Lifestyle Destination Wedding & Portrait Photographer

New blog

2011-02-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

My blog has moved. Please visit http://aricbeckerblog.com for all current information.

Thank You!!!

Wrapping up 2010

2010-12-29T22:58:00.000-08:00

First...I have neglected my blog way to much this year. So one of many things to improve on for 2011 is to blog on a regular basis. So please keep checking back for new posts.

Wrapping up another year....

I can hardly believe another year is coming to a close. It seemed like the year would drag out when I was a kid and my parents would always say, “enjoy it now because the years will get away from you when you get older.” Well guess what, they were right!

We have been so blessed to meet so many amazing people this year and to have been invited to be a part of their lives. It truly is an honor for us to have people put all of their faith and trust into us and our work, when they know that they will never be able to relieve this moment again. This is what keeps us going and loving what we do, to be able to capture the moments that they can never relive and to see the smiles and tears flow as they look through the albums, or cards, or watch the slide shows.

We also participated in Help Portrait this year, trying to use what God gave us to give back to some others. This was an amazing experience for our whole family as well as a few friends. Ten families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford family photos got to have the whole experience of a shoot, along with getting hair done. We were also able to get a Santa for the kids and a donation of a gift for each child. Just the looks on the kids’ faces when they saw Santa, was enough for me, but listening to the people say how grateful they were for a picture of their family was absolutely the best feeling that I have ever had! Knowing that this would be something that they would treasure for years to come is something that makes me say, “Thank you God for the talent that I have been given, and for allowing me to do something with it that makes a difference.”

Looking forward to starting off 2011 with a bang....shooting Shannon and Max’s wedding on New Year’s Day! Will also be traveling to Hawaii in February for Jenna and Wilson’s wedding. Now that’s a way to start a new year for sure! Can’t wait to see what the Good Lord has in store for all of us in this upcoming year.

As I reflect on this year as a whole; We met so many great people and were blessed with a growth in our business, but as with a growth within ourselves. We have seen what truly matters in life, have learned to have faith and patience, and that the plans we may have for ourselves and our lives are not always the plans that He has for us....we just need to relax and enjoy the ride.

Happy Holidays to all of our friends....present and future!!

Here are a few images from 2010

Portland Engagement Session | Jenna + Wilson

2010-08-23T13:51:00.001-07:00

Portland Engagement Session | Jenna + Wilson from Aric Becker on Vimeo.

Fusion Video | Matt & Melissa

2010-08-05T20:48:00.001-07:00

Melissa & Matt Anderson from Aric Becker on Vimeo.

Portland Engagement Session | Jenna + Wilson

2010-08-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

This Is What It Is All About!!!!

I can’t tell you why or how you meet people, you just do, and when you meet people who you have an instant connection with...you know it! This is how we feel about Jenna and Wilson.

They have given us the honor and privilege to come with them to Hawaii in February to shoot not only their wedding, but their bachelor/bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, and family bbq. It is going to be a super week of fun, sun, and some memories to last a lifetime!

In preparation for the big event we went down to Portland this past weekend to shoot some engagement photos, so easy and so relaxing, just went for a stroll through the beautiful Rose Garden, then off to the campus of Portland State for a few great shots. Grabbed a coffee at Starbucks, then it was off for a surprise we had planned. Jenna and Wilson have an ongoing bet about who is the better dancer.....Enter a little Dance, Dance Revolution contest. That being said what a better occasion for settling the bet. Aric found this arcade in the Pearl District of Portland called Ground Kontrol. We got some beers and some quarters and set out to see who would be called champion. I am not sure we really got a winner, but did get some great shots of them playing the game and they had so much fun.

After dancing we were all hungry and Wilson found a little hole in the wall place that served Hawaiian food. Heaven for the taste buds and the bellies!
Our final destination was the Portland waterfront....Where we got some great shots with the Portland skyline.

While we LOVE Hawaii and everything it has to offer, being able to have people trust in you and your work so much that they want you to travel with them in order to be a part of their experience of a lifetime, makes it even that much more special. What a great Valentine’s weekend this will be!

Bellingham Wedding | Melissa & Matt

2010-08-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

A Match Made In Heaven

Melissa and Matt were a referral from a friend that we have known since high school. From the moment we met them, they knew that we were all the right combination for each other in every way. Our creative eye, great pictures, our mutual connection with Josh, and our relationship with The Lord.

Their story is one for the books, Melissa started out in the group as “one of the guys," and through lots of prayers, faith, and 8 years of friendship the relationship grew into something much more!

The wedding and reception were held on a piece of land that has been in her family for 500 years, nestled in a valley in Bellingham. The land has it all...rolling hills, open field, landscaped yard, and access to the river. They could not have asked for a more beautiful spot or a more gorgeous day. While it was a bit warm( 95 that day), it was overshadowed by a lovely ceremony, great food, and some fantastic family and friends.

Tacoma Family Session | The Finn's

2010-08-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Sunshine!

You meet a lot of little kids in life, but I can honestly say I have never met a little girl whom rays of light come out every part of her body! From her eyes to her "cupcake" smile she is just happy and it shows.
A few weeks ago we did a family shoot with Regan and her mom and dad (Jody and Jim).
We had a blast shooting at The Glass Museum, down by the marina, and on The UW Tacoma campus.
Regan and her family made our "job" really easy! Just followed them around and let her lead the way.

Lakefair | Capital Cheer & Football

2010-07-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Lakefair from Aric Becker on Vimeo.

Groupon

2010-07-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

To Groupon or not to Groupon? That is a good question. Actually it is a great question! In our case the answer would be why not? We felt we truly had nothing to lose....No money out of our pocket, no ad to write, no real work to reach thousands of people. So why not give it a shot?

