Forget Me Knott Photography

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Just a quick Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! And one of my favorite images...

Pug-mania!

2012-02-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I have a couple of friends that leave town on vacation and leave their three pugs behind. I usually get the phone call to "pug sit" because I can just pack up shop and work out of their place for a week. So I "moved in" this last week with with my two dogs (not pugs) and my wife joined us on her days off for a taste of pug-mania.

When you get this group together there's no shortage of entertainment...I made sure to bring the camera along.

Rare quiet moments in the house...

Meet Eric.

Meet Otis.

Meet Kody - the puppy with endless energy (don't let this face fool you).

"What? I'm trying to nap..."

Playtime is very entertaining.

Three way fight for the toy...

Sunbathing.

How do you say no to a face like this?

The brothers use each other for pillows.

It's always a fun week with the pugs!

Best of 2011

2012-01-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

As we make the transition to 2012 I wanted to continue with a little tradition I do; serve you up a little "best of" from 2011. I wish all of you another great year full of success (by whatever means you define it - and remember you get to define it!)! And thank you to those of you who have helped shape my life this year (which is to say all of you).

I hope at least some of these images will touch you in some way as they have touched me. I have a lot to be grateful for and here's some of the proof as we take this journey together...

We backpacked through some of the most gorgeous back country in the Eastern Sierra.

We lost sight of which way was up...momentarily.

We reached for the sky.

And reached new heights.

We persevered the storm.

And were rewarded.

We shined through the darkness.

We got a different perspective on things.

And were reminded how small we really are.

We stood in awe of new sights.

We stayed focused.

We saw determination pay off.

We said what we meant and meant what we said.

We may have looked for a mate...

...offered them a gift...

...and...well you know...

We were met with antagonists.

We disagreed.

We practiced brotherly love.

We had serenity.

We were leaders.

We made a splash.

We spread our wings...

And flew...

We took a look at ourselves in the mirror.

We nourished.

We soared.

We feasted.

We smiled.

We created.

We rested.

We ran.

We played.

We cried.

We danced.

We looked into each others soul.

We kissed.

We dipped.

We fell in love.

We used our drug of choice...adrenaline.

We realized our inner beauty.

We walked off into the sunset.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

I figured it would be appropriate to post some pictures of Santa Claus today. So here's mine...these were taken a couple years ago while backpacking. I was lucky enough to see Santa making a practice run!

A wish for peace, harmony and love. May you discover the power within yourself to create the life you want!

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas!

Red-tailed Hawk Encounter

2011-12-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

Red-tailed Hawk Glaring

Bolsa Chica Reserve, Huntington Beach, Ca.

Found this guy (or girl) on a trail at Bolsa Chica yesterday. I was actually turned the opposite way shooting a Reddish Egret "dancing" in the bay (images to follow if I got anything good) and suddenly all the shore birds got a little startled and begun flying around. I looked around knowing that when a flock of birds suddenly takes of it's almost always because of a predator. I didn't see any raptors though. So a few minutes later after exhausting the Reddish Egret shots I got up and back on the trail and not 15 feet down the trail was this Red-tailed Hawk perched on a sign post. It must have been camouflage from my vantage point. Anyhow, I was able to snap off a few shots before he realized I was a little too close for his comfort.

A side note: It always amazes me how small birds instinctively know what raptors are a threat to them. Birds know that, for example, an Osprey is not a threat because it only eats fish but on the other hand if a Harrier or Peregrine Falcon were to fly over they would definitely scurry out of the way. The particular birds that this guy spooked only did a circle or two before landed safely back on the shore; I think they realized after a moment that this hawk wasn't too much of a threat. Most likely it was looking for rodents, rabbits or snakes.

Cool fact: The oldest known Red-tailed Hawk was 28 years 10 months old. (www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-tailed_hawk/id)

Reese and Jack

2011-12-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

Took a short trip out to Creek Park in La Mirada a few days ago to shoot Reese and Jack. Here's what happened...

Reese loves nature!

Needless to say we did a "few" takes of this shot.

I think Reese has a future in modeling maybe (I never once asked her to pose)...

I love this shot of the siblings!

I'll end with the face I think I saw the most...

Happy Gratitude Day!

2011-11-24T10:58:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Or as I refer to it Gratitude Day. Knowing how important gratitude or thanksgiving is in my life I try to celebrate Thanksgiving on everyday of the year.

I thought I'd share a little history on the day that I dug up.

Thanksgiving traditions did not stem from one thing. The common myth is that the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth and the natives greeted them and they had a feast. It's a little more complicated than that. The traditions come from a series of events that eventually evolved into what we now celebrate.

But most commonly this is the story that is told about what led to Thanksgiving. In 1620 a ship (you might have heard of named the Mayflower) sailed from Plymouth, England to Massachusetts (which was named Plymouth). There were about 110 passengers aboard fleeing religious persecution in Europe. When they settled in Plymouth they endured a devastating Winter there where about half of the passengers died. The other half made it through the Winter and in 1621 they were greeted by natives who spoke English.

