Fotos by Mendi

Spring is upon us! What are your spring/summer plans?

2017-04-05T13:58:00.000-04:00

This winter has felt long, uneventful and...gray. Sure, there are tons of things that you can do in the winter, and some folks just love this season. Personally, I like feeling the heat of the sun and always look forward to the warm weather, day trips, hiking or finding new places to photograph. We have caught up on tons of tv shows, movies and eaten a lot of warm meals, but now it's time to plan a fun spring and summer season! I'll also add some tips on getting some great images while you are out having fun and exploring!

What are you guys looking forward to this spring and summer?

Here are a few things that come to mind when I think of past summers.

We love hiking, and seeing our happy little dog Max running up and climbing on rocks, running forward and backward on nature trails and wagging that little tail for hours.

We absolutely love laying on the beach, reading a good book and taking a dip in the ocean. I personally really like chasing crabs or whatever little creatures are swimming or crawling around. I pretty much turn into a little kid when I get on a beach. Katrina feels rejuvenated at the beach and just connects with nature in a way that no other place can do.

Bike rides, walks at sunset, hanging out in a pool and discovering new towns and places are some other things that we really enjoy.

A couple of tips to keep in mind to help you document these little adventures!

Use natural patterns to guide your viewer's eyes.

Nature is full of patterns, shapes, and curves. Taking advantages of these things and working them into your shot can help you create a stunning image. In this shot, I stood at the end of a rock ledge and used the natural curve of the shore to help draw the viewers eyes and create contrast in the different natural elements. My goal was to have my viewer's eyes start on the beautiful color of the water, and then from right to left, follow the tree line, and end on the mountains and clouds above. This is the type of image that folks will stop to examine and appreciate for a few seconds. People (hopefully) won't just scroll past it but appreciate nature's elements and see all the different areas that you are trying to portray as they come together: water, trees/rocks, mountains, and sky. All mixed together but in a very organized and pleasing way. This kind of use of curves, leading lines, and contrast will really draw in the viewer and leave them wanting to be in this spot in person.

Try to capture yet balance all the interesting elements to paint a complete picture.

Finding cool places like this in Acadia National Park while hiking make for some amazing memories of enjoying nature and it's amazing beauty. This is why it's great to carry a camera with you since this was not a scene next to a parking lot. It wasn't a long hike either, but I am surely grateful that I had my camera and monopod with me. There are a couple of interesting things in this image. We have the Bubbles mountains in the back that draw interest due to their unique shape, water that is reflecting the trees, rocks and mountains all around it, and these two chairs. This is just an inviting image that makes you wish you were sitting there, with a nice warm drink, maybe a blanket and enjoying the beauty of it all. Images like this make us feel like we want to escape to that place in nature where no problems exist and we can get lost outside ourselves and our lives. Not only does taking an image at a place like this help you remember what you were feeling, but it helps others take part in that feeling with you. So go ahead, sit in those chairs and enjoy the moment, but don't forget to take your camera out, find a good angle, and capture the feeling. Watch out not too take the image from too high an angle and lose the sky, or too low and lose out on the beach, or foliage around the chairs to really remind you that you are surrounded in nature.

Use creative modes, like Panorama.

A lot of folks forget that your camera or phone can do a variety of effects and some are really easy to use and master. Panorama images for instance used to be very difficult to create and required a tripod, careful framing, and some Photoshop work. Now, you can change a dial or swipe to the side on your phone and create beautiful long images to help capture an entire scene. In this case below, we wanted to capture the color of the water but also the treeline and landscape around the water. I decided to focus on the sky on this one instead of the beach due to the slope of the beach and I wanted the simplicity of 3 layers - water, land, sky. I didn't want land, water, land, sky.

