Leysa & Ross are hot!

While in Las Vegas, I was able to squeeze in some shooting time amongst the bright colorful lights with Leysa and Ross. Ross and his company Flosites.com are the creative geniuses who designed my fab website. He and Leysa are newlyweds, so they brought their wedding outfits all the way from Europe to have me do a hot high-fashion shoot for them while we were all at WPPI. Last month at the Love Affair workshop, I learned about how awesome video light can be for night time photography, so I was excited to get this opportunity to experiment with it in Vegas, along with my new Pocket Wizards for dramatic back light. Now I'm in love with it all and totally want to do more night time shooting!

Because we were at WPPI, what started as a photoshoot with a few of friends of mine tagging along soon turned into a madhouse of other photographers joining in. The funniest part of the night was when Japanese tourists pulled up alongside us in the median of the road, rolled down their windows exclaiming "Look look, American paparrazzi!" and then they whipped out all their high tech Japanese cameras. I wish I had a shot of that moment! So funny!

Wedding days can be so rushed, so I love anytime I can get the opportunity after the wedding to do more creative fashion driven shoots with brides and grooms where they can really let loose and work it for the camera for some passionate shots. I love making my brides feel and look like supermodels as if their photos could appear on the pages of Vogue! For my current and future brides, it's never too late to add on a glam session to your package! It's your time to live it up and rock that dress of yours every chance you get!

Here are my faves from the shoot and their hot slideshow at the end!

EDIT: A lot of you have been asking what my lighting set up and settings were, so I've edited this post to include all the stats! Also, my video light you have been asking about was the Sima SL-20LX Ultra Bright Video Light - Silver. I hope this helps you all! Thanks for all the awesome compliments you have been leaving and emailing!


One of my favorite things in life, chandeliers.
SET UP: Video light to the right above. 1/160s at f/1.8 ISO 400 LENS: 28 mm1.8


SET UP: Video light to the left above. 1/100s at f/1.8 ISO 400 LENS: 28 mm1.8


SET UP: Video light to the right above. 1/100s at f/1.8 ISO 400 LENS: 28 mm1.8


SET UP: Video light to the left above. 1/100s at f/1.8 ISO 400 LENS: 28 mm1.8


It wouldn't be Vegas without a slot machine shot!
SET UP: Video light to the left. 1/100s at f/1.8 ISO 400 LENS: 28 mm1.8


My favorite shot of the night! I just love the energy of the motion and the lights and the attitude!
SET UP: Ok, so technically this shot is a combo of two Photoshopped together. They were both taken at 1/5s at f/9 to get the motion blur, and I had her stand still like a statue. But the first, the video light wasn't hitting her right, so I took another shot with it positioned better to the left. The fill light on her was better, but not as many cars passing gave a good motion blur, which is why I combined the two. Also too, I stuck my off camera flash behind her dress which produced the glowing blue light seeping through her dress behind her for more drama.



This is about the time the Japanese tourists whipped out their cameras! I can imagine they've never seen a bride on the cement in her dress! What's great about this shot is that the smiles were from Leysa having just fell down on Ross by accident! I love those priceless moments!
SET UP: Same as above since this shot happened by accident, I just kept shooting as she fell, and my off camera flash kept going off behind her to give the rim of light on her ams and hair.



SET UP: Natural light, 1/160s, f/3.2, ISO 600 LENS: 28 mm1.8



Yes this is Photoshopped. :-) I thought I would get a little creative with this one.
SET UP: Natural light, 1/160s, f/3.2, ISO 600 LENS: 28 mm1.8


The beauty of backlight flash.
SET UP: Video light in front, off camera flash behind them to produce the halo of light around her hair, 1/160s, f/3.2, ISO 600 LENS: 28 mm1.8


Ross is the man!
SET UP: Video light to the left, 1/200s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


I love elevator shots!
SET UP: Natural light, 1/200s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


SET UP: Natural light, 1/320s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


SET UP: Natural light, 1/15s, f/6.3 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8. Also, when I took the shot, I jerked the camera down and right to give the blur around them even more.



Bally's is where we stayed and partly where WPPI was.
SET UP: Video light to the left, 1/125s, f/2.2 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


SET UP: Video light to the left, 1/320s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


SET UP: Natural light, 1/400s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


Time for fashion!
SET UP: Natural light, 1/400s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


This is one of those pictures that almost didn't happen. I was having issues with my flash and Pocket Wizard's trying to set up the shot, and as soon as I finally got it figured out, I clicked this frame, and then a security guard came out right after to tell us we weren't allowed to shoot in front of Tiffany's. Whoops! I love stolen moments like that! ha!
SET UP: Off camera flash to the right, pointed left at them, 1/320s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


I love the random mess this photo is, yet how in the midst of them swirling around in the revolving door, reflection of people watching and Vegas lights, you can still see the emotion of their kiss.
SET UP: Natural light, 1/20s to get the motion blur, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


I'm determined to make it to see the real Eiffel Tower this year! But in the meantime, I loved grabbing this shot in front of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.
SET UP: Video light to the left, 1/50s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


SET UP: Natural light, 1/50s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8


The infamous Bellagio water show!
SET UP: Natural light, 1/400s, f/1.2 ISO 1600 LENS: 50mm 1.2


SET UP: Natural light from headlights of cars, 1/250s, f/1.2 ISO 1600 LENS: 50mm 1.2


You must watch this slideshow! Leysa and Ross are so hot!
SET UP OF THIS PIC: Natural light, there was a light in the water behind Ross that shot up to give the halo of light around his hair, 1/125s, f/1.8 ISO 1600 LENS: 28 1.8

It was a long night, but worth the jet lag and late night hours!


Here's a fun shot of my ShootSac I adore that my roommate Cheyenne accidentally caught of me when I stepped in her shot to position Ross and Leysa just perfectly.


After the photoshoot, I was about to head to The [B]ecker's party, but we got word that his party rocked so hard that he knocked all the electricity out of the hotel and shut down the casinos in Mandalay Bay?!?!? Only The [B]ecker!