had a great time shooting with Valerie and with Jeniffer and I am VERY happy with the results.  You’ll get to see them in June right after their wedding!

So, not only was I busy with two bridal sessions but I also went back up to Fort Collins, CO, for a couple of days.  Upon my return I found myself processing print orders for Andrea and Giff’s wedding, for Mayra and Marcos’ engagement session, and for my local frame shop.  Yes, that’s right - the same place where I do all my mats and framing work sold a few of my “fine art” prints.

So, with that as an intro, let me share them with you.

So, there you have it.  These were printed on gorgeous metallic paper and someone is going to really enjoy them!

By the way, Jeff at Creative Framing and Mirrors has been kind enough to provide me with gift cards that I will be including with all future print orders as a way to thank you for your business and encourage you to get some high quality frames for your photos.