Proposal Shoot | Balboa Park | Sunset Cliffs | Jimmy + Dulce

Photographers: Be Still Photography (Ernie Padaon + Fiona Padaon) Location: Balboa Park | Sunset Cliffs | San Diego, CA

So... here was the plan. This whole shoot was supposed to be a family/couple style portraiture deal with the dog. It all took place in Balboa Park and we were going to end the day at Sunset Cliffs. At Sunset Cliffs, Jimmy was going to get down on one knee and ask Dulce to marry him.

Dulce and Jimmy have this joke about tying his shoe and proposing. It was going to be great!!!

When we got to Sunset Beach, I was supposed to tell Jimmy that his shoe was untied and he would drop to one knee to tie his show. He then responds "it is not untied" and I go right back to say "just kidding!"

Jimmy then would look to Dulce and say, "since I am down here...."

Check out the photos from the day.

Engagement Session at Old Poway Park | Grit + Phil

Photographers: Be Still Photography (Ernie Padaon and Fiona Padaon) Location: Old Poway Park, San Diego, CA

We did this engagement session with Grit and Phil in Old Poway Park. The location makes for some amazing photos and these two were a blast to work with. They filled the day with laughs! Can't wait till their wedding day, it is going to be amazing!

Grand Tradition Estate Wedding | Creating Album for Andessa + James

Putting together an album for Andessa and James from their wedding at the Grand Tradition Estate in Fallbrook, Ca. There are so many beautiful images from the day that I have had to add more pages than I originally planned. Still have to tell the story and include all the fabulous images.

I think the book is going to look fabulous when it is all complete. Hopefully we will have something ready by the end of the week.

Photographers: Be Still Photography Ernie Padaonm Ray Mickshaw Venue: Grand Tradition Estate, Fallbrook, CA

Engagement Session in La Jolla | Carlo + Kaeli

Photographers: Be Still Photography (Ernie Padaon and Fiona Padaon) Location: La Jolla Shores

We shot this engagement session a few months ago and wanted to re-edit them with the new touch that we had been putting on them. This session with Carlo and Kaeli was awesome in La Jolla. We had a blast with them and the photos turned out great.

Here is some of the captures from the day.

Family Portraits at Old Poway Park

Family Portraits Photographers: Be Still Photography | Ernie Padaon and Fiona Padaon Location: Old Poway Park, San Diego, CA

We had a great time at Old Poway Park with the Block Family. We were able to sneak away from the rest of the photographers at the park and found a little area near by to get some family portraits in. The session had a lot of props for Lillian's first birthday. We ended the day with a little smash the cake. Check out some of the photos from the day.

Wedding in Caramel Mountain Ranch CC | Daniel + Tracy

Wedding Photographer: Be Still Photography Ernie PadaonVenue: Caramel Mountain Ranch Country Club | San Diego, CA

I had the pleasure to capture the day for Daniel and Tracy a few weeks ago and enjoyed every second of the day with these guys. They are an amazing couple and have some great things in store for them in the future. The venue at Caramel Mountain Ranch Country Club was awesome.

To start out the day, Daniel and Tracy exchanged some letters to each other. Daniel had to step away from the rest of his groomsmen to focus in on writing his letter. He stepped into the abandoned bar area and wrote something up for Tracy.

After all the guys got dressed, we all took some portraits seperate from the ladies. These guys were so easy to photograph. Everyone was laid back and having a good time.

After the portrait session, the guys all decided to pray for Daniel. Seriously one of my favorite moments during weddings.

Daniel and Tracy did nont want to see eachother before the weddingm but they wanted to get prayed for with eachother before the ceremony.

Again, the ceremony was beautiful.

After the ceremony, we did the formal dances. Bride-groom. Father-daughter. Mother-son.

Daniel and Tracy loved to dance it out

I think Tracy got the best of Daniel during the cake cutting.

Again, it was an amazing day with an amazing couple.

Be Still Photography Published on One Fab Day

Be Still Photography has been published on the wedding site One Fab Day. Back in September, Fiona and I were asked to be the photographers for a styled shoot in hopes of getting published. Jordan Dull of I Do... Weddings & Events asked us to participate and we were excited about the opportunity.

