Southern California Wedding Photographer, Pasadena Wedding Photography

2007-05-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

FROM NOW ON I WILL BE POSTING ON MY NEW BLOG AT:

WWW.ARPIAPHOTOBLOG.COM

Be sure to update your bookmarks and RSS FEED to get the latest. Thanks!

Sweet! Your online slideshows available on DVD now :)

2007-05-15T02:27:00.000-07:00

Got great news from David Jay, creator of ShowIt Web. We can now order exact copies of the slideshows that we put online! Yes, you can now enjoy your slideshow on your LCD or plasma screen TV and play it from a computer or regular DVD player. These are much easier for us to produce (and now we just let them produce it for us) :)... They Rock!!!

If you haven't placed your order for your slideshow yet you can do so directly from the slideshow... or, if your slideshow was created before today, just email us and we'll get it lined up for you.

The presentation looks cool too:

Liz & Josh - Engagement Slideshow

2007-05-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Click HERE or on the image below to play the slideshow.

Liz & Josh - Engagement Session

2007-05-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I met with Liz and Josh in downtown LA to shoot their engagement session.
We started at Union Station and then we crossed the street to finish the photo shoot at the 'Plazita Olvera'. I loved shooting there... there are lots of contrasts—the old architecture and the colorful backgrounds of the kiosks... I just loved it and I'll recommend it to my future couples.

I had a lot of fun shooting these two, they were great and I'm looking forward to their wedding at the Ebell Club... now to some images...

Rommony & Tim - Slideshow

2007-05-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

Click HERE or on the image below to play the slideshow.

Annell & Freddy - eSession Slideshow

2007-05-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Click HERE or the image below to play the slideshow.

Jane & Derrick - Slideshow

2007-05-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Click HERE or on the image to play the slideshow.

Engagement photos in Santa Monica

2007-04-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I shot engagement photos for Annell and Freddy.
These two will be tying the knot in June and I am really looking forward to their wedding.

We started in Beverly Hills and it was sunny and warm but when we got to Santa Monica it felt like a totally different day... foggy, gray and cold... the light as you can see on this first shot was nice and soft though.

April 21st Wedding - Jane & Derrick

2007-04-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Erin and I headed out to L.A., Yorba Linda, Fullerton and Anaheim to shoot Jane and Derrick's wedding.
I started very early in the morning at the wonderful Hills Beauty Club in L.A. covering the girls getting ready.

Jane getting even more beautiful

300 pictures later I drove to the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel-Disneyland to get some shots of the boys...

Playing with the rings is always fun

The handsome groom

Jane's parents welcomed us into their home to keep shooting the girls

Jane told me she wanted a photo of the bottom of her shoes... I didn't know why until I saw the detail

The bride looking gorgeous and ready for the ceremony

'The First Meeting'

Father and daughter walking down the aisle

The girls playing at the hotel lobby

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S to the husband and wife and THANKS to their family and friends for such a great time!

I want to thank the wedding coordinators Karen Kim and Annaha Song for a great job!

Many of the guests told me how much they enjoyed the couple's engagement session slideshow... this time don't be shy and leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks.

CHECK BACK SOON FOR THE SLIDESHOW.

Marie & Adam - Slideshow

2007-04-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

The slideshow is ready! *CLICK HERE or the image below to play.

Engagement Session at UC Irvine

2007-04-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I met with Rommony & Tim at UC Irvine to shoot their engagement session. Tim was a little skeptical about the whole thing but as you can see he did great and once into it he even came up with ideas for the shoot.

I had a great time and can't wait to shoot their traditional wedding in July.

... that wasn't that painful Tim, was it? You did great!

Surprise proposal

2007-04-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I shot my first surprise proposal! The only twist was that I was even more surprised than the bride to be cause the groom to be never told me!!!

Adam got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago to 'shoot some photos' of him and his girlfriend for their 3 year dating anniversary. The photoshoot was his gift to Marie but she ended up with the photos + a beautiful ring + a handsome fiancée.

After a couple of hours shooting around The Montage I told the couple we had enough photos and that's when Adam requested to do one more location, so we followed him to this rocky area and this is what happened...

I was looking through the viewfinder and thought it was weird that he was 'posing' and that's when I saw the little box and never stopped shooting.

Earlier in the day...

Hopefully they'll be calling me soon once they set a date! ;-)

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

Jennifer and David - SLIDESHOW

2007-04-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

As promised, the slideshow is ready! *CLICK HERE or the image below to play.

