Enjoy the interview and if you think Perry and Jayanne are cool let them know. Keep shooting, constantly experiment and love life!

Tell us a little bit about you? We met at school while taking photography and graphic design classes. We were looking through our viewfinders, saw each other, and fell in love. Just kidding! We did meet in college though. After college we got married and have been shooting weddings ever since!

Where is home? Los Angeles

If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home? Maui. Every time we go, whether it be to shoot a wedding or for leisure, we’re always telling ourselves we should just move there and shoot weddings exclusively in Hawaii. Maybe someday!

What is your current state of mind before we continue with the interview? Excited Crash Taylor is interviewing us!

Did you go to school to study photography? We both have degrees in Graphic Design and took many film and digital photography classes while in school.

How long have you been a photographer? For about 6 years.

How long have you been a wedding photographer? We’ve been shooting weddings together for 3 years.

What or who got you started in wedding photography? We both work full time jobs as Graphic Designers and we’ve always loved photography. When you work for a particular company you don’t always have the creative freedom you desire, as you are stuck within the boundaries of that company’s particular “look.” We needed a creative outlet that we could control ourselves, so we took up wedding photography and haven’t looked back.

How would you describe your style? There are so many cliché terms out there that we don’t really associate ourselves with. We just like taking beautiful images. We try to be different, artistic, and spontaneous.

How many weddings do you average per year? 20-25

What type of cameras do you shoot with? Canon 5D Mark II’s. We love Canon. As far as lenses we currently use a 15mm 2.8, 24mm 1.4, 24-70mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.2, 70-200mm 2.8, and 100L Macro 2.8.

What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera? Our video light.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? 85mm f/1.2L II for its awesome bokeh and sharpness, although we don’t pull it out too often at weddings, it really shines when we do.

What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? 580EX II’s & a video light. We keep it light and simple in order to capture moments and not worry about juggling heavy equipment around.

Can you describe how and when you use flash, video light, reflectors and natural light during a wedding? We use available light as much as possible. When we’re shooting the wedding couple in a dark environment we pull out our video light; it’s fully adjustable on the amount of light it outputs. This gives us a lot of control over the amount of light as well as the direction of light, something that a flash cannot give us. During the reception we mix it up. We may pull out the video light for the first dance, or use an off camera flash mixed with an on camera flash (bounced off the ceiling or wall) or a combination of both. It depends on the venue and the lighting in the venue.

What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer? Adobe Lightroom.

What is your most used Photoshop tool, plug-in, action set etc.? We do all our editing in Lightroom. We can do so much with this software and it just keeps improving. We’ve created our own custom presets in order to keep a consistent look across all our photos. We like to experiment a lot so there are times where we do bring images into Photoshop to try different coloring techniques that we cannot achieve in Lightroom.

How important is Photoshop in your final images? Photoshop plays an insignificant role in the majority of our final images. We couldn’t say that 2 years ago though!

Are you a Mac or PC lover? Mac all the way!

I finally feel I have mastered my Crash-Art workflow, can you briefly describe for the readers your photographic workflow after a wedding?

After the wedding we download the flash cards directly off the camera into Lightroom. The data automatically backed up onto our server. We then choose some of our favourite photos to be posted on our facebook page / blog, and edit those. After that we go through every image in the wedding and 5-star our final selections. Once that is done, we color correct and retouch the images in Lightroom. After that we output the images from Lightroom. We then look through the images one more time in Adobe Bridge, and make sure everything looks good. The photos are then uploaded to our online gallery.

What wedding albums do you supply your clients with and do you design them yourself or outsource the design? We offer a variety of different albums from different vendors. Since we were trained as graphic designers, we design everything ourselves.

Do you plan on buying any new equipment and if so what do you have your eyes on? We are pretty much set with all the equipment we currently have, however we are definitely going to buy the 5D Mark III and the 24-70 Mark II when/if they are released. The 24-70mm lens is such a versatile lens, and plays an important role in our wedding day photography. We can’t wait until they update it to make it even better!

How do you feel about cropping an image? We crop the majority of our images in camera. There are rare moments during weddings however where you don’t have time to crop perfectly in camera, so we do occasionally crop some photos in Lightroom.

I choose photographers for these interviews because their work inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing, hence the interview. What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing imagery? Fashion photography is very inspiring. There are so many great fashion photographers doing amazing work. One of our favourite fashion photographers is Guy Aroch, we love his style, use of light, and mystery he creates with his photos.

What has been your most memorable assignment and why? Shooting the wedding of KTLA News weatherman Mark Kriski, and news anchor Jennifer Gould was fun; and our images were on the morning news, so that was a plus.

If you could shoot a wedding with someone who would it be and why? Jeff Newsom because of his creativity and passion for photography.

It’s almost that time for a Taylor family portrait. Is there any photographer out there that you would be stoked to say – he took my portrait? Jose Villa. We love that he shoots film, and the colors in his photos are so beautiful.

