Doug Gifford Photography

Doug Gifford Photography E-News Archives

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:25:00 +0000

Good news!

The Doug Gifford Photography E-News archives are now available by following the link at the right of the DGP blog homepage.

Once at the homepage for the E-News archives, you can choose the issue that you would like to read by selecting it from the list.

If you are not on the E-News mailing list and would like to be, you can sign up by using the link at the bottom of the archive home page or by using the link on the E-News.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at doug@douggiffordphoto.com.

Thank you!

Enjoy!

Welcome to the Doug Gifford Photography Blog - Fall Edition.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Weddings, portraits, corporate jobs and projects for several non-profits for which I have a passion have kept me on the go on the professional side for the last several months. For fun, my wife, Karen, and I, have been hitting some great events at OCPAC (Rent, Spamalot, Trey McIntyre Project). (http://www.ocpac.org/) It’s always a treat to be at this beautiful Orange County venue and have some time together – especially these days as Karen, in addition to her business as an executive and leadership coach, has been very busy as the President of the Orange County Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (www.nawbo-oc.org). Speaking of great events, her organization just had its Remarkable Women Awards Dinner Event on October 15th at the Hilton-Costa Mesa. It was truly inspiring hearing the stories of three successful women business owners – Laura Neubauer, CEO of Deliver It! (www.deliverit.biz), Laura Osborn, CEO of CASCO Contractors (www.cascocontractors.com), and Heidi Miller, Owner of Tight Assets and the World Newsstand in Laguna Beach which had there big event last month. If you are a women-owned business or want to do business with women-owned businesses, I encourage you to take check NAWBO-OC out. I know that the “purse power” of women is strong and the women of this chapter are determined to get the Orange County business engine going!

Doug Gifford Photography E-News

Thank you for your many kind comments (and your referrals!) about the inaugural edition of E-News in September. I hope you will equally enjoy this second edition!

Our goal is to provide you with special offers, photo tips, and to feature articles and information about topics to help you make better photography decisions.

Please sign up for the E-News by e-mailing me at doug@dougiffordphoto.com if you are not yet on the mailing list.

Executive Portraits

Executive Portraits have always been something we have offered both – either in the studio or at the company location. Today, with more and more people changing careers or needing their image updated for professional and social media purposes, we have seen an increase in requests.

Our “Image Portrait” includes a head and shoulders studio portrait, a clothing consultation, the session, retouching, a high and low resolution file of and usage starting at $195. On-location rates for executive portraits start for as little as $450. We have worked with terrific hair and make-up referrals who, like us, understand lighting to help you become ready for your close-up. We can also help you and your team with creative on-location images of your company, products, employees and customers for marketing, incentive and annual report purposes. Simply call us for a quote.

To see examples of our work, please visit: www.douggiffordphoto.com and select the “portrait tab” and then “executive portrait portfolio.” To schedule an appointment, call 949.362.3661 or e-mail doug@douggiffordphoto.com

Alliance Medical Products, Inc.

Have you ever had one of those amazing experiences that leaves you feeling like your work matters? I sure did when Alliance Medical Products, Inc. (AMP) asked me to photograph their new machinery for marketing and display pieces. AMP is a very successful contract pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Irvine, California. (www.amp-us.com)

The unusual and fun part of the experience was going through training in order to “suit up” in the sterile gowns eight different times to go into the clean rooms in which the various pieces of machinery were located. I had to choose the photography equipment I wanted with me before I went in each room because I could not come back out without undressing and redressing. This made it a little more challenging. What really got my adrenalin going was knowing that they had to shut down their production lines and then spend two days thoroughly cleaning each room when we were finished with the photography (a huge cost to and investment by the company) in order for me to produce the images they needed. So as interesting as it was to be in the rooms with the machinery and my “models,” I had to stay focused on getting the job done right the first time! I’ll let you know when the images are up on their site. The rush felt like my many times on the Formula One race track or the America’s Cup course when there was only one chance at getting the shot! I still love that feeling after 25 years. AMP was a real WOW! and I’m ready for the next opportunity!

Sunwest Bank

Headquartered in Tustin, California is Sunwest Bank - the premier small and middle market business bank in Southern California, www.sunwestbank.com.

Glenn Gray, President & Chief Executive Officer, and I met through my wife, Karen, at the Forum for Corporate Directors (www.fcdoc.org) several years ago. Karen was on the board and Glenn was a new sponsor of that organization. At one of our first meetings, I learned that Glenn is an avid scuba diver and loves underwater photography. He also wants to continuously get better at it. I think that always learning and improving is what makes Sunwest such a great bank under his leadership. Anyway, he hired me as his photography coach to do a better job of taking photographs underwater. That led to photography engagements at the bank for customer appreciation purposes, marketing and last week to cover the 2010 Economic Outlook event hosted by Sunwest Bank for their customers at the Center Club (http://tinyurl.com/ydvbdjs) – a venue where I have photographed countless events. Sunwest continues to maintain a strong and growing presence in these interesting times. My sense is that you can “bank on” Sunwest for being around well into the future!

Friends of Dorothy

Over the last couple of years, it has been my pleasure to contribute my time and talent to photograph all the events for a super organization called the Friends of Dorothy, which is a support guild of Aids Services Foundation. This year, at the annual Haunted Halloween party at the Village Crean, I was presented with “The Red Shoe Award” for my support of and love for the organization. As is often with things like this, when we are giving of ourselves, we are the ones who are really benefitting. So, “thank you” for giving me a chance to be with some really great people helping great people challenged by HIV/AIDS. It is truly my pleasure and honor and I have met so many wonderful people. At the top of the list especially is my friend, Tim Dunn. He invited me to get involved after working with him at the Orange County Performing Arts Center where he is head of PR. He plays that role as a volunteer for Friends of Dorothy. Our eight years at OCPAC and three at Friends of Dorothy working as a team have meant a lot to me and I know we will continue for years to come.

If you are looking for an organization to support that is doing great work in providing services to those whose lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS, I can highly recommend getting involved with Friends of Dorothy. You will not only be doing good, I promise you will have a really good time!

Please go to their website, www.friendsofdorothy.org to get more information on their up coming events and I will see you there!

OC Rescue Mission

If you have been following my blog for the last couple of years, you know that I have been working for many years with the Orange County Rescue Mission and their facility in Santa Ana, The Village of Hope.

Last week, the playground at the Village of Hope was the setting for this year’s holiday card. President, Jim Palmer, and 25 kids of the village had a chance to play and pose as I captured their joy and smiles before simply playing was what the kids had in mind! Their energy was engaging and the photo heartwarming. Look for it as we head into the season. And, if you want another place to give of your heart, time and resources, Jim and the Village of Hope team can always use help!

For more information about what they are doing for the homeless in Orange County and how you can help, please go to there website at www.rescuemission.org.

Heritage Museum

The Heritage Museum of Orange County is a cultural and natural history center dedicated to providing hands-on educational programs that emphasize the history, heritage, and diversity of Orange County and California. The Museum is also committed to preserving and restoring the historic buildings and artifacts that have been entrusted to our care.

Each year they have a major fundraising event. Last year and several years before, I photographed the event. This year, thanks to Karen’s paddle going up at last year’s auction to support this wonderful organization, we were rewarded with tickets to just be guests at the event this year. We were joined by a table of friends who were delighted to find out about this OC museum and, like us, enjoyed being able to donate to a wonderful cause to help educate thousands of SoCal kids. This year’s event theme was A Night in Casablanca, which evoked the Moroccan setting for the classic Bogart/Bergman movie. It was a wonderful night of food, drink and fun. This organization really gets into creating magical events. It’s a two thumbs up from our perspective!

Outside of regularly hosting school kids on educational tours, the museum is also the location for parties and special events, such as weddings. For more information, please visit their website at www.heritagemuseumoc.org.

Girls Incorporated

Over the last couple of years my wife, Karen, and I have supported Girls Incorporated in Orange County by giving our time, talent and donations. Their mission statement tells you exactly what they do: Inspiring all girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold.

www.girlsinc-oc.org

This year’s fundraising event, 2009 Annual Strong, Smart, and Bold Celebration was held at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach. We had the pleasure of joining Elaine Levin, who is both Secretary and President Emeritus of Girls Inc.

Read all about it in the OC Register:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/girls-inc-human-2636083-options-marcus?referrer=facebook

Let's get caught up: Summer 2009

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:47:00 +0000

OCTOBER IS FAMILY PORTRAIT MONTH!

This October, Doug Gifford Photography will participate with an elite group of photographers around the country in a very special family portrait promotion. Throughout October, we will celebrate “Family Portrait Month,” a wonderful opportunity for you to update your family portrait (or portraits of your children), and help to support Operation Smile, which treats children around the world who suffer with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Along with other studio members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA), we have pledged to contribute $25.00 from each session to PPA Charities, which has chosen Operation Smile as its charitable partner.

