Damian Langere

Heather & Ian

2009-10-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

The odds were almost 100% that the weather in South Lake Tahoe was going to be nasty. It was towards the end of September, and to everyone's surprise the weather was the warmest on record. Not a cloud in the sky, a gentile breeze that swept across the crowd, and mid-80's temperature created almost too perfect of a day for a wedding. The pirate theme wedding and weather was just as good a couple as Heather and Ian. Their beautiful wedding took place at 24 located in the Tahoe Keys, South Lake Tahoe.

Lauren & Colin's Wedding

2009-10-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

Lauren & Colin Engagement

2009-07-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

There were hundreds of people walking through Union Station the day I photographed Lauren and Colin. Everyone was stopping and staring at the young couples make out session in the middle of the walk ways. Although it felt awkward at times it ended up being one of the funnest engagement shoots Ive ever photographed. I found an empty room that was closed off to the public and spent a few minutes haggling with the security guard for access. Finally he let us through and we were able to get some amazing photos of what looks like a empty Union Station ticket counter. After conquering the crowds and crabby conductors we headed over to the USC campus to take the last few photos of the engagement session.

Jena & Justin

2008-12-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

Jena and Justin's wedding was held at the Hotel Figueroa in down town Los Angeles. The festive mood stemmed from the Moroccan theme of the hotel. Flavors of Moroccan cuisine and colorful wall décor set a beautiful, unique tone for the wedding. La Fete Weddings did amazing job decorating and coordinating the ceremony and reception. The style of the hotel created a beautiful backdrop for the photos of Jena and Justin.

Fall Fashion

2008-10-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Every year I do fashion photos for LF Clothing, a local high end clothing boutique here in Santa Barbara. This year we choose two different locations for the fashion photos. The first shoot took place at an abandon air plane hanger and the second shoot was located at Santa Barbara City College. As always I had a blast getting to do something a little different with my photography. I look forward to the next fashion photo shoot!

Katie & Kirk

2008-09-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

Katie and Kirk's Wedding was held at The Beach Grill at Padaro Carpentaria, CA. Since the ceremony was only steps away from clear blue sea waves, we headed out to the sand for the formal photos. With great lighting from the sun and beautiful smiles all around, it was easy to lose track of time photographing these newlyweds and their loved ones.

Senior Fashion Portrait

2008-07-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

High school senior photos have always seemed a little boring to me and I never really wanted to pursue marketing myself as a senior portrait photographer. However, when Trevor asked if I would be interested in doing a "fashion" type photo shoot for his senior portrait I didn't hesitate to get him in front of the camera. I thought it was a great idea! We had a blast taking his senior fashion photos all around Santa Barbara. Trevor did an amazing job modeling considering it was his first time. His sister Cristina actually modeled for me a while back and I am sure she taught him a few things about modeling, check out her photos HERE.

Flying High Over Cabo San Lucas

2008-05-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last month I traveled down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to photograph Cara and Colin’s beachside wedding at Dreams Resort & Spa. The day of the wedding was beautiful with cloudless blue skies and pristine white sandy beaches. After the ceremony we danced the night away while drinking fresh Margaritas and Mai Tai’s. I even had some free time to be adventurous and opted to take a power gliding tour of the Baja coastline. It was a beautiful day in paradise!

Kiss Me, Im Irish!

2008-05-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Last month I had the privilege to photograph Jamie and Patrick's wedding in Athlone, Ireland. This was my first visit to Ireland and I must say that all the great things I've heard about this beautiful country is all true. Many of the guests who flew in from other countries, including myself, stayed in a group of 10 small cottages in Patrick's hometown of Glasson 20 minutes from Athlone. I was excited to discover that our cottages were next to the Glasson Country Golf Club so needless to say I played a round before the big day. The ceremony was at an amazing church in the middle of Athlone and the reception was a giant beer drinking party! Everyone was having a blast! The weather ended being beautiful the day of the wedding and everything went as planned. I was super excited to explore Ireland after the wedding. Jamie took us to Patrick's home town and we got to check out an old abandoned church that was right down the street where Patrick grew up. It was a an amazing adventure with an amazing couple!

Jamie an Patrick spent their honey moon touring around the northern coast of Ireland then they flew over to the south of France to spend a few wild nights in Nice and Monaco.

The 411:
Jamie is a laboratory Project Manager for Thermochem, Inc. Her company does analysis and consulting for the Geothermal Energy Industry. Patrick works as the regional account manager for DC Power-Systems in Healdsburg which distributes Solar and Wind Energy systems to Dealerships around the states.

