A San Diego Wedding Photographer

FAQ's #4

2011-01-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

So ever since I made a formspring account, some of you guys have asked silly questions, serious questions, and some extremely interesting questions. I figured I'd keep answering some on that page -- but I'd also pick a few out every once and a while and answer them here on the blog. Here we go!

Do you genuinely believe anyone is better than anyone else, or do you think everyone is equal?

Interesting question! I have no problem with saying that some people are better than other people. Lindsay (my wife), for example, is absolutely better than Saddam Hussein. I could see one believing that there is a point where we started out equal -- but our actions after that can result in us being judged as "better" or "worse."

Of course there are things we need to take into account before we judge people too rashly (i.e. where they were raised, who they were raised by, any sort of childhood trauma, etc.) -- but I think generally we can judge people by there actions.

Why do you love Asia so much more than Europe?

It might be because I grew up hearing everyone fantasize about going to Paris or London. I went to those places -- had a great time -- but then I went to Asia. China, specifically. Wowzers! I was hooked. Then places like Japan, Thailand, and Cambodia just set it in stone for me. Asia is amazing.

1. Culture. I generally enjoy Asian cultures more than European cultures (that being said, some of the sweetest people I've met have been in Europe and I've met some of the dodgiest characters around in Asia).

2. Food. Specifically China. Tangcu liji (sp?) is the best thing in the world. Not to mention a Korean BBQ place in Beijing that is quite literally my favorite restaurant in the world. Can't wait to the the RPTE: China crew there in a few months!!!

3. I love their perspective on life. See my post on my dear friends who work as Tuk Tuk drivers in Cambodia.

Those are just a few reasons off the top of my head. I could go on and on...

I have really been wanting to give my photos a nice color pop and really enjoy the color in your photos. How do you pop the colors in your photos? TRA's, (if so which action?) or the settings in your camera? Thanks for your time.

Check my Before and After Wednesdays ;)

What's the craziest thing trouble has done so far?

He threw up one morning. I walked out to check on him and he had apparently swallowed to decent sized rocks. Sometimes I wish we named him "bastard" because he's such a little bastard :P
Why do you and your wife appear to be so badass? And how can I appear to be as such?You hit the nail on the head. Appear. It's VERY easy to appear badass -- especially when I control what is and isn't blogged. Hang out with me in person and you will see gobs of "un-badassness" all over the place ;)

Anyways, if you're wanting to ask me any questions, feel free to do so on my formspring page. If you want to ask Lindsay something, just specify that it's for her :)

Mythbuster time - do you hate this forwarded email?

2010-12-18T02:52:00.000-08:00

So I got a forward from a friend recently. I've gotten this forward at least three times in the last five years. One of the times was from my mom, I think :) I don't hate email forwards - but I find it interesting that people will so easily forward them without thinking "what if this isn't true?" I mean, sending out mass email forwards that scare people... doesn't seem like a good idea to me...

The summarized email I received says:

"This is Serious! This incident happened recently in North Texas
.
A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke... On Monday she was taken to the hospital... She died on Wednesday. The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis. This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass. Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and hence the disease Leptospirosis. A study at NYCU showed that the tops of all soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets... So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident. Please forward this message to all the people you care about."

So my first thought is "North Texas?!?" I lived in Texas for a couple years and NEVER once heard the term "North Texas." Maybe some of the Texan blog readers can confirm if that is a normal term... But still, I'm wondering why someone wouldn't give the actual location - if they knew enough about the location to know it happened in "North Texas." Hmmm... probably because it's not true?

Second thought, She died two days later, and then they were just able to find her used soda can? I would imagine that the can was thrown away with other cans and would be nearly impossible to pick out of other cans. Hmmm...

Third thought is "a study at NYCU"??? They know of the study (enough to share it) but can't source it for us? Hmmm...

Last thought is "wash them with water"??? It seems if there's something that can kill you, you'd wash with anti-bacterial soap - not just water, right?

This myth is.... FALSE!

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/raturine.asp

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Anyone else been forwarded this email before (or a similar one)?

Bobby

GO TO MY NEW BLOG LOCATION!

2010-02-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

This blog is officially retired :)

http://www.bobbyearle.com/blog

Bam Margera + Bobby Earle = good times

2010-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So when I was a teenager, I was all skateboarder. It was literally all I did and cared about. I wanted to work in the industry for the rest of my life, skate all day, get sponsors... I was obsessed. I still love skateboarding -- I just suck at it compared to the old days.

At my old skate shop, we would have autograph signings. This one time the Adio team came in. There were other awesome skaters, but the only two most would know of would be Tony Hawk and Bam Margera. We always loved watching moms line up to get autographs of people they didn't know or care about. My (now) brother-in-law and I decided we'd get our chairs on the autograph table and sign away. So it was other pro skaters (Jeremy Wray and Kenny Anderson for those that are interested), Tony Hawk, Bam, and then us. People lined up, got REAL pros' autographs, and then Isaac and me. They were just as excited about ours as they were T-Birds and Bam's. Amazing.

My friend, and now acclaimed photographer, Jimmy Fontaine, just shared with me an old picture. Keep in mind, this is about 10 years ago...

If you look behind my pen, you'll see the beginnings of my fake name that day. I was signing it as "michael iice"... Why we thought it was funny to spell "ice" with two "i"'s is beyond me :)

Good times.

Bobby

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Contest: Showit Sites + Smugmug giveaway

2010-02-01T01:13:00.000-08:00

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So I have two giveaways today!!!

Giveaway one: This is for the attendants of the recent RPTE that we took to Thailand and Cambodia. The winner gets a free year of Showit Sites compliments of David Jay :) All they need is YOUR vote!

Showit is probably the most integral part of my business. I would be hard-pressed to think of a company that has benefited me more. If you can think it, you can do it with Showit (without needing to know html/flash/css code). I have a hard time figuring out why someone would use the other website options, to be honest...

Giveaway two: The next giveaway is for all of you who vote with a comment below (only on the blog -- not facebook or twitter). One commenter, chosen at random, will get a free year of Smugmug Pro! Compliments of Markham at Smugmug ;)

I've been using Smugmug for about 3 or 4 years now -- and I can't say a bad thing about them. In fact, I can only say great things about them! Their customer service is out of this world. I remember having some question at like 3am one time a few years ago -- within the hour I had an answer from a top Smugmug guy (Andy) on the Dgrin forum. I've met personally with the people who run Smugmug and I can tell you that they care about one thing: Doing what they do to the best of their abilities so that photographers who use them can have more success. They're amazing people.

Now, for those of you that don't know, here's a few quick reasons that I love Smugmug...

Store (literally) UNLIMITED photos. Backed up by Amazon.
Upload and display stunning Hi-Definition video clips.
Powerful image protection including custom watermarking.
Set your own prices for prints & gifts and earn profit from sales.

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Now, the rules to the contest are VERY simple. Vote in the comments section saying which photo is your favorite. The vote MUST be on the blog -- not facebook or twitter. Tell your friends to vote, tweet about it, facebook it, blog it... do whatever you want. Whoever has the most votes by Monday the 8th at midnight (PST) will win! Winners will be announced Tuesday :)

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#1 Megan Tsang

#2 Katie Lewis

#3 Andrea Simcheck

#4 Richelle Dante

#5 Erika Lindroth

#6 Amy Martin

#7 Cherish Drinkard

#8 Nick Simcheck

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RPTE trip attendants, I know I said it would be anonymous -- but then I figured that all of your friends/family/blog readers would know which one you posted... so now go ahead and social network all you want to get yourself the win :) Let the games begin!

Bobby

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Possums and robberies...

2010-01-29T00:40:00.000-08:00

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So Josh came down this week and stayed a few days. This is always a plus for us as we both love hanging with him :) A little backstory... Josh got all -- and I mean all -- of his gear stolen just a few months ago. Luckily, he had insurance so he was fine. However, this isn't something one would choose to go through. I'm sure anyone who's filed a claim knows that ;)

So the last night Josh was here, he almost left that night. He ended up staying the night and planned on heading out in the morning. That was until this happened...

Josh got all of his gear stolen... again!! Poor guy. Happened sometime in the middle of the night on our street. He looks mad in this picture, but Josh, being the happy go lucky guy we all love, took it in stride with laughs and smiles. I love when people can do stuff like that. So many people would huff and puff -- sort of that "don't talk to me right now!" attitude. Not Josh. One of the many reasons why I (and so many others) love the guy :)

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Last night when we walked home, we noticed this little guy perched on our fence...

Hate away, but I absolutely love opossums. I'm a firm believer in the idea that if you can find beauty and be excited about the supposed "ugly" things in life, that which is generally accepted as "beautiful" is just that much sweeter.

It took about an hour for this guy to get down -- which was tricky as we had to lock the dogs in the house so we didn't have a little scuffle on our hands. Opossums can fend for themselves, but I wouldn't want it getting hurt at all by Remmy. As of now, he's still hiding (about 3 hours later) in a bush about 3 feet from the fence -- on the inside of our yard, of course. I didn't want him to get hurt, so I built a barricade around him that leads to a tree he can climb -- but that Remmy and Trouble can't get into. If you look hard enough, you'll see that this little guy is as cute as anything out there :)

Bobby

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Lindsay: stories with kids

2010-01-28T00:38:00.001-08:00

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So Lindsay's good friend (and old boss) asked her if she could sub today and yesterday at her old preschool. Lindsay LOVED being a preschool teacher -- she's the best of the best at it -- so she always gets excited to be back there every so often.

Here's a story from yesterday -- a conversation that she had with a 4 year old girl (she was there when Lindsay used to work there and I would visit).

4yr old girl: what's your husband's name?
Lindsay: Bobby
4yr old girl: oh yeah, I remember him. I'm gonna go nuts on him.
Lindsay: (after my jaw closed) What does that mean exactly?
4yr old girl: I like him so much. He has short hair right?
Lindsay: Yes???...
4yr old girl: I love short hair boys.

Ha! My jaw equally dropped! But in the context of an innocent little 4 year old, how funny/cute is that?!

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I should have a photo to post -- but since I don't, here's a random Brule's rule for you. If you've never heard of Dr. Steve Brule, take about 20 seconds to watch the video. Funny, funny stuff...

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #33

2010-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

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This week's before and after Wednesday is from Chris and Shamar's wedding in San Diego last week.

As usual, I'm using my handy dandy totally rad actions. I freaking love these things. If you're too lazy to make your own actions (like me) OR you tried to make them and they didn't turn out the way you wanted to and you're too lazy to try harder (like me), then these actions will be to you what Neil Diamond is to my mother :)

Let's get crackin'. The below image is the finished product. Roll your mouse over it to see the straight out of camera, unprocessed image.

Canon 5D Mark II + 24mm f/3.5L tilt at ISO160, 1/2000th, and f/3.5.

The view of downtown San Diego from the ceremony site at the Admiral Kidd.

Boutwell Magic Glasses @ 100%
Color balance layer mask @ 33% on the water (not an action)
+Contrast @ 100%
Green with Envy @ 100 on the water
Big Blue @ 37% on part of the water
+Contrast @ 100 on the sky
Color balance layer mask @ 63% (-20 cyan) on the sky (not an action)
Homestead @ 100% -- but only "toning" is selected @ 42%

And that's it! It seems a bit more complicated than normal, but it when you're going at it, it takes no time ;)

So if you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! Oh yeah, and if anyone has any ideas on how I could change up B&A Wed's, I'm all ears!

Bobby

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Old Richland Schoolhouse: San Marcos wedding photos (sneak peak)

2010-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Here's a sneak peak of Katie and Anthony's beautiful wedding at the Old Richland Schoolhouse...

I loooved this wedding! More to come soon ;)

Bobby

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Would you hate me?

2010-01-25T01:06:00.000-08:00

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Would you hate me if I totally thought today was Sunday? And then if because of that I totally forgot to blog? Usually I try and blog on Sunday night to post for Monday -- but it's like 1:30am and I'm dog tired. Forgive me? Please?

I hope these two images from Cambodia will help...

:)

Bobby

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Poor, poor Remmy...

2010-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So for those of you that don't know, we have two dogs. One of them is Remmy. She's a 2 year old German Shepherd. She's so timid with certain things -- but crazy brave in others. It's so funny to watch. One of the things she does NOT like is abnormal weather.

The rains have been loud, the wind sounds like it's beating our walls, and the lightning is... well, lightning :) When these things happen, she hurries over next to me wherever I am. It's so cute. Here's her trying her best to squeeze underneath my desk -- but it's way too small for her to fit.

Pitiful, right?!

I just love dogs. All of them -- not just mine. I even like really, really annoying ones. You know why? Odds are, it isn't their fault. If a dog is REALLY annoying, the owner probably doesn't know what they're doing. Dog's (all animals, really) have the ability to really enrich life, don't you think? Well, I sure do.

Anyways, Remmy is honestly one of the sweetest dogs out there and things like this make me so glad we have her :)

Bobby

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Obama: Why Haiti Matters

2010-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Obama wrote a piece called Why Haiti Matters for Newsweek.

Total disclaimer: I like this guy. Often times, I like him a lot. But before I freak out any right-wingers, I really like W a lot, as well. And before any lefties freak out about that -- remember that I also just said I like Obama! So anyone who's freaked out... just calm down :P

It's really a great read and I think every American (right/left/center) should love it as much as I did. Here's an awesome bit from it...

"But above all, we act for a very simple reason: in times of tragedy, the United States of America steps forward and helps. That is who we are. That is what we do. For decades, America's leadership has been founded in part on the fact that we do not use our power to subjugate others, we use it to lift them up—whether it was rebuilding our former adversaries after World War II, dropping food and water to the people of Berlin, or helping the people of Bosnia and Kosovo rebuild their lives and their nations."

Something that Obama does that I love is that he believes in America. When he was running, he was always prepared to talk about how his story wouldn't even be possible in another country. His speech after the elections was about as moving as any I've heard. I disagree with him quite often (but I'm a pretty disagreeable guy when it comes to politics, so I can only hold that against myself ;) but I love hearing him speak positively about America and Americans like this.

I, like him, take pride in the fact that I live in the country that people can count on if they are in real danger. Does that mean Americans are better than Australians? Brits? Germans? Absolutely not! We all have great things we bring to the world table -- and we should all be proud of what we bring (as we should hope to make better the bad things we bring). Of this, America's good nature to help our fellow man regardless of color or financial status, I am proud. I am also proud to have a President who thinks the same way.