If you don’t know what Groupon is, here is a quick overview. A collective buying process in which merchants offer a discount to customers for one day and set a limit as to how many have to purchase the deal in order for it to be a deal. It is really a win, win for all; customers get great deals on things they probably wouldn’t normally buy and merchants get their name and their products/service out there to a larger audience than they normally would.

The big day came and we were excited and a little nervous at the same time, it was either going to go well or go really bad. So we sat at the computer so that questions could be answered as they came in and to see how many people were going to buy. By 9:00am 10 had been bought and so the deal was on!!

We kind of felt like it was Wall Street around here, whoo hooing every time we refreshed the screen and another had been bought. By about 11:00am we were getting phone calls of people who were wanting to book!

Needless to say we were happy with the outcome, 41 groupons sold, means 41 photo shoots, also means 38 new people who we will get to meet and form a relationship with, and 2 people who already knew us and loved our work so much that they wanted in on the deal.

In short, it really can’t hurt no matter how you look at it, and thank you to Groupon for making this a positive experience for us!

San Luis Obispo Engagement Session | Stacey + Danny

2010-07-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

You just never know...…

....Who you will meet, when, or how! I just happen to be cruising through Weddingbee.com one day and came across Stacey’s post that she was looking for a wedding photographer for her wedding in October, just one catch....It was in California!

On a whim I sent her a message letting her know that we would love to be a part of her and Danny’s special day, well what do you know, she loved our work, and through our contact through email got the vibe that we were going to hit it off and she hired us!

Just this past weekend we drove down to San Luis Obispo, CA for their engagement shoot, as well as to meet them in person. Within ten minutes we were all in our comfort zones and had a blast shooting at the historic Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Frog and Peach Pub(where they shared some laughs, and stories with us, while they sat down for a beer), and downtown San Luis Obispo, which has a small town feel although it is a college town.

Then it was off to Pismo Beach and some cool shots on the pier. After that we ended up the evening at Shell Beach, which is awesome because it doesn’t attract as many people and the walls of the beach have a truly amazing feel to them.

Stacey and Danny are absolutely a beautiful couple, that love each other very much and you can see this in their pictures! We can’t wait to travel back down for the wedding and to meet the rest of the family.

We are so glad that we were able to connect with her through the internet, and are so stoked to document their whole day!!!

Tacoma Family Session | The Bales

2010-07-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you are just what people need!

This was the case last Tuesday when we were featured on Groupon.

Melissa, Mark, and Jared were all here on vacation from Cincinnati, visiting Mark’s brother Bob’s family; Kari, Quentin, and Bobby, whom they haven’t seen in two years. So when the deal of the day came up as a portrait session with us, they said YES!!

We had a super fun time with the whole family out at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place. Not only did we get some great shots, but they got to see a beautiful golf course with some awesome views of the mountains and The Puget Sound.

San Luis Obispo Engagement Session | Stacey + Danny

2010-07-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Just a teaser.....

Wanted to tease just a little, and share a photo maybe two from this last weekends casual portrait session with Stacey and Danny, in San Luis Obispo, CA! Beautiful and fun couple who's wedding we will be shooting in October.....can't wait!

Groupon!!!

2010-07-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

If you purchased our Groupon deal. Please fill out the form below.

If you haven't purchased our deal yet, see if there is still time HERE!!!

Stacy + Dave

2010-06-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

This post is full of all kinds of goodies!!! Last weekend we hung out with Stacy and Dave. We first met at Stacy's parents house and took a few pictures. Then headed downtown Olympia and walked around the Farmer's market and down the boardwalk. After grabbing a quick drink, the real fun began. Stacy and Dave took us out on their boat!! We headed to Heron Island. It was such a gorgeous day!!! It was so relaxing hanging out on the boat chatting taking a few pictures and then shooting on the beach on Heron Island!

Stacy and Dave are so laid back, they even let us try out some video. We are really excited to offer this to all our clients! Not sure what to name it yet, but we are going to be putting together fusion videos (still images & video together) of our casual portrait sessions and weddings. Check out the video at the end of the post.

Thank you Stacy and Dave!!! We had a blast and so looking forward to your big day!!!!

Stacy + Dave from Aric Becker on Vimeo.

Our New Wedding Books!!

2010-05-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

We are so stoked with our new books. We received our studio samples yesterday, they are so sweet and our clients are going to absolutely love them. They are hand made from Italy. The quality and the options available will help us serve all our clients needs. Cover options from Leather to Metal. The images really pop off the thick hand made and bound pages. These books will be great for weddings or any special event you might have.

This book is 13x10 with a metal cover.

The metal cover and leather back feels and looks awesome!

I really like the landscape format, there is square and portrait available.

The books are hand made in Italy, they are a true work of art!

This book is 12x8 and would make great parent books.

The dust jacket and hand made page!

The look and feel of the linen paper really ads to the elegance of the book.

Senior Pictures | 2011 Senior Models

2010-05-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

We are super excited for this years class of senior models!! We had a great time shooting all of them too, we went everywhere from Olympia to Tacoma, and even got some in Hawaii!!
We love to capture each individual in their element, so for this years seniors that meant basketball courts, baseball and football fields, at the water, in cheer uniforms, and just plain old hanging out!
Thanks so much for being a great part of our team: Kyle, Marquez, Rylee, Lora, Jordynn, and Dannielle.

Prom Fashion Show

2010-04-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

What started off as an email to Omayra from Bridal Boutique for some networking opportunities, turned into something so much more; the exclusive right to shoot a Prom Fashion Show!! After months of preparation and planning; it was so cool to see how everything came together.

