Its time again for the 3rd annual Thirst Relief International Mentor Auction. Gain valuable insight from today's leading photographers while donating to an incredible cause. Each private mentoring session is 90 minutes and takes place during WPPI. 100% of the proceeds go to benefit Thirst Relief. Please help support Thirst Relief and bid tonight at 7pm PST!

Winter wonderland

I love the snow, unless I have to get somewhere fast, and I gotta
catch a flight outta town.

The circle city.

Or so it's called, Indianapolis IN, Kevin Swan, www.kevinswan.com took
me out to a good steakhouse. I love steak. It's 20 and showing
outside but inside with friends is nice and warm. Have a wonderful
evening

P.S. Rachel I miss you and have a good night!

Mike Larson Photobooth

I am so excited to announce our Photobooth! check it out at slophotobooth.com

This shot was taken at the beautiful Chateau Margene in Creston Ca.

The details!:

The booth is pretty sweet, last friday at Meridian, they had the booth and had a ladies night, and they set the record with 10 people in the booth! So the experience begins when you walk inside, sit down with your friends and you immediately become enveloped in peace and quiet. with the curtains to the floor, you have complete privacy and a sanctuary from the outside party. Sit back and press the button, 4 images are taken with 4 second intervals and thats it! Within seconds later, your 4x6 print slides down the chute outside.

At our events, unlimited prints, and pure sweetness with friends. The coolest part, you can customize the banner on the side of the print, and then the 4x6 goes straight to your fridge forever. Oh and you can order more prints online as well, thats, pretty swell.

Off again...

So after a sweet day at the ccwp bridal event today where our
associate team and the photobooth did a great job, I'm heading out to
the Midwest for a week of speaking to photographers. I'll miss my
wife, but I'll be home soon! To all those we met this week, our team
looks forward to meeting you this week!

"To Look or to Be"

As I was having my daily morning reading time, which is one of my perminant goals for the rest of my life started this year, is to go to bed earlier, wake up earlier, before the sun rises, and to get into the word, to read, and to set my list of traits and qualities i want to BE for the day, based on what I'm currently struggling or desiring to overcome. All of us have

George MacDonald rightly said, "half of the misery in the world is caused by people trying to look rather than trying to be."

Below is my background picture, its taken outside of LAX as I we were landing, coming home from a flight from Cabo San Lucas last year. When I look at it, I think about the big picture of the rest of my life. I wish I could see things from this high up, the eternal perspective, and think about how I'd live my life differently. Thankfully, I get to live it one minute at a time, one foot in front of the other, and when I get caught up trying to look a certain way, or do something someone else is doing, or worse yet, compare myself to someone else(not considering what they had to sacrifice or possibly compromise to get there) my morning devotions re-direct me and keep me grounded, stable and consistent. Those are the traits that others value in me the most. Don't get me wrong, I passionate and a fanatic about the things in my life that are essential, but if I'm not grounded in what My God calls me to be, that which is the most fulfilling. Thus, this gives me the freedom to live pursuing the desires in my heart, otherwise I'm in bondage to always searching and trying to be things I'm not, buy things that rot, and that is the biggest trap, the biggest lie I've ever been suckered into.

I dropped cable to stop wanting what I was being sold, in between my favorite shows. I don't get a paper, because the ads kept my christmas list going year round. Not that these are bad for everyone(I'm not a legalist), but for me, freedom is more to tame a desire for everything and stop a constant searching, and be content with what you have rather than the opposite; to be able to go after everything and to only find that doing everything is tiring and not going to fulfill me as much as doing what God calls me to do in my life.

Now, this week, I sit here and look at my business from the numbers angle, something I don't always do and I look at whats really worth my time, and what is not. Its such an eye opening experience, and something I'm thankful my parents who are great at business can help me with. Something that forever, I'm gonna challenge the photographers that I'm blessed to help, to prioritize this process of looking at their business.