So again, read his piece. It's got some great things in there :)

Bobby

p.s. blogs without pictures suck, I hear -- but I'm too tired to find one to post! :P

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4 years in Cambodian prison.

2010-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

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An accident happened on the last RPTE. An accident that involved me. Here's a photo my friend Megan took briefly after...

My friends Hannah and Richelle were told a story about a Japanese tourist that had a similar accident happen to him... only he got four years in prison for it! Crazy, right?!

Bobby

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SuperMAN trip...

2010-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So Lindsay has given me the go ahead to take off on a man trip. There are several places in the world that I want to go to -- but I'd be a bit uncomfortable taking Lindsay until I go myself. Fortunately, I have a few guy friends who are interested in doing something like this :)

Now I just have to plan it.

So does anyone have any ideas? We want something kind of dodgy -- but with no one getting kidnapped, or anything. Here's our thoughts so far...

1. Fly into Turkey overland (meaning train/bus) through Syria and Jordan into Israel.

2. Fly into Turkey and overland to Kurdistan, Iraq.

Kurdistan, Iraq.

3. Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia.

Castle in Armenia.

4. Fly into China and overland into North Korea.

5. Overland from Kenya to South Africa.

Victoria Falls -- which we'd pass in Zimbabwe on the way to South Africa.

6. The island of Komodo.

The Komodo dragon. Something I've wanted to see since I was a child.

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So, with places like this in mind, does anyone have any ideas? I'd love to have more places to choose from and I'm sure I'm forgetting some awesome locations. Right now, it's a toss up between overlanding into Iraq and Komodo. Any help/ideas/suggestions will be appreciated!

Bobby

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Admiral Kidd, Point Loma Wedding Photos: sneak peak

2010-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So over the weekend I shot one of my favorite weddings ever. Long story that I'll hopefully have time to get into when I do their full post -- but let's just say I couldn't have felt more love from this family :) Can't wait to post the full wedding!

Here's a sneak of the dress...

... and then what it looked like on...

Shamar is a stunner!

Bobby

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Looking back.

2010-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Lindsay and I were dirt poor when we got married. We worked non-profit, made less than 3 bucks an hour, lived in a crack head low-income apartment, had McDonalds as a legit date night... but it was such a great time.

For me, those times were completely normal. I was raised pretty poor. Not as poor as some but definitely had less money than most. So our first years of marriage were "life as usual" for me -- just now I had Lindsay, as well. I was on top of the world.

For Lindsay, however, she had somewhat different experiences growing up. She wasn't a rich kid, by any means -- but she'll say things about growing up and I'm like "really?!" Almost as if she was one of the Kardashian's or something :P We play this game where she tries to convince me how poor she had it -- but then she gives me that "alright, you got me" look.

We had a lot of things in our lives that would have seriously bothered many girls in their first years of marriage. We didn't have a honeymoon. We didn't have a bed -- we literally slept on the ground and just laid a couple blankets down (when Lindsay's parents visited us the first time her dad put a stop to that immediately. Went out and had us pick out whatever bed we wanted. I never felt judged once, either. I got lucky with the in-law's, I'd say.). We gave plasma twice a week to make extra money. Not once did we go shopping for clothes, or anything fun like that. Lindsay never skipped a beat. She handled it all almost like "of course this is normal!" We absolutely loved every second of it.

Tonight Lindsay went out to get Pick Up Stix. We had a giftcard from my grandma (she knows her grandson too well!). The only reason we chose Pick Up Stix for this meal was because we had a giftcard. After about 20 minutes had passed, I look on the table and there it is -- the gift card. She got home, I showed her the gift card, and she couldn't believe that not only did she forget the gift card -- she also didn't realize it when she paid for it! It was fun to be able to joke about something that a few years ago would have been a hit for us financially :)

Bobby

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Haiti: perspective

2010-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Over the last couple years of blogging, I've talked a lot about perspective. I think your perspective on life greatly contributes to how happy/unhappy you live through difficult situations, your ability to appreciate great things (and therefore enjoy them more), how you view the world and your role in it... It's so important to take time and stop to think about how great life is, how fortunate we are, how we can aid the less fortunate, and so on.

I was following someone on Twitter and their post hit me so hard. It was Tuesday night and they basically said that with the power out in Port Au Prince they couldn't see much -- but they could hear people screaming throughout the night. In Thailand a couple months ago, I heard a dog from my hotel room scream for a few minutes. It was a dog and I almost couldn't handle it. I had no clue where it was coming from -- so I had no way to help it or put it out of its misery. I could hardly stand it. And that was one dog. I can't imagine hearing screams coming from your fellow man and having to just withstand it.

Suddenly the car payment seems non-existent. All the work I need to catch up on? Doesn't matter. All of my responsibilities surrounding me that I sometimes grab onto and feel a little sorry for myself? Immediately gone. I'm sitting on a couch with my wife and dogs while someone else is telling me (via Twitter) that they are hearing people scream because they are underneath rubble and no one can get to them. Perspective.

It's so easy to have the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality with human suffering. We're able to be made aware of it so easily nowadays that we can get overwhelmed with it. So much to the point of telling ourselves that since we can't help all, there's no point. But it's so important to remember that the kids that either died or are seriously injured in the children's hospital that collapsed in Haiti are just as valuable as the little kids you walk by at the park, your nephews, own children, etc. More than that, they are just as real. It's easy to almost feel like the situation is fake, you know? But these are real people. They have real families. Real hopes and dreams. And, most importantly, they feel real pain and torment in times of tragedy and doing something to help just one person is REAL help.

We are so fortunate to be able to buy Starbucks, fast food, nice clothes, etc. Set a little of that aside and send some money to help Haiti by going here or by texting YELE to 501 501 to donate $5 to the earthquake relief.

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The temptation in these times is to either ignore it or acknowledge it and get depressed. First, those two options help no one. Not you, the people you're around, or the people in need. Second, those aren't are only two options! It helps people in need when you help them (redundant, I know). It doesn't help them to live unhappily. An unhappy world helps no one. In the midst of human suffering like this, life is still beautiful. Children are being brought into loving homes, slaves are being set free (thanks to organizations like Not For Sale), love still abounds in even the worst of situations... We have incredible beauty in this world.

All in all, we shouldn't ever ignore the pain and suffering of others, but we shouldn't let that blind what is good and pure, either. It's a hard balance, but we can do it ;)

UPDATE: This article made me so happy :)

Bobby

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Formspring?

2010-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Man, my twitter was hit with something out of left field yesterday! Everyone was talking about this "formspring.me" thing. Apparently, you just ask questions and you get answers. It sounds lame and not really any revolutionary... but for some reason it's a ton of fun! Maybe because it's brand new? Here's a question from my formspring page...

Who's your favorite photographer???
You know what? I actually know NOTHING about photographers outside of weddings -- and I know very little about those ones, actually. When I hang out with other wedding photographers, I usually have no clue who they're talking about. The only photographers I know of are the ones I run into. I think the only famous one I know of is Ansel Adams -- but I don't know anything about him/her or what pictures he/she shot. So...

Anyways, any question that you ask that I answer gets published publicly -- so head over to my formspring page and either ask me some questions or just read the answers I've posted to other people's questions (you can ask Lindsay questions -- but specify if the question is for her). Some interesting ones are in there...

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Blogs without photos suck, so here's one that (blogless) Erin Berry snagged of me in the forest out in Thailand...

Aside from looking like a lame little 12 year old in this photo, soon after it was taken, Amy Martin decided to take food out of her bag (which she WASN'T supposed to have on her :P) and then we got raided by tons of monkeys. It was hilarious to see the RPTE crew all freaked out by the monkeys. Fun stuff :)

Bobby

Ask Lindsay #3

2010-01-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

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Here comes another Ask Lindsay post!

On a boat headed to the Phi Phi islands in Thailand.

"Lindsay, what's your role at a photo session? Who interacts more with clients or is it about the same?"

Bobby will say that I'm the second part to his brain while on a photo shoot which is nice to hear on those days when I'm too aware of how little I actually "second shoot." But really I'm there to do whatever is needed to make his job easier (uploading cards, keeping up with gear and making sure he has what he needs, being a sounding board for his thoughts and ideas, etc). During an engagement shoot or the couple's session at a wedding I'd say we both interact with the clients especially on a personal level because we really enjoy getting to know the people we work with. I'll help with poses and any kind of the direction the couple might need. For all you America's Next Top Model fans I'm kind of like the Jay Alexander for weddings and e-shoots :) During a wedding ceremony and reception I'm there with camera in-hand (because every so often I'll grab a winner ;) ready to be Bobby's other set of hands, feet, eyes, whatever .

"Can you play an instrument? If not would you like to learn one day?"

From about first to fourth grade I played piano and my mom always told me that I'll wish when I'm older that I had kept it up. Well she was right. I learned how to read music during that time but if I could I would love to know how to hear music and play it back. That's how Bobby is. With every stinkin' instrument he tries. He's taught himself how to play countless instruments and it makes me so jealous and so proud all at the same time.

"One thing not many people know about you?"

I have what you might call a fascination with organized crime. That just feels weird admitting that. I love it when the history channel will have shows about the mafia and one of my favorite shows is a documentary called Gangland. When we were dating and I'd visit Bobby from Nashville I'd always get so excited when I would see freeway signs that said Long Beach or Inglewood or Crenshaw. Surprisingly I've never seen any of the Godfather movies but I'd bet money that I would love them :)

"What's something that you're better than Bobby at?"

Running. But to be fair it's probably because I LOVE to run and he despises it. More times than not I'll crave a nice hour-long run around our neighborhood. I can also pull off a pair of high heels far better than he can ;)

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This is me (Bobby) now... Feel free to ask Lindsay whatever you want in the comments so we've got more questions for the next Ask Lindsay :)

Bobby

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RPTE #2 signup: China!!!

2010-01-11T00:44:00.000-08:00

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UPDATE: SOLD OUT!!!

Nǐ hǎo wǒ de hǎo péng yǒu!!! I am SOOOO excited to announce that the Raddest Photo Trip Ever is headed to... CHINA!!!!!

China is Lindsay's favorite country in the whole world and Beijing is my favorite city -- so I think it's safe to say that we just love China to bits! The food, the people, the landscapes... there's just something very special about China. I mean, come on -- it's the land of the Great Wall! I honestly couldn't think of a better place to take a group of photographers. So here's the details...

*When: April 25th through May 3rd, 2010.
*Where: Beijing
*Why: Two reasons.
. One -- you want to get better at photography or the business of photography by asking me whatever the heck you want the entire time and being around a ton of other photographers. We all learn from each other :)
. Two -- you have nothing to learn from me but you want to have an amazing vacation with other photographers that you can write-off. Please note, you do NOT have do be a pro photographer for these trips. You can own a point and shoot and you're more than welcome to come ;)
*Costs: $2500 (land option) and $3700 (airfare option from LAX). There's a $2300 (land option) discount for couples that book together.

*Included is lodging, lunch and dinner, all activities and entrance fees (besides leisure time).
*Not included is Chinese Visa, shopping, whatever you do on leisure time, and food if you want to eat apart from the group (basically if you want a break from Chinese ;).

Itinerary:

DAY 1: Arrive on your evening flight. Dinner at an awesome hole in the wall restaurant.

DAY 2: Hike the old Great Wall. I've been to four of the Great Walls (there's different ones) and this is hands down my favorite.

DAY 3: Temple of heaven in the morning. Awesome place for photos of people doing Tai Chi, playing hacky sack with locals, photos of the park grounds, etc.. Orphanage in the afternoon. Silk market at night (awesome shopping).

DAY 4: Summer Palace afternoon with the rest of the day at leisure.

DAY 5: Early morning sunrise at a park that overlooks the Forbidden City. Rad shots of that plus more tai chi (this early you'll get to hear old people yelling at the top of their lungs). Afternoon Tiananmen Square and Forbidden city. Dinner at my favorite restaurant in the world -- a deelish korean BBQ place.

DAY 6: Free day. Shop 'till you drop or visit another part of the Great Wall. Whatever you like :)

DAY 7: Orphanage and a Chinese acrobat show. These are pretty gnarly.

DAY 8: Fly home

I'll only be taking 10 of us on this trip. So if you're wanting to come, jump on it ASAP!!! $1500 retainer for the land option and $2200 retainer for air option gets you a seat on the Raddest Photo Trip Ever!!! Credit card and checks are accepted for deposits. Email me at info@bobbyearle.com and we'll be eating with chopsticks in no time :)

Zaijian!

Bobby

UPDATE: SOLD OUT!!!

I'll be doing at least one more RPTE for 2010 (hopefully two more :) so if you're wanting to go and you haven't signed up for more info, do so here! I have a feeling that they're going to be sold out before I even announce them publicly from here on out so sign up to get a chance at a seat before the general public :) I should announce this one in the next week, or so -- so start pinching your pennies together for the deposit!

The way it works is past RPTE attendants get first dibs, then people on the sign up list, then it goes on the blog. This one didn't even make it to the people on the sign up list! Hope you get on the next one!!!

UPDATE: SOLD OUT!!!

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Featured: OSP

2010-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So every once in a while you get put in a category with people that you don't really deserve. That happened over at the ripping photography forum, Open Source Photo (OSP). OSP has a section in it's forum titled "Photography Studs". It's always consisted of two photographers. Mike Colon and Kenny Kim. These are two awesome veterans of the industry. Now it consists of them and myself -- and I'm completely honored to be mentioned with them on OSP.

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Photography forums like OSP are where I learned so much about photography. In fact, I hadn't met a single photographer until after I was already a full-time pro -- so I basically learned everything up until that time from forums! So if you're wanting to learn more, meet photographers, get your work critiqued... sign in for a free account and get to posting!

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The founder of OSP is David Jay. DJ is a great friend of ours and while on the recent RPTE, I took a picture of my friend Josh that looked a whole lot like DJ's logo. Josh, being a friend of both of ours, loved it and wanted to take the same of me. Who's is better? Ours or DJ's? :P

DJ's...

Ours...

We win, right?

Bobby

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Will and Tanya: Big update

2010-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

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I'm writing this immediately after it happened -- in the moment. It's about 4pm on Wednesday. I just hugged Lindsay for a bit while she balled her eyes out. But don't worry -- this is all good news.

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So you may remember us talking about two extremely close friends of ours and the terrible accident they were in. It was about five weeks ago. Will and Tanya (who had months prior tied the knot) had serious injuries from their accident. Both had bleeding/swelling of the brain -- with Tanya being worse off in that department -- and Will basically broke everything in his face. Soon on, it looked like Will would be fine mentally (just with a lot of recovery for his face), but we were told that for Tanya to make a full recovery, it would require a medical miracle.