Do you have an assistant/2^nd shooter that accompanies you on wedding assignments? Not currently. We shoot together and think that having two shooters is the perfect amount. We pack light so we don’t need an assistant.

How many images do you average per wedding and how many do you usually present to your clients? We average around 1,500 and we present 500-600.

Where would be your dream destination wedding? Greece (minus the chaos that’s going on there right now)

A website and/or blog you visit often? http://fashiongonerogue.com/

How do you make the bride and groom, bridal party etc… feel relaxed in front of your 5D Mark II? We joke around with our clients; this instantly makes them feel comfortable around us. It makes such a difference in the photos if everyone is relaxed. The bride and groom are usually the most comfortable if they have done an engagement shoot with us beforehand. The couples who have done this, are much more comfortable in front of the camera.

Have you ever had anything go wrong at a wedding and if so, how did you handle it? We had a little incident with a videographer once. I (Perry) accidently got in the view of his video camera and he came up behind me and kicked me in the groin! I wanted to be professional so I did not retaliate, but was shocked to say the least.

What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing weddings? The most challenging thing is to keep your brain thinking differently throughout the day. Thinking of different angles, or different compositions. If you’re brain gets lazy then your photos won’t be as creative.

What do you think of the wedding photography industry at the moment and where do you see it in 5 years from now? As DSLR’s get cheaper and cheaper, more and more people are buying them. Some of those people will try to get into the wedding industry. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as picking up a Rebel with a Kit Lens, shooting, and then burning a disc. We feel like the people that are searching for photographers can tell the difference; they know quality photos when they see them. We don’t feel our business will be challenged just because everyone has easy access to bigger and better photo equipment. If we keep being creative, taking unique photos, and keep developing our own unique style, then we’ll be alright.

The first photographer that comes to your mind and why? Sebastian Kim. He’s a fashion photographer and does very inspiring work.

A wedding photographer who inspires you? Jose Villa. He’s our favourite wedding photographer, and does incredible work.

One way you market Witon Photography? All our weddings come by word of mouth. Facebook is also a good networking tool; we don’t do any paid advertising.

How important is an awesome website for your business? Our website showcases our work and it’s the first thing potential clients see so it’s extremely important to have an awesome website.

Do you advertise in bridal magazines? No

If not a photographer, I would have liked to be a marine biologist studying the great white shark. What would you have been? I, (Jayanne) would have loved to be an actress. I, (Perry) would have been a Major League Baseball player.

Lately I have wanted to photograph model Natasha Poly and Abbey Lee Kershaw in Iceland for Vogue Russia and great white sharks in South Africa for National Geographic. Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph? A fashion shoot with model Anja Rubik in Rome would be amazing.

When I was 2^nd shooting I was picking everybody’s brain, I still am actually. That’s why I love these interviews so much. Every interview I learn something that makes me a better photographer. What advice do you have for somebody who wants to pursue wedding photography? Create something unique. Create a brand. Know your tools and how to use them. Know what makes a great picture great. Learn all you can and practice as much as you can. Don’t go out and shoot a wedding without any experience; it’s the most important day in people’s lives and you don’t want to mess it up with lack of experience. Second shoot, and pick photographers’ brains. Learn composition. Be observant, and study good photographers. Learning Lightroom and Photoshop and how to manipulate color is what’s going to take your photos to another level.

At the moment I’m finding a lot of my photographic inspiration from cinema and Russian fashion photographers. We know that each of us has someone or something, which inspires our life and work. Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration? We look at a lot of fashion magazines like Vogue, W, and Elle for inspiration.

Is there anything you would have done differently during your photographic career? Not really; we’re loving life at the moment.

If you could be invisible for one day with your camera… We would travel to Africa and take pictures of all the amazing wildlife, without the fear of being eaten, because we are “invisible” right?

I’ve learned the most from… The Internet! There are so many tools and so much inspiration, and it’s pretty much an endless supply.

What talent would you most like to have? The ability to fly. Imagine being able to fly over all of the L.A. traffic!

Something you’re still learning? To breathe. Both of us have full time design jobs on top of wedding photography. It’s hard to take time out to relax. When we get home from our full time jobs we are working on photos. We never really have much of a weekend, but we fully enjoy what we do so we have nothing to complain about!

What or who is the greatest love of your life? (simultaneously points at each other) Perry! Jayanne!

What is your greatest fear? Our alarm clock. We love sleep but never really get much!

Something that is overrated? Perfection.

Something you’re saving up for? Our dream house in Newport Beach.

What item do you wish you had designed? The most amazing phone in the world… the iPhone

If you could have lunch with anyone who is famous who would it be? Mark Zuckerberg

Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.? Either editing photos, relaxing at home, or painting the town.