This event was not only a free community event for the people who came to see it, but it was also an opportunity for vendors from around the Olympia and surrounding areas to display their work. The event featured girls from all over the area, most who had little or no modeling skills before all of this started. It was amazing to see the transformation after only three practices.

Along the way we met some really great people like, Renae from Renae's Salon, who's crew did all of the hair and the makeup for the show, as well as the handful of others who made the show a success. We also had the huge honor of working with some really awesome girls, and got some amazing shots!

I can't tell you what a great feeling it was to be able to be part of a community event like this, and to meet the amazing people that we met along the way, along with the new friendships that have formed from it. All of this from a few minutes spent on the computer typing an email.

Tumwater Dance Team doing "Thriller"

The girls from Renae's Salon

Kyle's Senior Experience Part 1

2010-04-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

We went out last weekend to shoot Kyle a 2011 senior from Olympia High School. This being Washington the weather didn't cooperate. Lucky for us Kyle's Dad teaches and coach's at Olympia, so we just had a small session in the gym. Kyle plays basketball and baseball for Olympia, so session number two will be some baseball and lifestyle pictures. As soon as the weather wants to cooperate.

Destination Wedding Giveaway!!

2010-03-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

This year I am giving away a deal to a couple who wants an awesome wedding experience. What I’m offering is entirely free wedding event photography … the only catch is that the bride and groom need to pay only our round-trip flight, transportation, and hotel stay for 3-4 days.

Here’s what is offered: The entire days worth of wedding photography and a high-res CD of all the images taken on the wedding day. Now, since I will be traveling with you or to you, I will also photograph your rehearsal dinner the night before (up to 3 hours). We will document your whole wedding from beginning to end, what an awesome story we will tell with your pictures.

What is the definition of destination? Well, for me, it means outside of Washington.

How do you enter? Send me an email (Aric@AricBecker.com) with a short synopsis of your wedding event (date, location/s, theme (if any), etc) and a photograph of the bride and groom. The synopsis can be as simple as “a rustic wedding in an orchard in Alabama” or as detailed as you’d like! Wedding must be in 2010.

Is there a deadline? Yes. April 1st is the last day to enter.

We look forward to the opportunity to serve you!

Senior Night!!

2010-02-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

Last week I was able to shoot Capital High School boys basketball game vs Timberline. It was Capital's Senior night; Cheer and drill team seniors were honored along with the players. I am looking forward to documenting the boy's team journey to the state playoffs, starting next week. They have only lost one game all year and are going into districts with a top ten ranking in the state. Senior Alex Williams will be joining the 3A vs 4A All-Star team March 20th, first Capital player to do so since head coach Doug Galloway did so when he attended Capital High School.

Couples Sites!!!

2010-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

We are really excited for this upcoming wedding season. To serve our clients in a special way we are creating all our 2010 couples their very own site...Alas "Couples Site". No more cheesy ad sites. These will be custom made to the couple with their casual portrait session images and all their wedding day info. After the wedding they will show case their wedding book design and pictures. Below you can see what the site could look like before and after the wedding.

Here are two samples (click on couples name to view full site):

Daniel + Lauren's Couple Site

Loran + Katy Couple Site

Before & After

2010-01-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some Before=(straight out of camera) & After=(TLC from Aperture & Photoshop) images. I am asked why print prices are the way they are. Before digital, photographers would drop off their film, pick it up show proofs and order prints. Now, I edit through hundreds sometimes thousands of images from a session or wedding down to a manageable number. Then from those the client will choose their favorites or I will design a wedding book. With digital, I am the photographer, color corrector, photo lab, and book designer.

One of the differences between professional photographers, and amateurs or hobbyists, is the presentation and finishing of the photographs. Images shown straight out of the camera may be fine for proofs, but for prints and albums and any final presentation, we like to "massage" our images and give them some TLC in Photoshop.

I use Aperture & Photoshop to enhance the images, not to really make the images. It should add to the image, and never get to the point where it takes away from it. Effects that are applied just for the sake of applying them, are useless to me.

I use Aperture for most of my "massaging" and use Photoshop about 10% of the time if I want to add a little extra to an image or change it to black & white.

Here are a few examples:

This first image of one of my gorgeous senior clients from this year, is SOTC "Straight Out of The Camera". If you look at it by itself, it's not half bad. The light is great, it's a good exposure, good angle, and it is certainly acceptable...

The above shot is nice but we can improve on it a little. A little color correction, contrast bump, little glow to the skin and some sharpening with a little vignette.

SOTC:

Little color correction, contrast, lighten a little to bring out the eyes more, Sharpen.

SOTC:

Color correction, contrast, my black & white action in photoshop, sharpen, vignette.

SOTC:

Color correction, contrast, my special TLC in Aperture, TRA (Totally Rad Actions) grunge rock 20% in Photoshop, sharpen.

2011 Senior Experience Rep Search

2010-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

We have just launched our 2011 Senior Rep Search at Aric Becker Photography and the Senior Experience!

Who is eligible? Uprising seniors graduating in 2011.

What’s in it for you? Our Senior Rep Program is a way for Class of 2011 Seniors to earn free stuff and get amazing senior portraits, while helping us show off the latest styles and update our senior images!

Here are the details..just fill this out..and hit submit. SENIOR REP BENEFITS… A Free Session! Bring 3-4 fun, funky and fashionable outfits.

You will receive your session FREE!
Rep Discount Cards – 50 custom cards with your name and image to get you started and other special products

Website, Blog & Facebook – are some of the places in which you may appear!

