Hey there! So you found the most interesting page on my site. This is my recent Oahu wedding, Hawaii wedding, and...well..lets be honest, it's a blog. The story behind this blog, well, it started out purely about Hawaii weddings, then it evolved into everything and all of the above. Basically, ITS MY BLOG!! So I write about anything on here. I updated this blog "alomost" on a daily basis. You can learn more about me, my quirks, my style, and of course, you'll get wedding tips here.
Call me if you want to make me richer..I mean, book my services!
It was two and a half years ago, and Davin was sitting the bar at a night club. It was his birthday, and sad to say, he was alone. He was alone at the bar, had no special someone in his life, but things were about to change.
Across the bar spied the beautiful Andrea. She had watched his movements for some time now, and started to feel sorry for the lonesome bachelor.
"He's not a weirdo", Andrea thought to herself. "And he looks nice."
Andrea walked over to Davin to say a few words to them. Well, a few words lead to a few laughs, then a few days, which lead to few years, and finally, their wedding at Sunset Beach.
Davin and Andrea, an extremely fun couple
I like to call Davin and Andrea jokers. They really know how to have a good time. From the moment I met them, they could not stop sharing laughs with each other. Laughter at a wedding is always a good sign.
For their wedding, they booked my Ceremony Package and an extra roll of film; basically nothing more. I always wonder how couples would handle the flower situation when they didn't order them through me. For the most part, couples would they buy their leis and bouquets from another company (which really never bothers me at all). But Davin and Andrea where the first to make their own bouquet and flowers from the trees they found at their hotel.
"It's amazing the things you can accomplish when you're drunk", Davin said showing off the bouquet he made.
"And I made his boutonniere!" Andrea bragged.
Okay, so Davin's bouquet may not look impressive from this angle, but from other angles, it was great.
Because Davin and Andrea were such a high energetic couple, photography wise, they were easy to photograph. I really didn't have to pose them too much and loved it. Hey, the less I have to think on the job, the happier I am. I basically told the energetic couple where to stand, and the rest was up to them.
Davin could not help but practice his MMA moves for the pictures
The infamous water shot. Even I almost got wet in this one
Reverend Elias Parker performed a Hawaiian service, his specialty. And just as we were getting started, a heavy sprinkle started to fall from the sky. You can see this happen in the video posted below. The rain passed rather quickly giving us perfect weather throughout the rest of the ceremony and for pictures. But for a moment there, it looked as though we would have to postpone the wedding ceremony. This is a great example of what would happen if it did rain on your wedding day. For the most part, any shower would be very brief.
Shooting directly into the sun is still an issue with most professional photographers.BUT NOT ME!
I want to go off subject here and talk about photography for a second here. Do you know that the majority of the professional photographers out there in the world still fear to shoot a photograph like the shot above? Yes. For the most part, they will not shoot a couple walking towards their camera, with the sun in the background. They fear that the background will be completely washed out, as with the detail in the ocean and sand. If you look on many of my competitors websites, you will only find shots where lighting situations are near perfect. Never tough lighting situations like this shot. The reason is that they are not confident in pulling off this shot, even with the invention of digital photography, where they have live previews!
Taking a shot like this requires a lot of measuring, simple math, balancing of the flash, and patience. It's truly not that hard to do...well for me. Actually, seriously, it's not as hard as you may think it is.
I actually missed the bouquet entirely in this shot. Andrea threw it high and out of frame
Andrea threw the bouquet into the ocean to cap off the photo shoot. Don't worry, the shot above was an environmentally safe shot as Davin had removed all elements from the bouquet that wouldn't be be biodegradable.
Always joking
Probably one of the few posed shots we had for the day. Wow check out the legs on Andrea...not Davin.
In my complete personal opinion, I believe Andrea's wedding dress was probably the best dress I had ever seen for a beach wedding. It was perfect for the weather, flowed really well, and it was the perfect length. Dare I use the term "sassy?" Yes. The dress was a "sassy" dress. Man, that makes me sound like a gay fashion designer when I say it that way. But I really liked that dress.
So my last thoughts on Davin and Andrea. Funny people, like Davin and Andrea, always make great parents. My mom is sorta funny, and my dad is pretty funny. When it came to my high school grades, it's a good thing my parents had a sense of humor. I remember in high school, I got a handful of A's, mostly C's, and a few D's. Going to a private school, I remember always being one of those students who had to come in for parent/teacher conference days, while all the nerdy smart kids got half of the day off. I remember during one of my parent/teacher conferences, my history teacher blasted me for getting a C.
My dad looked at that teacher in they eye and said, "Well, personally, I don't think a C is that bad. It just means my son is average in history."
My teacher responded, "But it's a C. If he applies himself, he can be more than average."
My dad answered back, "A C is average. In life, you can't expect to be good at everything, you'll be good at a few things, really bad at a few others, and for the most part, you'll be average at everything else. Look, you as a teacher earns an average salary. That's a C if I were to grade your pay scale. Yet I don't hold it against you. I don't say, if you apply yourself, you could be making more. Sometimes you try your best, and your best is just average. And that's okay isn't it?"
