CONTACT INFO (temp)

Oh yeah, if you want to get a hold of me, please CALL 831-320-9478 or email me temporarily at libertized@msn.com as I am still setting up the email system with the new site. This will only need to be done for the 2 days, so no worries. THANKS.

okay people, I just transferred DNS name servers, and it takes "up 72 hours to propigate the servers". (Eh?) What that means is that at any given time over the next 2+ days, www.mikesteelman.com is going to be FULLY FUNCTIONAL! Yes, it is true. As faithful bloggies, you get the "soft opening" of the website, as I will do a Grand Opening in the coming weeks. So, what I'm really trying to say is this - check back frequently to experience the fresh new site! I'm really proud of it. Of course as time goes by, it'll only get better as I add more pictures to the galleries, etc. Right now I chose a handful of wedding clients to share with you, but there's so much more. Don't rush through the site though...Be sure to take a few moments, relax, and then let me know what you think. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday! ENJOY.

MONDAY SO THEY SAY

Okay, so I received an email saying that my new website will be up on Monday sometime. I really hope so because the anticipation is killin me! Plus, I really am eager to share it with you all. In the meantime, how about a completely off the wall subject- SPAM. No, not the stupid emails you get, but the delicious, well balanced diet of canned meat (I think). There are some pretty cool websites completely devoted to the love of spam. For now, how about a cool picture of some spam misubi. I probably spelled it wrong, but it tastes the same nonetheless. In Hawaii, this stuff runs rampant! If you don't like it, something is wrong with you and you are exiled from the islands. Kind of. Start with some classic sticky rice - no Uncle Bens non stick rice here baby! Add a deliciously delicate slice of your favorite SPAM meat, and finish it off with a nice refreshing piece of seaweed to hold it together. The wonderful juices from the fried piece of SPAM gently melts into the sticky rice, giving it it's signature all around flavor. I'm telling ya, it's time. Maybe there will be future articles about the famous canned treasure. Who knows. Let me know about your experiences with our favorite delicatessen. ENJOY!

WAIT...a funny word.

Still waiting! Come on baby, let's get this site going!

Waiting...ANXIOUSLY! :)

Just waiting on the web host to upload the site... To all of you who have been so patient, thank you so much! Some pretty cool stuff happening all at once. We're also in the process of moving residences, and diligently seeking a new studio office space. The few I had working didn't pan out, but I know that God has some perfect place in mind that will probably be better than expected. Y'all know how it goes. :)

For the meantime, let me share with you Georgette. Georgette is an instructor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and teaches Arabic. She is Lebonese, beautiful, and a blast to work with! We had a great time with her last Monday, just getting some Lifestyle shots at the local wharf and beach. What an awesome day in Monterey! The sunset was perfect, as was the weather. I love it when it all works together! I sometimes start jumping up and down, kinda. Here are just a few pics of Georgette...

A FRESH LOOK...SOON!

Hi everyone, I'm sorry that I disappeared for a while. Things have been crazy busy here, and I promise to fill you in very soon. Just wanted you to know that I will be having my new website up within the week, and would love for you to check it out! It's been one of the things that have kept me from my non-existant habit of blogging. I have a few engagement shoots, a wedding in Florida, a new home, new office, and some other favorites to share with you, so look forward to a fresh new blogging experience!! Thank you so much for your patience, and I can't wait to share with you all that's been going on here at Mike Steelman Photographers!!! :)

