Houston Wedding Photographer, Slick Pix Blog

2011-11-01T03:29:00.000-05:00

Well the day has finally come. May I please direct your attention to my new and improved website: www.SamuelSethPhotography.com
It will read the same over there, but it will look much better. Please head over and browse around, enter the contest, and share the page. You'll be glad you did.

My name is Samuel Seth, and many of you may know me from Slick Pix Photography.
When I started Slick Pix Photography several years ago, I wanted to cover it all: Weddings, People, Places, and Cars. As the years passed I found myself shooting mainly people: Weddings, Portraits, Seniors, Families, etc. Sure I’ve done some automotive and other work over the years, but I find myself wanting to focus mainly on people.
There’s something special about the human subject. Especially when that subject is engaged in an emotional, life-changing event. The shape of our face reveals how we are feeling at that precise moment more than any other bodily feature. With our eyes, the shape of our mouth, the tilt of our head- they all play a part in expressing our emotions in that moment in time. And I get to document it.
Weddings are one of the most challenging but rewarding events to document. During the entire day, there are so many nuances of emotion from every person in attendance. People laughing, some racked with nervousness, while others are crying, and still others (such as the little ones) are visually bored out of their minds, and everything in between. So I count it as quite a privilege to stop these moments in time and provide them to clients so that they can enjoy them throughout the years to come.
The image below is a prime example. The look they’re passing during this wedding ceremony conveys so many things and tells such a story, I could go on for pages about what they might be feeling in that moment in time. But this couple will remember exactly what they were thinking and feeling at this moment.

But Weddings aren’t the only worthy subject in photographic documentation. I often look back at the old Polaroids my parents took of me and my siblings, and the only regret I have is that there weren’t more that were taken. I also wish we would have taken the time to have some professional photos done at least once a year. Time moves so fast and we keep meaning to get around to it, but before you know it, the kids are no longer kids anymore and the parents have become grandparents. So I also really enjoy providing families with high-quality portraits, whether it’s newborns, or High School Seniors. I know for a fact that ten years from now these very images I provide will be gazed upon with much appreciation.
The two images below, while different families, illustrates how quickly time flies. These images were taken about a year ago, and each of their families have changed much since then, with the kids getting taller, and the baby growing larger.

Here’s the Part you DON’T want to miss-

Recently on my Slick Pix Facebook fan-page I’ve been talking about a HUGE announcement in the works for the past month or so. Well you’ve found it! Not only is the announcement about a completely new site and new brand for myself, but I’m also running a CONTEST for the month of November.

Seeing as how I’ve had to create a new Facebook Business page to represent myself on the largest social media network the world has ever seen, we’re going to have to get as many “Likes” to that page as possible. This is where YOU come in.

To be eligible, of course, you are going to have to “Like” my Facebook business page. You can get to it by clicking the “Lets become Facebook Friends” button up top. But if you don’t want to go back up there, here’s a link: Like This Page to Win!

The way it will work is this: After you “Like” the page, you’re going to refer all of your friends to my page and they’re going to “Like” the page too. But after they “Like” the page, they’re going to have to post on the wall who sent them- they’ll have to refer to you by name. For example: “Dwight Schrute Sent me…” I’ll be keeping tally’s of who has the most referrals and at the end of November, whoever has the most referrals wins. Here’s the fun part: The friends you refer will also be able to play. So you’ll have to keep up your game if you’re going to refer more than they do. I suggest using the “Share this on Facebook Button” below this post.

This brings us to- “Win What?”

The Grand Prize will be a full, Two-Hour Photo Session to be shot either here at my Home Studio, or at a place of your desire within 25-miles of the Studio. This generally covers most of Houston and up into The Woodlands, TX. Travel beyond 25-miles is subject to a small travel fee, but if you do live outside Houston, all you’ll have to pay is the travel fee. The photo session is ON ME.

It won’t be just any photo session though. With this photo session, sure, you’ll get the standard adjustments and enhancements on select photos (which makes our photos look so great) as well as a personal online gallery for future print ordering and sharing with friends and family, but you’ll ALSO receive a set of 25 Custom Designed greeting cards, AND One Free 11″x14″ Fine Art Stretched Canvas Print that comes ready-to-hang. Images to be used on cards and Canvas print must be chosen within 30-days after image presentation. If you don’t choose what images you want printed within those 30-days, then I choose the best images to use and deliver the goods to you. (Actually you’d come pick them up but those are the restrictions)

Second Place-

We don’t want all the hard work of the guy or gal in second place to come in unrewarded now do we?
Well for second place I’ll be offering a 1-hour mini-session to be held here at the Home Studio, along with Two 5×7 and one 8×10 professional quality photographic prints for you to take home, in addition to the standard image processing and online gallery that comes with the grand prize mentioned above. The restrictions are the same for this prize as well. Images to be delivered in the included prints must be chosen within 30-days that I send you the link to your personal online gallery. After 30-days, I’ll choose what I think are the best images and have them printed for you to pickup.
Either of these prizes may be used for any photo session you desire- Bridal, Engagement, Family, Maternity, Newborn, High-School Senior, or a photo shoot just because. I’ll also allow you to present either prize as a gift to a loved one, but will require some contract signings to ensure everyone is on the same page. I will also require that I be allowed to use the images on my blog, website, and other presentations representing Samuel Seth Photography.
One final restriction: Both the Grand Prize and Second Place prize must be redeemed in the month of December 2011, or January 2012. After January 2012 you will forfeit all the loot. Meaning: The Photo Sessions must be done either in December 2011, or January 2012.
So starting November 1, 2011 and ending November 30, 2011, let’s see who brings in the most “Likes” to my Facebook Fan page! We’re starting with just one like tonight. (Thanks Janet!)
So get to work! We only have 30 days left!

One more announcement:

That’s not all I wanted to announce though. I’m also planning a teaching workshop for the month of December. The date is still tentative, but it will probably be the first or second Saturday in December. I’m going to be teaching the Basics of Photography. For example, how to work your camera in Manual Mode, how to get the best out of your camera, Knowing that you’re smarter than your camera; What makes a good photograph, and how to execute a good photograph on the fly, and much more. It will probably be around 2-3 hours long and will consist of some classroom time and some hands-on actual shooting experience here at the Studio. It will be limited to 10-slots so that we can keep it small and effective. Professionals need not apply. This is a class on just the basics, but we’ll dip our toes into more advanced methods of shooting. You really don’t even need to have a camera, however you are urged to bring one to get the most out of the class. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, post a comment below or send me an email with the contact button and I’ll fill you in on more details.

If this workshop goes well, we may plan a more advanced workshop with studio lighting techniques, working with off-camera flash, image processing and more. We’ll have to wait and see.
I hope you spend some time browsing the new website. You may notice if you poke around enough that some of the areas aren’t quite finished yet, such as “about me” and “Rates and Packages”, but they’ll be up very soon. You also may notice if you flip back in posts far enough, that my old tag is on some photos. I’m slowly working through these to update them to the current brand. Feel free to post a comment and let me know how you like the new site!
Whew, that was quite a lot! Sorry for making such a long post, I hope you got a chance to read it all!
I’ll be updating shortly, so get to work on the Facebook Contest and we’ll be in touch soon!

Bobby and Em - Baby Bump Session

2011-09-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to drop in a quick blog about a baby bump session I did a little bit ago. Had a great time with Bobby and Emily's Baby Bump Photo Session. In fact, they're now the proud parents of a baby girl! Congratulations you two, we have to get that kid back in the studio and do some more sessions :)
Here's a handful of fav's from the shoot. Enjoy.

I hope you guys enjoyed the session as much as I did. It was a blast.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to mention that there are some exciting new changes in store for Slick Pix Photography. It's under wraps for now but I'll spill the beans soon enough.

Also, I'm working on a learning workshop to be held in November, 2011. I'll write a blog post about the details of that. One thing is for certain: It will have limited space. But again, I'll fill in more details as we get closer. Stay tuned.

The Facebook Fan Page is where most of the latest news and info can be found, so if you're not a fan yet, click the box to the right of this blog post and join in.

Until next time,

Lates

Who has the coolest clients? Slick Pix does...

2011-07-25T21:12:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to drop a quick post and mention how cool my clients are. I've received tips and other gratuities from clients in the past who were extremely pleased with the product delivered. But one recently gave me a gift that I think might be the coolest tip yet:

That's right. A bottle of 15-year old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey. How cool is that? I shall be enjoying this particular gift in moderation with friends and family, and probably with the client who gave it to me, next time we hang out. I love my clients. Thanks again! (You know who you are)

We have quite a few blog posts lined up for the near future, so stay tuned!

Lates

Houston Senior Portraits - Savannah

2011-06-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

Finally getting around to blogging this Senior Portrait session I did back in March.

Savannah liked what she saw in Elysia's Galveston Senior Portraits, so we searched for something similar but closer to Houston. Savannah is actually from Dallas, but has family in the Houston area, so we set up a shoot during her visit here. For the location, we settled on Old Town Spring- a quaint little town a little bit outside of Houston.

We pretty much walked through the place and shot whatever caught our eye.

After we were finished with the shoot we were all hungry so we stopped off at a cafe called Puffabelly's. The food was good, although it was a little warm in there. I think the building is so old there's no central HVAC. But I had a 1/2 pound burger and ate until I was nice and fat. :)

I hope you enjoy the photos. We had a great time making them.

Being Summer time now, Senior Portrait season is pretty much over. But if you haven't had yours done yet, there's still time. Give me a call or shoot me a message on email or Facebook.

And it's never too early if you're class of 2012. If you get them done this year you'll have all year to show your awesome photos to your friends and pass out pics and cards to everyone.
As always we're looking for Senior Reps for Class of 2012 an 2013. There's lots in store for the select few we choose. So if you think you're up for it, let us know and we'll discuss it.

Lates

Houston Senior Portraits - Elysia

2011-05-20T02:24:00.008-05:00

In my last post I mentioned that I would be getting around to blogging about a Class of 2011 Senior Portrait shoot I did in Galveston, TX. Well at long last, here it is.

Elysia wanted something different, and she loves hanging out at the beach. I love shooting at the beach. Put the two together and the following images is what you get. I had a ton of fun on this shoot, and although Galveston gets a bad rap for it's muddy water and less than fresh air, it is a lot nicer than many make it out to be.

We shot these back in March, so the weather was still kind of cool out. With the increased wind on the coast, it was cool enough to need a jacket. But Elysia soldiered on despite the discomfort. After we started the shoot on the beach, we moved inland to get some shots around town.

It was kind of interesting, and coincidental that Mardi Gras happened to be going on this particular weekend. We actually rolled into town just as it was over. So by the time we started shooting, the streets were pretty clear. There was a handful of random drunk revelers straggling behind, but there was no crowd, and no traffic since the streets had been blocked off for the parade. Great timing.

On the last shot of this set, if you look in the background to the left, you can see a bicycle and a guy in a gray shirt. Moments after this shot was taken, that guy in the gray shirt rode his bicycle over and said with an alcohol-induced slurred accent "eeeyyyyy...yyyouuu wwwwanaa take uh pickshurrrr un mah bike?" After a little more photo-bombing on his part he quietly moved on and we wrapped up the shoot not long after that. I couldn't help but chuckle, however he did make us miss a few great shots due to his intrusion.

Hope you like.

All in all, I had a blast doing this shoot. If you're a High School Senior and have a favorite place to go, lets talk about it and we'll make it happen.

Until next check in,

Lates

First post in...Forever?

2011-05-05T04:14:00.005-05:00

Wow. I don't know where to begin. I swear when I finished my last blog post of 2010 it was just last week. But alas, five whole months have passed since my last blog post! FIVE MONTHS! That's more than half the gestation period of a human baby!

Well the good news is I've been crazy busy with weddings, senior portraits and more. So busy that I haven't had time to sit down and make a blog post! But rest assured, the hiatus I was on left plenty of time to compile some great images that I can pour out in the coming weeks in blog posts. Most of my more recent stuff gets posted on Facebook, so I generally fail to blog about it since Facebook is THE social medium of choice these days.