Some of the natives learned English from passing Vessels others were kidnapped, enslaved and taken back to Europe later to escape and return home. These natives eventually taught the Pilgrims how to harvest the land. By the next Winter they had enough harvest to get through the Winter so they decided to celebrate with the natives, which is the origin of the gathering of family. They celebrated for a 3 day period.

Over the next 2 years the Pilgrim's crops were depleting. They still weren't experienced enough at harvesting and they also shared their food. Then a severe Summer arrived and they fasted and prayed. Not long after their prayers the rain came. In November they declared a day of Thanks. This is most commonly perceived as the first Thanksgiving Day.

It wasn't until 1863, during the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. Each President since Lincoln would also declare a national day of thanksgiving. Later it would evolve into what it is now and be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of each November.

The great thing about this day no matter what story is told is that it is about "thanks"; gratitude. What are you thankful for today?

The power of gratitude is very underestimated. If you are struggling with something (anything) I challenge you to incorporate a new practice in your daily grind. Before you fall asleep each night, while you are laying in bed, come up with at least 3 things you are grateful for. Write them down or simple just picture them in your head. Fall asleep thinking about them and only them. Then each morning before you get out of bed come up with a new gratitude list - again with at least 3 things. Keep this routine up for 21 days and then reevaluate how you feel. I guarantee you will have changed. Once you realize this maybe you'll be motivated to keep doing it.

I'll leave you with one of the best sunsets I was able to witness this year. I am grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some of my references included:

http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving

Natalia Giselle is baptized

2011-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

Natalia Giselle is baptized! Here's a few moments from that day. Enjoy!

My two favorite...

2011-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Just a few pictures from our local pumpkin patch to get you in the mood...

Where's Waldo?

Natalia at the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

In between clients I get to shoot my 6 month old niece Natalia. So here's some of my favorites from Natalia's first visit to the pumpkin patch.

Here's the whole family!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a little longer than I like since my last post. But here's my newest slideshow promo that might show you what I've been up to.

Hindu wedding - Palos Verdes Estates

2011-08-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

This was a Hindu wedding ceremony, in Palos Verdes Estates, that I had the privilege of shooting with Prince Weddings. I am so grateful when I get to participate in foreign styled weddings because they are so different than what I'm used to. I get to learn so much about the culture and photographing it. With Hindu's they are so colorful and interactive that I got so many great shots. I just wanted to share a few with you. Enjoy!

The bride (one of my favorite shots).

A lot of rose petals at this wedding.

The Groom.

Before the ceremony started they washed the feet of the groom to purify him for his new life with his bride.

The bride and groom sit beside a holy fire called Agni. In Hinduism, fire is regarded as a purifier and a sustainer of life. The Hindu priest is called a Pundit and here he lights the fire for the Havan (the fire ritual).

At the beginning of the ceremony, a cloth is held between the bride and groom so they don't see each other. But there is still some interaction between them underneath it that involves family members. The groom cannot see her until he expresses his acceptance of her.

I really enjoyed this part (and by the looks of it, so did they).

I wasn't sure on what the ritual was behind this one but they threw rose petals on each other.

Gautam places a ring on Ganga's toe.

This is called Laja-Homah. Puffed rice is offered as oblations into the sacred fire by the bride while keeping the palms of her hands over those of the groom.

There are several food offerings to the fire.

I believe this is called Madhupak, where they offer honey.

This ritual was fun to watch too. The couple put their wedding rings in a pot of water and swirl it around. Then they have to fish out their ring. Who ever comes up with their ring first is supposed to be the decision maker of the marriage. The bride came up with it every time!

Love this look.

This was definitely one of the more interesting and entertaining ceremonies I've been to. I learned a ton of stuff, hopefully you did too. Thanks for visiting!

Scottish wedding - Rancho Las Lomas

2011-08-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of shooting a Scottish wedding a few weeks ago for Tara Sieling (who is the amazing photographer that shot my wedding!). The reception was at Rancho Las Lomas - an amazing venue in Orange County. Anyways, I had so much fun at this wedding and I got some great shots that I had to share here. Enjoy!

Traditional Scottish attire for the guys, complete with Kilts and a sash for the groom. Some very cool details for the guys.

A last minute bible reading with father and son.

These are Sporrans which are basically purses.

Apparently if you want to be completely traditional you don't wear anything under your kilt. So it was a little interesting trying to get this shot but they were up for it!

This was really cool. The moms were asked to come forward to give the bride and groom their last kiss as singles. It turned into an emotional conversation that lasted several minutes.

Love the look on her face here.

And who doesn't love bag pipes!

This was a gift from the bride's father.

I wish more couples did this - looks so cool!

They danced their way into the reception...

Now for the fun stuff... Scottish dancing looks like fun...and exhausting. They had someone show everyone how to do a certain dance then you pair up and have at it.

Dad had a few words for his son-in-law here...