Your favourite film (movie) of all time? That’s a tough one. We rarely have time to go to the movies. I think that last movie that we both enjoyed that we saw together was “The Social Network.”

First thing you would do if you won the lottery? First we’d scream! After that we would buy our dream house by the beach, pay our debts, then put a list together of all the people we would help with the money.

Which five words would your friends use to describe you?
Fun, funny, busy, creative, amazing
Creative, outgoing, kind, funny, busy.

What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now? More destination weddings so we can explore the world.

And the last question, if you had one wish… We would wish that everything in the world would be perfect. There would be peace, no homelessness, no starving children, and no disease.

Oh one more, if someone said ‘how can I be the next Witon Photography’ What would you say? Haha. Never try and be someone else. Be yourself, be unique, and you will be great.

Your readers can find out more about me:

Website: http://witonphotography.com

Blog: http://witonphotography.com/blog

Facebook: http://facebook.com/witonphotography

Twitter: http://twitter.com/witonphoto

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a nature-loving, free-spirited kind of girl.  Love to travel, love sushi, sunshine, music, elephants and bunnies.

Where is home?

I’m based in New Haven, CT.

If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home?

I haven’t figured that out yet, or I’d already be there. I think I’d need a few different places to live!

What is your current state of mind before we continue with the interview?

I’m wicked chill right now.

Did you go to school to study photography?

Yes, no, and I’m still studying.  School definitely didn’t teach me what I know now.  But, when I was there, I studied environmental science, chemistry, physics, fine art and photography in New York, Australia and Italy.

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been a photographer for 15 years.  Shooting weddings for the last 5.

How would you describe your style?

This is always tough for me to answer… Organic, real, emotional, and vibrant. I shoot from the hip and from the heart, I’m very emotionally driven and try to never take the same shot twice.

How many weddings do you average per year?

I keep it simple with 15-18 per year.

Can you share with us some recent images?

What type of cameras do you shoot with?

Canon 5DmkII’s – I’m all digital now, but I’m eager to break out my old home-made pinholes.

What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera?

My Spyder Holster – it’s the most comfortable way to carry my camera when I’m working.  Think Tank’s Pixel Pocket – the best card case to keep CF cards organized and hanging from a belt loop.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

Definitely the 35mm f/1.4 I couldn’t live without this lens, well, I suppose I could, but life just wouldn’t be the same.   It just fits the way I see.   Do I really have to choose 1?  I love the 50mm f/1.2 as well.

What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot?

I like to keep it simple, so I always bring the sunshine!  Well… and a reflector, a few Sima LED lights, a video light, a few wireless flashes, it’s kind of depending on the shoot…  I usually bring the whole bag and never use it. Sometimes you need a little light when you don’t have your gear so it’s worth it to be creative, I’ve used light sources and reflectors found in my location at the time… like a shelf from the fridge covered in aluminum foil, mirrors, silver serving trays, flashlights, and car headlights!

Can you describe how and when you use flash, video light, reflectors and natural light during a wedding?

I’m a sucker for natural light and available light, I try to use it more then anything, but I use reflectors sometimes during portraits, and video light whenever I want a dramatic spotlight or for backlighting.  I use Sima LED lights more frequently as a quick light source and they’re great for details.  Wireless flashes at night during the reception for backlighting with an on-camera bounce, or I switch it up and use one off camera side-light.  It’s just whatever feels right at the time.

What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer?

The Motibodo keyboard makes my workflow actually flow quickly and smoothly and I absolutely love retouching images with my Wacom tablet!

How important is Photoshop in your final images?

Most everything is straight out of Lightroom.  I’ll use PS for a few minor touchups, some burning, dodging and sharpening.  My commercial and editorial work is fully retouched in Photoshop.

What is your most used Photoshop tool, plug-in, action set etc.?

Doug Boutwell’s Totally Rad Actions are absolutely amazing – Magic Glasses, Yin/Yang and ProRetouch are genius.

Are you a MAC or PC lover?

I’m a MAC all the way, baby!!  I gave up PC’s a long time ago.

Do you plan on buying any new equipment and if so what do you have your eyes on?

I’ve got my eyes set on a 135mm f/2.0 and a beauty dish with Kacey flash brackets, the Lastolite light modifiers look pretty awesome too.

I finally feel I have mastered my Crash-Art workflow, can you briefly describe for the readers your photographic workflow after a wedding?

Download – backup – edit in Photo Mechanic – process in LR – export images for Digilabs proofing galleries – backup exports

I use Queensberry albums, what wedding albums do you supply your clients with and do you design them yourself or outsource the design?

I love the fine art/gallery feel of CoutureBooks – they’re my favorite! We definitely design in house to ensure custom designs suited for each individual wedding.

How do you feel about cropping an image?

I try to do as much in camera as possible, but the image ultimately gets what the image needs.

I choose photographers for these interviews because their work inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing, hence the interview. What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing imagery?

