My Week In The OC - A Review

As some of you may know, I recently had the opportunity (thanks to the encouragement of my lovely wife) to go to and study with one of the best wedding photographers out there, Mike Colon. My flight left Sunday morning June 17th. To start things off, I was lucky enough to have a 6+ hour layover in Pheonix. Lucky, you say. Yes, you read correctly. One of my great long-time friends, Roger, lives just outside of Phoenix. He picked me up at the airport, and I got to spend a few hours with him and his family.

A picture of Roger and the kidos!


From there, I flew into Orange County and quick grabbed a ride to the hotel. That night Mike had a dinner for all of the workshop students. It was a great way to meet everyone.

Ashley McCue, David Baxter, Nancy Hajjar, Justin Murphy, Lara Parent, Huy Phan, Jim Sisco, Matthew Wagner, Jeff Wendling

I won't be surprised if some of these folks will be giving their own workshops in the future. It was a great and talented group to be a part of.

Monday was the first day of studying and we had the opportunity to do an engagement shoot at Disneyland, which was an absolute blast.

Mike, spreading his knowledge!


Two of our lovely models and wonderful people - Brittany Leigh Gebler and Gavin Wade


This is one of Mike's clients - Diana and Josh. They were so much fun and full of life.




On Tuesday, Mike arranged for us to have some fun and relaxation at the beach, followed by a great bbq and discussion on marketing.

Jim catching a wave


Matthew getting up on a board for the first time


The lovely and talented Rosanna


I think we all enjoyed the fun and the sun.

On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to do another photo shoot at Balboa Beach. I would like to thank all of the great people and vendors for the time and items they donated for the shoot. Everything was gorgeous!

Brides - you have to check out the up and coming designer Marianne Lanting!


Thank you to Mon Amie Bridal for this beautiful gown!


Theron Chaney looking sharp in a tux from Friar Tux in Costa Mesa


A lovely up-do by Lindsay Shepherd


Check out the make-up job done on those eyes by Stephanie Friekin


And how could we forget this stylish and classic ring by Jewels by Justin


On Thursday, Mike concluded the workshop and hosted a great poker game (which I will post about later). In closing, I had such a good time and learned so much. For any photographers reading this, I strongly encourage you to look into Mike Colon's workshops. They are a great investment and you will meet some incredible people!

Information on all the people and vendors who helped make the photo shoots spectacular:

Assistant:
Kristin Renee
http://www.kristinrenee.com/blog

Female Models/Assistants:
Rosanna Stonesifer
www.rsphotography.net

Brittany Leigh Gebler
www.brittanyleighphotography.com

Male Models:
Gavin Wade
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14516103

Theron Chaney

Hair:
Lindsay Shepherd
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=17028632

Make-up:
Stephanie Friekin
www.iheartcreative.com

Rosanna's Gown
Mon Amie Bridal
http://monamie.com

Brittany's Gowns (both days):
Marianne Lanting Couture
mariannelanting.com

Brittany and Gavin's Rings:
Jewels by Justin
www.jewelsbyjustin.com

Tuxes:
Friar Tux (in costa mesa)
714.556.5500