Scenes from Los Angeles Part 6

Another Los Angeles blog with random photographs taken in the streets and freeways of the City of Angels....

There are definitely many different types of addiction and this one combines both! :D

What does Jesus gain (if anything) from this? Discuss. :o)

I was on the North-West corner of Sepulveda and Santa Monica Blvd. and I look at my right and saw this. I love windy, sunny and clear days of LA. I also have an unmatched fondness for glare! :D

During a little break on a shoot in an empty parking lot on a Sunday, I saw this older couple traveling south on Barham Blvd. and I only had a few seconds to capture them. I'm glad I didn't miss!

405 Freeway NB. The traffic was faster than usual despite an unusual seight such as a burning Miata. I clicked away and got this. As a friend of mine put it: "It's weird how destruction can be beautiful".

Another one of those beautiful windy days. Perfect for kitesurfing by Ventura County line.

Los Angeles Metro. North Hollywood Station.

Next week, we'll be heading to our favorite spot in Big Sur and I will have more pictures of that gorgeous place. It will be Vivienne's first camping trip, so you may expect to see more pictures of her as well! Have a great week!

A Father's Day Special

A quick one this week, celebrating all the deserving fathers' special day. Here is to my father who has always been there for me, who never ceased to support me even if at times I didn't understand his choices of ways to do this. He is still behind me encouraging me, and chaallenging me to better myself everyday.

Sağol Baba! İyi ki varsın :o)

The below picture was taken in 1962 by my father's father whom I have never had the chance to meet.

I took this one in Malibu when he came to visit us a few years back.

And this year, as most of you know I became a father myself... And, of course, my father came to meet his grand-daughter.

The proud grand-pa watching Fenerbahçe marching to its championship with his grand-daughter before he took the plane back to Istanbul! :o)

Suzie & Ryan Tied the Knot(s)... Literally.

Last week I had the privilege to photograph a lovely wedding in Calamigos Equestrian Center. Let's get some of the detail shots out of the way first :o)

I really love the untouched seating cards. There is something in them that announces the festivities that are about to begin.

Suzie and Ryan had the great idea of offering jelly beans to their guests. If there is one candy I couldn't do without, it would be jelly beans. No, I did not steal any.

Well, I hung out with the boys before the ceremony, and it was a bunch full of life and fun. I had a blast with them. Now, meet Ryan in his great tux.

We had a really fun session outside, all of the guys were game and that made my job easier and much more fun! Here are couple of pictures from the outside session.

The ceremony was incredibly emotional. This lovely couple wrote their vows in such a way, that there were many tears of joy and love shed. After hearing his soon-to-be-wife Suzie's vows, and right before reading his, Ryan had to try very hard to compose himself in front of 100+ people. I am glad and proud to tell you that he managed. Although he did not hold back his tears while stating his vows.

Here are all the knots being tied!

Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that I have a crazy obsession with the fish eye lens. As you have seen the first example above (the black and white photography of the boys), I did bring it with me, and I used it freely and excessively! Here are some of the chosen ones for your viewing pleasure!

Now that I got that out of my system, let's get back to our couple, shall we? I just love this shot...

Well, the first dance as husband and wife.... I have to be honest, I have been in many weddings as a professional photographer and as a guest. It is seldom I see this kind of love. These two love birds couldn't take their eyes from each other. You could feel their love in the air. When they started the dance, I could see in their faces and in their eyes how the entire room and its occupants disappeared for them... They were alone there, totally lost in each other's mind, body and soul. The connection of these souls was almost palpable.

Then, inevitably, other people started dancing. Some were dancing great, some were dancing calmly and some... Well, some were dancing in such an attention-grabbing way that the couple got distracted from the trance-like connection and started watching their friends.

The cake... I always try to get a cake picture that is not totally revealing the entire thing... I like the teaser of a picture for cakes... I don't know why. I of course do take the entire thing, the cutting moment, the kiss etc. for the client. But for me, this is it.

Another positive note about this was the crowd. Unpretentious, natural, down-to-earth and FUN. They were also incredibly kid-friendly. Kids were everywhere jumping around, dancing the night away. They brought a whole new level of dynamism to this lovely night. I love this picture. For some reason, it reminds me of Mick Jagger. Don't ask!

Let's finish it up with the very necessary shot of every wedding: the bouquet toss... I look forward to catch up with you next week. Don't be shy, comment, email, call... :o)

Some More Vivienne For You

As promised, here are a few pictures of Vivienne in San Fran. The first one is the night of our arrival, she is chilling with her mommy and her grandma.

VivoşMinnoş (as we sometimes call her) is waiting to be taken out to meet some of her adoring fans in her trendy W room and in her fashionable clothes.

The next day we took a road trip and visited some vineyards. Although she wasn't interested in vine tasting, she was game to hang out with us. Here grandma is burping her after her meal she enjoyed in a lovely patio, next to a gorgeous fountain.

Although she is not a huge fan of close-ups, she can't say no to her daddy (yet).

Following her meal, she graciously let most of the adults taste some vine, while she calmly hanged out in her stroller. She also told jokes and laughed at them with us as well! She is way cuter laughing than I am, I can tell you that much.