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9/18/2009

Paparazzi- Spotlight

Last night I met up with several (make that about 100) photographers at the LA Smug Mug in Studio City. With a group of willing models and flashing lights we probably looked like a mad run of paparazzi on Ventura Blvd, but it was all in good fun. What I love most about the photographer community is that there's a hunger to learn and share what we know with others. If you missed out and want to join us next time drop by our next meeting on October 15th at the Global Cafe. It's free and a great way to grow in your craft while meeting other incredible photographers.

Check out the photos I took of Portia, the beautiful bride who modeled last night. Also, I put together a short video for you to get a taste of our paparazzi action up on You Tube. Enjoy!

I give credit to Eric Chen, the photographer who first placed Portia
in the sweetest spot on Ventura Blvd.

9/16/2009

The Shootsac- Review

Know how it's sometimes funny to discover that you're matching with someone else? Well, how about when your camera bag matches with the hotel's pillowcases? I think that rarely happens expect it did with me at my last wedding. I was rocking my new cover of my Shootsac bag and it was a lovely surprise to see the design again after I placed my bag down in the bride's room.

The Shootsac is a bag designed for photographers who want to carry something fashionable, but definitely useful and mobile for a quick-moving photographer. Over the summer they were great enough to sponsor my Inspiration workshop and donated a free Shootsac to one of my guests (congrats, Carol!). When you flip the cover, which is also interchangeable so you can have a different design if you'd like, you'll find perfect size pockets to slip your lens in. It's holds them securely and without too much resistance when pulling them out. There are also pockets on the back of the bag that you can put your phone, batteries, cards, car keys, or whatever else you usually carry with you when you're shooting a photo session or a long wedding day.

I've been using the bag for almost 2 years and still love it. If you're looking for a new camera bag Shootsac may be your best option.

My Shootsac is next to the blue pillow to the right of the photo, just in case it's too hard to find ;)

9/15/2009

Michelle & Alex's Wedding- Sneak Peak

I bet some of you have forgotten that I'm a wedding photographer with all my recent posts on Cambodia! Well, over the weekend I got to witness Michelle & Alex rock their wedding at the Skirball Cultural Center. Here is a sneak peak into their beautiful day. More will be posted soon. Until then take a look at their engagement session from late last year.

Meet My Students- Spotlight

If you haven't seen any of my videos this is the one video you should watch. It is 15-minutes long, so I posted it up on Vimeo that allows me to put it full-length. A different, shorter version is up on my You Tube page.

You'll hear me narrating throughout the video. I showcase a few of my students and wasn't able to share every interview with you, because you probably wouldn't want to sit down and watch that long of a movie. If you supported me during program financially you will be receiving a DVD copy with bonus videos from the rest of my time in Cambodia.

Our photo exhibit opening reception is also featured in the video, so you'll be able to look back on our big event. If you're interested in purchasing a student's print please contact me at jenmay@jenmayphotography.com.

Enjoy! Your feedback is welcomed :)

Teaching Photography in Cambodia from Jen May Photography on Vimeo.

9/09/2009

Angkor Wat in the Kingdom of Cambodia

Deep in the relentless heat and farmland of Siem Reap there are stunning ruins for the eyes to feast on. From Phnom Penh I took a 6 hour bus ride to explore Angkor Wat, a temple that is said to be the world's largest single religious monument. The ruins of Angkor are a UNESCO World Heritage site and thousands of tourists visit every year to study and admire the temples.

As you can see from my previous post my day started at sunrise. The first photo you'll see is a series of 4 images. Starting from the top left to the bottom right are shots taken sequentially between 5:35 to 5:50 a.m. Follow through the rest of the photos and you'll see a glimpse of my 10-hour adventure. I felt like I was exploring out of the movie Tomb Raider...not sure why? :)

During the mid-day I had explored for several hours and was feeling the physical exhaustion from walking in the sun, but I pushed forward and had my moto-driver take me out to Banteay Srei, another temple about 30-min drive from Angkor. It was a beautiful site of elaborate wall carvings. Nearby there was a lotus garden and plenty of green to go around. The drive through the province was also worth going out, although dozing off on the back of a fast moving moto during midday was a little tough for me to handle. You'll see a photo of my driver at the very bottom of this post.

If you'd like to see more there is a video you can watch on You Tube that I'll post in this entry. Enjoy!

9/01/2009

Back in Los Angeles

My absence from the past 5 weeks can really pile up a list of things-to-do, but I'm happy to be back in the city of angels. I just begun sifting through the photos I took in Siem Reap during my tour of Angkor Wat and the other temples. Since there are too many images to get through tonight I'll just share one with you as a sneak peak into my future post and new video that I'll be releasing later this week.

I woke up at 5 a.m., hired a moto driver to take me to Angkor Wat, and followed the sunrise over the temple for this shot among many. May this please your eyes for now. :)

8/29/2009

Students' Photographs- "Tiny Toones Freeze"

With the past month flying by the photography program will be wrapping up with its last class this upcoming Monday. I'm so proud of all the students and their work! Out of the three classes that I've taught daily here over 50 students have eagerly participated. With the budget I had fundraised I selected and printed 27 photographs, each representing a student and their unique capture, and installed them at the Meta House, Cambodia's first art and communication center in Phnom Penh. Friday night they hosted our opening reception, giving us their largest gallery to exhibit the student's work. From what I observed, around 100 guests dropped by to see the student photographers' work, Tiny Toone's peformance, and to watch the documentary featuring the beginning of Tiny Toones. If you weren't able to make it out they are displaying the photographs until September 3rd.

I'd like to share with you the photographs that I featured at the Meta House. Every photo has it's own story, along with the student who took it; unique in every way. I've marked down the ones that SOLD during the opening reception. I'm not sure, yet, which ones sold yesterday.

It's incredible what can be achieved in a short program. I know I'm very fortunate to have witnessed their growth and confidence gained in their newfound craft. In the next post or so I'll be sharing a special video that features interviews with my students and other photos. Scroll through and let me know which ones are your favorite, and I'll let those students know that you enjoyed them :)