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CCP RAVEBOOTH, Getting Crazy with the Famous Wedding Photobooth

Charleton Churchill — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:40:45 +0000

I wanted to post a few of our CCP RAVEBOOTH images from a wedding last month in Sunnyvale where I indulged in some serious fun shooting and directing all kinds crazy pictures inside our new photobooth. I had all my flashes set up, all my gear prepared, and proceeded to gather a line of people to get funky with the camera and each other during the wedding reception. This seems to be a popular addition to so many weddings right now, and I prefer to have the open space for more groups and creativity, rather than a small box where you have to cram. With our RAVEBOOTH, we have more options. Many have asked recently if we were available to cater to non-wedding events, and because weddings keep us busy throughout the year, on top of the fact that we want to provide quality service to our couples, the RAVEBOOTH is only available to our bride and grooms for their weddings at this point. Here a few images from the event last month. There were some really funny images that I wouldn’t post on this blog. However, they’ll be placed on gallery this week for the bride and groom with a password to share. If you like this link…tap on Facebook “LIKE” button below….

Lynn Holmes – Model for Exalt Agency, Lifestyle and Fashion Photographer

Charleton Churchill — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:34:25 +0000

It’s been great working with Lynn Holmes. She’s a rock star at modeling and now working with Exalt Agency. I went over to her home basically at the Ione Airport, called the Eagle’s nest, which her Father owns. Great landing strip and beautiful property. She was looking for some new images for her modeling agency, and Lynn chose the locations and ideas of what she wanted to accomplish for her look. It was a bright sunny day in the open fields, but we managed to find some shade and capture some great images. Additionally, we photographed Lynn modeling on a borrowed Harley Davidson motorcycle. I posted a blog earlier with her sport athlete photographs which you can view here. It’s always great working with Lynn because she’s very involved and is not afraid to get dirty or cold, like one session when a group of us went up to Kirkwood early in the morning, and she threw on a bikini in 20 degree weather, working in the snow. She’s pretty tough. She’s also wanting to tag along with some of my senior sessions and give some direction to the grads. No doubt the students would welcome her. Here are a few images we photographed a few months back.

Before and After – from Camera to Photoshop process – Photography tips 101

Charleton Churchill — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:20:00 +0000

Ok, here are both images….I’ll explain now how I got from this in-camera shot to the finished image you see here!

Before I explain these photography tips, if you don’t have Photoshop, or you’re not a photographer, this may sound gibberish to you, but I’ll explain it as best I can.

So, basically, all I did was walk up to the TOP of the LA Dodger stadium (uhh very scary). The field was covered in white tarp (because it was raining) so I couldn’t shoot towards the field, very ugly. I had to compose the shot with the stadium seats in view to capture the essence of the stadium. I was shooting the canon 5d mark2 with the 24-70mm canon L lens, very wide. I brought out my off camera flash, canon 580ex2, and underexposed the ambient sky, and exposed my flash for the subjects, in this case the engaged couple, Cary and Anissa. I was actually going to turn this image into a spotlight effect, but it turned out better this way.

I went back home and uploaded the image I knew I liked, and fixed it up in RAW. I dodged and burned this image in Adobe Photoshop CS4. I have CS5, but some of my plug-ins do not work in CS5 yet, so CS5 plug-in people, word on behalf of us photographers, get your plug-in’s updated.

As you can see, the stadium in the BEFORE image was underexposed, and I dodged (brightened) the stadium seats and used the sponge tool (saturation) to bring out more colors in my seating. In one tweek, I had brightened them too much, and I didn’t like it. I burned (darkened) the seats back down a little. I don’t like to overuse to sponge tool in my images because it looks too fake sometimes, but in this image, it was totally appropriate. I then dodged the sky in a layered light view so that it didn’t look like one glob of darkness, cloudy and all. I sharpened the whole image only so much, and then smoothed out the couple. I also pushed the contrast a little to make the darks darker and the lights lighter. Lastly, I used a plug-in that brings in more definition to the image, and then adjust it down a little. I added a slight vignette, and that was it!

Charleton Churchill Photography Tips

Yosemite Wedding Photographer – Infrared Landscape photography

Charleton Churchill — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 06:33:54 +0000

So, I was just playing around with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS4. I was endeavoring to recreate an infrared photography look (without using an infrared filter) with my Yosemite portfolio, since I shot so many photographs there, the day after Christmas (a few years ago). After tweaking some images, and experimenting, I came up with something completely different, some rad image (not the one below, and yes I did say rad), which I am not going to reveal until later. I don’t believe I have ever seen anyone like it, but I could be totally lame and ignoramous. However, I need a bride or bride/groom to make it look really good. And it has nothing to do with infrared. Now, if I can remember how I created the image, and do it again with different elements and subjects, well then, I hope to blow your socks off later.

I have photographed an engagement session here in the Spring/Summer seasons, but I would love to shoot a Winter Wedding here someday. If a couple is gutsy enough, I’m so down for it. If I’m shooting your wedding next year 2011 or even 2012, and you plan on having some engagement session in the next six months or so, think about having your engagement session in Yosemite when it snows! That would be brave and fun. I have 4WD. Most of you know I’m a mountaineer who has climbed mountains, like Denali in Alaska. I’m prepared to work in the snow. Last time in Yosemite, I changed a flat tire in the snow, on an uphill grade, so I think we can endure anything. Any takers?

Anyway, enjoy my half-breed version of an Infrared image from my photographer road trip to Destination Yosemite. Having an infrared filter would have made this image perfect, but I’m not complaining.