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So about two hours ago, Lindsay's phone rang. She looked up at me with a very BIG expression. Usually, I can read her face. Positive, negative, neutral... but I had no idea this time. She just had a very huge facial expression, if that makes sense. Apparently, she picked up her cell phone to see who was calling and she saw Tanya's picture. She was completely confused. She starts talking -- I don't know anything yet -- and apparently tries to mouth "it's Tanya!!!" I didn't really understand her. Then I finally get it.

It was Tanya.

We put her on speaker and immediately that big GULP happened. You know. The gulp that every guy tries to battle so tears can stay back? I just couldn't believe it. 5 weeks ago I was utterly depressed and Lindsay was just crying almost 24/7. We couldn't stop thinking that the Tanya we know won't come back without a miracle. I never would have thought that 5 weeks later we'd receive a call from Tanya, talk for well over an hour, and that she'd be TANYA!!! Not just Tanya in the sense of being alive -- but OUR Tanya. The same Tanya we've always known.

Immediately I say something like "I could kill you for what you put us through!!!" and Tanya just laughs :) Our biggest fear was gone. We just hung out on the phone and laughed. She would explain that she's still healing in her brain -- informing us that sometimes she'll draw a huge painting of words instead of saying something in a normal, more simple manner. There were times that that was apparent. She's, as she so cutely put it, becoming normal again. There were a few things that she would say where we'd just squeeze each other and smile over. At one point she said "lower quality person" instead of "low income". Her details over certain things were adorable. It was like we were two annoying parents just obsessed with everything their little one was doing -- noticing that she's still got healing to do but so insanely shocked, elated, and in disbelief that she had come this far so quickly. It was probably the best hour and a half of our lives. To give you an idea, I think we might have been even happier today than we were on our own wedding day.

Anyways, I'm just rambling. I can't help but share my complete and utter joy! Will still has a long way physically -- he's in some serious pain at times. Tanya is still recovering in her brain. But I just can't even express the joy in my heart right now. Things could be incredibly different. I know that. And because of that, I'm so grateful. My friends are together, in love, and healing. I'm so thankful one of them wasn't taken prematurely from the other. That they both have the state of mind to still know and love the other. Just so many things could have gone wrong and I'm so overjoyed for all the things that went right.

I know many of you prayed for my dear friends. With as much sincerity as I can muster up, thank you so very much.

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And since life is so beautiful right now, here's a photo of Erawan Falls in Thailand -- one of the most beautiful places in the world.

What a great start to this new year!

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #32

2010-01-06T00:42:00.000-08:00

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This week's before and after Wednesday is of my good pal, Josh. He went on the 2009 RPTE -- which is where I grabbed this shot (inside Angkor Wat in Cambodia, to be exact).

As usual, I'm using my handy dandy totally rad actions. I freaking love these things. If you're too lazy to make your own actions (like me) OR you tried to make them and they didn't turn out the way you wanted to and you're too lazy to try harder (like me), then these actions will be to you what Neil Diamond is to my mother :)

Let's get crackin'. The below image is the finished product. Roll your mouse over it to see the straight out of camera, unprocessed image.

Canon 5D Mark II + 24mm f/3.5L tilt at ISO320, 1/1600th, and f/3.5.

Boutwell Magic Glasses - 100%
Homestead (B&W) - 100% (with the following adjustments)
*edge fade - 19%
*toning - 29%
*range compression - 27%

And that's it! Took about 48 seconds :)

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! Oh yeah, and if anyone has any ideas on how I could change up B&A Wed's, I'm all ears!

Bobby

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RPTE: Monkeys

2010-01-05T01:06:00.000-08:00

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Thanks so much for all the kind facebook messages and comments and tweets for our anniversary yesterday. We had a great day together :) I'm also so glad that some of you enjoyed our happy marriage tips yesterday! I think I'll do another one sometime soon. Everyone loves a good soapbox, right? :P

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So I sent out a big email to everyone who's signed up to be informed about the next Raddest Photo Trip Ever! If you signed up -- but didn't receive the email -- be sure to re-sign up here so you can be a part of the decisions being made :)

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How about some photos of monkeys? I absolutely love them. I'll never forget the first time I saw a wild monkey. It was my first day in Cambodia -- four of us walking through the forest and he just walked right in front of us. I was stumped with excitement. I couldn't even say anything. Seeing monkeys is one of the funnest things about SE Asia -- so here's some of the RPTE attendants having monkey fun on our recent trip to Thailand and Cambodia...

Here's Cherish trying to high five a monkey on the left. On the right, we all got a kick out of this monkey with the sassy hand on the hip :P

I love this one of Andrea for what happened after the photo. The monkey started getting really close with her. Eventually putting his little hand on her arm -- almost caressing her. It was so cute. The SECOND she turned her head to Nick (her husband) to tell him to look at how cute the sweet and innocent monkey was? Yoink! He grabbed the fruit in her other hand and took off before she even turned back around. He totally played her! It was amazing :)

If Cesar Milan is the dog whisperer, then Amy is the monkey whisperer. It's not often that I run into people who enjoy animals as much as I do, but Amy was giving me a run for my money that day!

I really love monkeys :)

Bobby

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Happy Marriage #1: 7 years!

2010-01-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

7 years. I feel so young -- often like I'm not a responsible adult. But then I think about the fact that I've been a part of a great, successful marriage -- that's remained that way for 7 years -- and it makes me think that maybe I am a bit more mature/responsible than I think most of the time.

I take pride in our relationship. It's something that, if left unattended, can go wrong rather quickly. I feel we've made some great decisions over the course of our marriage that have led us to where we are today -- a happy "behind closed doors" marriage -- and I some of those might be beneficial to share. I'm not a very profound guy -- so some of this might be very obvious -- but I figured what's worked for us might help someone else :) So here goes today's little piece of marital advice...

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Fight well.
Don't try to not fight. That's not realistic. I don't care how much you like someone -- if you live with them for years, you're going to disagree and fight every once and a while. So instead of never fighting being your goal, fight in a controlled manner -- fight well. Here are some guidelines to fighting well.

* No cursing. Seriously. I know this can sound simple -- but when arguments escalate it's easy to throw out a curse word. Not even directed at your spouse, necessarily. The thing is, I believe that cursing takes it to another level that doesn't help anything. More important, even if you curse on a regular basis, I think it brings a level of dignity to your relationship to make the choice that, as fine as it is in normal day in and day out language, your relationship deserves as much respect as it can get. Take cursing out and show your spouse that you value your relationship more than you value blowing off steam in a heated situation.

* Absolutely no absolutes. Stay away from words like "always" or "never". I'm sure this is pretty well known, but I think it's one that many of us still choose to do -- even though we know better. There isn't much out there that induces hopelessness more than telling someone "you ALWAYS do that!"

Firstly, it probably isn't true (that they "always" do that). Secondly, it's much easier to hear someone out when they speak realistically. Realistically, some people can do things a lot. Even very close to always. But it's much harder for your concern to be dismissed as an exaggeration if you stay away from "always" and use "often times," or something similar. If nothing else, moving away from absolute language can show your spouse that you're really trying. It's hard to be mad at someone if you can see that they're making real attempts to be fair and charitable with you.

* Devil's advocate. Before you start a fight, take serious, genuine attempts to figure out what their response will be and find merit in it. To be clearer, argue with yourself before you blow up at your spouse. Often times, if we just think about it, we can easily bring ourselves to our spouse's perspective on the matter at hand -- but we must try our hardest to see it through their eyes. It's an old debate workout (I believe it is, at least?). Try to win your opponent's debate for them. Argue from their side. Play devil's advocate.

I got this one from my parents (big time). Man, it was soooo freaking annoying that literally every time I'd come home frustrated about a run in with a school mate or a teacher -- without fail my mom would first and foremost play devil's advocate. It was instilled in me from very early on to consider my opposition's point of view and genuinely try my best to see where I might have blame. It's much easier to discuss something with a loved one when you've got a perspective of where they're coming from.

* React well. It's very dangerous to be in a marriage where you're afraid to bring something up to your spouse. There are many reactions that can make a spouse scared. The two most typical (my hunch, at least) are probably super angry/defensive/reactionary and insanely sad/cry/play the martyr. If you react terribly to criticism or the bringing up of a relationship problem, odds are your spouse won't be so excited about fixing future issues. Issues that need fixing that go unchecked can easily turn into contempt over a few years. Contempt is a very difficult thing to overcome. I'm pretty convinced that you can get over almost anything in a marriage -- with the general exception being contempt. So react well and make sure your spouse knows he/she can bring up problems without fear of your reaction. You'll be better off in the long run with issues being dealt with when before they turn into something they needn't be.

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So that's my first go at giving some insight into steps we take to have a happy marriage. Like I said, it's probably not anything extremely profound or novel -- but if it benefits anyone in their current/future marriage, I'd be thrilled.

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Us at Angkor Wat on our third trip to Cambodia. Thanks to Josh for the photo :)

7 years has gone by like a few months. I can't even remember what single days were like and I sure as hell don't long for "guys night out" or the bachelor's life :P I'm so happy that I found the love of my life as early as I did and I'm so grateful for the life I've lived with her. I think we've had something special this last 7 years and I imagine that's going to continue for a good while. Happy anniversary, girl ;)

Bobby

Learn a language: any advice?

2009-12-30T22:42:00.000-08:00

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I've loved languages for a long time. It started with Spanish (when I was about 16) due to where I live, moved onto Chinese since I wanted to speak with the kids at the orphanage I'd be working at (when I was 18), then to French for all of our times in France, with a little dash of Italian for the same reasons as French. I've since dabbled back and forth the most between French and Chinese.

At my best, I was somewhat decent with both French and Chinese. But the problem is that once I head on to another country I try my best to speak some of that language -- thus pushing the amount that I knew farther back in my brain.

So I'm officially wanting to refresh my Chinese brain and I'm down to Rosetta Stone and Fluenz. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? I've heard Rosetta Stone is great -- outside of the Chinese. I've heard good things about the Chinese with Fluenz. But if you've used either for any language, I'd love to hear first hand accounts, your friend's experience, or your uncle's dentist's mechanic's account... Can you tell I'm pretty curious?

Also, anything additional that you know of is more than welcomed :)

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The South Gate and Thom Bayon - Cambodia.

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #31

2009-12-30T00:38:00.000-08:00

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Since we recently got back from the Raddest Photo Trip Ever I've got tons of photos to do before and afters of. That's always nice :)

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Speaking of the Raddest Photo Trip Ever... A few hundred people have signed up but we're only taking 12 people. I'm pretty sure this trip is going to sell out much faster than the one we just returned from did -- so if you're wanting to know the who/what/where before I announce it publicly on the blog, sign up here!

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The below image is from our first evening in Cambodia. You walk up a hill, climb a pretty steep ruin, and watch the sunset over all of Cambodia. It's such a great thing to do. Below is the finished image -- roll your mouse over it to see the straight out of camera shot.

Canon 5D Mark II + 24mm f/3.5L tilt at f/3.5, ISO400 , and 1/6400th.

Here's the recipe for the above image.
Lights on @ 70%
Green with envy @ 30%
Derelicte @ 20%
Grainstorm @ 50%

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The second image is shot on the River Kwai during our time in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. For some reason, Katie's elephant loved spraying her with water all the time. It was so amazing to watch. I was envious when I got to get on my elephant and never got sprayed though... :P But seriously, bathing really sweet elephants in a river out in Thailand is quite possibly one of the coolest things in the entire world. No joke.

Canon 5D Mark II + 135mm f/2L at f/2, ISO100, and 1/640th.

Here's the recipe for the above image.
Sparta @ 57%
Get faded (autumn) @ 19%
Grainstorm @ 25%

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out!

Bobby

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The good ol' days: too much nostalgia?

2009-12-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

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Do we sometimes overdo the whole nostalgia thing? Here's an example that got me wondering...

I've literally never once in my life heard that these new small cars are more safe in comparison to the old tanks. I've always heard that the old cars are like mack trucks -- built from steel -- and therefore better, more safe, etc. Why do we do that?

Not a huge deal, but I saw this video and that's what it made me think. As usual, I tend to over-think so :P

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And since blog posts need pictures in order to mask lame posts like this one...

Watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat (Cambodia). One of my favorite things to do in the world.

Bobby

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RPTE: the orphanage

2009-12-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Real fast, I posted this on Christmas day, so if you missed it be sure to see the teaser to the RPTE 2009 trip. I'm getting SO excited about the the next one!!!

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I love visiting orphanages. At least well run orphanages. One of our last days in Cambodia, we all visited an orphanage that Lindsay and I had been to before. To our pleasant surprise, they had moved from a bamboo hut in the jungle to a real building in the city! Not to mention that they were about doubled in size! This is great since it's a great orphanage.

One of the reasons I wanted to take everyone to the orphanage was for perspective. It's such a normal part of life for so many of us -- being raised by parents -- that it becomes quite easy to forget how great a gift it is to have parents as children. Not only that, but seeing an orphan without parents living life happily (in very conditions) sure is a smack in the face when you're complaining about your cell phone bill or your car needing new tires.

Visiting an orphanage can be a very emotional event. The temptation for many can be that you feel guilty for going just for a day -- almost like you're using the kids to make yourself feel good. I'm too big of a pragmatist for this. As a group, I'm guessing we left enough money for food for the kids for an entire month. That's a net gain, in my opinion. As a group, we danced an entire night away with these kids -- all of them smiling, laughing, and wrestling their little hearts out. That's a net gain, again, in my opinion.

So we weren't miracle workers, I know that. But we got perspective on life, the orphanage got much needed money, and the kids got a fun night of playing. These are all better than not going because you feel bad about not being able to be a bigger help. I'd rather help a little than not at all. It was such a great evening :)

I love this image because as it was happening, there were other kids performing on stage. He was supposed to be quiet -- paying attention, I assume -- but instead he's making funny faces with me. I'm kind of a bad influence, huh? :P

One thing I love about visiting orphanages is that no matter how long or short your visit, there's almost always one kid that becomes your shadow. Here's Katie with her shadow :)

Megan with her shadow.

Richelle with her's.

Lindsay grabbed the following ones of me with the kids. Being in the middle of a ton of happy orphans -- just yelling for no reason -- is honestly a little slice of heaven!

Don't challenge like 7 Cambodian orphan boys to a wrestling match. Especially when you're in the hot rain forest! That's what's happening in these...