And I'll wrap it up with some photo booth shots.

One of my favorites!

Congratulations to Justin and Kim!

Kelly Slater crowned champion at the 2011 US Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach

2011-08-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday August 7th, 10 time world champion Kelly Slater of the USA surfed against Yadin Nicol of Australia in the finals at the 2011 US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California. Kelly Slater, 39 years of age, came out on top by a big margin.

Reid Simpson had won the two previous years.

Here's a quick look at Kelly's run for the Championship.

2011 US Open of Surfing; Kelly Slater on hurricane surf

2011-08-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Eugene off the coast of Baja California has pushed in some massive surf to Southern California this weekend. I was down at Huntington Beach again this morning for the 2011 US Open of Surfing and the Men in Rounds 3 and 4 were pulling some major air. Here's a few highlights.

This is all from the same heat.

Taj Burrow

Kelly Slater showing he still has it (as if there were any doubt...) by winning the heat and advancing again.

Tanner Gudauskas

Kelly Slater at the 2011 US Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach

2011-08-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

I got to photograph Kelly Slater today at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, Ca. I gotta tell ya, he doesn't look 39. Kelly finished the 2nd round in 2nd so he advances again.

More to come!

Randy and Mary's wedding at the Montage, Laguna Beach

2011-08-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

It was such a privilege to shoot Randy and Mary's wedding. And what a wedding it was! Ocean front ceremony at the Montage in Laguna Beach. Randy and Mary are such a great couple and they are so laid back with no worries that it was a fun wedding to shoot - we can all learn something from them.

Here's some of the highlights.

They had Orchids in Mary's room and it just so happens that it's her favorite flower...

I loved the islander theme.

And it got a little emotional.

When the ceremony finished there was a pod of Dolphins straight out jumping out of the water! It was a scene right out of a movie.

And we top it off with white Dove's!

My first witness to The Hora - a Jewish wedding tradition where the bride and groom are lifted up on the chairs and danced around to the song Hava Nagila. It was fun!

You know it's a good wedding when the DJ has someone sing a song they don't know and they do it!

Congratulations to Randy and Mary!

US Open of Surfing 2011 sneak peak - Rob Machado

2011-08-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

The 2011 US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach Ca. is underway this week. Today I made it down to the beach for round one of men's surfing. It was a great day! Perfect weather - maybe a high of 72 and a little bit of a breeze. Usually June Gloom hangs around through July/August but most of this week has been sunny right off the bat - which means good light. It was kind of weird though, at around 9AM dense fog rolled in for about an hour and the heat had to be put on hold. Then it cleared and we got some good action.

Here's a little sneak peak of Rob Machado, who placed 3rd in his heat and got defeated.

Much more to come so check back soon!

Siberian Pass

2011-07-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Siberian Pass

This is another shot from my backpacking trip in the Eastern Sierra. Just inside Sequoia National Park (literally by about 100 feet) is this little overlook. It's just above the Siberian Pass. This is looking South at sunset, you can see the Sierra stretching almost to the Southern most tip from here. Everything North of here at this altitude is still covered in snow.

Behind me to the North is a large unnamed meadow where we camped after packing through a thunder storm...not my idea of fun. Down in front of the ridge before me and a little to the left along the Siberian Pass Trail is Big Whitney Meadows. This little overlook, which was only about a two hundred foot climb had remarkable views. It was only about a 40 minute hike from camp. The 360 degree view was awesome. And the only noise was the wind. It's times like these that remind you how majestic this land really is.

Chicken Spring Lake

2011-07-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Chicken Spring Lake Sunrise

Chicken Spring Lake, Sequoia National Forest, Ca.

"Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful." - Margaret J. Wheatley

Pun intended. In a strange sort of way I relate that quote to this image in particular but really also any reflection shots of of this caliber. A smooth reflection alwatys seems to draw at least double the impact to the landscape. So obviously when I backpacked to Chicken Spring Lake last week I intended to get something similar to this shot. That goes for any of my photographs typically. I see something visually then I intend it in my minds eye more or less. That's what is called the Creative Process and this is the result.

This was the first sunrise on my trip and after sleeping through the pre-dawn light I ran down to the shore to grab this shot and a few others. Luckily there was still heavy patches of snow on the ground which really helped with the composition here.

This is a blend of three variations of one exposure.

And by the way...I really have no idea where the name for this lake came from.

Alpine Glow

2011-07-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Alpine Glow

Chicken Spring Lake, Sequoia National Forest, Ca.

Yet another landscape with these dead Coniferous trees. This was night number two on our backpacking trip in the Eastern Sierra. We started out of Horseshoe Meadow, which is near the Southern end of the Sierra, because anything North of here was still buried in snow from a very wet year. This is Chicken Spring lake, our first stop, which is near 11,500 feet. As you can see in any shaded area there was still large patches of snow here.

