It was such a pleasure to shoot the lovely wedding of Kathleen and Dan this past weekend. From their sweet families, to their adorable bridal party, the whole day was a perfect way to kick off a very busy Fall wedding season.
To Kathleen and Dan: Thanks for your warmth and generosity! It was my pleasure to capture your special day!
delightfully,
Chenin
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Last Sunday, I had the unique opportunity of styling and photographing a shoot for 16 lovely women! The ladies at Details, Details are top-notch when it comes to design and service, so I really wanted to knock it out of the park for them. The inspiration for my shoot was a sort of Parisian Flea Market, with a little touch of whimsy and an homage to my love of all things hills, grass and green. Jeannie was kind enough to give me carte blanche with the look and feel of the session and scoured flea markets for weeks looking for awesome props. Ultimately, it took her flea-market finds, half of the furniture from my studio, some borrowed trunks from a friend, and some actual pieces from my own home to make this happen. Having never done anything on this scale before, I was a little taken aback at how many people it takes to make something like this happen! We had 3 men moving furniture, a hair and makeup team working their magic and, of course, the models and myself. After a ton of worrying about the light, when it finally came time to shoot, the sun peeked behind the clouds and created the most perfect light a girl could ask for. Here are a couple favorites from the shoot – To Jeannie and the Ladies of Details, Details: Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity! I had a blast!delightfully,CheninContact Me * My Portfolio * Stuff for Photographers
I love shooting engagement sessions and portraits because I feel a little less pressure and a lot more free to play and experiment. Last year, I got to shoot lots of couples in love, one fabulous photographer friend and an adorable family. Here are my favorite engagement and portrait photos from 2009 –
delightfully,
Chenin
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Grace and Richard had a lovely wedding at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, which is a gorgeous (and dark!) old gothic church in LA. It was a wonderfully laid back day, thanks to Grace and Richard’s awesome families and bridal party. There was lots of love at this wedding, which is always my favorite 🙂
To Grace and Richard: Congratulations! Thank you for letting me capture your perfect day!
delightfully,
Chenin
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I was lucky enough to get to take my boys to Chicago with me last week, where I went to shoot Kelly & Tom’s wedding. I booked the wedding with illusions of taking Max to a Cubs game (or 3) only to find out, when the 2009 schedule was released, that the Cubs were on the road. Boo. But it was still fun to drag Max on The L, down to Wrigley Field and then to Navy Pier to ride on the Ferris Wheel.My apologies to my readers who are totally sick of seeing photos of Max. It seems, after 5 years of *never* reading my blog, my family has grown to expect almost daily posts of the little one (love you daddy!) 😉 Feel free to skip along to the pretty wedding photos, if that’s your poison.Chicago Skyline – Doug and Max -Me and Max at Wrigley Field!Maxfield Banks and Ernie Banks, his namesake -I just think he looks cute in this photo (indulge me!) -And Max and me on the Ferris Wheel-delightfully,Chenin
It’s time for another information-/rant-filled post to clear my head of all things I *meant* to blog but never got around to… So here they are, in no particular order:*Barack Obama ran for, and won, the Presidency. I typically try to avoid political discussions on this blog; mostly because I know that my views are extreme and I’m already probably on some government watch list for Hippie Liberals who shouldn’t be allowed to take part in the political process. But I will just say this – America, I am very proud of you. Thanks for taking a chance and thinking outside of the box. (Now Californians, that’s another story. I am more than a little disappointed at how 52% of you voted on one particular issue, but, hey, one step at a time, I guess.) *Speaking of election night, something has been bugging me for a while. Wolf Blitzer of CNN reminds me of someone, and I’ve never quite been able to put my finger on it. It plagues me on and off, sometimes interfering with my ability to sleep, or complete basic tasks around the office. But, on election night, it hit me. He looks like Snarf from Thundercats. I think the resemblance is obvious.*I am still knocked up. I don’t blog about personal things too often, which is why I have spared you all the day-to-day details of my pregnancy. I figure you would all much rather see pretty pictures than listen to me ramble about what color I painted the nursery (blue-grey and buttery yellow), or whether we’re having a girl or a boy (a boy), or what I’m craving (tomatoes), or how I’m feeling (great, thanks!). But, rest assured, baby is growing quickly and we will be welcoming our little one in a few short months. For those of you who feel incomplete without a piccie, knock yourself out (shot by John, my second shooter at last week’s wedding) -* My darling husband and I were interviewed for f-stop and beyond, a cool little podcast/internet radio show for photographers. If you have about 45 minutes to kill, it’s a fun get-to-know-us interview.*My new blog, designed by the fine folks at Into the Darkroom, was featured in this month’s Rangefinder Magazine. It’s a great article on the role of blogging in a wedding/portrait photographer’s arsenal. Check it out HERE.* I am hosting a little Finao Open House at my studio next week. Check out the details below-*I am obsessed with South Park (who saw the Peruvian Flute Band episodes?!?). There is really only one show that even comes close to making me giggle like those darling 4th graders, and that is The Office. Well, one of my wonderful Twitter followers sent me what can only be described as the most perfect marriage of the two most perfect shows ever! Check it out (Stanley is my favorite) -Ok, I think that’s it for now. Consider yourself “caught up!”delightfully,Chenin
Hi there! I am excited to launch the new Boutwell Studio blog! Here you’ll find all the same delightful photography, meaningless ramble and quirky musings as the old blog, just in a cuter package! Special thanks to Into the Darkroom for designing this blog (and for toiling away on the soon-to-be launched new boutwellstudio.com) and to Jessica Claire for shooting the photo of me at the top of the blog.And since posts are no fun without piccies, here’s another shot of moi, by the lovely Jessica Claire!pee-ess: you can see what I’m up to all the time, by checking out my twitter updates, courtesy of Wrigley the bird, at the top of this blog!delightfully,Chenin
Well, my darling husband let the cat out of the bag, so I guess it’s time for a big announcement! We are expecting a little one next February! I am four months along and really enjoying life and my photography from a whole new perspective.