I eventually lost.

Josh was the next victim.

And a HUGE thanks to Richelle for getting this photo. I freaking love it!

Bobby

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RPTE video!!!

2009-12-25T00:24:00.000-08:00

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First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I felt like I was so plugged in to planning the RPTE that I didn't notice this Christmas season all that much -- plus the fact that we were gone most of the month before Christmas... Either way, I love Christmas for tons of reasons, and I really hope everyone has a great one today :)

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I tweeted/Facebooked a little teaser yesterday from the Raddest Photo Trip Ever, but now I've made a real, legitimate teaser. A more in depth one is coming, but if you've got a couple minutes, I think you'll really like this one.

Here's a direct link for feed readers.

For the tech heads out there, I used a Steadicam Merlin for the glide look that you'll notice, a Manfrotto Magic Arm for clamping down on things like the boat, and Totally Rad Actions for the post processing on the video. Nearly all was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II with the 16-35mm f/2.8L and the 24mm f/3.5L Tilt. A little was shot on the G11 with the Canon underwater housing. So much fun!

Save your Christmas money because I should be done planning the RPTE for 2010 in the next month. I'll be giving people who sign up on the list the chance to book their spot before I go public on the blog. The last one sold out and this time there is a LOT more interest, so if you're wanting to come, get on that list and be ready :)

And I'd LOVE to know what you guys think of the video!

Bobby

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Cambodia: life prioritized properly

2009-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

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We've been fortunate enough to go to Cambodia every year for the last three years now. In that time, we've found that Cambodians have something very special about them. While we in the western hemisphere stare at ipods and play xbox, they play communal games like volleyball and marbles. We sleep in comfy bedrooms in weather sealed houses and they live in huts completely open to the elements (there's nothing wrong with living in weather sealed homes and owning xbox's -- that's not my point). We ask "what sounds good for dinner?" while they make soup all the time because it's what they have. Not to mention the fact that a significant percentage of the entire population (some 20- 30%) was slaughtered by an evil dictator (Pol Pot) not that long ago.

Cambodians have figured it out. They've found the key, so it seems, to living simple, content lives. Every time I return home from Cambodia I am completely inspired -- almost feeling rejuvenated and ready to see the good in life and appreciate all that I've been given. Being that the novelties of Cambodia have sort worn off for me, I was able to concentrate on how beautiful life is in Cambodia more than ever before. I'm becoming used to being around elephants, monkeys, bamboo huts, and ruins to where I am more aware of the little things in Cambodia. More than ever before, this was made aware to me by my friends, the tuk tuk drivers.

Seeing all my tuk tuk driver friends was a great reunion. They met me at the border (6 hours round trip from where they live), picked me up, swung me around, patted my butt (normal in Cambodian culture ;)... It was so great seeing them all again and spending time with them.

Now, to give you an idea, the going rate for a tuk tuk driver all day is $15 (Cambodians use USD's as their currency). That includes them sitting around all day waiting for you, the petrol used for their tuk tuks, their food that they purchase since they are out and about... So let's be VERY conservative and say that they make $10 for an entire day's work. And that's if they are lucky to get a full day of work. Tourism has gone down in Cambodia (not for any reason other than other western economies being hit and therefore less westerners traveling to places like Cambodia) so many times they don't get the full day's pay.

With all of that, these are the happiest, sweetest, most charming guys you could ever be around. Every person that was a part of the trip can attest to our tuk tuk drivers being a huge reason why Cambodia was so enjoyable. Playing jokes on each other and on us, laughing at every thing you could possibly laugh at, setting up hammocks during break time, smiling at you everytime you make eye contact... these guys have figured out life. They may live simple, humble lives, but they live deeper and more enriched lives than most in the west, I'd bet.

Bottom line? Life isn't about how much money you make. It isn't about having the nicest bathroom with a beautiful, elaborate sink. It isn't about a fancy car (or even owning a car). It has nothing to do with starbucks or iphones. It's about connection -- with humanity and with nature. My Cambodian friends have figured this out. I feel so fortunate to be reminded of this more and more with each visit to Cambodia.

Mr. Marom, Mr. Thy, Mr. Kun, Mr. Don, Mr. Sith, and Mr. Solath. Some of my favorite people on earth.

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #30

2009-12-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So we just got back from the Raddest Photo Trip Ever and I am sick as a dog! Between planning the activities we did over in Thailand and Cambodia and blogging every night, I just didn't get enough sleep. So I was fighting it over there for the last half -- and now coming home the sickness finally got me. I'm actually so thankful that it held off until I got home. It's much easier being sick at home than it is while climbing ruins in Cambodia :)

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Speaking of the Raddest Photo Trip Ever... People have been signing up every day since I opened up the signups for more info -- but we're only taking 12 people. I'm pretty sure this trip is going to sell out much faster than the one we just returned from did -- so if you're wanting to know the who/what/where before I announce it publicly on the blog, sign up here!

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As usual, I'm using my handy dandy totally rad actions. I freaking love these things. If you're too lazy to make your own actions (like me) OR you tried to make them and they didn't turn out the way you wanted to and you're too lazy to try harder (like me), then these actions will be to you what Neil Diamond is to my mother :)

Let's get crackin'. The below image is the finished product. Roll your mouse over it to see the straight out of camera, unprocessed image.

Canon 5D + 50mm f/1.4L at ISO200 , 1/8000th, and f/1.8.

So the recipe? Easy.

Grainstorm @ 40%
Homestead (B&W) with the following modifications:
edge fade @18%
toning @ 0%
range compression @ 53%
local contrast @ 27%

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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Tonle Sap Lake: RPTE day 12

2009-12-22T00:35:00.000-08:00

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So Lindsay and I made it home! It sucked saying goodbye to everyone -- and we've spent a large portion of the day talking about little things we miss about the crew -- but I've been so inspired going through all of my photos/videos. We all experienced so much together. I'll never forget it :)

Anyways, here's our last full day in Cambodia on Saturday. We went to the Tonle Sap lake. It's awesome because all the houses are built on stilts -- but we go in the dry season so there's a part of the village that is dried out and you can walk around. It's such an awesome place. The people live simple lives, they are as sweet as can be, and it just reminds you that ipods and xbox's are not necessary to live full lives.

Mr. Sith introduced us to his beautiful daughter :)

Amy on the roof of the boat taking in the awesome scenery.

I love the landscape.

I love cloudy days.

I like this one.

Mr. Marom (holding the tire) talking with locals.

Megan :)

Mr. Marom telling us about growing up under the Khmer Rouge. As a 7 year old, he would be put to work at 4am and wouldn't get off until 10pm, or later. Pol Pot was an evil bastard who killed 1 out of every 3 people in Cambodia - a much higher percentage of the country's population than even Hitler murdered. It's a testament to the people of Cambodia having gone through such evil in recent years and not becoming a cold nation. Instead, it's filled with the sweetest, most kind people around. Mr. Marom sharing his experiences under Pol Pot was a highlight for me.

When we made it to the village, Richelle passed out candy to the kids. She was followed all day like she was a princess with a unicorn, or something :)

The kids are so cute here.

Jump rope. They let me get in a couple jumps after I showed them some pictures :)

Probably my favorite shot from the day.

Class time.

I love this one from a wedding we passed. Some RPTE people mixed with a groom and officiant :)

Back on the boat.

I love this place.

Me in the back with my tuk-tuk boys :) I really love these guys.

Such a great, full day. My love for Cambodia gets stronger every time I return.

Bobby

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RPTE: Polaroid Rage

2009-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

So I am flying home right now... Happy and sad. Happy because a) the trip was amazing, b) this group of photographers were honestly the best go with the breeze group I could have asked for, and c) we are going to see Izzy, Mo, Remmy, and Trouble! (those are our nephews and dogs) Sad because a) I already miss my tuk-tuk driver friends, b) I'm in love with being in Cambodia, and c) I don't know when the next time this whole group will be together again. But it's not all sad. I'm so thankful that this trip happened and that all these great people came along. Seriously.

Anyways, here are some fun instant film shots...

Phi Phi, Thailand.

Erawan falls, Kanchanaburi.

Tonle Sap lake, Cambodia.

Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Megan being Megan :)

Blog champion, Richelle.

Cambodian countryside.

Cambodia.

Cambodia.

Can't wait to see this guy (Mo, my nephew)...

... and this guy (Trouble, our Rottie pup).

RPTE: day 11

2009-12-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

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Today we went to a new temple. I'd never been there before. Bantey Srea. Possibly my new favorite. We drove through all of this Cambodian countryside to get there -- the drive was possibly as good, if not better than the temple ruins.

Dane shooting the countryside.

Waterfalls are incredible.

I tried grabbing photos while riding on the tuk-tuk. I like this one.

And this one.

The ruins.

Hannah and Cherish.

The sunset on the drive home.

I can't say enough how much I love Cambodia. I haven't even left yet and I'm already thinking about how I can't wait to return.

Bobby

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RTPE day 10: Angkor Wat

2009-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

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Another amazing day. Really, it's ridiculous how much I love Cambodia. Such a humble country filled with the sweetest people. I get inspired about how beautiful life it every time I come here. I think that keeps me coming back more than the ruins (or anything else, for that matter).

Today we watched the sunrise over Angkor. Another amazing thing to do on this great planet of ours.

Nick scoping out the place.

Josh getting his photography on.

My fav from the day :)

Tomorrow we see some awesome things that I've only seen in photos -- I'm so psyched!

Bobby

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RPTE: days 7, 8, and 9

2009-12-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

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This trip has truly been incredible. Better than I ever expected!

On Monday we left Kanchanaburi at sunrise for our day of overland travel to the border of Thailand and Cambodia. Here's the crew waiting for the train.

This kid was one of the cutest little boys ever. He loved Dane's glasses :)

Hannah (left) and Cherish (right) getting their gaze on as we approach the Cambodian border.

I love trains.

Our arrival at the border town - Arranyaprathet, Thailand.

The following morning we took tuk-tuk's to the border crossing. They always try so hard along the way to scam you somehow. This guy tried to say we had to get visa's at a different "official" visa place. He also said we must exchange money with him. It's nice to know what is true and what isn't :)

The first night you get into Siem Reap, you can do the sunset over all of Cambodia free with your ticket to Angkor Wat. It's one of my favorite things to do.

Cambodians wounded by old land mines playing music. They've held the same spot for the last three years :)

I don't know who this is behind us, but it's one of the RPTE tuk-tuk's :)

Today (wednesday) was our first full day at the ruins.

The ancient south gate.

Amy getting all brave with wild monkeys!

Ta Prohm. One of my favorite ruins here.

Being back here has been so fun. All of my tuk-tuk drivers remembered us from our past trips -- they picked me up and swung me around when we got here :) Some of the best people I know...

Tomorrow we get up EARLY for the sunrise. I really can't wait to do this again!

Bobby

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RPTE: 5D Mark II videos (cobras/trains/beaches)

2009-12-15T05:11:00.000-08:00

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We made it to Cambodia! I'm so excited to be back here. It's one of the few places we travel to that feels like home to the both of us.

The cobra bit was with the G10. The train was on the 5D Mark II.

I've always wanted to get that close to a cobra -- and instead I got that close to two! Being two or three feet away from such an incredible animal was so moving for me. I started about five feet away and made my way closer over about 5 minutes. I know most people think I'm probably pushing the edge or being immature -- but I was honestly just taking in how beautiful these animals are without the filter of a glass screen or cage. It was truly an amazing experience for me. Probably top five best experience of my life.

This is handheld with the 5D Mark II and the 16-35mm f/2.8L. I used iMovie to edit it -- slowing down the speed to about 75% and steadying it with the steady software (cropping in about 110%). I'm so excited about all the video I've been getting!

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There are so many awesome photographers on this trip! Here's a taste from those that have blogged so far. Check out their blogs to get another perspective on the trip!

Richelle Dante grabbed this one of Lindsay and I out in Kanchanaburi. Our Mahoot made both of us "jungle hats" :) I look all weird/mad -- I swear I wasn't! And this was the first time in Thailand where Lindsay was brave enough to ride on the back of the elephant's head! I've done it and loved it, but it can be tricky to stay on while the ele walks around. She decided to do it this time :)

Megan Tsang grabbed this of us shooting at sunrise on our boat.

Katie Lewis grabbed this one of me, Andrea, and Josh in the back of a truck in Phuket :)

Erika Lindroth grabbed this one of all of us on our chartered boat. Man, that was a great day!

Another one from our day on the boat from Amy Martin. I'm telling you, there are some awesome photographers here!

Bobby

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RPTE: days 4, 5 and 6

2009-12-14T00:06:00.000-08:00

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So it's going to be SO difficult to recap the last three days. We've all experienced so much. Seriously.

Josh grabbed this photo of me flinging my body out on the train at full speed. Fun stuff :)

We hung out with elephants.

I've decided that this guy has the best job in the world.

Lindsay. In a river. In Thailand. On an elephant. What the heck?!

One of my favorite sequences of the day.

Baby!!!

On the way to tiger temple (where we pet tigers!), Dane and Josh rode scooters.

Love these two images.

Monkey at Erawan falls.

Lindsay and Hannah :)

Erawan is insanely beautiful.

Tomorrow we start our trek across the border into Cambodia. It's such a fun trip. I really can't wait to be back there again!

Bobby

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RPTE day three: Cobras

2009-12-11T04:08:00.000-08:00

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The RPTE is in full effect!What a flippin' day! We held snakes, played with an otter, hung out with cobras (literally - video to come soon), longtail boated to a private beach, had a volleyball game with us (team USA) vs. some locals (team Thailand) -- none of them could speak english -- and then an incredible sunset. Just insane. This trip is ten times better than I expected it :)

That's my old friend from last time on the left -- he was happy to see us (as we were to see him). Nick on the right playing with the otter :)

Harry the otter. I could have played with him all day. Richelle Dante is KILLING everyone so far since she's the only who's blogged at this point. Check it out because she has TONS of ripping images. No joke.

I love this one :)

Josh (who won't get linked to until he blogs :P ) is the best.

Elephant. No big deal, right?!

Longtail boat ride to a secret beach -- best beach ever.

The secret.

Another incredible sunset.

I like this one.

Saying goodbye to Phuket.

We made it to Kanchanaburi today. We're staying on raft rooms that float on the river Kwai! Tomorrow, we'll be elephant trekking (and going bathing with them in the river!) and then hang out with tigers. I can't wait :)

Bobby

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RPTE day two: Phi Phi

2009-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

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The RPTE is in full effect!