What’s more, we want you to benefit from this special offer. With your purchase of a single wall portrait, choose one of the following:

• 2 free gift-sized portraits
• 24 free custom holiday cards
• 10 percent discount on framing
• $75 gift certificate (for your use or as a special holiday gift)

Recording the faces of children and their families is our greatest pleasure. That’s why we believe so strongly in the work of Operation Smile. Each year this incredible organization of more than 6,000 volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists, and specialized health-care professionals, perform free reconstructive surgeries for children suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. More than 100,000 children are born with a facial deformity each year in Operation Smile’s 26-partner countries.

We also believe that Family Portrait Month is a wonderful way to teach children the value of reaching out to others. Even small children can understand the importance of Operation Smile’s work, and they are eager to help these needy children.

We hope you will join with us in helping to make this vital work possible. Don’t forget that the holiday season is right around the corner, so there’s no better time for a family portrait! Plus, portraits are always appreciated as gifts for family and friends and to send along with holiday greeting cards.

Call now to schedule your appointment and be part of helping a child smile!

As always . . . we look forward to creating some truly wonderful portraits of your family.

Karen Gifford Named President of NAWBO-Orange County

It is with great pleasure that I announce that my wife, Karen Gifford, executive and leadership coach and principal of Gifford Management & Leadership Coaching, has been named president of the Orange County Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners – the largest in the country with 400 members, www.nawbo-oc.org. She is also a founding member of the Professional Coaches and Mentors Association, www.pcmaonline.com and member and former director with the Forum for Corporate Directors (www.fcdoc.org).

Congratulations!

October is Remarkable Women Month

I just realized that this blog includes a lot of remarkable women – and I am lucky to know a few! October 15th is the 14th Annual NAWBO-OC Remarkable Women Awards dinner event. I have had the opportunity to experience this high energy and exciting event and it is always a sell out! This year the three honorees are: Laura Neubauer, Founder and CEO of Deliver It! for Entrepreneur to Watch; Cheryl Osborn, Founder and CEO of CASCO Contractors, Inc., for Business Owner of the Year; and Heidi Miller, Founder and CEO of Tight Assets and Founder of Heidi’s Frogen Yozurt for Lifetime Achievement. The event is six weeks away and over half of the seats have already been sold! For more info: http://www.nawbo-oc.org/RWflyer09.html

Congratulations!

Kimberly Snodgrass

The story of Kimberly Snodgrass, www.kimsodgrass.com, who went through foster care and adoption and is now on her way to Harvard Graduate School, is an amazing one. A friend of mine, Debbie Douglas, who is a partner in Douglas Strategic Communications (with her husband Gary), www.douglasstategic.com, and a volunteer at Orangewood Children’s Foundation, www.orangewoodfoundation.com, was in an article that I read in the Orange County Register. The article told the story of Kim and how Orangewood was helping her prepare for a graduate and post-graduate life as a professional. When I read the article I wanted to help, too. As my wife, Karen, always says “these young professionals are our hope for the future.” So, I emailed Debbie and offered Kim her first professional portrait as my gift. The next day, I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing a beautiful and bright young woman who I have a sense is going to accomplish great things in our world. That night I was invited to her launch party, hosted by Shirley Pepys and Orangewood at Shirley’s home on Balboa Island. Heartwarming! Good luck Kimberly!

Step Up Women’s Network

I was ask by my friend and Step Up board member, Julie Brady, who is the Catering Sales Manager for Patina Restaurant Group at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, www.patinagroup.com, if I would be willing to donate my services and photograph the July 30th meeting of Step Up Women’s Network at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point. It was my pleasure to do so and to meet all the dynamic women involved in this wonderful organization.

The best way to summarize this organization is to quote from the website: “Step Up is on the cutting edge of women’s philanthropy and social enterprise. The organization’s strength stems from member’s abilities to leverage their personal and professional skills and relationships to give back to the community. Our programs are designed to engage women in a way that inspires a life-long commitment to responsible, philanthropic involvement encompassing hands-on volunteer work and leadership opportunities. “Invest, Involve and Inspire” is our motto.”

To learn more, go to their website at www.suwn.org.

Jim Palmer - President OC Rescue Mission

OC Rescue Mission Board of Directors

I was honored to be asked to photograph the board of directors for the OC Rescue Mission, www.rescuemission.org.

As many of you know, I have been working with them over the last year. The people there are wonderful and they are doing great work in support of the homeless in Orange County at the Village of Hope that was carved out of the former Marine Air Station in Tustin.

Please support them if you can with a donation of money, food or time.

Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC)

It is almost that time again, to Get Centered as the 2009/2010 season starts at OCPAC. For more information about all the happenings at the Center this season or to make a donation, please visit their website at www.ocpac.org.

I hope to see you there!

June 2009

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Megan and Garrett Haake Wedding – Dallas, Texas

I had the pleasure of photographing Megan and Garrett Haake wedding in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, May 9, 2009. The wedding ceremony was in the beautiful Perkins Chapel on the campus of SMU and the reception was at the Belo Mansion.

A good time was had by all, and I have the images to prove it!

Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope

During early May I had the privilege of again working for Roberta and Howard Ahmanson photographing the reinstallation of the stain glass windows in the chapel at the Orange County Rescue Mission, Village of Hope in Tustin by Danish artist Peter Brandes. He was also here to install stained glass windows in the new Ahmanson home which I also photographed. The best part was to get the whole story behind each piece from Peter.
The Village of Hope is a 200-person residential facility for homeless families located at the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Base. The Ahmanson’s have been long-time supporters of the OC Rescue Mission and were a big part of helping to build the Village of Hope. https://www.rescuemission.org/

Tour de Force: A Dance Spectacular

A whole host of Russian ballet stars put on an amazing one night only show in Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center last month.
I have had the opportunity while working at the OCPAC for the last 8 years to photograph many great dance programs, and this was one of the best. Check out more about this show and others to come by visiting the OCPAC website: www.ocpac.org.

Jane Griffin, PhD.

Congratulations to our “niece”, Jane Griffin, who received here PhD from UCI this last week. After the usual boring ceremony, but we had a great party on the beach that was attended by lots of family and friends.
Jane is the daughter of our dear friends Wayne and Susie Griffin who live on Catalina Island. Susie is one of the Innkeepers at the Inn on Mt Ada, www.innonmtada.com which was the old Wrigley Mansion and is now a four star six room bed and breakfast. While Wayne heads up the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau, www.catalinachamber.com.
As many of you know, I have been teaching an extension class at UCI over the last 8 years. So, over the last 5 years as she complete her studies, Jane and I would have dinner together at In n’ Out Burger on the UCI campus before I would teach my class. We would solve all the world’s problems by the time I had to go to class, and so I will miss my “dinner dates” with Jane as she now moves on to teach at the University of Indiana.
All the best Jane!

ACES Photography Club

Last year I had the pleasure of judging the print competition at the ACES Photography Club in Garden Grove, and this year they invited me to speak. www.aces-photo.com
I choose to speak about something that I know a lot about, but is rarely talked about, Low Light Photography.
With all types of photography, at the beginning and end of the day, inside and out, you work with low light all the time.
The room was full and everyone said they enjoyed the program. I enjoyed talking to this very nice, passionate group of photographers and hope to have a chance to do it again.
Look for an announcement soon about more of my private classes held here at my home studio over the summer. www.douggiffordphoto.com

PPA International Print Competition

June 13-17 found me heading to Atlanta, Georgia, to judge the International Print Competition for the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) www.ppa.com. I was one of 40 judges selected from a total list of only 125 qualified jurors who, over a four-day period, judged over 5,000 entries from PPA’s 20,000 plus members. To become part of this esteemed group of jurors, I first had to become a Master Craftsmen Photographer with PPA, then judge for many years at the local, state, and regional competitions, followed by completing a series of judging classes, and finally a review of my background and submissions of my work for review by other judges. Over the years, I have also had many opportunities to judge the international print competition for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). By judging these international print competitions, I get to see thousands of prints from photographers around the world. This allows me to stay in touch with the latest trends and styles in photography and, most of all, to always provide fresh perspectives and ideas for my clients.

Morning Light is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray

Morning Light is a documentary sailing movie by Roy E. Disney. I had a chance to work on it shooting stills with my friend, and long-time yacht photographer, Sharon Green (www.ultimatesailing.com). It is available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The movie is about a young crew of sailors that are on the yacht Morning Light in the Trans Pac Yacht Race that sails from Los Angeles, California to Honolulu, Hawaii every other year. The movie follows 15 young sailors through the selection process in August 2005, their training in Hawaii and Long Beach, and sailing the race in July 2006. http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/morning-light.html

Friends of Dorothy

June 11, 2009, found me at the Impulse for Spring Fashion Show for the Friends of Dorothy Guild at Macy’s in South Coast Plaza. The guild has raised a whopping $245,500 to date for Aids Services Foundation.