So what does this mean for my clients? This has been in the plans for some time and, as such, no current clients will be affected by our new addition. I assure you all that I am totally committed, heart, mind and body, to making kick-ass photos on your wedding day! Let’s not forget, I’m a girl who graduated with honors from law school, while shooting 40 weddings a year – I take my commitments seriously. 😉 I feel that this whole experience has brought marriage, family and how it relates to my photography into a whole new light and I promise to bring that attitude (along with my camera) to your Big Day! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out. I am here to chat.
In the coming months, along with my growing belly will come lots of growth for Boutwell Studio. I have lots of cool things planned in the next few months, including a new blog, a new website, a book on wedding photography, featuring my work, and tons more weddings to share.
delightfully,
Chenin
It’s been a while since I shared an album design, so I thought I’d post what I’ve been working on today. This is a 9×12 album with 94 photos. Enjoy! (click the photo to below to see the slideshow!)
delightfully,
Chenin
pee-ess: Special thanks to Nic, who shot this wedding with me. 🙂
I spent 08/08/08 with the lovely Robin and Steve. Their wedding was a gorgeous reflection of their cool, laid-back style. Kary H of Kary H Events did a fantastic job as always, and brought her classic, but edgy design to the perfect day. Square Root didn’t disappoint with awesome florals, including one of my favorite ceremony set-ups I’ve ever seen. Overall, it was a perfect day, with great vendors and a lovely couple.
A couple of bridal details –
I loved the ceremony florals, and especially loved the little bunny that wouldn’t leave them alone 😉 –
Robin had a great veil –
Special thanks to my second shooter, John, who ran all the way up to the lobby for this shot –
After the ceremony, we went down to the beach for a couple of shots of the newlyweds –
The ballroom looked gorgeous and so chic –
Robin and Steve’s grand entrance –
Robin and Steve kept their guests busy with a hand-rolled cigar station, a yummy dessert buffet and midnight munchies, including mini burgers, fries and the cutest little milkshakes I’ve ever seen –
And one last little shot –
To Robin and Steve: Thanks for a lovely, laid-back day. It was a pleasure to share in your special day!
delightfully,
Chenin
Yay! We just found out that the nice folks at Bludomain held a contest for Best Actions of the Year and we won!
There was some seriously formidable competition, so we feel very loved! And to share the love, WE ARE HAVING A SALE! That’s right! From now until midnight PST on Sunday, August 3, get $20 bucks off all Totally Rad Products. It’s just our little way of saying *thanks*
So, if you’ve been lusting over TRA2 or have yet to delve in to our Totally Rad World, click the banner below and save yourself some cash!
delightfully,
Chenin
I have been looking forward to shooting Jen and Patrick’s engagement session ever since they booked me. We actually never met before Wednesday, but I could tell, from chatting with Jen, that this couple was delightfully rad. And I wasn’t disappointed. Jen and Patrick are a super-cool-beans couple and I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in October! Ok… enough chit-chat – let’s see some pics.
Jen and Patrick have awesome chemistry. This was about 10 frames in to the session, and they were already naturals!
Admittedly, I shot this to show off Jen’s bitchin’ shoes –
I think this is so crazy-romantic-
This was right before some disheveled looking lawyer walked by and made fun of us for not shooting in a park 🙂 (He’s probably just jealous that I was having a better day at work than him…)
To Jen and Patrick: Thanks for an awesome time! I can’t wait for the wedding!
delightfully,
Chenin
Woo-Hoo! Two blog posts in one day! I would normally wait ’til tomorrow to post my wedding from last weekend, but I was dying to play with some of my images from Kelly & Huy’s wedding! They were a ton of fun to work with and very easy-going. I started my coverage with Kelly getting ready –
I love these shots of Kelly –
Then it was off to shoot a couple of quick portraits of the bride and groom, before their ceremony –
Then it was time for the ceremony. Huy and Kelly wanted a very dark and moody candlelight ceremony and it was important to them that I really captured the mood of the moment. I shot some images with flash, just to be safe, but I also shot some available light images. For those photo/camera geeks out there, these were shot at ISO 3200, f/1.2 at a 15th of a second. (seriously.)
A little bit of flash and a darling moment between Huy and Kelly –
After the ceremony, we headed down to the beach for some epic weather (clouds and some crazy wind) and a couple more shots –
Kelly and Huy were actually having another Vietnamese wedding the next day, so they decided to keep a lot of their reception traditions for that day, but I did get to shoot their cake cutting!
To Kelly and Huy: Thanks for the fun and the challenge! I had a blast!
delightfully,
Chenin
Yesterday I got to shoot David and Sandra’s engagement session at Mission San Juan Capistrano. It was such a beautiful place to shoot and the day couldn’t have been more perfect! I still have lots of ideas for how to use this super-neato space, so if any of my clients would like to shoot their engagement session here, drop me a line! I would love to shoot here again! Here are some favorites from David and Sandra’s session –
And my favorite from the session –
I have another shoot today, so I’ll be a blogging fool this week!
delightfully,
Chenin
Last Wednesday, I had the absolute pleasure of shooting a very intimate wedding in Santa Monica. Suzanne and Don are totally, completely, madly in love with each other and I was lucky enough to document their incredible wedding. Although I do love to shoot big, grand weddings, my favorite weddings to document are those small, special little ceremonies, where it’s all about the love. And Suzanne and Don’s wedding was definitely filled with love. The fabulously delightful Kelley Gin coordinated the wedding, and was sure to make everything special for Suzanne and Don and their 4 guests.