We spent a day here to acclimate - even though we should have spent a day in the meadow 1,500 feet below us before starting. We paid the price for going straight from sea level to 12,000 feet in the same day with headaches and nausea. I am glad that we got to catch this tail end of a storm though! We had thunder storms drop a lot of rain on us for the first half of the trip. But then it would inevitably clear up and leave us a great sky. I particularly loved the glow that seemed to come from all directions. I can't explain it other than maybe some clouds behind me that were reflecting the light back.

This was an interesting image to process. I started with three exposures and first attempted an HDR with them but decided that didn't do it justice so a lot of manual blending ended up happening.

Stillness

2011-07-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Stillness

Chicken Spring Lake, Sequoia National Forest, Ca.

"We need silence to be able to touch souls.” - Mother Teresa.

This image screams silence to me. I backpacked to Chicken Spring Lake last week partly in search of good photography but also in search of silent retreat...I got both!

I remember vividly how silent it was at the lake...not only audibly but also in nature. No wind or weather to shatter the stillness. It was a good spot for meditation - but then you really can't go wrong with that anywhere in the Sierra. Silence is where creativety is birthed and flows. I got some great clarity on some things while up there on this trip from all the meditation I was able to get in, in between shooting sunrises and sunsets. Reflection, yes pun intended, was what I did and what I got. The stars were aligned so to speak...or at least the reflections were...

We had a half moon this night that made for a good compliment to the transparent sky and reflection. I felt I had to include it here.

Happy Friday!

Fire in the Sky - meadow, Sequoia National Park.

2011-07-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from backpacking in the Eastern Sierra for six days. I'm super excited about the shots I got so I'll start by sharing this one.

We originated at Horseshoe Meadow. We planned on doing a loop through Rocky Basin and up to Cottonwood Lakes but there was still too much snow to make it down to the Cottonwoods via New Army Pass so we decided to stay at this meadow...glad we did!

There was a small price to pay to see this vista however. This day we packed in from Chicken Spring Lake. 30 minutes into that hike a thunder storm roared in - in the most literal sense. We hiked through pouring rain for about two hours with lightning touching down all around us. One strike could not have been more than 1000 yards from us.

I was drenched but once we made it to our destination the rain stopped and eventually we got to witness what you see here. It was amazing.

I tried to figure out what meadow this is but can't seem to find a name for it. If anyone knows it would be a great help to put a name to it. It's basically at the junction of the PCT and Siberian Pass Trail.

Much, much more to come...

Jody and Stephanie's Wedding - Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes

2011-07-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Jody, Stephanie and I go all the way back to high school! Their wedding was a little bit like a reunion for me. They are such a fun couple. This was one of the funnest weddings I've ever been to. You'll see why...

I told her to pose with her hand on her hip for this shot and she did it the rest of the day. Think someone has some modeling in her future...

Welcome to the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca. They have more rules than they do seats but it's a pretty awesome venue overlooking the Pacific Ocean!

The moment they've all been waiting for...

I've never seen a bride break into the robot after their first kiss...there's a first time for everything!

Talk about enjoying the present moment!

After the Wayfarers Chapel we took a ride down to Shoreline Village in Long Beach and ran into Famous Daves...pig. We had a little fun with him!

And we round out a fun day at the Reef in Long Beach.

And of course they danced their way into the reception!

Jody had to get prepared for the garter...then he had to get Stephanie prepared with a little lap dance!

And top it all of off with a little Folklorico dancing!

Congratulations to Jody and Stephanie!

Joe and April's wedding

2011-06-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Joe and April are the epitome of the magic that happens with my couples. We've become great friends in the process. They are such a fun couple to be around. Their wedding was at St. Margaret Mary Church in Lomita and the Double Tree in San Pedro.

Donald McKinnon helped me with the photography for this wedding. He is awesome - check him out here!

Here's some high lights of their wedding day...

A team effort...

I love a wedding full of extroverts!

Meanwhile Joe was getting a lesson on how to make a baby...

Ah, the curiosity...

Two of my favorites...

And what's a San Pedro wedding without a trip to the Korean Friendship Bell...on a windy day.

Got a little captain in you?

The first dance started off this way...

...and ended this way...it rocked! Here's a video of it.

And wouldn't you know it...A Sumo Wrestling match broke out in the middle of the reception.

Natalia at 3 Weeks

2011-05-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Natalia Giselle Accetta at 3 weeks...

I think this is my personal favorite. The funny thing about this particular image is I was trying to focus only on the hands. I had planned to crop it down to just the hands later but then I saw her eye in the corner looking right at me and I had to keep the image just the way it was!

Deep thinker...

A little bit different kind of a family portrait.

And here's her famous Karate pose!

Randy and Mary Engagement - Crystal Cove

2011-05-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the privilege of shooting Randy and Mary's engagement pictures. They chose to go to Crystal Cove State Beach because that is where they shared their first kiss! We also did an early morning shoot instead of a sunset one and it was an awesome day!

A flower for Mary...unscripted by the way!

We started off the day right with dolphins and a whale sighting not more than 100 yards off the beach!

