Friday, August 31, 2007

Family portraits in Orange

Yesterday I drove down to Orange to shoot Jacob's family portraits. Jacob wasn't born yet when I shot his Auntie Christy's wedding last October, so it was fun to meet a new member of the family. And what a gorgeous family they are!

Some favs:

Jacob was quite serious during the shoot.



I love this shot of Mom and Dad.









Love the vintage look of these next three...







My most favorites from the day were at the local park.



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Thursday, August 30, 2007

my life

I still have to blog about Sunday's wedding, but in the meantime I thought I would post this shot of my baby, Olive. She makes me super happy!

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Beverly Hills Hotel

katy & cary
august 25, 2007

On Saturday I shot Katy & Cary's wedding at the lovely Beverly Hills Hotel. I was so excited to be working with the talented Stephanie Lairson again because she has such great taste and always keeps the weddings running smoothly. (Plus she's just fun to be around!) Katy & Cary win for having the largest wedding party of the year - a whopping 27 people!

For those of you who are interested in seeing much more, please click here or on the image below!









































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Monday, August 27, 2007

Trump National Golf Course

What an excellent weekend! I shot two unbelievably gorgeous weddings, so I guess I have my work cut out for me this week. Here is one image that caught my eye while I was downloading today's wedding from the Trump National Golf Course... check back in a few days to see much more!

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Sunday, August 26, 2007

Beverly Hills Hotel

I just shot the most amazing wedding at The Beverly Hills Hotel...I MUST get to sleep because I'm shooting at the Trump National Golf Course tomorrow, but while I was downloading my images from tonight, this one caught my eye. More soon!

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Photographer's Summer BBQ!

I am the Pictage User Group Leader for Los Angeles. My group meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month to talk shop, listen to speakers, etc..... however, THIS month not only did we have a GREAT speaker, but we had a really fun Barbeque, photo contest AND a headshot swap! It was SOO much fun!

Those who wanted new headshots for their websites or promotional materials brought cameras. We paired up and spent about 40 minutes taking turns getting shots of each other.



My headshot swap partner was Martin Gee of "I Can See the Light" Photography. Isn't this shot he took of me cute?? (Photographer technical note: He shot the image RAW, so I used my "jb dramatic" preset and changed the WB to "cloudy." I love the slightly retro tone it gives the image!)



Summer BBQ fun! Adam Lopez and Robert Evans manned the grill and cooked up the meat everybody brought. There was SO much food! A brand new member, Christa Meola, even brought delicious cupcakes for her birthday! Happy Birthday, Christa! After Adam spoke, a bunch of us stayed late to swim. The pool was nearly 90 degrees!! THANK YOU, Ann Kelley, for generously hosting the event at your gorgeous home!!



Adam Lopez gave an inspiring talk about envisioning, building and LIVING our financial goals. I highly recommend contacting him for a private consultation!

adamlopez.photo@gmail.com



There were 35 entries from my PUG for Pictage's national contest, and Marie Bunke of PhotoArt by Marie won! Her image will now go up against the winning images from all the other PUGs in the country to see who is the final winner. Congratulations, Marie! Best of luck to you! Here is the winning image.

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Earlimart

I have been "tagged" this week by a few different bloggers - the idea is that I'm supposed to share eight things about myself that maybe you don't know. Okay then, here you go!

1. I was the personal assistant to Chris O'Donnell for five years. I lived and traveled with him to London, Italy, New Zealand, Mississippi, New York and Chicago, and worked on "The Chamber," "In Love & War," "Batman & Robin," "The Vertical Limit," and "The Bachelor." Those were some of the most fun times I ever had in my life. Now I shoot Chris' family Christmas portrait every year. In fact, when he got married in 1997, although Denis Reggie was his wedding photographer, it was one of my photographs (taken as his guest) that Chris used on the first Christmas card he sent out with his then new wife. It was a moment from their first dance that I shot on black and white film and later handpainted using Marshall's oils.