As you can see from the other posts in this blog, I have been supporting this organization proudly for the last year and an half.

I hope to see you at the next event! For information: www.ocasf.org/dorothy.htm

Sad News

Chloe Blom lost her battle with cancer and passed away on Friday, June 19th. She and her husband, John, have been dear friends and colleagues for the last 28 years. For 30 years, John and Chloe have owned and operated John L. Blom Photography in Corona del Mar.
Chloe started out only running the business side, but soon picked up a camera and started producing some beautiful images. They were a great team at providing some of the best photographic services in the country.
Chloe was very loved and will be deeply missed by all of us who knew her.
Our prayers are with John and the family.

Hoag Hospital Scanner Magazine cover

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:34:00 +0000

I am proud to have an image on the cover of the Spring 2009 Scanner Magazine, with another image used inside with the article about the Toshiba Golf Classic event. Both images are of Eduardo Romero who was the winner of this year’s event.

This is the second time I have had an image on the cover of Scanner, the first one was of Roy E. Disney’s yacht Pyewacket sailing in the Hoag Cup in 2005 with Hoag Hospital in the background.

Scanner magazine is published quarterly by the Hoag Hospital Foundation in support of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. www.hoaghospitalfoundation.org

April 2009– Good and sad news to report

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:46:00 +0000

UCI Extension Class – “Keeping it Simple: Photographing People”

Class began April 9th with 10 students in my basic portrait photography class for the UCI Extension program. From students to retirees, this year class is as diverse as all the others have been over the last 8 years. Some come wanting to just learn how to do a better job of taking their snap shots of their family and friends, and others want to make a living with a camera like me. My hope each semester is that I can share what I know and help them all enjoy taking better photographs of the people that end up in front of their lens, for fun or profit.

If you would like more information about the UCI extension classes please call 949.824.5414, or go online at www.extension.uci.edu.

35th Grand Prix of Long Beach

Wow! It is hard to believe it has been 35 years that they have been racing through the streets of Long Beach. I have had the pleasure of being a staff photographer for the last 28 years, from the days of F-1 to now with the Indy Cars.

This is the first year that the newly united open wheel race teams of Indy Car were racing on the streets in Long Beach. It was great to have the “family” back together again and to see all the familiar faces again, Tony Kanaan, Justin Wilson, Dario Franchitti and, of course, Danica Patrick.

Besides the Indy Cars, we had the Indy Lights, American Le Mans series, Speed World Challenge, Drifting, and, of course, the Pro Celebrity race with Keanuu Reeves.

The weekend started out with beautiful weather and then it got hot. It was over 100 degrees on Saturday and Sunday. I got to the track at about 6:30am in the cool of the morning and left about 6:30pm at night, when it was still 85. Despite the long hot days of work involved, it is still a lot of fun being a part of the Indianapolis 500 of the West Coast.

Come out next year and join in the party! www.gplb.com

Karen’s Birthday!

My wife Karen had her birthday in April and we went to Disneyland to celebrate. For those of you that don’t know, you can sign up to get a free pass to go to Disneyland on your birthday. www.disneyland.disney.go.com

Her birthday fell on one of those hot days we had and so we didn’t go to the park until later in the day to avoid the heat. We got the pass, then went to dinner at the Grand Californian Hotel, before going into the park. We had a great time.

The other big news from Karen’s birthday was that I gave her a digital camera. It was time for her to go to the digital side and now she is learning to love it.

“ Morning Light” on DVD

The Roy E Disney documentary movie, “Morning Light” that I did the still photography on, and was in theaters this last October, is being released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 15th. www.amazon.com – morning light

This movie is about the casting, training and the participation of 15 young sailors in the Trans Pac yacht race that sails from Long Beach to Honolulu, Hawaii every other year.

Of course I love it because I was involved in it, but it is a great story about an amazing group of young adults. You don’t have to be a sailor to enjoy it.

Sad News!

My mentor and friend in photography of 28 years, who is one of the premiere portrait photographers in the world, Joyce Wilson, lost here husband to cancer in April.

Tom Holt, was a wonderful man. I meet him soon after I met Joyce. He loved a lot of the same things I loved so we got along great. He loved life, family, golf, fishing, good wine and single malt scotch, and of course Joyce.

They moved from Indianapolis to Santa Barbara where Joyce taught for awhile at Brook’s School of Photography. As much as Tom loved the Mid West, he grew to love the weather and the wine of California.

A couple of months ago we had the pleasure of having Joyce and Tom stay with us. We had just pruned our roses back, but Tom showed us how to do it better. I had forgotten that he had owned a garden shop before they moved out West from Indy and so he knew what he was talking about. As Tom’s condition became worse we sent him a picture of how well the roses had come back in. I had a chance to talk to him just before his passing and he was happy to see how beautiful the roses were, and happy that his knowledge had helped. We now have a beautiful way of remembering him.

A wonderful service was held in Tom’s honor in Santa Barbara which Karen and I attended.

He will be missed.

Spring Cleaning

If you or anyone that you know would like to buy their negatives from any type of work that we have done over the last 28 years, now is the time to talk to us.

We are cleaning out the storage locker that we have stored all the negatives in and will be destroying the first 15 years (1982 to 1997) of negatives in the next couple months. Over the next year we will be trying to contact clients to give them all one last chance to buy the last 12 years of negatives and then we will be destroying those.

Kristen and Mike

Some dear friends of ours, Kristen and Mike are getting married at the end of May. Enjoy some of the engagement Images I did for them in Laguna Beach.

March, marches on!

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Toshiba Golf Classic – Hoag Hospital

I had the pleasure of working with Hoag Hospital again photographing the Toshiba Golf Classic in Newport Beach, CA, March 7th and 8th, 2009. This is a Senior Tour event with well-recognized names who still know how to play the game - really well! They are much more relaxed than the regular tour players because they don’t have to worry about “the cut.” It’s a lot of fun to watch them play and to listen to the banter as they talk to each other around the course.

Hoag desired pictures to tell a story for future marketing – from the golfers to spectators and sponsor signage. I have enjoyed this kind of assignment for many years. One of my longest-running assignments has been as a staff photographer for the Grand Prix of Long Beach. This year will mark my 29th year with that event and is one of the reasons Hoag Hospital trusts me to capture their signature events.

Wild Flowers in Borrego Springs

My wife, Karen, and I took a Sunday road trip to Borrego Springs to photograph the wild flowers. It was a beautiful nearly-Spring day and the flowers were spectacular. To our surprise, there are metal sculptures of prehistoric animals that can be found all over Galleta Meadows. This is land owned by Dennis Avery (of Avery Label lineage) who commissioned these fascinating, life-sized sculptures by artist, Ricardo A. Breceda, of Perris, California and represent animals that first made the valley their home. Although the wild flowers will soon disappear, anytime you are out in Borrego Springs, I would recommend going on “safari” to track down the wild animals that will surprise you year round. They are simply amazing! Thank you Dennis and Ricardo for creating such a whimsical surprise in the Borrego Valley!

To see all the images from our trip to Borrego Springs and to order copies for yourself please follow this link: http://www.printroom.com/ViewGallery.asp?userid=douggifford&gallery_id=1477048&curpage=2

It was a busy second week of February.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:01:00 +0000

Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra
I had the honor and pleasure to photograph the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra (OCYSO)http://www.ocyso.org/ on Tuesday, February 17th as they performed a concert for a group of young school kids in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC)http://www.ocpac.org/ in Costa Mesa. The Anaheim Ballet http://www.anaheimballet.org/ also danced during one of the pieces performed by the OCYSO.
I have had the privilege to hear many wonderful performances working as a photographer for the last 7 years with the OCPAC, and the OCYSO performance was as good as you would hear from any orchestra, of any age.

I very much enjoyed working with everyone and was able to capture some great images of OCYSO performance that they will use to PR.

To see and possible purchase any of those images please follow this link,

www.printroom.com/studio_homepage.asp?userid=&domain_name=douggiffordphotography and look for the name of the event.

Laguna Niguel Girls Softball Opening Day

Play ball! It is that time again, time for opening day for the Laguna Niguel Girls Softball League, http://www.lngs.org/.

This is my second year of photographing this event and it was as fun to witness as last year.

The girls on all of the teams go all out to show there team colors and sprit by decorating themselves with props and make-up. As the teams are introduced with their song playing in the background, the girls coming running on the field all decked out in their team colors, throwing candy at the family members that are cheering them on. After a few speakers and the national anthem that was beautifully sung by one of the girls, it is time to “Play Ball!”

To see and possible purchase any of those images please follow this link, www.printroom.com/studio_homepage.asp?userid=&domain_name=douggiffordphotography and look for the name of the event.