Panorama's are relatively easy to do in-camera or in-phone and I would suggest holding the device with both hands, holding your breath and keeping your arms and shoulders/elbows as locked in place as possible. Position your feet ahead of time and use only your waist to twist in a 180 degree fashion. This will help lock in the movement and create a consistent motion that will allow your camera to produce the best panorama it can. Some editing may be needed but for the best results, I suggest to lock your exposure on a spot that is not the brightest or the darkest. If you lock your exposure or start on the sky, then the land will be too dark, and if you start on the dark land, then the sky will come up almost white and you won't see the blue or clouds and your water will also lose it's color. Cameras have an AE button to help you lock exposure and your iPhone allows you to tap and hold for 3 seconds where you want to start focusing and you can lock the focus and exposure down. You will see a little sun icon come up next to the focus square. Use that to adjust the lighting up or down. Once you are happy with the settings, you are ready to go. Now twist that waist!

This is a quick example of what this looks like - I don't have it set to panorama, just regular photos but you can do it on any setting in your iPhone!

Capture the moment, but then get out from behind the camera! A remote trigger can help here.

Moments such as sunsets, or sunrises like the one below are beautiful and we often wait around a bit for them to happen. While we wait, I set up my camera on a tripod, or balance it on a rock or even my camera bag. I select the right exposure and settings and then wait for that moment to happen. Once it does, it goes by quickly and I used to often find that I didn't really stop to enjoy the moment. I got the shot I wanted but I was so involved with setting things up, getting my settings right and capturing the moment that when it was done, Katrina would often ask, "Did you even stop to actually look at the beautiful colors? Or appreciate how amazing this place is?"

I would realize that I hadn't, not really. My thoughts were scattered with things like, "Is my ISO, f/stop, shutter speed, exposure correct? Do I like my composition? Am I following the rule of thirds or have leading lines?" There are a plethora of things that photographers think about as they set up their shots and tons that we have to know. It gets a lot easier and faster with time and becomes second nature. So now what I try to do is take an image, lower the camera a bit and take a deep breath. Think about where I am and what is around me. Soak in the beauty. Some things that have helped me do this when time is short like a sunset or sunrise is to set up early, get to my spot 15 minutes earlier than I need so I can get things set up and be able to sit and enjoy the moment for a bit too. I use a remote trigger on my camera so that once I have everything framed right and settings are all where I want them to be, I don't need to be right behind the viewfinder or screen, but I can sit back and enjoy the scenery while pressing my trigger to take the shot. I am still focused and watching my camera closely, adjusting the settings as the light changes, but I am no stuck behind the little tiny viewfinder and instead, am looking out on the majestic world around me.

Nature is nothing short of amazing and being outside while we can, truly connects us to our gorgeous planet, fills our souls with life and the spirit of adventure! So, plan a fun trip for the upcoming months, or two, or ten!

New England Patriot's Superbowl 51 Victory Parade ~ Boston, MA

2017-02-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

Superbowl LI was already hyped up to be an amazing game between the best scoring offense and best scoring defense in the NFL, but no one expected what actually happened. The New England Patriots came back from trailing by 25 points by the middle of the third quarter to not only be one of the best [if not the best] comebacks in NFL history, but no team had ever come back in a Superbowl from more than a 10 point trail. They broke records for the comeback, for being the first Superbowl game to go to overtime, for being the team with the most Superbowl championships and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick officially became the best coach and quarterback in the history of the NFL.

My favorite shot of the day!

All that being said, they had every reason for having an amazing parade with an estimated 1 million fans showing up to downtown Boston to celebrate with the New England Patriots! For the full series of photos, click here.

The weather was a New England cliché, it would change every 15 minutes! From light snow, to heavy snow, hail, rain to finally a light drizzle when the Pats finally came on by. I was in the crowd waiting for about 2.5 hours but I had a great view from about 5 people back from the barriers.

My Sony a77 camera body is weather-sealed so I didn't have to worry about the water hitting the camera but my lenses are not, so I had my camera in my smaller bag, the LowePro Slingshot 202 AW and I hide the lens in my jacket when I would take it out and was not actively shooting. Almost all entry level to mid-level DSLRs or compact cameras are not weather-sealed, but you can get rain sleeves for a few bucks for your camera like this one here.

My bag on the left that has an All Weather Sleeve that goes around it and stores at the bottom in a hidden pouch. A rain sleeve on the right and below shows how you can use the camera like normal while it is around your set up.

