Laguna Beach, Orange County California

In the past few years I have had the honor of living and working in southern California. I am privileged to live close to one of the most spectacular beaches, Laguna Beach.  The photo here is taken on a day that is rare for southern California, cloudy with rain in the forecast.

I arrived at the Laguna Beach historic lifeguard station early in the morning before may people were awake.  It was cold(ish), relatively speaking, but worth the suffering (lol) through the 50 degree weather to take in the sights, sounds and smells of Laguna Beach.

I have photographed the lifeguard station many times during the sun and sunset, this is the first time I had the opportunity to photograph her during a darker time.  Even with the clouds I think this place is spectacular.

I want to wish everyone well.  No matter what clouds we are dealing with there are sunny times coming shortly.

#lagunabeach #laguna #beach #lifeguard #california #orangecounty #oc #ocean #clouds


Tech Details:

Location: Laguna Beach, California http://www.lagunabeachcity.net

Photographer: Scott Statson http://www.StatsonPhotography.com

Camera: Canon 5D http://www.canon.com Shot in RAW format

Lens: Canon 16-35 2.8 L

Editing: Apple Aperture, Adobe Photoshop CS3 http://www.apple.com http://www.photoshop.com

Welcome Back!

Hello Friends!

Sorry for the lack of posts here.  I have been busy to say the least.  I have moved from the Detroit area to Orange County California.  Southern California has been a great place for the past few years.  The weather is incredible, I am enjoying tons to do and have lots to share with you.  

The majority of my quick photo sharing has been happening on Instagram.  I will update my blog to accept my Instagram photos, if I can get that function to work, hopefully I can figure it out.

I still photograph weddings but am still working on news work and commercial photography work.  I will post a few quick pictures below from a shoot the other day in Venice Beach.

Talk to you soon!

Scott

Oakland University, Rochester Michigan, Engagement

Ok, so you now know I am way behind posting on my little blog. But I was scheduling an engagement session the other day and reminded me to update my blog and some of my engagement photos. Here are a few quick pics from my engagement session with Becky & Dan. They meet at Oakland University in Rochester Michigan and we did the engagement shoot on the campus and then in Downtown Rochester Michigan. They are a great couple and it was a blast!

Engagement Photo Session

Couple: Becky & Dan

Location: Oakland University http://www.Oakland.edu Downtown Rochester Michigan http://www.downtownrochestermi.com

Photographer: Scott Statson http://www.StatsonPhotography.com

Cameras: Canon 1Ds MarkIII, 1Ds MarkII, 5D, 1D Mark II

Editing: Apple Aperture, Adobe Photoshop CS3

Capturing Photos or Creating Photos?

I truly believe that photographs are not taken but created. Let me explain a little here. First off I don't mean that you create images by using a green screen and Hollywood editing. While creative Photoshop editing works and offers endless creative outlets that is not what I mean about photos being created.

The way a photographer, a professional photographer sees things are typically different than the "normal" perspective. There are times I see an image in my mind but it does not necessarily match what is in front of me. Many times this calls for me to stand on something, bend down, change the angle or perspective of how I photograph this person, place or thing. I tell those interested in photography to work outside of their comfort zone. Take photos from different angles, it can make a big difference.

The photo below of the tractor was how I envisioned it. I knew without thinking that I would have to manipulate the fence but it could certainly be done. This was a minor adjustment but makes a big difference.



Here is the final image of the tractor. This was taken by leaning over the fence and it was just out of camera range, barely. The tractor is now without obstruction but does take up the entire frame.

This was how this tractor looked from the normal perspective. Moving up on it a little which would eliminate the fence and bring it into the frame without the obnoxious obstruction was how I viewed it in my little brain.

Here are the photography geek stats on this photo: f/6.3, ISO 200, taken with the Canon 1D Mark II, Canon 24-70 2.8mm, taken at 24mm, photographed in RAW, editing was done in Apple Aperture

Happy Twenty-Ten!

Well - while I have been very busy photographing lots of great people I have certainly neglected this blog. If you are not a friend of mine on facebook please send me a request: http://www.facebook.com/statson?ref=profile I try to update my Facebook info several times a day through Twitter.
Well it is a new year and while I am not someone who makes New Years Resolutions, I do plan on improving and possibly updating my blog more frequently.
My goal this year is to do as many weddings as possible without sacrificing quality in my work. I will limit the numbers and keep things in check. I am also adding more photography training seminars, courses and other creative photography get to know sessions. I have had a few Coffee Club meetings and will try to have one on a monthly basis in different locations.
Thanks for visiting and I will be back very soon to share work as time allows. I have tons of weddings, portraits and creative work to share.
Have a great day!

Healthcare Reform... for my blog

I do admit it. I have been neglectful in updating my blog. My busy wedding season is about over and I have lots of photos to share. I have gone back and forth this summer trying to decide how to make my blog a more effective and efficient place. I am yet to find the solution other than I need to do a little CPR to the blog and put a breath of fresh air into it. While I have been posting on my facebook account, I have neglected to take the time to post here at my little blog.