We had some amazing vendors to work with and the venue was absolutely gorgeous. We had a great time out there and have been rewarded with this publication.

We thank all the vendors that took part in the shoot.

Winter Wedding Shoot Details:

• Planning: Jordan Dull, I Do…Weddings & Events
• Florist: Rae Florae
• Venue: The US Grant Hotel
• Dress: The Dress Theory
• Stationery: Whimsique
• Rentals: Concepts Event Design
• Cake: Sweet Cheeks Bakery
• Hair & Makeup: Danece Van Soelen

Family Portraits at the Beach in Carlsbad, CA

Family Portrait Photographers: Be Still Photography Ernie Padaon and Fiona Padaon Location: Carlsbad, CA

We were back at that beautiful location at the beach in Carlsbad and were running some family portraits for our neighbors. The sun has been going down earlier and earlier these days and it has been getting a little chilly out of late, so that made it easier to find spots where there were not random people hanging out in the background of photos.

It was great to hang out and capture some moments with the family. They have beautiful twins and there were some great moments with all of them. Here are some of the photos from their day:

Carmel Mountain Ranch Wedding | Daniel + Tracy

Carmel Mountain Ranch Wedding | Daniel + Tracy

Wedding Photographers: Be Still Photography Ernie Padaon, Breathe In Light Tara Simpson Venue: Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club, San Diego, CA

I had the opportunity to capture the wedding for Daniel and Tracy over the weekend and had a blast with this great couple.

The venue was absolutely stunning at Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club.  The ceremony was outside of the clubhouse and the skies were perfectly clear. Everything ran smooth and we were able to get some great light for the portrait session.

Here are a few images throughout the day. This is just a sneak peek while we go through all of the images. These are all straight out of the camera.

Camp Pendleton Wedding | Carson + Mary Kate

Photographers: Be Still Photography, Ernie Padaon and Fiona PadaonVenue: Pacific Views Event Center, Camp Pendleton, CA

What a fun wedding to be a part of this weekend with Carson and Mary-Kate. They were such a fun couple to work with and the wedding party was filled with a bunch of people that were ready to have a great time.

These two have a great future ahead of them. We enjoyed every second of the day. Here are some of the highlights from the day.

Here is a look in at her wedding dress with the "Mrs Ritchie" on her wedding dress hanger.

And here are some of the flower details from the day. And the ring shot.

The venue was beautiful with an outdoor setting.

The two wanted to sneak a little hand hold before the actual wedding, but they didn't want to see each other until she walked out so we made something work out for them.

Here is the video of their amazing day.

Blogging with SmugMug... Not so hot

I tried to work with creating blogs through SmugMug and I just don't see it working out in the same manner as WordPress. I have been working with WordPress for so long and know how to quickly get something posted on the site and just didn't want to deal with customizing each page to make it look the same on SmugMug.

SmugMug will still be the spot where I hold images and such, but it will not be the location where I will have the blog running from. Wordpress has this thing on lock and is what they specialize in and will be the way that I continue to post. It is so much easier to get found on google with wordpress posts as well. Have to stick with the right tools if I want the proper results.

Sorry I left you for so long WordPress... .and by so long, meaning not that long at all!

Trash the Dress Photo Session in La Jolla Teaser

Fiona and I were able to shoot a "Trash the Dress" session over the weekend and had a blast with this couple. We started out the day in Point Loma jumping in a fountain and worked our way up to La Jolla to splash around in the beach. We have some amazing shots of the couple and here are a couple of teasers from the portion in La Jolla.

This one was an amazing shot that was taken by Fiona. That wedding dress was flung out perfectly on the shot and we were able to get the area clean enough to make that composition.

On the photo from above, Fiona was working with "bride" while I just shot off to the side and found a perfect spot to get them both into the photo. Having a pair of photographers on sessions has its benefits.

Trash the Dress sessions are so great! Can't wait to get more of these booked on the schedule!

These are just a couple of teasers from the session over the weekend and we should have more to share in a few days.