And we finished the morning off with one of my favorites. Mary wanted to get some of the wildflowers in the shot...

Can't wait until their wedding in June!

Natalia Giselle Accetta

2011-04-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Meet Natalia - my new niece! My wife's sister delivered Natalia at 812 AM on 4/20/11 (my wife's birthday to boot!). An all natural birth too! She weighed in at 6 pounds and 14 ounces - that sounds like she's a boxer lol. And in this corner, weighing in as a lightweight at 6 pounds and 14 ounces, Natalia The Italian-Mexican Fireball, Accettaaaaa!

She's perfectly healthy.

Unfortunately we missed the birth by about 5 minutes but these were shot when she was about two hours old.

Happy Mom...

Proud Grandma...

And since mom loves frogs...so does Natalia (she just doesn't know it yet).

Congratulations to Matteo and Erica!

Des the graduate

2011-04-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Des is graduating from College. Here's some highlights of her session.

Jody & Stephanie Engagement Shoot

2011-04-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the privilege of shooting Jody and Stephanie's engagement pictures at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. I've known Stephanie since high school so we had a lot of laughs. Definitely a fun couple.

They brought their dog, Easton, along...

A couple of sports fans. Good thing they aren't rivals - they kept it civil...

They love the outdoors and animals so this was the perfect spot.

Easton had fun too of course - except for when they had to tie him up to take shots without him.

My personal favorite...

This wedding is going to be fun!

Spring is here!

2011-04-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

I know Spring has officially been here for a few weeks but it's getting to be very apparent in the bird Kingdom.

A couple days ago I ventured out to Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and found this Anna's Hummingbird nest. The two two chicks are about ready to fledge within the next few days if they haven't already.

It takes about three weeks for the eggs to hatch. While the chicks are in the nest the mother will feed on nectar and insects and then regurgitate the mixture into the chicks mouth (as pictured below). It takes about three weeks for the chicks to fledge (leave the nest).

Penelope

2011-03-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Last year I shot Rusty and Cody's wedding and a couple weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing little Penelope Olson, their new daughter! Here are some of my favorites...

She was a crack up!

Can't resist a little feet shot ;o)

One of my personal favorites he he he

The deep thinker...

Mother and daughter

Priceless

And Penelope with her angel wings

"People were looking at me funny..."

2011-03-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

So a few days ago I was playing with my wife's iphone. She found this app called CamWow. Let's just say boredom and CamWow go well together... Enjoy.

This was not a stunt double...

I think people were looking at me funny...I don't know why...

Here's my version of Shrek...

This never gets old...trust me.

Alien or Oompa Loompa?

Reminds me of the Genesis video for "Land of Confusion".

If you have an iphone make sure to post your pics (if you're brave enough lol)!

Earth Hour 2011

2011-03-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour is tomorrow, March 26, 2011. If you've never heard of it go to the official website here for more info. I'll be participating, will you?

Here's a couple video's to inspire you...

And I'll leave you with a taste of the beauty that's out there when the lights are turned off.

What do you do with your old cell phones?...

2011-03-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

What do you do with your old cell phones? Watch this video. Your trash could save a life...

To donate your old cell phones and help to save lives please visit Hopephones.org

Tips on how to take a better family picture

2011-02-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of newsletterish posts. Primarily my aim will be to teach you stuff that can come in handy.

Today's topic is how to take better family portraits. Enjoy!

Tips on how to take a better family picture
Part one

Shoot into the sun

Most people don't shoot towards the sun because the point and shoot cameras don't meter very well. In laymen's terms that means that when you point your camera in the direction of the sun the camera will typically try to expose for the bright sunlight in turn darkening the subject in front of you.

This is a shot my wife took of me at the beach and is a great example of how her camera tried to expose for the bright sun instead of me.

Here's another example where she took the picture and it exposed for the most part on me but you can see now that the sky, which looked very cool with orange clouds, is completely washed out.

If we could have captured the awesome sunset behind me it would have looked really nice.

At the same time when you position your subject facing the sun you tend to get them squinting and looking funny - probably not the best option - as well as shadowed eyes which makes them look like some eyeless monster.

This one wasn't particularly facing the sun but you can see how any situation in bright sunlight would have the same effect.

Maybe some of you know this and maybe some don't, but a little trick to avoiding those things is to use your flash. You might think I'm crazy for suggesting to use a flash in the middle of the day but trust me on this one.

Most cameras today will give you a nice array of functionality in your in-camera settings and I encourage you to learn what all those options in the menu are for - you might find some beneficial. Typically there's a way to change your flash setting, which is most likely set to "auto". Change the setting to "on". This will come in very handy if you want to avoid the examples above and capture a nice looking portrait of your family or a friend.

So position your subject with their back to the sun, make sure the camera's flash is set to "on" and snap away. It's that easy. But remember to keep in mind that the further your subject is from you the less effective the flash will be. You'll probably have to experiment but try to stay as close to them as possible.

