Chris Diset Photography

NEW BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT!

2009-03-17T17:14:00.001-07:00

All new blog postings will be at www.chrisdiset.net

Thanks!

Kaufman family photos - Part 1

2009-03-07T21:51:00.001-08:00

I first shot the Kaufman family photos 2 years ago. Its funny looking back at the first time I shot them, to see how the daughters have grown. Heres a couple of little videos from the shoot.

Kaufman family photos - Part 2

2009-03-07T21:47:00.001-08:00

Tyler and Ashley's Valentines Day Wedding

2009-03-04T00:23:00.000-08:00

What I love about being a wedding photographer is I have the opportunity to do what I love. Capturing moments and creating beautiful images with a camera. Sometimes it can be exhausting when you are on your feet all day, handling heavier than average camera gear, and staying alert and anticipating that next special moment. But when it all winds down, and the groom has lost his jacket and tie, and the bride has traded her beautifully decorated wedding heels for a pair of anything more comfortable, we get to have some fun too. Tyler and Ashley had a photo booth at their wedding and Mitch, Kendra, and myself were able to be in front of the camera for a change.

Hollywood Shoot

2009-02-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

Jamie hooked up a fun little photo shoot with Miss Mosh up in Hollywood today.

Jerad and Heather

2009-02-08T18:35:00.001-08:00

Heres a rockin' video I put together with images from Jerad and Heathers awesome engagement shoot I had this morning. Thats my last engagement shoot for a while. Next Saturday starts my wedding season. Woo-hoo!

Chris and Amy

2009-02-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

I had scheduled Chris and Amys engagement shoot for today, and it started raining Thursday so we decided to play it by ear, and see how the weather was. I woke up this morning and it had been raining all night and it was still coming down. So I called Amy and we decided to reschedule once again because of the rain. So about noon time it had stopped raining and as I looked outside and saw the blue skies peeking thru the clouds, I thought to myself we could probably still shoot. A minute later the phone rang and it was Amy who was home thinking the same thing. So we met at the Mission and had a fun shoot. They were both a little uncomfortable in front of the camera I think, which kind of added to their innocent cuteness. They were both dressed very stylish, and Chris was wearing these totally cool, weathered old leather shoes.

Canon 5d mkII video demo

2009-01-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

Charles and Hilary needed a photo for their "save the date" cards, and I thought it would be fun to script a little Love Story video with my new Canon 5d mkII 21 megapixel SLR with HD video. Check out the video here.

Chat

2009-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

So there is this new website for kids called ClubPenguin.com that Kyle is hooked on. I had to grab the camera when he was on the phone with one of his classmates. The conversation went something like "Dude, dude! Come to my Igloo and check out my disco ball."

Guitar Hero Party!

2008-12-07T11:42:00.001-08:00

Wendy and Brian, my friends and picture framer, invited Kyle and I over for their son Riley's Birthday Party. The kids tore up the house and we sat outside and liquor'd up. Good times!

Editorial shoot

2008-12-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

I just finished editing the cover photo for the January issue of Home Business Connection magazine. The artcle is on retired Navy officer who has built a lucrative business while sitting by the pool and rollin in his Maserati.

Go Kyle!

2008-12-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Friday Kyle received the Principals Honor Roll certificate. I still have not found out how much that bribe cost him.

Double D's

2008-11-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

All future brides and grooms, will be happy to know that I am irresponsible. I could have paid off my bills, or put away for Kyles college fund, but I didnt. Instead, I ordered a pair of Canon 5d MKII's. Whoo-hoo!! I really hope they arrive before Christmas. Stay tuned.

Ghost Town

2008-11-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to [b]ecker and Joe Photo for putting together the Day Trippin' Field Trip to the Calico Ghost Town today. 16 wedding photographers from So Cal took a little break from the Brides and Grooms, and took their cameras out for some fun.

James and Erin's Engagement Shoot

2008-11-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

I met James and Erin a week after he popped the question. From the minute they arrived at my studio for our meeting, I knew I had to book that wedding. They are fun and so in love with each other, and I knew the pictures were going to be magical. When Erin has something she wants done, she does it now so even though their wedding isnt until August, they were quick to schedule their engagement photo session, which was great because I was really looking forward to shooting them. So this morning they arrived at my house at 9:00 and we were off to the Capistrano Mission. Mitch also gave up his usual Saturday morning surf session to assist on the shoot. We arrived at the Mission, and met up with Dan the video man. Shauna, who lives nearby, arrived a few minutes later to join in on the fun. It was too good of a shoot not to give them their own gallery. Check it out at www.chrisdiset.com in the "Engaged" section. I hope you enjoy seeing these pictures as much as I did taking them.

2008-10-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

At a busy wedding in San Pedro recently, Mitch still found the time to heckle the local artists. And of course I found the time to take a picture of it!