I’ll start with a couple of sweet details; I especially loved the miniature wedding cakes, complete with a tiny bride and groom –
A couple of portraits of the lovely couple –
Then it was ceremony time! Instead of chairs and an aisle and all that jazz, Suzanne and Don opted to march right down to the water and have a little impromptu/guerrilla ceremony! It was a gorgeous day in Santa Monica! Here’s the view from the ceremony –
A couple shots while they exchanged vows –
After they exchanged vows, Suzanne and Don said a few meaningful words to each of theirs guests –
And a couple more shots on the beach, just for fun!
To Suzanne and Don: You reminded me what weddings are all about. Thank you!
delightfully,
Chenin
Well, I’ve finally had enough. After spending the last 28 years torturing myself with computer drama, I bought a Mac. I’ve secretly hated PCs since Windows Vista devoured my computer bit by bit last year. Programs stopped working, files went missing, hardware came to a screeching halt – and, if you can believe it, the only way to fix it was to buy a new copy of XP (even though I already had one – it had been upgraded to Vista). That was hard-earned money I could have spent on shoes, but I ended up giving it to Bill Gates. The last straw was on Friday, when my computer just shut off. No warning, no sad PC-face, nothing… it just turned off and died. I was beyond ticked, as I lost the project I was working on and generally felt ripped off by Microsoft (again.)
So, I broke down and bought a PowerMac with all the fancy extras. Doug talked me in to the Cinema Display (mostly so he could steal my old display) and I’m hard at work trying to figure out how to use the damned thing. It took me a good long while to figure out how to put a DVD into the burner (who the heck knew that little arrow key stands for eject?) and I still don’t understand why Photoshop is “see-through.” Given that I was the last documented pro-photographer to actually use a PC, I figure you all have way more experience with this beast. If you want to really make me smile, leave a comment with some tips or tricks. I especially could use some advice on software I am missing out on. I loved PC’s Archive Creator and Epson Print CD and it seems there is no equivalent for Macs 😦
And some photos, just in case you don’t believe me –
To my friends who are *dying* to call me right now and say “i told you so” ( you know who you are!), no need…. I know.
iDelightfully,
Chenin
Shirley and Steven tied the knot last Friday at Wayfarer’s Chapel in Palos Verdes. It was a loooong day, which started with a morning tea ceremony and ended with a 10-course meal! Shirley and Steve have infectious smiles, great personalities and an adorable dog, named Heimlich! It was a fun day for all!
The bouquet, by one of my favorite floral designers, Bobbe Vagel –
The lovely bride getting ready –
Steven’s arrival at the tea ceremony –
And a little detail from the tea ceremony –
The gorgeous bride, captured by my tasty 50 1.2 –
A couple from the ceremony –
Just a fun little grab-shot after the ceremony –
This was taken in the parking lot of a little shopping center down the way –
In an alley (with a cool little mural) –
Then, it was off to fight Friday afternoon traffic from Palos Verdes to Monterey Park (locals know what an adventure that was!) Finally, we made it to the reception, where Shirley and Steven shared their first dance –
And a little toast –
To Shirley and Steven: Thanks for your kindness, hospitality and willingness to play! You are fabulous!
delightfully,
Chenin
Before the crazy holiday rush, I had the privilege to shoot Lisa and Jason’s engagement session on the beach in Laguna. It was truly a beautiful day and so nice to get to know this awesome couple. Here are some favorites from the shoot –
And my favorite from the day –
To Lisa and Jason: Thanks for a great evening! Looking forward to the wedding!
delightfully,
Chenin
On Sunday, I had the pleasure of shooting Emika and Haj’s wonderfully unique wedding. When they came to meet with me at our initial consultation, they had this delightful vision of a simple afternoon tea where they could mingle with their guests, enjoy some great food and treat their families to a great time. With the help of the amazing Kelly Gin of Picture Perfect Events, the wedding was everything Emika and Haj dreamed of. Lavender Hill designed the beautiful (and colorful!) flowers and Patina catered the delicious tea sandwiches, pastries and tea! I had the pleasure of bringing Jeff Lawler as my second shooter. The perfect day ended with a big surprise for their guests – In ‘N Out for everyone!
A couple of details –
The flower girl and ring bearer were quite the pair. Sarah walked down the aisle and, naturally, dropped petals, but Alex apparently thought is was his job to pick them all up on his way down!
It was a traditional Buddhist ceremony on a beautiful day!
Strangely enough, there was a small row of vineyards across the street from the venue, so we took advantage of it. Emika said something that was really interesting, which is that a really imaginative photographers can make something so small (like a vineyard in a parking lot!) seem like the fantasy. I hope I gave it to them!
The vineyard was cool, but I had been eyeing this empty banquet room all day –
Their reception was adorable! They had individual cakes as centerpieces for each table. The tables were each named after a different variety of tea and guests were given escort cards tied to little jars of tea! –
The happy couple making their grand entrance –
A toast –
And Emika and Haj enjoying their little post-wedding treat!
To Emika and Haj: I had such a lovely time sharing tea with you! Enjoy Europe!
delightfully,
Chenin
Effective immediately, all reprints include basic retouching at no additional charge! That’s right – lots of my clients have been asking for a little Boutwell Photoshop Magic on their reprints and so I’ve decided to start offering this service standard with all reprints. So, what exactly does that mean?
It means that standard prints used to look like this:
And now they look like this:
Each reprint will be reworked for it’s maximum WOW Factor! I’ll retouch blemishes, enhance color, dodge and burn, the whole nine yards –
It works for Black and Whites as well!
