AB photo

New Blog is Live!!

2008-12-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

So one of my goals for this year was to get a new blog that matched my brand before 2009. Well, its not perfect yet but it is live!! Check it out here: www.akilbennett.net/blog All of my future post will be over there from now on.

I sure will miss this blog. I've had it for a year and a half now and it will continue to stay up as a journal of memories. It'll be great to be able to come back here a year from now and see haw much I've grown. I know I haven't been blogging much lately because I've been saving post for the new blog. I have no excuses now though... www.akilbennett.net/blog will be updated weekly! Be sure to update your bookmarks to my new link...see you over there!!

Jose Villa Workshop : Day 2 & 3

2008-11-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Workshop: Jose Villa Workshops
Models: Citro Modelos
Hair and Make Up: Mar Romero
Hotel: Hacienda Del Carmen

Guest Speakers: Cameron Ingalls, Karina Puente, Gene Higa

Here are a few more shots from my trip last week in Mexico!

Jose Villa Workshop : Day 1

2008-11-17T21:12:00.000-08:00

So last week I was in Guadalajara Mexico for a workshop held by the amazingly talented Jose Villa! I learned so much while I was there, made some new amazing friends and I'm a better person and photographer for attending. It was such an awesome trip!

We all had some free time on our first day there so a group of us went out and took photos of the city. My buddy Aaron Willcox speaks a little spanish, and by little I mean pretty much fluent-he's awesome, so he guided us around and translated conversations for us! We heard some great stories while we were there and got so much history. This was probably one of my favorite days of the trip!

Jose Villa Workshop

2008-11-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for Jose Villa's workshop in Guadalajara!! I've been looking forward to this workshop for a while and I can't wait to finally meet the photographer whose work I have admired from afar. 15 other photographers will be there as well and I'm stoked to get the chance to talk with them and make some new friends!!

Also since I'll be in Mexico and AT&T likes to charge out the wahoo for international calls, my cell phone will not be on. If any clients need to reach me, email will be the best way. I'll try to check it twice a day...not sure how fast the connection will be at the hotel. Anyway, thanks alot, I'll be back Friday and I'll try to blog some of my adventures from the workshop!! Wish me luck!!

Jamie & Aaron : Wedding

2008-11-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of weddings to that I could blog, but the one that I'll share right now is one that I shot last month for Jamie & Aaron. These fellow cougars (who's house!!) were married at River Oaks Baptist Church and had their reception at The Junior League. Here are a few favorites from the day!

Emery & Jason...Engaged.

2008-10-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, we'll just skip over the fact that I'm not the best blogger right now and get to some photos.

I shot an engagement session for Emery & Jason a few weeks ago. I'll be shooting their wedding in a few weeks and I'm really excited to work with them! Jason heads up the Apple store in the Galleria..talk about a cool job to have. I drilled him a little about the discounts they offered during the shoot...hey, I had to ask :)

Barton Springs

2008-09-20T14:49:00.001-07:00

Last week I went to Austin because of Hurricane Ike. I was pretty fortunate, not much happened to my house and I heard I was only out of power for a day! I can't say the same for the rest of downtown Houston though, it's pretty bad in some parts.

Anyway, while in Austin I took my dog Nala down to Barton Springs because she was pretty bored staying inside all day. I brought the camera down and got a few shots of her and the other dogs out, it was a good day.

Yolonda & Aaron : Wedding

2008-09-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

I know what your're thinking.."Finally a post with some photos."

Well here are a few images from Yolonda & Aaron's wedding last Sunday at The Parador. This was one of the easiest weddings I've ever shot. Yolonda was one of the happiest brides I've ever had, and she didn't let the little rain we got before the ceremony put a damper in her day! Thanks for having me out guys!!

Ooops...

2008-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so August has been a slow blogging month for me. I've been back from Vegas for over a week now (great trip btw) and I still haven't made any updates recently. I have great excuses though...

First, I finally got started on the new blog and I'm happy to say that it will be debuting sometime in the near future. Anthony and I from Into The Darkoom have been exchanging calls/emails about the direction I see the new blog going and how I want to incorporate my new 'brand.' I'm really exctited to see the final product and I'll have tons of new things to talk about when it's up and running!

Second, it's just been crazy around here. With the new brand comes new banding materials (cards, stationary, envelopes etc.) and I've been taking my time getting these materials exactly how I want them. Zida, from Studio Z has been working with me on these and I am pleased with what I've seen so far. Go check out her stuff, it's pretty incredible!

And lastly, I've been swamped with album designs from all of my summer weddings. After attending DJ and Jasmine's workshop earlier this month, I finally decided it was time to get some help. So from another photographer's reccommendation, I am outsourcing my Album Designs to Amy from Albumesque. I got her first design in the mail yesterday and am so stoked to be able to work with her. Seriously, her designs are amazing and I'll be using her from now on. Here is a design from Lindsey and Matt's wedding who I shot in July if you want to check it out!

So these are a few of the changes/updates that have been taking place around here. Everything I'm doing now though should make my business run a little more smoothly in the future, I'm really excited about it! Have a great Saturday, I'm gonna go check up on Gustav. Hope it doesn't hit Louisiana and Texas too bad :(

Vegas Baby!!

2008-08-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

My buddy Chris Wineinger and I will be taking our end of the summer vacation this week so I'll be out of the office till Friday. I'll be checking my email daily though if any clients need to reach me. We'll actually be doing a few shoots while were down here as well so I'll blog a few of those when I return.

Today Chris told a waitress "Um... a malt Glen Garry for me and my friend here. And if you tell that bartender to go extra easy on the water, this 50 cent piece has your name on it." Needless to say, the expression on her face told us she didn't know what movie it was from and wasn't happy at all. Hey, what are you gonna do? If any photographers want to hook up while were here, send me an email! Vegas Baby!!

Mollie & Dallas : Engagement

2008-08-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

I went to the new park in downtown Houston to shoot an engagement session for Mollie and Dallas a few weeks ago. They had an amazing wedding last Saturday at Shirley Acres but I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from their engagement session first. Check them out!

Step Brothers : Movie Review

2008-08-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Film: Step Brothers
Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott
Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Comedy

"You're my boy, Blue! You're my boy..."

"I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back. I want to be on you..."

"What does that do? Does that blow your mind? That just happened!..."

This film, as in the ones listed above still has the classic one liners that fans will remember walking out of the theatre, "You have the voice of an angel. I mean, it's like Fergie meets Jesus." but it lacks the brilliance that came with them. Stepbrothers was a funny movie but in no way stands up with Anchorman or Talladega Nights.

Honestly, after a while, watching watching middle-aged men act like 12-year-olds gets a little old. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the jokes were hilarious and their improvisational skills were visibly showcased at their best at times, but after a while you are like "enough is enough already!" Most of Ferrells movies are basically 90-minutes long SNL sketches, but they've never felt like it before now. I found the lack of a story and the excessive amounts of improv, without the development of characters, distracting at times. Adam McKay, (the genius behind Anchorman and Talladega), just shoves out an extravagant amount of repetitious material in this comedy that leaves audiences feeling a little disappointed.

Because I was expecting so much more from this comedy, I might be taking it a little hard on this review. Actually, I think this may be the first bad review I've had on my blog. With that being said, it probably is the best comedy that I have seen this whole summer...and honestly...that isn't saying much.

Lifestyle Shoot

2008-07-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I made the drive over to Austin to meet up with Fred Egan so he could take a few photographs of me for my new image. As Fred stated on his blog, one of the most important things I learned from him, Mike, & Amy at the workshop is how important your personal image is for your business. So I called him up and he hooked me up with a few signature images to use for my blog/website!