And also remember that it's not just for shooting "into" the sun but it can generally be used in any situation where your standing in bright sunlight. It works great for trying to capture a sunset too.

You should get something like this.

Do you notice how you can clearly see there faces and yet the background looks good as well?

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and more importantly learned something. Follow me on Facebook for updates and for part two. Bookmark this page and check back for more!

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

I put together a little collection of pictures that might make you say "awwwww".... Enjoy.

Happy Friday

2011-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Here's your gratuitous picture for the day...

Happy Friday!

Calla Lily

Sealife

2011-01-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

I thought this was cool. Yesterday on my bike ride to the beach I decided to take a stroll on the beach to look for cool shells. I got excited when I came across a rare whole shell but then flipped it over and saw that it was still home to a little hermit type crab. So I chucked it back in the water before the seagulls got to it but not before I snapped a picture of it with my phone.

Bride's Choice Award

2011-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

I am excited to excited to announce that Forget Me Knott Photography has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards^™ 2011. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate quality and service excellence in the wedding industry.

Thanks to all of you who have helped me win this award for the second straight year!

Visit me on WeddingWire today!

Self portrait contest - win a free portrait session!

2011-01-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

OK I'm feeling creative today and thought I'd try to inspire all of you. So I'm going to propose a self portrait contest! Get as creative as you want - in fact the more the better I think. Take whatever camera you have, turn it around and snap away. No rules really other than it has to be of YOU and taken by YOU (well, and family friendly of course). Have fun with it.

I'll post all the entrants and we'll all vote for the winner in a couple weeks. Please email me your image so I can put it on a site for all to view/vote at brian@fmkphoto.com.

Guidelines are at the bottom of the page...

Here's some inspiration for you hopefully. This is what I make my wife do everywhere we go!

Contest guidelines:

1. The picture must be taken by you of you.

2. Family friendly

3. Winner will be determined by votes from the public - so tell your friends about it!

4. Session must be redeemed within 6 months of winning.

5. Email me a jpeg or link to the jpeg that I can download at brian@FMKPhoto.com

6. By submitting your picture you give me the right to publish it via my websites for display and promotional purposes.

7. Winner will receive a free one hour portrait session which includes edited images posted on a private website for viewing and sharing. Be creative!

8. A disc of images is extra.

9. Extended travel might be extra.

Love Birds

2011-01-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple shots I took a while back at The Aquarium of the Pacific. Yes, these Lorikeets are at the Aquarium in Long Beach. If you haven't been go check it out! You can actually feed them in an aviary - and they will land right on you to eat up their sugar syrupy stuff. It's really pretty cool. Great for kids.

Lorikeets are from the Parrot family and are native to the Australasian region.

Sweet Nothings

Loitering Lorikeets

Snowy Egret Profile

2011-01-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

Snowy Egret Profile

Just another day at the local wildlife reserve, I was looking for something interesting of course. I knew it would be a good day when in the first few minutes this Snowy Egret landed on the bridge next to me. He was not camera shy!

Anna's Hummingbird

2011-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Neon Feathers

Snowy Egret Marsh

2011-01-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

I usually try to stay away from bird portraits unless there's something interesting about it but this particular one caught my eye. I couldn't pass up the the color with the reflection surrounding the Egret.

Romantic Walk on the Beach (Maui, Hawaii)

2011-01-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

I saw this couple walking down the beach in Ka'anapali, Maui and I could resist snapping a shot with the good light and the waves in the background.

Osprey with fish

2011-01-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Osprey with fish

After a slow morning (bird-wise) at Bolsa Chica Reserve in Huntington Beach I found this Osprey just before leaving. I waited for about 30 minutes while it just sat around and then finally it dove off it's perch and snatched up this fish. Then like a good obedient Osprey it flew back to the tree I was standing under and gave me a bit of a show for the next 45 minutes while it ate the fish!

Body boarding at Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii.

2011-01-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a few more from the body boarder series at Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii.

Top 10 of 2010!

2011-01-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

So I decided to look back at a great year in images. Here's my top 10 from 2010 (in no particular order). Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

Thanks to those you you that shared the year with me!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T11:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of my clients, friends, family, the in-laws (yes them too!), colleagues, Google searchers, future clients, Mother Nature, all the waitresses who served me this year, panhandlers, the person who honked at me the other day, and everyone else!

Me and my wife had the privilege of participating in a world peace meditation this morning at 4AM (GMT-8). Every year for the past 20+ years the whole world holds this meditation at the same time - one giant consciousness of peace. It wasn't to "wish" for world peace it was to remind ourselves of the peace that already is. Someone said it best (paraphrasing): when I am peaceful I will see you as peaceful. Peace begins in our consciousness. Everything else will fall into place. So here's to a peace filled 2011!

A prosperous new year is at your finger tips - don't wish it, make it happen!

Ka'anapali Beach Sunrise

Maui, Hawaii

Iconic Hawaii

2010-12-30T09:04:00.000-08:00

An iconic view from Hawaii. These shots were at a private estate in South Maui just hours before our flight back. This is in Ahihi Bay (it's a two exposure blend) and here's the accompanying story behind it.