You DON’T have to be a perfect model size or look like a model to get IN. We base our decision on personality, activities and eagerness to be in the program. We are looking for models that truly appreciate the Senior Experience quality, and can see the difference in our work. ONLY a limited number of Senior Reps are accepted from each school! If you meet our requirements…sign–up today!

Fill out the form below or click HERE.

You can view details and images HERE about the SENIOR EXPERIENCE!!

Happy Sweet 16!!!!

2010-01-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

WOW....I can't believe today my little girl turns 16. I am so proud of her and the person she is growing up to be. It seems like yesterday she was 15 days old in my arms watching the Superbowl with the Dallas Cowboys beating the Buffalo Bills that year.

Here are a few pictures from the last few years.

Happy Birthday Dannielle, We Love You!!

2009 Recap

2010-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

2009 was a great year. Business wise probably the biggest spring board year we have ever had. New website, started senior picture program and our weddings have taken off. We are really looking forward to 2010 and it's going to be a great year. We are going through all aspects of the business and going to serve our clients to the fullest. A few things we are working on is updating the look of the blog and possible new blog coming soon, updates to the website which has already started, 2010 price list changes for Weddings and Seniors.

By far one of the biggest events of the year was winning a spot for Mike Larson's workshop in Hawaii. This week changed my life. I was able to learn so much from Mike and Rachel. Not just business related. Mike is such an inspiration to me professionally, religiously and to be the best husband I can. Because of Mike I have learned how and what it means to serve my clients. Thank you to Mike and Rachel. Hope we can connect more in 2010.

Here are a few images, actually a lot of images from the year. Some are of photo shoots and some are family images. Hope you enjoy.

Happy New Year!!

My mentor Mike Larson. If you are a photographer check out his workshops.

Website & Blog Update

2009-12-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

These last two weeks of the year, I am looking at my business and myself. I am looking at ways to serve my clients in a better way. If you have any suggestions would love to hear from you. Along with doing some updates to the look of the blog and website.

Looking forward to a great 2010!!

Win $25 iTunes Card

2009-12-17T12:33:00.001-08:00

I am entered to win a spot for Mike Colon's workshop. Mike is a great photographer and business man. I would love to be able to learn from him and how he takes care of his business and clients. This will help me to serve my clients to the fullest.

So, to win the $25 iTunes card you need to do two things.
First: Go to Mike's blog and vote for me HERE.
Second: become a fan of Aric Becker Photography HERE.
Winner will be picked at random from our fans if we win. Voting ends Friday at 5:00pm, so please hurry.

Please forward to all your friends and family.

Daniel + Lauren

2009-12-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

We met Daniel and Lauren two months ago about their wedding in August 2010. During that first meeting over coffee, it was like chatting with old friends. When they chose us to shoot their wedding we felt very honored. Last Saturday we shot their casual portrait session. It was a blast incorporating everything that they love. We started out with them riding their bikes, then headed to Tumwater Falls for some portraits. They love downtown Olympia, so we went to the free wall, grabbed a slice of pizza at Old School and had coffee at Olympia Crest and just walked around having a great time. We finished the day with some night photos on the 4th AVE bridge. Watching the two of them stare at each other, you can feel love between them.

Slideshow of Daniel + Lauren HERE

You can view more images from their shoot HERE

Basketball Poster

2009-12-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure to shoot the Capital High School boys basketball teams. During the shoot I thought it would be cool to do a poster for the Varsity team with their schedule. The players were excited about it and thought it would be very cool. We spent a little over an hour shooting all the players doing what they do best on the court. Thanks to Coach Galloway and his staff for allowing us the time to put together a great poster.

The Gift of Encouragement

2009-12-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Zack Arias is such an inspiration to me and my business. Over on his blog he is putting together some great inspiration for ten photographers. Check it out if you know a photographer that needs some encouragement. I know I would love this encouragement.

Link to Zack's blog click HERE

HOLIDAY PORTRAIT SPECIAL

2009-11-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

Loran & Katy

2009-11-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

We traveled down to Portland for Loran & Katy's amazing wedding. It was so great to see all the love from family and friends. After we took some amazing portraits around the temple grounds we headed back to Olympia for the reception. Loran & Katy were so awesome through the whole day and didn't let a little rain get them down.

Katy was stunning!!

Loran was very dapper with his cool shoes!

We did get lucky with some awesome light for a few minutes

Vacation

2009-10-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

No, we were not on vacation. Actually the complete opposite. It is nice being busy, but I so neglected the blog. I will try not to let it happen again. Almost a month with out a post is way to long.

Since the last post we have shot some awesome people, and events and just been plain busy with the kids. We have shot a few seniors from Capital High School along with Olympia and Tumwater High School. Angie's cousin and her family are here from Pakistan where they live and work. It is always fun to see them, they visit about twice a year. Their kids are growing up so fast and this visit also brought a new cousin to the family. With all the cousins birthdays fairly close and them no able to share them together we threw a big party for all seven of them. It was so much fun and the food was amazing, I love Hawaiian food.

Enjoy the images from the last month.

Awesome Albums

2009-09-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's like Christmas every time the UPS man comes to the door with a package. Today it was a client's album. I absolutely love the albums I offer my clients. The leather looks, feels, and smells so good. They are so simple and elegant. The colors of the leather are amazing. This album was from a birthday party we shot a few weeks ago. As a thank you to the client we sometimes give a 4x4 replica of their big album. These mini albums are so cool, they look just like the big album with a leather cover and lay flat pages. These are the same albums we offer our wedding and senior clients.