Before and After Shots of Bride and Groom Dance – touch up

Charleton Churchill — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:11:20 +0000

For the weddings I photograph, I am now including some vintage and Black and white alternatives into the DVD proofs. They really bring some flare into the mix. I’m going to give you a few examples of a photo make-over that I use on some of my images for the weddings I shoot, and senior portraits. First is the original image (with some blur added to the image). The next is a black and white. The third one is like a vintage coloration. I have many effects I have saved, designed, and, purchased. Although I have many, I honestly only use a small percentage of them. I don’t like too much, unless you’re a senior graduating from high school.

Here are is the first image:

Here is the second image with a Black and White variation:

Here is the somewhat vintage look:

Visit my Website: Charleton Churchill Photography
Contact me: (209) 603-1741
Wedding and Portrait Photographer

Landscape Photography – Amador County in my Neighborhood

Charleton Churchill — Sat, 22 May 2010 05:52:33 +0000

We had some family over, and my brother-in-law Kevin pointed out a magnificent sky. So I ran outside up the street in my slippers as fast you as you can in slippers, and popped a few with my camera. I didn’t have time to pull my wide lens out, but I figured I could shoot a panorama, or even just shoot the sky for fun with my current set-up, a 50mm 1.2. I only shot a few, and went back home and quickly downloaded these images and brought some light into the foreground. I didn’t have time to pull out any cool gradient lenses, or my cool Galen Rowell Singh-ray filters for the natural look, but I tweaked through Photoshop RAW the best I could. Anyway, here are a few images.

Jackson California Photographer – Kaizen Martial Arts Life-sized Freaking Print

Charleton Churchill — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:07:02 +0000

I was actually quite surprised and excited when I came by Kaizen Martial Arts studio last week, owned by my friends, Anthony and Harmony Hanks. As I dropped my daughter off for karate practice, I saw my images on their window, the life-sized version. I was like,….that is so cool! I’ve never seen my images printed that huge before! It was actually printed as a shade for the inside, and shows the image only on the outside, printed by Jackson Signs, (owned by Mike Reagon, another friend). Thank you to Anthony and Harmony for asking me to work with you, and pushing and challenging me to think outside the box. I always like a challenge. I liked the grunge look idea. That image is on my earlier blogs, as I hooked up three strobes for a straight flash to give it more a dramatic look, and to over expose just a little for what I was hoping to achieve.

This is from the parking lot, from the side of the building. That image is huge. The one below is a vertical image of the front door. Pretty cool.

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Wedding Photography Contest + Trevaskis Family Photography: Pine Grove, Ca.

Charleton Churchill — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:00:56 +0000

Trevaskis Family Photography Session…

HERE’S THE INFO:

FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY GIVE AWAY CONTEST…& $200 Credit towards CCP.

Hello everyone, the deadline to submit the wedding contest information is soo near. Hurry up and turn them in. Somebody is going to win a FREE ALL DAY PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE for their wedding. And honestly, there’s only a handful that have applied (maybe they are waiting for the last minute), so really, the smaller the group, the more your chances of winning! Tell Your Friends about it before it ends!!

Also, if you tell a friend about it, and they win, I’m going to give you a $200 Credit towards prints or a photo session with Charleton Churchill Photography!

____W E D D I N G P H O T O G R A P H Y C O N T E S T___

THE STORY OF US_
I AM GIVING AWAY A FREE ALL-DAY PAID WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE!!! That means, you get ALL DAY modern artistic photography at NO CHARGE. I know what you’re thinking….and yes, I am totally and insanely crazy! NOT ONLY THAT,…BUT I AM THROWING IN ALL YOUR WEDDING IMAGES ON DVD…FREE!! Images will also be viewable online with a password. Travel not included. Clients already booked with CCP are excluded. Only valid until December 18, 2010.

THE COUPLE WITH THE GREATEST LOVE STORY WINS. My wife and I will pick the TOP FOUR (4) CONTESTANTS, and we will post them on MY BLOG for all to see, so that ALL OF YOU can vote for the GREATEST LOVE STORY. It’s really that easy. Deadline for submission is October 14th. Send to: info@charletonchurchill.com

HERE’S WHAT WE’LL NEED:

Story of you (2-3 paragraphs) make it short and concise, (how you met each other, how you proposed and where, any unique things about both of you). Typed out and sent to: info@charletonchurchill.com

The date of your wedding

The City and State of your wedding.

A recent Photo of both of you together (we will post this online)

Your Name, address, phone number, and email.

That’s it. Get all your friends to vote for you! This is open nationwide, even world wide. Go for it! Remember, Deadline for submission is October 14th. Send to: info@charletonchurchill.com

TREVASKIS FAMILY SESSION

I went up on Saturday morning to meet up with the Trevaskis for a family session, before they went out for a ride on their street bikes (motorcycles). They asked if I could come along, but my wife was sick. I had a session later that day, but it was canceled. So, I took my three daughters to the park to let my wife rest at home. We ended going out for ice-cream, and then buying High School Musical 1,2&3 (and oh yes, I like High School musical, we all sing the songs in the car together). Anyway, getting back to the Travaskis. They are a good family, very active and giving in the community. Charlie (their oldest) is about to graduate, and go off to college to be a genius. Here are some shots we took at their home Saturday.

Family & Children Photography Mokelumne River: Calaveras Photographer

Charleton Churchill — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:19:03 +0000

It was wonderful once again to shoot this great family from Jackson, California. Great Mother and Father of energetic children. We pulled the couch out at the Mokelumne River in Calaveras County, and photographed before the sunset.

F A M I L Y S E S S I O N @ t h e R I V E R

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