The weather couldn't stop the excitement in this crowd! These guys were cheering and chanting with the crowd the whole time we waited.

Jonathan Kraft

Tom Brady!

The crowd was chanting his name all day! The GOAT [Greatest Of All Time]!

Gronk!

Pumping up the crowd!

Julian Edelman

5 Superbowls baby!

Look at those rings! I was hand holding my 70-200mm lens @200mm while the parade was moving, but still got a great close up of that 4 Superbowl ring!

The masses heading home [or to lunch] after the long hours of waiting.

Go Pats!

Lauren and Josh Engagements ~ New Bedford, MA ~ Library ~ Engagement Photographer

2017-02-08T16:14:00.000-05:00

Personally, I don't like to read, so being inside of a library is normally kind of a boring time for me. This time was different because I got to do something that I really like, make some great pictures with these two book loving readers. My wife was there to help out with the posing and lighting [as usual], and since she also loves to read, she felt right at home inside this awesome, big library.

We were really excited for how these came out and we can't wait to shoot their wedding in September! Check it out!

It didn't seem to matter what they were reading, they found a way to laugh, find interesting quotes and even flirt a bit. In the shot above and below, they were reading a book on historical taxes for the area...and look how happy they are finding cool facts and figures!

There was gorgeous marble throughout the inside of the library and some of it was just beautiful.

This is one of our favorites from the shoot.

I am partial to the black and white version myself.

Can it get any cuter than this shot below?! Props to Katrina for setting this one up.

They found these books and had a little fun. It was great to see their personalities come through despite getting their pictures taken. Some people freeze up or get nervous in front of a camera, but not these two. Towards the end of this part of our shoot, they were coming up with these picture ideas!

Josh was so respectful of the books that we had Lauren stand on a stool for this shot and just made it look like she was standing on the books; came out pretty convincing.

Can you just tell how much she loves him here?

Thanks guys for an awesome shoot and we are looking forward to September!

Katrina's Roller Derby Team - Yup, she's BA

2016-02-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

Last month I was asked to shoot some footage for Katrina's roller derby team so they can use it for their upcoming recruitment night. Well, I have done some video projects for Teton Whitewater but I had not tried to shoot any derby footage before.

Needless to say, I took the challenge and put together this video from that same night's scrimmage. It was all shot in one night and edited in 2 days! It definitely sparked a lot of my creativity and I enjoyed making this quite a bit.

I am happy to say that I will be working on more of these videos during the year and hope to share them as I produce them.

My journey to my dream job and the video that landed me a job at Wistia!

2015-12-07T18:27:00.004-05:00

So during the past 3 months I have been on a job hunt for a job that truly fits my personality, passion and professional goals. This search required something of me that I was not expecting...patience. I am not really a patient person in the grand scheme of things, though I do have the ability to be very patient in some things. Overall though, it is something that I struggle with.

As I was looking for a job my wife came across a company that she thought would be perfect for me, and as usual, she was right. The company is called Wistia and they are a video hosting site for businesses with a focus on providing companies with awesome video marketing tools. I found a job description that seemed too good to be true and appealed to many aspects of my personality and seemed to fulfill what I was looking for in a company and career. I couldn't believe that I was staring at what seemed to be my perfect job, right on my computer screen!

Well I applied for the job and didn't want to get my hopes up. There were a lot of immediate concerns such as the company being in Cambridge, MA and I didn't want to commute that far. I also didn't know if I had a realistic shot at landing such a perfect role, but my wife kept supporting me and telling me I had what it took for this job. Isn't she great?!?

Fast forward a whole month of not hearing back and pursuing other opportunities, and I found myself giddy when I saw an email from the Director of Customer Happiness asking me if I was available for an interview. I jumped on the opportunity and had a phone interview the next day which was a Friday. The interview went so well that I was asked to come in on Monday to meet with one of the department managers at their office in Cambridge. I had another great interview, an hour and a half conversation at a coffee shop close to their office. Two weeks later and a couple of emails exchanged back and forth (in which I had to answer some mock questions as if I was doing the job already) and I was asked to come back in for a round of interviews and to do a product demo of the Wistia player.

