Nas + Juma Slideshow

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Thank you guys for a wonderful time... don't forget to post your comments for the couple below.

Samrina + Jason Slideshow

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... and here is their engagement session album

Wedding in Santa Monica

I just got home from Nas & Juma's wonderful wedding in Santa Monica... I had such a great time among great people.
Come back later for more images. This is just a preview.

The beautiful bride

The handsome groom

Christmas is around the corner

I'm waiting for the bride-to-be across the street from the hair salon to start the big day and saw this piece of art. I hope you can see it clearly, it's a Christmas tree made of shopping carts, 10 carts high. No explanation needed.
Santa Monica, CA.

Blogging from the wedding

These are live from the wedding shot with a BlackBerry Pearl phone.
How cool is that!!!

Engagement Session in Laguna Beach

Today I headed up to Laguna Beach to shoot a beautiful engagement session. Samrina and Jason tried to convince me that they were shy and not photogenic... right ;-)
They are getting married next year in Arkansas.







A little [b] split tone... BTW thanks [b] for the action:


I loved the color version too so here it is:



A little flare




I can't get tallships to sail by on the background every time but this little one should do for now (see photo #5 here):

Blogging from the road

I'm here in beautiful Laguna beach ready to start an engagement shoot... Check back later for some images!
Rudy Arpia
626.922.3135
http://www.arpiaphoto.com

JBL On Stage II sound system for iPod

Santa is coming early...
I don't know why it took me so long to order this great little and inexpensive product, the JBL On Stage II sound system for iPod... maybe without even knowing it I was waiting for this new model which includes an RF remote. The sound quality is pretty good for a small room like a living room, a small meeting area or a hotel room and this one has adapters to hook up any iPod model.
Like I said, Santa is coming early... he told me a 50" Panasonic plasma is on the way!

Engagement Session in Pacific Palisades

Just a few shots from the latest engagement shoot at this beautiful place in Pacific Palisades.
This was a last minute engagement session. The two are getting married this Sunday in Santa Monica... can't wait to shoot their wedding... but for now dim the lights and CLICK HERE for their slideshow.



















THANKS A LOT GUYS! SEE YOU SOON...

Monthly L.A. PUG Meeting

Last Wednesday I attended the monthly PUG Meeting in Los Angeles at Jules Bianchi studio.
The PUGs mission is to facilitate communication and education among professional photographers at a regional level around the nation in order to allow photographers to learn from each other and share experiences... some photos.

Naomi and William Henshall showing their stuff since they were selected for the 'studio spotlight' of the month. Very interesting stuff since William was the founder of a band that you will instantly recognize if you're in your thirties... check him out in the video below.



The name of the band was LONDONBEAT and "I've Been Thinking About You" hit the #1 slot in 26 countries including mine (Argentina) in the early 90s.
Recuerdo estas y otras canciones como los Fine Young Cannibals mientras paseabamos en el Gacel de Marito.

The group

Thanks so much Jules for being a great host.

November 10 - Wedding in Garden Grove

This weekend I had the pleasure to shoot with Orange County photographer Trista Lerit.
Started in Hacienda Heights with the groom getting ready. The ceremony took place in La Mirada and the reception in Garden Grove.

The groom looking sharp

Waiting for the bride

One last deep breath before walking down the aisle

After the ceremony we headed out to a nearby park for some photos at sunset




Some details

Griffith Observatory Re-opens After 4 Years

After a nearly five-year closure and $93 million in historic preservation and mostly underground expansion, the public is welcome again to this 1935 building, and so many visitors are expected that the city has set up a temporary timed-reservation and shuttle-bus system from the Los Angeles Zoo and Hollywood & Highland parking areas.

I went there yesterday and had a blast shooting all day. I was surprised that none of the security guys said anything about my photography equipment. There were A LOT of security personnel and guides walking around.

Let's go to the roof


It was a glorious day... see how beautiful L.A. is when you can actually see it!






Meridian arc. Centered at the south end of the corridor, a bronze-faced meridian arc displays the meridian line and is inscribed with month and day markings, seasonal and lunar indicators, and constellation figures. The arc is 18 feet long and 13.5 feet high. Each day at local noon, as the Sun passes, the spot of sunlight moves across the meridian on the 7-inch arc and enables visitors to see how the Sun's progress is linked to the calendar. In a modern twist, photoelectric sensors embedded in the meridian arc are activated by the transiting spot of sunlight and send a signal to the ecliptic chart.


The heart of the expanded building, a hangar-sized room called the Gunther Depths of Space. Overlooked by a mezzanine that is itself crammed with displays, the room is a cacophonous space filled with exhibits (by the graphic design firm C&G Partners) and lined on one wall with a huge photomural of the universe.




You can even get a picture sitting next to Mr. Albert Einstein


Bronze bust of James Dean just outside the domed building (on the sidewalk to the west of the main lawn). The bust sits atop a white column, which contains a gold star and the words "James Dean" written large, plus a bronze plaque commemorating the making of key scenes of "Rebel Without a Cause."




My favorite exhibit, updated and relocated: the light-bouncing camera obscura that allows visitors to see the landscape outside, projected on a sort of tabletop... no photos of that... it was very 'oscuro' ;-)

Griffith Observatory official website

Rodolfo Arpia Hollywood California Wedding Photographer