So, that’s it! Ask and you shall receive – prettified reprints for no additional charge!
delightfully,
Chenin
I’m a bloggin’ fool today! Getting ready to leave town for a week and I’m playing catch-up!
Last week I shot Shirley and Steven’s engagement session in downtown SJC. They were a ton of fun and so easy going – even when Steve spilled coffee all over the front of his shirt right before the session! I am really looking forward to their wedding next year.
Shirley and Steve aren’t exactly the trespassing type, but they were game to sneak back and shoot with this old guy’s barn –
So, I’ve alluded to my super-secret trip to Vegas with the fabulous Dalisa Cooper, and I’m ready to give another hint –
3 days
4 photographers
The World’s Largest Pint Glass
(keep checking back for details – you won’t be sorry)
Last weekend, I shot at the Newport Beach Marriot for the first time. Tara and Blake had a lovely wedding, filled with awesome music, great spirits and tons of smiles! It was really a pleasure to work with such a sweet, adorable couple.
I love Tara’s orange bouquet –
Tara walking down the aisle with her dad –
Tara and Blake had so much chemistry, it was super-easy to shoot them together –
Their grand entrance –
And, by far my favorite photo of the day…. the cake smashing –
To Tara and Blake: Have a lovely honeymoon! And congrats on the new home in Arizona!
delightfully,
Chenin
Yesterday, I headed to Anaheim Stadium, where the Angels play, to shoot Emika and Haj’s engagement session. It was, truly, an amazing time! Emika and Haj are an awesome couple and I felt lucky just to work with them, but on top of that, they arranged for us to shoot on the field of my favorite American League team. It was so super-cool and I can’t wait to share my images!
in the Angel’s dugout –
On the field! –
in the bullpen!
To Emika and Haj: Thanks for the awesome experience!
delightfully,
Chenin
Last week, I headed back to Veranda’s in Manhattan Beach to shoot the nuptials of the uber-talented Doug and the delightful Kristin. They are such a fun couple and it was a pleasure to share their special day with them!
Pink toes –
Some ceremony fun –
This little guy cracked me up –
A little post-kiss celebration –
Then we headed to the beach for some portraits and general messing around –
Then it was party time! –
I love this shot of Kristin dancing with her dad –
And a little serenade from the groom and a couple of his pals –
To Kristin and Doug: Enjoy Costa Rica! Thanks for sharing your wonderful day with me!
Delightfully Yours,
Chenin
So…. you might have noticed I’ve been shooting a lot! Miraculously, I am caught up until last weekend, when Doug and I shot Kristin and Gordon’s wedding at The Ritz. It was a super-hot day, but it was an awesome time shooting for this darling couple. Now, down to some images!
Kristin’s mom saved her own wedding dress and her mom’s wedding dress (Kristin’s grandmother) – I got a little shot of all three hanging in their home –
And a couple of shots of Kristin before she walked down the aisle –
They had this super-cool car take them to the church! I love this shot of Kristin and her father’s reflection in the back of the car –
Kristin’s dad giving her away (I think her expression in this image says it all!) –
Doug grabbed this shot during the ceremony and I think it’s brilliant –
And their send-off from the church –
Then it was off to the hotel for some beach shots and a little reception fun –
A couple of details, just for fun….
The rings –
The place cards and Kristin’s bouquet –
And some shots of the gorgeous room –
Kristin and Gordon’s first dance –
And it was a very lively crowd, so it’s only appropriate that I include a couple of party shots! (for photo geeks, these were shot with the 28mm, which I am officially in love with!)-
To Kristin and Gordon: Enjoy The Palmilla! Have a Corona for me!
Delightfully yours,
Chenin
Wedding #2 last week was for the fabulous Jennifer and Dennis, who are two of the most delightful people you’ll ever meet! They are so incredibly well-suited for each other – they have class and sophistication, but they never take themselves too seriously! I always knew Jen was a beautiful lady, but she was STUNNING on her wedding day!
She looked so great that I couldn’t wait to see Dennis’ face when he laid eyes on her. Here he is, moments after seeing her for the first time (he looks pretty pleased, no?)
Here’s a totally random photo that I like just because….. something about the double-duty of a bridesmaid holding her bouquet and the all-important martini –
Then it was time for the ceremony! Jennifer lined her Chuppah with a piece of her mother’s wedding gown. I thought it was so touching –
Jen was very close to her dad, Mitch, who was just as special as his daughter. Here is Mitch waiting to walk Jen down the aisle –
Some fun ceremony shots –
After the ceremony, we headed down to the beach for some portraits of Jen and Dennis. I always love when couples choose to give me a few minutes to shoot some special images of just them. It also let’s the couple have a few minutes of calm before the craziness of the reception begins….
Then it was back to the St. Regis to shoot the Ketubah signing; I love this shot of Jen and her Maid of Honor watching the Best Man sign –
A shot of the room, expertly put together by the wonderful Laurie Davies of Five Star Weddings
I really love this classic shot of Jennifer and Dennis’ first dance –
And a fun shot of the Hora, one of my favorite wedding traditions to shoot!
To Jennifer and Dennis: You’re two of the sweetest people I know. Thanks for sharing your incredibly love with all of us!
delightfully yours,
Chenin
Last Saturday, Gina and Travis tied the knot in beautiful (and very warm) Palm Desert! I was delighted when Gina, whom I hadn’t met before the big day, was as adorable in person as she was on the telephone! Gina had a real eye for details and incorporated all kinds of fun feathers into the flowers! I loved it so much! Here’s some favorites….
The bouquet –
And the rings –
The beautiful bride –
Doug got to hang with the guys in the bar (lucky duck!) –
Some ceremony shots –
And some portraits of the happy couple! –
(I love everything about this shot… not sure why!) –
The feathery centerpieces –
A little cake action –
And the first dance –
Congrats to Gina and Travis!
