Barnsdall Fridays Wine Tasting begins again!

Last year, Ingrid and I got hooked on a series of  summer wine tastings at Barnsdall Park in the Los Feliz area of LA. Apparently we weren’t the only ones … this year’s first Friday wine tasting was another hit, as usual!

Right around 5:30pm on Fridays, a section of the park on the sunny side of the slope fills up very quickly. The west lawn becomes a tight speckling of blankets, friends, couples, and kids as the sun sets. It makes for a wonderfully unusual LA phenomenon … socialization with other friendly people! Ingrid and I went with friends, newly-married Heather + Brian (oh by the way, check out their wedding photos here), and had a great picnic on the lawn while listening to the nearby DJ’ed music.

Silverlake Wine does the generous pours, and always selects four boutique summery choices. This time, they offered a taste of their own blend, along with a story of  the bear art on the label that apparently also graces the walls of their bathroom (unconfirmed … I haven’t visited their bathroom yet).

Other attractions include an ice cream truck (Coolhaus) and a hot dog truck (Let’s Be Frank) that pull up to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hollyhock House.

The tickets are available online, and seem to have increased by $5 this year to $20 + Eventbrite’s commission. Profits benefit the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation‘s projects and programs. We may not go as often because of the price increase, but it’s still such a very worthwhile summer activity when I’m not booked for an event or wedding!

Purchase tickets here: Barnsdall Friday Wine Tasting

Enjoy, and say hi at the next one!

Anchal+Lavinder Engagement Pictures – Laguna Beach, CA

Hey!

Here’s a few fun images from a playful engagement story session in Laguna Beach! Mixed a little sand, a little water, a little golden hour, a little yellow sun dress, and a little ooh-la-la, and this is what we got:

Angel+Lavinder will be gettin’ hitched at the Ritz Carlton in Newport Beach, and I am stoked to be there!

Anitra+Justin Engagement Portraits, part 2 – Lomo photos!

In anticipation of Anitra + Jusin’s Minneapolis wedding this weekend, I want to show off a couple more images. Justin is a cameraman himself, and he asked if I’d take a departure from my usual equipment to make some photos with a Holga camera.

For those uninitiated to a Holga, it’s essentially a toy camera that has gathered a following among a certain set of photographers both amateur and professional — those that enjoy unexpected results! Holgas are actual film cameras — “Wassat? Film?” –  known for their plastic elements and light leaks. To focus the lens is to choose a point somewhere between three settings: “one person,” “three people,” and “five people.” It’s photography guesswork, and the results rock!

Lomography is an unorthodox and freestyle way of making photos with an inexpensive camera such as a Holga. It’s  very hipster idea, and the cameras fill a table at any Urban Outfitters. To switch gears after wrangling a massive camera takes some getting used to, but is ultimately very freeing.

I used “redscale” film for these Lomo photos from their engagement session:

Nothing like a creamy, apocalyptic engagement session!

I’ll be experimenting some more with the Holga at their wedding … stay tuned.

Anitra + Justin Engagement Session preview!

Anitra + Justin, high school sweethearts from Minnesota, wandered the hills and streets of Silverlake for some engagement portraits on Monday. Here’s a little tease while they’re getting worked up!

Haram Iran Promo Photos

Take a look at the promos and setups I photographed for a very dramatic show called Haram Iran, which opens tomorrow in West Hollywood!

The show tells the story of two Iranian 15-year-olds accused and tried for homosexuality. It is based on actual events in Mashad, Iran in 2005. The show began in Chicago, and tomorrow evening is its west coast premiere.

We photographed the three leads (Andy Gala, Tamer Aziz, and Michael Tauzin) separately and together against a white seamless. I  lit to show plenty of definition and contrast, but it still was meant to make it easy for the graphic designer to alter the tones later for an implied hot desert environment.

The first image shows the three guys together:

The producers chose a different set of  images for the one sheet, and I really love how it came together! The final design actually reflects the relationships and story extraordinarily well (design by Noah Benjamin):

Surrounded by photo equipment after the shoot are produer Christopher Sepluveda (left), actors Andy Nala, Tamer Aziz, and Michael Tauzin, and producer Jeremy O’Keefe.

I went back to photograph setups this week. I was so impressed with the cohesiveness of the show, from the lighting to the costuming to the set design! And the actors really put their all into their parts, even though they were only performing their setups for my camera!

