My wife, the artist

Although I promised a blog about a wedding, I decided to share these photographs first...

As I formally introduced to you a couple of weeks ago, my wife is now officially a member of Kerem Hanci Photography team.  She grabbed the camera with the 50 mm on a couple of days ago and took a few shots at home.  I truly love her "photographic eye" and I am very excited to see what her priceless contributions will be to the weddings we will shoot together!

The photographs in the below picture's bokeh area are worth noting (as my wife organized them in such way): on the left, is my mom, on the right is her mom, and directly behind  that little heart-shaped frame, in which a strange couple is photographed kissing each other, is our daughter.

The "artist" mentioned on the title of this week's Friday Photography Blog is not used lightly and it is definitely not used for her talent in taking photographs.  She is also an incredibly creative woman.  She acted in numerous films, she wrote a dozen of them and she produced many others.  We have 4 paintings of her decorating various walls of our place and she also builds wooden wall pieces.  Yes.  She does.  See the below gorgeous piece that holds (a dear friend's) painting, a candle and a vase.  A great, unusual, attractive  decorative piece.

The below painting of the Mayan Monkey Sign was also created by my wife.  In addition to all this, she is raising our beautiful daughter and she has a blog where she shares her creative and delicious recipes and her outdoor experience with our daughter.

You may ask, what the heck I'm doing while she is busy doing all of the above... I just press some buttons.  See you next week!

A Growing Family

In the last few months, I have been doing a lot of research, talking to my fellow photographers and thinking about my professional needs when it comes to my equipment.

When one is a professional photographer, it is important to use the gear that will allow you to portray your talent and satisfy the client's needs.  Although I had a number of lenses and a couple of cameras, I needed to extend the range and capabilities of my gear.

In addition, as I book more gigs, I want to have a reliable, talented partner with whom I also happen to get a long well... Who is better than my wife, whose work you have seen here in several occasions, specifically on this blog entry.

I never cared for the discussions about which camera brand is better... Canon or Nikon?  I think both companies are putting out very good quality products.

I started with my father's Zenit 122 camera, which I still have at my place.

The camera that started it all... Here it is, Zenit 122 with a Zenit Helios 44M-5 58mm f2 and a Tumax 16 flash attached to it.
I also have a Kontep 200mm f4 and a Sekonic StudioDeluxe II lightmeter.
Although not in mint condition, they still work.

And than I had a couple of Minoltas before I switched to Nikon.  I lost my first Minolta when my apartment building went in flames during the time I lived in Montpellier, France.  I gave the second one to my father in exchange of his Zenith, which has a sentimental value for me.

Now, instead of going through a painful change from one brand to another (as you can see, I have an extended family of Nikon products) I stick with Nikon, which I am extremely happy with.

So here they are, the three new members of the family.

I needed a wide-angle lens and I needed it without breaking the bank.  After long hours of research, this little Nikkor lensstole my heart.

An absolute beauty that was long over due...  The 50 is here.

My wife is more excited than I am, which is a great thing!

Here is a family picture taken with my phone.  I need to get better taking pictures with my phone... Or not :D

I just wanted to share my excitement and joy with you.  Next week, I will share the love and passion of yet another couple! See you then!

Caroline Music Roof Party at Capitol Records Building

I had the great pleasure and privilege to hang out and mingle with Caroline Music execs and their artists on top of the Capitol Records building this week.

First shot of the day... Maximum aperture would create most interesting shots most of the time...

It was a very fun gig in so many levels.

I had a lot of time on my hands as I was asked to be the fly-on-the-wall, do mostly candids and a few posed shots.  So I took my time and changed my angle again and again enjoying the view and the location.

My lovely obsession of fish-eye continues and most probably it will never end!

It was a welcome change of pace during my busy wedding season schedule.  Although I love to document couples' happy days, diversifying my work load makes my job and my life more fun!  What was I saying about the maximum aperture?

A guest put his freshly prepared cosmopolitan by the edge of the building along with her glasses as she joined her friends for a picture op... I took the slightly more interesting picture while they were snapping photos of each other with their iPhones.

Have a fantastic weekend and I will see you next week!

Jacqueline and Douglas Got Married

A few weeks ago I shared the Engagement Pictures of Jacqueline and Douglas.   Well I was happy to spend some more time with them and document their wedding.

Douglas wanted to keep the excitement of seeing his bride for the first time at the ceremony but they still wanted to have a first look session... So the idea was simple, silly and fun... Here are a couple of samples from the First Don't Look shoot!

This is now a classic Kerem Hanci Photography Groomsmen Huddle Shot® (This is NOT a registered mark, but it should be!)

Those of you who follow this blog regularly know hos obsessed I am with reflections...  Well, I was happy to find the mirrors in the bride's preparation room!

Let's leave it with a couple of movie references, shall we?

While the wedding theme was somewhat based on Corpse Bride...

...a couple had another movie in mind.