Jon {&} Savannah

So, let me just start by saying, straight up, during dinner last night, this couple is inspiring. We'll to be honest, everybody inspires us in some way. Some people inspire us to be better, other people inspire us to not be a certain way. Jon and Savannah are a beautiful couple together. And while its my job to make them look beautiful in photos, there is something much deeper. We see actors and models on tv and in print that are beautiful on the outside, but that doesn't make them beautiful people to be around.

My seventh grade spanish teacher was the first person to help me connect this and "see". There was a "teammate", (or girl) in my group we were learning with and i made a comment explaining to her how at the beginning, i thought they were pretty, but then after 2 weeks of working with this person and being treated without respect, i really didn't like them at all. And i made a comment to her that they were not as pretty as i thought 2 weeks ago. She explained to me that physical beauty is part of it, but "who someone is", makes them more or less attractive on the outside.

Getting back to this session yesterday, I learned: Getty Center engagement sessions = slightly illegal. We got reprimanded on a monday!, but after talking, the supervisor directed us to some spots that were more low profile and ok to shoot at. If you have not been to the Getty center, its an artistic paradise to shoot in.

Savannah and Jon were a good looking couple and fun to work with. I loved how they were able to relax and let go, just out to have fun. All i want to capture, is who they are, and why they are together. They kept coming up with ideas and locations. At one point I had to fake being on a cell phone conversation to not bring attention to one shot we wanted to pull off in the gardens near the water. I would act distracted and get the shot. Everything turned out sweet.

Capping the night with a dinner in Santa Monica, on main street, at Urth Cafe, we chatted for almost 2 hours about life, marriage and got to learn more about who they are. I can't wait until their wedding at the Four Seasons Resort this summer!

Thanks guys for a fun evening. Can't wait for round 2 in a few weeks!

DJ's Freedom Weekend In Santa Barbara

Sunday, DJ invited me and Rachel up to his new house to stop by his Freedom Workshop weekend in Santa Barbara. DJ as a photographer, businessman, and a friend; really inspires me. I know the benefactors of his knowledge and friendship stretch all over the world. So it was an honor when he asked me to chat with his group for a while. Specifically his Show it Web product. That has had such a huge impact in my couples, they get to see their images in a slideshow set to music on the web that they get to share with others. Kenny Kim took these shots and, it was great to see another familiar face there. Kenny is going to help me shoot a wedding in Indiana in June. Rachel and I hung out for a few hours after chatting. It is always such a blessing to connect with people from across the country and this wedding photography industry has such a great body of people.

Our New Studio Lounge & Showroom!!!!!

Ok, so this is MONTHS and MONTHS of work, I have kept the lid pretty tight on this project, but now that I am done, I am proud to share and show this off! I have created a selection and a complete tour of our Studio Gallery on the website www.mikelarson.com in a new section called "The Experience" Check it out in FULL SCREEN MODE!

Here are a few of the shots...

I have a time lapse that I am going to be sharing more of later.

One of my biggest goals for the construction of this project was to create something that was for our clients. Experience is everything, and I think its so important to serve our clients. When you walk into a room, instantly you feel a warmth or a coldness, the light, temperature, flow, decor, imagery, design and textures all go into this. Rachel was my amazing teammate that helped me tackle everything. We built everything, i hired out the HVAC, taping and mudding, and got electrical consulting

Our own designer "Jake Odening" designed our logo for the front of the door. Jake has been our in house graphic designer as well as shooting weddings with us for the last 2 years. I'm very proud of his list of growing clients that have us do their design work. He is a super talented 20 year old.

This is our "Gathering Place" - Dinners, meetings, and a nice work table so we have 3 areas that we can work so we can separate from the rest of the busy studio and get work done.

WOW, i love the way this looks, when we designed the space, we wanted to have people say the same thing. Our evening Premier image release parties are here and we have had our couples bring back as many as 26 people to watch their wedding images for the first time!

Lighting was key, costing us almost as much as the hardwood floors, we fell in love with the pendant lights that fit well on the 2-circuit track. Carl, our electrician was amazing at helping us design and put it together.

My first TV I've ever had possession of, owned or had in my presence. TV sucks me in, well cable actually is the culprit. But our 60' Plasma shows off the images SO nicely. Add the 5.1 surround sound and its a perfect combo.

Please feel free to come by and say hi, watch a movie with us, or better yet, check out some of our sweet new highlight shows and video presentations.

Snow in California!

Crazyness, but it snowed here yesterday! Here is a shot from the local news station showing snow at 5pm yesterday, I took my cousin up the mountains, 20 minutes above my house and made about 30 snow balls, took them back down to town and snowballed some friends, it was great. We all had a blast.