Admission

Okay, so with all that's been happening lately, from driving to Vegas for WPPI to driving to Idaho and then Oregon, coming home to photo shoots, learning MAC vs PC, reading up on stuff,I have an admission to make... I am not that good at blogging! AHHH!! Seriously, you who blog daily and carry on the regular tasks of life - how do you do it? You have my admiration, truly. I think about posting a lot more often than I really do, and being the perfectionalist that I am ( I think I have a minor case of OCD when it comes time to completing tasks because I like to be thorough!), I find myself not posting because an image isn't ready or the thought that I had hasn't come back to me yet. Can you believe that? :) Well, let me say this, as a challenge to myself before all of you, I will try to post at the very least once a week. BABY STEPS, as Bob put it. (Come on, you know the movie "what about bob?").
Anyways, life has been crazy here lately, but in a great way. In a very quick and small nutshell: my son is growing like a weed, biting everything that gets in front of him - he's almost a year old! The trip to Idaho and Oregon was a blast, as we got to spend Easter with our families, and witness my sister in law get baptized! Still trying to absorb and put into play all the new info/contacts/new friends & colleagues I met down in Las Vegas at the Wedding and Portrai Photographers International Convention (more on that later...I promise). Taking photos of an adorable little baby, meeting new clients, following up with previous orders of prints, organizing the home and office, and basically just getting back to somewhat of a routine! Spring break was great with the family, but as with any vacation, the home adjustment always seems to take a bit longer, right? Nonetheless, the train is moving, and I am on board!! So, thank you for your patience with my rookie blogging, or lack thereof. Should get more interesting... Hang in there! LOTS OF COOL STUFF UPCOMING!

Hangin in there!

Hi all! It has been quite a while since my last post, and I apologize for taking so long. The expression "When it rains, it pours" is so true! We've had a transmission go out on the photo van, power steering probs with the other car, I've been submerged with Apple's new Aperture program totally chewin up the info on how to use it, shooting, shooting, and shooting, and of course watching my wonderful son during the day! Switching platforms from PC to MAC is great! But because I'm such a perfectionalist it's taking me a long time. Oh yeah, for those who do not know already, I have taken the plunge and committed 100% to my photography by stepping away from the restaurant management position (although it was only 3 days a week). What a blessing! I will be able to focus ALL of my energies on what I truly love to do, my passion of photography. Of course, there is a transition period, and what a blast it's been! FAITH - Forsaking All, I Trust Him...
I've finished the Park's wedding, and I can't wait to post some more photos for you to see! They are truly a great couple with some fun energy! Here's a preview...

I leave tomorrow morning early for WPPI's convention in Las Vegas. I am so looking forward to meeting new friends, catching up with old ones, and seeing what's new...not to mention maybe pickin up a couple seminars. The only lul in my plans is that I am gonna miss my wife and son for a week! Thanks for hangin out, and I'll post more often...

MARCH ALREADY?

I can't believe it's March already! You always hear that time just flys by faster when you have a kid, but man is that so true! Running a business, enjoying life with family and friends, making new friends from clients and more, teaching your 10 month old the meaning of "No"...before you know it, another year has flown by, and then another. I am challenging myself this month (baby steps)to "just do it". I can thank Nike, I guess. Whatever is genuinely on your heart, just do it and step out in faith. Of course, hopefully your heart is in the right place. :0) My to do list just keeps getting longer and longer, and I am constantly tempted to become overwhelmed by life's little things. However, it is so nice sometimes to just sit with my wife in my arms, watching my son chew on something he's not supposed to, and smile. Thank God i have the sanity to stop and really take it in. Go ahead...STOP with the busyness of your day, take a deep breathe, loosen the reigns a little, and begin to really LIVE. You'll like it, I promise.

Mike Colon Intensive

Finally! I am posting a little on the Mike Colon 4 day Intensive down in So-Cal that I went to Feb. 19-22nd. Let me begin by saying that it was just an awesome experience! I've been reading Mike's blog and such for some time now, and the person that he comes across as online is just a glimpse into how cool he really is. For those of you who don't know, Mike Colon is one of the wedding photography industry's leaders, and is well respected in his leadership & business sense...not to mention his great photographic skills! God has truly blessed him with a terrific business and an authenticity that I can only hope to exhibit. And even being surrounded by so much materialism, he is genuinely humble, which probably was the most impactful thing to me. As a believer in Jesus, he is a great encouragement to me as he shares his faith in all he does. Thanks Mike!