If you know who Dr. Wayne Dyer is this might mean a little more to you. Wayne Dyer is one of my spiritual mentors and he happens to live in Maui very near where me and my wife stayed this past week. They day before we had to head back home we ran into him on the beach in front of our hotel and he invited us to a fund raiser and viewing of his new movie "The Shift" ( if you haven't seen it do yourself a favor and check it out! http://www.dyermovie.com/) the next night.

We managed to squeeze it in just before our flight home. So not being satisfied with the sunsets I've shot thus far I was frantically looking for a last good sunset spot to shoot on the way to the event. We got to the private estate at the end of the road and didn't see anything worth wasting the time on so I decided to cut my losses and just go inside. By no stroke of luck the best was saved for last. On the coastal edge of the estate was this scene. So I got to spend some time with Wayne Dyer and Ram Dass (who was attending also) and I got the shot I was looking for!

The island of Kaho‘olawe is in the background, which is a member of the four islands that make up Maui County. Some facts about Kaho‘olawe: it is 11 miles long by 6 miles wide, with a total area of 44.6 square miles. The highest point is the crater of Lua Makika at the summit of Puʻu Moaulanui, which is 1,477 feet above sea level. One of the drier islands, the annual rainfall is about 26 inches.

Beginning in World War II, the island was used as a training ground and bombing range by the United States military. The Navy ended live-fire training on Kahoʻolawe in 1990, and the island was transferred to the State of Hawaii in 1994. No one is allowed to go within two miles of the island today. One of the fears is that live ammunition may have been left behind.

Ireland or Maui?

2010-12-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Irish Maui

This West Maui landscape is reminiscent of Ireland or Scotland. Super green pastures, hilltops with strange rock outcroppings and pounding surf 250 feet below. It's such a cool drive around this side of the island. A lot less waterfalls than the road to Hana but I really liked this drive. This is in the same area as the Nakalele Blowhole. It's actually just down where those waves are crashing.

Merry Christmas (Mele Kalikimaka!)

2010-12-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

So I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I am grateful to all of you who follow my work so thank you for viewing!

I haven't photographed any snow lately so I'll leave you with an image from my latest trip to Hawaii.

Maui Rainbows

Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii.

This part of the coast, along "the road to Hana", is home to the Seven Sacred Pools. The mouth to the Palikea Stream is just to the left of the white water.

After an all day drive on Maui's East coast we finally wound up here with some decent light. The only problem with this part of Maui is it's very wet. The rain would roll through for 5-10 minutes at a time where I had to take my shirt off and cover the camera with it. The good thing is that just before the rain hit I would get these vivid rainbows!

Black Sand Beach

2010-12-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

Wai'anapanapa Black Sand Beach

This volcanic black sand beach is in East Maui, Hawaii just off the road to Hana. It's unique because it's the only black sand beach on Maui that's actually created by lava flow. If you're making the drive I say this is a must see. It was very crowded when we passed through but I was lucky enough to snap a shot of the beach with only two people on it (that I had to clone out). But by the time I made my way down to the beach itself there must have been 30 or more people there. There are caves around this area too which make for good exploring (actually there is one directly beneath me in this shot).

Koki Beach, Maui, Hawaii

2010-12-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

This stretch of coast is in East Maui just off the road to Hana. Koki Beach was one of my favorites on the trip because of the coastline and the offshore island - and of course the clouds! This is a very wet portion of the island. It took me a while to get this shot because of the waves of rain that passed through while standing on the beach. My wife has a picture of me shirtless with my shirt covering the camera and tripod.

Body boarding Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii

2010-12-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a few from a series of body boarders at Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii. I hurt just watching them...

Maui Shipwreck

2010-12-20T11:54:00.000-08:00

I found this shipwreck off the coast of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii. I don't know the actual story but I've heard it was and old sailboat the broke loose of it's mooring and washed up on a reef and has been sitting there ever since. Either way it looks pretty cool...

Ka'anapali Sunrise

2010-12-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a sunrise shot from our beach (literally 50 feet from our room) in Ka'anapali, Maui, Hawaii.

Joe & April's Engagement Slideshow

2010-12-14T17:00:00.001-08:00

Haleakala Crater

2010-12-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii.

The Hawaiian islands are a geological "hotspot". No seriously, that's what they call it. The volcanos here aren't caused by tectonics like such volcanoes as Shasta and Saint Helens. The islands formed by the hotspot spewing lava up. Separate islands formed when the tectonic plate moved and eruptions would occur in different places. Thus each of the peaks are formed. Basically it's one volcano but it's opening in the earth's crust is moving.

Haleakala, on Maui, is a dormant volcano. It stands at 10,023 feet above sea level. It is also taller than Mt. Everest if you count the portion beneath the ocean's surface. This is looking down into the crater, which is about a 3000 foot drop. It was very cool to look down into the crater and pick out the most recent lava flows. Not pictured is the Big Island just off to the right.