Delightfully Yours,
Chenin
We did an extra special engagement session for Kim and Sal last week on the UCLA campus, where they met. Kim has a real passion for photography, which is always nice, and they both gave us a lot of creative freedom. There are way too many awesome shots to post, but here are some of my favorites.
Some sweet light –
Doug using his tilt-shift to its fullest –
Kim and Sal told us that they used to eat lunch from these vending machines, and so we had to find a way to incorporate them into the session –
Sometimes digging in the garbage is worth it –
I just love all the smiles in this shot! –
And one more –
So yesterday I took a last-minute trip out to the Salton Sea with Nate & Jay.
Been there a dozen times, still think it’s fascinating. I’ve shot some of the structures and architecture out there a jillion times, but only a few times did I feel that I was really capturing the place in a way that communicated how it moved me. So I thought I’d try something different this time – something I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the gear to pull off.
So we started off by going up to the North Shore, where this building sits: (for those of you that have Google Earth, this building is located HERE)
Hmmm… kinda cool, but still not entirely what I’m after… So we went up to the ever-popular Bombay Beach (Google Earth .kmz file), where the salty sludge swallowed up both of Nate’s shoes (sorry, the camera was in the car at the time 🙂 )
Bombay Beach has a section of town that, from what I gathered, flooded in 1983. It’s really a fascinating wasteland, and I love the surreal feeling I was able to create in these photos by lighting up some of the derelict structures:
Wow! Super-cool, I thought… but then we went, on Nate’s recommendation, to a place I had just recently learned about – Salvation Mountain (.kmz file here). Salvation Mountain is a 24-year folk art project that’s the work of a single 72 year old man named Leonard. It’s basically a side of a hill that’s been built-up with sticks, tires, hay bales, and adobe, and covered with 100,000 (!) gallons of household paint. Inside and out, it’s covered with messages of christian love, biblical scriptures, and abstract representations of rivers, trees, flowers, hills, etc – all created out of stuff found in the desert, and lots and lots of paint. Really amazing…
I was really blown away by the place… reminded me a lot of the Cathedral of Junk in Austin… If you ever are out in Niland (yeah right!) you need to check it out…
Last but not least – a wide shot showing how all that stuff was shot – two speedotron 1500w/s packs, four heads, and a 5D… yeah!
I, like most artists, have this collection of works in my head that have been burned in there… images, songs, scenes from movies, etc that I know every detail of, and that have influenced both my work and my world view immensely. They come from really varied sources, many of them photos or songs. They act as these sort of anchors or reference points for my understanding and appreciation of art – standards that, to me, everything else will be compared to.
So this morning I though, “wouldn’t it be neat to begin cataloging those things on the blog?” Sort of like the wall-sized drawing I created in art school, wherein I attempted to draw a map of the entire world from memory, down to the last detail of street names, residences, businesses, locations of buildings, etc. Sure, it’s a narcissistic endeavor, but the results are a form of personal biography that I find interesting.
So here we are with image #1 in the series, which I’ll hopefully be able to add posts to regularly. It’s Richard Avedon’s portrait of Jacques Cousteau, first published in his first book, “Observations,” back in, I think, 1959. This was back when his work was a lot more playful, irreverant, experimental, and imperfect. Shot on a Rollei TLR, instead of the 8×10 work he’s most known for, the raw, forceful composition, combined with the emptiness of space and tremendous texture just jump off the page. And there’s a craziness in the moment captured that just seems to capture so much of the personality – an element of a wild, self-assured, indomitably French man. Part senile granddad, part serial killer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a portrait quite like it before or since. I wish I owned a copy of “Observations,” but to my knowledge, it was never reprinted in a second edition, and the existing copies cost a small fortune. The entire book was reproduced in his retrospective book “Evidence,” which I DO own, but all the images were thumbnail size. Cool anyway.
-db PS – on a similar note, if you haven’t seen “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” Wes Anderson’s latest movie… go out and buy/rent it right now. It’s probably in the running for being my favorite movie EVER. It’s a tongue-in-cheek movie, starring Bill Murray, based loosely on the life of Jacques Cousteau, with a soundtrack comprised almost entirely of David Bowie songs done acoustically and sung in Portugese. Fucking brilliant. I want to have Wes Anderson’s love child.
Yesterday, the entire Bludomain Team (minus one new auntie, Kailee) flew from Denver, CO to California to have us shoot their team photo. For those of you who don’t know the Blu Team, they are our fearless and dedicated web designers who were kind enough to design our last two websites! Harald, Aundrea and the team are the nicest, kindest people in the universe and we were so flattered when they asked us to shoot their photos! So, here it goes – our humble attempt to capture the awesomeness that is Blu!
For those that don’t know Harald, he is a very big guy!
Their next album cover –
Jack made an appearance –
It got dark quick, so we played a bit with “alternative” lighting –
And Blu with us!
Last night we had the pleasure of shooting some new portraits for our friends over at Elysium Productions. If you’re looking for a wedding videographer, look no further – give them a call right the heck now. Anyway, so they wanted something a little different, and the last wedding we shot with Julie, we did a little painting with light… she liked the technique, so we did a whole session down by the train station in San Juan Capistrano, everything on a tripod with a single video light.
So, I finally got around to migrating our blog over to WordPress. Quite frankly, I just got sick and tired of having to constantly babysit our comments for nasty spammers offering strippers, home loans, gambling, and junk stocks. Hopefully WP will be waaaay better.
The only catch is that all the comments from the old blog got left behind. All the posts are here, but if you want to read old comments, I’ve left the old blog up at boutwellstudio.com/oldblog/
Let me know if you have any issues with the new software – I know that some of you were having trouble commenting anyway, so hopefully we’ll all be able to move boldly forward into a new tomorrow, free of all the stupid stuff that you usually have to put up with on the net.