Tamer actually plays this scene (above and below, when he is put into prison) in silhouette, which is just right for what I think is one of the best-choreographed moments of the production. But a silhouette didn’t work as well for the photo — his lines and movement complete the visuals when he’s standing a few feet in front of you. So I took a little artistic license and added a kiss of light when he hit his mark (below), in hopes that it would play better as a still image. It turned out to be one of my favorites.

I urge you to make time to see this show! It is directed by Michael Matthews and produced by Jeremy O’Keefe and Christopher Sepulveda. For ticket info (it runs from March 5 to April 4 only), visit the Haram Iran Facebook event page or see the Celebration Theatre’s website.

Haram Iran on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=345262086252

Celebration Theatre – http://www.celebrationtheatre.com/

Happy anniversary, Stephanie + Ryan!

Oh, if I could shoot Stephanie + Ryan’s wedding every weekend! Now I know, it’s easy to say that every couple is my favorite. But these two have a style all their own, almost straight outta Middle Earth. Their wedding was so creative thru-and-thru that it’s impossible pick only a couple favorite photos! They were hitched on the secluded hilly grounds of the Center for Energetic Healing in Simi Valley, CA, which has no lack for forest-y nooks and crannies.

We were nearly done with the bride-and-groom session — and they were getting tired — when I spotted a tree trunk up a hill. It was a bit of a hike, so I gingerly suggested that I had one more crazy idea. I remember that Stephanie, though her feet were hurting, replied something to the effect of: if your wedding photographer has an idea, you should go with it. (Sound advice!) So we braved the hill, the ants, and the sticker bushes to make Ryan a Prince Valiant:

My other favorite image came at a very emotional moment during the ceremony. They had one of the most heartfelt ceremonies I’ve seen, and there was barely a dry eye in the crowd by the end. During a fantastic reading by her bridesmaid, Ann, Stephanie spontaneously reached for Ryan’s hand, then turned and looked at Ann. The moment gave me butterflies:

Happy one-year anniversary, you two! May you stay well!

Happy anniversary, Kat + Paul!

Kat and Paul are a fun, laid-back couple who are without a doubt truly smitten for each other. Two years ago, I photographed their engagement portraits in Orange and their wedding in Monrovia, and had so much fun with their family and friends! Today is their second anniversary … where’d the time go? Here are a couple of my favorites:

Happy 2nd, lovebirds!

– Russell

Here’s Edward, the newest addition to the Jenks Family!

Way back in 2006, I had the honor of photographing Trisha + Jon’s Oahu wedding. In 2007 they asked me to photograph baby Catherine. And just two weeks ago, I got to see their new little one, Edward, in front of my lens!

Edward is about 8 weeks old. When he’s awake, Edward is wide-eyed and takes it all in. Catherine, who is almost 2, is a very smart girl with a love for Yo Gabba Gabba and fruit snacks.

We shot this session at my friend and fellow photog Kelli Maguire’s studio in old town Whittier. Kelli is always so generous and upbeat, and is wonderful with children. I have so much fun hanging out with the Jenks family … I can’t wait to see what their next surprise is! Here are the photos:

Ok, maybe that last one is a lil’ too “Anne Geddes” for my usual tastes. It was Kelli’s awesome idea, and it was fun trying to “homage” the style. Mere millimeters out of frame is Kelli on the left and momma Trisha on the right, making sure Edward stayed floating on his mark. Kelli was right in the “spray zone” too, and bravely took one for the team.

Thanks, Jon & Trisha; it was a blast!

Tastes Like Burning: Station Fire

Next to traffic and taxes, flames are a rest-assured fact of life here in southern California. Friend and fantastic web designer Zoey said that from her house, it looked like Glendale’s Forest Lawn Mortuary was on fire (!!!) so I scarfed down my food and checked it out with Ingrid. Watching dusk fall away,  I wandered Atwater Village in my car, thinking “high ground high ground high ground.”

Turned out, high ground was the I-5 onramp. Braced my lens by wedging it into the corner of the open sunroof. Just barely squeaked an angle between massive power lines and messy foreground foliage.  And juuust enough light in the sky to balance the lit cross with the expanding Station Fire’s flames.

And then it was dark!