I'm so sad right now because my last 4-day workshop of the year is over and all my new friends left me to go home :( I wish they all could stay another week! What a blessing it was to spend four days with these wonderful and talented photographers! I can't wait to see you all again soon!

Here are their names (left to right):
top row: Garrent Burdick, Yogi Patel, Todd Nichols, Mike Larson, Jack Young, Andrew Bryant, Sean Watson
middle row: Tiffany Albojer, Jen Garbett, Joy Marie, Margaret Singer, Connie Brown, Holly Henderson
bottom: Bradie Jarman, Me, Penny Sylvia, Brittany Hanson

I want to give a special thanks to our models George (also a gifted painter), Ashley, Carolyn, and Julien (and our fill-in model Bradie) who made our shoots so enjoyable! Thanks also to our awesome hair and make-up stylist Sandi Layman! (if you guys have links, email them to me so I can link to your sites)

Another shout out to Erik Dungan at Big Folio for the expert presentation on blogging!

Last night we ended with a dinner at Pei Wei and then a poker tournament back at my studio. It was a great ending to a great week. Especially since I won! I like to hustle my workshop attendees for a little extra cash before they leave! haha j/k actually the deal was I would donate the money to Thirst if I won so 2 families will actually receive new filters and healthier lives thanks to my lucky cards! Second place went to Jen and third place went to Garrett. I should also mention that Tiffany exited the game in fourth place when she called my bluff with a 2-7 off-suit hand. I think I'll never let her live that one down :) Bradie did a fabulous job as full time dealer at Casino Colón (when she wasn't napping on the couch or posing for a pictures!)

Joy, thank you for the super sweet gift! You are too cool! I'll post a pic of our baby boy sleeping with his new Ricarda Couture blanket when he's born in a few more months!

Bradie, thanks for being so brave and coming to the workshop even with your medical condition! I know I speak for every when I say that this week would not have been half as fun, warm, and loving without you here with us! You will be in our prayers for a fast diagnosis and recovery.

I love you all and miss you! Thanks for making this week unforgettable! I'll get started on the exclusive Mike Colón Forum so we can have a place to hang and chat!

Wow! I'm so blessed to read all of your comments on my last post! God is awesome!

I'm going to be very busy this week since I'm starting my 4-day Intensive here in Newport Beach tomorrow. I will do my best to continue posting throughout the week but I know how I get caught up in the excitement and tend to drop everything until Friday when I do these workshops.

Lately I have been getting a lot of inquiries from photographers asking me for tips on lighting. I'll start with the engagement session and then move on to the wedding in my next post.

Here's what I do at my engagement sessions:
I like to keep my gear simple since usually there is not much time to kill during an engagement session. I bring my entire camera case but I leave it in my car and just carry one camera, a couple extra 4GB cards, and one lens, no flash. Depending on where I'm going I will either bring my 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S VR or my fixed 200mm f2.0 AF-S VR. My lens of choice is the 200mm fixed but there's not always enough space to shoot with it unless I'm shooting in a big open area (e.g. beach, regional park, wide streets with not many pedestrians). I shoot at wide open apertures to maximize the contrast of sharp focus on my subject to the completely blurred out backgrounds. I love being able to control where the eyes travel when viewing an image using nothing but a fast lens. I also love the 3D look of the images and how the sharpness of my subjects causes them jump off of the print.

Using a fast lens (wide aperture) with only available light will only get you half way there unless you position yourself in relation to your light source and your subject in such a way that is flattering and interesting. My favorite position by far is putting myself on the shaded side of my subject turning my main light source (the sun) into a back light that creates a rim light around my subject that intensifies the seperation of my subject and the background. I like letting the sun hit the lens a bit for some lens flare but I usually do it for just a couple dozen images then lay off so it's not overkill.

Some things to keep in mind when shooting with the sun as a backlight:

• shoot in manual mode and expose for the shaded side of your subject
• use a hand held light meter and face the meter's bulb the same direction as your couples faces when getting your reading (pretend the meter is your subject and the white bulb is it's face)
  
• look for backgrounds that add a natural vignette around your subject to darken the edges of your image
• position yourself so that your background is not overpowering your subject - I like neutral backgrounds with texture that are not over-exposed
• educate your couples so they know what you're going for - tell them to keep the sun at their backs and not to let it wrap around their face
• shoot slightly off center so the sun is not creeping into your lens (unless you're going for lens flare as a stylistic thing)
• use a telephoto lens and lens hood to maximize saturation in your images - the more sun you let in your lens the more washed out the image will look
• make sure your white balance compensation is set for the shaded side so your couples faces look nice and warm - 6000 Kelvin is usually a safe setting unless there is sun bouncing back off a warm surface lighting their faces, then set it to 5200-5500K.
• remember, exposure and white balance are key in getting good results - nail your exposures!
  