I’m inspired by the environment and the positive, fun, beautiful energy that my couples give me when they let loose!

What has been your most memorable assignment and why?

There’s a few for that one, and they all mean the most to me.  Andrew and Jeremy’s Winvian wedding was beyond emotional and ended up as our first publication and the first gay wedding in Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine, which was quite a milestone.  My fashion shoot for Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, not only landed me the cover of the New England edition and an eleven page fashion spread, but opened the doors to much more fashion and editorial work.  And a recent shoot of Steven Tyler and his entire family was definitely a ton of fun!  I would love to work with more musicians and celebrities!

If you could shoot a wedding with another photographer who would it be and why?

I would shoot with Fer Juaristi.  I adore his personality and his work is brilliant!

Do you have an assistant/2^nd shooter that accompanies you on wedding assignments?

Hell yes!  My lover and partner-in-crime, Chris!  He has always been by my side as my second shooter and is so very talented.   My best friend, Heather helped assist for the first few years, now we have Jeremy, Tony and Sam who also make up our associate shooting team.

How many images do you average per wedding and how many do you usually present to your clients?

I usually shoot 2-3,000 images, depending on the wedding and I present 6-800 images to my clients.

Where would be your dream destination wedding?

I’d love to shoot in Greece, Iceland, New Zealand, anywhere I can be in awe of my surroundings.

How do you make the bride and groom, bridal party etc… feel relaxed in front of your Canon 5D Mark II?

I am always myself with everyone and I encourage everyone to be themselves too.  Most of my clients have an engagement shoot to build their trust with me, lose their inhibitions and learn how to be in front of the camera.  They usually love to share those images with their friends and family who, in turn, also build a level of trust of with us before the wedding.  I’ve found that laughter is definitely the key that unlocks their hearts.

Have you ever had anything go wrong at a wedding and if so, how did you handle it?

We were photographing our two brides alone after their ceremony while one bride’s brother stayed with a car to take them to the venue for their reception.   As we were getting into our truck to follow them to the venue, the brother was helping the girls into the car.  At the same time I saw him close the car door, he let out a fierce scream and quickly clasped his hands.  We had a feeling that he had caught his finger in the car, but we didn’t realize how bad it was until he opened up his hands and they were completely filled with blood.   He had severed the fingertip of his little finger.  We immediately reacted the only way we knew how… I called 911, went to look for his finger and sit him down and assess the situation while Chris grabbed the emergency kit we keep in our truck.   I found the fingertip, picked it up with gauze, cleaned it and put it on an emergency ice pack, while Chris cleaned the brother’s hand, and wrapped it with gauze to stop the bleeding.  Once everything was under control, the brides were calm, and the bleeding stopped, the ambulance crew showed up.  The look on their faces was priceless when they saw us… two brides, a brother in a tux, and a photography team with a giant off-road camper… fingertip on ice, bleeding stopped, hand cleaned and bandaged, just sitting there waiting for a ride to the hospital.  Chris then drove the car with the girls to the reception and I followed in the truck.  We arrived just in time for the introductions and the reception went on without a hitch, minus a brother, but they were able to save his finger due to our quick reaction…!!!

What is your favourite recent image you have shot recently? Can you describe it’s creation in regards to location, lighting, composition, camera settings etc, also your thoughts when creating the image and what it means to you?

I snapped this shot of the twins in front of the ice cream truck and it means he world to me.  I didn’t think I wanted to photograph kids, but these girls changed that for me.  Emmie + Allie have become such loves of my life since I started photographing them when they were two and a half years old!  They come visit me every summer for my birthday and I always set up a kiddie pool for them to play in while their mother, Renee, and I catch up.  We decided this afternoon to get the girls a treat from the neighborhood ice cream truck.  The girls looked so cute with their matching swimsuits, so I backed up to snag a quick shot of the two of them.  Just as I snapped the shutter, Allie’s smile turned into a huge frown and then she started wailing.  We had no clue why she was crying, we tried to get her to use her “big-girl” words, we offered different kinds of ice cream, we even asked her sister, Emmie, to help us figure it out since, as twins, they have their own method of communication.  Nothing worked.  It was hours later that she finally shared what made her cry… the ice cream man in the truck was much closer then we were when Renee and I backed up to take this photo, and it scared her!  I felt bad, but it was SO worth the shot!

What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing weddings?

Sometimes it takes awhile for people to open up emotionally. It’s difficult if they don’t share their emotions with me knowing I can give them something so special and beautiful if they just let me in.

What do you think of the wedding photography industry at the moment and where do you see it in 5 years from now?

It’s super saturated now and will be more down the road. I think the ones with a distinct style will always stand out and be desired.

A wedding photographer who inspires you?

Can’t pick just one… Jonas Peterson, Jeff Newsom, Angelica Glass and so many others.