Ellie's Birthday Party

2009-08-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

We were given a fantastic opportunity to shoot one of our close friend's daughter and her 3rd birthday party. It's always an honor when friends or family hire us to shoot them or their event. It was so fun just shooting the party and everyone there. Their book is going to be full of amazing images and be a lasting memory forever. Here are some of the images from this sweet little luau party.

Awesome cupcakes provided by Hello Cupcake. Check them out for your party or just to have a great cupcake.

More sweet cupcakes from Hello Cupcake.

The Other Side Of the Camera

2009-08-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

So a few months ago I attended a workshop and listened to Mike Larson speak. He is a great inspiration to me in business and life. During his presentation he talked about his wife and how they get their pictures done about once a year around their anniversary. He talked about how it was so fun and great to have images of themselves and how close it brings them together. I started thinking, my wife and I have never had pictures of just the two of us. We have never had another professional photograph us, not even our own wedding!! August 18th was our anniversary of being together for 17 years. What a perfect time to have a portrait session of just the two of us. I contacted Corey Hage and we met in Seattle and had a great session. It was so weird at first for us to be on the other side of the camera. We will cherish these pictures for the rest of our lives. I now know what Mike was talking about and how he feels when he looks at the images of him and his wife.

Angie, I Love You and look forward to creating more images and memories together for the rest of our lives.

Thank you Corey for a great session and look forward to seeing the rest of the images.

Mike, thank you for being such a great mentor and inspiration to me.

Our sneak peak from Corey, can't wait to see the rest.

Lawrence's Senior Experience

2009-08-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

We shot an awesome senior this last weekend. Lawrence goes to Capital High School and plays football, along with baseball this year. We started out at Capital's home field Ingersoll Stadium and then went around downtown Olympia. The early morning made for some great light and the images are sweet.

The Van Sickles

2009-08-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Angie and I had a great time shooting some good friends of ours the other day. We have known Keith and the boys for a long time through youth football and now through high school football. It's always an honor when close friends and family hire us to shoot them. We love to serve all our clients as friends & family, we base our business on friendship first.

Boys will be boys.

Senior Internet Special

2009-08-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

This is an internet only special for Olympia area high school seniors! Call or Email the Studio between now and 5pm on Tuesday August 4th to schedule your session and you will receive $100 off your session! You can make the appointment for anytime. Want to shoot in the fall, in October? Middle of next spring? Next week? No problem, just schedule it by August 4th and you will receive the $100 off your session, and an additional 16 wallets with any package, plus you still get your $100 package credit a $250 value just for booking your shoot. Post this to your facebook page, tweet it, txt your friends, etc. To view our regular rates and see more samples of our work, visit our main website HERE.

Contact info:

Phone - 360.259.8228 or 360.259.5724

email - Aric@AricBecker.com

Our Family Portraits

2009-07-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Love to take pictures of our children!! So many years of pictures to look back on. They are growing up so fast and becoming wonderful young adults! So fun to enjoy these times with them, and to capture them in photos is a special treat. These are some of the pictures we recently took while at Tolmie State Park in Lacey, WA.

Mike Larson Slideshow

2009-07-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a slideshow of some images from my week in Oahu for Mike Larson's Workshop. Enjoy

Mike Larson Workshop Recap

2009-07-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

I am so stoked to start implementing everything I learned at Mike Larson's O'ahu workshop. I can't wait to serve my clients in a new way and provide the absolute best service. I have been to a few workshops and this one by far was the best, not just because of the location. Mike is a great speaker and you will feel the energy and his heart when he speaks. I can't believe how much information Mike passed along to us in the four days of the workshop. Thank you to Mike and Rachel Larson for all the work you did to put on the best workshop around. Watching the two of you interact is a true inspiration.

Here are some images I made during our shoots during the workshop.

Day 1 | Mike Larson Workshop

2009-06-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Such a gift to be here in Oahu on the North Shore to learn from Mike Larson. Quick update with a couple images. I will post more in a day or two. If you are a photographer, I would highly recommend going to one of Mike's workshops.

Mike is such a inspiration. He is such an open book and teaching so much.

North Shore Beach.

Casual Portraits at sunset doesn't get much better than this.

Flying over Maui!!

2009-06-28T11:43:00.001-07:00

I am in Hawaii for a week. I was blessed to win a spot in Mike
Larson's workshop through his blog. Check out his other workshops @ http://www.mikelarson.com/seminars
I will be updating as much as possible all week.

The Attic

2009-06-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I love my job and the people we get to meet. Angie meet with Autumn from The Attic a couple weeks ago over coffee, they talked about all kinds of networking ideas. The Attic has gone through some upgrades and needed some new images for their website and brochures. We were honored to be able to provide them. I spent a couple hours there last week and the place is great. Can't wait to shoot a wedding there. There are tons of cool places in and around The Attic for some cool images. Here is a sample of what the inside looks like.

Portland Wedding

2009-06-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to second shoot for Scott Brown in Portland, OR last weekend. I hung out with David and his groomsmen most of the day, they were super cool and outgoing. Hotel Lucia was the location for the revealing and most of the portraits. The staff was super helpful, if you are ever in downtown Portland check them out. The restaurant staff next door at Typhoon was very helpful and opened up a section for us to shoot which gave us some very cool images. Congrats Elena and David.

The guys getting ready and figuring out how to tie the ties.

David hiding in the room waiting to see Elena.

The guys looking GQ.

David relaxing at the Hotel.

Some detail shots.

More details.

Bridal Party hanging out after the revealing.

The guys on a side street by the hotel, there was a parade going on right in front.

The fellas in front of the Hotel.

David and Elena relax for a few minutes before heading to the church.

Portland's finest watching over the wedding party.