Enrollment opened today for UCI Ext Photography Class

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:41:00 +0000

UCI Extension Class – “Keeping it Simple: Photographing People

For the 8th year I will be teaching my basic portrait photography class for the UCI Extension program in the Spring quarter for 6 weeks on Wednesday nights, April 8th to May 13th. The classes are held from 7pm to 9:30pm on the UCI campus in Irvine.

If you would like to sign up or need more information please call 949.824.5414, or go online at www.extension.uci.edu.

I hope to see you in class!

NAWBO- OC Special offer.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Here is my limited time special offer to all the National Association of Woman Business Owners of Orange County (NAWBO) www.nawbo-oc.org members.

Book an Executive Portrait Session before June 30th 2009
and receive a FREE Family Portrait session.

Hurry to book your session today for this great limited time offer!

Call today at 949.362.3661 or e-mail me at doug@douggiffordphoto.com.

Visit our website at http://www.douggiffordphoto.com/ to see all of our other services for your corporate and social photography needs.

Happy New Year 2009

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Wow! Where has the time gone?

Let’s get caught up.

Thanksgiving in Seattle 2008

My wife, Karen, and I made our annual pilgrimage to Seattle to celebrate Thanksgiving mixed with several days of work for both of us.

Our first stop was to our friend’s home on Bainbridge Island where we also spent the 4th of July this year. They have a beautiful home right on the water and the pre-holiday weekend was spent reading, watching the ferries pass by, the eagles hunt for food on the sound and the seals play. All of this was also under the watchful eye of their cat named Sting. The boys strung the Christmas lights and the girls made candy. We had beautiful weather and a relaxing start to our trip.

Kirkland was our next stop where we visited with our friends of 30 years and where we have celebrated Thanksgiving for 25 years with their family and friends. Kirkland is very picturesque and I have loved photographing there.

From the street, our friend’s home looks like it is 800 square feet, which is what it was the first year we visited. But now, as you walk through the front door and towards the other sided of the house, it opens up to be 3,000 square feet.

At first, we always had a project to finish as the house was growing before we could get started on preparing the meal. But a few years ago, they finally finished the remodel and since then we can now focus on relaxing and catching up and then preparing the food.

The final stop was in Puyallup, just outside Tacoma, to visit my now empty-nester brother and his wife and our niece and nephew both in college at Western Washington University. We managed to eat some more leftover turkey and lots of homemade fudge.

This was actually the third time I had seen them this year. I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful summer wedding in the area – a referral from my sister-in-law. I love visiting the Seattle area and welcome doing more work there in 2009.

As the blessings of Thanksgiving came to an end the rush of Christmas began!

Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC) – Candlelight

As you might have read in previous blogs, I have worked with the Orange County Performing Arts Center www.ocpac.org for about six years now and photograph about 30 events a year with them. One of those yearly events is called the Candlelight Concert and is the event of the year for the Center. This year’s concert featured Diana Ross and a Las Vegas theme.

It is always amazing to see how the Center is transformed with decorations for this event each year. And, as you would expect, Diana Ross remains a draw! Check out some of the images on the OCPAC website in the Center scene section, www.ocpac.org/home/Content/ContentDisplay.aspx?NavID=615, and on the OC Register website, www.ocregister.com/articles/event-president-red-2252118-included-chapman.

Professional Photographers of Orange County (PPOC) Honor

I have been a member of our local professional photography group, Professional Photographers of Orange County (PPOC), www.ppoc.org, since 1982. It has been a great place to get to know my peers and to learn my craft through the classes, seminars and print competition that is offered up each month. This group is the local group that is then affiliated with the State organization, Professional Photographers of California (PPC), www.prophotoca.com, and the international organization, Professional Photographers of America (PPA), www.ppa.com, all of which, I am a member.

As with most professional non-profit groups, the best way to get the most out of it is to get involved in the running of the organization. Over the years, I have held all the offices, including President in PPOC, and been on the board of the State (PPC) and International (PPA) groups.

Since leaving the PPOC board, I have continued to attend as many meetings as I can because today there is so much to learn; and, I find that it is so much better to get that information first hand then on the Internet. I also attend all the events I can for the state and international groups for those same reasons. These days, I am able to give back to all three groups by being an international photographic print competition judge. As I have talked about before, this allows me to stay in touch with the trends and techniques, and allows me to help the new photographers learn their craft better, as it did for me.

I was honored this year at our annual Christmas party to receive a Lifetime membership in PPOC in recognition of all of my time working with the organization. I was very touched by this honor and look forward to attending as many meetings as I can in the years to come.

If you are interested in joining PPOC as a student or professional, the meetings are on the third Thursday of each month. Check the website for time and location www.ppoc.org.

Holiday Portraits and Cards

Each year during the holidays, many families call upon us to take their family portrait. Some are new clients, but many are families that come back year after year.

One of those families is the Ruff Family of Coto de Casa. Since 2005, I have photographed their family during the Holidays. Each year, it is always fun to get caught up with what has happen since the previous year. This year, we had a new member to “Team Ruff,” but we still managed to get an image that was worthy of the cover of this year’s card. Each year, they send out hundreds of holiday cards to their family and friends – selected from a range of choices.

Let us know how we can help you each year create images that you would be excited to share with your friends and family, for the holidays or any time during the year that you gather your family.

Kona, Hawaii

This year we were once again invited to spend the New Year holiday with our friends at their condo on the beach just south of downtown Kona, Hawaii.

It was as beautiful as ever this year. We had mild weather with temperatures in the 80’s and very little rain. We had the whales and the turtles greet us when we arrived and we watched them play in the ocean many other days from the lanai.

Because their condo is right on the beach, the sound of the waves creates amazing music to my ears. The 400 square foot, west-facing lanai creates a great atmosphere for visiting friends we have come to know over the years, listening to the surf all day and night, reading, eating, and drinking. Trust me, I am a trained professional at these pursuits!

All-in-all, it was a nice time of relaxation, reflection and renewal. The time always goes by too fast and then it is time to get back to work in this amazing New Year.

The Professional Photographers of America Convention in Phoenix, AZ

A couple of days after getting back from Hawaii, I was off to this year’s Professional Photographers of America (PPA), convention www.ppa.com which was held in Phoenix, Arizona.

This year, I concentrated on attending many of the programs and spending more time in the trade show to gain a clear understanding of the new trends, technologies and techniques that contribute to making this profession one that is always changing and definitely exciting.

Another part of the convention is the chance to see so many of my friends and get caught up with them. After 28 years as an active member in the PPA, I have hundreds of friends from all over the world. It is always great to see them and talk to them about what they are up to in their respective areas of the world.

I write this on Martin Luther King’s birthday which has become a day of service for many. Speaking of that, clearly it is by giving that we get. This year at the convention, I volunteered to mentor new photographers that are interested in print competition. Because I am one of only 120 national affiliate jurors for PPA, I feel I have both an honor and responsibility to help new photographers become better. Most of all, it’s simply a great feeling to help another person with their dream!

It was a great trip, in a wonderful city, and I now have a “to-do” list a mile long, so it is time to get to work. I hope to hear from you!

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Costa Rica Wedding

On November 15th, with my wife Karen, I had the pleasure of attending and photographing the wedding of Christa and Kevin Hanson at sunset on the beach in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

It was a beautiful afternoon and the ceremony was performed as everyone gathered around the bride and groom as the sun was setting. Wow!

The reception followed in the two side-by-side houses that they had rented for the families just steps from where the ceremony had been held on the beach. A good time was had by all!

Check out a few of the beautiful images here and see more on my website in the destination wedding portfolio.

This is the second time we have been to Costa Rica and I would recommend it as a place to consider for a wedding or as a honeymoon destination.

I have traveled to over 65 countries and 45 states and enjoy traveling with my camera to capture beautiful images anywhere in the world. Let me know if I can be of service to you.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:23:00 +0000

A busy week for DGP!

Lifetime Giving Luncheon and Good Scout Award

On October 22, my wife, Karen, and I attended a luncheon that The Boy Scouts of America, Orange County Council held to honor a good friend of ours, the Honorable Harriett M. Wieder, with the Lifetime Giving and Good Scout Award at the Islands Hotel in Newport Beach.

It was a great event with lots of people there to honor and support Harriett who has worked for many years in Orange County politics and has put together programs that supported organizations like the Boy Scouts.

It was great for me to reconnect with the Boy Scouts because I earned my Eagle Scout award as part of a troop here in Orange County. I hope to continue that involvement in the years to come and can highly recommend to others to consider this worthy organization. www.ocbsa.org

A project that has been in the works, and is now open, is called the Outdoor Education Center which is located in and around Irvine Regional Park.
This facility will be available to everyone to learn and enjoy outdoor activities. For more information please visit: www.outdooreducationcenter.org

The President's Volunteer Service Award

On October 23, I was honored to be the photographer for a ceremony to honor the recipient of The President's Volunteer Service Award in Orange County which was held at the Village of Hope in Tustin.

