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I AM MARC WEISBERG
I am a wedding and portrait photographer.
Here's a Few Things You Probably Don't Know About Me: I'm a Gemini. Born on May 21st right on the cusp. Just missed being a Taurus by a few minutes. I have nothing against you Taurus’s, my sister is a Taurus. I've been to Paris half a dozen times and it's my favorite city on the planet. IMO, Cuban chocolate is delish & unlike any other chocolate. In a past life I was a private chef on Park Avenue in NYC for a family that lived in the same building as the Asotr's, the Tich's and the Buckley's. Connie is my wife and Emerson and Claire are our children. My favorite colors are blue and green. Given the choice I'd choose to camp out instead of going on a road trip. I usually start my day with very strong coffee, maybe two. I'm one of three children. I didn't have my drivers license until I was 29. Over the years some of the places I’ve photographed are: Paris, Copenhagen, the Mexican Riviera, Los Angeles, Cuba {that's an interesting story}, New York {spent 11 years there}, and Stockholm. When I was a kid I had a black poodle, you'll have to ask me his name.

Other Peculiar Things That You May Find of Interest: I attended 5 colleges. School of Visual Arts in NYC, Saddleback College, CA. Irvine Valley College, CA, Orange Coast College, CA and University of California Irvine. I have an AA from Irvine Valley, an AA and American Bar Association Paralegal degree from Saddleback and graduated Magna Cum Lade with a BA in Art from UCI.
For 7 years I studied Shotokan Karate and miss practicing it. I had to stop because continued practice affected my wellness to photograph weddings. Broken bones, sprained limbs and getting all bruised up is part of martial arts. I miss the intense workouts. What I learned from my Sensi and from Karate was discipline and that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.
At 16 years old I was living on my own. My dad helped me get through high school and part of college.
I was an executive chef in NYC and worked almost every station in a classical French kitchen. Started out sweeping floors and worked my way up. I was a butcher, a saucier, a poissonnier, a garde manger and a sous chef.

For a few years I was a cellar master and wine buyer. I used to work at a wine bar and did all the purchasing and wrote the menu which earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, before the restaurant even opened.

Heights scare me. Although I’m intrigued and want to do a parachute jump and hand glide. Crazy? For sure! But I used to have dreams that I could fly and would like to test out that theory one day.

Travel fascinates me. I love to travel. Haven’t done enough of it. Some places that I’d really like to visit are: Japan, Shanghai, Bueno Aires and Barcelona to name a few.

Social Networking
You can find me on Twitter @marcweisberg
You can find me on Facebook
facebook.com/orangecountyphotographer

My Family: I’m married. My wife’s name is Connie, our children are Emerson and Claire. Its crazy having teenagers.

What Others Say About Me: Depends who you talk to, but...Most people find me quiet and funny and gregarious. What do you expect I’m a Gemini.

Hobbies: reading biographies, movies, wine, science fiction, scuba diving, working out at the gym, museums, cooking, reading photography blogs and travel, road trips

Photography Awards - The Unofficial Press Release: Marc has won 16 coveted international awards in wedding photography, portrait photography and commercial photography. The break down: 10 Accolades of Excellence WPPI ~ in 2008. 6 Western Regional merits for excellence in wedding photography, portraiture, commercial photography and illustrative photography in 2008. I’ve stopped competing by may compete again in the future.

Published Work – a brief list: You can find Marc’s photography featured in more than a dozen books available on Amazon dot com: The Best of Wedding Photography, The Wedding Photographers Handbook, Master Lighting Guide, The Best of Photographic Lighting, by author Bill Hurter, 500 Poses for Photographing Women,by author Michelle Perkins, and Travels with Adele…to name a few. Magazine features incude: Riviera, Coast, Orange Coast, Angeleno, The Knot, Ceremony, feature article in Rangefinder, WPPI monthly and Los Angeles Confidential.