2. I'm closer in age to my mother than I am to my brother.

3. I have a bizarre wood phobia and get goosebumps if I see someone rubbing chopsticks together. I can't actually stand it. I'm getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. When I eat sushi (which I LOVE), although I do use chopsticks, I can't actually let the chopsticks touch my mouth. I told you it was bizarre.

4. When I was about five or six years old, Mike Cleary and Frank Dill did a radio show together every Saturday morning. One time, my twin sister, Joy, and I called in to talk to them about something. They thought we were so cute and liked us so much, that THEY called US every Saturday after that for the next year just to include us in their show. They even brought us to some of their public functions because we started to have fans.

5. The tiny town of Clayton where I grew up (and my brother is currently growing up) has a Fourth of July parade every year. One year, they had a contest to see who could come up with the theme of the parade. I entered "Leap to the Future while Looking to the Past" and won. I got to be the Grand Marshall and sit in the car that lead the parade and wave to all the people.

6. My mother dressed me and my sister as Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy every Halloween before I was old enough to choose my own costume. I always refused to be Andy, so Joy graciously did it. (thanks, Joy!)

7. I knew I would grow up to be a professional photographer by the time I was 10 years old. It was my "fall-back" career because I really wanted to be a director. (I studied film in college at UCSB and moved to LA immediately afterward. I've been here ever since.)

8. I really love to go listen to bands play out, but not at huge stadiums. I much prefer going to small venues where you can stand in front of the musicans and hang out with them afterwards like I did tonight with one of my favorite bands, Earlimart, at the CD release show they held at the Echoplex in Echo Park.

Here is a shot I took of the lead singer, Aaron, with my Razr phone. Afterwards, I shook Aaron's hand at the bar and told him his band kicked ass. They do. You should definitely check them out.

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Friday, August 17, 2007

Bear Valley

This past week I have been in Bear Valley with my family and some friends. My mother runs the Young Musicians Camp for the Bear Valley Music Festival every August, and she owns a historical Stone House on Lake Alpine where the camp is held. The Stone House was built to hold the explosives that made the dam and created Lake Alpine.

Its actually been kind of fun to have such limited access to my email and cell phone! It allows me more time to roast marshmallows and eat S'Mores, a near-daily activity. Olive is having so much fun, too, and she swims in the lake every day. The first night here everyone sat under the stars and watched a meteor shower. That was amazing. I have been shooting all week, but here are a few highlights.

The Stone House.



The strangest addition to the Stone House... a giant swanboat.





Swancam...



Joy captured this one of me enjoying my favorite activity here.



The first night everyone learned how to make baked oatmeal for the next morning's breakfast.



Eating our baked oatmeal outside the Stone House!



Because its a music camp, there are instruments everywhere. I even played guitar for the first time in months. I love this shot of Millie trying her hand at the piano. The deer head above her is "Buck," who talks. Yes, you read that right.



Everyone went hiking on Tuesday up to Slick Rock to play in the natural waterslide. And by "hiking" I mean dragging the kids over two miles to get there and back. I also like to call this picture "Why I Don't Have Children."



I LOVE this shot that my brother captured of me and Joy sliding down Slick Rock. Olive joined in on almost EVERY slide! She is such a funny dog!

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Shooting in San Francisco

jaclyn & vincent
august 11, 1007

I am often asked what would happen if I was, for some reason, unable to shoot one of my contracted weddings. This past Saturday provides a very good answer for that question. The father of a good friend of mine, Ann Hamilton, passed away and made it impossible for her to shoot the wedding she was contracted to shoot on August 11th. Because I myself was not booked, I was able to step in and take over the job for her. Ann, thank you so much for trusting me with your lovely clients. I am so fortunate to have such a great network of associates and friends!

