Visual Exposure | Blog bio picture

Welcome to Visual Exposure Photography!

Hi! My name is Michael Boardman and I am an International wedding photographer based out of Orange County, California.

I am a firm believer of the saying "if you love what you do, you will never have to work another day in your life". Photography is my passion and what I love to do. Photography has been a wonderful journey which allows me to explore and tell unique stories or creative expressions of the world around us.

Thank you for visiting my site!

Jessica Claire’s workshop

02.28.2010 at 8:37pm

I had a great opportunity to attend one of Jessica Claire’s workshops in Ladera Ranch. For those of you that do not know who she Jessica is, Jessica Claire is recognized as one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographer’s in the World by American Photo Magazine and has been shooting weddings around the world and has been in business for about 10 years.

She really lived up to that reputation and she showed why she was of the best wedding photographers around. Her workshop was very helpful and inspiring and she answered any questions that were thrown her way. She is truly a great photographer, super friendly and a wonderful person and I am excited to have met her.

The workshop was awesome!! Jessica covered alot of ground but was very open and helpful to everyone. One of the pluses for me, in this workshop is that she lives 2 minutes away from my place in Ladera Ranch. However, it still doesn’t explain why I was  one of the last ones to arrive at her studio. Go figure.. Another plus to the workshop, is meeting and talking with other wonderful photographers from all over the world. I think, out of the 20 photographers that were present in this workshop, there were only three that were from California! Others traveled from outside of California, some from Canada and even a photographer visiting from Holland.

Here are the vendors that helped make the workshop a success!

Workshop:  Jessica Claire, http://www.jessicaclaire.net
Stylist: Duet Weddings, http://www.duet-weddings.com/
Flowers: Kate Holt of Flowerwild http://flowerwild.com/
Models:  Braedon & Lindsay Flynn, http://www.braedonsblog.com
Cake: Erica O’brien, http://www.ericaobrien.com/

Linen & pillows: La Tavola
http://www.latavolalinen.com/

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals (flatware and cake table)
http://classicpartyrentals.com/

Rentals: Badia Design (Spanish door, iron screen, Moroccan poufs)
http://badiadesign.com/index.jsp

Plates/glassware: Anthropologie
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

Invitation: CEVD
http://cevd.com

I truly loved the vivid colors, unique settings and decorations! The location was also perfect since it provided soo many different looks and opportunities to shoot.

The couple (Braedon & Lindsay) was awesome to work with.. They looked so natural in front of the camera. The chemistry was amazing and you could truly tell they were in LOVE!!

Braedon has a love for colorful socks, so he was willing to show them off!

This was my first workshop and I loved every minute of it!

Jessica, you are an amazing person! Thank you!!

Cheers!

Michael

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by mboardman

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Valentines Day + Huntington Library

02.26.2010 at 12:11am

Ahh, Valentine’s day! A day set aside especially for those in love! A day where you cherish, adore and spend more time with the one you love to show that you care for one another.. I just have to ask, shouldn’t that happen everyday? Rather than trying to rush everything on one day, trying our best to make up for those other missed opportunities to say I love you?? just wondering..

Anyway, since I had never been to the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. Melody decided that we should make a day out of it, check out the gardens, enjoy the beautiful day and find some place nice to eat for our Valentine’s Day dinner. Our day started with a very long drive up a traffic filled 5 fwy, which on any normal day would have taken us about an hour of driving. However, today of all days, the cars were in full force and a blanket of red lights fill the road. Thank goodness it was a beautiful day!

We arrived at Huntington Library, only to stand in a long line which resembled something you would see at Disneyland peak full of tourists. Thank goodness it was a beautiful day!! I know i’ve said that already, but it really was a nice day! :)

Once inside, I was instantly in awe of the vast amount of land and the different types of gardens that were assembled. What a beautiful place! Unfortunately for us, we are visiting a little early in the year, so alot of the flowers, roses and other botanical creations were not in bloom. This gives us another reason to visit!

The Japanese gardens were magnificent! I’ve always been intrigued by the calmness and sereneness of these types of gardens. It makes me want to have a big yard just so I can incorporate this type of landscape..

I love this bridge!

Here is Melody in front of the bridge.

nice patterns on the walkway.

One of my favorite pictures of Melody in front of some bamboo trees.. This place is simply amazing!

This section is the Chinese gardens. This is a beautiful place to just sit, relax, people watch and even eat while you overlook the water.

It was a gorgeous day at Huntington Library! I can’t wait to our next visit!

After the library, we headed to Culver City just in time for our reservations at Ford’s Filling Station. I love this place and I highly recommend it! They have a fixed menu for Valentine’s day, but I highly suggest you visit on any day where their regular menu is available. They seriously have wonderful food!

To Melody: Thank you for making this day, the best Valentines day ever! I truly love you!