My history teacher did not know what to say.
As I was saying, parents with a sense of humor, and understanding of life, really do wonders and raise great kids...LIKE ME! YOUR HUMBLE WEDDING GUY! HAHA..
Davin and Andrea, I believe will be that grade of parents. Grade A.
Jeff and Allison, shortly after tying the knot Shot on my Canon G10 THAT DOES COMPUTE The Hawaii Wedding of Jeff and Allison
Jeff and Allison told me that they were self-confessed nerds. I really didn't believe them, but when they told me that they both worked for Microsoft, and were programmers, I had to agree. They were nerds BUT, not dorky. There's a difference!
The two geniuses have to give a lot of thanks to give Bill Gates, because not only did the he give them their jobs, he also gave them an avenue to meet. The two hung around the same group of friends, who also worked at Microsoft, and as the story goes, they fell in love.
Jeff and Allison kids will most likely be geniuses by age 2. Shot on Canon G10
From this angle, doesn't Jeff look like Payton Manning without the thick neck? Allison also shares striking similarities with one of my cousins.
Getting romantic at Ko'olina Shot on Canon G10
Allison and Jeff had the great opportunity for being the second couple who I photographed their entire wedding with my Canon G10. I remember when I shot this, I was still a bit uncomfortable and wasn't quite sure on how to get the most from the camera. I used the auto exposure function for 99% of their shots, and they turned out great. Nowadays, I shoot with my Canon G10 on full manual so I can have a lot more control over the output.
On a personal note, my Canon G10, is actually my camera of choice when it comes to shooting outer island weddings, and when shooting stuff on my own. Even though the quality is nowhere near film, it basically matches or even exceeds the quality of most Digital SLR camera's out there. But what makes it even better is that this camera fits in my pocket!
A lot of people and my clients thought I was like a lot of other photographers,who always carried around my camera when I traveled or went out at night. But I was anything but the hobbyist photographer. In fact, I was the complete opposite. I would leave my camera equipment at home, as it was a lot to backpack around. I wouldn't take pictures at family events, sporting events, or even when I went on vacation! But now, with the Canon G10, I can have pretty much close to the power of SLR, in my pocket. So lately, I have been somewhat of the hobbyist photographer too.
I highly recommend the Canon G10. If you don't have it, get it!
Jeff and Allison were together three years before getting married in Hawaii Shot on Canon G10
I always wondered if genetics played a role in regards to intelligence. I know there are numerous studies in which scientists have claimed that genetics had played a role in ones intelligence. But then again, all I have to say to these scientists are two words "Paris Hilton."
I'm not scientist, but maybe, just maybe, the quality of parenting has a lot more to do than genetics, when it comes to creating the next Einstein. This leads me to my final point. I have a great feeling that Jeff and Allison's future kids will become something great, because I they're great people, and will be great parents one day.
Aj and Teresa just tied the knot yesterday on the beaches of Waimanalo. Featured above, their wedding video! Their blog will soon follow. In the meantime, hit the play button!
I can just imagine how it all went down, that fateful day when destiny literally struck Steve in the forehead. Steve, was probably just looking for an easy pick-up game of volleyball against what looked like, just your ordinary go lucky girl. But as Steve would soon find out, this girl, was no ordinary girl. This was Amy.
Yes, poor ol' Steve didn't know what was coming when Amy spiked that volleyball straight into his head. Call it luck, call it destiny;hey Steve, call the hospital! But it was from that day on when Amy and Steve were inseparable.
Amy was a different type of bride, not to mention, extremely strong.
Steve and Amy, I would describe as an extremely laid back and fun couple. They are young, 24 years old, and just starting out in life. Amy is a kindergarten teacher, Steve, an administrative assistant. In a nutshell. "Steve the groom" called me "Steve the wedding guy" to do all the planning. I guess I can write here that Steve did all the planning for this wedding and I could kill two birds with one stone. "Steve the groom" told me that he and Amy were looking for something simple, good, and inexpensive. I told him not to worry as simple, good, and cheap, was right up my alley.
I haven't done a shot like this for awhile.
I don't post many of my black and white photos. I should, they are awesome.
Steve and Amy tied the knot at Sunset Beach. Pastor Stan Ponz performed an excellent non-denominational wedding as always. We then took a few shots on the beaches there and headed over to my new favorite place to shoot on the North Shore, Ke'iki Beach. Ke'iki Beach has a lot of photographic opportunities, and it's now one of my favorite places to hang out as well.
Sunset shots are great at Ke'iki Beach
Steve and Amy, literally, were on the rocks after they were married.
So here's my opportunity to show you a digital picture versus a picture shot on film. Yes, I took a snapshot on my 15 mega pixel camera so I could compare. I can tell you that digital is coming very close to film. But as you'll see, it's still not there.
GUESS WHICH ONE IS FILM?
