Lauren & Geo Castro | Strathearn Park Wedding Photographer | Simi Valley Wedding Photographer

Stunning country style wedding at Strathearn Park in Simi Valley. This is a beautiful venue to tie the knot at!

When I got the email from Lauren wanting to set up a meeting, my ears perked up at her name. When we met I found out that I knew her through an old girlfriend of mine as they were best friends growing up! It really is a small world. Talk about a perfect match. Geo and Lauren really were made for each other. Geo’s mild tempered personality and Lauren’s type A personality really balance each other so beautifully.

Karianne and Brandon Parr | Santa Barbara Wedding Photographer | Santa Barbara Courthouse Wedding

See a beautiful wedding at the Santa Barbara courthouse with a rooftop wedding reception following at the Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara.

I have known Karianne for years since high school. I got to know her even better through our good mutual friend Bree Scurti (who’s wedding I also photographed!) and the way the story goes, Karianne knew that she wanted to work with Shed Light Photography after seeing how we photographed Bree’s wedding because the locations were the same! I was introduced to Karianne’s fiancé at the time through Bree as well, because he was their mechanic and I was in search of a new one. Needless to say, I take my car and my wife’s car to Brandon for everything.

5 Things I Learned In 2014

With the year 2014 coming to a close, I always find it interesting to do a little self reflection and see the different ways that I have grown both personally and professionally. For example, my discovery of Cafe Rio was a huge growth marker for me getting out of my Chipotle phase! :) There are always things that I find I have learned, things that I could have done better as well as things I felt I did well. 2014 marked a big milestone in that I became a father. It has been one heck of a ride so far, but I wouldn't trade that for anything. I am extremely blessed in my life to be able to have the blessings that I have. With all that being said, through my reflection, I found 5 things that I learned in 2014 that I want to take with me to make 2015 the best year yet. As I strive to become the best version of myself, as Matthew Kelly puts it, in all areas of my life, I have no doubt that these items will play a huge part in that goal.

New Horizons in 2015!

There is something awesome about setting goals and changing things around in your life with the dawn of a new year. Resolutions are made, memories are rekindled, and we set our sights on new accomplishments and horizons. I have done quite a bit of self reflection towards the end of 2014, and was able to uncover a lot.

I took a deep look at my strengths and weaknesses and it wasn't that there were necessarily surprises that I uncovered, but there definitely were items that made me think, "what are you doing about this Josh? You know this to be true and you are letting it sit there." I saw that some of my strengths were working with people and coincidentally one of my weaknesses was taking the time to build up my relationships. One of my strengths was serving people, but one of my weaknesses was going above and beyond to serve someone. As I reflected, I realized the sad depravity of our generation. We have lost our drive. We have become complacent. We have accepted that doing the minimum amount required is satisfactory, and what's worse, we are OK with that.

Choosing Memory Cards – Photography 101

The answer to this question really is a simple one. What type of memory cards does your camera take? That really is going to dictate what type of memory card that you are going to get. Whether that is CF or whether that is SD, it doesn’t really matter. They both serve the same purpose. Now depending on the limits of your camera in terms of FPS (frames per second) in conjunction with the style of photography that you are shooting, you may want to consider the speed of your memory card.

How to Make Your Kissing Photos Look Amazing

One of the things that is on every bride’s mind before they take their photos, is how do I make sure that I look good? I want to look my best, but what is the right way to do so? How do I pose? How do I kiss? A lot of this comes down to your photographer’s direction, but the more you know, the better you can respond to that direction right?

Kissing is intimate. Kissing is passionate.

There is nothing like the feeling of holding the one you love in your arms and giving yourself emotionally to them through your kiss. Kissing, even when seen in passing by people is often a quick occurrence and there are very few times where you will actually see that moment captured to be seen again and again. Your engagement and wedding photos are one such occasion. There is nothing like capturing the raw emotion that you feel in the months leading up to and the moments of your wedding.  

Lens Focal Length | Photography 101 Santa Clarita

There are several factors that make up a lens. We have been learning about the aperture, zooms vs. primes, etc. However one of the basic principles that comes to mind when choosing a lens is the focal length of that lens. Is it the lens for you given what you are shooting?

How Google Works | A Guide to Effective SEO

So for all of you business professionals out there who are looking more and more at how vital a website is to your business, this post is for you. Yes, even you wedding photographers can benefit from this knowledge! One of the most important things that you can do for your business is to establish an online presence. The first step to climbing that monstrous road, is to understand just what it is that makes search engines (in more specific terms, Google, as they are the most used search engine online currently) work. So here we go!

Photography 101 – Lenses

The Ultimate Debate – Zoom or Prime?

Back when I first started my photography business, one of the things that I started to do (and still do) is look at the work of other photographers. Sometimes, there is no greater inspiration when you are feeling completely uninspired as artists than to find your inspiration in others. One of the things that I found myself noticing more and more, and desiring more and more for my photography was certain degrees of depth of field. I LOVE it. I can’t seem to get enough! And there are photographers that utilize this tool so well and organically, it inspires me like no other.  

Selecting a Venue | Santa Clarita Wedding Tips

During this process of planning your perfect day, there are so many things that you need to consider. What kind of flowers are you going to get? Who do you want as your photographer? How about your efficient? Have you picked your bridal party out yet? The best advice anyone has ever given me was to take everything one step at a time. The first and foremost thing should and always will be, locking down your venue.