The last days of Christmas 2008

Strolling along (fashion island), as Christmas fades away I'm heading
to dinner with my wife and family, (not shopping). It's been a good
year and I'm most blessed to have such a sweet family and great
friends...

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Yosemite Web Cam: my favorite

This web cam is my little window into the Sierras, its updated every minute so you can see if snow is falling, and you can watch the sunset as well. Its located at Glacier Point in the Sierra Nevada where we go camping every year during the warm summer months. Every so often near this location at 7,300 feet, we will go snow camping and make a fort in the snow and camp out for a couple days, its pretty stellar to overlook this valley and be in solitude.

My favorite web cam: Yosemite

This web cam is my little window into the Sierras, its updated every minute so you can see if snow is falling, and you can watch the sunset as well. Its located at Glacier Point in the Sierra Nevada where we go camping every year during the warm summer months. Every so often near this location at 7,300 feet, we will go snow camping and make a fort in the snow and camp out for a couple days, its pretty stellar to overlook this valley and be in solitude.

this link has the web cams for the Yosemite Valley area.

Merry Christmas! 2008

I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful and merry Christmas this year.
Thanks to all the readers, comments and love. Have a blessed day...

photo of the Week

Nothing Beats a drive up the California Coast. The Southern Entry to Big Sur...

My beloved bride

As I was editing a casual portrait session today, i came across this image. I LOVE working with my wife, she has such a servants hear and inspires me to serve her as well. This cyclical cycle is such a blessing when its lived out, and while we are not perfect, we strive to continually serve each other and die to ourselves(our selfish desires). Thus we put our unity and priority of our marriage before our personal ideas, desires, wants, needs, frustrations, and the need to be right. I can't tell you how much of a blessing it is to have a marriage like that. I LOVE my wife more every day.

Beverly Hills, Greystone Mansion { Steve & Stef }

I love this family of friends. Its been a blessing this year to watch some of our clients who have become friends get Married and really influence each other. When anyone gets married, they have the potential to influence so many people! This is true of Steve & Stef, they have left a wake of people that are more blessed because of them. Rachel & I included.




We got started at The London Hotel" with Stef and her girls in West Hollywood, from there, we met up with Steve at his house and prayed over his day. I loved seeing the dedication of their friends towards helping them with their day.


Steve had a great group of guys around him to support, encourage and make him laugh.


Stef was beaming as she walked around the beautiful grounds of the mansion.


This is a spectacular site. Greystone Mansion sits overlooking the LA basin, the rainy weather turned blue skies and it was actually pretty warm out until the sun set! The Ceremony was one of the best ones I've heard. Challenging to myself as a husband, I was captivated by the words JUST as much as the images I was capturing.

Right after the Ceremony Steve & Stef snuck away to this balcony to have some private time, something thats a MUST for all couples right after they get married!


So as our bridal group photos came to an end, I decided to up the ante, using all the petals from the ceremony isle, everyone grabbed a handful and tossed them into the air. While it looked cool, it was very hard to catch the camera as it fell from a cloud of orange petals! Crazy, but I'm amped on how it turned out!


Steve, the amazing man he is, is also a pretty good looking statue, and caught the attention of his bride here while she headed to get her hair adjusted.


During the day, there are about a gazillion things that catch my eye and I NEVER, EVER get a chance to shoot by them all, or even a fraction, so I have to pick as many as I can and go as fast as I can while not rushing as well, its a delicate balance. I knew I wanted to revisit this wall by the bridal room and the light was perfect. The color is sweet!


What a couple, what a weekend, we have been blessed by getting to know Steve & Stef more and I felt like this was one of those weddings where I grew from. I love that.


Lighting is EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING, those of you brides who are reading this, lighting makes such a difference. As someone who is looking at an event from a photogenic perspective, I can't recommend it enough!

Bella Events did a great job putting everything together.

Nuggets from editing sessions...

I was editing another wedding today and I LOVE this image.  This is the kind of different stuff that I love to keep pushing the edge on.  Anyways, have a great monday.  

P.S. Steve & Stef, your images are on their way up online!  stay tuned...

2009 Holiday Chamber Of Commerce Mixer

The Fabulous members if the Broad Street Event Group have come together to Host the Annual Chamber Mixer which is always the biggest of the year. We had to get a HUGE tent to accomodate the 250+ people that will mingle through. I am very proud and honored to be part of the host for this. Kramer DJ's, Panacea Event Floral Design, Catering Unlimited, are the featured vendors, as well as a special thanks to Bill Gaines Lighting, Taylor Rentals & Party Plus. Justin, EOS, and Sextant Wineries are pouring some of their fabulous wine for the evening, Blackhorse, San Luis Obispo's Favorite Coffee shop will be providing the hot sweet holiday beverages. Rich Ferguson will be strolling around entertaining the guests, if you have not seen him, he has been in Jay Leno and is amazing & fun. See you guys there, remember, parking will be tight with the number of guests we have arriving, so carpool and come early.