It’s almost that time of year for a Greenberg family portrait. Is there any photographer out there that you would be stoked to say – he/she took my portrait?.

A beautiful fashion portrait would be fun with Mario Testino or Ellen von Unwerth.

A website and/or blog you visit often?

Fearless Photographers.  The images from the monthly competitions rock!

The first photographer that comes to your mind and why?

Ben Chrisman.  His compositions and the moments he captures are always breathtaking and surreal.

The last workshop or seminar you attended and why?

I’ve never been to a workshop.  The only seminars have been Mystic Seminars. It’s the best of the best internationally in an intimate location (which also happens to be only an hour from my home in CT!)  Walter Van Dusen has created an absolutely incredible outlet for learning and inspiration with Mystic Seminars.  I’m beyond honored and thrilled to be speaking there in January with such a killer line-up including Joe Buissink, Ben and Erin Chrisman, Jerry Ghionis, and Wed Rockers amongst so many other amazing photographers.

What photographic organizations do you belong to?

DWF, PPA, NAPP and Fearless Photographers

One way you market JAGstudios?

word of mouth referrals from amazing clients, friends, vendors and venues

Do you advertise? If so, where?

No real paid advertising for us.  Magazine publications, websites and blogs like Fearless Photographers, Style Me Pretty, PDN, Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Destination Weddings, VT Vows and The Knot have all helped draw attention to my work.

How important is an awesome website for your business?

Super important!  It’s like having a storefront that can be visited by everyone in the world!

If not a photographer, I would have liked to be a marine biologist studying the great white shark. What would you have been?

Actually, I’d be right there with you!  I really thought I’d be working as an environmental scientist.

I realize that each great photographer has a particular penchant or love for photographing a particular subject whether it be nature, portraits, sea or landscapes, shadow and light, etc. as a result I would love to have you talk about and share whatever images you feel appropriate of your own private obsession in the magical world of photography.

I love photographing super sexy photos of beautiful women!  Risqué shoots have been my absolute favorite, but I’ve been shooting more fashion portraits and absolutely loving the one-on-one interaction with my models and clients.

Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph?

Such a tough question.  I love everyone and everything I’ve been photographing, I would just love for everything to get more intense.

When I was 2^nd shooting I was picking everybody’s brain, I still am actually. That’s why I love these interviews so much. Every interview I learn something that makes me a better photographer. What advice do you have for somebody who wants to pursue wedding photography?

If you are really passionate about something that’s all you should ever do. Shoot with your heart.  Create a style all your own and let your clients be themselves.

We know that each of us has someone or something, which inspires our life and work. Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration?

It’s the sources that aren’t tangible… energy, emotions and love are the biggest inspirations of all… and, of course, my mom.

Is there anything you would have done differently during your photographic career?

Not a thing! I’ve gotten to where I am because of lessons learned and all the bumps in the road and from the support and encouragement of my amazing friends and family.

Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of? Is it bad that I can’t think of one?

No, I can’t think of one either!

Do you have any workshops on the horizon? I will have workshops starting in 2012.

I’ve learned the most from…

Myself, my experiences, my parents, my grandparents, my travels and a few close friends.

What talent would you most like to have?

I’d love to be able to sing and create music like my brother, Michael Greenberg.

Something you’re still learning?

Everyday is a learning experience.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Chris Brown has been my lover and best friend for the past 7 years!  (Not the music artist, f.y.i…!!!)

What is your greatest fear?

Not having the ability to live my life to the fullest extent.

Something that is overrated?

The color pink

Something you’re saving up for?

The rest of my life

What item do you wish you had designed?

Post-It notes

If you could have lunch with anyone who is famous or dead who would it be?

Henry Cartier-Bresson.  What an honor and privilege to have lunch with a true master of photography.

Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.?

Depends… I could be camping, out with friends, with my family, home in front of the fire, on the back deck, on the beach, or prepping for a wedding.

Your favourite film (movie) of all time?

City of God

Who would play you in a film (movie) of your life?

Don’t know the answer to that one.  Maybe I could be the character that plays herself in the movie!

First thing you would do if you won the lottery?

Travel.  And take my entire family with me.

Which five words would your friends use to describe you?

Inspiring, honest, intelligent, creative and outgoing

What ambition have you not yet achieved?

Trying to take over the world

What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now?

I’d love to be traveling, eating sushi and photographing!  Oh wait… that’s the same thing I’m doing right now!

And the last question, if you had one wish…

How can I just pick one thing?  Oh!  I’d wish for more wishes!

Oh one more, if someone said ‘how can I be the next Jacklyn Greenberg ?’ What would you say?

Be independent, passionate, positive, hard working, inspiring, loving life and with limitless energy.  But, really, you should just be yourself.