Well I won't bore you too much with such drivel, so I'll post some pics here from a shoot I did for a friend of mine who owns a great Hair Salon in Midtown Houston. Michael Saldaña Salon. He's got a fun group of people on the staff, and they needed to do some profile portraits for the new website and informational media.

We set up the mobile studio in the Salon and shot on White Seamless, with multiple lights, a few cocktails, some rockin' music, and a lot of fun.

Here's what we got:

I'm well pleased with the results (I knew they'd come out great though) and the salon crew really likes them. That's the important part. Well hopefully I'll squeeze some time in soon to post a blog about a senior I shot earlier this year in Galveston. It was a great shoot and I look forward to blogging about it.

Lates

End of Another Year...

2010-12-31T23:57:00.001-06:00

Well 2010 was quite a year. Like always, it flew by before I knew it. Here we are going in to 2011 as I type this, as mortar shells and bottle rockets pop and boom outside my window, it's good to go back and review the year that went by so fast.

Here's some of my favorites from this past year. There are many more I wanted to post, but cannot due to contractual restrictions :(

I could go on to write a paragraph for every photo, but I will refrain this time. Lets hope 2011 brings many more great images and memories. If you're viewing this from Facebook, please visit the Blog to see the images in better resolution.

Enjoy, 2010.

See you next year!

Lates

Cutest Kid Contest - First Place Winner!

2010-12-18T01:51:00.000-06:00

In October, 2010, we ran a "Cutest Kid" contest here at Slick Pix and got a great response from all of that.

A few weeks ago, I posted the results from the First Runner Up winner of the contest, the Herrera Family. About two weeks later, I shot the First Place winner, Baby Javi and his proud parents, Gaby and Julio.

We had such a great time on the shoot, and the weather was awesome. We beat a cold front by literally a couple of hours. Soon after they left the Slick Pix Studio, the temperature dropped with a quickness.

All in all, we got some great shots, but to be honest, it's not difficult to get great looking shots of such a good looking family!
If you're reading this on Facebook, please drop by the Blog and view the photos in higher resolution- they look much better on the Blog.
I hope you enjoy the photos below:

Sometimes working with babies can be a challenge. They can be temperamental, cranky, and plain uncooperative. But not baby Javi. He was awesome to work with, had a great attitude didn't cry once! (He almost cried once but that was because we woke him up from a nap. I do the same thing if you interrupt my nap!) But he did really well, especially for being only 4 months old!
Hopefully we'll get to work together in the future as Javi gets older.

And to the Hernandez Family, Thanks for taking part in the contest guys, I hope you enjoy the photos for many, many more years.

Feel free to leave some Blog-Lovin' comments below, it's appreciated!

Lates

Houston Family Portraits - Cutest Kid Contest 1st Runner Up!

2010-12-02T03:10:00.011-06:00

In the month of October, we ran a Contest here at Slick Pix for a free portrait session. The first runner up got 1/2 off a standard session fee, as well as 1/2 off all prints. Not a bad deal at all. The way it went was: Each person would submit a photo of their child to our Facebook Fan Page, then people would "Like" the photo they thought should win the title of "Cutest Kid".

Well the response we got was overwhelming, and it turned out to be quite a close race all the way down to the end. Everyone had a lot of fun, and I sure had a blast watching from the sidelines. I want to thank each and every one of you who competed and/or voted or participated in that contest. It went really well.

Now that you're caught up, the following photos are some of my favorite picks from the photo session I did with the Herrera family, the First Runner Up in our Cutest Kid Contest. We did the photo shoot on Thanksgiving day, November 25. It was an unusually warm, humid day in Houston, and the forecast was rain, rain, rain. Well it didn't rain (much) so we actually had a pretty good shoot. The sky was overcast (good) but we still got uncomfortably warm due to the humidity. It's hard to believe that shortly after we finished, the temperature dropped by at least 30°F and the day ended with everyone reaching for their coats and umbrellas. As they say: "Only in Texas". If you're reading this from Facebook, please visit the Blog to see these photos as they were meant to be seen, much larger, and much better quality.

On with the photos!

Kids are only kids once, and when they grow up, we find ourselves wishing we would have taken more pictures of them when they were little. Cherish these moments you have with them while they're little. They grow up a little more every day.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest, I hope you had as much fun as I did!
And to the Herrera Family, I hope you enjoy these photos for years to come.

Lates

Cyber Monday Sale! $149 Mini-Sessions!

2010-11-28T00:01:00.000-06:00

Well last Friday (which is known as 'Black Friday') we ran a sale of epic proportions. Never before have Slick Pix Photo Sessions been that low, and who knows if they'll ever be that low again? Well if you missed that sale, I've got good news for you.

We're running a Cyber Monday Sale that, while not as cheap as our Black Friday Sale, It's the lowest we're able to go all year. For only $149, you can have a One-Hour Mini-Session of our Custom Professional Photography here at the Studio, PLUS, you get One 8x10 and One 5x7 Professional Quality Photo Prints. Not only that, you'll get your very own personal online gallery for print ordering and sharing with friends and family.

If you don't want a session for yourself, you can always purchase this as a gift for someone close to you :)

Now for the fine print: Only 10 slots available. Not valid with any other offer. Session must be used within six-months of the Cyber Monday Sale. Valid for up to four people. Sale ends 12:00 Midnight on Cyber Monday. Once these slots are gone, it's history!

For more information you can email me via my website, www.SlickPix.net, and click on the "Contact" button. Or you can always shoot me a message on Facebook!

So Book fast! It won't last long!

Lates

Black Friday Fever!

2010-11-26T00:00:00.004-06:00

Alright Boys and Girls, Slick Pix Photography has caught Black Friday Fever, and due to this incurable disease, we are offering $99 one-hour Mini-Sessions if you book today, Friday, November 26, 2010. Valid for up to four people and not valid with any other offer. For this special, you get a one-hour mini-photo shoot here at the studio, enhancements and adjustments on select photos, a personal online gallery for print ordering and sharing with friends and family, and one 8x10 print. Sale ends at Midnight! Book Now!

Lates

Houston Wedding Photographer - Jen and Jonathan - Part Two

2010-11-25T01:07:00.006-06:00

I posted Part One of Jen and Jonathan's wedding a couple of weeks ago. Now, it's time for Part Two.

The Outdoor Ceremony happened at 5:00 P.M., so the sun was setting fast. We had to really bump up those ISO's and shoot wide open. (That's a little photog jargon for shooting in the dark)

Everything went off without a hitch, and we got some great images. I have to thank my second shooter, Khanh. He got a ton of killer images, and I had a great time working with him.

There were so many awesome shots, I have to stop myself from posting all of them- it would just be an overwhelming number of photos for a blog post. So enjoy this sampling of Jen and Jonathan's Wedding - Part Two...

I think Jen wants somebody to get married...

Fairwell
Well, that's all for now boys and girls. I've got a few more weddings to post from this year, so check back soon for those! I'm also going to be doing a couple of family photo sessions for the winners of last month's 'Cutest Kid Contest'. I'm looking forward to those.
Until then,

Lates

Houston Wedding Photographer - Jen and Jonathan - Part One

2010-11-11T20:43:00.013-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted a sneak peek of a wedding I covered on October 23, 2010. Jennifer and Jonathan got married on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at an amazing location: Cole's Country in Cypress, TX.

Cole's Country is kind of a unique place, as it's a large-ish ranch type place, but they have everything you need for a beautiful wedding. They even have a few Texas Longhorns (The Bovine variety, not the Scholastic type) grazing in the field. You can see these things in pictures, but it's not until you see one in person that you realize how vast their horns really are. They don't call them Texas Longhorns for nothing.

I'm posting this wedding in two parts. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I guess there are so many photos that I really like, I can't choose which ones to cut out. I know Jen and Jonathan are excited to see them, and guys, this is really just a small portion of the great shots we got. Jen also likes Black and White photos, and Vintage styled photos, so quite a few of these are in that form. But several have such bright and vibrant colors, I just had to leave them as-is.

Jen and Jonathan opted to have a 'First Look' session before the wedding. I LOVE when couples do this and take the time to see each other, calm down and soak in the gravity of the day before it flies by in a blur. You can read more about what's involved in a First Look session HERE in an earlier Blog post.

The way Jen wanted to do it was to have a couple of shots of them holding hands on opposite sides of the tree, then turn around to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. And this is what happened... The Bridesmaids were great and liked the "Batter up" idea :)
They were a hoot!
The guys were just "Cool Hand Luke" all the way.
Spending some time together before the ceremony
I hope you enjoyed part one! Look out for part two soon.

Lates

Houston Wedding Photographer - Jackie and Christine

2010-11-04T19:05:00.000-05:00

This weddding is from earlier in the year, back in March, actually. As mentioned before, I often work with other photographers in the Houston area, and for this wedding, I was once again working with the wonderful Janet, of Rainy Day Photos :)
I have to also comment on how privileged I feel to be able to shoot the wedding of someone with such status as Jackie and Christine. Jackie attended The University of Houston and played on their Football team back in college. Well after that he got drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. So I think it's pretty awesome to be able to have shot the wedding of an NFL Athlete. Needless to say their wedding was amazing. The venue was the beautiful Tuscany Villa in Katy, TX. Below are some of the highlights from the day.

I had a blast at this wedding, and the cake was some of the most amazing cake I've ever tasted. Like eating a piece of a rainbow. A piece of double rainbow, all the way.
Congratulations Jackie and Christine, I hope you guys are doing well in Kansas City. At the time of this writing, the Team is certainly doing well in the season, with a 5-2 record. Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day.

Lates

And the winner is...

2010-11-01T00:25:00.006-05:00

Last month I announced that Slick Pix Photography was running a Cutest Kid Contest for the month of October. It was based around the worlds largest social networking site, Facebook. The objective was to have people submit a photo of their kid, and the kid with the most "likes" wins a free photo session!

Well to say that the response was great is an understatement of gigantic proportions. I was overwhelmed by the number of new fans who came to vote for the contest. And for this, I thank all of you.

Well, the deadline was at 11:59:59 P.M. on October 31, 2010. At the strike of midnight the votes were tallied up and three winners were announced on the Facebook Fan Page.

And here are the winners:

In First place, with 190 votes, Baby Javi! (Photo by Gaby Hernandez)

In an extremely close second place, with 178 votes, Little Elena! (Photo by Daniel Herrera)

And in Third Place, Little Mia! (Photo by Myrna Ramirez)

The first place winner will receive: A Free Photo Shoot, along with two free 8x10 prints, enhancements and adjustments on select photos, and a free personal online gallery for sharing with friends and family, and for print ordering.

The first runner up will receive: 1/2 off A session fee, One free 8x10 Print and One free 5x7 print, and 1/2 off all other prints! You'll also get the same great enhancements and adjustments on select photos, as well as a free online gallery for sharing and print ordering.

The Third Place winner Receives: A $50 gift certificate to use toward a photo session, one free 8x10 (included with photo session), as well as enhancements and adjustments on select photos, and a FREE Online Gallery for sharing and print ordering.

Thanks again to everyone for making this a great contest and a really, REALLY close and suspenseful finish! It was down to the wire all month between the two top contenders!
I hope everyone had a great time, and I look forward to doing another contest in the near future, so stay tuned!

Lates

Houston Wedding Photographer Sneak Peek - Jen and Jonathan

2010-10-30T22:20:00.004-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of shooting Jennifer and Jonathan's gorgeous wedding at Cole's Country in Cypress, TX. I'm excited to finish the photos, but here's a sneak peek. More to come. Stay tuned.

Lates

Houston Wedding Photographer - Mayra and Anibal - Part Two

2010-10-11T01:38:00.007-05:00

In post one of this series of Mayra and Anibal's Wedding, I shared images from the pre-ceremony goings on, as well as the ceremony. Well now it's time for the post-ceremony and the reception. We had great weather that day in Bryan, TX, with nice clear skies, bearable heat and a great looking couple. Pile those three ingredients into a photo shoot and you get some amazing images. Enjoy part two.

Now on to the reception!

Anibal was an Electronics Engineer Major at The University of Houston and graduated earlier this year. That might offer some insight into the following cake:

Details people!
First Dance

Dancing with Dad

Open dance floor!

