Taken last week on my polaroid 600SE using Fuji 300b.

Shot last night in a downtown LA bar using same set up. 1/8 and 1/2 second respectively. I love this film.

Incidentally, Loop and Kara were married at Marvimon House a few years ago, such a stylish couple!

More information on Marvimon below.

The Mavimon House is such a stylish setting, definitely with a vintage flare that translates so well in wedding photography.

Marvimon can be used as a wedding reception venue but I love weddings I’ve seen that feature the outdoor area for the ceremony and then take advantage of the open floor plan for a reception the moves organically from outdoor to indoor space.  Brides, all that natural light spilling in will make for some truly gorgeous wedding photographs!

The large open space here is transformed into the dining area for sit down receptions, or can serve as more of a cocktail lounge for the less formal dining trends emerging for many weddings.

More info on Marvimon House as described on their web site.  Originally built by an Italian race car driver in 1924 as one of LA’s first automobile showrooms, Marvimon has reinvented itself as a stand alone, super-loft open to events, exhibitions, productions, and fine living. Features include:

· Flowing 7,000 square foot floor plan (4,000 sqft interior + 3,000 sqft private courtyard) melds interior and exterior areas. Accommodates up to 300 (guests & staff) for standing events and up to 120 (guests) for formal sit down dinners.

· Bistro style kitchen boasts 19 ft island/bar commanding 138 ft Grand Hall.

· Gracious Entry Vestibule offers three points of entry, easy access, grade level loading.

· Soaring 17 ft wooden bow trussed ceilings and 12 ft vintage brick walls throughout.

· Located near Chinatown, surrounded by Elysian and State Historic Parks, and with immediate access to the 110 Freeway, just minutes to Downtown, Silver Lake, and Hollywood.

· Cinefile quality 7.1 THX surround sound, 14 ft diagonal digital cinema ideal for film screenings, DJs, and VJs.

For more information on Marvimon House, here is Kara’s contact info:
Marvimon Productions
office 310-837-3610
fax 323-372-3678
email kara@marvimon.com

Definitely want to shoot this venue so once you’re all booked email me at chris at jacshoot dot com for a special Marvimon rate;)

Ring=awesome.  Dog=Awesome. Liz=Awesome.

Travel in style.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. C. S. Lewis

Here’s to one of my newest friends, the ever talented Jonathan Canlas.  I took these pictures at his mind shatteringly awesome Film Is Not Dead Workshop.  I actually met Jonathan about three weeks before the workshop when he photographed our family portraits for our new site and blog.  I was immediately struck by his openness and unadulterated joy for photography.  Is there anything better than seeing someone do what they love?  Five minutes into the shoot Jamie and I fell in love with the guy, he’s just that awesome.

Skip forward three weeks and I’m at his workshop thanks in no part to another unadulterated trait of his, that being generosity.  What struck me immediately about Jonathan is that he is a born teacher.  There is a difference between telling and teaching and it can be boiled down to this: telling is technical, teaching is spiritual.  It’s the difference between that teacher in high school that made you fall asleep and the one that made you dream.  I came to the workshop looking for a ton of useful information about how to shoot better and how to run my business better, and I got all that, but more importantly, I came away inspired.

I told Jonathan ‘workshop’ wasn’t the right word for the experience he is creating with Film Is Not Dead. This is three days of intense learning and creating and listening and sharing.  A better word might be ‘transfusion.’ You walk in anemic and walk out energized, ready to tackle this obsession called photography with a new perspective, a new medium (if you indeed make the leap to film) and most significantly a new attitude that starts and ends with one word: passion.  Information is easy to disseminate, Jonathan has that rare gift of inspiring passion.

The next workshop is in July, and for an extra dose of awesome it just so happens to be in beautiful San Diego.  Don’t miss it.

PS A great as Jonathan was, he was easily outshone by his gorgeous wife who caters his workshops with the most sinfully yummy food you can imagine.  Don’t believe me?  Here’s the day two menu.  I might just attend the next workshop for the food!

I’ll close with a picture of the man himself, Canlas has P. A. S. S. I. O. N!