I was thrilled that the wedding took place all around San Francisco, and also that Joy was able to shoot it with me. Jaclyn and Vincent were a dream couple with so much love for each other, their family and friends that it just spilled over into the entire day. I have to warn you, there are SO many favorites that this is a going to be a long post... and I didn't even put many from the reception! (There was a surprise visitor, but you'll have to watch the slideshow to find out who!)

To see all the highlights from Jaclyn & Vincent's amazing day, click on the image below or click here.



I LOVED the "something blue" on the bottom of her shoes!







































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Sunday, August 12, 2007

San Francisco wedding

Yesterday's wedding was a long twelve hour event, (Joy and I were there closer to 13!) so I spent today just playing with my nieces. Tomorrow we are all heading up to Bear Valley for the week to hang out at my mother's cabin. I will have very limited cell phone and email access while I'm there, so I'm posting one image just to let you know that you haven't been forgotten and more will be coming soon! Please check back in a day or so!

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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Tea for Two

On Tuesday, Amy Trahant of Take Aim Photography came to my home studio to participate in the second part of her Tea for Two mentor session with me. She did a fabulous job assisting on my July 21st wedding at Shutters in Santa Monica, and today was our follow-up in-studio session. I just love her energy and have really enjoyed working with her. Thank you, Amy!

I think the Tea for Two sessions are great because the lessons are catered specifically to what you need to learn from me. For instance, we wont spend time on lighting if you really just want to figure out your workflow. If you are interested in participating in a Tea for Two mentor session with me, please shoot me an email at jules@julesbianchi.com.

The lovely Amy Trahant:



As we were finishing up for the day, my wonderful new assistant, Shannon Leith, grabbed this shot of me, Amy and Olive:

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Tuesday, August 07, 2007

My new toy

I owned a 1973 3.0 CS BMW for eight years. I had bought it for myself as a birthday gift, and I adored that car. I actually got choked up watching it drive off the day I sold it. (I bought it for $6000 and sold it for $5500 eight years later... I always thought that was pretty great.)

I have searched on and off for a model just to have for sentimental reasons, and I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I took my X3 in for service. Getting coffee in the salesroom, I discovered not only a tiny model of my beloved car, but one in the same color! Okay, the interior is different (mine was camel and this one is navy) but I couldn't leave without it.

Petite Blythe and Olive kindly help demonstrate the size:



Here is my actual car the day I sold it.

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Monday, August 06, 2007

My Wonderful Clients

I feel so incredibly loved and fortunate! Firstly let me explain just how grateful I am to have the job I have and the opportunity to spend the one day of my clients lives with them that they will treasure forever. After viewing their slideshow and receiving their keepsake book of highlights in the mail, my July 21st clients, Stephanie & John sent me the most thoughtful gift. My present was a matching make-up and toiletry kit to use on my many travels! I'm constantly on the go, so it is just the perfect thing. And I love how its in Jules Bianchi Photography colors, too!! THANK YOU, STEPH & JOHN!! I love you guys!



To me, though, I just love reading how happy they are:

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Sunday, August 05, 2007

Ciudad downtown

I really love the community of wedding photographers here in Southern California. Last night I met two of my favorites, Robert Evans and Sara France, for tapas at the yummy Ciudad restaurant downtown. Thanks for the good company, guys!

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Maison 140, Beverly Hills

My super talented friend, Robert Evans, was allowed to release one image to the press after he shot Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes wedding. That's kind of how I feel today about the cool boudoir shoot I did this weekend at Maison 140 in Beverly Hills. As a matter of privacy and also because the shoot is an anniversary surprise for her husband, here is the one image I was allowed to release!

Hair and make-up were done by my FAVORITE make-up artist, Jacey Cosentino of Pro Beauty to You.

Some Sexy legs...

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Thursday, August 02, 2007

Palo Alto Family Portraits

Last year I shot the Maroulis Family at their home in Palo Alto - this past Sunday, I revisited them for their 2007 family portrait. Its fun to watch my client's familes grow!

Some favorites:

















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