Nick's Senior Rep Shoot

2009-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

We have such great rep's for this coming year. Nick is our newest rep and is going to be a Senior at Tumwater High School. 2010 is going to be a great class of kids.

Kim and kids

2009-05-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Awesome weather and and some super fun subjects! What makes for a better family portrait shoot? Nothing!! We had so much fun taking pictures of Kim(a great friend of mine) and her kids at Tolmie State Park in Lacey, Wa this past weekend.

SENIOR REP SHOOT 2010!!

2009-05-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped up our Senior Photo Shoot for the 2010 school year. We have an awesome group of kids this year! Thanks to all for an amazing weekend of sun, fun, and fantastic photos!! Here are a few we would like to share. If you are interested in being a rep for your school please contact us.

Great Day

2009-05-09T20:11:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful day. It is absolutly beautiful outside. Taylor won
both fastpitch games this morning, then we had some lunch and went for
a bike ride down to the beach. Kids are growing up so fast. I love
when we all slow down and spend time together.

iPhone

2009-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wanted to try out the new mobile update for my blog with my iPhone.
Hopefully will be better than using Flickr which I was using before.
We will see.

Transform

2009-02-23T14:05:00.001-08:00

I was looking around today at some blogs and the usual websites I look at day to day and found a really cool video. It's cool in the fact that it's how I feel and I couldn't have said it better. If your a photographer you will really relate and if your not you will know how most of us photographers feel and I am sure you can relate to it in some way.

It was done by Zack Arias a photographer from Atlanta who is very talented. Also check out the blog post about the video HERE.

John & Tricia

2009-02-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

I had the great pleasure to shoot John & Tricia's wedding last Sunday. It was a small ceremony and reception with friends and family, you could feel how close they are with everyone that was there.

Glad I brought the big golf umbrella, love the Washington weather

Despite the weather we did get some great pictures

John loved the outside of the building and I have to agree with him

The light and old architecture of the inside of the building was great

Nice quiet moment before heading to the reception

New Website

2009-02-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about my new website. There is a ton of customization to it and I have a lot to learn. If you haven't been over there yet please check it out Here, I would love to hear some feedback.

If you are a photographer and are in need of a website or change check these guys out they are great. Click Here

Also, since I have switched hosting some of the images of previous posts are not up. I am working on recovering them and fixing the past posts.

Thanks

Longest Day

2009-02-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

Ron Dawson of Cinematic Studios teamed up with WPPI to create a ‘reality show’ including a bunch of photograpers - it’s a promo for the big WPPI conference in Vegas and also a fund rasier for some worthy charities. Watch an episode and then click here to see the rest

I was hoping to attend WPPI for the first time this year but it didn't work out, hopefully next year.

Gingerbread House Contest

2008-12-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

Well it has been another long time in between posts. So here is our annual gingerbread house contest. Derrick and I against Dannielle, Taylor and Angie. So please leave a comment and vote for who's is better. There is a huge prize for the winner, so please vote. Happy Holidays to everyone.

Long Time!!!

2008-10-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since a post. I have been so busy with coaching football at Capital High School. We are number one in league with one more game in the regular season and then the playoffs start next week. I haven't shot to much lately either. I did purchase a new road bike and have been riding a lot lately. I will post more about that later. Here is a funny video, I remember the original commercials.

High School Football

2008-08-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

I had the great opportunity to go shoot two high school practices for The Olympian newspaper this last week. The Olympian has been doing a story on a different local high school football team everyday up until this coming Friday which kicks off the season. It is also more interesting for me to see how other practices are run since I also coach the QB/WR at Capital High School. We open up with O'Dea High School from Seattle which we lost to in the opening round of the playoffs. Looking forward to a great season. I am also lucky too coach my son's 7th grade team. Updates on both seasons will be coming.

Bike Riding

2008-07-27T17:51:00.001-07:00

I have been riding my road bike more lately and really enjoying it. I am going to train and hopefully do lots of rides next summer. With gas prices it is also saving us some money. Check out this cool program Trek Bikes have.

Wedding Assistant

2008-07-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to assist another photographer Eric Richards with a wedding down in Portland. It was great seeing another photographer work. It was also nice to just shoot and not be the main photographer and worry about all the details. Here are a few images from the day.

Thanks again Eric, it was great working with you.

Hot Summer Day

2008-06-29T18:00:00.001-07:00

Hot Summer Day, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

So summer has finally arrived in Washington. It is about 95 today. The
kids are swimming, I am cooking some steaks on the BBQ and working on
some images from Dannielle's recital last night and enjoying a adult
beverage. Angie is trying hard to find a job in Arizona, she really
wants to move.

Finally... Images from Hawaii

2008-06-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished going through the images from our vacation in Hawaii. Here are a few of my favorites. I also put together a slide show here.

Hale'iwa Beach

Cousins

Hale'iwa Beach again

Cousins again

Best place in the world... We had shaved ice everyday

Entrance to the Bonzai Pipeline

North Shore Ranch

Sunset Beach

When is it going to stop????

2008-06-08T19:23:00.001-07:00

When is it going to stop????, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

Filled up our little VW Gold the other day and gas went up another
five cents from the day before. When is this going to stop. Six
dollars a gallon doesn't seem too far away. So today I went and bought
a bike to ride to the school for football practice. I think I will be
riding it as much as possible plus I need to get into shape.

North Shore

2008-05-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

So here are a couple images from our vacation in Hawaii. We stayed on the North Shore pretty much the whole time. After this crazy weekend I will post more images. We had such a great time and loved it there. We have some cousins just outside of Haleiwa and spent lots of time with them, we miss them already.