He surprised her with Mariachi's. Even though he's married he's still got game ;)

The Mariachi's were really good too.

A shot with their best buds: Gaby and the best man Julio+ their new baby!

And a quick shot of me with my friends before they drove away :)

Mayra and Anibal, guys, I'm really really happy for you and wish you both the best . I had a great time at the wedding and I hope you like the photos we got as much as I do. We'll be seeing you soon!

Well that's all for now folks. Check back in a little bit for another wedding from earlier in the year. As for the contest, it's really heating up! I appreciate all the support for it, and someone is going to be winning a free photo session at the end of this month! We still have nearly 2 weeks left you guys, so it's not too late to enter! And for those who have already entered, Get those friends and family to come and vote!

Lates

Houston Wedding Photographer - Mayra and Anibal - Part One

2010-10-11T01:34:00.003-05:00

It's been a month and a week since my good friends Mayra and Anibal tied the knot. They're doing great and are loving married life. If you've been following the Blog, I've been quite busy lately with a contest going on right now (via Facebook) and October seems to be a popular month to get married. We certainly have been enjoying phenomenal weather here in Houston lately.

But it's been a little bit since I posted a wedding so I'm going to post some of the highlights from Mayra and Anibal's recent wedding. Notice I said some of the highlights. But because there are so many, I'm breaking this up into two posts. I'm not going to describe every photo like I normally do, but I will add a caption here and there.

Enjoy, Part 1...

Meanwhile the Bride gets dolled up...

She's so pretty!

The newlyweds make their exit...

Well that was part one. Stay tuned for part two shortly.

Lates

Slick Pix's Cutest Kid Contest and Free Giveaway!

2010-09-28T00:56:00.003-05:00

Well it's finally here people. It's time to begin the contest!

It's not going to be as cool or glamorous as Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket contest, I'm not going to be dressing up in a purple suit with a matching top-hat. But I hope it causes a stir just as large :)

October's Contest: The Cutest Kid

This contest is based off of the largest networking site ever, Facebook. As you can see on my Blog, if you look to the right, there's a Facebook Fan Page window. Clicking it will take you to my Facebook Fan Page, an information page about Slick Pix Photography along with the latest posts, specials, and of course, this contest.

The way it's going to work is this: You're going to "Like" my Facebook page. (Liking used to be called 'Becoming a Fan' but they changed it to "like" recently) After you do that, (if you haven't already) you'll be eligible to enter your kid or kids (12 and under please) by posting a picture of them on the Slick Pix wall. They'll go into a gallery where they'll be voted on by the fans. Voters will need to "Like" the Slick Pix Fan Page for their vote to count.

In Facebook you're able to "Like" a photo. The kid with the most "Likes" will win a free photo shoot, along with two free 8x10 prints, enhancements and adjustments on select photos, and a free personal online gallery for sharing with friends and family, and for print ordering.

The first runner up will receive 1/2 off a session fee, One free 8x10 Print and One free 5x7 print, and 1/2 off all other prints! You'll also get the same great enhancements and adjustments on select photos, as well as a free online gallery for sharing and print ordering.

Third runner up gets a $50 gift certificate to use toward a photo session, one free 8x10, as well as enhancements and adjustments on select photos, and a FREE Online Gallery for sharing and print ordering.

Only one photo per kid, please. Also, since I'm based in Houston, I'd like to keep it in the Houston area. But if you're from out of town and don't mind driving to Houston for the photo shoot, it's all good!

Feel free to tell your friends and family to come vote for your kid. Again, the one with the most "Likes" will win. So it's not up to me, it's all up to the fans! :)

I'll be posting periodic reminders on Facebook to get your pics and votes in. The contest will last From the time you read this, until 11:59 P.M, October 31, 2010, and a winner will be announced soon after that. So break out those kid photos and get 'em in early to get those votes started. For a full list of rules and restrictions you can email me or message me on Facebook.

For all those without kids, don't worry, I'm working on a random drawing featuring a giveaway for you guys in the near future.

I look forward to seeing the competition!

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Slick Brides - Myra's Bridal

2010-09-19T01:36:00.005-05:00

Well it's been exactly two weeks since Mayra and Anibal were married (see the previous post for a sneak peek of their wedding). That being the case, it is now officially safe to post the Bridal shoot we did with Mayra.

She wanted a country type setting, so we did the shoot right here at the studio- outside, of course. The summer time greenery was in full swing, and so was the summer time heat! I was soaking wet at the end of this shoot and had to carry a towel with me so the camera wouldn't slip out of my hand. I don't know how Mayra kept her composure during the inferno, especially sporting a multi-layered wedding dress and cowboy (er, cowgirl) boots at that.

But as expected, she looked gorgeous in her gleaming white dress, summer heat and all. Because it was so hot, we only shot for about 45 minutes, however we got several different looks and settings, so it was a success.

If you're viewing this from Facebook, head on over to the Blog to see the bride in all her high-res splendor.

We had such a great time shooting this bridal, and I think the above image is my favorite. Feel free to leave your thoughts on them.
Mayra's husband's Brother-in-Law, Fred and his wife accompanied Mayra on her Bridal shoot, and Fred got some cool behind the scene shots. So thanks Fred, for sending me these photos:

Doing some directing...

Thinking in a precarious position...
And shooting in a precarious position...
For the gear-heads: In the above photos, I'm using the Canon 5D with an 85mm f1.8, and a Boomed Alien Bee 800 with the Socked High-Output Beauty Dish and Vagabond II Battery Pack. Great for location shooting, but it sure is heavy!

If you're getting married soon, I highly suggest doing a bridal shoot. You've spent quite a bit on that custom-tailored dress which fits you like a glass slipper made only for you. You'll only wear it for one day, so it's a good idea to 'immortalize' it in a formal photo shoot. You'll be glad you did :)

I've got some big stuff in store for Slick Pix Photography in the next few weeks. We're going to be doing a contest for a give-away, but that's all I can say for now. If you haven't "Liked" the Facebook page yet I suggest you do, since that's what the contest is going to be based out of. It's going to be HUGE! So stay tuned.

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Mayra & Anibal - Sneak Peek

2010-09-05T02:41:00.003-05:00

Well I just got back from Bryan, Texas, where I shot the wedding of two very close friends, Anibal and Mayra.
All I can post at the moment is a sneak peek, because it's 2:52 A.M. and I've been on my feet since 7 .A.M. after only 4 hours of sleep last night. Saying I'm tired is a small understatement. Just a smidge.
It was such a fun day and a really beautiful wedding. It flew by just like I knew it would. So here's one shot I liked from the night. Many do not approve of the lens flare effect, (J.J. Abrams certainly is not in that crowd- just watch 5 minutes of Star Trek) but I think it can be used in good taste as long as it's not over done.
I feel this shot has a touch of intriguing mystery to it because the flare hides the faces a bit, so it leaves the rest of the wedding to the imagination but gives a hint of great things to come. Stay tuned, I hope to post more within the coming week, but it might be longer. We'll see. There's a fluffy pillow and a warm bed with my name on it.

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Houston Wedding Photographer - Mayra and Anibal: Engagements

2010-09-04T00:58:00.003-05:00

Anibal is an old buddy of mine, and we've been through a lot together. A couple of years ago he told me he met a girl, and that she's really great. We hung out as a group many times, so I can honestly agree that yeah, Mayra is indeed a great girl. But you never really think of "Hey, these two might get married one day..." Well fast forward to present day, and guess who's getting married? Yep.

So imagine how excited, how honored I felt, to be chosen to photograph their wedding day. I suggested they look at several other photographers to cover their big day, and they did, but they said they definitely wanted me to cover it. I think they mentioned that it would make it more special if I covered it. I have to agree. As the photographer of the union of a man and woman in the Divinely instituted marriage arrangement, I get to record the nuances of each emotion during that special day. I also become part of that wedding. A major part in fact. The photographs that I record will be seen by friends, family and others for years, decades to come. And to become such an integral part of the wedding of some of my closest friends is something that I truly cherish.

Well, tomorrow is it. Actually, since it's 1:20 right now, it's later on today. In fact, around 12 hours from now, it will be happening. So I offer my utmost congratulations to Anibal and Mayra, and wish you both an eternally successful friendship to each other.

I had the privilege of shooting their engagement portraits too, and we had a great time. We went to The Woodlands Waterway area, did some shots, had dinner at The Goose's Acre, then did a few more shots with the fountain and colorful lights.

Well guys, I'll see you two in a few hours. I won't be getting much sleep tonight, but it's OK. We're going to totally rock that camera and get some great shots. See you at the wedding!

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Houston Wedding Photographer - Daniela and Dennis

2010-09-01T14:57:00.010-05:00

On the last post I mentioned an incoming hay-maker to this Blog, and boy I wasn't kidding. I'm not sure how many photos are in this post, but I know it's more than a handful. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them...

Meet Dennis and Daniela. They like to have fun. You'll see what I mean as you scroll down...

I was shooting once again with Janet of Rainy Day Photos on this wedding, and we had such a blast, the night was just too short. This wedding was from back in March, so I'm a few months behind, but trust me, I'm getting caught up. It was another amazing day weather-wise (we seem to have a lot of those lately...) and there was not a rain cloud in sight.
Viewing from Facebook? Check out the Blog, if you don't mind.

A little something to calm the pre-wedding jitters? Or just a gift from the guys? I guess we'll never know...

A splash of her favorite cologne before donning the penguin suit...

It's all about the details people...

What's this? Hmm...

On with the tie

Yeah that's right, he's putting the Chucks' on...Mighty cool if you ask me

It's getting close...

Gotta get the boutonnieres pinned on...Can't forget those

Time for a group shot with the guys...

The amount of wood used in this church was mind blowing

I love it when couples pass looks at each other during the ceremony...

On with the rings...

And the kiss...

It's time to go party y'all...

They made quite a grand entrance- Mariachi's and all...

It may look like Dennis is attempting a failed spider-man impression, but in fact he's pulling off a successful mid-air flip-and-roll. Daniela doesn't look too impressed. I had no idea that was coming... You gotta be quick on that shutter button!

First dance...

Shortly after things got started, we went outside for a quick mini-shoot with the B&G...

Who doesn't like spinning?

Did I mention they like to have fun? All I had to say was "Captain Morgan" and they were down...And how hawt are Daniela's shoes!

Back inside for some dancing...

They had a fully stocked candy bar with enough goodies to satisfy children of all ages. Willy Wonka would be proud...

They had a pair of masterfully crafted cakes...

...Complete with a great looking Patron Silver Tequila bottle Groom's Cake

It always hurts a little to see such a well-crafted piece of art get chopped and consumed, but hey, it sure did taste good...

Yep. With his teeth...

Conga Line!

And one last shot for the road...

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before or not, but I really, really love what I do. Thanks to Janet for allowing me to shoot with you once again, and thanks to Daniela and Dennis for such a great time.

This coming weekend Janet and I have back to back weddings- My wedding Saturday and Her wedding Sunday and I'm really looking forward to it. So I'll be sure to share the results after a bit, hopefully not too long. It should be fun!

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Houston Wedding Photographer- Tre and Maritelle

2010-08-27T00:18:00.012-05:00

I've been threatening to post some of the recent weddings I've done for some time now. Needless to say, those threats were fairly empty. It's kind of like shaking your fist at Mike Tyson. But I've been working out (so to speak) and I'm ready to lay a hay-maker on this blog, starting with a wedding I shot back in February.

As mentioned on my Website's Info page, I occasionally work with several other photographers in the Houston area. At this wedding, I was second shooting for Janet of Rainy Day Photos. She's great to work with and we actually work together more than I work with any other photographer. And I'd like to say thanks to her for allowing me to assist with so many great couples!
If You're viewing this on Facebook, please visit the Blog to see bigger, better photos.

We start with some shots of Maritelle getting dolled up for her big day

She was all smiles as the hair and makeup crew did their thing

On with the dress...

And the garter...

Her suite had some amazing window light coming in and we made full use of it. I love that dress!

Tre gives his Bride a pre-ceremony gift

Maritelle's pre-ceremony gift to Tre was a Boudoir Style photo-book of her done by Janet. By the look on his face, I think he liked it.

Maritelle and the flower girls. So pretty!