I had 3 opportunities in front of me at this point that would all be great career choices; but after some intense soul searching, logical thinking and support from family and friends, I came to one conclusion - I want to work at Wistia!

So with that attitude and with the help of my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and wife, I began brainstorming and developing a rocking demo! I was asked to create a product demo based on a fictional customer that was a restaurant chain looking to improve their video marketing. I decided to create a transcript of an email chain that I would have hypothetically sent to the customer and received back with answers to my questions. This would help me formulate and design a better demo due to their direct needs and core competencies. I then decided that since one of the main attraction pieces to the Wistia product was their video analytics, it was only logical that I had to create my own video content to use for my demo. That way I could demo a "live" website to my fictional client so they could see just how Wistia could help them. So, with all of that said, I asked my sister-in-law Monica to help me by being my "Head Chef" for my fictional restaurant client, "Luigi's and Friends." We went out and bought the ingredients and on the day before my interview, in an hour and a half's time, we recorded the content and pictures for the video that I used for my demo. I then edited the video on iMovie during the next hour and just like that it was done. The video that landed me a job at Wistia was born!

I added the photos at the end of the video to get across my subliminal message along with hosting the video on my fake clients website which just happened to be called - http://iwanttoworkatwistia.blogspot.com. It was quirky and nerdy but that is me, and I took the chance that Wistia (from what I had seen) would be a company that would appreciate that and love my focus and efforts.

So I created the video and spent the rest of the night going over my demo ideas and practicing over and over and over again. I had my interview and subsequent demo planned for 10am the next day and I was up until 2am practicing. I was also soooo excited that I could not fall asleep that night until about 4:30am and I had to wake up at around 6:45am to shower, get ready and leave in time to get there without traffic jams. Well, needless to say, I crushed it! They said a couple of times that they were impressed with my demo and really impressed with the fact that I created a video!

I am on the beginning of my second week at Wistia and so far I am loving it and coudn't be happier, even with an hour and 40 min commute each way! After much ado, here is the video that I created that clinched my spot as one of the next Wistians! Here is to what I hope to be a long road with Wistia!

A Yurrita-Golden Destination Wedding - Guatemala City and Antigua, Guatemala

2015-11-25T16:33:00.002-05:00

We had the priviledge and honor of photographing my good friend's destination wedding in Guatemala! It was an amazing wedding at a beautiful family church in Guatemala City and amazing sites and reception in Antigua.

Congrats again Ana and Joe!

Dresses on the bed frame

The Groom

Beautiful Yurrita church

When crime needs fightin', who you gonna call?

Are they princesses?

Gorgeous view under the arch in Antigua

Taking a moment under the Antigua arch

Sunset at Cerro de la Cruz

Walking into the reception

They looked so good on the dance floor!

Cute dad and daughter dance moment.

One of my favorite shots of the day!

Cheers to the happy couple

Dance floor selfies!

We just had to join in the fun!

It was such a fun day and we were lucky to help document their special day.

Paola and London - Mom and Daughter Shoot - MA

2015-09-11T19:30:00.000-04:00

Took some pictures for my cousin and her daughter at a local pond in town. They came out so cute and it was a bunch of fun!

My favorite

Monica and Nick's Wedding - 1000 Islands - New York

2015-09-11T18:54:00.001-04:00

I put some of these on Facebook and Monica shared the rest but I never did create a blog post for this wedding we did. It was last year but still some of my best shots were taken here.

Julie and Tyler's Wedding - Endicott Estate, Dedham, MA

2015-09-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

We had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Julie and Tyler at Endicott Estate, in Dedham, MA earlier this year. I never got around to posting up their wedding and I have some free time now so I wanted to put up these gorgeous pictures that we took of them on their special day!

Artistic dress close up

So much shine!

The handsome groom

Moody and edgy

How cute are they!

Added the black and white too because I just couldn't decide between them.