-db
PS – We now have an RSS feed available at the link at the bottom of the page, for all you blog addicts!
So, what would motivate a couple of late sleepers like us to get up at 3am tomorrow to board a plane? Texas. Gotta be to LAX before the sun comes up, to be on a flight to Vegas (where we’ll pick up John & Dalisa Cooper), then off to Austin for 24 hours, and back the next day.
So what’s so special about Texas? If you’re a photographer, stay tuned… some exciting things are brewing this fall…
(we stole this logo from another website btw – keepaustinweird.com)
Last Saturday, we shot the wedding of Elizabeth & Marc, down in San Diego. Liz & Marc were both really at ease, and have lots of chemistry, so shooting their portraits in Balboa Park was a blast, and, there was great light at their emotion-filled ceremony, too. Love when churches aren’t total caves – it makes our job so much easier. Congrats to Liz & Marc!
Marc watching his bride come up the aisle
Chenin’s photo of Liz’s dad giving her away – I love this shot
A hug for the parents after the ceremony
Being married is tons of fun!
Liz looking fabulous
Getting all Melbourne on your ass… photographers, you know what I’m talking about…
Lots of red at the reception
Holding each other tight for their first dance
And finally, listening to those toasts…
Another weekend, another wonderful wedding! Vanessa and Mark were married at a beautiful old church in Westwood, and then had a great party at The Skirball Center in L.A. Marcia Vidal, from Crystal Clear Weddings, did a spectacular job coordinating the event. And Bobbe Vagel created the most amazing flowers for the reception. Seriously people, if you haven’t hired a florist BOBBY IS IT!
Here’s some of my favorites from this weekend —
Vanessa heading down for the ceremony
Walking down the aisle with her wonderful dad
A cute moment
The gorgeous church
Vanessa after the ceremony
The happy couple
A taste of Bobbe’s genius
Vanessa and Mark were accompanied by bagpipers for their grand entrance
A nice overall shot of Skirball
And a sweet photo from their first dance
We shot Dave & Amy’s engagement session back in February, and we’ve been looking forward to their wedding ever since. They’re all smiles, and are so well suited to one another, that you can’t help but have a good time with them. Furthermore, they were getting married at the Ritz in Pasadena, which I’ve been dying to shoot for a while now. And things just went perfectly all day – the weather cooled down for us, and the whole event came together beautifully, thanks to the team at Occasions Bridal Consulting.
Amy liked her pink shoes:
And she made a gorgeous bride
Working it in downtown Pasadena, at a wall in front of a parking lot.
A few more shots from downtown – on a side note, we love shooting in urban areas. There are always tons of opportunities to use unusual light and bright color (the images from this wedding speak for themselves). I personally think we do our best work under such circumstances, and really look forward to opportunities to do portraits in unexpected places… okay, so back to the pics…
LOVE this shot of Chenin’s
And this one – she was kicking ass Saturday.
Little shot of the rings – ten points if you can guess the setting…
Also love tall centerpieces like this – they really give a grand scale to any ballroom. Dean Zamani of Piccolo did a fab job with the flowers, and the hand-stitched marquee they put together for the ceremony was just plain awesome.
Getting the flower girl to come down the aisle is always a good time
Dave and Amy share a moment during the ceremony while Amy’s parent look on
They also escaped from all the commotion during the cocktail hour to enjoy a private dinner back at their cottage. They made me promise to tell y’all that it is THE way to go – you actually get to eat, and it’s probably the only time you’ll get alone the whole day. Super-fun.
Also loved the lighting and their 10-piece band really wailed. Made me wanna party. I actually caught myself at one point with my hands up in the air, singing the lyric back at them on the dance floor… till I realized I was there to take pictures. Only happened for a minute, I swear
And finally, Dave and Amy dancing amidst a sea of friends and family – that’s the kind of love that makes weddings so darned special!
Congrats to Dave and Amy!
Yesterday, we headed to Orange to shoot Sharon and Alan before their wedding next month. They were a blast to shoot and had a great sense of style. Check out a couple of our favs –
Feeling blue!
Some very funky light between two houses –
Ass-grabbing + old lady walking = great shot
Suburban Chic
This weekend’s wedding found us in beautiful Manhattan Beach, for a morning ceremony and reception at Verandas. We are continually blessed to have couples that are easygoing and “get” our work. Naomi and Tai are no exception – we love our job!
Found these funny little things on their fridge while we were shooting the girls at the apartment… couldn’t resist hanging the rings on them…
Hair & makeup totem pole
I’m not sure what about this photo I like, but I do. It’s just weird.
The joy of seeing each other for the first time
We tracked down the green tile wall that is in our sample album at Verandas just for Naomi and Tai – they loved the photos in that book (that’s how they found us!), but we had forgotten where it was (oops!). This is the back of someone’s condo, down a narrow alley, on the way to the beach – just another example of how we love finding unique little nooks for portraits.
Enjoying a beautiful day
Petal shower
Naomi looking gorgeous
MMMM… cake!
Lastly, we had so much fun at this guy’s expense, that I almost feel bad… must’ve had a really, really rough night on Saturday, because once the ceremony was over and he had some lunch, this guy was out. Good times!
After a little break in shooting (or at least the longest we’re likely to get in August…) we had the pleasure of shooting Kristin & Gordon’s engagement session yesterday. Hard to take a bad picture of these two, and there were just great pockets of light all over the place. Anyhoo – we had a blast shooting, and even though I’m posting ten photos, we could have easily come up with another ten that are killer and blog-worthy, too. Really looking forward to shooting their wedding at the Ritz next year!