I stole these few directly from his blog. Go by to see the rest of the shoot or just check out some of his other portrait/lifestyle work.

Free to Succeed Tour : Houston

2008-07-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the Free to Succeed Tour by David Jay and Jasmine Star. All I can say is WOW!!

These guys are seriously 2 of the most talented photographers in our Industry. I was very fortunate to be able to come out and here both of them speak. They both shared tons of valuable information on how to grow your business that I plan on implementing right away. It was well worth the $100 to attend!

Houston was the icebreaker of the tour and they still have a ton of cities to do. Check out their Free To Succeed Tour site to see if they will be in a city near you. It's worth going to just to network with other photographers if anything else. I had a great time meeting new people that I hope to keep in contact with and catching up with some old friends while at the workshop. So GO, you wont regret it!

You know I had to get a photo with Jasmine right...she's really one of the nicest people you'll ever meet-despite her claims to the contrary.

And the man himself, David Jay.

Lyndsey & Matt : Wedding

2008-07-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

It's funny, I get a lot of aggie weddings! I think my website might be posted on their message boards or something because half of my weddings this year have been students of Texas A&M. I'm not complaining though, these weddings are usually very upbeat and fun. Lyndsey and Matt's wedding was no different. Their ceremony and reception was at the beautiful Bentwater Country Club in Magnolia Tx. It stopped raining just in time for us to grab some portraits before their outdoor ceremony. I love outdoor ceremony's, but man it was hottt!!

Gavin Degraw Live

2008-07-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

If anyone has seen my twitter or facebook account the past day I'm sure you already know but I saw Gavin Degraw Live last night. I've been a huge fan of his since his debut "Chariot" came out. Most people know him by "the guy who did the One Tree Hill theme song" but his music goes way beyond that. His new album self titled "Gavin Degraw" is solid. I don't think there's a bad track on it. This guy is talented man and seeing him live was worth every penny!

His opening act was an artist named Marie Digby. She had a nice sound and was pretty decent onstage. Her album is definately worth checking out..I bought it last night on iTunes for only $7.99 and she has a few good tracks on it. Her rendition of Rhinna's "Umbrealla" is pretty popular too apparently...I liked it, check it out!

Edited to add** BTW, John Mayer is playing this Saturday at The Woodlands Pavillion @7:00. If anyone is interested in going just shoot me an email!!

Litty & Cecil : Day After

2008-07-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

I was super excited when Litty and Cecil told me they wanted to do a Day After session while we were in Cabo. So I took them out on my last day in downtown San Lucas, which was great because it gave me a few days to hang out and find a ton of places to shoot. They totally worked it out on the shoot, as I knew they would...good times!

I'm Back!

2008-07-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Well technically I've been back for little over a week now, i've just been too busy to post lately. But i'm back into the groove of things now and I plan to blog about alot of interesting things that have been happening lately. Here's a random image from my wedding in Cabo San Lucas last week! The big post is coming soon...

Cabo San Lucas Wedding!!

2008-07-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!! I've been in Cabo San Lucas the past few days for a destination wedding!! The wedding was last night and it was just amazing...we might even do a day after shoot tomorrow! Please forgive me if you've called or sent me an email, I'll try to get back to everyone on Friday when I return. Check back later too for some crazy images!!

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of my blog! It was fun to look back at my old post and realize how much I've changed not only as a photographer, but as a person as well. I've proud to see how far I've come in the last year and I am looking forward to continue to learn and grow as a photographer.

Hope everyone has a great 4th today. Here is a post from last year's BBQ. We have something even more special planned for today! Be safe!

Wanted : Movie Review

2008-06-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Film: Wanted
Cast: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Kretschmann, Common
Director: Timbor Bekmambetov
Genre: Action/Adventure

James McAvoy plays the typical bored office worker turned super assassin in this 3rd comic book adaption of the summer. From scene one this movie commands attention.

I just have to say that I really enjoyed this film. The visuals were just amazing. If you've think you've seen everything hollywood has to offer, this movie will surprise you. Normally I'm not easily impressed by a film with just flashy action sequences at the core but they worked well with the story. I give the visuals an A+.

McAvoy is slowly becoming one of the elite actors right now. He makes great choices on the roles he's played the past few years and this one was no exception. It was nice to see him play a different character than the ones he's played in "Atonement" and "Becoming Jane" and he was very convincing in this action picture. As for Angelina, she is good as always. Wasn't to far a stretch from the role she's played in the past though.

At the heart of this movie (as is in most of the films I enjoy the most), is a good story. This screenplay was funny, smart, and even has a few surprising twist in it. It is definitely worth watching if you haven't been to the movies in a while. Check it out!!

Melissa & Brian : Engagement

2008-06-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

Today I shot an engagement session for Melissa & Brian at Uptown Park. That place is seriously my new favorite location to shoot, there are so many cool spots to take shots. During the session I found out that Melissa is a fellow Cougar (Who's House!) and Brian went to Texas State, but I kept shooting the session anyway... kidding :)

They totally rocked out their session though and I just had to put up a few images tonight before I went to bed. That's two post in a row with images for me, now that's impressive..for me at least!!

Nikita Fashion Line

2008-06-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to shoot other things besides weddings, that way I won't get burnt out doing the same thing over and over again and it keeps my creativity fresh while I try to come up with new and cool ideas. Nikita found me on myspace a few months ago and asked me to take a few shots of her new clothing line. She'll be unvieling her website in the near future, I'll be sure to come back and post a link when it's up. So far, her graphic tees look awesome though!

Anyway Nikita got a few models together for our shoot today. Tammy and Chase were both really cool people. I had a great time telling Tammy my cheesy pick up lines (Ummm, excuse me.. Have you ever modeled before? & Hi, don't I know you from somehere?) and she even entertained my unoriginal jokes with a smile every once in a while. Chase joined in on the fun too and we had a great time hanging out in between taking photographs. So much fun!

Here is Nikita in the last fun shot of the day!

The Hulk : Movie Review

2008-06-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

So I've seen a pretty good amount of movies over the past few weeks, it just so happened though that this is the first one I've thought worth mentioning in a while. I saw "The Hulk" this past Friday (for those of you who don't know who he is, he's the big green monster who likes to smash things) and it was fantastic. I've been hearing reviews everywhere that The Hulk is every bit as good as Iron Man...it is.

Some of you may have seen the abomination (not the villain) that happened 5 years ago by Ang Lee, this one is 10 times better. Edward Norton doesn't make bad movies, and this one was no exception. His portrayal of Bruce Banner was right on and very believable. Eric Bana just doesn't look like a nerdy scientist. Also, the movie was very well shot, and the story was very easy to follow along to even if you aren't a fan of The Hulk comic book series. They also set up villains for future sequels very nicely!

I'm very excited with Marvel right now and what they are doing with Marvel Studios. Producing their own movies may have been the best decision they have made in a really long time. I don't want to make any spoilers for people who haven't seen the movie yet but I'm pretty sure the Avengers movie is right around the corner. For those of you who don't know who the Avengers are, trust me you'll find out soon!!

Danielle & Chris : Wedding

2008-06-12T22:27:00.001-07:00

So a few weeks ago I mentioned I was going to Galveston, Tx for a wedding, it was amazing!!

Chris and Danielle are an awesome couple. They both have a great sense of humor, it was so easy for me to get them laughing and smiling throughout the day. It also doesn't hurt that they are both really really ridiculously good-looking! What an awesome couple to work with!!