San Diego Photographers: Be Still Photography | Ernie Padaon | Fiona Padaon

Location: La Jolla Cove

Grand Tradition Estates Wedding Teaser | Andessa + James

Andessa and James have been friends of ours for a couple of years and I had the honor to shoot their wedding day. The wedding was beautiful and the location was perfect for the vintage look that they were looking for. I have a couple of teaser images from the day that I wanted to share with everyone as we run through all the images.

One of my favorite images on the day is with all the groomsmen and the groom walking back to the room after portrait sessions. This of course was part of the session, but I just kept shooting and picked up this magnificent shot of everyone. Everyone lined up perfectly and we are able to see all the groomsmen in the shot. It could be a poster to a movie.

Here is another shot that worked out perfectly during the grand entrance of the bride and groom. I took a risk sitting toward the back of the room while shooting the entrance since the other shooter was at the bottom of the stairs and was able to catch this shot with perfect framing. The napkins were being waved around in the air and James and Andessa lined up perfectly in the middle.

San Diego Wedding Photographer: Be Still Photography Ernie Padaon & Ray Mickshaw Wedding Venue: Grand Tradition Estate | Fallbrook, CA

Capturing the moment

I thought I was great at capturing moments until I watched a Creative live with Tyler Wirken this week. I am on Creative Live constantly and learning all the time from the epic photographers that they bring on set. I pick up a nugget from everyone that is on the show and this time around, I learned so much about moving my feet in order to capture moments.

“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” - Ansel Adams

I know that Ansel was a landscape photographer, but that quote speaks so much truth about capturing moments. I can't say I agree with everything that Tyler said on the show, but everyone has their own style and their own way that they shoot. Most people shoot in Manual mode, but one of the best photographers on the planet, Joe Buissinck shoots in P-mode.

I will not argue with the way people shoot. It is the images that will completely shut me up. You can't deny the images that are produced by some of these greats.

The thing with Tyler, there was a video of him during a wedding and you would see him working through the scene and getting into the proper spot in order to catch moments. Catching a photography of the bride laughing is not enough, he had to get the picture of the bride laughing and have the thing that she was laughing at as part of the photo as well. He would hustle his way through in order to make his photo. It may be a bit disruptive for me, but you could not deny the images that he had at the end of the day.

When you catch the moment, you catch everything about that moment and can tell the story in that one photograph. You don't take a photo of the laugh in one image and the thing being laughed at in another image. You position yourself in a manner that you are able to gather the whole scene in one shot.

There was so many moments that have been missed in the past simply because I didn't move my feet. That will be a thing of the past and there will be a whole new way of capturing the moment. Move those feet and know where to stand.

Family Portraits at Poway Railroad Station

We just did a family portrait session out in Poway at this old school railroad station yesterday. It was the first time that we have ever been out to the station and found it by looking up poway and photography through google. Apparently everyone and their mother knew about this location for photography though. There were at least 4 different photography sessions going on at the same time that we were out there. It was crazy. We all had the same locations in mind to shoot and we even saw some photographers steal ideas on our posing.

Either way, the posing part of family sessions is the shots that we make sure to have because it is traditional and everyone has it. They definitely are a must to take, but the style that we will be pushing is more of the photojournalistic feel. Shots like the one above. Shots that show you the love and fun that the family have.

The shots are set up in a bit, but posing and popping hips out and smiling are not part of the requirements. We want real reactions and real movements. We want real laughs and real smiles.

We still have to edit through this batch, but we will share more of these types of shots from this weekend's shoot.

Surf Photography Session from last week

It has been some time since I was able to get on here to write about the photography adventures. It has been a bit busy the last few days though. I was able to get in on a surf session last week right as the sun was going down and it made for some phenomenal photos. The surf was a little junky, so there wasn't a lot of great "surf" shots in the set, because the surfers weren't able to do much, but the sky was amazing.

After shooting the surf and the beach for the whole day, my favorite photo from the night may have come on my walk to the car. I saw this runner headed toward me with headlights and the beautiful sky. I focused in as quickly as I could and snapped off this gem.

Ever get asked how much photoshop it took to get that image? SIGH. Was asked that about the image above and the truth is that I barely touched that photo out of the camera. People think that they are complimenting your photoshop skills when they say such things, but they do not realize that photographers are insulted by such chatter.

Moonlight Beach