Clik HERE to view/order images from this event.

Wedding - Jennifer and David in Yosemite

2007-04-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

I've just arrived from a wonderful weekend shooting Jennifer & David's Wedding in Yosemite National Park at The Ahwahnee Hotel.

As you are about to see, this couple is HOT !!!
I always have fun playing with the rings... after getting the 'safe shots' of course ;-)... we never end up using the 'safe shots' and I love it.

Jen in the final stages of the getting ready part

And here is the guys' version of the 'getting ready' shots. My wingman Marlon shot this one and a whole bunch more.
Don't worry, it's just a useless Victorinox and they were removing the suit tags.

I saw Jen behind this mesh and I instantly remembered this 5 second scene from the movie 'War of the Worlds' in which Dakota Fanning is waiting for his dad at the door after he'd seen the aliens for the first time... I've always loved that scene/shot and finally got to do it with a beautiful bride... I don't envy Spielberg anymore, well, maybe his little fortune...

The only problem I had shooting them is that they were so serious all the time...

... not really! This is who they really are

Husband and Wife

The guys didn't trust the photographer ;-(

Father and daughter

Finally I have to thank Meghan and Ray for the referral. It was great seeing you guys again!
You can see Meghan on the top banner of this blog, enjoying their reception slideshow on the photo below and you can click here for some images from their wedding...

I have no idea who the other couple on the right of the picture is... there's always someone walking into the frame ;-)

Thanks to both families and friends, what a great group of people.
COME BACK SOON FOR YOUR SLIDESHOW!

Click HERE to view/order images from this event.

CHECK OUT JEN & DAVE'S ENGAGEMENT SESSION AT THE BEACH BY CLICKING HERE

A little game for the guests - $10 iTunes card up for grabs!

One of the boys who walked down the aisle right before Jennifer and her dad, asked a question out loud before doing so... what was it? Has to be verbatim! Hint: 4 words.

The first person to post a COMMENT with the correct answer will win a $10 iTunes Gift Card delivered via email.

Bylaw: No Marlon, you cannot participate ;-)

Good luck and check back to win more iTunes Gift Cards.

El Capitan

2007-04-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

Rock climbers on their way to the base of El Capitan

some other peak

Wedding in Yosemite

2007-04-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

In a couple of hours I'll be on my way to Yosemite National Park to shoot Jen & Dave's wedding at The Ahwahnee.

I'll have limited email access so it might take me a couple of days to get back to you.

Thanks and check back for some photos from this beautiful location!

A few from last year

2007-04-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through some images from last year and these three from the first dance caught my eye.
VENUE: Sandacre Estate - Palm Springs, CA.

... and a little later

love this one too

Myra and Fred - Slideshow

2007-04-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

Click HERE or on the image below to play the slideshow.

The Human SPACE INVADERS

2007-03-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Back from WPPI

2007-03-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

| All shot with point-and-shoot Canon G7 |

With Sean Azul on the road

Arriving

Elvis was there of course

Mike Colón shooting with wireless SB-800 units @ Nikon's booth

Joe Buissink showing his art

New GraphiStudio album covers (let me know if you like these ones)

Susan Stripling talking for WHCC

Martin Gisborne from Apple Computers and model/photographer Brittany Leigh.
I have to thank Martin for his time and patience. I asked him a million questions about Apple Aperture and he took all the time in the world to answer in detail. And I have to thank Brittany because my images of her helped me get started in this business.

Andrew Niesen and his Leica M8 from LaCour Photo and Sean Azul while having dinner at P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Becker's crowded party at The Hotel - Mandalay Bay

Gary Fong demoing the new Wale Tail

Jeff LaPlante's Nikon D2X and someone else's other camera

Cheesy posing at it's best

Cherie Steinberg Cote and showgirls

Super Kubota

Model @ Canon's booth

Photo courtesy of 'El Palo de Juan'. Thanks!

Out of the office

2007-03-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

I'm in Las Vegas right now attending the annual WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) Convention until Thursday.
I have limited email access so it might take me a couple of days to get back to you.

Thanks!

Myra & Fred - March 24 Wedding

2007-03-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a great day shooting Myra and Fred's wedding. Cool people, beautiful cozy reception venue and a fun day overall.