PICTURE ONE
PICTURE TWO
Okay, so did you figure it out yet? Which picture above was shot on film, and which one was shot on a 15 mega pixel digital camera? Let me give you a hint. Film is capable of capturing millions of colors, digital can capture exactly 256 colors. Film has much more latitude in exposure, meaning you'll see a lot more detail in the shadows, and in the light. Lastly, film has a pop to it, digital looks rather flat and gray.
Figure it out?
Alright, picture one is digital, picture two is film. Hopefully, you think picture two looks better!
WEIGHING IN ON MICHAEL VICK Let he who is without sin cast the first stone
As you already know, I am a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. And as you probably figured out, I support the Eagles decision to sign Michael Vick. Lets just lay all the facts out on the table here. What he did to those dogs were horrible and illegal. The public reaction to his crimes, though, has been over the top. I remember when Vick was indicted on animal abuse charges, the streets leading to the courtroom were lined with protesters calling for his head. Yes, what the man did was horrible. But then again, lets look at this in context. Where was that same rage when murders were marched into the same courtroom?
Now that Michael Vick has served his time: had 2 years in prison to think about what he did, had to apologize and ask for a 2nd chance from his family, from his kids, and his future wife, he is ready to move in a more positive direction. But I ask why has the rage against Michael Vick suddenly resurfaced when he signed with an NFL team? Would the public be outraged if he held a job at McDonalds? No. Not at all. This is because this rage isn't fueled by what Vick has done, it's fueled by jealousy. It's fueled by the fact that Michael Vick, will make millions of dollars, and those who are protesting won't. I can see their point of view, as this probably doesn't seem fair. They are probably thinking "Why, I'm a good citizen, not a dog a killer, why can't I be making the millions of dollars right?"
In their eyes, Michael Vick should redeem himself by losing everything and working at a job for no money, for the rest of his life.
But lets be realistic. Michael Vick has always been a football player. And any redemption, if it were to happen, would have to come through the NFL. He's not built to work the drive-through at McDonald's, or to do construction work. A man that talented is made for the NFL. And right now, this is his only chance to redeem himself.
If the liberal animal right protester believes that terrorist should be set free from Gitmo, that child molesters have the right to be secretly assimilated back into society, and that those who are murderers can be rehabilitated and given book deals, why can't Micheal Vick be given a second chance to play football?
I ask those who wish to condemn Vick to a harder life, would his life or society actually benefit from it? Vick, a troubled boy, would probably wonder back into his hard life, and maybe even start selling drugs. Do we need another drug dealer out there? He could possibly end up dead on the streets. Is it right to want this type of life for a man who wants to turn over a new leaf?
It is obvious that Vick became this way because he had no true positive role model in his life. And right now, in the NFL, for the first time, he is surrounded by good men, men who can counsel his troubled soul. Tony Dungy, a man of faith, a highly respected man, is mentoring Vick. The Humane Society, is supporting Vick's return to the NFL. Andy Reid, a man who knows much about second chances, is his head coach. Micheal, can do great things for society, for his life, and others, if he succeeds. Like the former gang-banger who counsels teens and tells them to be a better person, Vick could be that man if he chooses too.
Only time will tell what Vick will do with this opportunity. Lets pray, that he'll do the right thing.
DUSTIN AND JENNA'S WEDDING VIDEO One Camera Coverage of their wedding
Hey everyone. So I'm up at 4:27am in the morning. I know, it's early. Last night, the rain from the reminisce of Hurricane Felicia hit my side of the island. The rain was the heaviest I'd seen in awhile, but it still wasn't that bad.
So the video you see above is the wedding video of Dustin and Jenna. They purchased the Ceremony package, which comes with 1 camera coverage. The video is unedited, not color corrected, just 1 camera, on a tripod with a wireless mic. If a couple is having a reception, but are not into video coverage, I always recommend getting at the least, the ceremony package. This way, your guest at your receptoin have some idea of how your wedding ceremony actually unfolded.
I have more videos to show, more wedding couples to post. I think I am 32 weddings behind right now...haha. I post all of my weddings on my blog as of the beginning of this year, unless my couples don't want me to. And to date, there has only been 1 couple who didn't want their wedding known to the world since their parents didn't know they were getting married. But they eventually want their wedding up on my blog.
So I'm going to head to bed in a bit, but before I do, let me blog about the latest movie I saw a day ago, G.I. JOE!!!
G.I. JOE: THE MOVIE REVIEW Hot women, swords, and action, make for a great movie for kids? Yes.
I went to this movie with my parents and a friend of mine who is a huge comic fan. My parents thought it was a great movie, my comic book fan reluctantly enjoyed it, and for me, I had a great time watching it.
Just in case you have been dead in the last 20 years, or you are an illegal alien from Mexico, you probably have no idea who or what G.I. JOE was. G.I.JOE at one time was an extremely popular cartoon and toy line which was directly responsible for turning many boys into men. Through G.I. JOE, young boys like myself, were introduced to the awesome power of the U.S. military and it's ability to defeat a terrorists organization. G.I.JOE toys consisted of large scale jets and helicopters which would fit a 5 inch scaled version of your G.I. JOE hero in it's cockpit. Back then, we boys didn't care about the little guy who came with our jet, or what that little guy wore. That was back in the day....