The first 48 hours of travel in big groups is always the scariest -- especially when people don't really know each other. That's when you're cranky because you just traveled a ton (over 24 hours for all of us), you haven't slept in a good while, airplane food was gross, etc... This group? No problem. Nothing.

I've been so amazed this last couple days. Mixing 14 people who don't know each other -- especially after throwing in over 24 hours of travel to Thailand -- was something I was interested in seeing. I hoped for the best -- I mean, we all had gotten to chatting on our facebook group page -- but I just wasn't sure how it would actually turn out until it happened. I'm just so grateful for how this group has been. It's sort of like we're all on the same page -- wanting a rad adventure.

After a flight to Los Angeles, most of us boarded the same 14 hour flight to Taipei, Taiwan. We had a couple hours layover. NO ONE was even remotely cranky about getting on their third of four plane rides. This is just a taste of what happened. Apparently Dane and Josh have really bonded :)

After arriving in Phuket, we headed straight to Surin beach. Not one person wanted to stay back and sleep -- and I was almost certain that at least a few people would want to given the fact that most hadn't slept in a couple days.

Yesterday (Wednesday) morning, I had all of us get up at 4am. Again, completely surprised that everyone was actually excited about this! We chartered our own boat and wanted to get to the overcrowded/tourist blasted islands of Phi Phi -- where the Beach was filmed. I've been to Phi Phi before, but on a big tourist boat with 30+ strangers. The fourteen of us were several hours ahead of the big boat tours -- we had the islands to ourselves for much of the day. It was just incredible.

On the front of our new friend Alexander's boat -- approaching Phi Phi at sunrise. This was really something special. Alexander runs one of the best boat charters in Thailand (I'll be doing a review of his company later) and is the owner Crystal Clear Thailand. He's a great photographer himself so he arranged our entire day around beautiful light for photographs. We were all so lucky to find him!

Josh grabbing shots of sunrise :)

How incredible would it be to live in a jungle/beach house like this?!

The scenery around Phi Phi is seriously jarring. The whole time you just keep saying "are you serious?!"

Can't beat longtail fishboats for photos :)

(Screen grab from a 5D Mark II video clip) Some of the group taking in Phi Phi. I can't express how happy I was at this point. I was so thrilled seeing everyone's reaction and excitement as the day progressed. I mean, it's easy to impress with stuff like this. One of the reasons I love SE Asia.

(Screen grab from a 5D Mark II video clip) We were the only people snorkeling in Maya Bay (where the Beach was filmed). To give you an idea, last year when I was with a bg boat tour, there were probably 30+ boats and we had to wait for a "parking spot" to pull into. This time? No one. It was like two completely different beaches. Here's Dane jumping in. And believe me, it's even more fun than it looks :)

And when we were snorkeling, we hung out with a lionfish! Apparently, they are pretty dang poisonous -- but extremely docile (they only get you if you run into them -- which they avoid pretty good on their own). It was so cool!

Hannah, Dane, Lindsay, and me. I told everyone "let's jump this time, okay?!" all giddy like. Lindsay heard me -- but jumped too late and looks incredibly... interesting :P I obviously got the jumping memo -- but there aren't many words to describe what I'm doing. Dane just looks a bit odd. And Hannah? Completely normal. This is an awesomely weird picture :)

After we got home, Alexander met up with us at our hotel just to hangout! I'm telling you, this guy is AWESOME. He took us to a restaurant on the edge of a cliff with an incredible view of sunset.

Two days in and this trip has been amazing. Can't wait for everything else.

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #29

2009-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So since we're out in Thailand and Cambodia right now for the Raddest Photo Trip Ever, I figured I'd use photos from this region. This place is a photographer's dream! I'm always excited to come back and shoot more photos around these parts :)

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Speaking of the Raddest Photo Trip Ever... People have been signing up every day since I opened up the signups for more info. I think we're around a couple hundred -- but we're only taking 12 people. I'm pretty sure this trip is going to sell out much faster than the one we're currently on did -- so if you're wanting to know the who/what/where before I announce it publicly on the blog, sign up here!

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As usual, I'm using my handy dandy totally rad actions. I freaking love these things. If you're too lazy to make your own actions (like me) OR you tried to make them and they didn't turn out the way you wanted to and you're too lazy to try harder (like me), then these actions will be to you like bacon is to my father :)

Let's get crackin'...

Canon 5D + 24mm f/1.4L at ISO , 1/th, and f/1.4.

Sunset over the River Kwai (from our guesthouse :) in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

*Boutwell's Magic Glasses
*Lux (soft) - 26% (on everything but the sky)
*Lights Out - % (on the sky)
*Warm It Up Kris - 96% (on everything but the sky)
*Yin (darker) - 100% (on the sky)
*Green With Envy - 30% (on the sky)
*Big Blue - 40% (on the water)
*Grainstorm - 19%

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Canon 5D + 24mm f/1.4L at ISO , 1/th, and f/1.4.

Phuket, Thailand.

*Boutwell's Magic Glasses - 100%
*Lux (soft) - 15%
*Pool Party - 36%
*Warm It Up Kris - 100%
*Grainstorm - 45%

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If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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RPTE day one: Phuket

2009-12-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

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We are officially having the Raddest Photo Trip Ever. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!

Sunset tonight over Surin beach in Phuket.

Today was absolutely perfect :) I'll try to blog more tomorrow when we have our own private boat around the islands out here!

Bobby

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We're OUTTA here!

2009-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So Lindsay and I -- along with 12 other photographers -- are on route to Phuket, Thailand for the Raddest Photo Trip ever! I can't believe it's finally here. It felt like I just announced the trip on the blog last week, or something! Nothing really worthwhile to post yet. Except this, of course...

Anyone want to take a guess? These are water shoes. Walmart was all sold out and only had kids sizes left. Mixed in with all the kids sizes was a ladies (I think) 13. Yep. These are mine. I hope none of my RPTE attendants snag a photo of me wearing these :P

Bobby

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It's been a rough week...

2009-12-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

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This week has been a challenge. Quite emotionally draining, to say the least. The week before I leave the country is always a bit hectic. There's a million things that need to be in order, prints sent out, photos edited, make sure I'm not forgetting something important, etc... But that's been nothing compared to dealing with what's been going on.

I'm not very good at dealing with pain/suffering/death when it's someone who is very close and dear to me. I've actually had a lot of people die in my life -- but almost everyone of them has been just enough outside of my circle of very close friends/family to where I'm legitimately upset, but I'm alright. I deal with those situations really well. I grieve if they passed or pray for the best if they are in a bad situation, but I don't shut down inside. Thinking of someone I care about so much being mentally handicapped for the rest of her life? I'm just having a terribly hard time dealing with that. It's been exceptionally rough on Lindsay, as well (as it has on most who are close with Tanya and Will). As I type this out, Lindsay's crying in the bathroom :(

If you believe in prayer, I would greatly appreciate prayers for Tanya's recovery. Today the doctor said that full recovery will be miraculous -- I felt like I got shot in the stomach when I read that. Also for Will having to endure all of this while having his face basically shattered and alone in ICU. Many of you have emailed me or messaged me on facebook saying that you've said prayers for them. That means the world to me.

This is why you shouldn't be allowed to dress yourself when you're 18. That's me on the left. Lindsay to my right right. Tanya's the one covered in the middle (and that's my sister to the left of her). These are some of my dearest friends. What a difference 10 years makes in how we all look!

And to give you an idea of the life Tanya brings to every party -- here's the last time we hung out. At a close friend's wedding in Nashville last November. Will wasn't there or else there'd be tons of him, as well. He's just as much fun...

Even in the middle of all this, I can't help but feel optimistic to some degree. People have miraculous recoveries all the time. If anyone deserved it, it's Will and Tanya. From helping orphans in China to aiding Hurricane Katrina victims -- these two have helped so many that I wouldn't be surprised if they received a divine handout :)

I love you both, Will and Tanya. You're in my prayers about every five minutes. I hope in a few months we can all laugh about how you two ruined the Thailand and Cambodia trip for me and Lindsay :P

Bobby

UPDATE:

Feeling much better as the day has gone on. Heard some good news from friends that are visiting in New Orleans. She moved her right leg (hasn't been able to use the right side of her body until now) and was able to clearly say a sentence at one point! We're still unsettled -- wishing we were there -- but definitely don't feel as defeated as we did last night. Appreciate all the kind words and prayers from everyone.

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I'm sorry but...

2009-12-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

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...this is way too awesome to not post.

Here's a direct link for feed readers.

How cute is that?!

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I can't believe that the Raddest Photo Trip Ever is finally here! I'm so excited to take the 12 photographers that are coming along with me and Lindsay on one of the funnest adventures out there! About half the group is flying out early, but Lindsay and I leave this weekend. Can't wait!

We're well over a hundred people who've signed up to be in the know about the next trip -- but we're only taking 12 people. I'm pretty sure this trip is going to sell out much faster than the one we're currently on did -- so if you're wanting to know the who/what/where before I announce it publicly on the blog, sign up here!

And of course I'll be selling your emails to the highest bidder. A guy's gotta eat, right? (totally kidding)

Dane (went on the trip last year and is coming again this year :) walking around the ruins of Ta Prohm in Cambodia.

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #28

2009-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So I just have to say a HUGE thanks to everyone who bought some Totally Rad Actions through my blog posts. You guys helped me raise about $700 in that single day! And the rad thing is that it all goes toward sending my dad to Africa :) Many of you messaged me saying that you went out of your way to make sure to go through my banner and I just want to let you know how much that meant to me. Seriously.

To show my gratitude, I'm doing three photos this week. They are all mouse roll over's -- so roll your mouse over the image to see the straight out of camera version :)

Phi Phi, Thailand. Canon 5D + 24mm f/1.4L at ISO50, 1/1250th and f/1.4

Boutwell's Magic Glasses - 100%
Lux (Soft) (on the water) - 41%
Green With Envy (on the cliffs) - 100%
Warm it up Kris (on the cliffs) - 100%
__________

Erawan Falls - Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Canon 5D + 16-35mm f/2.8L at ISO200, 1/10th, and f/18.

Lights on - 100%
Boutwell's Magic Glasses - 100%
Big Blue (on the water) - 61%
Green With Envy (on the trees) - 100%
Warm it up Kris (on the trees) - 54%
__________

Karon Beach - Phuket, Thailand. Canon 5D + 50mm f/1.2L at ISO1250, 1/250th, and f/1.6.

Boutwell's Magic Glasses - 100%
Milk & Cookies - 100%
Lux (soft) - 35%
Grainstorm - 100%

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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Free ringtones for iPhone users: How to...

2009-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So if you're like me, you've never cared about ringtones. I never understood why people would spend money on having your phone make a different noise. But then my friend Josh showed me how to make them in iTunes for free!

So now when my phone bellows out "halo" by Beyonce, I know Lindsay is calling ;) Or when "mother" by Danzig sounds off -- surpise, surprise -- it's my mom :P

So how is it done? Here it goes... Note: This process works with MP3, ACC, and AIFF files

Turn on iTunes (you'll have to upgrade to iTunes 8 for this to work, I believe).
Find and select the song you’d like to turn in to a rington.
Right click on the song and select “Get Info”.
Hit the “Options” tab.
Check both the “Start Time” and “End Time” boxes
Customize the start and end times for your ringtone clip
Specify what time interval you’d like to use as your ringtone clip (Make sure your ringtone is no more than 30 seconds)
Click “OK" and keep the song you want highlighted.
Click on “Advanced” in your menu bar.
Select “Create AAC Version”. Make sure your iTunes “Import Settings” are set to “AAC” and not “MP3″. To do this, go iTunes>Preferences>Import Settings. I have mine on "high quality" but I'm not sure if that matters. You want to create a duplicate song file with the customized playing time.
A duplicate copy of your song will appear in iTunes – this new song will have the same filename but shorter “Time". Go back to the original song and uncheck those “Start Time” and “End Time” boxes.
Drag the duplicate song to your Desktop
Once the duplicate song is copied to your Desktop, delete the duplicate file in iTunes
On your Desktop, rename the file with the “.m4r” file extension – Use the new extension. This turns your song file into an iPhone ringtone file.
- Use the .m4r extension The .m4r file is now a ringtone file.
Your “songname.m4a” file should now be renamed “songname.m4r” on your desktop.
Drag the newly renamed .m4r (songname.m4r) file back into iTunes.
Drag the file over the “Library” column and release when “Library” becomes highlighted. You have to delete the duplicate song file (Step 12) otherwise iTunes won’t import your new .m4r file. I still forget this part and think "what's wrong?!" Then I remember :)
You should see your new ringtone under “Ringtones” in iTunes
Sync your iPhone to get down with your bad self!

Grabbed most of this info from this page.

Now that I have specific ringtones for the ten (or so) people that call my phone the most, I flippin' love it! It's not a huge deal, or anything, but it's nice to know who's calling before I even take my phone out of my pocket. Again, if ringtones were even 10 cents a piece, I probably wouldn't buy them. But free by using iTunes? Fine by me!

Hope this helps some of you fellow iPhone users out there :)

Bobby

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Waiting for news - Good or bad...

2009-11-29T16:48:00.000-08:00

It's funny how things can change in literally three seconds. On Friday, I was stressing about getting all the things done that I need to get done before we leave to Thailand and Cambodia next week. At 8pm, I opened an email that changed all that. Two people we love dearly, Will and Tanya Dew, were in a terrible accident. What was worse is that we knew almost nothing. All we knew was that that Tanya was in critical condition with bleeding in the brain, swelling in her brain, and that Will's face was fractured (ended up that he to had bleeding in his brain).

My best friend, Phil, is in med school. He's also a close friend of Tanya's. We called him to let him know -- but also to see what this could mean. He let us know how it could leave Tanya disabled or she could recover fully -- just depending on how quickly she got to the hospital, how bad the bleeding was, what part of the brain was affected, etc.

Lindsay cried off and on all night Friday and all day Saturday. We both basically didn't sleep Friday night. We were told that Will was going to be okay -- make a full recovery -- but with Tanya, we just weren't (and still aren't) sure. Tanya's been one of our dearest friends since Lindsay and I met about ten years ago. We (along with my sister) went to China together, did music school in Nashville with each other, Tanya was in our wedding... and now we're left to just wait. I think that's the hardest part. We just have to wait. Not knowing if she'll make a full recovery or if part of her brain has been damaged too much to where she'll be disabled in some way. This is what's killing us.