Charitable Contributions: I get countless requests for charitable donations. I am sorry I cannot fulfill most of them. I have chosen to focus most of this activity within my own community. Chiefly focusing on helping out organizations that support children's well being. Some charities contact us as well to donate photos for auctions and for publication materials. We can do this if there is a 501c designation for tax purposes. You may contact me in this case. Thank you.

Charitable Donations Include: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County Inland Empire, Special Olympics of Southern California, Newport Elementary School Foundation, The Junior League of Orange County, The Princess Foundation, The Glass Slipper and St. Judes School and many others.

Photography Awards: My unique brand of photography has earned 16 coveted international awards in wedding photography, portrait photography and commercial photography. The break down: 10 Accolades of Excellence WPPI. 6 Western Regional merits for excellence in wedding photography, portraiture, commercial photography and illustrative photography. I’ve stopped competing by may compete again in the future.

Appearances and Speaking Engagements
Pictage, Partner Conference, New Orleans~2010
Pictage, Partner Conference, Los Angeles~2009
Smug Mug, San Diego ~2009
A Master Class in Marketing, Wedding & Portrait Photographers International~2008
Previous monthly guest columnist on Chris Mitchell's, ProPhotoResource~2008-2009
Print Judge, Professional Photographers of San Diego~2008 & 2009
Regional speaker & member of Professional Photographers of Orange County~2007
Regional speaker & member of Professional Photographers of California~2006

Sports
Is Frisbee considered a sport yet? I’m athletic but never really played team sports. Okay. I played Lacrosse and Soccer and did track in highchool. But never did super competitive sports. Guess I wasn’t into being tackled and bludgeoned by someone. There was one year that I rode my bike every single day. Sometimes up to 75 miles on the weekends. Would really love to get a Specialized soft tail mountain bike but can't justify the cost just yet. Love to watch: Boxing , The Olympics, MMA & UFC, Skiing, Gymnastics, Tennis and just about any playoff or final series game.

Movies
II love to watch movies. I’m an avid Netflix subscriber. Don’t usually go to the theatre. It’s nice having a 54” 1080p flat screen at the studio. Some of my favorite movies are:
Blade Runner, The Road to Perdition, Full Metal Jacket, Amelie, Cinema Paradisio, The Green Mile, Citizen Kane, Giant, The Professional, The Bowery Boys, 5th Element, The Prestige, Sin City, It’s a Wonderful Life
Barton Fink, Gone with the Wind, Reberl Without a Cause, The Diving Bell & The Butterfly {brilliant!}, There Will Be Blood {the Cohen bros. are amazing!}, The Shawshank Redemption {saw it 6x’s and know some of the lines}

Music ~ a pretty eclectic mix
Steely Dan, CSN&Y, Neil Young, Rap, Country, Motown, Alicia Keys, Cold Play, Sigur Ros, Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters, Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Black Eyed Peas

TV
II don’t follow TV and only turn it on to wind down. That said, I like:
Dexter, Criminal Minds, The Tudors {its like Sex and the City for guys}, Law & Order Criminal Intent, Good Morning America sometimes when I’m getting up, 60 Minutes, Breaking Bad, The Beast

Food
I’m a huge foodie and will go out of my way to go to that dive bar that servers great burgers or when traveling I’m always on the prowl for the best of in the given city. Ethnic food in general: Thai, Greek, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese. Bright flavors, healthy cuisine sometimes spicy. Huge coffee lover. Used to get my beans delivered from Caffé Trieste in San Francisco: their espresso roast, best beans ever.

Wine
When I was in the wine business I used to taste upwards of 60 wines per week. Pinot Noir is my favorite varietal, layered with notes of strawberry jam and earthy overtones. White and red Burgundies, California chardonnays that are not over oaked, German Rieslings, Oakville reds. And an eclectic mix of sleeper varietals like Gruner Veltliner, Albarino, and Pinot Blanc. I've tasted every first growth Bordeaux except for Chateau Petrus.

Languages
Studied French for a few years and know enough to get buy in Paris.
Can smile and say thank you, hello and good-bye in Korean.