Back then, who cared about the little doll that came with jet...
Fast-forward to the present, G.I.JOE are now 1 foot tall ken dolls that have have been stripped of their weapons, jet, and "manhood". The pink hand of America have penetrated the toy industry and turned G.I. JOE's into a peace loving liberal who knows how to dress for the occasion. Yes, nowadays, kids can learn how to neatly dress their Joe with different fancy boots and jackets, so they can look good when they fight the war on terror using strong rhetoric, just like their commander in cheif, Obama.
Yo Joe? Modern Day G.I. Joe, dressed to negotiate
Luckily, the movie does not pay homage to the present day G.I. JOE Ken doll movement, but instead, glorifies it's testosterone roots. Throw in a few great looking women, and it's a great movie.
G.I.JOE, to put it simply, is a fun and violent movie, with enough twist and turns that can be easily understood by all ages. There is a bit of swearing here and there in the movie, which seems out of place, but really... who cares. For comic fanatics, like my friend, they will be disappointed, as the storyline liberally sways from the original.
My favorite part, the fight scenes between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Those are two cool characters.
The good news is that all we got was a lot of rain. The even better news is it looks I have some pretty good weather for my two weddings on Friday and Saturday. The bad news, we have another storm on the way! It's tropical storm Guillermo. It doesn't matter if it's going to be a hurricane, what matter is that it'll bring rain and stormy skies.
Tropical Storm Guillermo on the way
I just have one complaint with these storms. Can someone stop using Mexican names this time around? I can hardly pronounce them. I think it's about time they start using a little pidgin instead. How about "Hurricane Small Kind Windy" or "Tropical Depression Choke Wind" or "Tropical Storm No Come Ovah Heah." Yes, that would make it much better.
Well my fellow brides, I am outta here. I am lifting weights at 24 hours in part of my mission to storm proof my body. I will talk to you soon. And...I may even update my blog tonight with a wedding and movie review of G.I. JOE.
WAKE ME UP, BEFORE YOU GO-GO The very early morning Hawaii Wedding of Ed and Allison
Let me be completely honest with you. I, Steve Young, the wedding guy, am not a morning person. I swear, I'm probably half vampire, because when the sun comes out, that's usually my cue to go to bed. Now that I think of it, I'm not a vampire because I don't drink human blood and I don't sleep in a coffin. But you get my drift.
So when Allison came to me with the idea of doing a SUNRISE wedding at Lanikai, I thought she was joking, or I was hallucinating.
"Morning Wedding?" I replied, loosing my t-shirt collar as though it had buttons. "You know, sunset weddings look much better." I insisted.
"No Steve, Ed and I are pretty much morning people", Allison insisted. "Anyway, did I tell you Ed was a die-hard Eagle's fan? Oh, and did I mention we're die-hard conservatives?"
Well, that basically did it for me. Allison had me at "Eagles," and as you know, us Eagles fan are pretty much cult fanatics who look after their own. And she basically had me at "conservative" as well. They had read my blog, and celebrated the fact that I shared the same political views as them. How could I say no.
So the plan was set. I reluctantly agreed to the morning wedding. Allison and Ed were to meet me about an hour before sunrise, and then we would literally wait for the perfect light to start their ceremony. Then, after the ceremony, we would hit multiple locations: Waimanalo, Bamboo Ridge, and their hotel, the Royal Hawaiian. They did pay for the extra photo time by the way...Ed may be an Eagles fan, but even that doesn't trump my true faith, capitalism...haha...
Pastor Stan Ponz performed the ceremony
On the day of Ed and Allison's wedding, the lighting truly surprised me. When we had set foot on Lanikai beach, at around 5:10am, and there was enough ambient light to shoot their wedding video without the use of artificial light. In fact, overall, it was pretty darn bright before sun up. Of course, myself being a night person, I had truly never witnessed the "dawn morning light" so this was quite new to me.
Only film can capture a sunrise wedding shot like this
So just how does the love story of Ed and Allison unfold? Well, to no surprise, they met online match.com. I think I've said this a million times over and over again, but I'll say it again. There are some truly hot looking people on these online dating forums. Allison is smoking, guys we can all agree; and Ed, looks like Vin Diesel, except with more muscles, and happier. (I won't call Ed hot because I'm not gay) If anyone ever thought that meeting people online was a forum reserved for dorks, Ed and Allison proved that notion wrong. This is a smoking couple, an intelligent couple, and an everything in between couple. They shared the same strong belief in Christ, business, political views, interest in sports, hobbies, you name it. I just have to shake my head and say...wow...talk about crossing all your "t's" and dotting all your "i's" when it comes to match making. Good job match.com!
The only trouble that I see brewing with Ed and Allison is for the fact that Allison is a die hard Cowboys fan, and Ed, is a die hard Eagles fan.