As you can see I had plenty of time to play with the rings

Techie stuff: I did this first shot (above) with a 50mm 1.8 and the Kenko extension tube set. I don't own a macro lens so this sutep is what I use when I need to get REAL close. Get yours HERE

The groom working on his words

Fred looking sharp

Myra and Yvette at the Westin

The happy couple

Armen, the best man, is a very cool guy... thanks for your hospitality!

I really enjoyed shooting at Cafe Santorini's Rococo Room in Pasadena... beautiful cozy place

Long exposure from across the street

Margarita Luna and her band kept everyone entertained and on the dance floor the whole time

I wanty to thank my friend Marlon Lopez for helping me out and getting some great shots. He's a graphic designer and is putting together a killer website for his photography... coming soon.

I'm switching to Canon...

2007-03-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

... on all my point-and-shoot cameras that is ;-)
I'm now the proud owner of a PowerShot G7, just in time for WPPI in Vegas!

Katya & Yuji - Slideshow

2007-03-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

Click here or on the image below to start the slideshow.

Larger images on the blog

2007-03-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

From now on you don't have to click on the images to enlarge them.
I've been wanting to post larger images on the blog for a while but Blogger is not very flexible... well, it is but you have to tweak a lot of the code... anyway, I took the time to tweak the template and I think it's working alright. Please post a comment and let me know if you see any weird stuff on the page. Thanks!

Courtney & Jeremiah - March 17 Wedding

2007-03-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the great pleasure to 2nd shoot for the first time for Erin Sullivan. I met Erin while we attended Mike Colón's 4-day intensive seminar last year and I've been wanting to shoot with her since.

The weather was great in Pasadena and the reception site was beautiful. The Maranatha Campus is surrounded by lots of green and huge trees that provided awesome open shade. I love the warm colors you get as a result when you have that combination.

Now to some photos:

The ring bearer... No! He wasn't posing for the camera, I saw him sitting like this and I shot him.

March 10 - Yekaterina & Yuji

2007-03-14T23:11:00.001-07:00

Kelly & Paul - Engagement Session

2007-03-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

Click here for the slideshow.

Kelly & Paul's Engagement

2007-03-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

On Friday I shot engagement photos for Kelly and Paul in San Juan Capistrano at the Mission and outside. It was my first shooting a couple here and I loved it! Thanks Kelly for choosing such a beautiful location!

Here are some photos from the day:

New self-portrait for the website

2007-03-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

... do you like?

Anyez & Patrick - Slideshow

2007-03-06T11:45:00.001-08:00

CLICK HERE to enjoy the slideshow!

Another Fun Engagement Session

2007-03-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

I just got home from a very busy day driving all over L.A. but I had to post some images from today.
I got together with Anyez and Patrick this morning at Point Dume, Malibu to shoot their e-session. It was a beautiful day and a lot of people were enjoying the beach since very early.

Check back in a couple of days for more photos and your slideshow!

The great looking couple

We started at sea level...

We ended up a few feet above...

And as you can see, they left me up there...

'The dolphins, the dolphins!'... we even spotted a bunch of dolphins

Jasmine y Mark - Engagement Slideshow

2007-02-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

Click here to see the slideshow.

Engagement Session in Dana Point

2007-02-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

As you can see... it's engagement season ;-) I met with Jasmine and Mark at the St. Regis Monarch Beach earlier today to shoot theirs.
They are getting married at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and I'm really excited to shoot such a wonderful couple at that wonderful venue. We did a little scouting at the hotel and the ceremony site is just beautiful overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Jasmine & Mark are getting married in exactly -> CLICK

Here are just a few shots:

FREE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING

2007-02-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

I'll be shooting ONE destination wedding for FREE in 2007. The main purpose is to build my portfolio for this type of market and help a deserving couple along the way.

A few rules:
• You must pay for the actual costs of transportation and hotel (3 nights) for me and a 2nd photographer (if you want one). The cost to include coverage by a 2nd photographer is $1000.
• You must be getting married in 2007 outside the U.S. and have a set location and date.
• You must send me a few lines telling me why you want me to shoot your wedding along with a recent photo of you and your fiancé.
• You must agree to let me use the images for the purpose of self-promotion.

- There's no catch. I will provide you with hi-resolution digital files and online viewing/ordering on Pictage.com. You can purchase other products like albums, prints, enlargements, etc. from me but you don't have to... although I'd love to design your album ;-)

- After I receive enough requests I will decide based on my availability, location and type of wedding so MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE DETAILS should you decide to contact me. I'll try to come up with an announcement date as soon as I get a feel on the number of requests I'll be getting.