Coming Home

2008-05-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

Coming Home, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

We are headed home today. Actually we are sitting at the airport
waiting for the Dept. Of Agriculture to open so we can check in and go
eat before our flight. Looks like it is going to be another half hour.
For the gentle man at the front it has been three hours. We have a
busy weekend and then I am going to work on some of the pictures I
took and post them
Early next week. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Last Day In Hawaii

2008-05-21T19:29:00.001-07:00

Last Day In Hawaii, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

Our last day in Hawaii is today. We were planning on just hanging out
at the beach most of the day. The weather gods had a different idea
since it is raining most of the day. So we went shopping and had some
great lunch and had to go to Matsumoto for shaved ice one last time.

Bonzai Pipeline

2008-05-16T19:59:00.001-07:00

Bonzai Pipeline, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

This morning Angie and I went to Ted's Bakery for breakfast and went
over to the pipeline to see the surfers. The waves and shore break are
crazy, couldn't even imagine how it is during the winter when they are
three times the size they are now. I forgot my bigger lens so we are
going again early in the morning to shoot tomorrow and then hike by
Waleima bay.

North Shore

2008-05-16T18:46:00.001-07:00

North Shore, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

Last night we watched the sunset in Haleiwa before dinner. It has been
real hazy do to the ash from the big island. I haven't had Internet to
post pictures from my normal camera so these from my iPhone will have
to do for a little while.

Honolulu

2008-05-15T18:48:00.001-07:00

Honolulu, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

Angie and I have been in Hawaii for a day now. It has been a challenge
to drive so far, mainly trying to read the signs. I have also had a
hard time finding Internet access so I will update as often as
possible. We are at the mall in Honolulu doing some shopping and had
lunch at Bubba Gump shrimp. More images to come.

Hawaii

2008-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Angie and I will be heading to Hawaii early Wednesday morning. I am planning on updating about the trip often and with lots of images with my iphone and real camera. This is our first trip to Hawaii and we will be in Oahu on the North Shore. So any last minute tips let us know. Check back often to see how the trip is going. Aloha

Derrick

2008-05-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to do a picture with a baseball on fire. I first saw it done by Darron Carroll of Sports Illustrated when he shot Josh Beckett in High School. So I was bored last night and Derrick just finished a game, so we went in the back yard for a little while. Let me know what you think, I am not sure if I like the end result it seems to be missing something.

Camus Family Photos

2008-05-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay on the post. I had a busy weekend of baseball. Derrick played five games over the weekend in a tournament up north in Des Moines. I finished the family photos Friday night and didn't have a chance to update until now. Hope you like the images.

Camus Family Photos

2008-04-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting the Camus family over the weekend. I also shot 14 baseball teams. So I only had time to put up one photo. I will post more from the shoot later in the week. Stay tuned.

Portraits

2008-04-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Wow... It has been a long time since I have updated. I have been really busy with coaching. I am assisting my sons select baseball team along with coaching football at the Capital High School. I have not shot a lot lately. So I took a few pictures of Derrick. I am working on doing a portrait with the baseball on fire, I have seen it a few times and have always wanted to do it myself. So who better to be my Ginnie pig then my son. So these were some tests before we light the baseball on fire.

Thunderstruck

2008-03-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter Dannielle competed in a dance competition over the weekend. This is her first year at this studio and it is great and she loves it. They are getting better and better with each performance and competition. With her competing and Derrick's baseball tournaments we will be very busy this summer.

Dannielle Competing

Most of the Crew at Center Stage Dance Studio

Dannielle Dancing

Personal Project

2008-02-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

I shot a few pictures for myself today with the help of my friend Bryan Hooper. Not sure how or where I am going to use these but I needed to shoot anyway.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2008-02-14T13:37:00.001-08:00

The big day for all couples. Lots of pressure for all the guys. I found this funny video on youtube.com, office romance is not a good idea. Hope everyone has a great day. I am taking Angie out for dinner tonight, we decided to not do anything big for each other. Just have a nice dinner out together.

If you know of anyone that got engaged on this great day, help a friend out and let me know.

Super Bowl Commercials

2008-02-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

The Giants pulled the huge upset. Which I am not happy about. Not that I am a Patriots fan or Belichick fan (I don't mind Brady). But anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge Cowboys fan and I will never be happy for another divisional opponent. I thought the game was kinda boring and the commercials were even worse. This must be the first year that there isn't at least one memorable commercial. So here are a couple from the past and a couple you might not have seen that were band.

Super Bowl

2008-01-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

Is anyone excited about this Sunday's Super Bowl? I am usually excited about the Super Bowl no matter who is playing. The commercials are as big as the game. But this year for some reason there doesn't seem to be that much excitement around the big game. Are the Patriots to good? The Giants are a boring team even with Plaxico's prediction. My prediction Giants 13 - Patriots 42. Leave a comment with your prediction.

Eating Healthy

2008-01-22T10:59:00.001-08:00

Eating Healthy, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

So I am doing pretty well on my diet. Last night I had a chicken
breast with carrots and broccoli. I am really starting to feel better
and have more energy.

Poker Night

2008-01-20T09:44:00.001-08:00

Poker Night, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

Last night I had a little get together with friends and played a
little poker. Second time using the new table I received at Christmas.
It is nice playing on a poker table rather than the kitchen table. I
played rather well and won twice. I am going to try and win a spot in
the WSOP Main Event this year. I was close two years ago.

New Headphones for iphone

2008-01-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

I found these headphones the other day online and were also recomended by [b] on his blog. They sound great and are very comfortable. They are made by V-Moda. They have ear phones for the iphone which have the microphone and all the functions the regular apple ear buds come with. They also come in a couple of different colors. They also have some regular ear phones without the iphone microphone. Love them.