Noelle & Kevin's Fashion Engagement

2008-04-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had a blast photographing Noelle and Kevin’s Fashion Engagement. We started our day at the Santa Barbara Courthouse and headed up to the bell tower where we had an amazing view of the city. Our next stop was Knapp’s Castle located in the foot hills of Santa Barbara. I had always wanted to photograph a couple at Knapp’s Castle and the weather was not looking good but I decided to drive up anyway and it turned out to be the right choice. The photos taken at the old abandoned castle were my favorite. Noelle and Kevin looked like a king and queen! We ended the Fashion Engagement down at Butterfly Beach across from the Four Seasons Resort. It was an amazing day with a beautiful couple.

Shannon & Joshua

2008-03-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had the privilege to photograph Shannon and Joshua's wedding here in Santa Barbara. La Fete Wedding did an amazing job considering they only had four weeks to plan the entire event! The weather was beautiful and everything went as planned. It was a wonderful evening with a beautiful couple.

Just Maui'd

2008-02-26T23:39:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I had the privilege to photograph Nikki and Don's wedding in Maui. The ceremony was hosted at the Maui Prince Hotel located on Maui's southwestern coast of Makena. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time. After the ceremony we headed over to a local hot spot Mulligans on the Blue for dinner and dancing. The next day I traveled around the island and had some fun in the sun. It was an amazing weekend with a beautiful couple. Check out the video and photos!

The 411:
Don is rocket engineer and Nikki works as a nurse. They spent their honeymoon touring the islands of Hawaii for another week in paradise.

Fashion Engagement
Nikki and Don opted for my Fashion Engagement package. check out my blog post of their Fashion Engagement! Click HERE

Natalie & Nathaniel

2008-02-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I had the privilege to photograph Natalie and Nathaniel engagement. We started out at Elings Park which over looks all of Santa Barbara and then headed over to Butterfly Beach across from the Biltmore. While taking photos at Elings Park a BMX rider opted to be an "extra" for one the photos! It was a toss up to start the taking photo earlier or later in the day. Luckily my decision to photograph Natalie and Nat in the evening was the right choice. The setting sun created a beautiful backdrop and the lighting added an artistic feel to all the photos. It was a beautiful evening with a beautiful couple!

The 411:
Nathaniel is a product manager for Citrix Online of santa barbara. Natalie is a telemetry nurse at Cottage hospital. Wedding to be held at Chase Palm park with a reception to follow at the historic Hotel Mar Monte in Santa Barbara.

Sun Setting Fashion

2008-01-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

My good friend Kelley modeled for me on a another beautiful "winter" day here in Santa Barbara. We started the photo shoot on the pier at Goleta Beach. We did our best to avoid all the people walking bye and just as we were leaving for the next location we realized we forgot all the outfits at the store! The sun was setting fast so we rushed over to the store, Kelley did a quick change, and we took off to the next location. Our next stop was at an old plane hanger in Goleta. I was able to shoot off some amazing photos at the end just before the sun went down. Some of Kelley's college friends stopped by to say hi and cheer on their super model roommate!

Clothing proved by LF

Dawn To Dusk

2008-01-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

Today was a beautiful day in Santa Barbara while photographing local Santa Barbarian Cristina Hopkins. Cristina had done some catalog modeling before however she was new to the world of high fashion photography. By 4pm we finished two locations but I didn't know where I was shooting the last outfit. A few years ago I photographed the band Tripdavon at an old abandoned aircraft hanger so I decided to give that a try. The sun was setting fast so we rushed over to the hanger and we able to get some awesome photos of Kristina with a setting sun as the backdrop!

The 411:
Cristina is currently attending CSU Long Beach and getting her degree in fashion merchandising.

Clothing Provided by LF

Santa Barbara Ahoy!

2008-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

Today was an amazing day in Santa Barbara during my fashion photo shoot with my good friend Caressa. Caressa had always been eager to test her skills as a model and today I gave her a chance to show off her modeling talent. She did an amazing job considering it was her first time modeling! We headed out to the beach to capture some fun poses with one of the largest ships in the world, the USS Ronald Regan, as a back drop before heading over to the top of the bell tower at the Santa Barbara court house. At the top of the tower we ran into some sailors who were eager to strike a pose with a Santa Barbara super model!