Like the healthcare debate going on in our legislature my blog has been a source of debate, not by the Senate or Congress, but by me. But in my case my vote counts and I voted to make this blog as fun as possible.......now I have to get a few stimulus dollars to.......well stimulate the blog. So from here on out I do pledge.......wait maybe pledge is to strong of a word. How about this, I pinky promise to make this a blog of not only funtastic fotos but to create not only inspirational photos but to create inspirational blog posts. *clapping*

So since we are discussion health care I will share a photo that I took with my iPhone of me exercising (my dog)....you can see my little puppy (Doberman) ahead of my golf cart to the right (she is fast).

Oh boy...

Well.....I promised the blog that I would post more often.......I have TONS of photos to post but it is time that I am short on. So for a little blog humor I am posting a shirt that might fit my lack of blog posting.

Lindsay & Christopher Birmingham Michigan Wedding

Every wedding I photograph has different elements and personality. Lindsay & Christopher are extremely talented musicians and included a complete concert into their wedding ceremony. Here are a few sample photos from their wedding this weekend.





Wedding Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Michigan WEBSITE
Wedding Reception: The Village Club, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan WEBSITE

Want to be Flashed? (web talk)

I have a flash based website (www.StatsonPhotography.com) and understand that some web browsers are less than happy with all flash - so I created an html (with no flash) based web site (click here) were you can view a few sample photos without having to use flash. So take a look and let me know what you think - share it with your friends and family and let them offer some input also.
I am also working on a new blog setup - it will offer much larger photos and I will share the new blog here in the next few weeks.
Thanks for visiting and please feel free to drop me a note if I can help you in any way!
Scott


Click Here for Html Based Sample Site

Makin' a Big Wedding Entrance.

I am honored to photograph many different types of weddings. I have photographed lots of different cultural weddings this year from traditional Christian church weddings, Muslim weddings, Indian weddings to a combination of several cultures coming together.
Below is a photo of Alok who made a grand entrance on horseback during a wedding I photographed in Rochester Michigan. I will post more photos from Alok and Amy's wedding as soon as I have a chance - but take a look and let me know what you think!
All the best!
Scott

What does it take to be a "great" wedding photographer?

I get calls and emails frequently from perspective brides who inquire about my wedding photography services. Most brides contact me because they love my work and have heard that I am easy and fun to work with, this is true. I am someone who truly loves capturing the special moments of the wedding day. The wedding day flies by very quickly. Even after spending months preparing for your wedding day, the day zips by.
I hang (cool talk) with photographers of different specialties. Some photographers focus on news, sports, advertising and others weddings. I have had the honor of covering all of the above and can honestly say that I truly love weddings. I compare wedding photography to a marathon race. You have to be at the top of your game, you have to be ahead of everything that is happening, you have to anticipate what is next and you have to be prepared as a photographer to get results in the end. Not to mention if you are not the hardest working person at the wedding you are not doing your job as the photographer.
I am told at every wedding from the couple, family, DJ and everyone I interact with that I am the hardest working photographer they have ever met. I truly put 110% into capturing the day for my clients and capturing shots from many angles with creative flair.
When you hire me to capture your wedding day I will guarantee that we will get along, you will love me, my work and the result of all my hard work will be inspiring images of your day.
Here is an article from a bridal magazine about the differences in wedding photographers from other photographers. article link
Questions? Comments? Contact me- thanks!

Stephanie & Mark

I had the privilege of spending the day with Stephanie and documenting her special day. Here are a few quick photos of the day. I wish Stephanie and Mark all the best in their new home in Virginia.

It's All in the Details!

You have heard "it's all about the details" . Well the truth is it really is about details. What most people forget is that cameras see in two dimensions our eyes see in three dimensions. What this means is that even though I have some of the best equipment it is really the details of editing that turns a good photo into a "Wow" photo.
I encourage all of my clients to get a package that includes "full editing". This is a labor intensive process but it really turns photos into creative works of art.
Here are two samples of editing vs unedited photos. (click on each photo to see it larger)

Andrea & John - Bay City Michigan

I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Andrea & John - they are a great couple who eventually found each other. It was truly a pleasure spending the day with them and photographing their special day. They were married in Unionville Michigan and the reception was just outside of Bay City Michigan.

None of the photos were planned, even the American Gothic type one with the pitchfork. Thanks to Andrea's dad who had the perfect pitchfork just sitting in the barn.

For more photos of John & Andrea and many others visit my website: http://www.StatsonPhotography.com --- thanks!

National Geographic - Muddy!

I typically post beautiful, creative photos here but I want to post a quick sample of photos that I took for the Muddy Buddy Race sponsored by National Geographic Adventure.

I photographed a wedding all day on Saturday and Sunday morning I had to make it to photograph an adventure race. After getting to bed by 1am I had to wake by 5am to make it for a 7:15 pre-race meeting....I was whipped! But the photos came out well. Here are two that I can share with you.