Email me at free.destination.photo@gmail.com with the subject line "FREE DESTINATION WEDDING". THANKS A LOT!

-Rodolfo Arpia

Don't Get Your Mac Jacked

2007-02-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

If you often work at the coffee shop like me and don't want to look like a giraffe checking on your MacBook Pro from the register every time you go for a fresh cup of coffee, here's your solution:

Download
Go to the download site by clicking here

Awesome!... let me know how you like it if you install it.

Casa Romantica

2007-02-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I headed South to San Clemente with my friend Marlon (unveilus.com - coming soon) to scout a couple of locations... one of them was 'Casa Romantica'.

This paint is in the lobby of a very nice hotel in the area... do you know which one?

Not everyone's cup of tea...

2007-02-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

I never thought I was going to say this but sometimes I get tired of working on extremely clean images. I'm starting to make an effort to change this by creating images like the ones on the slideshow. What do you think?

CLICK FOR SLIDESHOW

If I'm shooting your wedding and you like this type of images please let me know so I can create some for you... they look gorgeous in print.

Jennifer & David - Slideshow

2007-02-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

Click to enjoy your slideshow!

Jennifer & David are getting married in exactly -> CLICK

Engagement Session in Laguna Beach

2007-02-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I met with Jennifer and David in Laguna Beach to shoot some engagement photos. They're getting married in April in Yosemite and I can't wait to shoot their wedding at that awesome location.

It was raining a lot when I left home in the morning but we didn't get a single drop while we were shooting, just some threatening dark clouds... I love shooting whith this type of weather, the light is just great.

I have to thank David for taking me to this location, I'll definitely go back with future couples.

What are you looking at pal?

2007-02-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

(Mantis religiosa)
It's been a while since I saw one of these... I remember they were very common in Argentina when I was a kid, you could see a lot of them specially during hot summer days.

Shot with a Nikon D2X and Lensbaby 2.0 with macro kit 10+, f4... 1 inch away or less.

Well hello...

Blink-Free Group Photos, Guaranteed

2007-02-16T00:42:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when a perfectly good group photo gets ruined by one or two individuals blinking?

Thankfully, Nic Svenson and Piers Barnes of the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization have already done the heavy lifting. Their research calculates the number of photos you must take to virtually guarantee that nobody in a group will have their eyes closed.

Here’s their rule of thumb: For groups smaller than 20, divide the number of people by three if there’s good light and two if the light’s bad. That’s how many shots you need to take.

Click for entire article -> http://velocity.ansto.gov.au/velocity/ans0011/article_06.asp

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2007-02-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

I attended Joe Buissink and Marcus Bell's seminar today at the LAX Hilton.
It was great to see how this two heavyweights in the industry think about photography. Looking at Joe's work up close was a real treat too. For those of you who may not know Joe Buissink, in a few words he's a "celebrity wedding photographer" (much more really).

Joe Buissink focused on the way he approaches photography, as art, with passion, shooting from the heart. He also shared a lot of images and a couple of personal projects and a lot of people were very curious about his celebrity weddings so he talked a little about that.

Marcus Bell talked more about the technical and business aspects of wedding photography. He shared the way he runs his successful studio in Australia and lots of Photoshop/Lightroom stuff.

Sean Azul and Jan Garcia

Joe Buissink Seminar

2007-02-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

Joe Buissink is the reason for me becoming a wedding photographer and I'll be attending one of his seminars tomorrow... can't wait.

SEE HIM IN ACTION

The most advanced multi-touch system in the world

2007-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I would get dizzy right away.

by Perceptive Pixel

Canon's Virtual Lens Plant

2007-02-08T01:47:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered why lenses are so expensive?... visit Canon's Virtual Lens Plant => HERE

They're working on some balsa wood models to bring prices down ;-)

Slideshow - Photographer's Cut

2007-02-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

Most of the times when I look at other photographers' images my head gets instantly bombarded with questions like: Why or How did he/she take that picture; What inspired the photographer to press the shutter; What lens/camera/settings did he/she use; What caused the subject to react that way???
As I learn more and more of the technical stuff, a lot of the questions are quickly answered but there's no way of knowing what was going on behind the scenes and I'm always curious about that.

While in this 'photographer's cut slideshow' there's a lot of techie talk mostly geared towards my fellow photographers, hopefully by letting you know what I was thinking at the moment I shot these images, I can also address viewers that are not in the photography business as well as clients and potential clients so they get a chance to know me a bit.