HD rocks!

2008-09-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to admit, that with the exception of photography equipment, I let technology fly right past me. Until last week when I got my first HD television. It is so awesome! I set up the Windows Media Center Extender so I can access photos, music, and video from my computer, right on the TV. I have an appointment with a bride and groom to be tomorrow and I am looking forward to sitting back and watching slideshows of my work 42 inches wide.

Oh yeah, movies and video games are sick too!

Off Camera Lighting

2008-08-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

I got an email from a photographer named Pixie today and she asked how I do my off camera lighting. I thought I would post my response in case other photographers are interested in trying this out. It works really cool.

First, any monopod will work. I think the taller the better.

Then I added a umbrella holder. I rarely use the umbrella but I have that option.

On top of the umbrella holder I have a cabled hot shoe that plugs into a pocket wizard I have zip tied to the mono pod. Again, I rarely use the pocket wizard but I have the option.

I mount my flash to the hot shoe and the diffuser I use is a Gary Fong Lightsphere.

90% of the time I am triggering the off camera flash with the flash on my camera. I can have the flash on my camera fire too, or just have it trigger the remote flash.

Then you need a Mitch. Mitch is my assistant that holds the light stick. You can set it all up on a light stand too, but at weddings I always worry about it getting knocked over, plus its easier to tell mitch where to stand than it is to move the light.

Pool Fun

2008-07-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

My son Kyle loves to be tossed around in the pool. And against my better judgment, and everything I have learned from years of self inflicted injuries, I am happy to oblige.

My neighbor Ryan volunteered to toss the boy around so I grabbed the camera. Mostly so I could explain to the doctor what happened.

New Website and Galleries

2008-07-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been too long since my last blog. Well, I got the new website up, thanks to Charlie, Eric, and Jeff over at Bigfolio. If you are a photographer and your website was not setup by Bigfolio, you are missing out. Great designs and great customer service!

Today, Mitch and I shot Matthew and Rachels wedding down in San Diego. Check out the new gallery on the new website.

My shoot with Abby

2008-05-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a photoshoot with Abby. You may recognize Abby as the flower girl in Shawn and Sandras wedding gallery on my website. Thats where I met 4 year old Abby and her Grandmother, Gail. She was a pleasure to photograph and loves to have her picture taken, so I was very excited when Gail contacted me after seeing the wedding pictures, and wanted to have me photograph Abby again. Theres a little Abby gallery at http://www.chrisdiset.com/

New Baby

2008-05-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Gabryella was born April 11th, and last night her parents and I had fun taking some pictures of her. Check out my new infant gallery at http://www.chrisdiset.com/

WPPI - Las Vegas

2008-03-20T10:02:00.001-07:00

The big wedding photographers convention was this week in Las Vegas. I didn't plan on attending, but at the 11th hour, I booked a flight and flew out for the day. I landed in Vegas around 10AM, and as I was walking to the convention, I got a call from Dee Dee, who was part of the photography workshop back in January. She was sitting down to order breakfast and saw me walk by and she called me. So I joined Dee Dee and her team for breakfast.
After Breakfast we waited in line with a few other photographers to get in the trade show.
Heres Dee Dee and Tiffanie at the booth of one of the vendors that was displaying some of Dee Dee's work.
Canon, Nikon, and many other companies were presenting the latest and greatest for the photography world.

I met up with Shauna, Tracey, and Elaine a little later and walked more of the show.

It was definetly worth the trip. I was able to meet some current vendors and meet some new ones also. After the show we decided to head out for some dinner. When we left the hotel we walked past this blue wall and I thought it would make a nice background for a photoshoot. (Have you seen my pic on my Bio page lately?)

We caught a cab to go grab some dinner before our plane left. Davis Tran was our driver. (Yes, I said Davis)He didnt speak any english so we had to draw him a map to the restaurant.

Elaine has a nephew that is a head chef at McCormick and Schmicks and he was nice enough to get us in for a really nice meal.

After a nice dinner, a bottle of fine wine, and a delicious dessert, we made our way over to the airport to wait for our flight home. Do we look tired?

Kelly and Jennifers Engagement Shoot

2008-03-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Here is a little video from my shoot with Kelly and Jennifer last weekend. Mitch was on the handy cam getting some footage to go along with the photos I was taking.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Shawn and Sandra

2008-02-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

I have a new wedding gallery on the website. I had so much fun with Shawn and Sandra. They are so in love with each other and with their friends and family. And they treated Mitch and I like we were family. It was non stop excitement the whole day. So much that I couldnt put together a gallery with just a few images. Please come to my website and enjoy all 80 something photos I have posted.