Good old mud in your teeth.....talk about fun!

Rachel's Beautiful Voice

Rachel just turned 7 and has a beautiful voice. I have had the privilege of working with Rachel for several years now and she just seems to get better. Rachel is preparing for her national music debut and they are hoping to secure a spot on the Ellen Degeneres show come this Fall. Here are two rough drafts from the photo shoot with Rachel the other day.

So, if you are looking for a creative portrait from a skilled professional photographer, than contact me! :) Rachel and her mother were showing pictures of Rachel to people during their trip to Dallas/Houston Texas. Everyone was asking who took Rachel's photos, when they gave my name, it seems they recognized me as a famous photographer. :) WOW, I am even famous on the streets in Texas. So, if you want to be famous, let me take your photo. While I can't guarantee that a daytime talk show will want to interview afterwords, I can guarantee you will look stunning darling!

How to Make Doctors Happy?

I had the honor of photographing a great couple, Komal & Sam. They were married in Grand Blanc Michigan and had their intimate reception at the Brick Street Tavern. Sam is much taller than Komal so I decided to photograph them so no one would notice the height difference. The photo below shows what happens when you put the taller person in the back and photograph from a lower angle. I also used natural light for a little more drama - the light was extremely harsh outside and played well in this photo.

Not only are Komal & Sam a great young looking couple but they are both doctors. Congrats to both of them and may the good Lord continue to bless their relationship!

The Wedding Dress Shot

I push myself for creative ways in photographing the wedding details. The wedding dress is an item that a bride spends endless amounts of time searching for, trying on, and posing in. I typically survey the surroundings of the wedding ceremony location and then develop an idea of a picture I have for the wedding dress. In a recent wedding there were not any real window locations close so I searched high and low for another location. Luckily for me the bride was no where to be found and did not see where I took her lovely dress - because if she did I might not have been able to photograph her beautiful dress in this location.

With the help of editing I was able to emphasize the textures involved in this church basement location. I was caught by the church pianist as I was scouting this location, I told her I loved this door. She looked at me like I was out of my mind and said yes it is old.

Here is the end result:

I am soooo sorry.

Dear Blog,

I am so very sorry for neglecting you. There is no excuse for not spending more time with you and showing you a little love. There have been many times I wanted to blog with you but I have been busy. Please forgive me blog for neglecting to post with you. I have been busy with weddings and swamped with photographing beautiful couples on their special day.

I promise to spend more time with you and will show you much love with new and exciting posts. Thanks for always being there and sticking with me.

Love Always!

Scott

Baby Photography by Scott Statson

I have not photographed many babies but thought I would take another crack at it and incorporate the same locations that I would take brides for bridal photos or other "adults".  This little beauty is an extremely well behaved seven month old from Grand Blanc Michigan.  She was a joy to work with and the results of the baby photo shoot were beautiful.  Above it one of my favorites - there are lot more but I am saving them to show the parents.

If you have a young one (or group of them), let's talk and take advantage of the beautiful weather for outdoor family photos.

Thank you!

I love hearing from couples & family memebers that I have had the pleasure of photographing their special day.  I received an email today from a bride who I photographed recently.  She wanted to share with me the reaction her friend had to her photos.  Then the Mother of the Bride from another wedding sent me an email recently.   Here are the emails (with the names removed):

"Wow U look soo stunning!! Like a true princess queen!! beautiful! .....
and the photographer is a true genius!! these are so far the best I've seen in wedding pics.. he's a true artist... very original...."

Here is an email I received from the mother of a recent bride:

Dear Scott: 

Thank you for the wonderful wedding pictures!  You were a delight.  You were patient and stayed in the background and captured all the special moments.  We were a crazy group but we have a great deal of fun.  Thank you for helping to make a perfect day even better. 

Mother of the Bride

Michigan State University Wedding

The ceremony took place in the beautiful Michigan State University Alumni Chapel.  It is pictured above before anyone showed up - sometimes I am lucky enough to get empty church shots.  The chapel had fantastic stained glass - and yes I took a few photos of the beautiful glass before everyone arrived.

  

Mandy & Jeremy wanted a photo by "Sparty" - the statue by Michigan State University Spartan Stadium.  Mandy climbed up on the statue without any prodding from me - way to go Mandy! 

The reception was held at the University Club.  I can't say enough nice things about the University Club and their staff.  Great location and great people.

Congrats Mandy & Jeremy and thank you for the honor of photographing your wedding day!

Ceremony: Michigan State University Alumni Chapel

Reception: University Club of MSU

Pakistani Wedding

I had the honor of photographing my first Muslim wedding ceremony this weekend.  It was Pakistani couple, Saima & Mudassar, and a great two day event it was.  They were incredible and very open to creative work.  I had the opportunity to learn a lot of new wedding terms (nikkah, barat, walima, iman & others) and experience the color and culture of the islamic ceremony.  

Above are a few of the great photos from the two days.  I want to thank Saima, Mudassar and their families for such a great time!