Rather then try and tell you a lot about the award, simply go to their website at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

In another one of those small world moments, as I was walking past some of the recipients before the ceremony, I heard someone shout out my name. It turned out to be Karissa Kiremit who just two nights before had booked me to photograph her wedding that will be held in January 2009. She was there with her mother because her father was one of the recipients that day. It was wonderful to meet Karissa’s parents and then have someone that I knew receive one of these prestigious awards.

Girls Incorporated of Orange County

On October 24, my wife and I attended another event at the Islands Hotel in Newport Beach in support of an organization we have enjoyed supporting for many years, Girls Incorporated. http://www.girlsinc-oc.org

Mission: Inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.SM
Vision: Empowered girls and an equitable society.

This says it all about the organization who serves about 4,500 young girls from 4 to 18 years of age with many programs around Orange County and the country.

It is such a pleasure to be around the girls that are part of the program. If the mission and vision speaks to your heart, getting involved with the girls and the organization will only make them both come alive. I can wholeheartedly recommend Girls, Inc. as worthy of your time and support.

Friends of Dorothy Halloween Party

October 25, I donated my time and talent to photograph the Haunted Halloween Costume Party for the Friends of Dorothy Guild at the Village Crean in Newport Beach. The event was a smashing success raising $45,635.00 for Aids Services Foundation.

As you can see from the other post in this blog, I have been supporting this organization proudly all year.

I hope to see you at the next event! For information:

www.ocasf.org/dorothy.htm

VW Drag Races at the Irwindale Raceway

Finally, on October 26th, Karen and I went out bright and early in the morning to the Irwindale Raceway to watch my sister, Susy, and her husband, Mike, race their VW’s down the drag strip. It turned out to be an all day family affair, with my sister, Kathy, and her husband, John, my Aunt Judy, my cousin Jack and his wife, Linda, there to support Susy and Mike.

My sister and brother-in-law ended up racing each other in the practice runs – great fun to watch this married couple beat it down the stretch! The race of the day, from my perspective, was “The Powder Puff VW Division” comprised of all seriously competitive women – including my little sister! She placed second while her best friend took the checkered flag. I was the unofficial photographer for that division. The next race is Fontana on May 3rd, 2009. Be there!

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:28:00 +0000

“Morning Light” Movie Premiere

After waiting for more than a year for Leslie and Roy E. Disney to complete the editing process on the documentary movie “Morning Light,” my wife, Karen, and I were invited to attend the premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday, October 7. The movie will be in “select” theatres starting October 17th.

For those of you that don’t know, I did still photographs during the filming of the movie. If you go to the “meet the team” tab on the “Morning Light” website and, at the end of the movie, the photographs of the crew are all my images. It was fun to see my name in the credits at the end. To our surprise, Karen and I are in the background as the boat leaves the dock in Long Beach for the start of the race, so we get a little face time in the movie, too!

If you would like to know more about the story, there’s an excerpt below straight from the movie website.
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/morninglight/

Fifteen young sailors... six months of intense training... one chance at the brass ring. This exciting True-Life documentary tells the inspiring story of a group of intrepid and determined young men and women, on the cusp of adulthood, as they embark on life’s first great adventure. Racing a high-performance 52-foot sloop in the TRANSPAC, the most revered of open-ocean sailing competitions, the crew of "Morning Light" matches wits and skills in a dramatic 2300 mile showdown against top professionals. From their earliest training sessions in Hawaii conducted by world-class teachers through their test of endurance on the high seas, they form an unbreakable bond in the process of becoming a singular team that is greater than the sum of its parts. Edited by one of the key filmmakers responsible for the acclaimed 2004 surfing documentary, "Riding Giants," written and directed by the team of filmmakers behind the recent rock documentary "Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who," and the critically acclaimed "Once in a Lifetime; The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos," "Morning Light" will appeal to the sense of adventure in everyone.

It was great to see and catch up with all the “kids” again and to finely see what they were doing for eleven days at sea. We had only heard a few stories, but because it was all documented, we got to see what they experienced. It is an amazing journey!

I know I am a little biased, and I would recommend seeing the movie. You will not be disappointed. It is a wonderful story, told well! Heck, it’s a Disney movie!

Cheers!

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:26:00 +0000

Centennial Heritage Museum

I had the pleasure of donating my photography services to document the 4th annual fundraiser, “Gangster Gala and Flapper Fling,” on September 27, 2008, at the Centennial Heritage Museum in Santa Ana to help raise funds for the education programs at the museum.

For those of you that do not know about this wonderful organization, the Centennial Heritage Museum is an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and restoring the heritage of Orange County and the surrounding region through quality hands-on educational programs for students and visitors of all ages. The museum receives approximately 20,000 visitors each year primarily from schools, both public and private, and groups affiliated with United Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of America.

Besides the educational activities that go on throughout the year, the historic Kellogg house and wonderful gardens provide a beautiful background for numerous weddings and corporate events. So, check them out if you have a wedding or other event coming up.

Visit their website at, www.centennialmuseum.org for more information about everything that is going on at this amazing location. They can also be reached by phone at 714.540.0404. They are located at 3101 West Harvard Street, Santa Ana, California 92704.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:43:00 +0000

Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope

On September 12, 13, 14, I had the privilege of working for Roberta and Howard Ahmanson photographing a series of events for the Orange County Rescue Mission and the opening of the Village of Hope in Tustin.

The Village of Hope is a 200-person residential facility for homeless families located at the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Base. The Ahmanson’s have been long-time supporters of the OC Rescue Mission and were a big part of helping to build the Village of Hope.

Friday night, September 12, the Ahmanson’s hosted a sit down dinner for the residents and staff of the Village of Hope at the facility in Tustin. After dinner, everyone was treated to a concert by The Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale that played for the first time a commissioned piece titled “From Greater Light” by composer Alva Henderson.

Saturday night, September 13, a benefit dinner and concert for the Village of Hope was held at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The dinner for 375 guests was held in the Samueli Theatre. The Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale headlined the concert in the Renee and Henry Concert Hall that was dubbed the “Concert for Hope.” After the intermission, it was time for the world premiere of “From Greater Light.” It proved to be a delightful musical event, not just a noble one.

Sunday afternoon, September 14, was the Grand Opening for the Village of Hope in Tustin. The afternoon was full of fun, food, drink, music and tours of the facility for the public. The Ahmanson’s commissioned art pieces by sculptor Albert Paley and artist Peter Brandes which were also dedicated that afternoon. Jim Palmer, the director of the OC Rescue Mission, hopes that these and additional paintings that are on loan from the Irvine Company will, with their beauty, help to inspire the residents.

The weekend was a lot of work and extremely fulfilling. It was great to be a part of all the events over the weekend and to see what was being done by the Ahmanson’s to support the homeless in Orange County.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:35:00 +0000

DON ’T MISS OUR SPECIAL “FAMILY PORTRAIT MONTH ” PROMOTION !

This October Doug Gifford Photography will participate with an elite group of photographers around the country in a very special family portrait promotion. Throughout October we will celebrate “Family Portrait Month,” a wonderful opportunity for you update your family portrait (or portraits of your children), and help to support Operation Smile, which treats children around the world who suffer with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Along with other studio members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA), we have pledged to contribute $25.00 from each session to PPA Charities, which has chosen Operation Smile as its charitable partner.

What’s more, we want you to benefit from this special offer: With your purchase of a single wall portrait, choose one of the following:
• 2 free gift-size portraits
• 24 free custom holiday cards
• 10 percent discount on framing
• $75 gift certificate (for your use or as a special holiday gift)

Recording the faces of children and their families is our greatest pleasure. That’s why we believe so strongly in the work of Operation Smile. Each year this incredible organization of more than 6,000 volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists, and specialized health-care professionals, perform free reconstructive surgeries for children suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. More than 1000,000 children are born with a facial deformity each year in Operation Smile's 26 countries.

We also believe that Family Portrait Month is a wonderful way to teach children the value of reaching out to others. Even small children can understand the importance of Operation Smile’s work, and they are eager to help these needy children.

We hope you will join with us in helping to make this vital work possible. Don’t forget that the holiday season is right around the corner, so there’s no better time for a family portrait, which is always appreciated as gifts for family and friends and to send along with holiday greeting cards.

Call today to schedule your appointment so that you do not miss out on this wonderful opportunity.

As always...we look forward to creating some truely wonderful portraits of your family.

What I have done during my summer; vacation?

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000

I hope everyone has had a great summer so far. I have been busy!

Here is the latest news!

Cheers!

Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's

In June, I was hired by Charlie Palmer to produce the advertising images for his newest restaurant in Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza. The restaurant and its affiliated Next Vintage Wine Shop are located on the ground floor of Bloomingdale’s. I certainly recommend that you stop by if you are in the South Coast Plaza area for a drink in the beautiful bar, for a great meal at lunch or dinner, or to pick-up a bottle of wine from the Next Vintage Wine Shop.

Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's
South Coast Plaza
3333 South Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
ph: 714.352.2525
www.charliepalmer.com

Charlie was at the restaurant as I was photographing it. He’s a really personable guy with great vision and I really enjoyed meeting him. To get a taste for the personality of Charlie and one of his dishes, check out this clip from a cooking segment that he did July 30th, 2008 on the Today Show.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25916605/

The 4th of July on Bainbridge Island, WA

My wife, Karen, and I were invited to spend the 4th of July on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle, at the home of our dear friends who live on the water’s edge. The “boys” did their work early in the holiday by assembling a couple of new deck chairs and putting up a new flagpole. After that, it was time to relax and enjoy the fantastic weather. The tall-masted ships sailed by through the morning fog and then it was off to the street fair. On the morning of the 4th, it was back to Main Street for the “big” parade. That’s Americana! Back at the house for the fireworks, the grandkids found it hard to wait for the sun to go down at 9:30pm to enjoy the show – a spectacular and endless display throughout the bay and Puget Sound!

PPA International Print Competition

July 20-24 found me heading to Daytona Beach, Florida, to judge the International Print Competition for the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). I was one of 40 judges selected from a total list of only 125 qualified jurors who, over a three-day period, judged over 5,000 entries from PPA’s 15,000 plus members. To become part of this esteemed group of jurors, I first had to become a Master Craftsmen Photographer with PPA, then judge for many years at the local, state, and regional competitions, followed by completing a series of judging classes, and finally a review of my background and submissions of my work for review by other judges. Over the years, I have also had many opportunities to judge the international print competition for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). By judging these international print competitions, I get to see thousands of prints from photographers around the world. This allows me to stay in touch with the latest trends and styles in photography and, most of all, to always provide fresh perspectives and ideas for my clients.

Another part of being in Daytona Beach was it gave me a chance to get to see the Raceway. Wow, is it big! The track is 2.5 miles in length, with 30 degree banked turns. They have a great IMAX show that tells the story of the track and of NASCAR. There is a terrific museum about racing as well as you get to ride a tram around the track. I can’t wait to go back for a race!

I am proud to say that two of the four images that I put into competition where accepted into the load collection. They are part of the top 5% of the images accepted into the exhibit.

Newport Beach Breakers, World Team Tennis / Hoag Hospital

This July, Hoag Hospital hired me to cover the seven home matches of their World Team Tennis (WTT) team, the Newport Beach Breakers, which features marquee stars such as Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova, Martina Navratilova, and John McEnroe. The team played their matches at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club. If you have never seen WTT matches, they are lot of fun. In between points, there is rock music and they use graphic replays to check if a ball is in or out. They use the stars in both single and double matches, and then have an autograph session for the kids at the end of the night. At the end of the season, I photographed a favorite of mine, legendary comedian Dana Carvey, as he performed at a Benefit Comedy Night for Hoag Hospital at Breakers Stadium. What a great night! I am looking forward to photographing more events with Hoag Hospital in the future.

NAWBO – Orange County
I have become one of the few male members of the National Association of Women Business Owners' Orange County (NAWBO- OC) which happens to be one of the largest NAWBO chapters in the country, with 400+ active members. NAWBO-OC is committed to enhancing the overall success of women business owners by providing its members encouragement and support, networking opportunities, educational programs, and professional development. Earlier this year good friend and then President of NAWBO, Barri Carian, asked me to photograph a special speaker that the group had at that month’s meeting. As long as I was there they asked me to do some other photographs. Then I was asked if I could do photography again for the next month, and the month after that. At the last of those meetings Barri suggest that I become a member, and so I did. Besides providing my photographic service to the group at the meetings each month, I have also become the photographer of choice if a member needs to update their business portrait. With my wife, Karen, as President-elect, it looks like I with be hanging out with the women of NAWBO awhile longer.

Brooks Institute of Photography students visit with Doug

A group of 16 graduating students, all women, from the world renowned Brooks Institute of Photography, stopped by to talk to me this August about how I have been able to be successful as a photographer over all this years. Brooks Institute is celebrating more than 60 years of educating students in the visual and media arts. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California, the school offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in fields including Professional Photography, Visual Journalism, Film and Video Production, and Graphic Design, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography. I was honored to have an opportunity to tell my story and answer questions from this wonderful group of young women as they make plans to start on a career of their own in this profession that I have loved for so long. I talked to them about how they now have great photographic skills to compete with, but they must also be as good as any one in the way they do business. I also reminded them that it is tough to rebuild their reputation with their peers and clients if they don’t go through their careers with integrity. I wish them much success!

“Morning Light” - a documentary sailing movie by Roy E. Disney

Last year, you might remember that I had a chance to work with my friend and long-time yacht photographer, Sharon Green (www.ultimatesailing.com), shooting stills for a documentary movie being made by Roy E. Disney. The movie is about a young crew of sailors that are on the yacht Morning Light in the Trans Pac Yacht Race that sails from Los Angeles, California to Honolulu, Hawaii every other year. The movie follows 15 young sailors through the selection process in August 2005, their training in Hawaii and Long Beach, and sailing the race in July 2006.

The movies trailer is now available and the release date has been set for October 15th, 2008. http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/morninglight/large.html
They have made this into a compelling story that will be great to see up on the big screen in October.

First Basic Photography Class held at DGP studio is a success!

After years of teaching a basic photography class with the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Extension program, I taught my first basic photography class here at the studio. It was a great success! The students loved the individual attention I was able to give them and I loved being able work with each student until the concepts were clearly understood by each of them.

The response from the class has inspired me to soon offer basic, intermediate, and advanced classes, along with field trips, for small groups of photographers – from the enthusiast to the professional. And for those who prefer personalized instruction, I will continue to provide individual coaching as before.

For dates and times of the classes, please check the DGP blog for announcements. For private coaching, please call me at 949-362-3661 or send me an email at doug@douggiffordphoto.com.

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

Hope your year is going well!

I’ve been as busy as ever, so let’s get caught up.

Weddings – they missed me!

As we have reconnected with the wedding coordinators, we are finding that they missed me. Why? Because so many of the new photographers they have been working with just don’t have the same professionalism. For example, they don’t want to play by the rules, or work with the other vendors, and they are not prepared to work through problems that happen at almost every wedding. That’s sad to hear, but it is mostly because a lot of the photographers have never worked with another experienced photographer for any length of time before they started covering events themselves and so have no training on how to be a prepared good professional.

I have always taken the job of documenting this once-in-a-lifetime event very seriously. So, before I set out on my own, I worked for a year (apprenticed) with another photographer. The first thing I learned is that I had the perfect patient personality to work in this type of photography. I then learned how to be the good professional, play by the rules, and how to be prepared. I had a good foundation of basic photographic skills, but I found out where and who to go to be the best I could be. Today, I am still learning new tricks, and shooting in a new style, but that professionalism that I learned early on is still a part of what I have given to my clients from the beginning.

Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI)I had a great time speaking at this year’s WPPI convention in Las Vegas March 16 – 19th. This year, I talked about the secrets of getting great results in taking low light photographs for editorial, wedding and portrait photography.
Fuji Film has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple of years and you could see that with the new printers, software and book binding products and services they where offering in the booth this year.

As usual, I connected with allot of photographers I only see once a year at this event. We talked about what changes they had made to their business over the last year. It was also good to see the new products and services being offered in the trade show, and to talk to my service providers.

Phantom of the Opera

As most of you know, I have been working with the Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC) for the last seven years, and I get to do a lot of amazing things because of that relationship. While the Phantom of the Opera was in town last month, the company changed out one of the principal actors who played Meg and hired me to do the new public relations stills.

We did the photographs on the stage with the new actor, Jessi Ehrlich, in full costume as Meg. She had three people looking after her: make-up, hair and a dresser. I had five people looking after me, helping me with the lighting and background, as well as the stage manager and a company representative helping me direct the shot. After meeting Jessi on stage, I got the light level and temperature to set my camera, and then ran down into the seating area to take the picture. We worked for about 20 minutes until we had what we wanted. I said “that’s a wrap” and everyone disappeared and that was it. What fun!

The final image turned out to be the third one we did. They loved working with me and the final image so I hope to have another opportunity to do something like this again down the line.

UCI Extension Class – “Keeping it Simple: Photographing People

For the 7th year, I taught my basic portrait photography class for the UCI Extension program in this spring quarter, April1st to May 6th. The classes where held from 7pm to 9:30pm on the UCI campus in Irvine.

We had a wonderful group of students this year and we look forward to teaching the class again next year.

Classes Workshops Personal Instruction Coaching

Classes:
For the very first time, I am offering the same class I have been teaching at UCI extension at my studio in Laguna Niguel. This location allows us to have more time demonstrating work outside using natural sunlight.