Her lovely bouquet

Maritelle got a little emotional during the ceremony

And the Kiss...Quite possibly the single most important shot of the day.

After the ceremony we went for a photo-walk in Discovery Green park The weather was awesome. Not like it is now, in August, but nice, cool, February weather.

They had a couple of really cool cakes...

Yeah, this is the other cake. It was red inside too. Pretty cool in my book.

What would we do without the money dance?

They had one of the most uh-maz-ing DJ's I've ever seen and heard. He had a full projector music video setup and mixed beats so smooth it sounded like it was a record cut straight out of a studio

That's some pretty high-tech equipment there pal! Him and his wife were totally rockin' our socks off

The dance floor stayed packed

The night was drawing to a close, and they had a farewell toast

This reception was held at the Kim Son Restaurant in Downtown Houston. The upstairs to that place is HUGE! This was by far one of the biggest, funnest and lively wedding's I'd been to. Well here's a belated 'Congratulations' to Maritelle and Tre. I had such a blast.

Stay tuned for some more posts. If your eye is keen, you may have noticed a new "share" button at the bottom of the posts. You can now easily click the button to share this post with your favorite network. *ahem* Facebook... :)

Well this was just the windup of the incoming hay-maker on this ol' blog. You'll want to check back for the full impact of the aforementioned photo-assault. I'm just getting warmed up...

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Slick Seniors - Lanneah: Class of 2010

2010-07-07T22:24:00.008-05:00

Ok I really have to start posting more often. Last time I posted another Senior session, and this time I'm posting one more High School Senior for the class of 2010. I swear I'll get around to posting some weddings from earlier this year.

I've known Lanneah for years, probably since she was about 10 or younger- another friend of the family. I'm glad I was able to shoot her Senior Portraits. She's got a great photogenic look and is really comfortable in front of the camera. I was having such a great time working with her I was a little sad when she had to leave. Hopefully we'll get together again and do a shoot just for kicks. Maybe when it gets a bit cooler outside.

I hope Lanneah and her family and friends like the photos, because I sure do. There were so many keepers from this shoot it was difficult deciding which ones to keep in the final gallery.
As usual, if you're viewing this on Facebook, please visit the Blog for the better quality photos.

We'll start off with a classic cap and gown shot in front of the bookcase, then move on to some more natural and casual settings. Let me know what you think!

She had a gorgeous gown that I feel would look amazing downtown or in a ritzy hotel. It still looks awesome in the country though.

Again y'all, I'm still accepting bookings for Senior Portraits for Class of 2010-2011. It's a good idea to get your portraits done this summer if you're class of 2011 so that you can have pics to show off and pass out to all your friends. Feel free to shoot me an email or a comment here.
You can also find me on Facebook.

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Slick Seniors - Michael's Senior Portraits

2010-06-18T01:33:00.009-05:00

A somewhat old friend of the family allowed me the privilege to photograph their graduating Senior for the class of '10, Michael. Our families go back quite some years, and I remember Michael when he was just about 9 or 10 years old. He's grown up to be a nice young man. He's a hard worker, loves his family, is very smart and well read. Ok, I'll stop now- it sounds like I'm auctioning off a date with him to a crowd of ladies...

Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun with the shoot. We just kind of hung out, cracked jokes and talked about life, like a couple of old friends. His mom dropped him off at the studio and then picked up my mom, and they went out shopping and such, so it afforded us plenty of time to take it easy and makes some great images.

So here's some of the shots we got that day. I hope the family enjoys them, I sure think they turned out well. If you're viewing this on Facebook, please go to my Blog to see what the photos are supposed to look like. Facebook always messes with image quality.

Thanks again guys, and we'll be seeing you around!

Class of 2010 and 2011 Seniors, now's a great time to book your session. If you don't want 'cookie-cutter' boring portraits for your senior year, come see us at Slick Pix Photography. We'll have a great time and you'll love your unique images!

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Check, Check...Is this thing on?

2010-05-25T00:51:00.007-05:00

Wow, how quickly time flies. I just realized it's been two months since my last blog post. I haven't been up to much, just a few weddings and portrait sessions here and there. I really do intend to blog them, but I just get so busy doing other things, then get lazy, and don't get around to posting my latest work.

I'll have to save the weddings I've done recently for another post, hopefully in the next couple of weeks or so, but we'll see how my time-management skills meet the challenge.

A couple of months ago Shannon and I got together to do a shoot that I've been wanting to do for a long time. A 1940's Pinup Art themed shoot. I'm such a fan of the style from the 40's and 50's. Shannon also happens to be a fan of that style. Back then they would paint girls on the noses of fighter planes and bombers during WWII, and they also made quite an appearance in calendars and such.

That said, most of the art was kept relatively family-friendly. And that's what I was going for. Nothing risqué or inappropriate, but fun, bright, lively portraits that contain the feel of the era before color television and digital photography. Photos that don't look so much like photos, but images that kind of blur the line between photograph and illustration.

It was my first attempt at this genre, and I think it went pretty well. Shannon LOVED them, and so did all her friends. So I'll save you further reading and just post some pics.

The bike got cut off in a few shots because we were working in a small one-car garage. Really tight quarters. But the shoot went well, we had fun, and we both are pleased with the result. I see some things to improve on, but that comes with time and experience. I'd like to do some more shoots like this and see what I get.

Hopefully I won't be MIA for so long. Lets try for another blog post within the next two weeks, whaddya say?

Until then, leave me some blog-lovin' comments below this post, and hit me up on Facebook!

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Houston Senior Portraits - Senior Rep Kourtney - Session 2

2010-03-25T23:29:00.004-05:00

I had another great time shooting Kourtney, my 2010 High school senior rep. The first shoot was in my previous post, and had more of a country setting.

For this shoot, we wanted to do something urban, modern and ultra-cool. I think we accomplished that. We chose a perfect day to shoot- it was a cool Friday evening and the sun was setting just perfectly below the Houston horizon.

I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to finish the rest of these, but they're finally done, and I'm pleased with the results. If you're viewing this from Facebook, please check these out on the Blog since Facebook is not nice to photos :(
Enough talk. Lets see some photos!

The image below has to be my absolute, hands-down favorite from the entire shoot. We were just about to leave and we were tired, hungry and ready to grub down at Katz's Deli. I turned around and took one last look at the skyline, and decided I couldn't let the scene elude me this night. Since it was getting quite dark, I broke out the tripod and after a couple of shots, it was chow time. I knew I had nailed the shot and couldn't wait to get home to work on it.

I couldn't have gotten the shots that day without my awesome assistant and V.A.L. Kameron, Kourtney's older brother. A "V.A.L" is a photog acronym-ism that stands for Voice Activated Lightstand. I believe it was coined by the Strobist blogger, David Hobby. It's certainly appropriate, since I would vocalize direction, and the V.A.L. would respond by re-positioning the light. Awesome. :)
Thanks again Kameron, you did a great job!

I also got some super slick Senior Rep Cards for Kourtney to pass out to classmates and friends. It's a two-sided card with rounded edges and comes with a trick carrying tin to keep the cards all neat and organized when you carry them around.

Since Kourtney is my Senior Rep, it has my contact information as well as a discount coupon that other Seniors can use when they come to have their portraits done at Slick Pix Photography. I'm going to offer these cards to all Seniors to pass out to their friends, but with less branding and a variety of photos on them.

Like always, feel free to post some comments below, share the link with your friends and suggest my Facebook Fan page to all your friends. Don't hesitate to contact me to set up an appointment or to book a photo session. I'm looking forward to it!

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Kourtney - Senior Rep Class of 2010

2010-03-08T01:18:00.007-06:00

I had my first photo session with Kourtney, my High School Senior representative for the class of 2010, Waltrip High School.

A Senior rep is a High School student that works with me (the photographer) on several shoots, creating different looks, ideas and styles resulting in a multitude of photos and different samples of what Seniors can look forward to if they choose to have their Photos done with Slick Pix Photography.

The Rep then takes information about my studio and passes it along to her friends and classmates at school. Referrals get a discount, and depending on how many referrals the Rep brings in, the Rep will get different gifts, from gift cards, to an iPod, and more.

If you think you'd like to be a Rep for your High School, let me know and we can discuss a few things to see if you're up for the challenge of being a model. I'm scouting for class of 2011-2012 reps too, so if you're a Sophmore or Jr, I'd love to hear from you.

This was the first session with Kourtney, and the next few will be different settings. We shot the first one around the studio with kind of a country setting. We'll probably go downtown Houston for the next session for a more urban feel. Stay tuned for more great shots of Kourtney.

The weather was a few notches above awesome, and I had a great time working with Kourtney. She was all smiles, and she actually had a difficult time not smiling. That's a good thing! I'm looking forward to our next sessions. Here's a few from our shoot last week.
If you're reading this from Facebook, please check these out on the blog HERE. Facebook really demolishes the quality of photos :/

Hit me up with some comments below. You know you want to :o)

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Video in the blog!

2010-02-26T18:24:00.000-06:00

While culling and processing the photos from Dany and Leslie's Wedding I realized something. At some parts of the shoot, it almost looks like a stop-motion movie if you flip through them fast enough.

While I don't employ the "Spray-and-Pray" method of shooting, I do take several shots of one setting with different looks. What's "Spray-and-Pray" you ask? In the world of Photography, it's usually a derogatory term used to describe a method some use in which you take an obscene amount of continuous photos hoping (praying) one will turn out nicely, as opposed to carefully framing each shot for light, posing, exposure and so on. However this method is usually the best method in the sports world where waiting on one perfect shot is not practical.

Back to my story- Flipping quickly through these photos gives the effect of semi-fluid motion not unlike old Gumby episodes.
This is the first time I've tried making a slide show of a photo shoot, and I kinda like it. The video program I used degraded the image quality pretty harshly, but I think it still looks OK.

The video is encoded in HD, so if you have a fast connection and a decent computer, select the "720p" option at the bottom of the video. It's about 8-and-a-half minutes, so check it out. If you're reading this on Facebook, click THIS LINK and check the blog. And as usual, leave me some blog-lovin' comments at the bottom of the post.

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Simpler is better...

2010-02-25T14:07:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to go to the park today. I can't remember the last time I went to the park just to go. It has mostly been to meet some friends for a game of baseball or something. Today, I went just to go.

The weather in Houston this week has been crraazyy! Two days ago it was snowing, and now it's a sunny, 65˚F (18˚C). That's some wild, crazy stuff.
I've also been jonsin' to take my dog walking on the trails of Meyer Park for a while. Looks like this park is a great place to do photo shoots too. I'll be jotting this down in the 'places to shoot' book.

But something struck me as interesting. In the midst of this economic turbulence that society is facing, people still like to do the simple things in life.

We have myriads of technological advances and gadgets to "make our life easier", scores of social networking portals to make friends and keep up with current trends, PDA's, Blackberries, iPhones, iPods and pretty soon iPads that keep us connected and entertained.

With all of these 'conveniences', people still love to just disconnect and go to the park to walk around, kick a ball, or stare at the pond. I see families laughing and smiling with their toddlers and children, jogging with their canine companions, riding bikes and feeding the ducks. And people look happy.

Forget about the iPhone or Blackberry in your pocket and just focus on the amazing weather. Get some exercise and take in the scenery. No matter your worries, it'll be sure to cheer you up.

While I write about being disconnected from the iPhone, I had to take this pic of my dog near the pond. I didn't have my 5D with me so don't hate on the quality :oP

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Houston Wedding Photographer - Leslie and Dany in Bellaire

2010-01-28T20:18:00.008-06:00

I was thrilled when my friend Leslie asked me to shoot her wedding. I've known Leslie for a few years, and couldn't wait to document one of the most significant days of her and Dany's lives.

The day started around 12 noon on an overcast Saturday in January, 2010. The temperature was nice and cool and the lighting was pretty good. I had a nice time at the wedding. Everything was very organized, and started right on time, as scheduled. Nice planning, guys.

I usually like to post images from a wedding either the night of, or at the latest the day after the wedding. But this time, I woke up sick on Sunday morning- sore throat and overall feeling *blah*. So I'm finally getting to it a few days later, although still sick, I think I'm improving. MucinexD is my new friend.

