Ohana.

This simple word means so much in Hawaiian: family. Even if you are a friend, you are treated like ohana when you come to Oahu.

Jen & Mike treated me like a friend making for such an enjoyable experience in Oahu, Hawaii for their wedding last Saturday. They both were super easy going and laid back, a joy to be around. I was honored to be a part of such a wonderful celebration of love filled with love & laughter. Not only that, but I got a chance to spend a few extra days with family on the island, recharging my vitamin-D deficient solar battery.

Thank you, Jen & Mike for inviting me to play such an important role on your wedding day!

This is the first wedding I photographed using a PhaseOne medium format digital camera system as my primary tool. I couldn’t be happier with the decision, especially considering the pressure of shooting a Hawaii destination wedding! I share some thoughts on shooting MF digital here. Image quality aside, one of the biggest differences enjoy shooting medium format digital instead of a Nikon D4 or Canon 1D Mark IV is the 4:3 aspect ratio, perfect for easy printing at 16 x 20 without cropping. This is a good thing considering Jen & Mike’s upgraded their album to a massive 16” x 20,” which means when spread open their wedding album will cover the entire coffee table!

A bit of geeing out: While the P1 will accompany me on most shoots, it won’t replace my dual D700s which I still rely on to capture moments during the ceremony and reception. The P1 will come out for creative portraits when time permits, as shooting with it requires a bit more diligence to focus, a good thing when it comes to slowing down and enjoying the wedding day. The detail and clarity is amazing and there is a far greater ability to retain highlight detail and retain shadow detail in one exposure instead of multiple exposures with tedious post processing. Off to the First Look… I do love the richness and details in this image… the trees, the wood, Waikiki background, the moment… she sees her husband just before heading to the ceremony: Love the feeling on this one!The bridal party were great to be around and the guys offered shlep some of my lighting equipment before some photos on Waikiki beach at sunset. Pinch me!Love the simplicity of this image and the story it represents: One of my favorite shots of the guys! Drama, editorial feel thanks to the PhaseOne 645DF with astounding clarity and ability to sync at 1/400 sec, perfect for fill flash on the beach.Making party stars! Kudos to the wonderful team of wedding vendors who did a fabulous job: Ceremony and reception at the Hilton Hawaiian Village near Waikiki beach with wonderful coordination by Jennifer Kahunahana at Savvy Coordination. Stand-up comic Teley Brandon at Showtime Djs kept energy alive. Florals by Spinning Web and Hair / Makeup by Maleana.

Enjoy your Alaskan honeymoon adventure together as a newly minted couple! Guests, be sure sign here to sign their online guest book by clicking here to view the rest of the photos.

While you may have seen this first photo dozens of magazines and weddings blogs {think Jose Style Weddings or Style Me Villa}, I created something a bit different featuring the Big Dipper in the background and a orange line of cloud vapor resting above Boulder, CO… two cool things we learned about in the Boy Scouts. Boys will be boys.Love this new lighting setup using an 5’ Octabank to perfectly balance the glow of a setting sun… looks 3D when viewed at 100% on a Cinema Display! So many fun little details blended perfectly with an environmental portrait… this is how I roll when it comes to the not-so-dreaded family photos.My second-shooter Matt Steaffens nailed this shot… love the nose squinch! Cam and I camped together back in the days when we were high adventures guides for the Boy Scouts…. some 16 years ago. That was the time I burnt the roof of my mouth from the sun and craved nothing but gummy bears and beef jerky.

Together, we stayed up way past our bedtimes talking about our passions: photography, life, and yes, more photography. It’s easy to be distracted in life, especially when money interferes. Among the topics we discussed: Fighting for time to be creative to do the job for which we were hired; Being accepted among peers; wanting to nail THAT shot, but admitting to missing it; Balancing the rest of life with kids and a business; Being human; Not re-formatting a card before it is too late… and and dealing with after thoughts in said event; Being happy; Balancing the difference between wedding coordinator time vs mountain time. These are things destination wedding photographers think about.

Here’s a glimpse of my fun series of creative lighting experiments while photographing a Caribou Club Aspen wedding reception. I really dig the layers of people, the depth of emotion, and candid energy in this wedding celebration at 8,000 feet! My biceps appreciated this end of the night treat, a splendid way to wrap a night of creative muscle-flexing.

View the slideshow by clicking HERE. To view the wedding images once available, CLICK HERE to sign the online gallery. Tag yourself on Facebook HERE.

Let’s kick off this colorful wedding post with one of my favorite images of the day, full of energy and awe thanks to a double rainbow (look closely): Beautiful, simple details:Lauren looked radiant! Moments after her father saw her in her wedding dress. The First Look photos at the Grand Waikikian in Honolulu. This is love: Yong needed a mugshot… (book ‘em Danno!): Touching up makeup before the ceremony on the beach: Denby looks stunning in traditional Hawaiian formal wear. A good friend and destination wedding photographer James Christianson inspired this composition as Lauren and here Dad prepare to walk down the ‘aisle.’ See his award-winning PDN cover photo here. My buddy and wedding photojournalist Gino Siller inspired me to share this image: We got through family photos in less than 20 minutes. We found the perfect spot for relaxed photos. Here’s Lauren and all the guys. I like the fun energy on this image Magazine cover? Exploring the spitting caves near Portlock.Roy’s classic hawaiian fusion style menu served “family” style for the entire table to enjoy! Aloha!!

A big thanks to the team that made this possible including Aaron and Dana Rauckhorst (Shuttle Services); Denby Fukuda (Kevin’s Assistant); Greg Martin (Musician); Kevin Omura (Wedding Coordinator); Vicky Demercer (Officiant).