Hope this helps some of you on your next shoot! Have fun and let me know how it goes!

Here are a couple backlit images I pulled from my site (one has lens flare, one doesn't)

This post goes out to all of you wedding photographers and business owners just starting out. I'm not sure why I felt like talking about this tonight but I just want to give some words of encouragement to those of you currently struggling with where you are right now in your photo biz.

My wife and I have been through a lot these past 8 years. We've experienced probably every emotion that exists to mankind. We've cried together, danced with joy together, stressed out together, and have spent many hours on our knees praying for miracles in our business.

I remember one occasion very clearly. It was about 6 years ago when Julie and I were newlyweds. We were having an extremely rough month financially and I remember being totally stressed out because nothing seemed to be working no matter how much we tried. I was racking my brain for marketing ideas and was seriously getting to a place of desperation because we did not have nearly enough money to pay our bills which were due in a matter of days. I just remember pacing around in the bedroom of our small apartment feeling like I was going to lose it completely and have a nervous breakdown.

God must have known that I was at my wits end because all of the sudden I realized something. I was trying to do everything on my own without asking God for help. I remember grabbing Julie and telling her we need to pray. We got on our knees beside our bed (using pillows because I had a feeling we'd be there for a while) and started praying. We didn't pray for help as much as we prayed for forgiveness for forgetting who our provider is. It was like He was saying, "I am your provider, stop trying to play my role. Give me your business and I'll take care of everything. You can rest now."

Now this is the cool part... As we were praying, the phone rang. Now you'd think I wouldn't answer the phone during such an intense prayer session, but I kinda knew that I should answer it and sure enough it was a bride calling to book. This was just the first one. Over the next 48 hours we booked 4 more weddings. It was absolute craziness and I'll never forget how God intervened in our life that weekend.

It seems that every time I try to push forward on my own and forget to trust God, I get nowhere. Looking back now, it has always been those times when I give up and rely on God that stand out as times when our business grew by leaps and bounds.

The moral of this story is to simply give up and trust God. He'll take care of you!

I love this scripture in Matthew 6:19-34

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

"Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

"And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

"So don't worry about these things, saying, `What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Today I met up with Toni Marano, a client of mine who is an extremely popular pilates instructor (and super sweet person) here in Orange County. She is also amazing at not only getting her clients into great shape but inspiring them to live a healthier and more passionate life.

Toni hired me last year to photograph her for a television commercial that she ran on local cable channels throughout the year. She came by today to order large framed prints for her studio walls. After our meeting, Toni asked me if I wanted to walk her to her car so I could see what else she used my images for. To my surprise, she had one of the images I took of her put on her car with a killer quote that I think all of us should remember! Check it out below!

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence. To be successful, you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, then resolve to pay the price to get it. Experience and common sense tell you what to do, confidence allows you to do it." Toni Marano

To find out more about Toni, visit her website by clicking here

Just got back from the most amazing wedding this weekend! It was by far my most expensive wedding to date and I couldn't have done it without the help of two amazing photographers and good friends Ray Santana (Miami) and Terry Clark (Pittsburgh) who flew in to help. I can't thank you both enough for all of your hard work this weekend! I've already browsed through the images and you guys really nailed it! Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to post the images due to a strict NDA but perhaps the client will grant permission for me to show a few soon, but I'm not holding my breath. You might see a shot or two from paparazzi if you google around. They were about a mile away on a hilltop and somehow managed to grab some decent shots. I'm actually in the background walking by in one of the shots. Pretty funny!

We hit this wedding in style... all three of us sporting our Panerai timepieces.
I was back in the office today with Terry downloading and backing up the images when I got a call from my wife (thanks baby!) who noticed a shoot on my schedule for today at 5pm. I had forgotten to sync up my Blackberry with iCal before the weekend and thought I had Monday completely free to get organized. I made it to my shoot just a few minutes late.

I was hired by an amazing jewelry designer in Balboa Island (Voytek Stradomski) who I met at the last cover shoot for Grace Ormonde. He asked me to photograph some headshots for his 6 year old daughter. He said that people kept telling him that his daughter needs to have an agent because of her look so he asked me to come do a test shoot. I agree.. she belongs in front of the camera! Her name is Vaite and she is absolutely adorable! Here's one of my favorites from today's shoot.