Don't be shy and leave a comment and if you create one of these send me a link, I'd love to see it.

Here's my attempt at sharing with you why I do what I do => CLICK FOR SLIDESHOW

More techie stuff: The slideshow with my commentaries is just another use I found for Showit Web. This is a great piece of software that came to life thanks to David Jay. His products are so useful and easy to use. I became a fan, specially of Showit Web and Showit Effects. DJ is a very successful wedding photographer himself so he knows what photographers need and he makes sure all the tools he creates fulfill our needs... and then some.

Some photos from the road

2007-02-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

I love the almost square images I get from my BlackBerry Pearl phone... the quality is nice too. I'm so used to the sometimes extremely clean files out of my pro Nikon D2X cameras that sometimes I just need to see images that are not perfect quality-wise... I think I'm going to start shooting film ;-)

Shot these while I was riding my bicycle this morning:

this one is cropped

Wedding Mapper

2007-02-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

I just found this very useful resource on a friend photographer's website and I HAD to share it!

http://www.weddingmapper.com

This thing creates a map of your wedding area so that guests can find their way to the church, the reception, local dining, entertainment, anything you want to list! What a cool tool! I'm going to suggest this mapper thing to ALL 2007 brides so that your photographers can find your home or your church (or preferably both!)

It's FREE!

Feel free to add your wedding planning tools to the comments so that if you had a great resource in 2006, someone else can enjoy & use it for 2007!

NOTE: If you use this and I'm shooting your wedding, please email me at rarpia @ yahoo .com and let me know.

Thanks to Matt Antonino!

Lorena & Arturo - Slideshow

2007-02-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you guys for giving me the privilege to shoot your wedding.
ENJOY YOUR E-SESSION SLIDESHOW

Lorena & Arturo - eSession

2007-02-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

Today I had the great pleasure to get to know Lorena and Arturo a little better during their engagement session photo shoot.
We met in downtown LA at the Disney Concert Hall where we shot for a while... such a beautiful place, I could shoot there all day long and never get bored.

They are huge Dodgers fans as you can see in some of the images. We were the only people in the stadium and it was awesome shooting there... thank you guys so much, I had a blast. Check back tomorrow for your slideshow!

Lorena & Arturo are getting married at the Cathedral in LA, in exactly -> CLICK

Now on to the images:

THANKS!!!

"The right picture can win or lose a war"

2007-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

I watched Flags of Our Fathers last night and it was very interesting since it shows how powerful a single photo can be.

MORE INFO ON WIKIPEDIA

TRAILER

This is the original image
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal / The Associated Press

Street Photos

2007-01-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

I went out to L.A., Hollywood, and Beverly Hills today to scout some locations for a bridal photo shoot next week. Jason Groupp is coming from NY, TJ Cameron from Portland, and Chris + Lynn from Canada to shoot in the streets of LA... can't wait to see these awesome photographers in action... more on that soon.

Here are some snapshots that caught my eye.

Does anyone care about Windows Vista at this point??? Not me

Megan and Josh - Slideshow

2007-01-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to start the slideshow

I shot Megan and Josh's wedding some time ago in Palo Alto, CA with Chris Hymphreys but I never uploaded the slideshow to the blog, so, here it is.
Megan and Josh are a great couple as well as their bridal party and family.

The Boutique is up and running

2007-01-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

Check out the first line of products offered CLICK
And check back soon for more products including a great variety of picture frames.

A diamond in the rough

2007-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

At first sight this image could be easily considered as 'unusable'...

(before)

... but it turned out to be a diamond in the rough

(after)

I love this type of images... how about you? Leave your comment. Thanks!

Michelle & Scott - Slideshow

2007-01-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Michelle and Scott's slideshow is ready... CLICK TO VIEW

Engagement Session in Griffith Park

2007-01-19T22:23:00.000-08:00

Today I had a great photo shoot with Michelle and Scott who are tying the knot next September.
We met at the Travel Town Transportation Museum in Griffith Park and walked around the exhibits shooting. It was my first time shooting there and really liked it.

MICHELLE & SCOTT ARE GETTING MARRIED IN EXACTLY -> CLICK

Here are a couple of shots from the day.

Oh the rivalry

Brittany & Gavin - Slideshow

2007-01-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

I had the great pleasure to shoot Brittany and Gavin some time ago but I never put up a slideshow, so here it is.
We shot this images on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jane & Derrick - Slideshow

2007-01-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

As promised, the slideshow is ready.
Click HERE to view it.