We love using this kind of light/shadow play – I think this was in front of the fire station or something…
They both had that lifestyle fashion model ease about them… of course, the nice light doesn’t hurt, either
One of those funky little pockets of light we were talking about – this was by a service door leading to the dumpsters behind a restaurant – never know where you’ll find that killer light!
Chenin saw this little visual pun, and I completely missed it until we were looking through the photos last night… I was like “so THAT’s what you were shooting!” That’s why having two photographers is so beneficial – shots like this would otherwise go unnoticed. It’s twice the fun! FWIW, the shots on our blog are almost always about 50/50 Chenin’s / mine
Funky garage door
Finally, a little painting with light in front of the gate leading to Gordon’s apartment. Really digging the technique, and props again to JMC for being passionate about it – it’s a great tool to have in the photographer’s box. FWIW, John’s going to be covering how to do this at the ANTI-WORKSHOP this November, which is currently sold out.
Sunday, it was back to the Ritz Carlton for Lacey and Jake’s wedding. Lacey and Jake are two of my all-time favorite clients, because their smiles are so infectious I can’t help but smile myself. They are deeply, madly in the love with eachother and it shows! Jill Watson of The Pampered Bride insured that the Big Day was perfect for Lacey and Jake, and we worked super-hard to give this special couple awesome photos! Here’s a little taste….
I love that Doug and I can work together, because we get to be two places at once! Here’s a shot of Lacey checking herself out –
And here’s Jake putting on the finishing touches at just about the same moment (so fun!)-
Another fun thing about being a husband-wife team is we can capture all angles at once. This is Lacey and Jake’s first meeting, with a 360 degree view –
Since we shot at the exact same location the day before, we were extra careful to stay fresh; we definitely didn’t want to just re-use what worked the day before. Alex of Elysium Productions (the one and only Boutwell-Approved videographer!) brought us to this super cool empty ballroom with great light, a cool piano and shiny wallpaper! Thanks Alex!
Then it was ceremony time! This is Lacey being escorted down the aisle –
And Jake’s reaction (didn’t I tell you they were adorable!) –
Lacey circling Jake 7 times under the Chuppah –
More ceremony fun –
A couple of details from the reception –
Their guests were ready to party the moment Lacey and Jake made their grand entrance –
Their first dance to an awesome Barry White tune –
Jake’s 14 year-old brother was the Best Man! He gave the best toast I’ve ever heard – it was called “Top Ten Reasons Jake is the Best Brother Ever!”
Then it was time for the Horah, which is like hand-to-hand combat for photographers. There is nothing like trying to take great photos while looking though a tiny viewfinder as you simultaneously spin in a circle and try not to get trampled by 150 dancing guests! That said, it’s my favorite part of a reception, hands-down!
This is Aunt Dot and Uncle Mort, who were celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary that day! Mad love must run in their family….
And, last but not least, Lacey and Jake took a little time to play with their food –
Last week we shot Kimberly & Ben’s engagment session at their folk’s Laguna Beach house. Ben’s parents have a beautiful home right on the beach in Laguna and we could have shot there all day! After a couple of mojitos at the house, we walked down to the beach for a little dip!
At the house —
Mmmmm… mojitos —
Using some sexy light —
Oops! The waves were a little bigger than we thought (10 points to Kimberly & Ben for being super-good sports about this!)
We were so excited to shoot Josephine and Justin’s wedding on Saturday, because they are a super-cool couple. Followers of this blog will remember that we shot their engagement session in Las Vegas and filmed it for our DWF seminar. Photographers who attended our seminar will remember them as the awesome couple who let us try anything for the sake of education! Either way, Jo and Justin were a thrill to shoot and their wedding was no different! Here are a couple that I really love —
We started early in the morning with a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony —
Then we headed to the Turnip Rose for a Western ceremony —
Then it was time to shoot the beautiful couple —
Using that funky Boutwell light —
Some nice details —
And a shot of their first dance —
We FINALLY got to shoot Vanessa & Mark’s engagement session at Crystal Cove last Thursday. Vanessa and Mark booked us back at the beginning of 2005, and were getting married last year. They unfortunately had to postpone their date until later THIS year, so it had been a long time since we had seen them. We had a great time enjoying the epic light down at one of the last beaches in OC you can shoot at without getting a ticket. We could post dozens of amazing photos from the session without even breaking a sweat – the photos are absolutely gorgeous! But we’ll have to leave you with just a few, because we’ve been shooting all day, and I need some dinner!
Yesterday we went down to San Clemente to shoot Liz and Marc! It was really fun. because we had actually never met them before! Imagine how happy we were to find out that they are so cute, very sweet and incredibly in love. It was great to get to know them and we’re really looking forward to their wedding in June!
And a funny pic of Doug shooting Liz and Marc on the swings! Can you believe someone stole his shoes while we were down there?!? Let that be a lesson to all of you crazy photographers who kick off your shoes at a beach shoot. There are spooky men, lurking in the bushes, just waiting to steal your 6 year-old checkered Vans.
I love shooting weddings when the weather is iffy. There’s always the possibility that you’ll have to change all your plans, stress out, and get wet, of course. But usually, what happens is this:
I felt like I was in Hawaii. We NEVER get to shoot when the sky looks great. Usually, let’s face it, the beaches in California are gray and hazy – we always find ourselves fighting the light. Not last weekend. That’s what flirting with storms gets you – killer sky. Love it.
Anyway, so we had the good fortune of shooting Jessica & Mike’s wedding down in San Diego. They were such a laid back couple, from beginning to end. All smiles, all day. Their family and friends were all cool, too. Just a nice vibe to the day. They had a casual beach wedding, sans tux, train, and shoes, and it just fit them perfectly.
Getting ready:
Multitasking:
The Beach:
The funny thing is, Mike actually IS a racecar driver.