Here's quite a few favorites from the day, although there's still a lot more that will be ready in the coming weeks.

Leslie arrives right on time.

She nervously prepares to make her entrance...

Her and her dad share a smile before the final walk

Dany sees his bride for the first time in her glorious white dress...

In this Christian ceremony, the speaker uses the Bible to point out the responsibilities and duties of a Christian Husband and Wife, as well as emphasize the sanctity of the Marriage arrangement.

Vows, as well as rings are exchanged, then they are introduced as an officially married couple.

We're off to the park for a short photo-session before the reception

Time to go to the party...

First Dance as Husband and Wife

The dance with dad is always emotional, and understandably so...

What an elegant looking cake. I wasn't able to snag a piece, but if it tastes as good as it looks, I'm sure it was treat

There was some great looking snacks on display- complete with trees of fruit, and chocolate covered strawberries! Looks like a lot of time was spent making these edible trees and skewers.

Agua de Sandía - ¡Delicioso! (Rough Translation: Watermelon Juice - Delicious!)

One of the Groomsmen is an old friend of Dany's from New York. If you didn't see him, you'd swear you were listening to John Mayer. He totally rocked our socks off.

Cut the cake!

Fairwell...

Leslie and Dany, thank you so much for allowing me the privilege of shooting your wedding day. I really hope you guys like the photos. I wish you both the best.

I always have fun when shooting, but when I'm shooting for a friend, it's even more meaningful since we'll still be in touch years from now. As always, feel free to drop a comment or two here at the bottom.

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Leslie and Dany - Sneak Peek!

2010-01-26T02:03:00.003-06:00

Here's just a preview from Leslie and Dany's wedding from last Saturday...Stay tuned!

Monumental Memories...

2010-01-14T02:39:00.004-06:00

I love flipping through old stacks of Polaroids and loose prints, as well as old photo albums. Ah, to be a kid again- when your biggest worry was finding that toy you lost, or having to explain to Dad how you broke the TV...

Photos are like time machines. Staring at the details and soaking in the emotion on the faces of each person in the frame takes you back unlike any mental recollection alone can.

Back in October I had the privilege of shooting Elaine and Michael's Wedding on Lake Conroe. It's hard to believe it's already been 3 months since then! But as they say, Time marches on...
And that's why I feel it's really important to freeze time with photographic documentation.

I was proud to present Elaine and Michael's album to them earlier this month. This piece is a Custom Laminated Photo Hard-Cover album, with Leporello binding, true Photographic Prints on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, fold-flat seamless goodness in all it's Monumental 30.5 cm. Glory. OK, That's 12-inches to us yanks'. But 30.5-centimeters sounded better. 609 mm. Sounds better still...

You may not think a 12-inch album would be very big, but in person, it's quite astounding. Opening the album instantly doubles the media real estate for a sweeping 12-inch by 24-inch spread. (30.5 cm x 61cm.) You literally have to set the thing down on a table and step back to look at it all.

Just look how it dwarfs the iPhone:

Mighty fine binding...

Stunning lay-flat panoramas...

That's detail baby! Even the "small" inlay photos are huge, they were like 5"x7" in person.

The back cover. A discreet tag is standard on albums. Sometimes it's inside, sometimes on the back cover. It's like signing the piece of work that I invested so much time, thought and energy into. I really like the Cameo Inlay print on this one. It looks like a 3-D window on the back cover.

With this particular album we included a custom fitted dust-cover to protect it from minor scuffs and scrapes when you take it around to show all your friends. It also compels guests to ask "Hey, what's in the pretty case?" at which point you eagerly show off all your fabulous photos...

This is only one of many album options we offer. I highly suggest investing in one for yourself. It's more than just a great way to share your moments with your friends and family. It will be your time machine 10 or 15 years from now.

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Revital & David - Part 1

2009-12-14T11:59:00.000-06:00

Revital contacted me through my website's calendar date-booking feature to book her wedding with David, which was just a few weeks away at the time. Fortunately I had the date open, and I'm glad I did- I had such a blast working with these two. They were really laid back and literally up for anything. They even had some great ideas of their own. I love when clients suggest stuff because that makes the shoot all the more interesting and different than any other session. They can look back at the photos and say "That's my shot..."

David and Revi also opted to do a pre-ceremony shoot, which is just the best thing you can do, in my opinion. Many people are skeptical about seeing each other before the bride walks down the aisle, some due to tradition, others due to superstition, and still others due to personal preference. If this is your final decision, it's all good. But consider a few things if you will...

Spending some time alone before the ceremony allows you to really appreciate what is about to happen. I've spoken with many brides who say their wedding day was just a blur. Spending time together before the ceremony, you can really soak in the significance of this special day before all the distractions happen. Before all the guests arrive and before all eyes are on you.

Couples who see each other before the hectic ceremony are able to calm down and relax, allowing you to really take in the details during the ceremony- seeing friends and family gathered to celebrate one of the most important days of your life.

I really appreciate when couples choose to do this because it makes for better photos since it's early in the day and nobody has gotten tired or began to 'glisten' yet :o)
Not only that, things go smoother since time is already allotted for photos and there's not as much rushing as there would be after the ceremony and before the reception. It also frees up family and friends to mingle and talk and catch up after the ceremony, instead of rushing everyone out to get group shots done.

But whether you choose to see each other before the ceremony or not is totally fine. Just consider the benefits of a pre-ceremony photo session before that day flies by faster than the speed of life. Yes, I said life. Moves fast, doesn't it?

Several times per day for the whole week leading up to the wedding I was checking The Weather Channel app on my iPhone hoping to see some improvement. One day it projected sunny skies with a high of 68°, other times it showed rain and a high of 55°. But in the end it worked out fine, with the exception of wet grounds. The overcast sky is a photographers best friend, as it makes the largest softbox known to man, and you don't even have to have an assistant hold the stand for you!

We started at the Downtown Aquarium. It's a great place for photos, and the staff is really nice. It seems that walking around with a man and woman in wedding apparel will get you things the general public only dream about. More on that below.

This next photo is trying out some use of Textures. I think I like it. Makes a nice vintage-weathered photo look...

So walking through The Aquarium, everyone stopped and stared, pointed and smiled. They had a dance floor with a DJ entertaining the crowd, so David and Revi paused for a brief dance...

The crowd went wild...

The staff was so cool- they let us on the Carousel without having to stand in line for a ticket. They would have let us on the Ferris wheel, but we didn't have time :o(

After the Aquarium, we were on our way to a local park that David had scouted the day before. He's a recon specialist in the army, so he knows a thing or two about scouting...

At the park...

They wanted a fun, urban feel to their photos, so we opted to find some places around Downtown Houston that would work. Since that's where the ceremony was going to take place, it worked out well given the time constraints that come with any wedding day. David pretty much planned the whole photo route, and it went like clockwork. Nice job, David. Made my job a LOT easier.

As you may have noticed from the title, this is only part 1 of the post. I had so many favorites that one Blog post couldn't contain it. Once again I will have managed to break my own record for number of photos posted at one time. And this is only a portion of the great shots on that day.

To be continued...

Revital & David - Part 2

2009-12-14T11:58:00.000-06:00

It's a really cool story how David and Revital met. It begins overseas, in the historic land of Israel...
In fact, I'll just let David tell the story:

"I went to Israel on a work trip. My buddies and I were running on the beach and he went to talk to a hottie sun tanning on the beach. She invited us to Haifa University and the second I walked in I noticed Revital dancing- she blew me away. She was beautiful, sexy and an amazing dancer.

I didn't have the nerve to go talk to her. We bumped heads at the end of the night and danced together. She gave me her number and invited me to the infected mushroom concert. So I go to the concert the next day, I didnt have a cell phone so I was asking random girls to borrow their cell phones to call Revi. I tried calling like twenty times and my buddies were looking at me like I was a dumb-(@*#), telling me "look around dude there are tons of women here!"

I remember them talking but truthfuly it went in one ear and out the other. So once I got to about 30 calls she finally anwsered and we hooked up. She introduced me to all her friends and to top everything off, she was trying to pawn me off on one of her friends! But I was persistent and the rest is history.......Call it love at first sight......She still wows me to this day!"

Is that a cool story or what? Thanks David, for writing that down for me. A little background adds a ton of insight to the photos.

I broke this shoot up into two posts, the first one was from the pre-ceremony session, and now it's time for the ceremonial part of the day. This wedding was unlike any I had been to before. It was a Jewish ceremony, which has several significant events that have to take place before two people are married.

We begin with the signing of the Ketubah. The Ketubah is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. First the witnesses sign it, then the groom, then the bride, then the Rabbi...

Next we go outside to the Chuppah for the ceremony, which includes several procedures including lighting a multi-wick candle, smelling of spices, sipping of wine, the bride and groom encircling one another, the exchanging of rings, and finally culminating with the stomping of the glass, finalizing the marriage, at which point all the guests shout "Mazel tov!"- expressing their congratulations for a happy and significant event.

The rings are exchanged as follows: The Rabbi holds both of the rings, he then hands one ring to the groom, and he slips it over the brides right index finger during which vows are said.

He hands a ring to the Bride, who then slips the ring over the Groom's right index finger. Then each person moves the ring from their own index finger over to their left-hand ring-finger.

There is a lot more to this ceremony than what's seen here. I don't want to post too many pictures, but I did post more from this event than any other assignment to date. But like I said, there were just too many favorites to choose from.

I had such a great time working with Revital and David, and I wish the best for their future together.

Lates

* Facebook-Fan Senior-Portrait Special *

2009-12-04T02:17:00.010-06:00

My Facebook page hasn't been up for very long, so I don't have many friends and fans on it. ☹

In an effort to populate my Facebook Friends and Fans page, I'm running a special for all High-School Seniors, class of '10 or '11- it doesn't matter.

The deal is, if you "Fan" my business page on Facebook and book a session either through Facebook or Twitter, you will get a 15% discount on any Senior Portrait Photo-Session and Print-Package. That's savings of up to more than $50!
Not only that, on all sessions booked through Facebook or Twitter, I'll provide you with 5 Facebook-Sized Digital Files for your Facebook profile pics FOR FREE.

There's some blog posts of past session on here, but here's a few for now:

For more information on packages, just email me through my website, or call me and provide me with an email address. I have a special Seniors Information Packet loaded with great suggestions on how to look your best on your photo shoot.

You might want to book soon, this deal won't last long. You can also be sure to pass the word on to your friends.
So visit my Facebook Page, become a fan and receive 15% off your choice of photo packages!
Don't forget about the FREE Facebook Photos too!

Lates

Girls Night Out...

2009-11-21T01:14:00.005-06:00

Well Faten contacted me for a shoot with her girls a few weeks ago. The occasion was that Nancy is getting married soon in the country of Jordan (Congratulations, Nancy!) Faten (pronounced fah-TEN) wanted to do a shoot before Nancy's big day, and before her bachelorette party.

Her idea was to have kind of a "Sex and The City" theme behind it. I don't watch the show, so I had to spend some time researching screencaps from the Series. But it did make for some cool ideas and a little brainstorm adaptation to try and get a similar look.

The weather couldn't have been nicer- not too cool, but not too hot, gorgeous blue skies and just the occasional breeze. We visited an area in The Woodlands, Texas- Market Street to be exact. If you read my blog regularly, you might have noticed that I did an engagement session there in The Woodlands not too long ago, but it was more on the Waterway and not exactly on Market Street.
The area is nice and clean, and it also has a water way area and some shopping centers which matched our criteria given the theme of the session.

With that, I present to you (from left) Nancy, Faten, and Leial (said lay-AL):

For some reason I like the B&W conversion on this next shot. I think it looks kind of 3-D, if that's possible in a B&W photo...

The girls workin' it for the camera...yeah!

Early in the shoot I first heard, then saw an Italian Exotic drive through Market Street. I always stop and stare when I get the chance to see one of these rare works of handcrafted obscenely fast art. It was then when I thought, "It would be so cool if we could get that guy to let us take some photos with his car..."
Well it drove by again about 30 minutes later while we were still in the area, and the girls mentioned how cool it would be to take some shots with that car. Well he pulled up to the valet parking area, and as he stepped out of his Lamborghini Gallardo, I approached and politely asked if I could take a couple of shots of his car with the girls. He casually shrugged and said "Sure, you can use it", then looked over at the valets and said "They can use my car" and just walked away! How cool was that?!