I actually had a booger in my eye when I took this shot. No kid.
Now just how does a night person, like myself, cope with a morning wedding such as Allison's. Easy. By turning my morning, into one long night. Basically, I didn't go to sleep until after I finished shooting their wedding that day. This did of course result in giving myself jet lag without leaving the island of Oahu, but hey, I got the job done. I rose to the occasion.
Stan Ponz, one of my Christian ministers performed the ceremony for Ed and Allison. Since they were both strong devoted Christians, it was very important to Ed and Allison that their minister be a true Christian, and a true minister, not one who had just gotten ordained online. Stan basically was the right man for the ticket. So right, that Ed and Allison ended up attending his church service the day before they got married.
Check out that perfect lighting
This, I believe, is their favorite photo.
Let me put my "serious hat" on and go off on a tangent and talk a little bit about the lighting difficulties during Ed and Allison's wedding. Although there was enough early morning light to utilize the video cameras without any artificial light, it was very difficult to shoot great photos. When the sun popped up from the ocean, it was so bright, through the camera view finder, I really couldn't see what I was shooting. Ed and Allison, were just silhouettes, that's how bright the sun was. I could not see the color of the water, the sky, or their faces. But I knew, that if I exposed the shot correctly, the camera would capture something that the human eye could not see.
For conversation sake, lets say I were shooting with a digital camera and wanted to accomplish the same shots you see on this page. If I underexposed the shot, I would be left with nothing but a yellow dot, the sun as the background. With digital, over exposing the shot would leave me with a white background. Even I exposed the shot perfectly, there would be large portions of the sky that would be washed out, meaning no detail. In order for a digital photographer to obtain a shot like any on this page, would require shooting the same shot, twice. One shot would be exposed for the background, the second shot for the foreground (in this case, Ed and Allison). The pictures would then have to be put together in Photoshop. The process would be tedious and troublesome.
But since I was shooting on film, I knew I could get everything right in one shot. To start, I only had to worry about underexposing the film. If I overexposed the film, the background wouldn't necessarily go white. In fact, overexposing film would have the direct opposite affect than digital. An over exposed shot would give me more saturation in shots, and more detail in the shadows, and more detail in the whites.
I quickly decided that I would use 100% flash to fill in the foreground (the couple), overexpose the shot by a full stop, and meter off a portion of the sky that wasn't too bright. Did I lose you yet with all my technical jargon? Those those who know a little bit about photography know what I'm talking about. The result is what you see. I could use my flash at a 100% and still retain detail in Allison's dress because I was shooting on film. If I were shooting on digital, her dress would have been completely washed out.
I was 100% sure that my shots would come out perfect, even though when I looked through the view finder, I saw nothing but shadows. I want you to take a look at the detail in these shots. Do you see how the water is black, and there is still details in the ocean. Can you see that the sun isn't completely washed out? How about Allison's white dress? There are details in there too. More so, the color of Ed and Allison's skin is 100% accurate. If I were shooting digital, I would have to salvage the shot, add in color, and probably get all the colors of that day wrong.
One of our last shots at Lanikai
Taken at Waimanalo Beach Park
This shot was taken on the far east side of Waimanalo Beach Park.
Now this is something you don't see often, calm weather at Waimanalo.
This shot was taken near a fishing spot on the east coast, called Bamboo Ridge.
I have to say, even though Ed and Allison's wedding was in the morning, I had a great time. Ed and Allison are extremely cool people. And we had a lot to talk about, everything from politics, to investing, to football. We actually met up a few days after their wedding to have dinner, and so I could show them their photos. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants here in Hawaii, Seoul Garden Yakiniku, the best Korean restaurant in Hawaii.
That Korean food was goooood....
Me with the morning people...
This entire trip for Ed and Allison was filled with nothing but good news. Not only did they get married, but Ed landed a job after the day he got married back in Florida. Talk about putting the icing on the cake.
What else do I have to say about my Hollywood stunt double couple? Honestly? I don't think I can add much more. I do have to say this, they are going to have some smart good looking children.
Just letting you know, that it seems the blog seems to be down for the time being. I think it should be up and running in a few days. I'm having problems uploading images to my server at the moment, via blogger. I can publish articles though.
But to give you a quick update on the weather here, it's extremely cloudy and overcast where I live. Hurricane Felicia is no longer a hurricane, but a tropical depression or storm. It's still packing a punch, of 25 to 50mph winds. So that's still something to be concerned about. And instead of heading to the Big Island, it's making a b-line, straight for Oahu's east shore. Nice....
I'm sure though things will blow over.... In the meantime, I have more to write about, everything from politics, movie reviews, and of course weddings. I have a lot of videos and pics to post....
A Storm is Brewing, both literally, and politically
Did you hear?