P.S. I'm always on the prowl for a great dive eatery and the prefect limey drink. So if you know where I can find a phenomenal Margarita or the perfect minty Mojito drop me a lime line.

P.P.S. So let's chat, I have an espresso machine in my studio, tea, lunch? 2 of my favorite Japanese restaurants are right around the corner from my Old Town Tustin studio. Email me or an old fashioned phone call will do. Or, to hit me up with your info, tap here.

MARC WEISBERG STUDIO
call me: 800.943.0414

Marc Weisberg | Marc Weisberg Photograhy Blog
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A Big Dose of Double Happiness

Orange County | Destination Wedding

Destination Wedding | Las Palmas Mansion Laguna Hills

Kandace and Rick flew in from New York City for their destination wedding in Orange County. Their destination pre-wedding celebration started on Friday evening at Laguna Beach’s Mozambique restaurant, where Kandance and Rick hosted an intimate wedding rehearsal dinner. Bubbly, wine and laughter mixed with a cool off shore breeze from the Pacific. Guests passed by an enormous cage of Makaws as they arrived by shuttle from the Monarch Beach, St. Regis. Close family and friends traveled from afar for their destination wedding: New York , Shanghai, Canada, Chicago, New Jersey and London to attend Kandace and Rick’s destination wedding at Las Palmas Mansion in Laguna Hills.

What made their event special? It wasn’t the Prada, yes there was plenty of that. It wasn’t Kandace’s exquisite wedding gown {Vera Wang Couture}, which she looked like a Hoolwood starlet in. It wasn’t Rick’s custom tailored {Prada} suit either.

Kandace’s exquisite destination wedding dress is Vera Wang Couture.

Rick’s suit is from Prada, and his shoes what else?…. Gucci.

As stunning as Las Palmas Mansion is….and I can tell you that as a photographer it is a destination wedding dream location to photograph at. At each turn, another gorgeous photographic vignette reveals itself. Las Palmas Mansion is blessed with exquisite light the streams through towering floor to ceiling windows. But it wasn’t the location that made their day special either, although it surely did add to it. Rather, it was the genuine friendships and relationships that Kandace and Rick share with their family and friends. During theit destination wedding ceremony Rick was overcome by emotion while expressing his love for Kandace that he had to pause several times to gain his composure to continue with his vows. Kandace’s mother and father were simultaneously overcome by emotion both wiping away their tears during the bride and groom’s wedding vows. And the tears from a deep feeling of love for her mother that Kandace was wiping away during her mothers heartfelt toast. And the tears that trickled down Kandace’s cheek as her dad danced with her as her friends watched and wept too.

As a photographer and a dude that’s in very in touch with his feminine side….I am honored and blessed to witness a spectrum of emotions from wild laughter during K&R’s amazing booty bumping dance {Rick, the white guy that can really grind and Kandace the NYC dance champion} to soulful toasts and familial closeness and an emotional Father-Daughter dance. This is one destination wedding that no one will soon forget.

Inside Lighting Tech Scoop: For all you photo & lighting geeks out there. The photograph {above and most of the others below} were created after the sun set. If I’d of used an on camera flash it woud have totally flattened the image. I never, ever use direct, on camera flash, and I believe its breaking one of the ten photography commandments to do so. Off camera remote lighting creates dimension through the use of highlight and shadow. To get the rim and fill light, I’m using a three light set up. A Canon speedlight is aimed over the brides shoulder {about 90 degrees to the couple camera left} on a light stand, about 7 feet off the ground, about 15 ft. away, Manual at 1/64 power. Another light, a Quantum {could just as easily be another speed light} is on 1/4 power about 25 feet away about 30 degrees camera right on another light stand acting as fill for the B&G. The third light is my VAL {Voice Activated Light stand} and is directed at whom ever is toasting. The kicker does double duty. Catching both the B&G and whom ever is toasting, while the third light acts as fill for the toaster. Pockets Wizards are used to trigger all the lights. The best thing about this is that if you are traveling for destination weddings, this set up ir really light weight and easy to bring along with you.