I never got a chance to blog their engagement photos but if they look familiar, it's probably because I have them all over my website and on just about every piece of branding material I have. So you can only guess how excited I was to shoot their wedding, I just knew I was going to get some great images. Danielle got ready at the suite in the Treamont Hotel in Galveston and they had their reception at the Tremont House Ballroom. Now time for some images!!

SATC...

2008-06-05T20:58:00.001-07:00

I actually pride myself on not having seen one episode of Sex And The City. Don't get me wrong, it is probably a great show to some people it's just not for me. So when the movie came out I pretty much promised myself that I wouldn't watch it... since I've never seen the show though it's pretty much guaranteed that I would have been lost the whole movie.

Well last weekend my aunt asked me to take a few pictures of her and her friends at their Pre-Sex and the City party...yeah I know, I don't know what they were thinking. She always makes fun of me over how excited I get when a movie I really want to see premiers, but I've never had my friends dress up as the Superfriends before a comic book movie premiere (might not be a bad idea though:). It was actually pretty funny though; they got all dressed up, drank Cosmos out of fancy glasses, and chatted aimlessly about what would be their favorite MOVIE of the year. Good fun!

Game 1!

2008-06-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the first game of this years NBA Finals! These two teams haven't met in the finals since the 80's and I'm almost certain that we are all in for a very entertaining series. I just got back from Austin tonight to catch the second half of the game so I'll make this short...Kobe's going to dominate (he can basically take over a game whenever he feels like it) and I don't see the Celtic going past game 6. I could be wrong though, we'll just have to see!

Brianna & Mike : Wedding

2008-05-27T01:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my friend from Orange County, Michael Norwood, and I shot a wedding for an awesome couple - Brianna and Mike. Mike (the groom) and his sister are both in a band and they actually played at one of my weddings a few months ago! The day pretty much went by smoothly, and besides the insane humidity we were able to get some really great shots. Check out his blog for more images!

Few details:

Here's the groom watching his beautiful bride come down the isle:

Handsome ring bearer!

Before I head out

2008-05-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to Galveston for an awesome wedding but I wanted to share a quick image from yesterday's wedding with Michael Norwood before I take off. Check back later for more images!!

Who need's Blockbuster?

2008-05-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

My friends and I have an ongoing joke that if they ever need to rent a movie that they should just come over to my house. Over the past 4 years I have amassed a huge collection of movies that I very proudly showcase in my living room. Some people collect coins, others baseball cards, why not movies I say?

I just started buying Blu-Ray movies and that movie collection is slowly but surely growing as well. Every time I go to Fry's I check the Blu-Ray section to see what's on sell (meaning $25 or less) and grab a copy off the shelf. But with HD quality movies now being offered on iTunes, I wonder if this will be a waste of time and if I should switch to totally digital which was made a lot easier for me since my Apple T.V. purchase!! I think I'll miss having a hard copy that I can touch and feel though, and I know I'll miss all the extra's that come with the DVD like the Director's commentary and extra scenes. Regardless on what I decide, I think movie nights will continue to be at my house for a while!!

This isn't even all of them, I have another box full of them in my room... ran outta space :(

Feeling Neglected?

2008-05-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's been almost 2 weeks since my last blog post. I really am ashamed of myself, I usually pride myself with being caught up on things and being this behind has caused me to neglect my blog the last few weeks. Good news though, I'm officially caught up tonight and I am ready to share a ton of things I've been doing the past few weeks including 3 weddings, 2 awesome engagement sessions, and a few random things that have been going on.

Also, If things start to look a little different around here in the next few weeks don't be surprised. I have a designer that I am very excited about, currently working on my new brand. I have also hired the incredible team at Into The Darkroom to work on a new/fun/hip/fresh/stylin blog for me!! I'm very excited about that, even though this could be the worst possible time to go through a rebranding process with wedding season in full swing, but I like to stay busy. Can't wait!!

On a side note, what the heck happened tonight Spurs!!! How do you blow a 20 point lead, something tells me that we might regret losing this game later :(

Robin & Keith : Wedding

2008-05-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I shot a wedding for Robin and Keith. It was the first wedding I had after attending theLAB workshop and I was super excited to try out all the new things I learned!!

I really had a great time with Robin and Keith! I was able to shoot their engagement session early last month and had so much fun with them that I was really fired up to shoot their wedding. They are just so into each other and are just really great to be around!

They had their ceremony at St. Simon & Judd Catholic Church in The Woodlands, Tx. Here are a few of my favs:

Few details:

Looking good Keith!

Robin's bridesmaids were excellent helpers:

Keith watching his beautiful bride walk down the aisle. Nice moment:

Few portraits:

They had their reception at Shirley Acres, one of my favorite venues to work at in Houston. Few more detail shots:

The cake was delicious!

Congrats guys, I had a great time!!

One Semester of Spanish??

2008-05-03T00:20:00.000-07:00

I took spanish in high school and college for 4 years and I still can't speak a lick of it!! I'm just horrible with languages and I don't think I'll ever be fluent in one besides english... that side of the brain just isn't working for me I guess. Anyway, a friend showed me this funny video on youtube today about a guy who took one semester of spanish and decided to write a love song. It's pretty funny, check it out!

Ironically knew most of the words in this song :)

Movie Review : Iron Man

2008-05-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking about making this weekly movie review a full time thing. Hey, I love movies so much and I watch them all the time so why not share which ones I really like and talk about the not so good ones right?

Tonight I caught the sneak preview of Iron Man!! It'll be out tomorrow but I was so anxious to see it that I went a little early :) It was worth it.

The movie was terrific and I think it is one of the best comic book adaptions by far! Robert Downey Jr. does a great job capturing the character of Tony Stark and Jon Favreau does a wonderful job with the storytelling. He is a comic book fan so I had a gut feeling that he would put his all into this film and it is shows! I know I keep blasting about all these great movies I've been seeing (like there are no bad ones out there) but lately i have just been seeing ones that I really enjoy. This was one of them and it's one that the whole family can go out to see!

So my rating, (I have to do ratings now... you know since I went to film school and all that qualifies me to be a movie critic :) I give this movie a 9 out of 10. Thanks for bringing the Marvel Franchise back after creating the horrible disaster that was Ghost Rider.

Lauren & Adam : Wedding

2008-04-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

I seriously need to catch up on blogging... seriously.

A little over a month ago my friend Patrick Lane asked me if I was booked to shoot a wedding in April. He said he was going to be the best man in his friends wedding and asked me if I wanted to shoot it for him. At first I was like "Well Yeah!" but then I realized that I would be shooting in front of another photographer for the whole day. Talk about pressure right? Turned out to be one of the most fun weddings I've ever shot!!

Lauren and Adam got married a few weeks ago at the Magnolia Ballroom in Houston Tx, one of the most elegant venues in Houston. They were both so easy to shoot and get along with througout the day. They literally treated me like part of the family and that is always a good feeling to have when shooting with a couple. It makes you want to work even harder to give them awesome images while still having fun at the same time!

Lauren and the girls started getting ready at Hotel Icon:

Cute dog :)

A few details:

Here's the groom! Looking good buddy:

Cheers!

Girls goofing off before the ceremony:

These two were the life of the party, they had sooo much fun!

Here's Patrick delivering the best man speech:

Lauren & Adam, thanks again for having me out! I wish you guys all the best!!

theLAB Final Post

2008-04-27T01:07:00.001-07:00

I just got home from an awesome wedding tonight that I would love to talk about, but I going to finish up from my previous post before I move on.