It's funny how Friday afternoon I was stressing about getting work done -- almost feeling pity for myself -- and now I'd gladly go back and accept double the work and whatever else just to not have this happen. I think there's a lesson there in complaining (for me, at least). I've always believed that if nothing bad happens, we should count it as a good day. I guess I let work get the best of me and I forgot how good life is when the people you love are safe and sound. I'm reminded of that now and am fervently praying for my friend recover fully intact.

Will can't speak yet so he's writing out a "thank you" to everyone who has prayed for him and is continuing to pray for his new wife, Tanya. This image made me happy :)

Bobby

Please pray...

2009-11-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

Two of our most dear friends got in a terrible accident earlier today. Many of you that know me personally likely know Will and Tanya Dew (Tanya Carter for those that knew her before she got married).

We don't know much at this point, but what we know is that Will is likely okay -- but with a good amount of broken bones in his face. Tanya, however, is seemingly worse. She's got bleeding in two spots of her brain and swelling.

If you know Tanya, you know that she's one of the best people on this earth. People always say that about someone that is in a situation like this, but Tanya really is one of a kind. We love her so much. We're both terrified for our friend -- but hopeful that she'll come out alright. Lindsay is somewhat beside herself right now, so I can only imagine how tough this is for Tanya's mom and Will. Please pray for them, as well.

Perfect photo of what these two are like :)

So if you believe in praying, I'd be so appreciative if you'd take a moment right now and pray for our friends. It'd mean the world to me. Thank you guys.

Bobby

Update at 5:30pm (11/28):

From Rodger Kistler's facebook update...

"We talked to Neil and Sheere (brother in law and mother of tanya).

Tanya's current condition:
As of this evening she is moving and responding to the discomfort of her breathing tube which is a great sign and the first movement or response we've seen in the whole 28 hours. She is ...still in a drug induced coma. The CT scan revealed that the swelling and the bleeding in her brain have stopped increasing and have leveled out. So let's start praying that it will start to decrease. There's possibilty that the ventilator/breathing tube will be removed midday tomorrow (Sunday). This means that she will be truly breathing on her own for the first time. These reports are incredibly encouraging! Please keep praying for Tanya!

Will's current condition:
Will's swelling in his face and head have stopped increasing and are leveling off and now showing improvement. Will is very much so with it and responsive. He is communicating through hand motions with his brother and other people. He understands and knows what Tanyas current condition is. The doctors say that Will is doing really well for his condition and expect a great recovery. Tomorrow, after Mrs. Dew arrives at 10 am, they will be able to move forward with the reconstructive surgery. Let's keep praying for Wills emotional state as he is able to understand more of the situation and that he is encouraged by the love of the Father.

The Carter family has a strong church family surrounding them and are filled with hope and appreciate and are grateful for all of the prayers being said all around the world. Let's keep praying to see full recovery and restoration."

UPDATE as of 12/3 from Rodger Kistler (friend at the hospital):

It’s been a couple of emotional days.

About Tanya: In the middle of the night on Tuesday, Tanya was moved off of the ICU floor into a less critical unit. Wednesday morning Tanya’s mother talked with a doctor about her status. He shared some harsh realities about the potential danger of Tanya’s brain injuries. Tanya has problems with multiple functions (speech, motor, cognitive) in both hemispheres of her brain. She could be dealing with these problems for the next weeks, months, or even years. The doctor said that full recovery would be a miracle.

After this report, another doctor came in to do a therapeutic evaluation involving moving her limbs, responding to commands, etc. This doctor relayed that the damaged or non-responsive (asleep) areas of her brain could begin to “wake up” through the stimulation of physical therapy. Tanya underwent multiple evaluations, testing her motor, cognitive and speech abilities. Along with the doctors and nurses, we were all encouraged by the progress seen since Tuesday night.

Let us be clear. Tanya’s speech is infrequent and slurred, with an occasional coherent word or phrase. She does make eye contact at times and seems to recognize certain individuals. However, she has difficulty focusing and seems almost in a haze.

One victory today was that Tanya was able to swallow liquids and eat a little pudding. (Tanya always been a sucker for a little butterscotch pudding-JK.) Another victory is that she will soon be released to a rehabilitation hospital to start physical therapy to try to “wake up” these non-responsive areas in her brain.

About Will: Mentally, William is 100% there, with only short-term amnesia caused by pain medication. Over the last 48 hours, Will has begun to piece together the severity of the situation. He understands that he and Tanya were in a Polaris (side-by-side ATV) accident where they hit a tree. He knows that his face has broken and shattered bones and needs reconstructive surgery. We have also told him that Tanya has no broken bones or cuts but has had swelling in her brain. Over the last day, he has become more somber as he understands more of the situation.

The surgery is scheduled for today (Thursday). However, he’s been scheduled for it for four days but has been pushed back on the list several times.

Thank you guys for praying. We will keep you updated as things progress.

We love you guys!

Rodger and Katrina

Black Friday Sale!

2009-11-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Get Totally Rad is having a huge black Friday sale! If you've followed my blog for a while and seen my before and after Wednesdays, you'll know that I love my Totally Rad Actions -- so if you've been looking for an excuse to buy these bad boys, now is the time. The sale ends tonight so make sure you get to the gettin' if you're going to grab 'em!

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And since blog posts without pictures suck, here's a combo from the south of France :)

Bobby

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Why Thanksgiving is so good...

2009-11-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

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I love Thanksgiving. But why? It sure isn't for the food. I'm not a fan of typical Thanksgiving dinners. Turkey is my least favorite of all meats. I don't dislike mashed potatoes and gravy, but it isn't my favorite. Cranberry sauce, candied yams, stuffing, etc... I actively dislike all of these things.

So why do I love Thanksgiving?

I love gratitude. Love it. I think it's my favorite quality in people. If you're a grateful person, I'm going to like you. I enjoy pondering things I'm grateful for. It seems to happen most when I'm around animals. I think it makes me feel like I'm enjoying life at it's most raw state -- and that (for some reason) pushes me to think about the good in my life. My trip to Africa earlier this year was filled with me reflecting about how fortunate I am.

So why is gratitude such a good thing? Simple. When you're feeling like a victim, gratitude smacks you in the face with a fist full of "knock it off!" It's been said that if we all put our troubles in a pot and picked at random that we'd much prefer to have our own hardships back over someone else's. When something bad happens in my life, or things don't go my way, I've always thought about how much better I still have it than so many people. It's something I was raised to do (growing up poor -- but having homeless people and crackheads living with you -- will do that to you), so I have my parents to thank for this gift. Gratitude can make the poorest and loliest of people content and fulfilled. It's such a powerful thing.

I have so much to be grateful for this year. Here's a few...

1. My wife. Cliche, I know -- but I go to sleep every night thinking how great it is that we are together.

Us watching the elections in Nasvhille last year :)

2. Travel. I'm so grateful that I live in a time where planes exist. Where you can be on the other side of the world in a matter of hours. This is so crazy if you think about in the context of the history of the world! I just love that travel is so attainable :)

Florence, Italy.

3. My parents. I see so many people who have real life struggles as adults -- and many of them I can connect to their parents. Especially in regard to feeling confident enough to go after what you want. I never had to question my parents' belief in me. This was probably the single best gift I was given as it was my attitude of going after what I really want that got me my wife and my career.

My mom and dad in Siem Reap, Cambodia last year.

4. Wildlife/nature. There's just something special about the animal kingdom -- at least in my opinion. Just yesterday, I walked outside and heard "bam, bam, bam!" I look up to see a gorgeous little white and black striped woodpecker (with a little red spot on his head ;). A couple weeks ago, I walked around with a wild coyote a few miles from my house. Last year in Thailand I got to bond over several days with a beautiful baby elephant (named Nadia :). In May, I was able to walk amongst a herd of hippo. These experiences, some exotic and seem easy to look over, completely enrich my life. I'm just so thankful for the animal kingdom :)

The sweetest giraffe we came across in Africa. He just walked right up to our car :)

I could easily go on and on... but I'm tired and need to go to bed. Remember, gratitude is the enemy of victim mentality and feeling sorry for yourself. Take the day to think over all the good in your life. You'll feel better :)

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #27

2009-11-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So I'm going to ATTEMPT a cool html trick for this week's Before and After Wednesday. I'm going to try to make it to where when you run your mouse over the image below, it shows the SOOC (straight out of camera) image. Fingers crossed! As usual, the actions listed below are my trusty Get Totally Rad Actions! If you've been thinking of going, click the link and check out the prices. Why? Because that way you can see how much you'll save on Black Friday! TRA's is having a HUGE sale on Friday -- so if you've been waiting for a good excuse to get these babies... here it is :)

Here's the final image. Roll your mouse over it to see the original (unprocessed) image...

Canon 5D Mark + Canon 50mm f/1.2L at ISO50, 1/4000th, and f/1.2

The above image is another from the Cinque Terre in Italy (I've been going through that trip this last week). Again, it's one of the possible photo trips we'll be leading next year. Over a hundred people are signed up to be in the know (only taking 12) so be sure to sign up if you're wanting to come! I hope to choose the location soon (picking between China, Thailand/Cambodia, Italy, France/Morocco, African Safari is HARD).

And here's the simple recipe :)

Boutwell Magic Glasses - 50%
Big Blue (on the grass) - 20%
Punch-out!!! - 32%
Yin (on the buildings) - 16%
(not TRA) +30 saturation mask on the buildings -100%
Lux (soft) - 63%
Grainstorm - 50%

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If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! But wait until Black Friday, for crying out loud!!! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

p.s. what do you think about the mouse over thingy? Did it work for everyone? Do it again? Go back to normal?

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Dealing with death.

2009-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So Lindsay and I finally watched UP. What a great movie. It's quite deep considering the fact that it's a kid movie, isn't it? It deals with miscarriage, goals not achieved, and the reality that the person you adore will either one day be out of your life or you out of theirs.

I hate dealing with the fact that we won't live forever. I wish I could drop that fact with a straight right, double leg it, get full mount, throw a couple big shots, and then armbar the living daylights out of it (alright, that was overkill :P). I have such contempt for the fact that there will be a time where either Lindsay or I is alive without the other. I can't imagine it. Come to think of it, I can imagine it -- and that's what makes it so scary.

My second family (the family of my best friend, Phil) invited us to the funeral when Phil's grandma died. It was the immediate family (kids and grandkids), my parents, and us. It was such a sweet, intimate time. When we got to Phil's grandpa, it was so very tough. This man was absolutely dependent on his wife's love and care. He really began to break down when he started talking about the small things that he would no longer get to experience. I'll never forget him realizing that she wouldn't be picking out his tie the following morning -- it hurt so badly to see him going through that.

The additional pain came when I started to reflect. It was so tempting to look at him and dismiss it all as something that is so far away that it's as if it won't happen -- but I couldn't feel that way. I couldn't shake the fact that one day either Lindsay or myself would be in that position. Half the time it makes me realize that I'm extremely fortunate to have something so important to me that I never want to let it go -- but I'd be lying if I didn't own up and tell you that I'm so afraid of that day that sometimes I wish I wasn't ever born. If I didn't exist, not only would I not know that, but I wouldn't ever have to experience that type of pain. Extreme, I know. But it's the truth.

However, the bottom line is this. I'm one of the luckiest people in the world, I can't stand spending more than 8 hours away from Lindsay, and I found this at the age of 18. One day those things will change -- but that day isn't today. I also comfort myself with the fact that Lindsay and I having children will give the both of us something to live for beyond ourselves. So I won't take the "ignorance is bliss" approach (where I live as if this day will never come) -- but I sure don't want to be so worried about the end of my life that I'm unable to enjoy the blessings I've been given.

Life is beautiful, but it's tricky as hell.

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Grandpa Diamand passed over the weekend. Without him I wouldn't have some of the most important people in my life. May he rest in peace.

Our apartment in downtown Nice on one of our trips to the South of France. We've had so many incredible experiences together.

Bobby

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Escondido Dog Park: First visit

2009-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So Trouble turned 4 months old over the weekend -- which meant he was old enough to go to the dog park!!! We're so excited about that. Remmy (our 2 yr old german shepherd) has some dog aggression issues -- so she can't go to the dog park -- but we want to do our best to ensure Trouble will get along great with other dogs. That means lots of dog park visits! And since we live about a mile away from one it's an easy thing to do :)

Anyways, we took him both Saturday and Sunday and he did great! Lindsay and I are both HUGE dog people so it's such a great time getting to hang around all these other dogs.

He looks like this the entire time. Just a big smile :)

This little guy was a good friend of Trouble's on Saturday.

So since Trouble is a big, slow, clumsy Rottweiler puppy, he has a hard time keeping up with all the other coordinated dogs. Half the time he tries and the other half the time he finds humans and goes and sits at their feet. Sometimes, like in the photo above, he sits ON their feet :P

It's incredible how slow Trouble was compared to this lightning fast Jack Russel.

When we got home on Sunday we did a fetch session for Remmy. Afterward, both dogs went into our room. This is a photo of them over two hours later. Completely tuckered out.

I love dogs.

Bobby

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Hotel Del Wedding Photography: Full weddings

2009-11-20T00:06:00.000-08:00

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For Brides.
Full weddings are the key to finding out what your weddings will look like. We all know a bride or two (or twenty) who's been heartbroken by her wedding photos -- and I honestly believe that if more photographers offered full weddings and more brides wanted to see full weddings, there'd be a lot less disappointed brides out there.

For Photographers.
I love full weddings. Love them. They are such a great answer to the question "I like X style of photography... Is that what style you shoot?" Whenever this happens, I simply refer them to my last five or so full weddings and say that that is my style of photography. I learned quickly that one bride's edgy is another bride's editorial -- if that makes sense -- and simply saying "here's how I cover weddings. If you love this, you'll love what I can do for you."

If what they see isn't fitting in with what they want for their wedding day, all the better. After all, as photographers, we should prioritize what the bride really wants over us getting another Saturday crossed out on the calendar, shouldn't we? There's no better tool than Showit Web for stuff like this. Seriously. If you're a photographer and you aren't using it for your web shows, you're crazy! :P

Anyways, here is the full wedding from Barry and Yulia's gorgeous San Diego wedding. A special thanks to Karen Tran and Emily Smiley for making this wedding look absolutely stunning!

Here's a direct link for feed readers :)

Hope you enjoyed it! And photographers, if you aren't showing your clients full weddings, you might want to consider it :)

Bobby

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Memory Lane...

2009-11-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

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The thing I love most about blogging is the fact that what I blog will always be around. I think about how my kids will be able to cruise through what their parents were doing when they were in their 20's traveling the world and it makes blogging extra worth it.