Your readers can find out more about me:

Website: http://www.jagstudios.net

Blog: http://www.jagstudios.net/blog

Since this interview Mike has had a daughter named Hannah, which I know he is LOVING every minute of and he’s probably going crazy about teaching her to surf! A huge congratulations brohem!

Tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m a California native boy who grew up with a love for the outdoors.  Being in a family that loved to travel and explore this world, I was fortunate to get taste buds for travelling on my own and exploring and doing crazy stuff.  I’m an Eagle Scout, so that took me everywhere.  Ansel Adams got me into photography at an early age. By 17 I did my 1^st wedding.  By 20 I was in College for photography, by 21 I was travelling and shooting the ASP world surf tour across the south pacific.  By 23 I was the photo editor for Surf Life Magazine.  And shot fashion & Clothing lifestyle.  By 24 back doing weddings and by 25, I was married and doing about 50 weddings that year with my wife.  In 2007 I opened a studio, which now has 5 associate photographers.  I also spoke that year for the 1^st time in Germany teaching photographers about business, life and being a photographer.

Where is home? San Luis Obispo CA. in the central coast wine country region of California.  North of Santa Barbara and South of Carmel/Big Sur.

If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home? Where I live is epic, but I also LOVE the north shore of Oahu and northern beaches of Sydney.  The surf there is great and its warmer too.

What is your current state of mind before we continue with the interview? I’m expecting a kid soon, little Hannah around Christmas and I’m currently in the UK on a mini workshop tour with Calumet.  But everything is buttoned up and ready.  My production team does all my post work and I’m ready to be a dad with balanced life and work!  I’ve also been more inspired than ever with what I’m doing in my photography.

Did you go to school to study photography? No, then yes.  I started out cause I loved it in 1996, in 2000 I went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and had concentrated in Business, Marketing, Photography, Music. I was crazy & took too many units, but had a great time being a creative outdoor guy.

How long have you been a photographer? Since 1997 officially when I made my 1^st 50 cents. 98 was my 1^st wedding. This year marks about 250 weddings in total.

How would you describe your style? A mild blend of Lifestyle + Editorial + Fashion mixed up to taste good.  I’m an adventurous and edge pushing person, I take risks and do crazy things like toss my camera in the air, and my clients like that kind of stuff.

How many weddings do you average per year? 33 to be exact. About 2-3 per year are good family friends that I shoot for free because I love giving out.  Usually our whole team(5 people) come out and we have a blast.

Can you share some images with us from a single wedding?

What type of cameras do you shoot with? Canon 1D Mark 4, and occasionally a 5d mk2. The speedy focus on the mark 4 is so epic it makes the mk2 look like a donkey in a horse race. Both are great cameras though. Image wise, you may not be able to tell the diff.

What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera? Surfboard? J/K I LOVE my tilt shift actually. You can shoot it normal, and you can use it to highlight specific focus points, when used like a fine spice, at the right times, its epic.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? 50mm 1.2 because it’s the best portrait lens, and on a mk 4, its almost 75mm, but its still back far enough that you can zoom with your feet and get more in the shot.

What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? Right now, my YongNuo rf-602 wireless transmitters and recievers, and 580EXII flashes, or LumiPRO 160 flash units set to Manual at 1/128th power or 1/64th. I use Manfrotto stands and have 5 of them for ultimate placement of epic proportions. I also use gorilla pods and booms for harder to get places to put lights on ANY location!

Can you describe how and when you use flash, video light, reflectors and natural light during a wedding? I use flashes once the sun has gone down, and not a minute before(usually) I shoot with a Sunbounce zebra mini, and pro units, until I break out my flashes and wireless system.  At mid day sun I use a sun-swatter from sunbounce as well.  Those things are sturdy and worth every bit.   I use a 4-5 flash setup at wedding receptions and move it bit by  bit as the location I’m shooting changes.

What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer? Ipad, its simple and keeps me from doing what my post production team is hired to do!

How important is Photoshop in your final images? Photo-what?  Just kidding, we do everything in lighroom, occasionally for canvases and cloning, and blemish stuff we will break it out and use it, but only 5% of the time

What is your most used Photoshop tool, plug-in, action set etc.? Um, we don’t use plug ins at all.  No actions, just simple editing presets we did ourselves.  Its pretty easy to set these up based on the way you shoot and your most common exposure errors.

Are you a MAC or PC lover? Mac baby!

Do you plan on buying any new equipment and if so what do you have your eyes on? Hmm, if Canon ever comes out with a square frame camera I’m on it! I miss my Hasselblad days – square medium format, and I think I’m gonna by my blad back(for dimes on the dollar)

I finally feel I have mastered my Crash-Art workflow, can you briefly describe for the readers your photographic workflow after a wedding? Yes, we make it simple and as fast as you can.  Offload to lightroom for standard resolution previews, then once they are all loaded (45 min) I come back to the computer and do a speed edit, marking final images 2 star (2 hours).  I make one more pass to ensure I selected all the images (15 min) then I select my blog/slideshow/photog favs and marking them 3 stars(15 min)  Then I have about 600-900 images from the original 4-7,000 image selection. All in all I want this done in 2-3 hours.  Then this goes off to the color corrector.  I have a detail sheet with brief special detail instructions and vendors to send to.  Sometimes I hand off editing as well if I’m shooting to much to edit.