Well the valet parked it for me pretty much in the middle of the street, so I had to shoot fast and with a quickness. It was a little difficult with the harsh sunlight so direct, but I think we got some okay shots.

In keeping with the theme, we had to stop in for some Cosmo's. We dropped in at The Cheesecake Factory- they have a really nice bar area. But as I was doing some light tests, one of the managers comes over and tells us no photos are allowed inside :o/
So we took it to the patio area.

And a little B&W action...

Then it was off to the waterway- which is right outside The Cheesecake Factory's front door...

I had a lot of fun doing this shoot, and I hope Faten, Nancy and Leial did too. The girls were great in front of the camera, and it's such a joy working with people who like being on camera. I am also pleased with the results- I think we more or less accomplished the desired theme.
I also want to say "Thanks!" to the gracious owner of that amazing piece of machine called the Lamborghini Gallardo, who ever you are. Hats off to you, kind sir!

Feel free to drop a note, yea or nay.

Lates

Slick Rides on an Awesome Day...

2009-10-25T22:24:00.015-05:00

Well we couldn't have asked for better weather. The 1st Annual DHL Charity Car Show was great. It was to benefit the American Heart Association and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk.

We had cars from all eras, all makes, a few bikes, trikes, and even a rail car-dune-buggy looking thing. I haven't done a great deal of automotive photography, (although I was published once in Sport Truck Magazine thankyouverymuch :oD ) but I do like Automobiles a lot, so I wouldn't mind getting to shoot them more often.

This Nova was one of my favorites of the show. Really slick paint, great attention to detail, immaculate interior, and the power to back it all up. (Click on Photos to view large)

Just look at that engine bay- You could cook hot-dogs on the manifold AND eat them!
They had a really cool DJ playing great music all day. Notice the 17" Macbook Pro.  FTW!

A Supercharged (and I'm sure super-fast) Lingenfelter Corvette was out. Complete with a giant hood intake vent.

I think this next truck had to be another one of the slickest of the show. Just an amazing looking vehicle from any angle. He won two awards- Best Interior, and The DHL Choice Award.

The Brickhouse girls presenting the awards to the owner of the above truck...
The Chevelle Car Club made a strong showing with around 14 cars total...
Marco and his Satin Black '70 Chevelle won the Best Under Construction Award

The Brickhouse Girls checking things out under the hood
This guy was a show-stopper. When he rolled up in this '60 Caddie, every head turned. It was even cooler when he dropped the tail on the ground with a loud "SSSSSSSSSSSSS"

A clean pair of bikes...

Check out the magnificent glass-like paint on this extraordinary '67 Vette

Winner of the Rev it Up contest with his award in front of his Orange 502 El Camino SS. It was pretty funny- he kept it tame at first being relatively quiet, but when he opened up those exhaust dumps, people gasped and heart-rates increased, bringing a grin to every guys face within 1 square mile

You'll want to click on the next picture. As people were pulling out, they took their turns layin' some rubber. This was one of the more spectacular displays.

Not much smoke on the next one. With such fat cheater slicks mounted, it was just grab and go. If you look real close, you can see the tires wrinkle.

And the DHL Crew and Volunteers.

I had a blast at the event, and look forward to shooting more automotive subjects in the future.

To see the full gallery, head on over to my website at www.SlickPix.net and click on the "Client Galleries" link in the bottom menu, then click on the gallery.

Keep in mind too, that 25% of all Print Sales from this even is benefiting the American Heart Association and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. So go ahead and purchase a nice large print or several, and donate to a good cause at the same time.

Until next time,

Lates

Elaine and Michael's Wedding

2009-10-13T23:16:00.006-05:00

Last week I posted Michael and Elaine's Engagement photos and mentioned they were getting married the following week. Well the big day finally came. Again, the meteorologists predicted partly cloudy skies with a comfortable high of 71° F. But alas, it was not to be. The rain foiled our plans once again, but we were able to get a few shots outside after the wedding. However, it was very windy and somewhat chilly, and the dark gray skies made for dreary backdrops. Still, we tried to make the best of it.

It was at the Walden Yacht Club- A really nice location right on the shore of Lake Conroe. Since it was raining, we had to move the ceremony indoors. A decision that had to be made just 15 minutes before the ceremony started.

Here's some photos from the day. This is probably the largest volume of images I've posted in one blog post, but there's many more to see in the full gallery. Feel free to drop a comment or two at the bottom of the post.

Getting Ready:

At the Altar:

Trading Rings...

The Kiss...

Now for some shots after the ceremony. We happened to catch a break in the rain, and took advantage of it.
Elaine had such a pretty dress:

The guys Hulkin' out:

The happy family...

Such an awesome looking cake. I didn't have any, but they said it was great. It was made by Sweets to Dream On, a Custom Cake, Cookie and Candie shop based in Conroe, TX. I happened to be driving behind them on the road about 15 minutes before we arrived at the Yacht Club, and thought to myself "I really like that name. Hey, I wonder if they're delivering the cake to Elaine and Michael's Wedding?" And they were. Nice job on the cake y'all.

Time to cut some art...

Michael: "Hey, I wanted the piece with the raspberry filling!"

Elaine: "That WAS the piece with the raspberry filling!" You guys are so funny...

And the Rings...

Congratulations you guys! It was heaps of fun working with Elaine and Michael, and I wish them the best. Until next time,

Lates

Just a quick note...

2009-10-13T03:08:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to drop a quick blog about an event I'm going to be shooting on October 24th, 2009. It's the DHL Charity Car and Bike Show to be held at the Brick House Tavern and Tap here in Houston. 100% of the proceeds go to charity, benefiting the American Heart Association, and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. Here is a link to the flyer on the website set up for this event: LINK.

Not only that, %25 of the proceeds from the prints that people purchase on my website www.SlickPix.net will also be going toward that same charity. They'll be listed under "Client Galleries" a couple of weeks after the Car Show. So buy some prints, and donate toward a good cause at the same time. Might I suggest a 16x20 Stretched Canvas wall-art print? :o)

If you're in the Houston area, feel free to drop by and check out some cool cars. I'm sure it's going to be a fun time. The Location is: 12910 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77040.
Map:

View Larger Map

Hope to see you there!

Lates

Elaine and Michael - Engagement Session

2009-10-04T23:00:00.008-05:00

I had the privilege of shooting Elaine and Michael yesterday for their engagement photos. They were an absolute hoot to work with. They're both really laid back and are so fun to be around. Their personalities complement each other well, and it's easy to see why they have such a good relationship.

Unfortunately, the weather was working against us. The weathermen promised a nice day with a possibility of rain. What we got was dark gray skies and lots of steady showers that alternated between light and medium downpours.

As mentioned in a previous post, camera gear and rain combine for a disasterous result. I made do with a plastic bag and a rubber band, together with one of my lighting umbrellas and tried to make the best out of the situation.

Edit: I reviewed my primary gear bag a while back, The Lowepro Flipside 400 AW, but I had not used the bag to it's full potential. I have to add that while it was raining, I did indeed use the optional All-Weather Cover on my Lowepro Flipside 400 AW. It worked really well, and is so conveniently tucked away on the bottom, really easy to pull on, and completely rain-proofs the back of the pack- thus protecting the expensive electronic contents inside.

I should also mention that I walked around for several hours with lots of gear in the bag and it never became uncomfortable. The structure and the padding on the bag really make it easy to focus on your work instead of distracting you with aches and pains.

We shot in the area of The Woodlands, TX. A very scenic area with lots of photo locales, there was a lot I wanted to do, but the setting sun wins again. I still think we got some great shots, especially considering the conditions. So here are a few of the shots we got on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

On with the Photos:

One of Elaine and Michael's first dates was at The Goose's Acre in The Woodlands. So they wanted some shots in front of the sign. It makes for a nice backdrop.

The rain really picked up so we took a break and went into The Goose's Acre for some Mojito's and Appetizers- Potato Skins and Spinach Artichoke Dip. Good Stuff.

Above is one of my favorite shots of the day. We spent a lot of time under this bridge here due to all the rain.

By the end of the shoot, the sun had gone down, and the lights came on, but the rain was still persisting. The lights change color, but we only took a few quick shots in front of the fountain because I didn't want to soak my gear, or my subjects.

I have to say thanks again, to Elaine and Michael for picking up the tab at The Goose's Acre. I have got to go back there. It's a great atmosphere and the food and drinks are good, too.

I'm going to be shooting their wedding next Sunday, so stay tuned for some shots from that. I'm sure we're gonna' rock that wedding- let's just hope for nice weather!

On another note, you may have noticed my Facebook page to the right of my Blog. Feel free to check it out, leave a message and become a fan. It's all about networking, and the more people you know, the more you can achieve.

Until next time,
Lates

Morgin and Patrick's Wedding

2009-09-03T01:44:00.012-05:00

I haven't been updating lately, but I have been kind of busy.
As mentioned on my website, I occasionally work with various other photographers in the southeast Texas region. I always wait until they have finished posting on their blogs before I release any images.
Last month I had a great time shooting with Allen of BellaFotografica in Beaumont, Texas. It was a bit of a drive for me (just shy of two hours!) but it was definitely worth it. It was heaps of fun and the guys made for some lively subjects that really makes my job a lot easier.

I had the assignment of documenting the guys before the wedding and assisting with shooting the wedding itself as well as the reception.
Here's some shots before the ceremony:

The guys arriving- Patrick is 5th from the right...

To say it was hot outside is like saying the Grand Canyon is just a ditch. Understatement of the year award. I tried to be as quick as I could outside, and the guys soldiered on even with their jackets on!

Two cool cats- Patrick is on the right:

Everybody is so into texting these days...I think they were messaging each other...

The Girls on their way to the ceremony. What you can't see is the baseball field to the right, full of players cheering and hollering. It was pretty funny...

Patrick has Morgin in a tractor-beam..."Brrrrrrrvvvvvtt!"

"No Flash-Photography during the ceremony!" That's OK. The handy, dandy 5D to the rescue!

Lighting the Unity Candles

Exchanging Rings

Seal the deal with a kiss

A little Post-Ceremony ring-shot vintage style...

What an awesome looking cake. Am I right? It was phenomenally delicious, too...

Time to cut the Cake!

And an emotional toast...

The night was over early for me since I had to drive back to Houston, but we got some great shots and really covered this Wedding well.

We're already booking weddings into 2010, so if you're still deciding on a photographer for your special day, let us know soon!

Until next time,
Lates

New Addition to the Family!

2009-07-27T14:13:00.003-05:00

We recently got a new addition to the family. Just last week, in fact. No, it's not a baby- not a human baby anyway- it's a Puppy! He's a Labrador/ German Shepherd mix, supposedly. I see the Lab in him, but not so much German Shepherd. We'll have to see if the Shepherd manifests itself later on, I guess. He's so much fun and so full of energy. He loves water, and loves to chew things, unfortunately. He also happens to make for a great photo prop:

He's grown a lot in just the week we've had him. He seems to be pretty sharp and is showing potential for becoming a loyal companion. We have yet to name him, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Lates

Photo Books and Invitations and Products Oh My!

2009-07-07T17:58:00.007-05:00

As was seen in the previous post, I had the privilege of shooting Azariah's Senior Portraits. She had seen a photo book that I designed before, and decided to get one of her own.

If you're unfamiliar with photo books, they're a really hot item right now. They have been out for several years now, but recently have become more mainstream and common. There are myriad different companies that make photo books, and the challenge is finding one that makes a quality product at a reasonable price.

This particular photo book is hand-crafted with great attention to detail. Premium Fuji Crystal Archive™ Album photo paper (High-quality archival paper) provides excellent resistance to fading.

The Custom Hardcover book is laminated for durability and superior longevity.
(Click the photos for a closer view)

The highlight of this book, which is my favorite feature, is the Leporello binding process. Instead of more common stitch-bound books where you can see the stitches in the gutter, Leporello Binding ensures the book lays flat for double-page spreads and panoramas that just look amazing.