A STORM IS BREWING, EVERYWHERE What's on my mind: A weather and political post
Okay, relax, there's no hurricane on the way to Hawaii, but there's still a need to be concerned as we have a pretty big tropical depression or storm that's due to hit. The good thing, the waters around Hawaii tend to be rather cool, so by the time any hurricane gets to our islands, it usually breaks up. The bad thing, is that's it's still a storm, and where I live, the wind is still really strong. So I'll be taping up the windows this weekend, getting the cats in the house, just to make sure everything will be okay on the day it strikes...which is Monday.
So, I bet your probably wondering, what would happen if you booked your wedding on the same day a hurricane decided to show up? Well, I'd do the obvious thing and post-pone it, most likely a day or so. The great thing is that before and after a hurricane, the weather is usually very good. The chance of a hurricane hitting on your wedding day? Very very low. So feel safe to book your wedding smack dab in the middle of hurricane season, because chances are, the only thing you'll be hit with is cheap air travel.
So what else has been on my mind? Me.... You know, I must be getting rather old here. I mean, I'm only 32 years old, but I feel old. I was telling a friend of mine the other day that I turned on MTV and instead of being glued to it, I couldn't stand most of the shows that were on there. I mean, MTV is so over-sexualized, it's disturbing. The reality shows suck. And the pranks that they pull now, are just boring. Jackass, that show which I watched every now and then, is just irritating. And I don't even care about the MTV Music Video Awards.... There are too many award shows anyway.
So instead of watching MTV, like the old man I have come to be, my TV is constantly on Fox news, or maybe some educational channel like Discovery or History. Cartoons...hmm...I'm still addicted to South park, which in it's way is an adult cartoon.
The view from my house on a rainy day
THE SECOND STORM: HURRICANE OBAMA
On the politics side, if you follow blog, you'll know that I am not big fan of Obama. He is who I believed he would be, a socialist. Since taking office, Obama has taken over the largest insurance agency, mortgage companies, banks, two automotive companies, and now he is working on taking over the healthy insurance industry. I just really want to know, what qualifies Obama to be an expert in any of these industries? I also really want to know, other than protecting us, what the government really does well that we can be proud of.
Since taking office, Obama has doubled our debt by a trillion dollars, appointed czars in charge of industries that have no qualifications to run that industry, and called police officers stupid, when they were just doing their job. He has not helped the middle class man, but instead, bailed out wall street time after time again, then proudly sticks his finger to the small business owner, like myself, with higher taxes.
His philosophy: to make money by printing money. To get the economy moving, Americans have to borrow more, he says. When that's what got us into problem in the 1st place, Americans borrowed too much. Are you aware that Obama spent so much money in his first 7 months of office, that he would have been better off giving the entire U.S. a year long tax holiday. And he would have saved more money, and stimulated the economy more.... But he had people to pay back. Why? Because he's corrupt like the rest of the Chicago politicians out there.
But it's not just him, it's the entire government which is just corrupted to the point of no return. The House ordered 3 new private luxury jets, snuck into a defense bill, so they could prance around the nation in style. These congressmen are the same men and women who chastised auto-execs for flying to D.C. on a their private luxury jet, was a waste of money. One of those companies, Ford, did not take tax payer money......and was still chastised for flying in on his private jet.
Hypocrites...yes.
Now we have a health care program that is going toward supporting illegal immigrants, and one which we cannot afford. The legislation is being pushed down our throats. Anyone who doesn't support it, like myself, is seen as an enemy of the State. For the fact that I am writing this on my site, could mean that my company, Dream Weddings Hawaii, would be tagged by the White House.
So I really ask, what is a small business man with big ideas supposed to do in times like this? Really? I work hard, I'm even starting another wedding based company in a few months.... But I'm pretty scared that I'm going to get taxed to death. I already pay close to 50% of my income to taxes, federal and state combined... Under Obama's plan, I will pay around 70%... 60% federal, 10% from State. And that still won't count the hidden taxes that I would have to pay in gas taxes, cap and trade taxes, and for health care. I fear I could pay up to 75 to 80% in taxes every year...
Right now, the federal government is not making much money. That's a fact. Even if Obama raised the taxes on the so called "top wage earners" which includes me, that wouldn't cover the cost of health care, the stimulus, and the other programs he plans to enact in his first term. That means, he's going to have to raise taxes...FOR EVERYONE.
I know myself, and a lot of other small business owners, who are friends of mine, are all scared of what may happen in the future. Obama said he believed that people should accomplish the American Dream, but what happens to you when you get there? You get taxed to death, and blamed for everything.
On the positive side, I know this. I won't give up doing what I am doing. I'll keep chugging along. I'll probably end up having to work more for less, and just complain more...haha. But oh well.
A perfect sunset A LOCAL RETURN TO THE ISLAND The Hawaii Wedding of Jason and Gail
Jason lived his early years on Oahu, then moved to the mainland with his family. Shortly thereafter, when Jason was in the 7th grade, he met and fell for Gail. Back then, they were kids who liked hanging around each other, and like 99.9% of the young loves out there, they soon went their separate directions as they grew older. Time passed and they didn't see much of each other. But fate would bring them back together, and of all places, at a funeral. Soon after, they were hanging around each other, sharing laughs and old memories. And as the story goes, they fell in love with each other all over again.