I use Queensberry albums, what wedding albums do you supply your clients with and do you design them yourself or outsource the design? Kiss wedding books, they are simple, FAST and the quality is just as good as any other company I’ve used.  My high end clients love them as well.  When your team does 90-100 weddings a year, you need something that is simple and saves you time!  Scalability means your minutes add up as you grow!  We spend the $$ & time we would have spent on more complicated albums & ordering process on our vendors that provide us with our referrals!

How do you feel about cropping an image? Yea, I’m down if it fits it!

I choose photographers for these interviews because their work inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing, hence the interview. What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing imagery? Getting out there, Fashion & movies inspire me.  Mr Jose Villa is my #1 visual inspiration right now inside the industry.

What has been your most memorable assignment and why? Between shooting a wedding in Tuscany, Italy a couple times at the same spot.  It was SO beautiful out there.  Or it also could have been covering an editorial trip for 2 weeks in Egypt in the spring of 2010. This CEO international group booked private tours of the pyramids, and almost everywhere they went, I got 1^st row access at crazy places that were amazing!

If you could shoot a wedding with another photographer who would it be and why? Jeremy Cowart, the way he does his lighting and shoots amazes me.  Also Ansel Adams, I want more of his patience and vision.

Do you have an assistant/2^nd shooter that accompanies you on wedding assignments? Yes, 3^rd and 4ths.  Its essential to have a backup team to enable you to do crazy stuff and get images that are insane.  I’m all about being prepared.  So much happens at a wedding that could go missing.  Its an adventure and afterwards I’m SUPER wiped, but in a good way.

How many images do you average per wedding and how many do you usually present to your clients? I used to shoot upwards of 8000 in jpeg, now I shoot 3-6k in RAW, I deliver 600-1000 depending on the volume of variety in what I was able to shoot & the amount of details & events going on.

Where would be your dream destination wedding? Maldives.  Its so beautiful there and the waves are epic!

How do you make the bride and groom, bridal party etc… feel relaxed in front of your Canon Mark IV? I’m myself!  I spend a lot of time with my couple so in front of them at the wedding, is usually not the 1^st time they have been around me.  If I can have as many transfers of credibility from other experiences or people, than it makes my day of job easier.

Have you ever had anything go wrong at a wedding and if so, how did you handle it? Dude, the worst stuff has happened, you don’t even know! One time in a tropical location, Singapore, my old 1Ds went out, error 99, I had no car, and no backup, as my wife was shooting across town with her camera.  I had to fake the 1^st couple of shots with making the clicking sound with my mouth.  Yea, then I retook some of the shots in “better light” later.  That was the truth, but I was freaking out and didn’t know what else to do with 7 guys staring at you in a land far far away from home! I twittered and an assistant brought a backup camera!  Thanks to the amazing team of this industry, we made our clients very happy!  I always have more backup now.  Note, cameras act funky in the tropics with 95% humidity.

What are your favourite three images you have shot recently? Can you describe their creation in regards to location, lighting, composition, camera settings etc, also your thoughts when creating the images and what they mean to you? This shoot I did with Candice & Byron.   They were laid back, but had so much trust with me we did whatever.  I met Byron 20 minutes before the shoot.  He had JUST gotten off a plane from Sydney and travelled 14 hours.  We shot for 3 hours and got these epic shots.

What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing weddings? It’s a theatrical performance. You have to be 100% on creatively, as well as being professional and making friends with everyone.  It’s a balance of reverent leadership, directing and being a fly on the wall at different times.

What do you think of the wedding photography industry at the moment and where do you see it in 5 years from now? Its awesome where it is now.  So much community is breeding world wide.  Europe is just coming on the scene.  I can’t wait to see how they go.  Asia is a bit ahead of them.  Its going from old school to new school.  5 years ahead.  Can’t say now, ask me in 2012 at our next interview!

A wedding photographer who inspires you? Jose Villa, big time.

It’s almost that time of year for a Larson family portrait. Is there any photographer out there that you would be stoked to say – he/she took my portrait? Jose Villa.

A website and/or blog you visit often? I’m bad at this.  But Sarah Roads has the coolest blog right now I think.

The first photographer that comes to your mind and why? Cameron Ingalls, he is a good friend of mine.

The last workshop or seminar you attended and why? Chase Jarvis in NYC, about creativity dying, and our role in changing that, and collaboration.  I admire his tenacity to just do things that are freaking cool.

What photographic organizations do you belong to? WPPI, I did belong to PPA.