Some books use thin, magazine-like paper with press-printing.But this books pages are nice and thick, almost like posterboard or cardstock paper, printed with a photo-printing process for a true photo print in book form.

These types of books are HUGE in the wedding photography industry, and are becoming more and more popular among seniors and others looking for classy, quality keepsakes that last generations.

You can't really compare them with traditional 'drop-in' albums where you 'drop-in' the photo prints. While they will get the job done, photo books have a custom-designed layout displayed in a story-book format. They're not just photos on a page, it's your moments in life as told in a book.

Below is a traditional photo album filled with Polaroids and school certificates and class photos. It's obviously well-aged, and on the verge of falling apart. And yes, that happens to be my photo album...

I've also been printing invitations and announcements. These are high quality double-sided UV-Coated photo prints on cardstock paper with custom designed layouts and messages on them. They look great, are very handy, and are very affordable.

For your next photo session, I would highly recommend a photo book. They look good in pictures, but they really are impressive when held in hand.

Feel free to ask about other products available as well. We have things like large canvas prints (they look awesome stretched over a frame like a fine art painting), greeting cards, sign-in books and more.

Until next time,

Lates

And one more Senior...

2009-06-14T01:30:00.005-05:00

I had a great time again today shooting Azariah, a recent high school senior. We did mostly inside shots since it was so blazing hot outside. I think the 'heat index' for the whole weekend is supposed to be over 100, and around 103 or so. Not cool. Not cool at all. Stepping outside the protective bubble of air conditioning, one is promptly engulfed in flames. Spontaneous combustion.

OK, I'm exaggerating. But only a little bit- that's the messed up part. So we didn't get to spend as much time outside as I would have liked, but we still got some nice shots.

We still had fun and made the best of it. But we did have one casualty...A poor helpless umbrella that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never stood a chance against that light southern breeze. It'll be OK though. It's just a little bent.

It's late now, and I'm tired and sleepy. So I leave you with a few images from today.
Congratulations on your graduation, Azariah.

Look, I'm actually posting somewhat regularly now. I knew I could do it!

Lates

Congratulations, Ismael and Diane!

2009-06-09T01:35:00.004-05:00

Well the big day finally came. The wedding that we've been anticipating for the last 6+ months. It was tons of fun and everything was really nice. Everyone had a great time, too. Although I was a bit tired afterward, I'm surprised I'm not sore like I usually am after a wedding. Especially after carrying the gripped 5D and the 70-200 2.8L IS all day. Maybe I'm getting in better shape, maybe it was the Power Bar's that I snacked on through the day, who knows...

I had a great second shooter, too. His name is Viet, and he likes to shoot with Canon L Prime lenses. Mainly the 135 f2L, and the 35 f1.4L, both really sweet lenses. The image quality from those lenses is breathtaking. Photos so sharp they make your eyes bleed. Bokeh so creamy and smooth it hypnotizes you into a dizzying trance. He was a tremendous help during this shoot, and he also got some really great shots.

Here is a sneak peek of things to come. Adobe Lightroom is my friend...

I really enjoyed this wedding. The whole family was easy to work with and great to photograph.

Until next post,

Lates

Isn't Senior Portrait season over?

2009-05-24T00:53:00.004-05:00

I thought I had done my last senior session for the '08-'09 season with Jeremy and Brittany, but there's one more. I don't mind in the least though, I love doing them. They're so much fun and I love the results from them.
This time it was Janice, an old friend of the family. We did the shoot in and around the studio again, and I was able to try out some new backgrounds as well as some different lighting angles since the weather was in our favor today (contrary to the forecast of every weather man within a 100 mile radius). We also caught the sun at the right moment to get some different looks. It wasn't too hot either. It was alot of fun and I can't wait to get crackin' on these shots in Lightroom and Photoshop.
For now, I must sleep. But I leave you with a quick 3 edits from some presets in Lightroom and a few cool Photoshop actions. Did I mention the shoot was today?

Look Familiar? Who would have thought I'd come to love a chicken coop so much?

Next week, wedding rehearsal. Week after, Wedding.
Make way for updates.

Lates

SlickPix.net Version 2.0

2009-05-17T23:50:00.011-05:00

I recently decided it's time to get a professional looking website. No more of this 'css' code editing and HTML hieroglyphics to overcomplicate my already busy schedule.
Adobe (tm) Flash is the way to go these days- for image security, smoothness, speed, and just plain coolness. I'm still adding little things here and there, but it's pretty much the way I want it right now. I may change the look completely in the near future, but you'll have to wait and see that version. You won't know when it's going to happen, it will just happen with the quickness and stealth of a ninja... But I digress.

Look at the old, archaic site here:
And here is Version 2.0 (Drumroll Please!):
(Click the screenshots for larger views)
Notice the menu bar at the bottom of the page with sub-menus and more for easier navigation.
It even has a calendar page where you can book a session, or see which dates I'm booked, as well as a slick contact page where I can receive all my fan mail...
As Jim Carry says in Dumb and Dumber, "I like it alot..."
Hopefully you'll like it, too.
Head on over and browse around. Let me know what you think about it (using said fan-mail portal).
Link, you say? Sure.

www.SlickPix.net

Lates

A Double Header

2009-05-14T17:45:00.008-05:00

I had a double-senior session a couple of weeks ago with Brittany and Jeremy, and it was great. We had heaps of fun laughing and making jokes. It was like hanging out with a couple of old friends. We had originally planned to go to downtown Houston for a walk-about shoot, but nobody really felt like dealing with the traffic and time it takes to get down there.
So at the last minute it was agreed that we would keep it all around the studio. It turned out well, the environment was more controlled and I had better access to bulky gear. The sky was pretty overcast most of the day, so that was good, but randomly it would start raining in five or ten minute intervals. Water is bad for photo gear and lights, so we had to make a mad dash for shelter several times hoping my gear did'nt get too wet.
Here are some favorites from the day:

And one for fun:

I'm really happy the way the images turned out, I only wish I had more time to keep shooting. I was having a blast. Stay tuned for an update soon. One of these days I'll start blogging regularly.
Lates

An update...Finally?

2009-04-21T11:58:00.016-05:00

Well it's been a few months since I've updated this thing. Like I said in my first post, I don't really like blogs. Plus I haven't had very much to post about. Maybe I have, I just haven't had the time to post. I shot a family a couple of months ago... A Photo-Shoot, that is. (People always gasp when I say that)

I think it turned out really well. It's more difficult than I thought working with toddlers. Hats off to people who specialize in child photography. It's no small feat getting that right shot with a child. Small children do what they want, when they want, and no amount of effort on my part will convince them otherwise. Unfortunately, yelling only yeilds negative results. Chalk that one up to experience.

I would definitely do a shoot like this again- at least I'll be prepared for it. After Post-Processing was done I was very pleased with how this shoot turned out.

Here's some shots:

And there are a few in color.

I already had in mind what I wanted to see weeks before I even shot these. I knew they would make for some great B&W Conversions. And they did. I think they look better than the color shots, actually.

All in all, it was a fun experience I wouldn't mind doing again.

Looks like I have a senior session to shoot this week, a grad party next month, and a wedding in June. "This should be fun..."

Lates

And One More Bag...

2009-01-09T19:19:00.013-06:00

As I said in my last post, which was yesterday, it's time to review Crumpler's Five-Million Dollar Home. Many refer to this bag as the 5MDH, and to save my fingers from having to hit the hyphen button all the time, I'm going to refer to this bag as such.

I frequent a photography forum where the people are really cool, and the helpful information flows as freely as wine in Napa Valley. I always consult the online photog community before making a purchase, asking opinions and getting different views of a product before I plop down my hard earned cash on an item.

It's unbelievable how many loyalists the Crumpler brand has. 9-out-of-10 people I converse with absolutely love the Crumpler line. Honestly, I still don't see the big deal, but who am I to question the obscene (edit: extensive) success of David Roper and Will Miller, the founders of Crumpler Bags. And of course lets not forget Mr.Stuart Crumpler himself who designed the cool logo and who's name is so popular worldwide.

Personally, I think they look like diaper bags, and really kind of feminine. But what I did like about them, is that they're simple, rugged, well built and do not scream "There's an expensive camera in here!" They have kind of urban camo thing going on.

With all the great reviews online of people who are crazy about Crumpler, (combined with the fact that they were running a 40% off sale in December) I decided to give them a try. Since my new gear bag is too huge to lug around everywhere, (not to mention that if it gets stolen, there go's all of my gear) I needed a smaller walk-around bag for just one camera, a flash, and maybe an extra lens with some memory cards or whatever. I wanted something kind of small, but large enough to pack what I needed.

It was a difficult decision between the 5MDH and the 6MDH (Six-Million Dollar Home). As the name suggests, the 6MDH is bigger than the 5MDH, but I found that it is ridiculously larger. It's like, twice the size of the 5MDH, and I didn't want something that large.

Amazon had a great price on the 5MDH but it was only in one color combination- Dark Brown/Oatmeal/Light Olive- Which doesn't look bad, but I really wanted a black one to be even more inconspicuous. Pulled the trigger on that one, and had to wait about 12 days for Free Super Saver Shipping. Gotta love and hate Amazon at the same time...
I was hoping to be able to squeeze my gripped 5D with a mounted lens inside the bag, as well as a couple of flashes and my ST-E2 Wireless Transmitter. I was told it wouldn't fit, but I had to try anyway. And try I did. No dice. So off came the grip and it fits nicely inside the bag.

Pictured is the Canon XTi with BG-E3 grip.

The bag comes with two dividers inside. From the factory, the bag is divided into 1/4, 1/2, and 1/4 area inside. You can remove the padded Velcro dividers if you wish, but I found it works the best in this configuration for what I need.

What I put in the bag, is my 5D (no grip) with the Tamron 28-75mm Lens, one Canon 430EX flash, and my Canon 50mm 1.8 Lens. Bare-bones P.J. survival kit, I suppose. I also store one flash-diffusing bounce card, as well as an extra 8-Gig CF Card, and the Video Cable for the 5D, in case I want to display pictures on a TV at a friends house or something. I store my camera lens-down in the middle 1/2, the 430EX on one 1/4 side, and the 50mm 1.8 Lens on the other 1/4 side of the bag. Everything is nice and secure.

Wearing the bag is pretty comfortable, as it's not very heavy, given it's size. But the adjustable-length strap could benefit from a padded area. The strap feels kind of cheap, almost like cheap seat-belt material, but I'm sure it's strong and durable. You can also remove the strap if you like, as one end has a brilliant Velcro end that loops around the strap retainer, remaining securely in place unless un-done. The top flap has a handle by means of which you can carry the bag like a small purse, but it looks feminine enough as it is, so I'm leaving the shoulder strap on to wear it like a messenger bag and try to save my masculinity from further questioning.

For reference, I am 6', and a lean (read skinny) 160 lbs. in these photos.

The flap is secured by very strong Velcro in the front, as well as a nice, rugged plastic buckle that is adjustable in length and easy to connect and disconnect. It takes some effort to pull the flap open. I'm not sure if this is because its new, or because the vast area of the Velcro itself offers so much resistance, but it does take some effort, and is rather loud.

Once open, the flap is easy to hold up to access your gear, or you can fold it behind the bag for an open-top style bag for easier access to stuff. I wouldn't recommend this method as gear can be snagged by passers-by and slick pickpockets. The main flap also has a mesh panel which has a zipper at the top. This is where I store my flash diffuser, because you can't really put anything large in this area, as it will grind on the LCD of the camera.

Under the main flap, there is also a secondary flap that covers a smaller pouch, just large enough to carry an extra battery or two, some cables, or memory cards. I keep some business cards in the little pouch inside the secondary pouch, but it will fit memory cards as well as some AA batteries or whatever. There are also some small side pockets on each side of the bag, which will only fit small items, such as wires or maybe a remote shutter release, or camera strap, but when the main flap is closed, it is exposed to the outside, and stuff can fall out or be easily taken out. Also on the sides are a couple of horizontal belt-loop style loops, much like Lowepro's patented Slip-Lock system. In fact Crumpler offers smaller bags, the Thirsty Al's, that latch onto these loops to carry more accessories.