The Nuptials
Hitched
Jess & Mike having a moment
Jessica looking radiant
Calling out the single ladies in the room
Mike having some fun with his friends
The flower girl getting down
Grown-ups getting down
Listening to the toasts
Check out milkandcookies.com – you’ll never get anything productive done again.
Okay, so I was taping up the light leaks on the bellows of my 50 year old 8×10 camera today, when I realized I never shared the photos I shot of it a while back. As a disclaimer, I don’t seek out ugly photo gear – it finds me. Or else I buy it looking pretty and end up thrashing it because I’m hard on my stuff. Whichever…
Anyway, I know this may well be the ugliest large format camera in existence, but I don’t give a crap. It’s all mine, I got it for a bargain, and the 14″ Commercial Ektar that’s mounted to the front of it kicks some ass.
So just to be silly, here are photos of my latest toy:
the 3/4 view:
Me attempting to do the serious “photographer with his tool” photo ala Denis Reggie
And the view through the ground glass (I swear I get just a little giddy every time I see a photo all framed up and ready to go on a GG that big – 4×5 is soooooo for wusses)
No matter how many times I shoot at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, for weddings, portraits or otherwise, I always seem to find a new angle that blows my mind. It’s also a pretty amazing place to hear the symphony. Love….
delightfully,
Chenin
In the spirit of Taco Tuesday and Friday Flip-Up Day, I’ve decided to start doing a Wordless Wednesday post each week. One image or series of images, little or no explanation needed. This week….
Waking up is hard to do.
delightfully,
Chenin
I have all sorts of exciting news to report! I am thrilled to share that Boutwell Studio, for the fourth year in a row, was named Best of Weddings by The Knot Magazine.
We were also featured last month in both the National and Southern California editions of The Knot Magazine. Congrats to Julie and Bill, who got married at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes last November –
And happy wedding to Grace, who’s lovely bridal shower, designed by Jeannie Savage of Details, Details, was also featured –
Thanks to The Knot for letting me share my work with its readers, and to my wonderful clients who nominated me for The Best of Weddings!
delightfully,
Chenin
Photographing portraits is always a treat for me. Whether it’s an engagement session, a family portrait, or a styled shoot of 15, portraits allow me a little more time and control over the finished product. I love that I get to choose the time of day and location for the shoot, and I especially love that my subjects aren’t distracted by ceremonies and toasts, and are fully focused on making great images with me.
Here are my favorite portraits from 2010…
Oh how I love the little things! As if shooting people in love isn’t enough, I also get to see and photograph some of the most beautiful shoes, dresses, hairpieces, flowers and tablescapes around. I always set aside some time to photograph these little, often-missed details because I know how much time and thought my clients put in to choosing them.
Here are my favorite wedding details of 2010…
Although I love to shoot portraits on the wedding day, I consider myself more of a hands-off photographer. I am most in my element when standing back, observing quietly and capturing those little, unexpected moments that occur at weddings. Here are my 2010 favorite images, capturing wedding moments…
For the last several years, I’ve started off the New Year with a series of posts, looking back at my favorite images from the past year. It’s a nice way for me to regroup, see where I can improve and grow, and share with my readers my true passion.
First up, my favorite wedding portraits from last year. When shooting portraits, my focus is always, first and foremost, finding beautiful light. After finding my light, I try to create a comfortable, light-hearted and safe atmosphere for my subjects to relax, have fun, and share their natural chemistry with me and my camera.
I once heard a phrase that literally changed my outlook on life in a split second. It changed how I view myself, my friends and family, and life’s little (and big) challenges.
“Whatever package you come in, put a bow on it.”
This quote is simple, it’s cute, and for anyone who knows my love for a good dot and a bow, it is utterly ME. It stands for looking on the bright side, seeing the best in others and being the best people we can be, inside and out.
Fast forward to last month, when I received a call that Scout’s newborn screening test came back positive for an organic acid disorder. My perfect, 5 day old baby girl, Scout, was not so perfect after all. In a whirlwind of days, we learned that Scout has a rare metabolic disorder called 3MCC Deficiency, that she is at risk for many complications, and that she will always require vigilant care and a very strict diet.
Upon hearing the news, I wish I could say that I immediately looked on the bright side. I wish I was the kind of person who stood at the bottom of this very long, very uphill road and thought, “make lemonade.” But I’m just not. Instead, I wallowed, and worried and fretted for weeks. And then I remembered my quote:
“Whatever package you come in, put a bow on it.”
At that moment, I realized that I can’t control what happens to Scout in the future, but I vowed to enjoy her TODAY.
As I got her and Maxfield dressed last week for our annual visit to see Santa, I realized how perfect her little dress was; it was not only perfect for the occasion, but for our particular place in life right now. A dot and a bow, for one of the most precious gifts (and challenges) the universe has ever given me.
Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday filled with many gifts and a very happy new year…
delightfully,
Chenin
To learn more about 3MCC and other Organic Acid Disorders and to help make screening mandatory, visit:
-Organic Acidemia Association
– Bailey Baio Angel Foundation
-Save Babies Babies Through Screening Foundation
I know, I know, I know….. I’ve been neglecting the blog lately. Between a newborn, an almost-two-year-old and the holidays, I’ve been a little distracted lately. I don’t know if it’s the lack of sleep, lack of actual work to keep me busy (maternity leave is a double-edged sword, you know) or just me selfishly relishing in mommyhood for the second time, but my brain just hasn’t been in photography mode. I suppose you could say I’ve been in a bit of a fog lately, which makes this little shot, snapped yesterday afternoon in foggy Ladera Ranch, all the more appropriate.
delightfully,
Chenin
September 22, 2010
tabathatru
Well or bad chosen 