The popular thing to do is get up to the summit for sunrise to watch the sun rise just above the ceiling of the clouds. This is about an hour after sunrise (I chickened out - due to a combination of 20-30 degree wind chilled weather when I packed for the tropics and the two hour drive it would have taken). In the 10,000 feet we climbed there was a 40 degree temperature drop.

Santa's visit to Sangha Center

2010-12-14T09:59:00.000-08:00

The Sangha Center for Spiritual Living asked me to shoot this event Saturday. It was to bring Christmas to "low income single fathers" and their kids in the area. Sangha does "Project Angel" every year and this year they chose to do families with single fathers. The members of the Sangha Community had the opportunity over the past few weeks to look over each child's Christmas list and go out and buy gifts for the children (no matter how big).

Sangha found the families through American Family Housing,which feeds and houses the homeless (please check out their site) while they save money and get education.

It was such a great experience. Here's some of the highlights from that day...

Each of the children got a stocking from Santa while the fathers got to take home all their gifts to open on Christmas.

Diva Gray sang Christmas songs

The Rev. Dr. David Phears opens with a blessing

A single grandfather and one of the children

And lots of food...

The elfs for the day...

And Namaste to you!

They played a little game passing around an envelope at teach table. The winner got...

...lottery tickets

Then there was a Santa sighting. And he got a little help with the ho ho hoing.

Trying on the gifts...

"No Santa, don't go..."

Rainbow to Hana

2010-12-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Rainbow to Hana

Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii.

This part of the coast, along "the road to Hana", is home to the Seven Sacred Pools (which you may have heard of). The mouth to the Palikea Stream is just to the left of the white water.

After an all day drive on Maui's East coast my wife and I finally wound up here with some decent light. The only problem with this part of Maui is it's very wet. The rain would roll through for 5-10 minutes at a time where I had to take my shirt off and cover the camera with it. The good thing is that just before the rain hit I would get these vivid rainbows!

I figured this particular rainbow is pretty much pointing at Hana (a few miles back) - thus the title is born...

Ke'anae Peninsula

2010-12-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

This is the Ke'anae Peninsula. It can be found by a little spur road off of the famous "road to Hana". The wife and I ventured out on this road not knowing what we would find and came across the amazing coastal scene where the rough surf was pounding away at the shore made by lava. It was truly a testament to the sea's power. In this shot I tried to capture the power of the surf.

2010-12-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest from my Maui, Hawaii trip.

This is the first shot in a series that I'll hopefully upload and there's a great story behind it. If you know who Dr. Wayner Dyer is this might mean a little more to you. Wayne Dyer is one of my spiritual mentors and he happens to live in Maui very near where me and my wife stayed this past week. They day before we had to head back home we ran into him on the beach in front of our hotel and he invited us to a fund raiser and viewing of his new movie "The Shift" ( if you haven't seen it do yourself a favor and check it out! http://www.dyermovie.com/) the next night.

We managed to squeeze it in just before our flight home. So not being satisfied with the sunsets I've shot thus far I was frantically looking for a last good sunset spot to shoot on the way to the event. We got to the private estate at the end of the road and didn't see anything worth wasting the time on so I decided to cut my losses and just go inside. By no stroke of luck the best was saved for last. On the coastal edge of the estate was this scene. So I got to spend some time with Wayne Dyer and Ram Dass (who was attending also) and I got the shot I was looking for!

The island of Kaho‘olawe is in the background, which is a member of the four islands that make up Maui County. Some facts about Kaho‘olawe: it is 11 miles long by 6 miles wide, with a total area of 44.6 square miles. The highest point is the crater of Lua Makika at the summit of Puʻu Moaulanui, which is 1,477 feet above sea level. One of the drier islands, the annual rainfall is about 26 inches.

Beginning in World War II, the island was used as a training ground and bombing range by the United States military. The Navy ended live-fire training on Kahoʻolawe in 1990, and the island was transferred to the State of Hawaii in 1994. No one is allowed to go within two miles of the island today. One of the fears is that live ammunition may have been left behind.

Wayne Dyer's movie "The Shift" can now be watched online!

2010-12-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Wayne Dyer's movie "The Shift" do yourself a favor and check it out! This movie has the power to change your life. You can now watch it online.

Here's the trailer...

Back from Maui, Hawaii

2010-12-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

I'm back from an awesome trip to Maui with my wife and thought I'd share some images.

We ended up going on two whale/dolphin trips while out there. It was interesting because the first boat ride we only saw one whale from a distance the whole three hours so they gave us a free boat ride the next day and that day ended up being quite the ride. We saw a few different Humpback Whales and dolphins.

Here's a Humpback Whale fluke from our second whale watching trip.

More to come!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

Went down to Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve yesterday. Here's a taste of it - more to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!

FMK Photo slideshow promo

2010-11-17T16:06:00.000-08:00