Another creative shot that worked out so well!

Focus on the bride now

Loved this pose and this giant window!

A beautiful bride on her special day

I absolutely loved this shot of her looking out the window! This was my creative inspiration as I really wanted to set this shot us with the lattices in the window.

Cortney and Linsey Jenson Wedding - Logan, UT

2014-08-08T14:52:00.000-04:00

Cortney and Linsey are friends of ours that got married at the Logan Temple in May. Here are my favorites from their special day!

Alex and Kayla - Best Friend Photo Shoot

2014-05-12T00:42:00.000-04:00

Alex and Kayla were college roommates this year and they work at the same place I do. They were two of my favorite co-workers and such great friends. Before Kayla moved out of state to pursue her career, they wanted a photo shoot to capture their friendship.

This was such a fun shoot and we were all laughing almost the entire time. Below are my favorite shots from this session.

Jordan Leishman's Senior Portraits

2014-05-09T04:57:00.000-04:00

Here is the Senior shoot that we did for a co-worker's sister, Jordan. This shoot was a lot of fun and it's so exciting to see a young adult venture to a new chapter in their lives. Good luck in the near future Jordan!

Logan and Cache Junction Family Shoot

2014-03-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

We had a blast getting to know Jamie's family last weekend for their family photo shoot. She picked the locations and Katrina and I had fun exploring Cache Junction, Cutler Bay and just being with such fun people. Here are my favorites from the shoot!

Jamie loved this door when she drove by it and wanted a picture here, and we thought the door was really cool too.

Jamie's daughter was so easy to photograph!

This train car at Cache Junction gave us cool ideas to work with.

Jamie and her boyfriend Adam were such a cute couple!

Love this shot

A little fun thrown in, we can't be the only ones doing all the work during a shoot :)

Cutler Bay/Marina was a gorgeous spot with an amazing background!

Can't forget the boys

And a little silhouette series...

Thanks for a really fun shoot!

Mom and Son Shoot in Logan Canyon

2014-03-10T02:47:00.000-04:00

We had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for a co-worker of mine and her son. They were a lot of fun to photograph and he was such a good sport about taking pictures. Sometimes he held his smile so well that my jokes didn't make him flinch...maybe my jokes were just not that good :)

Here are our favorites from the shoot.

King of the Playground!

My Quick Trip to Guatemala

2014-02-27T02:36:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we had a family emergency at the end of January where my grandfather was in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and was given a 10% chance to live and was on life support. Through nothing short of a miracle, he fought his odds and began his fight to live! He was released from the hospital a week and 4 days after I arrived in Guatemala and is continuing his recovery at home. Though we spend every day at the hospital, there was one day that my Uncle took my sister and me to Antigua. Below are just a couple of pictures that I was able to take during this trip and there is even 2 pictures of my great grandmother who is 100 years old and heading strong for 101 :)

She is so adorable, still singing, dancing and laughing every day!

There is a volcano in the background I promise but it was too cloudy to see it. Look at my old Antigua post from last year and you will find a similar picture with the volcano.

Love this shot! She wanted me to buy a bracelet, but instead I asked if I could take her picture for the same price :)

And I thought balancing a book was hard enough!

I simply love this.

Christmas Lights Practice

2013-12-30T22:37:00.000-05:00

So on Saturday a model and a fellow photographer joined me in some practice with Christmas lights in Logan. We just got together and went shooting, simple and fun.

Thank you so much to Sammy and Tonio for joining me and putting up with my insecurities :)

Misty and Brandon - Winter Photo Session

2013-12-15T22:41:00.002-05:00

Misty and Brandon were great to photograph in Logan Canyon this past Wednesday. We shot their wedding in July and it was great to connect with them again this winter. Below are our favorites from the shoot and there is a fun little animated Gif from the shoot at the end :)

Absolutely love this shot!