I just got a few images from Lauren Cohn-Frankel that she took of me at the Pictage Partner Conference. I really love doing lectures because I get to share things with other photographers that will hopefully help them in their businesses. It's such a great opportunity for me to build goodwill and make friends in my industry. So many of the successes in my career have stemmed from the lectures and workshops I've done with photographers over the years.

It's a rare sight to see someone asking me for an autograph so I'm amazed that Lauren caught this! I'll charish it forever Lauren :)

I love to see people taking notes instead of falling asleep! Another image I'll cherish :)

Oh yeah, and I want to give a shout out to the winners of the business card contest I did during my lecture. Michael and Anna Costa won with flying colors for the unique design of their business card. They went home with my $650 DVD! I paid a visit to their new website today and was blown away by the great design and seriously awesome images! Seriously, WOW! Their winning business card looks just like their new website. Awesome branding! Click here to check out the website!

Hey Everyone! Jasmine did an interview with me a few weeks back and it just got published on Wedshooter.com! When I asked her to come interview me and write a story, I really had no idea what or where I'd be able to use it. I only knew that I loved the way she writes and I knew she'd make my life sound really interesting and fun to read about. Jasmine, you have been so generous with your time and talents! Thank you so much!

***CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE***

I'm an uncle again! I had the privelege today of photographing the birth of my new little niece Kailyn Elizabeth Colón. She is such a cutie! What a miracle birth is! Congratulations to my brother David and his lovely wife Christina! Thanks for letting me be a part of today!

Just got back from the Pictage Partner Conference in Los Angeles. What a cool group of photographers! I'm convinced that Pictage photographers are a different breed. They are loving, sharing, generous, warm, open, honest, and so eager to help others succeed! I must give a big shout out to Pictage because without this wonderful company providing the venue building such an awesome community of photographers, I would not have a tenth of the friends I have today! Thanks to all of you who attended my seminar on Wednesday! I'm waiting on some photos from Kristin so I can post them for those who were unable to attend.

As a bonus, I was able to stay an extra day and I got to see several great programs from some great photographers! I am so proud because 8 of the speakers at the conference were recent students at my workshops! One of the things I try to pound in at my seminars and workshops is to become an expert in your field, get involved in your industry, and share share share! I wish I could take credit for these superstars, but they're the ones who deserve 100% for working so hard and going after it!

I caught the end of David Jay's lecture just in time to see the slide with my picture and some weird sumo dude he found on the internet named Mike Colon. DJ has become a close friend of mine and I'm so excited for all of the success that has been coming his way. He is a genuinely great guy with so much to offer others. If you are one of the few who do not own Showit Effects and Showit Web, you MUST go buy them immediately. They are a key component in successful word of mouth marketing and an awesome way to exceed your client's expectations. Click here for the Showit Website!

I caught most of Me Ra and Brian's lecture. I loved the sincere and humble delivery of how they took a once mere creative outlet and hobby to a thriving multi-photographer business. Watching Me Ra and Brian always makes me laugh because they are so cute together! They have this hilarious chemistry and you just sit there waiting for one of them to get mad at each other for something the other says and it never happens! Really Me Ra just constantly picks on Brian and he seems to like it. It's so funny! Me Ra picked on me a bit too and strange enough, I couldn't get mad at her either :)

Liana Lehman and Jessica Claire were awesome as usual! They always make me realize how boring my own powerpoint presentations are and remind me of how far behind I am in getting out samples to vendors. I'm a big fan of these two because they are always thinking outside of the box and doing things you never thought of. I've been a fan of Jessica since she helped me with a wedding and I saw first hand how awesome her work is. I don't think she took a bad shot! They are also so funny when they do their little telephone skit where one acts like a bride calling her photographer.

I missed Dane Sanders because his slot was too close to my lecture but I heard great things about it! Dane's another one of those thinkers who always blows me away! He's doing so well with Simple Photo Minute and already has a huge following after just a few months of podcasting. Don't know if I ever gave him a formal welcome yet so I'll do it now... Welcome to the OC Dane! Still haven't gone surfing with the guy, so I'm starting to wonder if he really surfs. Kinda like he says he's so great at chess and poker but never shows up to the party. Oh well, even if he's not a surfer or poker player he still made SPM and I love him for that :)

Ok... ran out of time cuz Julie is meeting me at a restaurant so I gotta run! I'll have to finish this tomorrow.