From all the pictures I saw, I was expecting a material that was kind of soft to the touch, like a fuzzy brushed wool or something. But the material is indeed made from 1000D Water-Resistant Nylon, which is an imitation Cordura fabric. It kind of feels like waxed canvas, and looks similar to canvas but with more sheen. Kind of stiff and rough to the touch, but no doubt rugged and durable, as well as stain resistant. I also expected the body to be soft and flexible, but it also is kind of stiff and it holds its shape well, which is a good thing.

Pictured with the Canon XTi and BG-E3 Grip with a 50mm 1.8 Lens mounted.

I kind of like the color and style of the bag. It go's with pretty much anything from Jeans and a T-Shirt or sweater, to slacks and a blazer. But it's definitely targeted more toward the former than the latter. Ideally, I picture a dude wearing sandals, destroyed jeans, a vintage logo-tee with thick-rimmed Weezer style glasses and a wicked bed-head really making this bag groove with his wardrobe.

Overall I do like Crumplers products. They're well built, very functional, stylish, and protect your camera gear not only from scrapes and bangs, but also from undesirable gear-predators looking for electronic equipment they can snag and hock.

I also love the little Crumpler Guy Logo on the flap. It's a cool logo.
Now if only I can get my friends to stop making fun of my "Man Bag", or "Murse" (a Man-Purse). Telling them it's European doesn't work anymore. Perhaps I should say "It's Australian!" Because as a matter of fact, it is...

Lates

A New Year, Some New Gear

2009-01-08T23:44:00.004-06:00

When I got my Canon EOS 5D, (mentioned in a previous post) I naturally had to get a new bag to carry it, since it is significantly larger than the XTi, and now I would have to carry around both at the same time.
I had the Lowepro brand on the top of my list of camera bag manufacturers, since I had a Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW, as well as a Slingshot 200 AW in the past. Much reading and research led me to the Flipside 400 AW.
Since I have had sling-type bags before and did not like the discomfort and instability of the Slingshot series, I definitely wanted a real backpack, especially since I would be lugging around a significant amount of weight now. A bigger bag would also allow room for gear expansion later on. The Flipside 400 AW seemed to fit the bill.

It's a nicely constructed bag, certainly better built than the Slingshots I had, and looks like it will hold it's body well over time.

Lowepro puts a different spin on the conventional backpack design, by moving the access panel to the strap-side of the bag, instead of the back, outer shell area. Thus the name "Flipside".

It claims to offer added security, which I believe, as well as improved access on the go. By buckling the well-padded waist strap, you can remove the shoulder straps and spin the bag around to your front, allowing access to your gear- to change lenses, bodies, flashes, memory cards- whatever.

While a brilliant idea on paper, I found a few caveats to this new design.

The first one is when you spin the bag around to your front. The waist strap naturally pulls your clothing with it as it spins around your waist, uncomfortably curling and twisting your shirt. If you're wearing a jacket, or even worse a large coat, the coat tends to really get in an uncomfortable bind around your abdomen if it's not up to your chest by now, leaving your bare midsection to shiver in the cold.
Twisting the bag back the way you found it does not solve the problem. The clothes still stay in a bind, and only by either pulling on your shirt tail or by unbuckling the waist strap to straighten things out do you get back to comfort.

The next problem I have with it is when you go to unzip the access panel to get to your gear. The bag hangs fine in a horizontal position while zipped. But when you begin to unzip the double-zippered opening, you'd better hang on to the top grab handle, because it really drops fast. And with both hands on zippers, there's little you can do to stop what is about to happen.
(It will fall further than seen in the photo if the strap is loosely attached.)

It seems the weight in the bag combined with gravity and the waist straps connection to the access panel causes the bag to drop down to a 45-degree angle. If you have a bunch of expensive, heavy glass inside, its in serious danger of sliding out and becoming a paper-weight after its meeting with terra firma.
I don't have alot of gear, but it made my heart skip a beat the first time I opened it.

The next troublesome area is the annoying access panel again. When you set the bag down to load or unload the bag, you have to constantly hold the flap open with one hand. It really doesn't want to stay open. Not only that, when you do place the bag on the ground the back panel gets all the dirt, dust and grime on it. The material it's made out of is great for durability, but it traps dirt like welcome mat at a rodeo. It's next to impossible to clean, too. Although it does keep the dirt off of your back when you go to put the pack back on.

There are several Lowepro patented slip-lock attachments on the bag. One on each shoulder strap, one on each side of the bag, and two on each side of the waist strap, for a total of 8. Small bungee pouches on the side will hold meal bars or a bottle of water, or other small items of little value, since they can potentially fall out or be snagged by sticky fingered individuals.
The outer most compartment (farthest from your back) is rather deep, and holds a variety of different items such as pens, filters, batteries, memory cards, business cards, instruction manuals or other small items you have to toss in your bag. I keep extra batteries, cables, battery chargers and business cards in mine.

On the access panel flap, there is also a zippered storage compartment, although thin, which allows storage of flash diffuser bounce card thingies, or an owners manual to the camera. Not much else.
You also have 3 memory card pouches with Velcro flaps that work great.

The tripod holder works pretty well and hides away neatly when not in use. The top tripod holder strap can be removed if you so desire. There are also buckled loops at the top to hold a thin jacket or blanket draped across the top of the bag.

I haven't used the All-Weather cover yet, and I hope I never have to, but it's tucked away neatly in a small Velcro pouch in the bottom of the bag.

Carrying the bag is very comfortable. The load is distributed evenly and the extra-thick padding on the shoulder straps and back pads are super nice to have.

You also have a chin-strap, I mean a chest strap, which is supposed to attach the shoulder strap at the top and I guess keep them from wandering off of your shoulders. But it's so high that it rubs on the top of my collar bone, and kind of cuts into my throat, (it almost reaches my chin!) so I never use it. Perhaps I'll see a need for it on a long trek.
Edit: It has come to my attention (By Snark (see below) and others) that the Chest Strap is indeed adjustable. You slide it down a bit and it fits nicely in the middle of your chest. Definitely usable.

The bag comes with so many dividers, I had like 5 or 6 left over after I arranged it for my gear. It also has a very thick camera pad to keep smaller cameras from getting lost in the deep main-camera top area of the bag.

I think I like this bag though. It's nice and comfortable to carry, handles weight well, and holds alot of stuff. I would highly recommend the bag for people with 2 bodies, a couple of flashes and several lenses. Just don't get carried away with bringing along alot of small extras that eat up room, like battery trays, end caps, and other random gear you don't need.

All Photos taken with the 5D. For this reason, the camera featured in the photos is a Canon XTi, with a BG-E3 grip, and a 50mm 1.8 lens.

Next up, Crumpler's Five-Million Dollar Home, or 5MDH...

Lates

Last Post of '08...

2008-12-31T01:05:00.012-06:00

I had a pretty good time shooting a party the day after the Christmas holiday.
It was a small party of around 50-75 people, but the place was nice, and the DJ rocked out. It was a nice crowd, too, so no complaints. I was able to catch a couple of cool shots.

I tried getting some lens flare going. It's more difficult that it may seem since the DJ lights are pulsating and moving to different areas. It's a toss up.

The Mariachi's were quite good.

Besides getting home later than I anticipated, overall I think it went well. The 5D didn't let me down, but it did begin to really fatigue my grip. Perhaps I'll have to invest in one of those E-1 hand straps everyone raves about.

I also got a new bag in yesterday. A Crumpler 5-Million Dollar Home. Maybe I'll make my first post of next year a review of this bag. We'll see...

I'm going to be teaming up with a fellow photographer who also happens to be a good friend. He has a few weddings lined up for the new season, and I have some other portrait sessions happening as well. Hopefully 2009 will bring many more interesting experiences and alot more fun!
Until next year,

Lates!

2008-12-02T11:55:00.008-06:00

This past weekend was pretty busy. I had two shoots on Saturday to go to. The first was a shoot at a firehouse that I've been asked not to make public. Rest assured though, the photos came out great, thanks to the 5D and a little help from a button-pushing-knob-turner.
(OK, Maybe just a couple.)
That was from about 9 A.M. to about 2 P.M. Lots of fun there. The firemen were really cool even though they had to go on about 5 runs while we were there.

The second shoot that day was a wedding that I was second-shooting for. It went well. It was a nice wedding at a nice location. Can't complain. Half-way through the reception though, we began to print portraits on the spot. This was a little distracting from events going on in the reception, and had us side-tracked for a short time. There is a high demand for portrait prints on the spot. The bad thing is you need at least 3 people to tend to the event. 1 for the computer/printer, 1 for shooting the portraits, and 1 to not forget about the job at hand, which is covering the wedding reception. We only had 2, so it was a bit of a juggle.

On with the pics:
This next photo was taken by our 12-year-old assistant, Megan. She used my Canon XTi with the 50 1.8 lens. I'm impressed. She got several good shots that night.
And now back to the 5D/ 70-200 2.8L IS.
Dancing with the Father of the Bride...
Example of on-site portrait printing shot:
This was the setup: Two White Lightning 1600s, Two 60" shoot-through umbrellas, a Sony Laptop and a huge Epson Printer, off to the right.

It was really alot of fun shooting that wedding, and I hope to do more soon.

Lates

New Gear!

2008-12-01T11:56:00.000-06:00

So I took the plunge and made a relatively large purchase. The largest purchase to date in my photographic journey. But with several shoots coming up, and the realization that the XTi would no longer cut the mustard in low-light situations, I had to do something.
I got a Canon EOS 5D. More information on this fine piece of a camera can be found at DPReview. Here's a link to their review: Canon 5D Review.

I can't say enough about it's greatness. Coming from a Canon EOS Rebel XTi, it's a huge step up in performance, usability, quality and...awesomeness.
It makes the XTi feel like a silly toy intended for ages 8 and under.
The Viewfinder is ginormous, the grip fits in the hand perfectly, the controls are great etc. etc...

I'm no longer afraid to shoot above ISO 800. I'm no longer afraid to crop.

The downside is that the images are going to eat up hard drive space like pac-man at a blue-ghost convention...*hammit-hammit!*

They say great images are made by good photographers, no matter what gear you use. I belive that is only partly accurate. Great gear makes great images. Using great gear well statistically yeilds a higher amount of usable images resulting in a higher-quality final product.

Lates

First Blog- Breakin' her in...

2008-11-28T23:55:00.003-06:00

So here's the first entry into the Slick Pix blog. I've never used a blog and honestly don't really care for them. But I think it would be cool a few years from now, to go back in time and see what was going on in this period of time.

I thought I would start my first blog by posting kind of a review of a new-ish album company that has partnered up with Smug Mug. The album company is called MyCanvas.

The design software was great. It was all done online and the options were mind blowing. The software could use a few updates, such as organized picture pools, and used-photo memos. But the layout designer was really professional looking and feeling. You can pretty much do anything with it.

I designed the first album as an anniversary gift for some friends. I opted for the 8"x11" hard-bound Leather cover, and 25 pages total.

It arrived 15 working days after I submitted the order. Roughly 3 weeks total, which isn't bad, but could be better. They require 10 working days for printing and binding, and 5 days for shipping. It arrived in a media-mail fitted cardboard box via UPS.

The Album itself was shrink-wrapped in plastic.
The leather feels soft to the touch and smells nice.

The front cover has metallic gold letters on them. They're not embossed, they are either printed or screen-printed on. I'm not sure how they get them on there...

The prints were decent, and the paper is kind of thin, but it has a quality look and feel. If you look close enough, you can see the dots from the printer, or the DPI.

I was disappointed by the thinness of the book, as the photos on their website show thicker books. They must be using sample books with at least 100 pages in them. The pages are thin, but have a nice feel and sheen.

If you open the book up wide, you can see the stitch-binding done in the gutter. Not a big deal, but it does look kind of cheap.

Overall, I was pleased with the book, but I would not be happy if I had to sell it to clients.
They do have a "Premium" line, but it costs as much as some other High-Profile wedding-book providers who have much higher quality.
Stay tuned for an update soon. I Just got some new gear I want to blog about.
Lates

P.S. I don't know what's going on with the spacing and stuff on the layout. It's whack. Hopefully the next one will be cleaner.