So lately I've been going back in (blog) time -- just to see what we were up to in the last few years. In doing that, I started labeling them as "favorite posts". So, if you want to check out my favorite posts since I started blogging -- or want a quick "get to know Bobby" sesh -- do so by clicking here -> Favorite Posts.

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And for no good reason, here's what I blogged about one year ago :)

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Another one from the Cinque Terre (Italy) -- Still in the running for the one of the next photo trips we'll be leading next year! Over a hundred people are signed up to get info before it goes public on the blog (only taking 12) so be sure to sign up if you're wanting to go!

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #26

2009-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Last week's Before and After Wednesday was on subtle use of the Get Totally Rad Actions! Since so many people own these actions, it can be easy to have your photos look like everyone else's. Mixing actions at subtle opacities can change all that up by giving you photos that look a bit more unique :)

My friend Kyle down in Chile requested this photo from a couple days ago, so here you go, Kyle!

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 50mm f/1.2L at ISO320, 1/125th, and f/1.2.

Before:

After:

And here's the simple recipe :)

Yang (dark) everything beside the couple - 40%
Boutwell Magic Glasses - 100%
Lux soft - 64%
Warm it up Kris - 28%
Grainstorm - 30%

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If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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11 commonly asked questions (UPDATED to 13)

2009-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Lately, I've been getting an influx of emails from beginner photographers. I love this fact -- as I remember how rad it was to get bits of help when I was starting -- but there's just no way I can write everyone back. I've sort of been answering emails based on "can I answer this question in about three minutes?" -- and if not, I just have to move on :( So I'm doing this blog post and will use it as a way to answer these questions in the future when I get them.

So if you're reading this after emailing me, I hope this helps!

1. What's your go to lens?
My Canon 50mm f/1.2L lens is by far my favorite. I love that lens. It's loved by many -- and just as many write it off as the cliche wedding lens. I couldn't care less about any of that. I just know that I love images on that lens when shot on my 5D Mark II (full frame camera) at f/1.2 (the 5D Mark II's are what I shoot with right now). I just love it. If I had to, I could shoot an entire wedding with that lens.

p.s. the Canon 50mm f/1.4 is a great (more affordable) alternative to the L version ;)

2. I'm not a pro so I don't need a super expensive pro camera that will kill my bank account. What camera should I get?
This is a question people think too much about, in my opinion. There is honestly no wrong DSLR these days. They are all great! And also, without sounding too arrogant, I don't know much (if anything at all) about equipment other than pro gear. I had a Canon Rebel XTi a few years back and it was great! But since then, I have no clue about the newer models or about the best point and shoot (I have a Canon G10 -- which I love -- but I'm sure there's tons others that are great). Honestly, just look for anything at a good price. Most online retailers have the same prices on new gear.

A great place to buy (used gear) is at the for sale forum on photography-on-the.net. I think you have to get a free membership. I usually search back over the last month for what I want to buy and check out the items that actually sold. That gives me a great idea for how much I should pay for whatever used item I'm looking for ;)

3. How'd you start in photography?
HUGE question that would take me an hour to answer. Long story short? Loved traveling, bought a camera, shot travel photography, then shot a few friends' weddings for free, started charging slowly, and once I was proud of my portfolio I charged more.

4. How'd you book your first paid weddings?
Craigslist. I had no shame. I just wanted photos. My first charged wedding was $500. Second was $600. That's just how I did it. There's a million ways to get your first weddings. I've noticed that the people that end up getting them (and keep it up from there) are in love with photography and are completely determined. The people that struggle are the people who don't like their current job and think photography would be an easy gig ;)

5. Any tips for someone just starting out?
Another one that could take a TON of time. Briefly? Shoot ALL THE TIME. Seriously. No, I'm not kidding. All the time. If you aren't comfortable with shooting outside the auto mode, for example, reading books won't do nearly as much as going out and getting a healthy dose of "practice makes perfect." You literally cannot shoot enough. Shoot your friends a ton. Get in uncomfortable situations where you don't know what you're doing (not professionally, of course). Challenge yourself. Just shoot, shoot, and shoot more.

6. What lens should I get next?
TOTALLY impossible for me to say. I love primes -- but that's me. If it helps, here's the lenses I own and why. Keep in mind they are all on a full frame sensor...

Canon 50mm f/1.2L: I use it for portraits, the ceremony, walk around PJ... I just love this lens.
Canon 24mm f/1.4L: I use this for extreme close up portraits as I enjoy the outer edge distortion. Love it.
Canon 135mm f/2L : Main lens during ceremony and toasts. Also love it for full body portraits at f/2. Incredible lens.
Canon 15mm f/2.8: rarely use it but it's fun to have :)
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L: worst lens I own (optically) but I LOVE it for the party/fun dancing shots. I use this at EVERY wedding.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS: haven't used it at a wedding since I got the 135L last year.
Canon 24mm f/3.5L ts-e: LOVE this lens but almost never use it. Enjoy it more for traveling.
Canon 45mm f/2.8 ts-e: LOVE this lens, as well. Use it a lot during couple portraits.

7. I'm uncomfortable when shooting the bride and groom. I don't know what to say or how to pose them. Any advice?
This was the last thing to come to me as a photographer. I used to HATE the couple portraits at my weddings. I didn't know what to tell them to do -- or how to tell them to do it. Unfortunately, in my experiences, it took experience to get me comfortable. There wasn't any "Get rich quick" type of thing. The more you do it, the quicker you'll figure out how you do it... if that makes sense. Another rad option is to find a good workshop. My friend Jasmine does AWESOME ones!

8. Which TRA's should I get?
When I got my Totally Rad Actions, I jumped in head first. I bought both sets. When I loaded them into photoshop, it didn't separate them as "set #1" and "set #2" -- so I literally have no clue which one I use most. I know that isn't helpful, but it's the truth ;) What I can say is that I'm pretty sure I'd still buy both as I use a ton of them!

9. Do you really like your Shootsac? Or do you just say that because that's what everyone says?
Okay, as a wedding photographer I guess I could live without my shootsac -- if I had to. Don't get me wrong, I freaking love it over what I used to use. As a matter of fact, I just love my shootsac, plain and simple. But I love my shootsac even more for traveling than anything else. It fits three lenses and has three other little pockets for other goodies (cf cards, batteries, keys, mobile). So instead of walking around with a photo backpack (what I did before) I now have my 5DII and 50L in my hand with my 135L, 24L, and 45mm ts-e in my shootsac. I have no idea about the specs compared to other things -- but what I know is now I don't look like a weirdo with a huge backpage when Lindsay takes a picture of me when we're traveling and this thing feels like nothing compared to my old photo backpack.

So it's worth it for weddings, hands down. Even more worth it for traveling/walking around, hands even more down. Mine has been to God only knows how many countries -- I'm pretty sure I've put mine through more than it was intended so I need to get another one soon!

10. Are Lightroom and Photoshop worth it? If so, which should I get first?
Both are totally worth it -- but I'd say it depends which you're going to get first. If you're going to be a wedding photographer, I'd say LR first since it's WAY more affordable and does everything you really need. Once you get it, save up and then get PS -- as it's such an incredible part of the photography process!

11. I have a cropped body -- should I switch to full frame?
Do whatever you want. I had a pro (1 series) body before I got my first 5D -- I had NO idea that full frame was supposedly "better" (so I wasn't bullied into thinking this way). But when I got my first 5D and put my 50L on it? I literally stopped using my 40D and 1D Mark II N (my other cameras at the time). I just loved the images right out of camera so much!

Having said that, there are TONS of incredible photographers who use non full frame cameras. And buying a full frame camera won't instantly make your images better. So if you want to make the jump, go for it! If you're happy with where you are, don't worry about it ;)

12. Can I shoot with you sometime?
I wish I could shoot with every photographer who asked! Here's the problem... Lindsay is ALWAYS with me at weddings. She's sort of my second shooter -- but way more importantly, she's my other half of my brain. She helps me come up with poses, think of where/what we should shoot next... Just tons of help.

Anyways, it's hard to bring along three photographers to a wedding without sort of making guests feel overwhelmed. This means it's VERY rare that I bring along a third shooter. So if you're wanting to shoot with us sometime, you'll be much more likely to on one of our phototrips - so sign up and come on the next one!

13. Who made your website?
Yours truly. I say that with no real sense of pride. I'm no graphic designer -- and I'm sure that graphic designers look at my site and think "this is why only pros should design websites..." :P -- but my site is all me.

However, more importantly than me making the site is the software that I use that enables me to make it so easily! I use Showit Sites. It's freaking amazing. Sure, I'm friends with the inventor -- but I'm friends with lots of people who run cool things in the photography world and I don't just recommend things for no reason. Fact is, DJ is a freaking genius and made the most ridiculous website making software ever. It's literally drag, drop, and just about anything else you could ever want to do.

Oh yeah, and you can make a site for free!!! So do it!

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I really hope this helps!

And since this post is a little better with a photo...

The Cinque Terre (Italy) after sunset -- one of the possible photo trips we'll be leading next year! Over a hundred people are signed up to be in the know (only taking 12) so be sure to sign up if you're wanting a shot at going!

Bobby

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Poway Family Photography

2009-11-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

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We had so much fun shooting Brett and Ronit's family at Old Poway Park.. Lindsay and I love being around other languages and their entire family speaks fluent Hebrew -- such an awesome sounding language. Not to mention they're working on getting us a wedding out in Israel one of these days... :P

Mother/daughter hug party...

Mother/daughter hug party crasher :P

I think this is my favorite from the day :)

Really like this one...

While the kids played on the playground, we grabbed one of mom and dad :)

Love this one...

I usually don't have time for too many family portraits throughout the year -- but I'm always happy when I do them :)

Bobby

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Stuff I've been loving...

2009-11-13T00:32:00.000-08:00

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#1. Party animals at weddings. Sure, some of them can be a bit attention starved... But sometimes you run into a guy who is doing what he would be doing whether you were there or not. That was this guy...

I loved this guy. When "Living On a Prayer" came on? It was amazing. Pure entertainment. The reception is one of my favorite parts of the day for this reason. Fun times :)

#2. South Park. Last week they jumped on the politically correct fringe of the left with the "F" word and this week they jumped on the right what I believe was the incredibly hard to watch Glenn Beck (I'm not a Fox News hater -- and my parents love him -- but I just can't handle him ;). I am a TOTAL fan of harping on the stupid sides of both liberals and conservatives. The South Park guys get that ;)

#3. Doctors. Yesterday I went to the doctor (going back today) -- he's an ear specialist. I haven't gone surfing in over a year (or even had my head underwater, for that matter) as the smallest drop of water absolutely kills me. Well the doctor put me through some serious pain -- but all for good reason. I go back today to finish up and it looks like I'll be snorkeling and swimming in Thailand next month after all! Doctors are incredible!!!

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before and After Wednesdays #25

2009-11-12T01:11:00.000-08:00

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So I know it's Thursday, but I skipped yesterday...

This week's before and after wednesday is going to be on subtle changes. My favorite thing about the Get Totally Rad Actions! is that they are customizable! I see some people on photography forums complaining about how too many photographers' images look "totally rad" -- and I think that's because too many of us are just pressing a button and stopping there. TRA's are created with the ability to be customized -- so going beyond the simple "button" press can make your images look a little different from all the other TRA'ers out there :)

Here's this week's straight out of camera image...

Shot with a 5D Mark II + 135mm f/2L at ISO320, f/2, and 1/2000th.

The final image isn't insanely different -- but I like it more :) It's got boutwell magic glasses at 100%, lux (soft) at 49%, warm it up kris at 75%, and pool party at 24%...

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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It's all about the monkeys...

2009-11-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

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I know I should be doing another Before and After Wednesday -- but I'm just getting way too excited about the Raddest Photo Trip Ever to Thailand and Cambodia in a few weeks! I was going through photos to get psyched, and I couldn't help but stop at the monkey photos.

Wild monkeys. I'll never forget the first time I saw a wild monkey. It was honestly one of those bucket list type of things for me. Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to see and play with monkeys in the jungle.

It was our first time in Cambodia a few years back. We were walking through the trees off the pathway around Angkor Wat. My best friend, Phil, says "monkey!" And there he was. Just walking around on the ground -- about 20 feet from us. I literally stopped dead in my tracks. Silly? Yeah, I'm sure it is. But for some reason, that was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Here's a few photos from our last trip to Cambodia. It's all about the monkeys :)

There's over a hundred of you who've signed up to be in the know about the next trip! We'll only be taking about 12 people again -- so if you want a chance at traveling the world with me and Lindsay, I'd strongly suggest signing up to get the info before everyone else. Will it be France? Morocco? China? Botswana? South Africa? Only one way to find out ;)

Bobby

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Polaroid rage #2

2009-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

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So I posted a bunch of "polaroids" last week and figured I'd do it again!

La Jolla, California.

I've titled this one "intensity" :P

Pacific Beach, California.

Left: Escondido, California. Right: Pacific Beach, California.

San Diego, California.

Left: Lindsay and I playing hero (you can read about it here). Right: Us flying to some country :)

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Spotting wild animals and saving domestic ones...

2009-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

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Yep. That's what my weekend consisted of. On our way home on Saturday, we saw a coyote in a field on the side of the road. Just sitting. If you know me even a little, you'll know that I love animals in the wild. It's where I feel I belong, if that makes sense. Coyotes are such a source joy for me. I want to be in Africa every day looking for lion -- or in SE Asia on the search for monkeys to feed. Coyotes make me feel like I'm somewhere else. They're this completely wild animal that just so happen to live in my backyard. I love it :)

After we pulled over, we saw these two dogs running with their tails tucked -- two medium sized dogs that looked super sweet... just terrified. They crossed a busy road around 4:30pm (traffic time). We thought we saw tags on them so the chase began.

When we caught up to them, I jumped out of the car. They looked at me and started to run away. I crouched down and talked in a high pitch voice and they stopped. Then, sort of out of nowhere, a switch flipped and April (as we found out her name was) charged toward me like I was her saviour. Then Lucky (the other dog's name as we found out) followed suit. Their tails went from tucked to wagging. I held on to their collars just in case -- but they were seriously super pressed into me. It was so cute. It was like I rescued someone who was lost at sea, or something ;)

The dogs had collars with tags -- and phone numbers! We called. Lindsay said she couldn't even finish the sentence before the owner said "you have my dogs?!" Such a great phone call to give someone.