I really wanted to share with you each night as it progressed, but, even being the night owl that I am, I found myself pooped out each night crashing as soon as I got back to the hotel. So, this cliff note version will have to suffice! Above, a shot of all of us who attended- what a great group pf photographers! L-R: Michael Norwood, Craig Davis and Andy Peterson, Priscilla O'Sullivan, Corey McNabb, Jose Gonzalez, Tiffany Aicklen, Danielle Reedy, Yours truly, Tomas flint, Kristin Renee, David Burke, Bob Stender, Mike Colon of course, Melissa Rich, and finally our incredible model Brittany Gebler. A lot of talent, and some great new friends. What a life! More pictures coming...stay tuned!

A special Thanks to David Burke for taking this shot of me at the Mike Colon workshop in Newport Beach. Finally, a decent picture that I didn't take of myself! Haha. I'm totally gonna use it for my profile pic.!
This is David Burke...an awesome photographer in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. A man of faith, and an all around nice guy. Check out his blog here. Thanks Dave A lot more to come!

The Name Game

I've only a few posts on this blog, so I think it okay to still be trying to come up with a title name for it. Have any creative ideas?

A Deep Breath

So, I haven't forgotten to post, just been really busy. I am editing through the Park's wedding, the pictures I took at Mike Colon's Intensive (which is an upcoming blog entry, if not mulltiple entries, by itself), recalibrating my monitors, sending out overdue emails, watching my almost 10 month old zip across the floor now that he has perfected his crawling technique, meeting potential clients, redesigning our client reception lounge, making new slideshows, adapting to the world of Macintosh(as wonderful as it is), preparing in advance for WPPI, paying bills, and so on with all of the things that make up LIFE. Ahhh... It's always good to sometimes just stop and take in a nice deep breath, smell the diapers, and recompose. :) Don't laugh, you all know what I'm talking about! Here's a shot from the intensive to wet your tastebuds...more to come!So this morning I woke up with a completely blank mind. Of the things I wanted to accomplish tday, nothing was there! I went to bed last night with so many things racing through my mind on what I need to do, want to do, and wish to do, but didn't write it all down. I usually make a list to empty out the "memory bank", which helps me to basically "download" all the stuff running behind the scenes. (Can you tell I'm on a computer high right now?) The flipside of it is that I have a hefty to-do list already compiled, of which I am stoked to accomplish 3 things a day off of it! I did get some things done, but it took a long time to get back on track. Also, I played Mr. Mom today, and had a blast with my son! That is what it's all about...

I have to work the restaurant tomorrow daytime...a bit different from the usual. I was asked tonight by a client if I only do photography part time, and I realized that I don't - I work the restaurant part time, but am a full time photographer with all of the responsibilites of owning my own business. Pretty cool. BTW- What an awesome privelage to be able to own your own business, and to be doing what you love to do. I am Blessed!! Goodnight.

A little behind

I am running a bit behind in my postings, but plan to catch up very soon. I've been establishing a new workflow to be more efficient with my time. This is all based on my new mac, so my learning curve doesn't exist...It's now a vertical line! How does that saying go about eating an elephant? Oh yeah, you eat an elephant ONE BITE AT A TIME! So, my elephant is pretty big, but I like to eat!

What a Week!

Well, it seems that once you get going, you could very well never stop! It's like a snowball, but a good snowball :). I'm trying to post more on this blog, but time is so precious. This last week I got invited by the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) to come to their "Breakfast with the Pros" and do some photography for them. A few golf professionals (Craig Kanada, D.J. Brigman, & Michael Boyd) shared their testimonies, and what it means to be an athlete in this competitive world. A great influence on the teenagers and adults alike! It was held at the Monterey Marriot during the annual PGA Tour held at Pebble Beach (golf, for those that don't know).



I also did a headshot sitting with a gentleman for his job on Thursday, and finally ended the week with a wonderful Sweet 16 Party at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Seaside, CA. One of the sweetest 16 year olds out there, indeed. :)

Next week I have the Parks' wedding on Saturday. Should be great! It'll be at the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley - A wonderful setting.