One way you market Mike Larson Photography, Inc? 100% referral based with clients and venues, and industry people.  We pay it forward and go above and beyond with doing whatever we can to stoke them out.

Do you advertise? If so where? I did advertise in Grace Ormonde for 2 issues.

How important is an awesome website for your business? Its important, but not as important as the relationships you build.  Being awesome is MOST important.

If not a photographer, I would have liked to be a marine biologist studying the great white shark. What would you have been? HMM, I’m a musician, chef/small organic famer, and builder.  Hard to say.  I need to limit myself if you know what I mean!

I realize that each great photographer has a particular penchant or love for photographing a particular subject whether it be nature, portraits, sea or landscapes, shadow and light, etc. as a result I would love to have you talk about and share whatever images you feel appropriate of your own private obsession in the magical world of photography. I love surfing, ocean and nature. This is what really grew my passion for the hunt for the pursuit of the perfect image.  Here are some of my images from this era of my life.  I still love this stuff just the same.

Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph? I LOVE editorial of anything adventurous that people are in.

When I was 2^nd shooting I was picking everybody’s brain, I still am actually. That’s why I love these interviews so much. Every interview I learn something that makes me a better photographer. What advice do you have for somebody who wants to pursue wedding photography? Have a bigger to-be list than a to-do list.  It matters more who you are during AND in the end than what you accomplish.  What does it gain a man to gain the whole world but loose his soul?

We know that each of us has someone or something, which inspires our life and work. Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration? My inspiration comes from my faith.  I believe God created us, and therefore we are to be creative producers in this world.  Opposite of a consumer, we are to be people who give and serve, rather than take and be served.  I love love.  I love blessing my couples with images that they are proud of and friends have a jealous admiration for.  I’m always growing and learning.

Is there anything you would have done differently during your photographic career? Yea, I had a season(06-07) where I spent too much time doing “everything” I would have delegated sooner.  Gone to bed earlier, less 2am nights, more time with my wife and time developing who I was, and less time developing my images & work.  That all changed once we had a post production team!

Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of? Is it bad that I can’t think of one? Maybe I’ll answer this one later and it will come to me!

Do you have any workshops on the horizon? Yes, I am going to be doing a workshop for married photographers.

If you could be invisible for one day with your camera… I’d travel away to Samoa or the Maldives.  It would be epic, I’d have my water housing too!

I’ve learned the most from… Mike Colon, David Jay, the old timers & good friends now. Its those who are wiser than me I seek out for personal counsel.  Dane Sanders is a good friend as well.  We coach each other and hold each other accountable.  I’ve learned a lot from Skip Cohen & Jeff Jochum, they have invested a lot into my life.

What talent would you most like to have? The talent of saying no.  I say yes and try to please people too much.

Something you’re still learning? Learning to learn.  And desiring to learn.  There is so much out there.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My beloved wife, Rachel and probably my daughter soon, Hannah.

What is your greatest fear? Fear of being successful at the wrong thing.  But that’s going away slowly as I gain more vision for my life.  Proverbs 29:18 says “without vision, men die”  Die from too much of the good life, mediocrity, or die of lack of tenacity. Either are bad!

Something that is overrated? Being like other people.  Be yourself, and don’t compare yourself either.

Something you’re saving up for? Paying off our commercial studio place.

What item do you wish you had designed? Hmmm, I am not sure. I don’t even know where to start.

If you could have lunch with anyone who is famous who would it be? George Washington.  He was such a humble man yet a great leader.

Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.? watching a movie with my wife at home by the fireplace or cooking a 4 course dinner with friends, by the fireplace!

Your favourite film (movie) of all time? Lord of the rings. SO epic, extended series (12 hours).

Who would play you in a film (movie) of your life? Myself.

First thing you would do if you won the lottery? Give 50% away to those in need who have been praying for someone to help them around the world.  Its so cool to be an answer to someone’s prayer.  It’s the best way to be used.

Which five words would your friends use to describe you? Healthy, Sporty, Adventurer, Creative, Fun.

What ambition have you not yet achieved? Being an amazing father.

What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now? Being a father, and having a business that supports all those who work with us.  To give away all the money I do not need to those who need it more than I do.  To put my character development above my comfort & security.  To love others more than myself.

And the last question, if you had one wish… I wish, well, I wish I could have more vision for the person my creator wants me to be. It’s a personal wish, but would make me more impact in all I do, as well as having peace that surpasses all understanding.

Oh one more, if someone said ‘how can I be the next Mike Larson?’ What would you say? Don’t be the next me, be the next “you”.  Take yourself + tenacity + solid principals + the right priorities + wisdom from elders around you + vision + creativity and a love to serve others more than be served and you’ll do more than you could ever imagine!

Your readers can find out more about me:

Website: www.mikelarson.com

Blog: www.mikelarson.com/blog