The owner showed up and the dogs were so cute with how happy they were. Another dog that looked very similar to them was in the car and the three looked all excited to reunite. The sweet woman thanked us a ton and we just felt great. We couldn't help but think how great that feeling would be if Remmy and Trouble got out and someone called us having found them.

Such a good feeling.

Lucky on the left and April on the right. Such sweet dogs :)

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Now we went back to see if the coyote was still there -- and he was! So we drove home, got my camera, drove back... and he was still there! We parked and I got as close as he'd allow. I just watched him for about 20 minutes before he trotted off into the woods. A little part of me felt like I was back in Africa watching an elephant disappear into the bush.

This showed me that you don't have to fly to the ends of the earth to find contentment. Often times, as it happens, it's all around you if only you're open to it.

Bobby

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Our next trip will be...

2009-11-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Can't say just yet! To be honest, I'm just not sure. There's so many awesome places that we're still trying to work through. Turkey, China, Armenia and Georgia, Italy, African Safari, Thailand and Cambodia, Iceland... If there's enough people wanting to go, we'd definitely be up for two -- Thailand and Cambodia again and one other place. Anyways, I'm just rambling now...

Sign up below to be in the know before everyone else! Our trip to Thailand and Cambodia (in five weeks!) sold out so definitely sign up if you want a chance to come on the next one!!!

The photo above was taken at the Erawan Falls in Kanchanaburi... Can't believe we'll be there again next month!

Bobby

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Prague Wedding Photographer - more nonsense

2009-11-05T00:00:00.001-08:00

I'm doing an ongoing SEO experiment. I'm curious how much easier (or difficult) certain parts of the world are to show up on page 1 for google. So I'm just going to making blog titles to see.

If you've found this blog post through google because of my spurious title, check out my wedding portfolio :)

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I'm thinking about doing a weekly/bi-weekly polaroid post. The cool kids have been doing it for ages, so I figure I should do it now just in time to get made fun of for following the crowd, right? :P

Remmy and Trouble :)

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Anyone catch South Park last night? If not, here it is. It's a good one.

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I shot a fun family session yesterday. Here's a teaser...

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I've got three spots left for holiday family sessions before we take off to Thailand and Cambodia this December. 100% the proceeds will go to a really awesome cause -- so if you need some family photos for the holidays, email me as I'll probably be all booked up in the next couple days!

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Tweet of the week.

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Earlier this week, Fiji expelled Australian and New Zealand officials. We had a wedding out in Fiji this April and since the couple is Australian, they're (understandably) going to postpone their wedding. I have more kiwi/aussie friends than fijian friends -- so I blame Fiji! Not really, but if feels good blaming someone :P

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Does anyone by chance have a Merlin Steadicam I could borrow for the Thailand/Cambodia trip (Dec. 6th-21st)? I'd probably be your best friend...

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Super excited about our Office hangout party tomorrow! Many people coming we've NEVER met in person, so don't be shy! RSVP here if you wanna come :)

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Here's an excerpt from my real, current, and still ongoing conversation with a Nigerian scam artist...

"... A poet once said that the life can - but only for a time. I believe that..."

Wanna read the rest? Follow the convo and let me if you've got any tips for me here (episode 1) and here (episode 2). I hope to get part three up as soon as the good Barrister responds :)

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Long post! Thanks for reading guys!

Bobby

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Totally Rad Actions: Before & After Wednesdays #24

2009-11-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Before and After Wednesday! This weeks photo is from our most recent visit to Paris :)

As always, the actions I'll be referring to below are from the Get Totally Rad Actions set - which I freaking love! The image was shot with my Canon 5D Mark II and my Canon 24mm f/3.5L tilt at 1/2000th, ISO100, and f/3.5. Now to the recipe...

1. Straight out of camera image with no processing.
2. Yin yang applied -- with yin (lighter) painted in at 100% on everything but the sky.
3. Yang (darker) painted in on the sky at 100%.
4. Boutwell magic glasses applied at 100%.
5. Lux soft applied at about 40%.

And the final image has grainstorm thrown on it and that's it! Took about a minute :)

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Get Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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A bunch of polaroids...

2009-11-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

We found an old wannabe-polaroid in my parent's shed a few months back. Not sure what brand it is (it's all rubbed off). I think it says something like "sunmar"? Isn't there just something about polaroids?

Tommy.

Remmy, the Cuddler.

Rainbow over our house.

Dane at the gym.

Carlsbad.

Flying somewhere. I think Fiji? Doesn't it look like she's flipping the camera off?

David Jesus Luis Mercado Junior.

Me and Izzy.

Remmy waiting for the "okay" to eat the chip.

Sunset from my yard.

Usually Remmy sleeps on the bed (at the foot or next to me), outside in her dogloo, inside on the couch... just wherever she wants, really. This time she wanted to actually sleep IN our bed.

Trouble used to spill his food all the time :)

Fun stuff.

Bobby

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I couldn't do it...

2009-11-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was working on the couch (on my laptop). Lindsay was asleep next to me. I left for maybe two minutes outside to pick a tangerine from our tree. I came back and this little punk was in my spot...

I couldn't kick him off. I moved to my desktop. How could I interrupt something so cute?!

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So my friend DJ has been yelling about how blogs are dead :P and how Facebook is the new blog (or better). He's usually on the money with these things, so I finally made an official (kind of official) business page. There's cool things you can do like have discussion pages, and stuff. Lord only knows what kind of ridiculous discussions I'll set up if people actually care to participate :P

The really annoying thing is that when people comment on my wall or say something in the discussion area, I don't get updated! Annoying...

I'm also going to use it as my springboard for our hangouts at our place. I want to do that more often if we have the time. Not some huge photographer meeting, or anything. We'll just hang out - and I'm sure since we're photographers we'll talk photo talk... but nothing too serious. Just good fun. Click here to RSVP if you're going to come to our Pizza/Office party this friday! And befriend my new page if you want to know about future hangouts :D

Bobby

p.s. photographers that have these biz pages on FB... What do you do with them? Any tips for me?

p.p.s. here's a cute one of Remmy so everyone knows we still give her attention too :)

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emails/bad - hangout/good

2009-10-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

So I've had a few people "defriend" me on my facebook page recently and/or send me angry emails :( It's been over emails.

I'm sure there's tons of people who get more email than I do -- I saw my pally boy DJ's facebook page once and he had well over a thousand unread messages! -- but I still get enough that it is just impossible to keep up with. I really, really love the fact that so many photographers starting out connect with me on here (especially since I was in those shoes not all that long ago :), and I read every email, but it's getting harder and harder to answer everyone's questions. So if you get a response, woohoo! (or maybe not as my advice might be super lame :P) But if you don't, PLEASE don't think I'm ignoring you or just watching TV instead :P

To give you an idea, here's my current gmail and hotmail account...

...my unread facebook messages...

...and here's my maxed out PM box on a photography forum (POTN) (a great place to get answers from tons of photographers about wedding photography. I'm on there a fair amount :)

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Now, where I suck with emails I make up for with real life hanging out! So for everyone that wants to get together for an Office party at my place (read about it here), how does this coming Friday night sound (Nov 6th)? Maybe around 7pm-ish??? I'll get pizza for everyone so let me know how many mouths need feeding!

Here's a recent engagement image that I like to spice this post up :)

Bobby

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Rome Wedding Photographer

2009-10-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a little SEO experiment. I'm curious how much easier (or difficult) certain parts of the world are to show up on page 1 for google. So I'm just going to make a blog post title to see. I've shot weddings in cool places all around the world - but never Rome, so that's my first experiment.

If you've found this blog post through google because of my spurious title, check out my wedding portfolio :)

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Now, I want you guys to look at the following picture, but don't read below the image! Not yet, at least.

These two items frustrate Lindsay to no end. Or, I should say, the way I'll use them at times frustrates her to no end. So take a guess. How do you think I annoy the living daylights out of Lindsay with these? It's pretty out there :)

Alright, you ready? Quick little disclaimer. I'm a pragmatist to the enth degree. If it's practical and gets the job done? I'm sold. Just sayin...

1. The bowl. Just a normal bowl, right? Well, when we run out of clean cups, I have always grabbed a bowl. I'll put ice in it, then put whatever I'm drinking in it, and that's my new cup. Lindsay HATES when I do this! She'd rather jump up, clean a cup for me, and then she doesn't have to see me drinking out of a bowl. I simply tell her she needs to get out more because billions of people drink out of bowls in the world AND her coffee mugs are the size of bowls anyway! :P

2. The dish soap. So we have different shower soap. Lindsay has magical girl soap with fairy sprinkles and I have whatever soap she buys me. Every once and a while, I run out of my soap before she gets more soap. When that happens, I just grab the dish soap. So mixed in with the shower items is this big, huge dish soap container :)

So did anyone guess anything remotely close to that? Let's hear it!

Bobby

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Before and After Wednesdays #23

2009-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Before and After Wednesday! I'm really enjoying doing these :) I'm going to use another photo from Brittany and Zach's Strawberry Farms wedding photos because... well because I really liked the photos I got from their wedding :)

As always, the actions I'll be referring to below are from the Get Totally Rad Actions set - which I freaking love! The image was shot with my Canon 5D Mark II and my 24mm f/1.4L at 1/1000th, iso100, and f/1.4. And here's the recipe...

1. So the top left image is the straight out of camera image with no processing.

2. The top right has Lights On applied at 100%.

3. The final (bottom) image has Milk and Cookies applied at 100% - but it has some modifications. Here they are...

If you're looking for something to spruce up your photos, go for it and grab some Totally Rad Actions! I paid for both sets out of my pocket (no freebies there) and LOVE them. But do it through my link above or the banner below (shameless plug) as the money is going to go to a rad cause ;)

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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Hangout at our place?

2009-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Would anyone be interested in hanging out at our place? Lindsay and I were thinking about having either a weekly (or every other week) hang out at our place for a few weeks. Here's our idea...

The british version of the Office.

There's 12 episodes and then a 2 hour special. We'll treat it like a movie every week? Maybe three episodes at a time... Anyone interested? If so, let me know! Could be fun hang out time.

Given the nature (and language) of the british version of the Office (those foul mouthed brits! :P), no kiddies allowed ;)

From my favorite episode (direct link)

Bobby

p.s. please tell me I'm not the only fan of BOTH versions of the Office. Anyone else with me?!

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A Trouble update :)

2009-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Trouble is getting HUGE!!! He's almost 30 pounds now! He was about five when we got him about 6 weeks ago. Crazy!

Anyways, I haven't posted anything about Remmy and Trouble in a while - so here's a photo update :)

He definitely looks older in this one!

If I go outside and just stand in one spot, Trouble always dashes underneath me and lays at my feet :)

If you didn't know better, it'd look like they hate each other...

Remmy giving Trouble her evil eye.

And here's Remmy swallowing Trouble :)

If I do this for dogs, imagine what my blog is going to turn into when we have kids?! :P

Bobby

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San Diego Wedding Photographer - I can speak Korean!

2009-10-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

So Garrett's girlfriend, Debbie, can speak korean. We've noticed, however, when she does this, her voice becomes even smaller and more delicate. So this really was inevitable...

Here's a direct link to the video if you're feed reading :)

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We saw Paranormal Activity the other day. Anyone else see it? I heard they had a $15k budget -- so the filmmaker that I'm convinced is inside of me was really interested. It ended up being such a fun, scary movie!

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I like Obama, but I think he needs to watch South Park's episode on hate crimes. South Park is offensive but continues to be the smartest show on TV. Here's a clip for you if you've never seen it...

Here's another direct link for you feed reader weirdos :P

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I googled "Obama Wedding Photos" yesterday and I was on page 1 of google. Still in the hundreds for "San Diego Wedding Photographer" :P

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Trouble is getting HUGE! Pictures to come on Monday -- but to give you an idea, he was 20lbs on Lindsay's birthday (last Thursday), 25 pounds on Tuesday, and then 27 pounds yesterday! It's getting crazy how fast he's growing!!!!

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Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Bobby

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Strawberry Farms wedding photos - Full post

2009-10-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm sleeping in on Sunday and got a phone call. I didn't pick it up. To be fair, I wasn't entirely awake -- I didn't even remember the phone rang until I got up an hour later and looked at it. It was my friend, Josh, from Santa Barbara.

Josh called me Sunday to shoot a wedding with him... on that Sunday! Anyone else would have gotten a big old "NO" -- but Josh is one of those friends that would do just about anything for me and Lindsay. Tack on the fact that we haven't seen him in way too long and we were actually excited. Shows how awesome a guy Josh is, doesn't it :)

Anyways, Brittany and Zach's wedding at the Strawberry Farms Golf Club was awesome. Brittany's a photographer herself -- so that always tacks on the pressure -- but in a good way, if that makes sense. Anyways, enough chit chat. I've got tons of photos to share!

Exchanging gifts.

I love when the father of the bride sees his daughter once she's ready :)

I love first sights :)

The flowers were done by Art with Nature Design - Kim killed it!

Getting excited a few minutes before the wedding :)

I love shooting with another photographer like Josh. It gives me the chance to stay back in the room with the bride and her dad before she comes out. I love this whole series.

Here's why you should book me over Josh - I won't mess around on my iPhone during your wedding :P TOTALLY kidding!

I don't really do much for setting up cool group shots - but Josh does. So I stole a shot of one of his setups :)

Josh and I are good friends with David Jay -- so when we saw this hill we had to grab the infamous "David Jay" shot :)

My favorite of the day.

First dance.

Father/daughter and mother/son dance :)

This last shot is one of my favorites. I love when literally EVERYONE is dancing :)

Hope you enjoyed them!

Bobby

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Before and After Wednesdays #22

2009-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Another Before and After Wednesday!!! Let's get right to it.

As always, I'm using the Get Totally Rad Actions set - which I freaking love! Here's the straight out of camera image...

Canon 5D Mark II + 24mmm f/1.4L shot at f/1.4, 1/100th, iso4000

I pulled the image into Photoshop and applied Boutwell Magic Glasses (100%). Then I go to Milk & Cookies (100%). Throw on Lights Off two times -- both at 100% but one with the couple layer masked out (so it's only one Lights Off on the couple)... And VOILA!

Hope this helps some of you out! As always, comments tend to remind me to do this again next week, so let me know what you guys think :)

Bobby

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Free BMW...

2009-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here's how I left my car last week...

And it wasn't just a quick run in, or anything. I left my car like that for a couple of hours!!! Please tell me I'm not the only one who makes ridiculous mistakes like this on a weekly basis :P

Bobby