Hannah is such a beautiful person, inside and out. I was able to chat with her a little throughout the shoot and the way she spoke about Chayce (her hubby) was very heart-warming and sincere. I can tell that she truly loves him and that's always a good thing to see! I wish I had known her earlier, and had been given the chance to shoot her wedding. I'm sure her photographer got some remarkable stuff. I'll have to settle for using her as a model though which ain't too bad either!!

Few favorites:

Aren't these fun!

One of my favorite moments:

I accidently messed this shot up and focused on the flowers. I ended up loving it though!

Thank you again Hannah for modeling for us and doing all the crazy things we asked of you!! I'm glad to have met you and I wish you all the best!!

Here is our crew from the workshop. Looking good guys and don't forget to keep in touch!

theLAB cont...

2008-04-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Ok I'm back in Houston now, still a little tired though from the week but excited to share some more. I had sooo much fun up in Glen Rose making new friends, shooting great models, and learning all kinds of tricks and tips from awesome photographers!! Let me give you a quick breakdown of my trip.

The first night (sun) we had a meet and greet with everyone attending the workshop. I showed up just as Michael began taking burgers off the grill (aren't I the planner!) and met everyone. We hung out a little bit that night, got to know each other better, then went to bed to what would lead to 3 of the most exciting days I've had in a very long time!

Each day basically began with Amy, Fred, and Mike sharing their knowledge about photography and having us go out and implement what we just learned in the classroom. They were able to get amazing people to model for us and had just breath-taking locations for us to shoot. After the shoots we would all go out to dinner, share crazy stories, and just enjoy each other's company. By the end of the workshop it honestly felt like we were all a little family!! I made lots of new friends that I am certain I'll keep in contact with and I am very grateful for that.

The first day we worked with Michael's kids and a few seniors Fred convinced to come out for us. Though I wasn't able to work with the kids much, i did get a chance to hang out with the Seniors. Meet Kelsey, Mandy, & Brooke...three of the coolest high-schoolers I know. I had such a great time hanging out with them and taking photos. Check these out!

Mandy and Kelsey, so cute:

Brooke, you're too cool for school:

Unfortunately I wasn't able to spend as much time with Brooke and Kelsey as I did with Mandy. I had to let the other photographers shoot too but whatever, jk :) Mandy was wonderful though and she sure did know how to work it for the camera:

The light was just amazing:

Final group shot:

I think I have one more post in me to share about the workshop. Check back to see the just gorgeous bridal session of Hannah (one of our previous models) and a few shots of everyone from the trip!!

theLAB Workshop

2008-04-23T01:22:00.000-07:00

I've been in Glen Rose, Tx. since Sunday attending theLAB workshop hosted by three very talented photographers from Texas and Caifornia. I have been learning so much from these three and I have tons of things to share later on this week. We've done a few shoots so far since I've been here and I'd like to share one that I shot today.

Chase and Hannah were our models today and they rocked their shoot! I was only able to spend a few minutes with them alone but the time spent was well worth it. They were able to get really into each other and just relax in front of the camera. I loved working with both of them and I am really looking forward to taking a few more images with them tomorrow! Anyway, here are a few from today.

They were so fun to work with and were pretty much up for anything.

It's always great to back away and let couples just play and have fun!

Is there more to life than being really really ridiculously good-looking?

Well it's now 4 a.m. and I think I may be the only one at the lodge still up editing images... time for sleep and 1 more long day tomorrow. Check back later this week to see more images and hear about all the new friends I made while I was here-seriously some of the most unbelievably talented photographers!!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

2008-04-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'm usually a very tough critic on movies. I know that there are some movies that are made to make you think, some to make you laugh, others just to entertain, while a few slip through that are just plain awful :( I loved making short films in college and though I don't really have the time to do a lot of it right now, I still dream about making movies again someday. It's times like this though that inspire me to start up again.

Tonight I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I felt obligated to share how much I loved this movie. I haven't seen a really good movie in a while, I was kinda holding off going to the movies till this summer (you know, when all the big blockbuster movies come out). I'm glad my friends decided to go tonight because this movie is hilarious!

It's sweet, funny, entertaining, and engaging all at the same time... pretty much everything you'd expect from a Judd Apatow flick (Knocked Up, 40 year Old Virgin, Superbad). I was really surprised at how quickly I felt something for the main character Peter, played by Jason Segel and how fast I was invested in the story. I don't think a hurricane could have pried me away from finishing this movie. I laughed from the beginning to the end, and even some on the car drive home!

If you have time this weekend go check it out. While the type of humor may not be for everyone, which you may very well know if you have seen any of the films listed above, I think it is still worth watching. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think after you see it. I promise it'll be worth it!!

Jennifer & Kelly : Engagement

2008-04-17T20:50:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I shot an engagement session for a super nice couple, Jennifer & Kelly. They met while they were attending the University of St. Thomas and decided to do their session on campus. It's great when couples have their portrait sessions at places that are significant to them! I think that it makes it extra special for them and the pictures turn out being more unique.

Here are a few of my favs:

During their consultation I found out that they were both musicians in college. So I asked them to bring along their instruments to jazz up their session a little bit!

Kelly wanted to do a cool CD cover shot:

We then made our way down Montrose and stopped at The Black Labrador. They have this neat life-size chess board and they were both up for a game:

My favorite from the day:

Apple T.V.

2008-04-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought an apple tv and as of right now... I love it!! I wasn't sure for a long time if I wanted to get one or not but after I moved into the new house I said what the heck, "New big screen, why not new apple t.v as well?"

The main reason I like it so much is that it's another great tool for me to show my portfolio. I think it looks very impressive when my clients come over and see huge images on my 52" television. The apple tv displays the images in high definition and the quality is amazing. I can also play music playlist that I made to go with the slides for a nice presentation.

Now, for some of the geek stuff :) I have a ton of movies... last time I counted I had over 300 standard dvd's and my Blu-Ray collection is slowly climbing as well. What I would like to do is buy a 2 terabyte drive, rip all my movies to the drive, and stream all of them to the apple tv for instant viewing. This would take a lot of time i'm sure, just ripping of all the content on the dvd's, but in the end it will be worth it!! It'll be like a movie on demand blockbuster in my living room!! Can't wait to see how it turns out :)

Kim & Mark : Wedding

2008-04-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad wedding season is here again. I'm getting really busy right now and that's just the way I like it! I love shooting people and I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else right now!

I had never me the bride or groom before this wedding. I think I may have spoken to Kim a few times over the phone but we had never met face to face. Needless to say, when I showed up for her wedding she treated me as if we had know each other for years. She confessed though that she does check my blog alot and got a great sense of my personality from my past posts. It's great to know that I'm not just posting images and writing to myself, lol.

I could genuinley feel the love between these two on there wedding day and there is nothing that makes me happier than shooting two people who are really into each other. I was able to get a lot of great portraits of these two. Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

I love shooting details:

The beautiful bride:

Kim's bridal party were so fun and full of energy:

Here's the handsome groom:

The godfather shot!

I love this shot. Everyone's doing there own thing and it's very casual:

It's also fun to set up cool shots like this as well:

What made this wedding so special for Mark and Kim was that they made most of the weddings decorations themselves! Mark even baked the wedding cake, check it out!!

I love this moment. Mark had just given a speech after the toast to his new bride:

A few more great portraits:

Thank you so much for having me out you guys! I had so much fun and I am very thankful that you trusted me to shoot your special day!

House Warming Party

2008-04-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday after Kim and Mark's Wedding (look out for their wedding post tomorrow) Kayla and I had a house warming party. We just moved into a house in downtown Houston and it is awesome. I'm now closer to where most of my shoots are located and I think it's just cool to be so close to all the Houston action! Here are a few photos from our amazing partay!!