COUNTDOWN TO JANE & DERRICK'S W-DAY

Fun Engagement Session in Laguna Beach

2007-01-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

I couldn't go to sleep without posting a few quick shots from earlier today. I met Jane and Derrick in downtown Laguna Beach to shoot their engagement session.
They are getting married in April and I can't wait to shoot their wedding.

JANE & DERRICK ARE GETTING MARRIED IN EXACTLY -> CLICK

Of course they couldn't resist getting into the red phone booth

After walking around downtown we went to the beach for a different look.
It was pretty cold out there but the guys (specially Jane) braved the low temperatures and the difficult geography to get all kind of great images
Looking sharp guys!

Derrick is about to fly on this shot

Paparazzi style shot from afar with long lens

Thank you so much guys for a great time!

... check back tomorrow for the slideshow.

FAQs

2007-01-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

By showing different examples I'll try to answer the most common FAQs I get from brides and prospective clients. Hopefully I'll be able to use these posts in order to give my clients a better and visual idea of what I'm talking about.

Q: I get this one all the time: "Will I get retouched images or just raw files?"
A: All of my client's images are retouched some way or another. Most of the times I start with a good image right out of the camera (or at least I'd like to think so ;-) that way I can make it great.

Image 1: out of the camera

Image 2: basic adjustments

Image 3: a little extra

Q: Do you provide images in sepia tone?
A: Of course! See some examples of the same image below.

Images 4; 5; 6: different sepia tones

More answers soon...

-Wayne Gretzky

2007-01-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

I love a quote Steve Jobs used today during his keynote presentation because it has a lot to do with shooting weddings in a photojournalistic style:

"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."
-Wayne Gretzky

Check out the Macworld San Francisco 2007 Keynote Address.

The new iPhone is here...

2007-01-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

Damn... I was so happy with my BlackBerry Pearl ;-( ... well, at least it lasted a couple of months ;-(

The features are amazing... check them out!

Heather & Reggie's Wedding Album

2007-01-08T00:52:00.000-08:00

We create custom designed albums for our clients and there are different ways to go about it. Most of our clients trust our vision and we design their albums completely, from the selection of photos to the clean layout to tell the story of their wedding day.
Others prefer to browse through the hundreds of images we shot and choose their favorites to be included in their album. Once we have a folder with their selections we proceed with the design and present them with a draft. Then we make changes based on their feedback... if necessary.

This is Heather & Reggie's Wedding Album.
The first and last images are one page, the rest are two-page spreads.

SIMPLEPHOTO.TV | What's in my bag

2007-01-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

Dane Sanders of the Simple Photo Minute recently launched simplephoto.tv which is like YouTube for photographers... great concept... thanks Dane!

This is my 1st attempt ever at video blogging so don't be very cruel ;-)
I'm not a big fan of video but it's all over now so here I go...

You can see descriptions all of these products HERE.

Marisa & Andy - Long Beach Engagement Session

2006-12-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

The day started early at Miguel Pola's studio where I met a group of photographers and a consultant to talk about our businesses. Right after that we grabbed a quick lunch and drove to Downtown Long Beach where we met with Britney from Britney Photography and Marisa & Andy to shoot some photos around town.

Click HERE for their slideshow

Some stills

We had some time left so we ended the day shooting at Britney's awesome studio

Thanks Greg Bumatay for the invitation!

I love Google

2006-12-27T18:15:00.001-08:00

Text message Google for quick results. Check it out HERE

Gabriela + Gerardo Wedding Slideshow

2006-12-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to check out their slideshow.

ver mar art

2006-12-15T21:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Ver is a graphic designer and an artist. A couple of days ago she sent me photos of her latest creations and I want to share them with you.

These are the first two in her 'Seaside Lullaby' series...

The first is: 'We'll call him Spike'

and the second: 'The Lonesome Narwhal and His Foul Disposition'. She's working on the 3rd: 'Flotsam and Jetsam'

I have no clue how she does what she does but it's amazing.
Visit vermarart.com for more great sculptures.

Shout-out

2006-12-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

I want to give a shout-out to James from INSTALL|utions who did an awesome job installing my new plasma today. Highly recommended, very professional. Don't think twice and give him a call if you need his services.