Jason and Gail, like most wedding couples in our time, did it backwards. They started their family first, then got legally married. But little did they know, that according to the Bible, they were already married. Now I know there are many religious people who would disagree with me. But I ask...did Adam and Eve have to sign a marriage license in order for God to consider them married? How about Noah? It clearly states in the Bible that in order for a man and woman to be considered husband and wife, they must fulfill two things: One, they must leave their parents. Two, they must become one in flesh (which basically means...come on, we all know what that means!). Where does it says about signing a marriage license in the Bible so God would declare them married. Contracts between two souls and between a soul and God, are signed with one thing...commitment, and that's exactly what Jason and Gail had before they were legally declared husband and wife.
It was a small gathering at the cove with family and friends
The waves were huge that day! See how smooth that sand is? That's from the waves washing up!
Jason and Gail chose a package with all the bells and whistles. They elected to go with the ceremony package, and to upgrade that package with an extra roll of film plus video editing. I'm really glad they got video that day because the waves were extraordinarily huge on that day and it made their wedding video look really cool. (Their video by the way, is at the end of this blog.) In fact, they were so big, we really had a tough time making our way to the other side of the cove for shots! In fact, I don't think we made it to the other side now that I recall. It was that dangerous. More so, if I remember correctly, during the wedding, the ocean washed up so high, we basically had a very small area to work with
This looks like fun, not for Jason though.
I have this rule when it comes to wedding photography. Nothing makes for a greater romantic shot than a couple who kisses while the waves crash over their feet. With that being said, I usually will make a couple stand near or in the ocean. Most of the time, the waves behave well. Sometimes, the tide rolls in a little too quick, and the couple has to make for a mad dash to higher ground. In either case, it still makes for a great shot.
This is the first time I ever tried a pose like this.
If the timing is right, this pose words well for the scenery.
One thing that I really admired about Jason and Gail was their commitment to family. There was love in the air that day for everyone, and it trickled down to myself, the wedding singer, even to Elias, my Reverend for the ceremony. We always get thanked at the end of each wedding for doing such a great job. Many couples tell me that the photos I took were the greatest they ever had of each other. Elias will usually get comments from guests that his ceremony was the best they ever witnessed. But like Elias reminded the guest, "It's not about me, but about the love you bring. That's what makes it special." I have to agree.....
Don't forget to watch their video! Here it is!
Hope you checked out the waves in the video. In the video, when it comes time for Jason to say his vows, he's so choked up, that he literally whispers his vows. I have to tell you, my mics are extremely sensitive. He was that choked up.... and Jason's a tough guy!
Okay people, I am outta here. I have a lot more weddings to post on this site in the upcoming days. A lot of couples booked videos...so you'll be seeing some vids. There's a Maui wedding that I did, and a...arghh....sunrise wedding at Lanikai which I did. Blog to you soon.
THE NEW VIDEO TREND THAT I'M NOT BUYING INTO My two cents on Wedding Cinematography
I have a fight to pick and it's with the worldwide wedding video industry. I've been in the wedding industry for ten years, and it seems every three years, the wedding industry comes up with some new type of fad that was supposed to be a "drastic" improvement upon the latter. All movements, of course, were not drastic movements, but more so, new marketing gimmicks created to drive prices through the roof. For photography, if you remember, at one time, the hot new fad was black and white photojournalism photography; then it was the overused "fish-eye" lens photography; now it's all about digital photography and how a photographer can literally shoot your picture in a studio in Michigan, plug in a Hawaii background, and create a great fake Hawaii engagement picture for you. I swear, some of the things that goes in this industry, makes blood shoot straight from my eyes.
So the new wave that has flooded the wedding video market for the past three years, which is steam rolling ahead, is called "WEDDING CINEMATOGRAPHY." Which, is a complete oxymoron. Cinematographers first of all shoot on film, exclusively are associated with the motion picture undustry, and have a deep understanding of how to capture story, and to present it effectively. Wedding Videographers I repeat, WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHERS, are not any of that. Wedding Videographers a.k.a "Wedding Cinematographers" shoot everything on video, are associated with the wedding industry, not the movie, and most have no idea what story is and how to apply effectively wtih camera techniques.
Now, really why do I have huge problem with them? Well, to start, it's because I came from the movie industry, as I was once a screenwriter. And it just bugs me when other industries borrow movie terminologies in order to boost the marketability of their work. But I have an even bigger problem because:
Their Wedding Videos hardly include the entire wedding ceremony. In fact, a 7 or 8 minute wedding video will probably include 45 seconds of the actual wedding ceremony!
While the video is photographically appealing, most shots are manufactured, meaning they really didn't happen naturally, but were directed.
Choice of shots: There are too many getting ready shots tossed into the entire video. I mean really, what's more important...shots of the couple getting ready, or the wedding ceremony? Pretty easy one there.
