Wedding Photographer in Fresno - Central Southern California

Talk's cheap. You've gotta do something.

Everyone's talking about the economy. Yeah, the economy is bad. Some say it's about as bad as it can get. For me I can say I've been in worse places and times. I've learned that when you get knocked down you've got to get up, dust yourself off, get a plan and move on. It doesn't have to be a big plan or one that solves all the problems. It can be a little plan...but maybe it will be enough to roll you out of the bad place you're in and give you something to build on.

The 2009 headlines for the new Harley Davidson ads say "Screw it, let's ride." Now, this doesn't really qualify as a plan. It's more like a big fat diversion... but a good ride puts me in a place where I can think more clearly.

Yeah, for the kind of money I shelled out I coulda got a 4 door with fluffy seats. The thing is... I've always really liked having a motorcycle around. My first was a BSA 441 Victor. It was so stripped down I'd get pulled over about once a month. It was just a frame, two wheels and a peanut tank.... no fenders. Lucky for me the cops thought it was a pretty cool bike and in all the years I owned it they only wrote one ticket ( I got nailed for having a headlight out. I was running a Schwinn bicycle headlight and the batteries had worn down. Yes, this was before the Energizer Bunny was born ). That bike was light and insanely fast ! There wasn't much back then that could keep up with it on the road or in the dirt. Later on my wife got interested in riding so I sold the rat and got Honda 125 and 250cc on/off road bikes. We had a good time putting around town and riding up to the lake on weekends. We sold those and last year I bought a Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 custom. I had always wanted a Sportster. It was quick and looked great but it didn't handle right for me. Then HD had a special deal where you could trade in your Sportster for a large V twin so around the first of the year I traded for a 2009 Dyna Superglide FXD. I got it at Eagle's Nest Harley Davidson in Lathrop, Ca. The staff up there was really cool. It was a stretch to buy a bike in these rotten economic times but they went the extra 9 yards and kept me from feeling like a dope by telling me what a great deal I was getting. Anyway, I'm having fun with my new bike. That dyna is the #%& !

What a sweet ride and I love the design. It's got a 1584cc motor, a 6 speed gearbox and a ton of torque. I took a couple of photos this morning (3.27.09). We've got some cool looking old buildings around here and they make great backgrounds for photographs.

This shoot brought back a few memories. From 1986 through 1998 my business was primarily advertising, fashion and product photography in Los Angeles and Orange County. In the ad business, concept, art direction, prepping and propping are as important as lighting to the overall success of the photograph. I wanted to get some cool shots so I went scouting around town looking for a special background. I found what I wanted.... this gnarley old brick and wood building. Shooting chrome is always a big challenge no matter how many times you've done it. Ever notice how bright sunlight on chrome looks really awful? No? Well, trust me, it does. Unfortunately most of the day the wall was in sunlight. I was disappointed but I didn't give up. I came back the next morning because I knew the spot would be in shade. I hung around for a couple of hours looking at the dumpy flat lighting and then to my amazment the sun hit a high rise glass building across the street and reflected light back into the area I wanted to shoot in. The change was phenomenal. The flat blue light of the open shade was gently warmed up by that small amount of directional light. This key light wasn't waiting for anyone...I could actually see it moving along the sidewalk. I guessed I had about twenty minutes so I worked fast. Incidentally, once the bike was in place, fifteen of those twenty minutes were used to clean up all the crap on the sidewalk. When I taught at the college I would tell my students that there were two big issues to deal with in making a successful photograph. I called them Issue A and Issue B. Issue A is obvious...it's about the subject and the reason for taking the photograph. Issue B is not so obvious to most people. It's about what should not be in the photograph. Anyways, I've got to say that I really do love this shot !! The chrome has smooth highlights with good detail and no hotspots anywhere... at least on my monitor.

Del Ryder Photography, Harley Davidson FXD

While I was taking this photograph the businesses along the street were just beginning to open and I could hear the managers barking out last minute orders to their employees. I've had my own business for 22 years but before that there was a time I worked for "the man". I had a motorcycle then too. I used to park it outside the front entrance to my work instead of the employee's parking lot. Fortunately for me the boss didn't seem to care.