Bottom left {above} Courtney and Rich: I photographed their wedding about 5 years ago. Since then Rich has enrolled and finished his MBA at Columbia, in NYC and is enjoying a lucrative career in the financial sector. Courtney has enjoyed a successful career with Conde Nast and other publishers. I love to see people pursue their dreams. Thank you Courtney and Rich for referring my services to Kandace and Rick. Like you they are amazing people! It was so great to see both of you happy, having fun and so in love.

5 Star on Site Destination Wedding Coordination at Las Palmas Mansion

I’ve gotta give a big nod to Sanya {a former bio-chemist and pharmaceutical rep}, the site coordinator at Las Palmas Mansion. At this point in my career I’ve photographed close to 500 weddings from Orange County to Stockholm, Sweden. And I’ve experienced a range of coordinator services, from mediocre to 5 star service. In my book Sanya is of the 5 star genre. Not only did Sanya do an amazing job, she has an wonderful sense of humor and is passionate about client service. The wedding went off with out a single hitch, Sanya and her team pay great attention to each and every detail and I have to tip my hat to Sanya and staff for that.

Delicious and Consistent Wedding Catering from Iva Lee’s

Before I was a photographer I spent over 20 years in the food service industry working almost every station in a classical French kitchen to front of the house. My last few years before leaving the industry I was a cellar master and wrote award winning wine lists. So I believe myself to be somewhat of an authority on what makes food, spirits, service and catering excellent and just passable.

Ya know, wedding catering can really make or break a wedding experience. I remember one of the worst experiences ever was a wedding I shot with a buddy of mine in San Diego a few years ago….there was a lag time of 45 min. between courses. Ouch! That caterer was way understaffed. I’d spent over 20 years in the restaurant and service industry before starting my career in photography 12 years ago. Three of the hardest things to pull off when catering are….

1. Delicious Food: Iva Lee’s food always has that extra special something. It’s super fresh, full of flavor and never overcooked.
2. Consistent Food: I’ve eaten three meals, the same as the wedding guests, each at different venues and each time my meal has been perfectly cooked and arrives warm, not tepid or cold.
3. Excellence in Service: Their wait staff is simply great! Iva Lee’s is always well staffed. Great attitude, hip, young, well dressed, staff is always quick to refill guests wine glasses or fulfill a request. I’m a vendor and I feel like I’m being treated as a guest, when they serve me. That says allot about Iva Lee’s commitment to service and their brand.

Make Up By Berit: Ladies, I’ve worked with Berit on a number of weddings now. She is a sought after Make Up Artist by the top wedding coordinators in Orange County and by discerning brides. Berit always brings a smile and her “A” game to every event. Her make up application is flawless and she’ll keep you on time! That’s a huge one and its the first place you’ll find yourself running late if you are not working with a top notch pro like Berit. What I love about Berit’s craft is that there is always an even skin tone and what she does with eyes and lashes is perfection. Beautiful brides look exquisite when Berit is done with them. You can reach Berit at 949.444. 1474 www.MakeupByBerit.com.

Orange County Wedding Venue: For More info on Las Palmas Mansion contact Sanya @ www.VenuesInParadise.com and tell her I sent you!

CONTACT MARC

VIEW ENGAGEMENT PORTFOLIO~ VIEW WEDDING PORTFOLIO

Call Marc to reserve your date: 800.943.0414

Marc Weisberg | Marc Weisberg Photograhy Blog
Marc Weisberg Fashion Photography | Orange County Destination Wedding Photographer
Newport Beach Destination Wedding Photographer | Los Angeles Destination Wedding Photographer
Orange County Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photographer

For Orange County wedding photography, Los Angeles wedding photography, Orange County wedding photojournalism, Southern California fashion photography, Call Marc at 800.943.0414 to reserve a date and ask any questions that you may have concerning my services. I am an Orange County | Los Angeles | Destination Wedding, Portrait and Newborn Photographer.

we’d love to talk to marc about photographing our children and family….
awesome! here’re two ways to get in touch: tele ~ 800.943.0414 / email marc

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