INSTALL|utions
James Robinson
818.430.6688
www.myINSTALL.net
Check out James' blog for a bunch of PRO installations

Santa keeps coming

2006-12-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Got delivery of two new early gifts today. First my favorite of course, a 42" Panasonic plasma, it's on the floor right now but tomorrow it'll be mounted on top of the fireplace... this one has a VGA connection so I can't wait to see some images on it, BTW if you have any tips about how to size the images to display better or any other tips please let me know. It also has a SD slot on the front and a buil-in slideshow feature but I don't have any of those cards to test it. I'll go get one later.

What tha???

Second, an old-fashioned postcard rack to display 5x7 loose prints in the office... love it.

L.A. Auto Show

2006-12-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, these guys were reporting back to Orson about their activities on earth... "Na nu na nu", don't make me feel so old and tell me you remember that ;-)

"Stay classy, San Diego."

2006-12-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

I was in San Diego meeting with a couple of brides-to-be and I made some time to go to the downtown and marina area to shoot some photos. I love this city!

The USS Midway (CV-41), now a museum ship

It reads:
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SAILORS
WENT TO SEA AND FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II, PERHAPS
THE MOST SINGULAR UNIFYING EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE YOUNG AMERICANS SET ASIDE THEIR INDIVIDUAL
HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS, LEFT FAMILIES, HOMES AND JOBS IN
A COLLECTIVE SACRIFICE TO DEFEND THEIR COUNTRY
AND THEIR COMMON IDEAS. THE MEN OF THE
USS SAN DIEGO (CL-53) REMEMBERED HERE
ARE EMBLEMATIC OF ALL WHO FOUGHT FOR VICTORY
IN THIS EPIC STRUGGLE.

Wedding: Gabriela and Gerardo

2006-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I shot with Trista Lerit again for the 2nd time in a couple of weeks... I started early in the morning with the guys getting ready at the Westin Hotel in Pasadena, CA.

Click HERE to check out their slideshow.

mmm... I don't think this is right ;-)

Some photojournalism

And details

I looooove Mariachi and I loved Rodolfo Montano's "Alma de las Américas". Here's their info in case you need them for your party:
Mariachi Alma de las Américas
Director: Rodolfo Montano
Ph. (323) 588-7039

Luckily they stayed for the reception too

The couple on the golf course at La Canada Flintridge Country Club where the reception took place

This dude had some cool moves

Wow guys... don't try so hard!

Nas + Juma... more photos

2006-12-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Nas & Juma got married last Sunday in Santa Monica... I had such a great time among great people.
As promised here are some more images from the big day.

Nas trying to put some subliminal pressure on her photographer by looking at TomKat's wedding photos while getting her hair done ;-)

The beautiful bride

The handsome groom

We headed to Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica for some portraits

Let's get the party started

I found some fellow Argentinians at the reception

I had to try this

Nas + Juma Slideshow

2006-11-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

The slideshow is ready -> CLICK TO VIEW

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

Samrina + Jason Slideshow

2006-11-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

The slideshow is ready => CLICK TO VIEW

... and here is their engagement session album

Wedding in Santa Monica

2006-11-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

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

Engagement Session in Laguna Beach

2006-11-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-22T15:28:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-20T22:28:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-13T00:27:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

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

Headshots

2006-11-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

I shot Heather & Reggie's engagement session and wedding in October. Reggie was in need of new headshots and while I don't often shoot headshots, I knew that he was so cool to work with that I decided to do it and I am so glad that I did because they turned out great and I had a blast shooting him. I have to tell you it was difficult at times since he did some comedy bits while we were shooting and I couldn't stop laughing ;-)
Thanks to Debra Perry who did a great job on the makeup, check out her work here -> www.dmakeupartiz.com

Reggie is an Actor, Writer and Director and he just finished his first feature film which he wrote, produced, directed and starred in: Restraining Order

Support Independent Films! Pre-order your copy of Restraining Order from Amazon

THE FINAL PRODUCT
All the files from the photo shoot delivered in a DVD

Fast - Fresh - Friendly???

2006-11-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Got this one at the Base Edwards Open House and Air Show.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T09:42:00.000-08:00

Rodolfo Arpia Photography accepted as a member of the WPJA

2006-10-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

Rodolfo Arpia Photography has recently been accepted as a member of the WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association), an International organization that represents professional photographers skilled in the documentation of weddings and events in a candid, unobtrusive style. The WPJA was founded to uphold excellence in the area of wedding photojournalism. The WPJA is a highly screened, critical organization accepting less than 5% of the photographers who apply.

Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, the WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity.

