We thought we would share a little of our Maui vacation with you….

Last Spring, I had realized that it had been more than a few years that we had traveled for vacation.  With all of the the gorgeous places that we get to travel to for work, we kind of forgot.  With our daughters being 13 and 16 this Christmas, John and I agreed that it was a great idea to “skip the traditional holidays” and put together something that they might remember.  It’s so easy to get wrapped up in forgettable gifts and the holiday rush.  The best part… we had everything planned months ago, so all we had to do was finish up our last minute print and album orders and head out - no shopping or long lines or guessing what that “perfect gift is”.  I think we are on to something here….

Christmas dinner was even a cinch to prepare… well, for me at least - a luau seemed to do the trick.

And we couldn’t come to Maui and not take on a little surfing… Rosilyn and Sam did great for their first time.  Dreyson and his dad started the Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy and proved to be an excellent instructor.

As I am posting, we are actually still here - we just wanted to share a few pics for all of our friends and loved ones who are in cold places… hopefully you can feel the warmth through the photos above. Aloha for now - I’m off to the beach.

-dc

Britney and Shawn, our last engagement session of the year and also long time friends.  I love a new location to shoot and if it looks like an apocalyptic post war environment, all the better…   Maybe I should not edit and retouch after I’ve been playing Fallout 3 on the Playstation… Oh well.. I still dig the cool location.   …..  I’ll let Dalisa fill in some details about this couple and their cool upcoming wedding next year in Pennsylvania.  -.jmc.

I can’t think of a single better way to end what was already a fantastic year.  If these images indicate any idea of what is coming to us for next year, I better brace myself.  I must admit - I could just be biased as John mentioned, Britney is one of our closest long time friends - she was in our wedding years ago and I am so honored to stand in to witness her nuptials with this fantastic man in just a few short months.  JMC is gonna have to fly solo on the wedding day - I’m going to be too busy playing the bridesmaid role!:)   

Shawn is bringing more than just his good looks and charm to this relationship - he is sharing one of the most precious things that he can share with his new soon-to-be wife, meet the darling Ms. Hailee.

I had so much fun hanging out with Hailee - she has a personality bigger than life

Britney, Shawn and Hailee - thank you for allowing John and I to be a part of your day, I have a big place in my heart for you and I wouldn’t miss it for anything.

-dc

A few weeks ago we posted that we had taken a little trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  Here’s a little taste of what we were doing…

The wedding of Shweta and Andy - if you know these two people, you know that they are as gorgeous on the inside as they are on the outside.  And I was completely in awe to learn of how they managed to mesh two radically different cultures into a few amazing days.

A peek at the guys formal portraits…

And of course, the ladies…

After their beach ceremony, they danced their entire recessional that lead them to a group of sun tan oil covered resort guests who seemed as excited and cheery as the new Mr. and Mrs. did - it was actually pretty touching.

The night ended with a lot of laughter, dancing and an over all true celebration of the love these two share.  I would post some of those photos… but that would leave less room for the session that we did the day after.

I’m going to let these last set of images speak for themselves.  I will tell you that though they both wore traditional Indian attire for the ceremony, Shweta also knew the importance of her husbands vision of his bride in a traditional American gown.  So she designed one…with a little touch of her heritage, she wore white and looked just as beautiful.  I truly respect the understanding that these two individuals and their families have for diversity.  I am grateful for being a part of their story and look forward to what the future brings these two….

-dc

Christina & Joe prepped for their upcoming nuptials with a Neon Museum engagement session.  You can’t beat the color and the atmosphere at this location.  It’s a goal to create something different and unique for each client that we bring here - and stay in the lead of the industry.

Knowing some of the details of what this gorgeous couple has in store for their big day excites me to be a part of it!  I know it’s going to be a great event!

-dc

Steve and Stephanie… All the way from Canada for a little fun in the streets of Las Vegas

This rockin’ couple will tie the knot in 2009

Heather and Jason certainly knew how to make the most of their Vegas wedding.  Juliet of Green Orchid Events helped orchestrate a fun filled day for these two and their East Coast guests.  Ceremony and portraits at Caesars Palace Venus Garden…

Heather looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day.  Hair and Make Up by professional stylist and long time altf friend, Lori White.

You might remember “Banana’s” from the engagement session - he made an excellent ring monkey.

Then off to Red Rock Casino for their reception dinner.  LTeventions did an amazing job on the flowers and decor for the day.

Ending the eventful day with a little bowling at the VIP Lanes at Red Rock.

Not only was it great to work with this astonishing couple, but Heather certainly did an extraordinary job at planning her wedding - every detail was carefully thought out.  We are looking forward to hanging out with these two once again next April for their bridal session.  Until then…

-dc

Our most published image, the gatekeeper to our website.  ”My Joan of Arc” has been published nationally and internationally in major photography and wedding magazines along with my version of “Ophelia”. These images have also been a part of the inspiration to the “Trash the Dress” phenomenon that has spread through out the world - pushing photographers to think well outside of the box.  We don’t want these to become like those good songs that are overplayed on the radio, so we are taking them from the front of our site and burying them somewhere peaceful.  We will no longer submit them to requests for publishing. At the start of the new year you will have to look hard to find the bride on fire or the tragic romance that consumes the bride in the water.  This also means that it is time to put up new images and start to push the boundaries once again, reinventing ourselves and doing the unexpected. 

When intitiating the “anti-bridal” project, I did not realize the paradigm shift that it would cause within parts of the wedding photography industry,  nor did I realize the opportunities that it would open for altF - demanding speaking engagements around the world.

Thank you Joan and Ophelia for making such an impact in our career.  

Take one last look… February being the end of the sale of these fine art prints on our site.  If you want a piece of wedding photography history, you can snatch up your copy here until February 28th - a limited edition fine art print of each of these images as well as the black and white version are available.  Prints are signed and only 250 of each will be printed - we are almost to that number.

Look at us!!!!  We have been featured in PhotoPro’s annual Masters issue.  It’s really, really nice to be featured in a national magazine, but to be included in a masters issue as one of the visionaries of our industry and is such an honor for us.  My immediate urge is to jump up and down, screaming out “look Mommy! My name is on the cover of a magazine!”.   Though I’ve never considered labeling myself as a master of anything, the editors note in the magazine has a good explanation of it and there are also some interesting thoughts on the direction that our industry will be heading in the next year…  So now, as Dalisa prepares to keep my ego in check, it’s time to plan for the coming new year and to stay on the edge of what we do and continue to push the boundaries.    .jmc.

Jen and Bryan’s ultra cool wedding was centered around entertaining their guests which consisted of some old school “Vegas” entertainment, the Rat Pack By the always amazing MVP Entertainment.
This classic event flowed smoothly thanks to the talents of Michele Jenkins of Events By Michele and the extravagant setting of the Stirling Club.

Bryan’s ring was wicked cool - a replica of a Pirelli tire tread.

Mike & Kelli

Talk about smokin’ hot - these two never turn it off!

It was a prime day in Las Vegas for their engagement session. Gorgeous weather for a gorgeous couple. I know their wedding next year is going to kick ass and we are so psyched to be a part of it.

Next destination - the beautiful beaches of California….It’s gonna rock!

-dc