Anja and I shared some classes at the UW School of Art. In fact, one was a photo class and I’m quite sure she did much better in it than I did. I’ve never shot another photographer’s wedding so I’m super flattered she asked me.

For her and Alex’s engagements, we had all the elements of a Seattle spring day in just one session: cold, rain, clouds, blue sky, sun, cold, more grey. Luckily  we didn’t get hailed on.

I can’t wait for summer.

I freaking love these guys. Such a rad couple and I knew we’d get along well from the time I shot their engagements. Their wedding was beautiful and their crew consisted of some of the funnest/craziest people I’ve encountered at a wedding. The’ve since moved to Boston and now I have even more incentive to visit the East Coast. Thank you both for being awesome :)

Huge thanks to Tonhya Kae for shooting with me. She makes magic with a camera, check her out.

I have a man-crush on Nirav Patel. There I said it. Why wouldn’t I? Photographically, he has one of the most innovative voices in the game and as a person, he’s just the coolest/nicest dude out there. But this post isn’t about my man-crush or the fact I got to shoot with him this summer, it’s about Jaqueline & Joel, and their beautiful wedding in Naches, WA. It was a really special day and revisiting these images makes me realize how extremely grateful I am to be a part of something this huge. Thank you, Nirav, for having me out. You’re an inspiration as an artist and a friend. And you need to teach me about that child labor thing you have going on.

And to everyone else, if you haven’t seen the man’s work, go check it out. Unless you were thinking about hiring me ;)

Lilia’s smile was the star of this wedding and it was pretty easy to see the effect it had on Mike, aka “Sexy Librarian”. Loved being here, loved shooting it, my job is the best.

Thanks to my usual partner in crime, Michael Rowley, for second shooting.

This wasn’t just a celebration, it was damn near the party of year! Thank you to Norilyn & Glen for the awesome time and showing us how the Pinoy get down!

Second Shooter: Don Johnson

Last month, some of our very good friends paid us a visit from PDX with their new bundle of love, Esme. Jason and I go way back to the days of slaving it at the mall, and we’ve stayed BFF’s ever since. He’s basically the closest thing I have to a brother and I’m so glad he and Nettajane get to experience all the wonderful things a child brings (dirty diapers, spit up, and tantrums). I can’t wait to see their little family grow as ours has. Love you guys, hope to see you again soon.

My very good friend, Kip Beelman, and I have embarked on a collaborative project called Lightning Bolts of Love. When we were brainstorming the ideas for this company, we knew we didn’t want to create yet another wedding photography business in this land of a million photographers.  The goal became simple: put together a collection of photographers who could offer affordable wedding photography to the people who don’t identify with the brides and grooms in the magazines and wedding blogs. Both Kip and I come from different backgrounds (Kip’s in the music industry and mine in the skate/snowboard industry) so this was a way for us to reconnect with the crowds that helped shape our personalities.  Not only that, but we wanted to use this as a medium for giving back so we do that by donating 10% of all LBOL commissions to one of three charities which the client can choose from (Charity Water, Red Cross, and Susan G. Komen).  The photographers that will work under the LBOL brand are chosen specifically based on a shared vision and the ability to relate to the market we are catering to here.

Right now, LBOL is only offering services here in the Pacific Northwest, but the goal is to expand and incorporate even more talent under this brand. If you’re a photographer interested in working with us, shoot us your info. If you’re a client who thinks this brand/service is perfect for you, tell us your story. Clients under each of our respective brands will take priority on dates, but we have a team ready to work with you even if we’re booked.  Cheers and champagne showers.

Follow LBOL on Twitter and Facebook!

*The images above are ones shot by me, but you can see the team’s work at the Lightning Bolts of Love site.  Hair and Makeup by Jenny Bowker. Flowers by Finch and Thistle.

My bff’s, Jaquilyn and Travis Shumate, just had a gorgeous baby girl back in December. Jaq’s family was in town recently and I had the pleasure of shooting some photos of them. It’s a huge honor to have photographers I love and admire ask me to take their photos, so thank you Shumates for having me. Also, thanks to the Iannone family for dealing with the cold, wind, and rain.  Keep an eye out for Baby Lucia, she’s a heart melter but it’s not hard to see why.

Many of you have had the chance to see the new direction my brand is going, so I wanted to say a few things about it and also about myself. (Cue the Wonder Years intro) When I first picked up a camera, all I wanted to do was shoot photos like my favorite photographers. Those influences ranged from the photographic legends to the modern day shooters in the portrait/wedding industry. I studied, copied, shot my ass off and ended up at a point where my photos started looking alright. Well good enough for people to start paying for them. I developed a brand: Shoda Photography. It was so stale but I ran with it for a while until I finally got smart and created Shoda Love (some still don’t get it).  With the brand came a blog and a website that followed the dominant theme of letting my work do the talking. While I love the aesthetic of having my photos displayed on a simple white backdrop, those photos weren’t strong enough to really sell what I was offering. After all, those same photos were created copying the styles of many of my influences, most of which are in the wedding industry and in my area. I finished my 2011 season loving the people I worked with but hating much of the work I was doing. I felt like a fraud. Just another wedding photographer with that “look”. I had ideas of what I needed to do in order to fix it, but I was just so comfortable playing it safe that taking action wasn’t even part of the plan. I figured I’d just stop booking clients, finish the year out, and be done with it.

Fast forward a few weeks and I get the opportunity to have my work critiqued by one half of the best photography duos in the industry. This person has remained a favorite of mine (and many others) because he and his wife are constantly pushing the envelope, thinking differently, and most importantly taking risks. I was in full derp-mode through the conversation trying to capitalize on this rare chance to gain such valuable insight,  but what I walked away with was so simple and perfect: be me. It was a confirmation of what I’ve known to do all along. I was so caught up following what everyone else was doing that I missed it. I was lost and now I’m found. ;)

So what you see here is more than just a new face, it’s a new mentality for me. To some, the look may not be the most ideal for viewing photos (people will probably say it’s too busy), but it’s 100% me. I drew it all with my own hands. It’s from my heart and is presented without fear, which is exactly how I’m approaching my work this season. No more being afraid of taking risks that would hurt my street cred. No more worrying about how well I “fit in” with the industry trends. And no more trying to be cooler than I really am (which is not cool). Hopefully by the end of the year, you’ll see my work as having that  ”ShodaLook” and you’ll get a better sense of who this smart-ass really is. Maybe I’ll even get popular enough to have people start using my photos illegally.  Just kidding about that last part.

I’m going full awards show style and saying thanks to everyone for the love and inspiration. Even just silently boosting my site stats means a lot to me.

Peace.

photo credit: Michael Rowley

Disclaimer: The collection of images here is the biggest visual mashup ever. It’s not my “Best of” but rather just a set of images I love out of the many thousands I’ve taken this year. Some of these you’ve seen before, some you haven’t, and some you’ll see more of. Many made in the company of these fine friends: Andria Lindquist, Carly Bish, Jaquilyn Shumate, Jenny Jimenez, Michael Rowley, Sean Flanigan.

Happy holidays yo.