· “Keeping it Simple: Photographing People”

Course Description:
Students will learn how to use their own cameras to take great portraits. Doug will share simple techniques and “tricks of the trade” in photographing people using available light and other lighting sources. Class assignments will be done using the cameras already owned by the students. Work inside and outside the classroom will be done to demonstrate techniques.

When: Tuesdays, July 8th, 15th, 29th and August 5th
Time: 7-10pm: 4 meetings
Where: Doug Gifford Photography
28142 Casitas Court, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Fee: $300 (limited to 10 people)

· “Keeping it Simple: Photographing People” Field Trip

When: Sunday, August 10th, 6 – 8pm
Where: Divers Cove, Laguna Beach (Myrtle and Cliff Drive)
Fee: $45 (Limited to 10 people)

· Create Your Own Class

Put together a group of, at least, 6 friends and create your own class.
Topics that could be covered: Portraiture - location, in the studio; Wedding Boot Camp; Fine art; Travel; Scenic; Editorial – entertainment, sports (auto and yacht racing); Commercial – executive portraiture, product, architecture.

When: TBA
Where: TBA
Fee: TBA

Remember that we are also available for private lessons and coaching.
o $150 / hour

Go to DGP Blog for future announcements about other classes and workshops.

Heart of America – Regional Print Competition

Two years ago, I was asked to speak and judge at the Heart of America Conference in Omaha, Nebraska and I found out how great the steaks are in that part of the country. So when they asked me back this year to judge the Regional print competition, with the conference being held across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa on April 11 – 13th, I couldn’t wait to get back there to have another great steak.

On my way there, I got to spend “just” a couple of more hours then I wanted to in the Dallas airport because I was caught up in the American Airlines DC grounding. Once I got to Omaha, I was met with of all things - snow. For me, this was fun to see and go out and play in, but for my Midwest friends, they were frustrated with it. Fortunately, it stopped snowing before I had to head home.

As I have talked about before, what is so great about judging these regional print competitions is that I get to see, and be inspired, by hundreds of images from a different part of the country from where I live. And, I also get to talk and meet a lot of great photographers from that part of the country and see what ideas they may have that are different from my area.

Grand Prix of Long Beach

Since 1983, I have been apart of the staff at the Grand Prix of Long Beach (GPLB). This year’s GPLB was very historic because it was the last year that the Champ Car series would ever race anywhere. It was a chance to look back at the 25 years of history with CART or what then became the Champ Car series on the streets of Long Beach. Several of the old drivers came back, as did several of the old cars. As usual, it was a fun weekend and all the races turned out to be good ones.

Several weeks before the race, I talked to the GPLB PR director about an idea I had to photograph all the drivers together that would be a part of that last race. After coordinating it with the Champ Car PR director, we were able to get all the drivers together just before the Saturday morning warm-up session in the winner’s circle. I think the drivers really enjoyed getting together and the photograph turned out great. The next day, after my friend and fellow photographer, Tim Mathiesen, had made a print of the image, we were able to get most all of the drivers to sign it. We have since scanned the print and have made up a limited edition poster of that image with the signatures. If any one would like a copy of that poster, please let me know.

AMA Superbike Challenge at the Auto Club Speedway, Fontana

For 28 years, I have photographed every type of motor sports vehicle, except the big road course motorcycles, known as the Superbikes. I finally got my chance to do that the third weekend of April this year as the guest of one of the Supersport division teams, Safety First Racing. It was great to have friends on the inside that I could talk to about all the details of this type of racing. By the end of the weekend, I felt very knowledgeable about the bikes and I was finally able to refer to the person on the bike as “rider,” rather then “driver” - a little thing that is a big thing, in this type of motor sports.

Even after watching them for several years on TV, in person, I couldn’t believe how far they tipped over the bikes as they went through the corners dragging their knee, and sometimes elbows, on the ground to help them keep the bikes under control. It was amazing! The still image, as it does most of the time, really allows you to see and appreciate this technique even better then you can on TV.

When I am photographing race cars we are tipping the camera to one side or the other to create movement. With the bikes, there is no need to do that because of their tipping over in the corners. But, you have to remember to bring a longer lens to fill the frame with the bike because they have such a large runoff area and they are much smaller than a car of any type.

The Friends of Dorothy

As a part of my ongoing desire to give back to my community I volunteered my services to photograph the “Haute for Spring” event at Bloomingdales, South Coast Plaza, May 7th, for “The Friends of Dorothy” support guild of Aids Services Foundation which raises funds for the ASF of Orange County. In its first year, the guild reached its goal to raise over a $100,000.

Happy New Year!

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:58:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

It is almost Valentine’s Day and I am just now updating the blog. Fortunately, I have been busy to start the year.

Let’s get caught up!

Kona, Hawaii
For the last three years, my wife, Karen, and I have been asked to join our friends in their condo on the beach in Kona, Hawaii to start the year. Watching the turtles surf in the waves and the whales cruise by with their babies is inspiring. Okay, it’s tough, but someone has to!

This year, it was Kenny’s 70th birthday. We celebrated it by taking a tour that went to the snowy top of Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet above sea level. This is where the world’s largest telescopes are located and it feels like you can see every star without them. It is simply amazing to go from the beach to a snow- covered mountain in “Hawaii.” Fortunately, you don’t have to remember to bring warm clothes with you from the mainland so you don’t freeze to death on top of the mountain. The tour operator we selected was Mauna Kea Summit Tours (www.maunakea.com). They supply you with a parka and gloves plus a great box dinner provided by one of our favorite restaurants, Jackie Ray’s. The other odd thing is that it is hard to walk around in the thin air at almost 14,000 ft, so you have to stop at the visitor center at 9,500 ft for an hour just to get your body ready to go higher. I highly recommend your taking this tour the next time you are on the Big Island.

Also, if you need a place to stay the next time you go to the Big Island, let me know. I would be delighted to introduce you to our friends that own the condo. It is a beautiful place to stay, right on the beach, just 2 miles south of downtown Kailua-Kona. If the melody of crashing waves is not up your alley, then save yourself a call!

Weddings and Our New Team Member

After spending a lot of time last year focused on editorial work (and by popular request), I am returning to photographing more weddings this year. I missed all my brides and grooms and am happy to be doing this work in a bigger way again! So, we are reconnecting with all of the professional service providers in the wedding business with whom we previously worked as well as connecting with new ones so they know about our services.

To help me with this task and others, I am really delighted to let you know about a new addition to the team. Her name is Marie Nelson. She lives across the street. When we moved to our new location a couple of years ago, she heard that I was a photographer and asked if I might help judge the art competition for the Marian Bergeson Elementary School. This year was my third year and these young artists constantly amaze me with their talent. I really enjoy giving back to my community this way and appreciate Marie for asking me to lend a hand – especially with all the changes in education these days!

A bit about Marie…After years in corporate America, Marie became a stay-at- home mom. This year, she wanted to find some part-time work. Our experience working together on the art competition made it easy for me to ask if she might want to become part of my team. She can walk to work and I have a great person who cares about preserving family histories and important events as much as I do. So, the next time Marie calls, please extend her a warm welcome. She is looking forward to meeting you all!

Negatives for Sale!

One of the first projects Marie is working on is to contact all of our past clients and offer the negatives for sale that we have been storing since we opened our doors 27 years ago. While we have some contact information, many of our more than 1250 wedding couples and over 2000 portrait clients have moved. So, if you are a client or were part of a wedding or event, please be sure and keep us up to date on your whereabouts. The prices for the negatives vary based on several factors. We will make a concerted effort to find clients over the next several months or so. After that time, we will decide if we want to offer to continue to store them for a fee or recycle them. By the way, if you have negatives or images of your family histories or events on CD that you want to store, please let us know as we are evaluating technology to offer that as part of our new suite of services.

Something to know about storage technology: Unlike DVDs, CDs, and hard drives that are only made to store digital information for a short time, we know from a 100 years of film history that negatives are made to last for many decades – depending, of course, on how you store them. This makes the negative files I have even more valuable. Who is the keeper of your family history?

Another tip: The best way to keep your favorite images is really to make prints on good quality photographic paper. And, remember, ink jet printing for archival purposes is not as stable as other types of paper and inks, or dyes. If you decide keeping them on media, like DVDs, CDs, flash drives, etc is really for you, you must keep updating to the new media and hardware to read it or you will lose it.