Good morning

Today is just today, one day. Not a week, I am going to choose to
take this one day in a way that puts others first, keep things simple,
and to have integrity above everything else. I'm looking forward to
refining everything I do, my father is coming into town to help me go
over every aspect in my business, to refine, cleanse an to simlify.
This week is a week of working "on" my business and not "in" my
business. So have a wonderful day...

Beautiful calm before the storm

Today as the sun sets, tomorrow the storm comes, we desparately need
rain. I love being back in California.
Enjoy your evening.

Ice Skating in Denver

I'm gonna post more on this, but we had a great time in Denver with our Friends Mark & Christyn, but here is a teaser...

Powder fun!

It's 32 and beautiful out here! I have not been boarding in 2 years!
I love how clean and fresh it is out here!

Beach cruisin in Denver CO.

Hanging with Mark n Christyn. I love this ole neighborhood. Heading
home from duffyroll! Their cinnamon rolls rock!!!!

Kiss wedding books new "green" plastic

For all those of you who love Kiss wedding books and my couples who are going to be getting them shipped to you, instead of plastic puffs, they are using these and they rock. Check out this video of them testing out the boxes dropping from 50 feet!

Date night

No time to type, I love talking to my wife!

Here Comes the Guide!

We just signed up for Here Comes the Guide and we love them so far. Photographers, check em out. Brides, its a sweet spot to get hooked up with some of the best vendors, they do a 27 pt, background check and it took 2 months to get on board, so you know you can trust the vendors that are there! Check out our updated images on Mike Larson.com

Mike Larson Speaking in Santa Barbara this week

I'm excited to announce I'll be speaking in Santa Barbara Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

On Tuesday night for those who are PPA of Santa Barbara County members, check out their website for more information

Here is the Topic I'll be discussing:
LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE" When it comes to our clients, they want to follow leaders, they want to be inspired, led, and influenced. When we know how to do this better, we build a reputation of being a successful leader in the industry and with our past clients. This directly results into a better business. And lets face it, in an industry where there is much less to separate us from others, with our gear bags being similar, and a similar story with our websites, WHO we are is our biggest degree of separation. This is the least expensive area to grow and develop. However its the most costly to leave undeveloped. I believe in this photography industry, today's leaders are going to be tomorrow's success stories. Be a leader in your industry, you don't have to be nationally recognized to succeed, but you will have a business that will grow and stay prosperous in a recession, with clients that respect and refer you.



For Pictage users, check out Wednesday night Jan 14th @ 7:00pm, the Pictage User Group @

1339 Sagehill Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 US

I'm excited to see you guys there! Have an amazing week

For those of you who cannot make it I have some upcoming workshops which I'll be posting more on this week.
I have a Las Vegas Saturday Feburary 14th "Party of 4" workshop with only a few seats left.

And a San Luis Obispo Workshop Feb 2 & 3. I'm stoked about these as well, so check out www.stepitupseminar.com for more info.

Bell Air Engagement Soot { Don & Robyn } Preview!

Yesterday we met up with one of our stellar couples in Bel Air. They were such a pleasure to hang with. AND they have the coolest dogs. This is a sneak peak of whats more to come this week!...

Cambria, CA Wedding Shoot { Doug and Shannon }

Doug and Shannon had an amazing wedding at the Cambria Pines Lodge!

Brian and Karelisa

It's so GOOD!

This week has some intense and sweet swell packed in! I'm amped for
surfing every day this week! Offshores and clean peaky swell. Get
out there and enjoy it!

I LOVE the ocean: Dolphin stampede in Sea of Cortez

Thanks to the www.surfrider.com blog I came across this and thought it was really cool! anyways check it out!

Montano de oro

This is the life, I've never been to this spot before!

Good morning, it's 2009.

Heading out to surf this morning with my buddy cameron, and while it's
amazingly beautiful, the waves are crap. The reports called for fair
+. But it's really amazing and beautiful out! Have a great morning...

Happy new year!!!