Cross Processing

2008-02-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Before digital cameras, photographers used a thing called film. And sometimes they would process the film in chemicals that werent designed for that particular film. The results would vary depending on the film and chemicals used, but the final resluts would be high contrast, heavily saturated, somewhat unnatural images. Here is a sample of a before and after, cross processed photo, that I achieved using Adobe Lightroom by adjusting white balance, contrast, saturation, split toning (which is typically only done in greyscale images), and adding a little vignette. What do you think?

Before

After

Tang Soo!

2008-01-28T18:54:00.001-08:00

This week we will be cramming for Kyles big test for Green Belt.

Off Camera Lighting

2008-01-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

As a wedding photographer, I sometimes find myself working in conditions that arent easy for pictures. Receptions are quite often held in halls that are too dark for available light photography. We make the best of it and capture some wonderful memories. We shoot with fast cameras with fast lenses and use artificial light in the form of a flash. We try to make that flash look as natural as possible by bouncing it off ceilings, walls, or anything reflective. I shot April and Jeremys wedding this past November and I decided to try something new.

I had Mitch, my assistant hold a flash on a monopod and I triggered it remotely with a second flash mounted to my camera. This is a much nicer way to use a flash, because I was able to light my subjects from different angles. Below are a few samples. What do you think?

2008-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mike Colon Experience VIII - Day 2 and 3

2008-01-24T02:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not bloging about day 2. I should not be bloging right now at 2:20 in the morning, but I gotta tell you about the last 2 days. On Tuesday we covered digital workflow and editing. This was a great lecture as post production is just as important as the photo sessions but not nearly as fun. So to share advice and hear advice was really beneficial. Our photo shoot today was actually a real shoot that Mike had scheduled. They were a bride and groom that got married out of the country, and hired Mike after the event, to take some pictures for them. I was excited when I heard we were shooting at the Capistrano Mission, as that is a venue I have shot before and really love. Our shoot was followed by more discussions and a fabulous dinner at Magiannos. I arrived home from day 2 around 11:00 and got to bed around 1:30. Wednesday morning I woke up about 90 minutes late, and arrived to day 3 just as everyone was settling in. We discussed marketing strategies and the business side of wedding photography. We finished up around 4 and were scheduled to have a night shoot at 6. With a couple hours to spare, a few of us went out for a bite to eat. The clouds opened up and poured buckets. I was not looking forward to this shoot. But I went along armed with just a camera body and my 50mm lens. Im glad we went. Mike was great. He could have easily cancelled the shoot and no one would of been upset. But he found us a great parking garage, and the rain let up enough for me to take some fabulous photos of the models. I wasnt optimistic that I was going to get anything worth keeping, but I gotta say, I love these pictures. I think you will too. Check out day 2 and 3 in the Lifestyle section of my website.

Mike Colon Experience VIII - Day 1

2008-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 21st, I awoke at 4:30 in the morning with anticipation I can only compare to Christmas morning as a child, waiting for my parents to wake up so I can open presents. Today is the start of the Mike Colon photography workshop. Its raining outside, But I dont care. I get to spend 4 days with Mike and 14 other talented and enthusiastic photographers. I arrive a little before 10:00, and meet another photographer from Cerritos. Shortly after a couple more photographers arrive that also live close enough to drive. At 10:00 the shuttle arrives, bringing all of the other photographers that traveled from far and wide to attend this 4 day event. Mike started the day with introductions that included 2 former workshop attendees that were there to help, and Rosanna, who is Mikes full time assistant and model for the first days photo shoot. As we went around the room, everyone shared their names, where they are from, where they are in their photography, and what they hope to gain from this experience. I was surprised and happy to see that there were some more established photographers, as well as some that have not even photographed a wedding yet. Some have come from the East Coast and we even have a gentleman from the UK attending. After the introductions, we get right into equipment and settings. Mike is great about stopping and answering every question from every student. And there were many, really good questions. His answers were clear and always include examples. After lunch we discussed technique and style. By this time, Mike has shared many tips with us, and I have my camera operating very different from the way I usually have it set up. Its now about 3:30 and we are all piling into a shuttle, to head down to Balboa for our first of 3 photo shoots. This will be an engagement type shoot of Rosanna and her boyfriend. With the clock running out for daylight, and the looming rain clouds threatening us, we quickly start shooting. Mike explains his exposure settings, backgrounds, and other nuances along the way. Its funny how much attention you get from onlookers when they see 15+ photographers following a couple around like paparazzi. Well we finish the shoot, pile back into the van and head back to the workshop where everyone uploads their photos to their computers or other media device. We sit around and share our favorites from the day, and get to know each other a little more while Mike meets with the first group for portfolio review. We finish up and head off to Kojis Sushi restaurant for dinner. I got home around 10:00 PM, and uploaded my photos and quickly picked out 20 photos from the day that Mike has requested we bring back to class today. I have posted those photos on my website in the lifestyle section. I could spend the day bloging more about this but its Tuesday morning and I have to get ready for day 2.