First here's a picture of Nala looking out the window of her new house...I couldn't resist blogging this photo!

Here is a pic of my aunt's gorgeous friend Judy:

One of my closest friends Jason, and his lovely girlfriend Soeun:

Later on in the evening we brought out Rock Band! Isn't that a great game for parties? Everyone loved it, we had a good time!!

Don't you just love how concentrated Bonnie and I are while rockin' out to Weezer's "Say It Ain't So"

Here's Kayla working it out on the drums, lol!

My friend Chris and my mother, ewww!

And a final shot of the 2 host of the evening:

If you want to view all the images from the party click here. Thank you everyone who came out! Rock on!!

Second Shooting

2008-04-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Photographers ask me all the time, "How did you get started shooting weddings?" and my answer is always the same... Second Shooting! Find a photographer in your are who is willing to let you tag along on a few weddings and practice. Who cares if you're getting paid or not, the experience is well worth it. I was fortunate enough to have a friend, Chris Wineinger, who was already shooting weddings to let me come with him when I first started out. Check out his blog. He doesn't post often so leave a few comments demanding to see more images!!

Chris is a all around good guy and I feel lucky to be able to call him a friend. A few weeks ago he asked me to tag along with him to one of his weddings and I jumped at the chance. Even though I shoot my own weddings now, it is always fun to shoot for yourself and get those creative shots you wouldn't normally be able to get when you are the lead photographer. Here are a few from Ryan and Sarah's wedding.

A few Details:

The beautiful bride:

Here's Chris....he loves being in front of the camera:

I managed to snag a few of the bride when Chris wasn't jumping in front of my lens:

It didn't last long!

It was all in good fun though. Here is Chris again slacking during the ceremony. We're no ordinary photographers!

Ok back to the couple...I managed to get these off as the sun was setting. I loved the sincere moments between these two:

So if you ever get a chance, second shoot for another photographer. If nothing else it's lots of fun and you get to be in a non-stressful situation to improve your craft. Thank you Ryan and Sarah for letting me come out!!

Robin & Keith : Engagement

2008-04-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Robin and Keith, a super fun couple whose wedding I'll be shooting later this month. There aren't enough good things that I can say about these two. Robin is sweet & cool and Keith is the kind of guy everyone would want to be friends with. I got along with them so easily, I felt like I was just one of their old just friends hanging out. They were both full of energy for their shoot and were really into each other. I had so much fun shooting with them, they were up for doing any shots I asked and I could tell that they were having a good time. That's exactly what I want for all of my clients when I shoot their engagements. I want us to get to know each other better and for you guys to just have fun!

We started at the Aquarium for their Engagement Session. It is becoming one of my favorite places to shoot:

Robin had so many great looks! She was so much fun:

Then we continued our way downtown for a few more shots:

One of my favorite moments:

Thanks for the good time guys, see ya in a couple weeks!!

Jennifer : Bridal Session

2008-04-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Jennifer is one of the nicest people that I know. When I shot her engagement session a few weeks ago, she was a blast to shoot with. She cheered Greg up when he lost his Jacket during the shoot (sorry man) and made him smile when I asked her to. I can't wait to shoot her wedding in May!

Here are a few pictures from her Bridal Session. She brought along her mom and a few friends and they were a lot of help! I can tell that they are going to be fun to be around at her wedding, can't wait!

Here they are holding the dress:

The stunning bride!

I really loved her bouquet! It has an awesome spring theme going on:

Last shot of the day:

Headshot by [b]ecker

2008-03-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago [b]ecer had a video post on his [b]school blog that he would be doing a meet and greet during WPPI at the Paris Hotel. He brought his camera along to grab a few shots of everyone who is participating in this awesome online community for photographers. Here is my shot that he took of me:

About 80 people gathered at the bottom of the Paris Hotel to meet him. It was hilarious, all the tourist were walking by wondering if he was some kind of superstar! I'm glad I went because I was able to meet a few new friends, some even from Houston and I got a chance to thank becker for all he is doing to help raise the bar for wedding photographers. Thanks bro for coming out and it was great meeting you again!

24th Birthday Party!

2008-03-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Not only was today Easter Sunday, it was my Birthday!! I woke up this morning and went to church with my aunt, and then I went out to dinner with my family at Carrabbas. We had a great time talking, laughing, and eating great food! They had a new dessert today...i think it's the dessert of the week. I can't remember what it was called but it was delicious. If you have a chance to stop by and try it this week you should...just ask for the cool strawberry cake thing, lol. Here are a few photos from today!

Carrabbas!

Yours truly showing off his self portrait skills:

Me and Kayla:

My best friend Matt:

Here's our awesome waiter bringing me the fancy cake I was talking about earlier. He brought over a group and they sang happy birthday in Italian!

Me and Mom:

Group shot!

Here's some video that I recorded with my Canon Powershot SD870IS! I just found out today that it recored video also and it's really cool. The video quality ain't so bad either!!

I just want to say thank you to my family and friends who came out to celebrate my birthday with me! I had a great time!!

Finally Home

2008-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

I got home late yesterday afternoon and there aren't enough words to describe my first trip to WPPI. It was all that I expected and so much more. I got to meet a ton of photographers and it's great to be surrounded by people who have the same passion as you. I met a few photographers that I look up to including Mike Colon (again...he sort of remembered me), Jessica Claire, [b]ecker, Jesh De Rox, Jasmine Star, Kevin Kubota, and Dennis Reggie to name a few.

My first day in Vegas was spent attending any and every seminar that was available that day and I learned sooo much. I look at my photography in a totally different way now. I've set some personal goals for myself to push myself even harder this year. One of the many things I'm going to do is to start shooting personal projects more, not just weddings, to keep the creative juices flowing!

A few more changes:

1. Switching to Raw from Jpeg... I know it's geek stuff to you but is now extremely important to me.
2. In the next month or two a new online proofing system will be available to view your images online. It's so cool and totally fits my style.
3. I am also going to start offering a cool new album from a company called Lavie. They are a little pricey but totally worth it!

I know I said I was going to take tons of pictures but I honestly forgot to pull my camera out all weekend. I was so focused on learning everything there and meeting everyone, that I forgot take any photos. Oh well...i'm off to get ready for my wedding tomorrow! I have another wedding and a few sessions to post also so look out for those soon. It's starting to get really busy around here. Isn't wedding season great!

I did manage to get one off...Shot of Paris Hotel:

Going to WPPI!!

2008-03-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well I'm off to Vegas to attend WPPI for the first time! I'm soooo excited about all the photographers I'll get to meet and all the cool things I'm going to learn. When I get back I'll try to have tons of photos to blog and adventures to tell!

If any clients need to reach me the best way will be through email. I'll try to check my box at least twice a day and get back to you as soon as I can. I'm off!!!

April & Zach : Wedding

2008-03-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

April and Zach are an awesome couple. They are both fun, relaxed, and it doesn't hurt that they're both good looking! When I shot their engagement session a few months back, we had a great time and I knew their wedding would be no different. It felt like I was just an old friend with a fancy camera the whole day! Thanks for having me at your wedding guys and I wish you both the best!

Few Details:

They are both really, really, really ridiculously good-looking!

Zach helping out the ring bearer right before the ceremony:

What can I say? I get the cutest kids:

I absolutely love these shots. The grain totally sets the mood:

Showing off his Guitar Hero Skills!

