Ultramageddon

Here are a few pics I took during my day workshop in San Luis Obispo, CA with the one and only, Jeff Newsom

Jeff showing us his new Tai Chi/Photography moves. Kidding – he was explaining how he gets a couple to be more even-height if the difference is REALLY significant. His pants are rolled up because it literally rained all day and only stopped for our shoot, coincidentally.

Talking to us before we headed down his street to wander and find cool places to shoot the couple.

Favorite of the pics I took over Jeff’s shoulder of the couple. They were awesome – Jeff shot their wedding in ‘06 so they were real and candid and a perfect example of a slightly awkward couple not knowing the perfect way to pose. But they were awesome and so sweet and did basically anything Jeff wanted, including sitting on a towel on muddy ground in his backyard.

This is when he said he shoots into the sun and way underexposes so he can get the sky perfect. He said, “I’d rather shoot sloppy and fix it later than to shoot perfect and miss the moment” I feel the EXACT same way – especially when you are trying your best to capture real moments. Not to say you shouldn’t try your best to set the exposure right, but you shouldn’t waste too much time tinkering with settings and miss your couple laughing

this shot was awesome when he showed us later

The super cool people in our workshop – everyone was so nice and happy to be there – really made the day great.

I learned so much – I don’t really know how to process it but I had this overwhelming sense of peace after I got home. Like it was all going to be great this year. Jeff really embodies working for the right reasons. He loves his clients, loves his job, loves giving and loves his family. It’s like he has somehow escaped the dreaded business side of wedding photography that always got me down (and gets me down.) He takes each day and each job in stride and doesn’t over-plan or over-think and doesn’t dominate the couple’s day. I really hope to grow in my business this year and I hope that along the way, I learn to chill, to hone my craft and become better, to stretch my mind to think outside the box and to make friends instead of business partners. We have the best job in the world – I want to recognize that more this year and work really really hard so I will appreciate it the way I should.

Thanks, Jeff – although I know you will never read this post, I am so grateful that you were so open with us, that you and your incredible wife opened your house to us and let us hold your sweet baby and just be a part of your world for one day.