Ragged Point, Big Sur CA Wedding Shoot { Derek and Heather }

Ragged Point Inn and Resort was a wonderful place for this very special wedding!

Atlanta! Pictage user group

Tonight upstairs at a cozy coffee shop. The big Atlanta PUG group met
up and invited me to share. While it was nearly 30 degrees outside,
inside as warm and friendly. I had much to share in the hour, as I
hat to leave to catch a 9:15 flight! Now on the Delta flight to LAX,
I'm finally getting a chance to blog this image. ( it's temporary
until I get the shot from the more professional camera). As you can
see (me in the center)I didn't take it, but I'm thankful to have it!
Thanks guys for such a warm reception and a good group of people!

Thanks to Rachel and Andrew Neilson for their hospitality and time
hanging out. I'm officially coming back to Atlanta, next time with my
beautiful bride... See you in 5.25 hours in La rachie!

Chattanooga Workshop

Here is a shot from the Chattanooga workshop, a full day of Kevin Swan, Shaun, Nathan and I pouring out the best of what we know to photographers to help them get on their way to being better and growing. Kiss wedding books sponsored this, and I love it when we can put these on.

While we were out there we did a little shoot and demo of Shoot Sac, thanks to them for helping put this on.

thanks to Nathan & Amber Holritz, they captures some cool images of the day.

Raleigh Photographers

Tonight had a great group, milllie did an awesome job bringing
together this Pictage user group. I'm just glad
It was a long drive out here, I'm just glad to be off the roads. We
grabbed this shot after the meeting while they were transforming the
meeting room into a dance club. We got out just in time. I just
wanted the Chrismas tree in there.

Raleigh NC

I'm finally here in Raleigh to meet up with the Pictage group here!

Lake Tahoe, CA Wedding Shoot { David and Krista }

South Speaking Tour with Pictage...

I'll be speaking in the south At Pictage PUG's Thanks to the other sponsors as well, ShootQ, Kiss wedding books, and California Sunbounce, I'll be sharing how I made my new website for my new company slo photobooth with the sweet website program "Showit Sites"

I'm going to be giving a mini session of my upcoming WPPI Platform presentation "Leadership & Influence" I'll also be going to talk a little bit about some of the other topics I've been covering in my recent talks around the country.

-"Shoot Right the First time"
-"Simple Business so you don't have to do the Business"
-"Work Hard, Play Hard"
- Leadership & Influence

Here are the Dates!:

December 1: Nashville, TN. (yesterday was great)
December 2: Knoxsville/Chattenooga
December 3: Chattenooga (FULL DAY WORKSHOP)
December 4: Ashville (lunch)/Raliegh, NC
December 5: Atlanta, GA


These topic and a little shooting demo are in the works. I'm honored to be connecting with photographers in these cities, so if your in or around these cities and these dates and want to sign up contact the Pictage PUG leader or, email me for more infoseminars@mikelarson.com.

Nashville Pictage PUG night.

Tonight was an intimate and sweet night here i'm the music city,
tonight was swell, thanks guys for coming out tonight! I'm so excited
for this week.

Good morning, it's Monday.

Most of my Monday morning posts seem to have water, ocean or warm
California weather. But even while California is 70+ degree during the
days now the rest of the country is in winter wonderland. I'm sitting
here in my plane which I should not be in. The 767 on the way over
was delayed 65 minutes, from a cracked winshield. They gave us a plane
the SF 49ers just deplaned. (or so they announced over the PA) When
we arrived her in Chicago, the jetway ramp was frozen and we sat on
the runway for 30 minutes, for sure I figured I would be late. Not to
mention sll the others on thr plane. Had i been on the back of thr
planr i eould havr missed my flight. But I'm the kind of guy who
never gives up. I prayed that I still may be able to make my
connection, and still ran to the gate. Even though I arrived the
exact minute the flight WAS scheduled to leave, the arriving flight
was delayed and I actually made it. This just reminds me of my buddy
DJ - http://www.davidjay.com/blog always shares his crazy flight
stories. I probably would have called up a friend here, http://www.kennykim.com
and hung out untill I could get another flight, which may not have
been today- due to the volume of weather delays. I'm thankful for
making this flight and I hope your Monday is beautiful.