Check back soon...more motorcycle shots to come

Kristi & Doug: .St. Cornelius Church, Long Beach

On Board the Queen Mary

Wedding Photographer in Fresno and Southern California

It was a real honor to photograph the wedding of Kristi and Doug in Long Beach. They were married in St. Cornelius Catholic Church with their reception following on the Queen Mary. I had photographed Amy Walsh's wedding back in 2002 and Amy referred her friend Kristi to me.

There is something special about the Queen Mary. It's such a romantic place and the ship seems to bring out the carefree side of everyone who boards her. Add to that a real "Go for it" bride like Kristi and you'd better be ready to rock!

Kristi and Doug's family and friends were the greatest and it was a real joy for me to work with them.

For those not familiar with the area the background across the harbor is downtown Long Beach. You can see the tall buildings against the night sky. In front of them, along the water, is Shoreline Village which has gotten to be quite a night spot with great restaurants, hotels, bars and an amusement park. The yellow-orange circular shape above Kristi's legs is the Ferris Wheel in motion.

Melinda & Robert: Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite

Wedding Photographer, Fresno, Central Coast, Southern California

Melinda and Robert were a real fun loving couple. They did an amazing job planning all the details of their destination wedding which must have been a huge project. Melinda's family and friends traveled to Yosemite from Europe and Robert's family and friends came up from Los Angeles. The flowers, table settings, tent and a special Disco Room set up inside the Lodge for after hours dancing were absolutely beautiful. Melinda and Robert really set the tone for the party and stayed on the dance floor with their guests most of the night. I've photographed alot of weddings and have never seen anything quite like this one. The tent was decorated inside and out by a very talented lighting designer. I think most people would agree that it was a work of art in itself.

The cuisine was exquisite and the catering staff at the Tenaya Lodge was fast and efficient. The guests were served in record time setting the stage for a really fun reception.

The Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite is enchanting, especially in the evening when the cool breezes and the scent of the pine forests drift down from the mountains. It's a very romantic place to begin a lifetime together.

7.16.08: Volcano Road

Fine Art Photographer in Fresno, California

Fine Art Prints:...7x10 - $75.

More Fine Art Prints CLICK HERE

"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore !"

Hawaii was incredible. No trip to the Big Island would be complete without seeing the volcano, I thought. I'd never photographed a volcano and imagined I could capture a much more dramatic image at night. So I took off early with the intent of getting a great angle on the monster. I arrived at the site an hour and a half before sunset to see several tour buses unloading people with folding chairs. My heart sank. I could envision my photographs of the volcano with 10 to 20 human heads in the foreground. Even worse, some were wearing large hats. My mind was racing when I noticed that everyone was having a hard time negotiating the rough terrain. I felt the adrenalin hit my bloodstream. Since I was traveling light, only one camera and no tripod, I flew past most of the visitors and found a spot for a clear shot right up front. Relief turned to joy as I watched the light go down in the sky.

I took this shot about 20 minutes after sunset so the red glow of the lava would show against the smoke and steam shooting up into a darkened sky. Since I didn't have a tripod I had to hand hold my camera at 1/2 second at f4. I used a riflemans sitting position to brace my elbows on my knees and used two hands to press the camera body hard against my forehead. Then I held my breath and gently exhaled as I squeezed the shutter. I've used this technique before in a jam and it works pretty good.... it does pay to take several shots to cover your %&#@ though. Luckily, the 55 mm. micro lens was on the camera. It's the sharpest lens I own and the focal length was perfect. A few moments after I captured this photograph the smoke plume was completely swallowed up by the night.

My 60 mile drive back through the lava fields to Kona that night was another whole experience in itself. There were no streetlights on the road and the stars weren't helping. They were hiding behind a thick layer of smoke and ash from the volcano. From the looks of it, the road surface was probably made from ground up lava. Lava is rough and porous and steals light like black velvet. To make things even worse, the lava fields came right up to the edge of the road so everything blended together. I struggled constantly to make out the edge of the road. It was otherworldly dark and I hadn't seen a house or a side road for miles. I was the only person out there for as far as I could see. As I was zipping along I got thinking that the local residents probably didn't like to drive this road at night. I needed to get my bearings so I reflected back on my drive out in the afternoon. Those sweeping ocean views along the edge of towering cliffs were enough to take your breath away. Suddenly I remembered there were no guard rails. My foot came off the gas and I pulled over to the side of the road. I rolled down my window and spent a few minutes listening to the surf and collecting my thoughts before driving on... much slower this time.

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