Perfect Send Off:

Leslie : Kid Shoot

2008-03-13T17:48:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting Leslie here. I love shooting kids at weddings! They always give you the best natural expressions and are genuinely fun to be around. Whenever I see them playing on the dance floor or digging into a slice of cake, my finger goes trigger happy on the shutter. I love kids!

Leslie was very fun to work with. She was shy at first but after she loosened up, we got some really cool shots!

Isn't this fun:

Very pretty smile :)

She can take a relaxed shot to though. These were some my favs!

Kathryn & Jamie : Engagement

2008-03-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I shot an Engagement Shoot for Kathryn & Jamie, a cool couple who's wedding I'll be shooting in July. It was a great day outside and we walked around Herman Park sharing stories about how they met at Texas A&M University. I get a lot of Aggie weddings for some reason, I think I might even know their school song by heart now! Needless to say, they smiled when I asked them if it would be played at their wedding...oh well :)

Here a a couple of my favorites from their session:

Nice light!

Texas Primary

2008-03-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Well I'm off to wait in the 3 hours lines to vote for my favorite candidate today!! Hopefully most of you here in Texas have already voted earlier this week and can avoid the lines. My unfortunate talent of procrastination however has lead me to wait till the last possible moment to go vote and now I must suffer the consequences.

I just read online that Clinton and Obama are neck-and-neck in the polls right now so whoever is your favorite could use your support. I hate it when people try to tell me who to vote for so I'm not going to tell you to go out and vote for Obama :) Nope i'm not going to do it. Oh well haha, happy voting!!

Ashley : Senior Session

2008-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

Wow, this will be my third post in a row! I'm on a roll right now. So many exciting things are happening and I just feel the need to share what's been going on!

Earlier this week I shot a senior session for the lovely Ashley here. She sums up everything that I want to embody in my senior sessions... fun, cute, and cool! I had so much fun working with her on this shoot, we were laughing all day! She was very relaxed in front of the camera and I got some killer shots! Check these out:

First two shots of the day. It doesn't get any better than this:

I love the natural expression in this shot:

I saw this neat little bench with awesome light all around it. I had to shoot here:

Ashley brought along a few outfits so we did a wardrobe change. I love how she kept her theme cool but still very stylish:

J.Crew catalog anyone:

Nice sun flare:

Last few of my favs:

If there are any seniors out there that want their super cool and hip senior photos taken, leave me a comment or send me an email! Good luck next year at UT Ashley!!

Joe Photo...Movie Star???

2008-02-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know who Joe Photo is, ummm.. where have you been? J/K, Joe is another talented California photographer. He runs in the same circle as Becker, Mike Colon, Jessica Claire... you know, just about all the photographers that I look up to. Well apparently Joe has started his own mini series sponsored by WPPI. It pretty funny, here it is:

What's great too is if you embed this video in your blog and fill out this form on Joe's site, you'll get free admission to WPPI in 2009! I don't know about you but that's $250 that I would love to keep to use for gear or other marketing materials. So unless you're made out of money, put this video on your blog. You'll get a chance to attend one of the largest trade shows for photographer in the world and meet some really cool people! Oh yeah, I'll be attending for my first time this year so if anybody else is going, leave me a comment and maybe we can meet up!

Mastering Your Craft

2008-02-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I attended the Mastering Your Craft Seminar hosted by Super-Talented Celebrity Photographers Mike Colon and Bob Davis. Some of their most recent celebrity weddings include Usher, Eddie Murphy, and Tony Parker & Eva Longoria! I have been so excited all week that I would finally get to meet these guys and they were awesome.

Mike's sense of humor alone would have been worth going to watch. He's really laid back and I could genuinely tell that he was really there to share his knowledge and to help us. I learned so much from him and not just things about photography. Some of the things he spoke on can be applied to life in general and I am very grateful that I was able to attend.

Mike also felt the need to use me in a few lighting demonstrations. I got to hold his flash up high while they created a mock first dance. Yay for me, I got to hold Mike Colon's flash! Seriously, I was embarrassed because I turned his flash the wrong way after he had fixed it and he told the class (after trying to fire his flash numerous times with no success), that the speakers he usually sits his flashes on at weddings don't usually turn the flashes around! Everyone laughed at me and I was totally embarrassed. It was all in good fun though... hopefully!

I don't know what I can say about Bob. His technical skills go way beyond that of any photographer that I know. He has had his images published in Time magazine and he shoots work for Oprah all the time. His ability to not only capture the moment, but tell a story is what separates him from the rest. His philosophy is one that I plan on working harder on in my own work.

There are 2 dates left on their tour, both in California. If you are able to attend this workshop you should!

Oh yeah, while I was in Dallas this weekend I was able to catch the Oscars from my hotel! How about the Coen brothers? They came up big winning for Best Picture, Best Achievement in Directing, & Best Writing-Screenplay for No Country for Old Men! I felt that Juno was snubbed, and should have won in a few more categories. John Stewart was hilarious though and he made the Oscars all worth watching!

**EDIT...

Here are a couple of shots I pulled from Mike's blog! After ruining Mike's flash demonstration, he decided torture me more by puting me behind the lens. That's Bob holding the video light over my head, haha.

New Offering

2008-02-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

I've thought about adding a new addition to my wedding packages for a while, and now I think is the perfect time to do so. I love working with my clients! I honestly believe that I get some of the best brides and grooms in the world. Many times I book brides off of my website and blog alone, without having ever met them in person. My blog and website give them a good feel of who I am, what I'm like, and they feel comfortable booking me. I think that it is very important that you feel comfortable with your photographer and to like them! The pictures always turn out better, trust me.

With that being said, Engagement Sessions will now be included with every Akil Bennett Wedding Package. It's a great way for us to get to know each other better! In addition, it will help both of you feel more comfortable in front of the camera so that on the wedding day, you're at ease. If you are an out of town bride or or having a tough time scheduling the session because of work, we can always do it the week before the wedding. When I show up to the wedding I want the bride and groom to feel like I'm just a friend with a cool camera! This will help me to more effectively capture their wedding day.

Time For Change

2008-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

Anyone catch the NBA All-Star game tonight? It was awesome.. I see Chris Paul becoming one of the leaders in the NBA right now. He totally turned that game around for the West tonight even though they lost. Damn you Ray Allen... he got hot in the fourth quarter and hit like four 3-pointers in a row to win the game for the East. Oh well, we'll get em' next year.

Barack Obama will be coming to Houston for a special 'Stand for Change' Rally on Tuesday, February 19th. If you can come you should check it out and hear what he has to say. It's free and open to the public but tickets are required so go to there website and register! In the mean time, check out this cool video I found on you tube:

Jumper

2008-02-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

Man I wish I was a jumper. Wouldn't that be cool to be able to go anywhere you want anytime you want to. Would I use my power for good or for evil though??? Hmmm, definately for good...I'd probably be a Super Hero!!

Well if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to go watch the new movie directed by Doug Liaman called "Jumper." He's famous for directing Swingers and Mr. and Mrs. Smith... anyway, Jumper was awesome. I really liked it! It had a few plot holes here and there but overall I thought it was very entertaining. It gives a whole new perspective on what people would do if they actually had abilities beyond that of mortal men.

Good performances, sweet action sequences, and a good story awaits you if you go see this movie. Don't listen to the critics, I think they were a little hard on this one. Go check it out!!

Yolonda & Aaron : Engagement

2008-02-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Meet Yolonda & Aaron, a super cool couple whose wedding I will be shooting in August!! They were so much fun to work with. Aaron is a high school teacher here in Houston and Yolonda is a graphic artist. Best of all, they are both fellow UH COUGARS!! Here are a couple of my favorites we shot at the park this past Saturday:

A few nice portraits:

Too cool for school!

