Brandon and Sara

On Friday the 15th, at the beautiful Pala Mesa Resort, Brandon and Sara were joined. Their love for each other was so evident that it made for a lovely ceremony. Please enjoy a slice of their special day.

This past weekend was the annual Harvest Crusade where 109,000 people attended. I was able to photograph for the ministry on Saturday evening. It was exciting and fufilling to be able to contribute in a small way. Pastor Greg was incredible. His sermon was a poignant tribute to his son who was killed in a freak accident just three weeks ago. Here's a small sampling of my coverage of the evening. Enjoy!

Romance by the sea

Robin and Gary were married at the beautiful La Venta Inn overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Coordinated by Kristin Banta and by Roxy from La Venta Inn, the day went smooth and without a hitch. Enjoy these few select images from the wonderful day.

Wedding Photojournalism What is It?

Choosing a photographer.

What is wedding photojournalism?

Well, photojournalism is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, and in some cases to video used in broadcast journalism.

The term wedding photojournalism was coined a few years back by Denis Reggie, a wedding photographer who started photographing his clients in a more hands-off style. He started giving seminars and the term took off.

Essentially, it is the style of photographing a wedding in the, “fly on the wall, “ observer style. Photojournalists are sworn to never manipulate a scene. They are beholden to only record what happens at a given event without influencing it, or as little as humanely possible. To manipulate is to lose one’s job and be branded and blackballed from the industry.

A photojournalist is trained to watch and capture an image that conveys the story of an event, “the decisive moment,” the point in time that sums up the event with one emotion-packed photograph. The problem is most brides would like more than one photo of their wedding day.

Now most brides are not models and just want incredible photos from their weddings. Unfortunately, most wedding photographers are not trained as photojournalists. They might shoot some candid images and brand themselves as wedding photojournalists.
So, wedding photojournalism should really be a combination of capturing moments without intruding, along with subtle prompting to ensure great photography from brides and grooms that are not accustomed to being photographed.


After 20 years in the newspaper industry and being published in most of the major daily newspapers in the nation, including the cover of Newsweek, Michael is an experienced photojournalist. Trained for years, to capture the decisive moment from events that ranged from a 100 year-olds birthday party to making images in the midst of a raging inferno. Michael has honed the skill of real world photojournalism. Combine that experience with years of documenting weddings, and you have the best of both worlds.

You receive photographs that document your entire event and capture the essence of the day. Those moments that define your memories of the most special day of your life and experience that collaborates with you to achieve those images.



In the end, it makes sense to reserve a photographer that is the real deal, photojournalist and wedding professional.

Please visit my website @ www.michaelkitada.com

Cheers,

Michael

Choosing a wedding photographer by Style

Choosing a photographer's style?

How talented is your photographer? Of course, you want the best. But, how do you even begin to understand that as a non-photographer?
It's in their style.
Do they seem to have a lot of posed photographs? Where the subjects in the images look like they are not having fun? You do not want that to be you. A great image usually has 3 main components.
1) Great composition. Now you don't have to have a degree in photography to understand basic composition, but the subjects are not normally centered in the image(there are always exceptions). Here's a great sign of great photos. Are they memorable? Do they grab you visually? Do they evoke a strong feeling/emotion when viewed? Those are all good signs.
2) Great lighting. Again, we are getting a little technical, but it does help to understand. Is the lighting dramatic? Harsh or beautiful? If the photographer understands lighting, it helps to enhance the subjects, not obscuring them.
3) A Great moment. There is the holy grail in photojournalism called the "decisive moment, " that instant when emotions and timing come together to tell the story of an event. A look, an action or an unplanned emotion captures and reveals a story behind the photograph. That coupled with our previous points combine to make images that are real, not posed or contrived, that communicate your special day.

When you have all three of these "building blocks" in an image you have a great photograph. If you only have two elements, you might have an okay image. If you only have one of these elements, you have vacation photos that no one will want to see more than once!

So, look for a photographer with images that speak to your soul.

Please take a look at my website. www.michaelkitada.com

Cheers,

Michael

How to Choose The Right Wedding Photographer

How to choose the right photographer for your wedding.

Finding just the right vendor for your wedding can be overwhelming.
In the end, most brides have very concrete ideas of what the venue should look like and what her dress will be. But, most have little or no idea about choosing a photographer to document the most important day of their lives. Most look through dozens of websites, meet with a set number of photographers and finally choose one.

How do they come to that conclusion? For a lot of brides, budget drives their decision. But, most overlook the most important factor after talent. Personality.

Does your photographer make you feel special? Do you click? Remember, you will spend the majority of the day with this person. In fact, on the first day of your married life, you will be with this person more than your spouse. That is why you want to see your photographer as a friend with a big fancy camera than just another vendor.

Have you been to a wedding where the photographer seems more like a drill sergeant. Barking orders and creating a spectacle? Or the photographer who is unable to arrange the family members for a group shot and ends up spending too much time on formal portraits? Like a deer in the headlights of oncoming traffic, this photographer is directed by the situation and not by, making images of the bride and groom.

The perfect photographer is a mix of artist, comedian, disciplinarian, psychiatrist and friend. They will remember that this day is about you, the bride, that there is a time schedule, that photographing the family is important but photos of the bride and groom are more important, that stress on a bride’s face shows in photos so a happy bride makes for great images and a thousand other details. All this while making images that will capture the joy and happiness that is present on this day.

So, talk to your photographer. See if you like them and if they are a great person. When you find that right blend of talent and personality, you’ll know you’ve chosen wisely.

Please take a look at my website. www.michaelkitada.com
Cheers.
Michal

Marin and Steve's Wedding

Here's a sample from Marin and Steve's wedding on Saturday the 12th. A fantastic family made for a smooth wedding day and a truly beautiful bride made for stunning captures. Enjoy!