Michael

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by mboardman

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Pasadena Photo Shootout | Wedding Photographer Los Angeles

02.17.2010 at 12:42am

OMG! What can I say.. The organizers of the OC Photog Shootout went all out on this event! Thank you to Hanssie (Hanssie Trainor Photography) and Matt (Matthew Saville Photography) for the wonderful event. What a wonderful event and a great experience. I love these events cause you actually get to talk and meet with other photogs and share experiences and stories. The location was magnificent and the models were stunning!

Here are some of the moments I captured while at the event.

I love the chemistry between these two!

I really loved this red door… and of course the beautiful couple in front of it! One of my favorite parts of this location were all the different background options that were available! Beautiful backgrounds around every corner.

The wonderful cupcake display at the head table was very nice! Look how appetizing these things look!

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by mboardman

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Why I want to attend WPPI

02.13.2010 at 1:39pm

A post was recently made by a buddy of mine Lawrence Chan of Tofurious asking people why they want to attend WPPI (Wedding Portrait Photographers International). This was a contest he is putting together to give away 10 free passes to WPPI that he received for being a vendor.  For those of you, who do not know Lawrence, he is a very knowledgeable individual on anything photography, SEO and marketing. Definitely check him out!

WPPI is one of THE BIGGEST conventions around for photographers, where vendors come from all areas gather in one place to display their latest and greatest products for photographers.

Since I have NEVER gone to WPPI, his post really got me thinking.. So, why would I want to attend WPPI for the first time? Aside from the parties, here are my reasons:

  • KNOWLEDGE and LEARNING: One of the biggest reasons for me to attend WPPI is to learn from all the great wedding/portrait photographers around. This convention seems to gather the best and most knowledgeable photographers to openly share (within the different panels) the information that helped their businesses grow through the years. This information is invaluable in itself.
  • NETWORK: Networking with other photographers to meet and really getting to know people. This is a great opportunity to talk and hang out with my peers.
  • NEW GOODIES: To see all the latest and greatest products, either software or hardware, camera bodies and lenses, wedding albums and other products to help enhance my photography.
  • ENHANCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: I also get an opportunity to see the latest products from vendors that I can provide to my customers to help enrich their experience when we work together. Providing something that other photographers do not, could help separate me from the pack and seeing other products that are presented at WPPI could do just that..

The funny thing is, every photographer I ask, “Is WPPI worth going to in Vegas?“, everybody replies emphatically, with a “Hell yes!“.. So I guess, it must be worth it..

Thank you!

Michael (mboardman@visualexposure.com)

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The new wedding album smell

02.04.2010 at 10:51pm

When I arrived at home the other day I found a large box sitting, tucked in the corner of my front porch. Hidden enough out of plain sight, but visible once you made it up the steps and to the door.. I took the box inside and immediately opened it. I was, as excited as a little kid on Christmas day, eagerly opening their presents from Santa! To my surprise it was the completed wedding album for a couple’s wedding I photographed a few months back.

The album is beautiful and arrived with matching hard cover sleeve, wrapped with the soft black leather that it donned. The quality is AMAZING! The album is well assembled and feels very sturdy in hand. The best part – the smell! That new album smell is fantastic! I wish they could bottle that up so I could wear it as cologne. I would be the envy of all my friends …. OK, It probably won’t work for me, but for this album, it works wonders! I just hope I don’t wear out that new album smell, before my client gets the book! :)

Andrea and Bill ordered a 10×10 sized wedding album, and I think they will be very elated with their choice and the final product.

Simple lettering on the front lower right portion of the cover portrays a classy and elegance tone..The sleeve is a perfect touch and helps keep dust away from your albums and helps protect the album. Also, the picture on the right with the book opens flat without putting additional stress on this hinge or spine of the album.The folks at Leather Craftsmen have really out done themselves. LC may be a little more expensive compared to other album binding companies, but they are well worth the quality and the longevity of the albums they produce.

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by mboardman

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Framing and Matting

01.31.2010 at 11:54pm

The past couple of months (when I can find spare time), i’ve spent time working on my framing and mat cutting skills. Today, I have finally gotten around to finishing the mat cutting, framing and hanging of the pictures. I was so excited about it, I figured I would share some of the pictures that I framed from my last trip to Paris. These pictures bring back sooo many wonderful experiences from our trip, that I got a little teary eyed as I hung these on the walls. I am soo looking forward to visiting there again in the future!

This picture was taken at Chateau de Versailles – Pathway to Temple of Love monument.

This is one of two fountains located near the L’Obelisque at the Concorde in Paris France.

This picture was not taken in Paris, but rather of my friend’s Nissan GT-R which I photographed in Orange County! I just thought it was cool, so i framed it! :)

PRINT Information:

These prints are 12×18 in size printed on matte archival photo paper. The Mats are Acid-free archival quality and cut with 3 inch mat. I mounted these prints also on Acid-free mounting board using Acid-Free spray adhesive. Frames are from Aaron Brothers with UV coated glass for extra protection. I have taken every necessary precaution to mount and provide prints that will last and maintain quality through the years.

Thank you for visiting!