They were very relaxed in front of the camera... I got these shots within the first 10 minutes:

It started to get a little hot so they decided to take an Ice Cream break... slackers! J/K, we had fun with it:

A few more of my favs:

Thanks guys, I had sooo much fun with you on Saturday!! Can't wait till the wedding!!!

Goodbye Party

2008-02-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

My cousins are moving to Australia this week with their mom. I'm kinda bummed about it, I don't really know when the next time i'm going to be able to see them is going to be. So we threw them a party at good ol' Chuck E' Cheese and they had soooo much fun. Of course I brought my camera along and snagged all the shots I could! Here are a few :)

Here is the oldest Jaleel, flashing his million dollar smile.

Bam Bam is so cute, he had so many great expressions! Seriously, it was hard to pick which ones I wanted to blog because they were all so good!

Here is Sofia, isn't she adorable?

Here she is again with Kayla...

Marjani never has to be asked to pose, she loves the camera!!

Here is their mom Pamela with their youngest daughter... I love this shot!

A few more family shots...

Yours truly rockin' out the basketball game... I look so intense!

Bam Bam kept following me around, taking my tickets...

And last but not least... I had Chuck E' strike a pose, so cool!

Well that's it. I'll miss you guys!!

Iron Man Trailer

2008-02-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't seen it, here is the trailer to the upcoming Iron Man movie. I am a huge movie fan and an even bigger comic book fan! Although some of the comic book movies that have come out in the past haven't been as good as I would have liked them, I still enjoy watching them. This one looks like it is going to be awesome though and I cant wait to see it! I pulled this trailer from the apple website, enjoy!

The [b] School

2008-02-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

There is an awesome photographer out of California named [b]ecker that has just started an online photographer community called the [b]school. I met [b]ecker last week at my good friends Chris and Janine's wedding and he is a really cool guy. He is very open and willing to share information. His website and blog was a constant source of information for me when I was starting off and it really helped me out alot!

Well this website's purpose it for photographers to network and share information. Everyday he uploads a small short with a tip or trick of the day on his blog. The official site is launching in March right after WPPI but his blog is live now. So if you're a photographer or even just like to take photos for fun, you should check it out. The videos are short, funny, and very helpful! I've had a few aspiring photographers email me with questions and my automatic response is always to check out becker's blog. Well now we have the [b]school as well and I think it's great! Go check it out!!!

Cool Scenic Shots

2008-02-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

Everyone excited about the Super Bowl today? I know I am! I'm about to head over to a friend's house to watch the game but before I do, I decided to create a post since I haven't blogged in a while. I have a lot of shoots coming up and I'm eager to share a lot of the cool new techniques i've been learning.

Here are a few shots from my trip to Hawaii last month. I went with a couple of friends from college and we had a blast. We traveled all over the island and it is seriously a photographers dream place to shoot. I think it's impossible to take a bad picture here... well not impossible but you know what I mean. If any brides are having a destination wedding in Hawaii, send me an email. I'd love to come out... anyway, here they are!

**EDIT: Seriously depressed the Patriots just lost... what a waste to a perfect season ;(

New Website!!

2008-01-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Continuing in the theme for new things this year at Akil Bennett Photography, I got a new website. The fancy folks over at Bludomain designed it for me and I love it! I think it fits perfectly with my brand and compliments my style - to provide the best fashionable, wedding style photography. I loved my old website and it served me well, but this one is awesome! Take a look, I put up a few new images as well, and let me know what you think. This is going to be a great year, enjoy!

Winter Wedding Specials

2008-01-15T10:23:00.000-08:00

The wedding season usually kicks off around April and lasts halfway through November. Those Saturdays typically book up fast but right now is the slower season. Currently I have a few dates still open in February and March so if you want an awesome photographer to shoot your wedding, send me an email so we can discuss your day. I'm offering specials on a case by case basis for those dates. My regular prices are listed on my website so give me a call to inquire about the special off-season pricing!!

Well since I know how much people hate reading blog post without pictures, here is a random shot from an engagement session I shot a few weeks back...

My dog Nala...

2008-01-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

I promise I'm not one of those people that are obsessed with their dogs! Seriously i'm not but I just bought a new lens (the awesome Canon 70-200 2.8 IS = $1700!!!!) and I wanted to do some test shots. This lens is awesome!! Congrats to all the lucky clients of 08' that will get all the benefits of the greatness of this baby! Ok, so here are the shots of Nala :)

Again sorry for all these Nala pics, but she was the only one who would model for me on such short notice!

Atonement

2008-01-10T14:40:00.001-08:00

If there is one thing that you should know about me, it is that I Love movies! I was a film production major in college and I was positive that I was going to be the next Spielberg. Turns out that photography was the path for me which is great, but it didn't deter my love for movies.

That being said, I saw an awesome film last week. I haven't seen a movie this well directed/acted in a long time. All three leads turns out stellar performances and the story just sucks you in. I didn't think it would be as good as it actually was going in and I was pleasantly surprised. If you have time, go check it out...it'll be worth it!

PS... something very exciting will be coming to Akil Bennett Photography within the next week. Be on the look out :)

Claire : Bridal

2008-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots from a Bridal Session I shot a few weeks ago. Claire is awesome and shooting her wedding, in many ways, may have been the best thing to happen to my business. She is super nice and smart, she's currently a grad student at Stanford at only 21! Shooting her session was very easy and we had a blast! I knew her wedding would be awesome, and sure enough it was. Look out for those photos soon! Here are some of my favs from her shoot.

I'm Back....

2008-01-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!! I took a little break from blogging but now I'm back and I have many things to share. Another photographer friend of mine mentioned to me this past weekend that I hadn't blogged in a while. I just noticed it has been over a month and I'm going to do my best to not let that happen again. Many new exciting things have happened in the past month or so that I am going to share and there are many things to come. My new years resolution is to blog at least three times a week and to try to include more personal things going on in my life. I have a feeling that this is going to be a great year!!

PS..the next entry will have photos, I promise :) I went to Hawaii a few weeks before Christmas...can't wait to share those!!

Workshop for Photographers

2007-12-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking of ways to help my business grow and offer the best experience possible for my clients. I've always heard different photographers comment on their blogs about photography workshops and how it changes the way they approach their craft. There is a photographer out in Dallas by the name of Fred Eagan whose worked I really admire, so when news came that he would be giving a workshop in Austin it I had to sign up!

Hopefully this will be the first of many I am able to attend in 2008! I can't wait to get inspired and start of with a great year!!

Australia Photos!!

2007-11-30T23:51:00.000-08:00

This was a trip to remember, I had a blast! Thanksgiving dinner was great, I got to go to some really cool wildlife parks, and on our last night we got to see the Melbourne production of Monty Python's "Spamalot." If you haven't seen that play, you must! They have a broadway version in NY and I would fly up there just to see it again. It was HILARIOUS!!!

Anyway, back to the trip. My little cousin Peter is almost 2 years old now and I got to spend a lot of time with him. I think I have officially become the photographer to document him growing up because I took about 300 pictures of him on this trip, so you will see a lot of little Peter. He made me laugh the whole trip, this kid is crazy! Here is one of my favorites of him.

Few shots around the city!

My mother and two aunts at an Aussie museum...

I saw this sign and loved it!

Peter and his mom, they're both beautiful!!

My Mom working it for the camera :)

That Saturday we drove down to Phillips Island. Their beach was beautiful, check these out!

Nice family shot...