The WPJA sponsors educational programs including seminars, conventions and workshops geared toward wedding photojournalism. The WPJA also hosts wedding photojournalism contests, judged by top working photojournalists and news photo editors actively in the photojournalism industry. The purpose of these contests is to celebrate the photographers who document and record the found moment.

Google fascination

2006-10-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

Other Google things that most of us don’t see/get. Again, some of these pages are indeed still public, but either have not been seen by many people, have been missed or are just very hard to find. The rest are just NOT public (linked) anymore.

Google’s Secrets part 1

Google’s 56 forgotten (secret) pages, part 2

Unseen parts of Google

Test-drive your website to see how it's gonna look on searches done in mobile phones.

Blogging from the road... literally!

2006-10-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

No hands on the bike and typing on the Pearl (#1 on map)

I enjoy going to the gym but very often I get bored on the treadmill or the elliptical machine and I step down way before I should just because it gets boring... now, this is way better than a stairmaster. Raging Waters-San Dimas in the background

A nice calorie burner... I couldn't feel my legs running on the way up... I didn't look that happy a minute after this photo (#2 on map)

Here's an aerial view of the little stair

I haven't ventured into the bike trails yet but I will soon... BTW this is the area where I got the shots of the Red-tailed Hawk not long ago CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RED-TAILED HAWK POST

and I did this one for a UK magazine around here too

Downtown L.A. looks peaceful from here too...

If you're in the area and want to go for a ride send a line.
My fitness category: COUCH POTATO

New products and services - MiniSites

2006-10-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to implement the wedding MiniSite to select packages. The wedding minisite consists of a webpage where you and your friends and family can find everything about your wedding photography as well as important information about your wedding.

The wedding minisite will open to your engagement session slideshow so that your family and your friends can be part of that but it will also provide them with useful info such as stores where you are registered, wedding itinerary, directions, etc.
A very convenient way to keep everybody informed in one place and accessible anywhere in the world via the Internet.

An "Email To A Friend" form is included at the bottom of every page so you can share all the information with the click of a button.

Click here for a sample MiniSite

October 14 Wedding, San Pedro, CA.

2006-10-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

Heather & Reggie got married on Saturday at Marcello Tuscany Room in San Pedro, CA.

Click here for slideshows

We got to the hotel where the bride and groom were getting ready around 6am since it was an early ceremony.
I had so much fun shooting Heather's dress during the whole day starting with a fisheye lens in the suite... coincidentally Reggie was getting ready in a suite right underneath

Then some details

I got this one during the ceremony

This was around 7am and those are rain drops hitting the window

Marlon got this one of Heather getting into the dress while I was shooting the guys on a different location

by mmg

He also captured this one of the girls holding hands in prayer before leaving the hotel for the ceremony

by mmg

The wonderful bride

We drove to this beautiful spot by the San Pedro Marina to get some shots of the guys. It was overcast and the open shade was great for portraits.

The groom looking great

Reggie receiving some "friendly advice" from the guys ;-)

Husband and Wife

Reggie is an actor/writer/director and of course a very creative guy... he came up with ideas the whole time and I was very lucky to be there to shoot them

They chose this shot from the engagement session for a signature frame ( see engagement session )
The couple surrounded by love

Scouting in San Pedro

2006-10-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Asked for location suggestions on OSP and here I am.
This is a great location... Thanks Sean!!!

*Blogging on the road via BlackBerry Pearl

Custom wedding album design

2006-10-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

I've just added a new page to my website with more information about our wedding albums. Nice large photos so you can get a feel about the features and quality of our products and a slideshow showcasing a sample album design... stay tuned for more products coming soon.

Click here to check it out!

If you have any questions regarding pricing, please call Rudy at 626.922.3135 or via email at rudy @ arpiaphoto.com

Details, details, details

2006-10-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

One of my brides that is getting married next year is putting a lot of effort in all the details at her wedding and she wanted to see how details look on a large print. She asked me to put some photos on a layout and print a 20x30 poster... I don't know what she's planning to do with images so big but it looks great!
Here's the web version of the poster I printed for her:

Products

2006-10-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

One product that I really like is the Kingston 4 GB ElitePro CompactFlash Card. I have 13 of them and just took delivery of 16Gb more. I never had a problem with any of them and while they may not be the fastest cards, I never had a problem with speed transfer on my D2X either.
They're inexpensive, they're great.

Just arrived:

I have no idea what they had in mind when they came up with the new design but who cares... what's with the geckos and weird animals anyway?!