Judging - Western States Print Competition

Wow!
I was so proud to represent California and the Western Region as a judge last week for the Western Region Print Competition held in San Diego, California. We had two (2) prints that score a perfect 100 and many albums that scored 85 and higher. The very first set of images to be judged was albums. And, the first album scored a 93! What a start, and it just keep going over the next two days.
See for yourself on the PPC website:
www.prophotoca.com

For those of you that don't know, I have had the honor of being an affiliate juror for the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) the last 8 years. It is a long hard road to become a juror for PPA, and there are only a 100 jurors on the "list" at a time. Moreover, not every one that wants to be there will make it. You start out working in the minor leagues, judging as many of the local and state competitions as you can, trying to learn from, and catch the eye of affiliate jurors that are judging beside you. About this time in the process, you have to take a week long course on how to be a PPA judge. Once you have your Master of Photography degree from PPA, you have passed the course, and you have great reviews from the other judges, you can then be invited to become an affiliate juror by the head of the Print Competition Committee (PPC) for the PPA. Once you are an affiliate juror, every time you judge you are reviewed by your jury chairman and the other judges. If you don't do a good job, you’re out! You must also continue to submit images for print competition and they must score well or you can be taken of the list. Every year, the judges meet and are trained on the latest techniques so they can spot good and bad use of that technique in the competitions. Each competition is run the same way, with a well-trained chairman and jurors so that there is a great deal of integrity and consistency in every competition. If your image is judged by a PPA panel of judges to be an excellent print, you know it is! www.ppa.com

Having the honor to be able to judge the International, regional, and state competitions for my professional colleagues gives me a front row seat to see the newest ideas from photographers from around the world each year. I have been able to stay in tune with what the latest trends and techniques are by sitting in judgment of these images under the lights of competition. I see what works and what doesn’t, and I am inspired to go out and keep my own work fresh and up to date.

My next judging assignments are for the Orange County (PPOC) and San Diego (PPSD) local photography groups and then the Heart of America regional competition in Omaha, Nebraska in March, and PPA Nationals in July.

Professional Photographers of Orange County (PPOC)

Speaking of PPOC! A group of past presidents, of which I am one, joined together with the current board of directors to help to make the group stronger. New mentoring and other programs are being put into place to give the members more value in their membership, and to give the long time members a chance to help the “new” colleague be the-best-they-can-be.

If you are photographer in Orange County, please consider PPOC and attending our meetings to see what is new. Please go to the website for more information. www.ppoc.org

Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI)

I will again be speaking at this year WPPI convention in Las Vegas, NV March 16 – 19th. This year I will be talking about the secrets of getting great results in taking low light photographs for editorial, wedding and portrait photography.
The talk will take place at the Fuji Film trade show booth on Tuesday and Wednesday. Stop by the Fuji booth to get the schedule and to check out how they can help you with your photographic capture and printing needs.
www.wppionline.com

UCI Extension Class – “Keeping it Simple: Photographing People

For the 7th year, I will be teaching my basic portrait photography class for the UCI Extension program in the spring quarter, April1st to May 5th. The classes are held from 7pm to 9:30pm on the UCI campus in Irvine.

If you would like to sign up or need more information please call 949.824.5414 or go online at www.extension.uci.edu.

That’s all for now!

Cheers!

Review of DGP News from 2007

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:03:00 +0000

2007 for Doug Gifford Photography was filled with lots of new projects, challenges, assignments, travels, event, and loses.

The year started with the loss of one of my dearest friends, mentor, teachers and colleagues and ended with the loss of another one.
Most of the world knew Monte Zucker as a great teacher of photography technique, as did I, but he also became a great friend over the past 25 years. I miss him dearly!
Most of the photographic community would not know my other great friend that we lost just recently unless you where involved with PPA photographic print competition as I have been for many years. Buddy Stewart was a true southern gentlemen, funny, smart, and a great photographic artist that all us that knew him will miss.

Here is a review of the DGP News of 2007.

Doug attends PPA Convention in San Antonio
San Antonio, TX.- Doug attended the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) convention in January to stay on top of the changes in the photographic industry. Besides learning a lot and catching up with old friends, Doug also got to spend two extra days there because an ice storm closed down the city of San Antonio. But, he did walk away with a very unusual photograph of ice hanging off a cactus in front of the Alamo.

Dates announced for a Photographic Tour of China
Beijing, China - The Itinerary have been set for the Photographic Tour of China with Imperial Tours that Doug will be the photographic expert. Imperial Tours was founded by Westerners who've lived in China for many years. It combines local knowledge and know-how with a top-quality, professional service; we bridge the gap between your preference for high quality service and its provision in China. Both parties are excited to be working together on this Luxury Photographic Tour of China. For more information go to: www.imperialtours.net

A new limited edition book is now available of Doug’s images of people and places in China.

New book about California
Laguna Niguel CA. - Doug is proud to have 10 images in a new book called, California…A great place to live, by Rhino Media Works. www.rhinobooks.net All of Doug’s images in the book are from Catalina Island, an island off the coast of Southern California which he has worked and played on his whole life.

UCI Irvine Extension – DG Shares Photo Wisdom
Irvine, CA – Doug will return for his sixth year in the Spring 2007 to teach photography fundamentals through the extension program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). After years of teaching only his peers, this course was open to all who wanted to know more about how to take better people pictures using their own cameras. Titled, “Keeping it Simple, Photographing People”, Doug shared some of his photography wisdom and a few “tricks of the trade” for the amateur and aspiring photographer. For info, contact UCI at www.extension.uci.edu, or call (949) 824-5414.

Getty Images
Los Angeles, CA. - Doug has just signed with the leading supplier of photographic images to the worlds media Getty Images to cover events for them in the Orange County, CA. For more information about Getty Images and to see Doug’s images from the latest event he has covered, please go to their website, www.gettyimages.com.

The Morning Light Project
Long Beach, CA. – Since August of last year, Doug has been working with his long-time yacht photographer friend Sharon Green (www.ultimatesailing.com) on shooting stills for a documentary movie being made by Roy E. Disney. The movie is about a young crew of sailors that are on the yacht Morning Light in the Trans Pac Yacht Race that sails from Los Angeles, CA. to Honolulu, HI. every other year. The movie follows these 15 young sailors through the selection process in August 2005, their training in Hawaii and Long Beach, and sailing the race in 2006. Look for it to be out in a theater near you in the Fall of 2008. One of the highlights on this project for Doug was when Roy took the team to Disneyland. Having worked there, and grown up there himself, Doug enjoyed photographing the team as they had a chance to visit the park with Walt’s nephew. Funny, they didn’t have to wait in any lines!

New photographic book – Building of the new Concert Hall at OCPAC
Costa Mesa, CA. – Doug published a new photographic book of the building of the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Orange County Performing Artscenter (OCPAC). Doug than sold the book to the OCPAC who than give it to their top donors. Doug has worked for the OCPAC for seven years as a staff photographer and was there for the building of the new concert hall from the ground breaking to opening night. Doug covers about 40 performances, parties and events a year for OCPAC. www.ocpac.org

Catalina Art Festival – Doug to Exhibit Fine Art Photography
Avalon, Catalina, CA – From 2001 to 2004, Doug was involved with the Catalina Art Festival as a judge. Since than, Doug has been a exhibitor at this annual event that is held each September in Avalon. He has won 2nd place in the photography division the last two years. From those entries, for the second year, he will produce the official poster for the event. Beside those posters, he will also have two new photographic books, Avalon, and The Inn on Mt. Ada, as well as prints, note cards and post cards of images from Catalina and the around the world. If you want to have a great day and see some amazing art, join Doug and over 100 other exhibiting artists in Avalon on September 16-18. www.visitcatalina.org

Doug Gives Back
Laguna Niguel, CA – For the last 27 years, Doug has enjoyed being able to give back to the not-for-profit community. This past year, he donated items for silent auction fund raisers held by organizations such as: Healing Odyssey, 2nd Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Girl’s Incorporated, Orange County Noblettes, Sierra Catholic School, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center Guilds. Each year Doug makes it a point to help several great causes. Call him to see if he can help you.

New DGP Website is Launched!

doug@douggiffordphoto.com (Doug Gifford) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:18:00 +0000

Finally!

After a lot of hard work, our new website is launched and we would love your opinion - especially as we now have the ability to add images easily and frequently - whether from travels around the world or editorial work in the entertainment industry or the fine art and books that are now available for purchase.

Over the years, we have been invited into your homes and businesses and to your special or family events and occasions to capture images that represent who you are and what you do in the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of your life.

We have designed the site so that you will be able to share future photographic experiences that we capture for you with your family, friends and colleagues more easily online as well as order those images that you want to display.

After 27 years in the business, many of you have asked me how to take better images yourself in addition to using our services for really important moments in your lives. We heard you and are thrilled to announce DGP photography coaching services. While my class at UC Irvine offers a way for you to learn how to take better people pictures using your own camera, many of you have asked for additional "one on one" help to become better photographers yourselves. DGP now offers private and semi-private coaching in a single session or a series. It's a really great gift for the photography enthusiast in your life!

My intention for this site is also to engage you in a conversation about photography - whether as part of this blog or in a class, as your coach or on one of the photography tours that we will launch in 2008. I want you to feel comfortable connecting with me about your questions - from technical questions about your own images to those about the industry in general.

I remain as passionate about being an image-maker today as when I first began. My hope is that you will be inspired to visit our site again and again and that you will consider Doug Gifford Photography for your photographic needs for many years to come.

Let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Doug