Michael

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by mboardman

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San Diego Photog Shootout | Portrait Photographer San Diego

01.25.2010 at 12:35am

What a wonderful day at the San Diego Photog Shootout located at San Dieguito Heritage Museum! I was a little hesitant to head out to this event since I really didn’t know what to expect and the fact that it’s been raining pretty hard for the past week. Since this was an outdoor event, I thought we would all be struggling with the muddy ground conditions or even intermittent showers. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions, and extremely happy I decided to make it out. I met other wonderful photographers, awesome sets, cool classic cars and specially awesome models! Here are a few of my favorites from the day! I had a full memory card worth of shots, so it was difficult to pick and choose.

Here are JK and Lindsey! Wonderful look and chemistry!

One of my favorites of Lindsey! Very pretty!

What a cute expression!

What a cute looking couple (not that they are one)!

Here’s Megan and Mike!

Here’s Anna! I loved her expressions and look!

Here’s Sabrina! The modern day Rosie the Riveter look!

This is Taj (and Devon), but Devon wasnt pictured in this shot..

The organizers and leaders did a wonderful job! The models, the cars and just the overall experience of the day was wonderful!

After the shoot, we headed over to Garret Photography for food and to give us a chance to meet and talk with the other photographers that took part of the shoot. We were also privileged to listen to Roxanne from Pixel2Canvas talk about her wonderful products and Lawrence Chan’s (aka: Tofurious) discussion on photography business in general. His presentation was definitely mind-blowingly beneficial and his insight definitely makes you think! Thank you Lawrence!

This event was held in or near Solano Beach, CA, which took me about 50 minutes to drive down one way, stayed for about 7 hours, and came back with a wonderful feeling of accomplishment! I was able to meet several new friends (some even from Ladera Ranch), and to put faces to people who i’ve only communicated with over emails (I always love doing that)! In addition, we were fed at Garrett’s awesome studio and got to listen Lawrence preach on about business! What a wonderful day!!

I look forward to working with you all in the future!!

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by mboardman

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Kooza experience

01.22.2010 at 12:24pm

Melody and I enjoyed a great date night, by first grabbing a bite to eat at Niko Niko sushi in Irvine, before heading over to watch Kooza by Cirque Du Soleil held at The Great Park in Irvine!

What an amazing display of airobatics (that’s what i call air-acrobatics), contortionists, high flying and death defying stunts! The costumes, colors and stage setup (similar to other Cirque shows) of the show were amazing! We got to enjoy the show from secition 102/104 located in the main aisle! We even had a couple of characters interacting with us by basically sitting on our laps and giving us hugs (that was pretty cool)! The story of the show flowed nicely where they incorporated the acrobatics, high flying tricks, with other comedic aspects of the show.

One of my favorite parts of the show had to the be the three female contortionists! The ladies are fantastic and I couldn’t believe my eyes on their flexibility and ability to bend their bodies in unnatural ways, while trying to balance their weight on another weirdly bent partner. Simply amazing!

Another cool part of the show were the Two Guys in the Wheel of Circular Cages (I dont know the actual name of this contraption, so I made it up) of Death (the “of Death” was added to make it sound cooler)!!! These guys were very talented! There was a close call, however, with one of the performers where he tripped over a jump rope, while running on the outer part of the circle.. Seriously, not only are they spinning on this contraption, but both guys get out on the exterior portion of the wheel, and to top it off, they’re jump roping while running.. CRAZY!!! Luckily the mis-step was nothing serious, and the guy was able to recover gracefully. Phew!

The themes, costumes, stunts, comedy and music of this show made it a wonderful experience! Melody and I would definately watch it again!

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by mboardman

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Something new on the Horizon

01.19.2010 at 10:58am

A couple of days ago, there were reports from the different news outlets (Engadget, Fox News and WSJ) about an event that Apple is holding on January 27th, 2010 with a tag line of “Come see our latest creation“. Located at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco @ 10:00am .. What could Apple be unveiling? Could it be their fabled yet highly anticipated iSlate or iTablet? Ohh, i hope so.. I have been saving my pennies for such an event!

Rumors have the following being unveiled:

  • New Tablet announcement
  • iPhone OS 4.0
  • iLife 2010
  • iWork

Whatever it is, I always get excited to see what Apple brings to the table.

UPDATE: Here’s additional information from BoyGeniusReport:

  • There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
  • “A few new ways” to run applications in the background — multitasking.
  • Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
  • The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”
  • The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

Sweet! I can’t wait to see all the goodness they announce!

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by mboardman

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Morning Clouds!!

01.12.2010 at 10:26am

(taken with my iPhone)

What a beautiful array of morning clouds covering the city! For some strange reason I find myself always staring at clouds and intrigued by their unique formations, colors they generate with each sunrise or sunset and how they effortlessly glide through the air without a care in the world. This morning I just had to stop to take a picture.

I wish I could take a the rest of the day off to stare and study clouds, but there’s too much on my plate and too many loose ends.

Thank you for stopping by!

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by mboardman

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