Excuse my aunt... she needs a boyfriend...

When I got to the wildlife park, I was like "Wow i'm going to see some koalas and kangaroos!" I did but these must have been the laziest ones in Australia!!!

I think Peter liked the bats more..

He also hated to walk :)

Nice portrait of Twyla...

Well that's it for now! I took about 500 pictures and I couldn't possibly blog them all :)

Out of Country!

2007-11-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

I'll be in Australia for the next week (11/18-11/27) for Thanksgiving!! If you need to get in contact with me, send me an email and i'll answer it as soon as I can. I should have internet access so I'm going to do my best to check my box at least once a day. Check back soon also for photos from the trip!!

I got this awesome shot online of Melbourne at night. The city looks beautiful and should make for some awesome photo adventures. I can't wait!!!

Beowulf

2007-11-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last night I watched a sneak preview of Beowulf! I remember my high school english teacher telling us we had to read a poem for a homework assignment and it turning out to be 730 pages. Needless to say I wasn't to happy about that. But Robert Zemeckis (the director...one of my favorites) turned this piece of literature into a work of art! I loved this movie!!! The animation was great, awesome performances from a couple of A-List actors, and it had great action sequences. Go see this movie, you won't regret it!

Sarah & Tony : Wedding

2007-11-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I shot a wedding for an awesome couple. They were really fun and laid back and I had a blast at their wedding. Sarah and Tony, thanks for letting me be a part of your special day! Everyone was very nice and made me feel very welcome. Here are some of my favorites!!!

Bridal Party having a drink before the wedding...

Here are all the bridesmaids helping Sarah with her dress, it was a team effort!

Here is Tony and his cool groomsmen. They were great and were all for getting this shot!

After the ceremony we headed over to the Woodland Resort for the reception. They were great in front of the camera...

And here is the send off...

Congrats guys and again, thanks for letting me shoot your special day!

To see more of their wedding, CLICK HERE for a slideshow!

Photo Adventure in Jamaica!!

2007-10-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

I had a blast shooting in Jamaica!! We arrived thursday morning but our wedding wasn't till Saturday so I was able to sight see around and take lots of photos. Here are few!!

Great View!

My good friend and fellow photographer Chris also came along on the trip. Here he is with our driver Wayne.

Here I am with Wayne...

All the locals were very friendly! We saw these kids and wanted to take some pictures with them so we bribed them with sodas!

Wayne also took us to visit his Grandmother! She was a sweet woman.

Man, Walmart really is Everywhere!!!

Their beach was beautiful...

This kid was awesome! I saw him on the beach and had to take a picture, this is my favorite from the whole trip :)

Wedding in Jamaica!!!

2007-10-20T19:50:00.001-07:00

Hello Everybody,

Currenty I am in Jamaica mon', shooting a destination wedding!! Sorry if I haven't responded to all the emails I have been getting. I'll try to answer them all when I get back. Check back soon for photos from the trip, later!!

April & Zach : Engagement

2007-10-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

April and Zach are an awesome couple that I was able to shoot with this past Sunday. They were both fun, fresh, and really laid back. I can tell that i'm going to have a blast shooting their wedding this coming March. Here are a few of my favs from the shoot!

Fun cadid portraits!

Zach rocked the basketball game and won her an animal!

Nice moment...

They were really relaxed in front of the camera.

This one is my favorite of the day.

Sunday Night Football & New iPhone

2007-09-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's finally here!!! Football season started last night, I can hear all the ladies sighing as all the fellas are hooting at their big screen television sets. I spent the better of the day editing weddings & watching several games (Randy Moss' debut with the Patriots was awesome!!!). I think this will be one of the best season's yet.

So I took the plunge. This weekend I went against all my instincts that told me the iPhone was not worth the investment and I bought one anyway. I got it Saturday and when I got home I spent about an hour learning all the new functions and things that it can do. I pride myself for being tech savy but this phone is still over my head. There is so much that it is capable of, i'm having a blast with it!!!

Also, if anyone is interested in buying one you should know that the price just dropped! 8gb models are now $399 and the 4gb models are $299. I got the 4gb because I don't plan on watching video's on my phone and draining the battery. I'll use my iPod for that. The phone is for listening to music when I forget the iPod, answering my clients emails more quickly, surfing the web, checking maps, the list goes on and on. Apple also just realeased a new iPhone touch. I'll go one step at a time though :)

Canon announces 40D!!!

2007-09-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I just saw this camera on the Canon website and it looks sweet!!! I'm always looking for the best new lenses, camera bodies, and products for my clients so I may give them the most awesome experience possible. This camera ships later this month. I can't wait to get my hand on one!!!!

Downtown Engagement Shoot

2007-09-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Labor Day. It rained here in Houston all day but that didn't stop my family from getting together and having a good time. Anyway, I know I haven't posted in a while and recently during a consultation I had a bride tell me how much she enjoyed the few post I have here on my blog. So I am going to do my best to post lots and lots of pictures more often.

Here are a few shots from Jessica and Chantha's Engagement shoot. I shot their wedding Last August (of 06') and they wanted to get some more photos of themselves together. So we went downtown and got some amazing shots!!

They were really fun to hang out with! Here Jessica saw this shop downtown that sells vintage clothing and of course, Chantha protested to taking a look inside.

I love shots like this one!

After all that running around, we got a little hungry. We decided to get some pizza from Frank's Pizza. If you've never had pizza here you're missing out!!

Alright that's it for now! Thanks to Jessica and Chantha for the awesome shoot!!!

Fashion Shoot

2007-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today I had a fashion shoot with the lovely Kim in downtown houston. It was really a pleasure getting to know her and of course we got some really cool shots. She was just a natural in front of the lens. Here are some of my favs from the shoot!

I had a hard time deciding which style I liked best so I decided to just post both of them :)

This one is by far my favorite!

Lupita's Bridal

2007-07-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from a Bridal Session I shot this past Sunday. We shot the session at Rice University and Lupita was very fun to work with. I can't wait to shoot her wedding coming up in August, I heard some of her plans and her wedding should be awesome!!

I fired off a few quick shots just to get her relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera.

Then we had some fun!!

I love how she is out-of-focus in this shot!!

I really like this one too. There is just something about the moodiness of it that I love.

Good times!!

2007-07-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pics from yesterday's BBQ. I had a great time hanging out with my family. We had awesome food, played dominoes (I let my aunts win no matter what they say), and we lit fireworks at night. Hope eveyone enjoyed their 4th as well!!

My aunt's serious poker face...

Check out my little cousins!! They're so cute...

This is my grandmother grilling outside. She's a great cook!

Mom loves the camera...

My aunt trying to model?? I told her not to quit the day job ;)

happy 4th

2007-07-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

I just want to wish everyone out there a Happy Fourth of July!! It's raining here in Houston (no good because I wanted to go see the fireworks tonight) but hopefully it'll clear up later. I'll be having dinner with my family today and everytime we get together we have a good time!! I'll post some funny pictures from the bbq tomorrow.

My First Post

2007-07-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to my new blog! Here are some of my favorites from a wedding I shot last week. Kevin and Kim are really good friends of mine and I had a blast at their wedding!

Kim looking great as she gets ready for the big day!

Here is Kevin looking GQ.

They had a beautiful Ceremony at The Gardens...

After the ceremony we took a few relaxed shots. Don't they look great together!

Congratulations to Kevin and Kim and I wish them all the best! Thanks for viewing my first post on my new blog. Hopefully this will give my clients a chance to get to know me on a more personal level as I strive to provide them the best photos on the planet. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.