The videographer is missing the entire MEANING of the wedding day....Some videos make weddings even feel like it's an unhappy occasion, with the choice of over dramatic music overlayed on the vows. I mean, we're talking "phantom menace, star wars music stuff..."
Overuse of montages. Wedding Cinematographers turn your wedding day into a series of music videos that are basically a series of shots, that over uses transitional camera shot techniques, to give you a 7 to 8 minute commercial of your wedding day. Montages are supposedly only used to signify a passage of time, they are not supposed to be used to tell a complete story.
LACK OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF STORY. In screenwriting, we call it the Three Act structure. Where the beginning is Act One, middle, which is Act Two, and Act Three, the end. For some reasons, these wedding cinematographers wannabes, screw up the entire timeline. They will take the thank yous during your reception, and use them as voice overs during the beginning of the video. They will show shots of you getting ready, at the end of the video. Argghh..... They are literally taking shots that should be reserved in Act Three, and putting them in Act One. Imagine watching the ending of a movie, before seeing the beginning? Yes, that's what it's like.
This is probably the best cinematography video which I found which you can take a look at. It includes the best story telling out of all the videos I have been looking at:
NOTE: I DID NOT SHOOT THIS WEDDING NICE, BUT WHERE'S THE WEDDING? oh wait, you may have missed all 10 seconds of it.
ISN'T A WEDDING VIDEO SUPPOSED TO INCLUDE THE WEDDING CEREMONY or be based around the ceremony, even if they are highlights? You can find more videos here
The videos, like I said, are very well shot, exposure, camera shots, and editing are very well done. EXTREMELY! It's a commercial quality music video I have to say. But do these wedding videos tell you truly what went on during your wedding day?No it doesn't.Does it truly document your wedding ceremony, so that when you view this video ten years from now, you can say, "That's exactly how it happened." You can say, "I think that's how it happened..." No... All of that good stuff, ended up on the editing room floor. Too many "Wedding Cinematographers" are trying to cram an entire wedding day into three and a half minutes....
UPDATE: I have been informed by Segej, the author of the video above, that he does include a 45-60 minute video of the wedding day unlike other Wedding Cinematographers.
In fact, most of these shots in here are setup. The zipping of the dress, the putting of the earring on in the mirror, the fastening of the buckle, the best man helping the groom put in his overcoat, all manufactured, and may have been taken once or twice to get the shot done.
I swear, the blood is shooting out of my eyes and into yours right now. The art of wedding videography is supposed to be the documentation of the wedding day. Not a manufactured product so that every wedding video looks the same....because every wedding couple does exactly the same rehearsed thing.
What's strange is that many of these wedding cinematographers, probably struggle on what should be the easiest thing to do. Which is, capturing the wedding ceremony in it's fullest, and keeping the audience glued to the screen throughout the entire 12 to 15 minute wedding ceremony. That is just a matter of knowing when to cut to each camera, and feeling how long each shot should be held so the viewing audience won't get bored. It's simple to do... I challenge the wedding cinematography world to post the long version of their wedding ceremonies online. A real time, live cut...if you must. Lets see how good their edit is, when 100% of each camera shot has to be called upon to be used.
Now here is an example of one of my wedding videos:
THIS IS MY WEDDING VIDEO
It's simple, it's straight forward, I leave not a moment on the cutting room floor. My weddings are shown entirely from beginning to end, and my philosophy is to let the actual nervousness and tension of the wedding ceremony, combined with the happy moments, keep the audience glued to the screen, ultimately driving the story forward. At the end of the video, family members can actually feel as though they were there in the front row watching their friends or family get married. Well, they kinda were, as the cameras had the best seats and ears in the house. Story drives everything forward, filled with real moments, not a series of shots, edited well together to a form a music video.
Now I guess you're probably wondering, "Hey Steve, I know you have a problem with Wedding Cinematography, but the shots are really nice, can we at least do half of those shots?" The answer is yes. In fact, if you want your wedding video to look that, I have no problem creating one that is very similar, or even better. It just takes a lot of time, and that transfers into a lot of money. More so, it takes a lot of your time as well. Let me further explain.
I'll share with you a little movie knowledge right now. Did you know it takes about 1 or 2 days to shoot 1 minute of a movie. Yes. That long. And it's not fun. When getting these shots for your wedding, it will literally take you close to 1 day, to obtain all these shots..and that's more money for you. Then, on your wedding day, there will more shots to take... And it's just not one take by the way. It's handful of them. Take one, take two, take three...you get the drift.
When I came from the movie industry and submersed myself into the wedding industry, I had to go through the same battle of balancing effect, story, and wedding moments. I did not want videography, to hamper wedding moments. Production is never glamourous. It's tedious, hard work, that is very uncomfortable. And wedding picture taking, and video, can sometimes get in the of way of what is turly important....you and your fiance.
So the solution I came up with, was simple. To keep it simple. To keep everything simple. I would DOCUMENT your wedding day like a talk show....throw in a few setup shots, but that was it.