A New Year

2008-01-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of resolutions. Probably because I haven't followed through with one. To much pressure and always having to think about it takes away from other things. This year though I am going to work on a couple different things. First is get in shape, mainly because in May...Angie and I are going to Hawaii for eight days. So for the last four days I have been trying to eat healthy with lots of fruits, vegetables and lower carbs and no soda lots of water. The no soda is hard, I love Cherry Coke. Any tips or recipes for eating healthy leave a comment and let me know. Wish me luck.

My breakfast while working.

So Bummed

2008-01-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the Cowboys lost. So disappointed. I can't talk about it.

GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

Kick the Giants... Well you know. Would like to see the Cowboys vs Patriots in the Superbowl. I know they will still have to play the Packers, which will be tough. But Favre can't win in Dallas.

Destination Weddings

2008-01-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I am working on my calendar for 2008. I really would like to do some destination weddings this year. So if you or if you know someone that is planning one, please contact me. I am offering discounts for destination weddings and any wedding between January & March.

How nice would it be with this as your background of your wedding?

Happy Holidays!!!

2007-12-22T21:40:00.001-08:00

I love the Apple ads. I also love how all my Apple products just work, no problems. Check out the new Apple commercial HERE.

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

I love Angie's cousins and their kids. Last night they asked if I would do some Christmas pictures of the kids and of course I would. Although little Kincaid was not ready for his picture to be taken so we only did a few and will have to try again on Monday. Here are a couple of the ones I did get. Plus Derrick sitting in while I mess with the lights... he is so happy to help.

So Happy!!!!!!!!!

Wall Paper Wednesday

2007-12-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

I have seen a few of my photographer friends do this and thought it would be cool to do the same. Click on the picture for a full size to save.

Winter has arrived!!!!

2007-12-02T11:58:00.001-08:00

Winter has arrived!!!!, originally uploaded by Aric Becker.

About 2 inches of snow fell yesterday. It was fun while it lasted. We
went out late last night and had a snow ball fight and played for
awhile. Typical Washington weather it is now raining and the snow is
almost gone.

WSU Bike

2007-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I was asked to do a shoot for a friend Jeff McQuarrie who produced "Legends of the Palouse" movies. He is an alum from WSU and a huge fan. He said he wants to put together a poster and has a friend that has a custom made Harley with a WSU theme. Also in the poster will be Mackenzie Fleming, Miss Bellevue. I can't wait to see the finished product. Mackenzie was a natural and great sport during the long shoot. Here are a few samples from the shoot. Forward this to any WSU fan and check out the DVD's and the poster when it is done HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! I have so much to give thanks for this year. First my wife and kids who have been supportive through my building of my business, it has been rough sometimes. My family and friends who have been supportive also. My Dad who is always there when I need advice and a good kick in the butt. Hope everyone has a great start to there holiday season and be safe while shopping on black Friday. Angie is getting me up at I don't know when to go shopping, hope Starbucks opens early. If you like WSU or motorcycles or both check back this weekend. I finished a cool shoot today and will post a couple photos.

Sneak peak at our Christmas Picture

Lunch

2007-11-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

Angie and I had a great lunch today and had to mention it. We ate at Mercato's located downtown Olympia. It has the best atmosphere and the food was wonderful. Also I have been real lazy about updating and going to try and update everyday no matter what for now on. So if I miss a day send me a mean email.

Shrimp Appetizer So Yummy!!!!!!

New Albums

2007-10-10T12:21:00.002-07:00

I just received a new album that I am proud to be offering to my clients for weddings, engagement sessions, and any other portrait session. The albums are modern and made of wonderful feeling leather. I looked through it three times and did not want to put it down. I can't wait to deliver it to the client and see their face when they look at it for the first time. They are crafted brilliantly and you will love them. So for your next session ask me about the new albums and I will show you a sample. Here are some sample pics.

Best Team in the NFL

2007-10-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

How about those Cowboys??? Ugly win but I will take it. Hopefully they play much better next week. GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CD Cover

2007-09-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by someone that needed a CD cover done. It turns out that this someone is working with Wynonna Judd. Not sure when the CD is coming out but here is what it is going to look like.

Here is the Cover

Here is the back of the CD

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2007-09-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. Thank you to my wonderful wife I got an iphone and Starbucks. The iphone is unbelievable. All the hype is all true. It is cool, fun and very useful. I wanted it mainly to stay in contact with my email when I am away from home and office. With it syncing with my Mac I can keep organized with my contacts and calander. I have had AT&T/Cingular and now AT&T again for over six years and have never had problems with service or customer service. The internet is fast and everything works great. I would highly recommend it, just another great Apple product. I was not paid for this advertisement.

iphone and coffee on my desk. I will get so much more work done now.

Vacation

2007-07-20T20:55:00.001-07:00

I have finally caught up from vacation and wanted to post some images from it. We had a great time in Colorado visiting my brother and his wife and their new edition Jayci. We then went to Las Vegas for Dannielle's dance competition, she did very well. We had a great time.

Jayme & Kevin

2007-06-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Jayme and Kevin had an incredible wedding this weekend. They are one of the best couples I have met. I have been lucky enough to get know their friends as well, I have shot two other's weddings. I think their is only two left that are not married, hopefully I can shoot their's when the time comes.

2007-06-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Chris & Jody Akerman

I had the pleasure and honor to shoot Chris and Jody's wedding yesterday. They are the coolest couple I have met (besides Candace and Brady of course) and are so into each other. Hope you guys are having a great time in Mexico and can't wait to get together when you get back.