The Olivia Act - Brianne and her wonderful family

2013-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

A while back some photographer friends of mine and I gave away a free photo shoot with digital files included, a one hour family portrait session, in honor of the tragic shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut last December. Two weeks ago we were able to meet with the family that I chose to photograph based on the stories and nominations submitted to me and we had a great time making some pictures with her wonderful family. Below are my favorites from the session and this was one of the most fun shoots that we have had. Thank you Brianne for letting us serve your family and help create memories for you all.

Houston Family Shoot

2013-11-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun taking pictures for our friend Sarah and her family! They suggested a great location in Lehi with lots of textures and variety in a small area so it was great to have such contrasting locations all in one place :) The family poses were fun but the individuals after were definitely my favorite part. Below are our favorite pictures from this fun shoot. Make sure to comment and let us know what you think!

Shaun and Sheri Houston

Sarah's mom totally won the arm wrestling by the way!

Aaron and Heather Godwin

Matt and Sarah Rogers

Camille Houston

A Fun Collage

My favorite of Sarah

My favorite of Sheri

Brought out the studio lights when the sun had set

Studio light + Matt = Dramatic shot!

Another one that was just for fun...can you see what I did there?

Tyla Maternity Shoot - Logan Canyon Oct 2013

2013-10-30T03:46:00.000-04:00

Earlier last month Katrina and I were looking to do another Maternity shoot to expand our portfolio. We really enjoy shooting maternity photos and we got lucky that a fellow classmate of Katrina was 6 months pregnant and willing to be our test subject for some new poses and locations that we wanted to shoot.

Below are our favorite 11 pictures from the shoot and I will be adding these to my Maternity Portfolio as well.

Pumpkin Walk 2013

2013-10-28T23:16:00.001-04:00

Katrina and I went to the pumpkin walk in Logan tonight and considering that I have never been to one before, I thought it was really cool. It is awesome to see the creativity of every day people and families, especially when you can see that kids were involved too.

I have to put in a plug for the Handheld Twilight mode on my Sony DSLR A77 - thought I had a monopod with me, I never had to use it because I could shoot handheld with no flash for all of these shots. The camera takes up to 6 shots in 1 second and combines then in camera and removes noise and blur so you can shoot at night with on camera support and get great images!

Below are my 10 favorites from tonight.

Photo Club Fun

2013-09-19T01:47:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to join my photo club here in Logan, Utah for a fun off-camera flash photo shoot. I kinda hung out in the back while others learned and just had some fun shooting. This was a really fun activity to just play around and get a chance to meet other photographers in my area. Can't wait for another one of these meetings!

Senior Pictures

2013-09-15T17:30:00.000-04:00

While we were home for a week in Massachusetts this past August, we had the chance to take Senior Pictures for a friend of mine's daughter. It was a fun shoot and below are our favorites from the day.

While I'm editing other things, here's some collages

2013-09-12T15:06:00.000-04:00

While I am finishing up the edits on the engagement shoot and senior pics, (I am really excited to post these 2 shoots!) I have started to get into making collages. Here are some samples of ones I just put up on Pinterest (which I just started using).

We just love Maternity shoots!

Weddings!

B&W Portraits

Things to come in the next couple of weeks...

2013-08-19T03:06:00.000-04:00

So we just did an amazing engagement shoot in Boston and Gloucester, Massachusetts. The couple was awesome and so great to work with and the views and locations were just perfect! They are saving some picutres from this shoot for their invitation and save the date cards so I may not be posting those immediately but I will have some different ones up in a couple of weeks (I want them to see them first). We also have a senior pictures shoot lined up later today (its 1am right now) and hope that goes well for us and those will be up soon as well. Probably the first ones I will have up are going to be from the photoshoot that I just did yesterday (a few hours ago) for my family. Cute ones of my nieces and my cousin's daughter as well. I will edit those in the coming week once we fly back to Jackson, WY and then post them once they are ready.

I will also be working on my wedding page portfolio here using pictures from the latest wedding that we did.

We are so happy that we got a chance to come back home to Boston and look forward to quite possibly moving back here in about a year.....we will see. For now we will enjoy our last 2 days here and then head back to our whitewater rafting job and Katrina will go back to school for her last 2 semesters!

Good bye Boston and to the West - here we come!