Our Chamber Ribbon Cutting

I've lived in this town for almost 8 years now, and I have had my business for a long time. I focused a lot of energy in growing and establishing what I have built. But I recently have been working on my first construction project all of my own, well, I must say its also part of my wife and our team as well. We all have put in a lot of energy. Thanks to Rachel, Chloe, Meagan, Jake, and now our newest team member, Jon. Situated nextdoor to Beau Kramer of Kramer Entertainment, and Panacea Flowers, and Jenny Sturgeon of Trumpet Vine Catering.

Beau asked me in June of 2007 if I wanted to buy this property next to him. THAT was on my way on a hike up Bishops Peak with Cameron Ingalls, my buddy, here, another great photographer. I did, and begun construction on Aug 23rd.

On Friday January 18th, 2008 we had our ribbon cutting ceremony!

Pictured here from left to right is "Beau, "mom", Emerald, Meagan, Me, Rachel, Jake, Chloe, Jon, Melissa

This is our new logo created by 805 Design collective. Jeremy and those guys over there ROCK!

Sac PPSV!

WOW! a packed house and so many friendly people! I must say that Sacramento was so welcoming and such a good group of people. Traveling miles to visit an organization across the state or country, sometimes you feel like a stranger walking in, but i felt like a friend leaving. Thanks to Nathan Smith who pulled a clutch move getting some last minute technology, and the print crit at the end, i had to learn a few things about voting! I think i messed up once or twice, enough to have to re-vote. That was the 1st time I had ever seen the voting system in place. I wanted to just say thanks. I am sending an image with the next post.

This post also has the info for the "ask anything" session tomorrow. Thursday at 1:30pm. Here is the addy:


Allison Stahl Photography
1526 Lariat Loop
Roseville, CA 95661
Map (Google)
For more information and to rsvp, click here!

Here is the map to the studio

Have a great rest of your week!!

PPA & Pictage speaking dates in Sacramento!

I am so stoked and honored to be speaking at the PPA Sacramento photographers Association on the 16th, and for the Pictage PUG group the following day, thursday the 17th. I will be giving 2 separate speeches for those days, so for those of you who want to hear something different, we will cover different topics.

And for those of you who can make the "ask anything session" thursday from 1-4pm, email me at info@mikelarson.com, or just show up. We will be doing them for free and our location is TBD, hopefully that will be sorted out by wednesday afternoon and I will post that info on the blog, as well as spread the word to whoever emailed me.

Safe travels to Sac for you out of towners who have been emailing me!

Note: the ask anything session is open for any photographer who wants to come and learn more about how to shoot, run their business better and how to improve not only their business and character to better serve their clients. These have been really popular and I am excited to share this to improve as many photographers as possible!

WOW, iphone stolen, AT&T Deletes entire full inbox

All this in one week! Out in Tampa, my iphone was lifted at the convention(Still hoping it may get returned when whoever has it sees all the wedding photos and photos of my wife and I plastered all over it. How could someone take and not return a device that has someone's entire life on it! I am still optimistic that it will find its way back. Then today as I was trying to get a new phone, AT&T deleted my "Full Inbox". So basically, i lost every call from this entire week.

That being said, I'm a bit bummed out. So if you called and left a message this week please call back or email me at mike@mikelarson.com I apologize for those who did leave a message and I am unable to return the call to.

Flight of iced wines

So this is something I have never had before. This is a vintage ice
wine selection of four grapes from France and Germany -
Inniskillin reisling, cab franc, Vidal oak aged. These are 20 years
old. They come from the vines and the grapes are not harvested until
after they are shriveled on the vines and the first frost happens.
The skins are removed and the grapes are crushed while frozen. Then
they bottle and keep cold. Not much alcohol goes into the wine, maybe
1-2%. But its SOO sweet and rich. Super great and we shared them
with the group. I LOVE this restaurant! I just wish Rachel could be
here. Even my parents would love his place. Next year....

Best steak ever!

Berns steak house in Tampa Florida served us the most incredible steak
(a Domonico) thanks to Andy and Laura here in Tampa. Wow, served with
an amazing '78 Robert Mondavi. Paired to perfection.

Leaving LA

Today, finally getting around tv flight delays due to the storms that
slammed California. I'm headed to Tampa for the PPA(professional
photographer association) Imaging USA conference until Wednesday.

Merry new year!

Ringin' in the new year mellow this year. Tonight was a night
relaxing with family around a fire watching movies and eating food.
These sparklers are leftover from our wedding on 10.22.05. I hope
your new years eve is great. I'm thankful for another year, and I
look forward to 2008. I'm so thankful for everyone and everything,
but mostly everyone, above that.. my wife. May you and yours' have a
great new years!