The 411:
USS Ronald Reagan with a crew of over 3,000 Sailors arrived in Santa Barbara on Jan. 11th for a scheduled port visit, offering Sailors a chance to enjoy tours, special events, and the downtown scene in Santa Barbara. The ship displaces approximately 95,000 tons of water fully loaded, has a top speed of over 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors driving four screws, and can sail for over 20 years before needing to refuel. It is is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall at 1,092 feet (333 m) and is 134 feet (41 m) wide at the beam and has a flight deck 252 feet (77 m) wide. The flight deck covers over 4.5 acres (18,000 m²). She carries more than 5,500 sailors and over 80 aircraft. The ship is the winner of the 2006 Battle "E" for West Coast carriers.

The Fashionable Traveler

2007-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

I had a blast this past weekend photographing Amie who drove all the way from Chino for the photo shoot. The photos will be displayed in LF Clothing and Salon U which are located on State Street in Santa Barbara. Enjoy!

Nikki & Don's Fashion Engagement

2007-10-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I had the privilege to photograph Nikki and Don's Fashion Engagement here in Santa Barbara. We started the day at Salon U for Nikki's hair and makeup then headed down to the cliffs at Shoreline to kick off their Fashion Engagement. After some cliff side photos we busted out the mimosas! yeah! We then took a trip up to the bell tower at the Santa Barbara court house where we had an amazing view of the city. Our next stop was at the local night club EOS to capture some fun dancing shots. As the sun was setting we headed over to the beach to take some fun photos on the sand. Nikki and Don ended their Fashion Engagement with a Swedish couples massage at the Bacara Resort and Spa. It was an amazing day with an amazing couple. Enjoy the photos and the video of Nikki and Don's Fashion Engagement!

The 411:
Don and I were college teammates on the UCSB gymnastic team from 99-2003. We also lived together in a cliff side house on Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista (Ahh, the good ole college years!). Nikki was also a gymanst and met Don at a gymnastic competition. Check out the photos of Nikki and Don doing handstands on the beach!

An Evening of Elegance

2007-10-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had the privileged to photograph Erin and Bryan’s weddings at the La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA. Erin and Bryan met about 4 years ago while out with friends and hit it off, Erin was living in Northern California at the time and Bryan in Southern California. As they got to know one another it was apparent they were meant to be. Erin moved to Southern California about 6 months after they met and their relationship bloomed. They are a perfect fit in every way and even though they knew the song they wanted their first dance to be at their wedding after only dating less then a year, it was amazing to see them dance their first dance to this song as husband and wife. Every detail surrounding their wedding was planned, from the butterflys representing their loved ones they have lost, the elephant favors that signified Erin's inate desire to help wildlife as a portion of the proceeds went to a foundation for elephants (and they visited these elephants on their honeymoon), to the songs playing as the guests arrived that were from movies which played tribute to Bryan and his work in the entertainment industry. They truly made the day memorable and tried to incorporate all the amazing things about both of them.

Erin and Bryan's Fashion Engagement

Erin and Bryan opted for my Fashion Engagement package and were featured on my Fashion Engagement video for my website. Check out my archived blog post of their Fashion Engagement here.

Fashion Runway On Broadway

2007-09-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

I had a blast this past weekend in San Diego taking photos and hangin out with the Charlie M. Girls at the downtown nightclub On Broadway. On Broadway is a cavernous 2-floor club laid out in an old bank (as evidence by the walk-through vault in the basement). After the show I danced the night away on the club floor. I ended up staying the entire weekend with some old college buddies in Pacific Beach, aka PB. It was another fun-filled weekend in Southern Cal.

Sunset on Pacific Beach. San Diego, CA

Finding Fashion Anywhere

2007-09-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

I had a blast today photographing my friend Nikki Richardson. She has always wanted to be in front of the camera and today I gave her that chance. She did an amazing job modeling considering it was her first time. We traveled to downtown El Paseo plaza to start our shoot, then headed up East Camino Cielo Road for some "high altitude" photos, and then finished down at LeadBetter Beach. I hardly had to say anything to get Nikki to pose like a super model. Nikki even got behind the camera mimicking to be a fashion photographer as I struck a pose as a male model, woohoo! Check out the short video clip of the photo shoot below.

FYI- Nikki is on her way to Tonga on a missions trip for a year where she will be a teacher at the international Christian school of Tonga. Go Tonga!

Hair and makeup were done by the girls at Underground Hair Artists and the styling and clothing were put together by the girls at LF clothing in Santa Barbara. Thanks to all that helped make this photo shoot possible!

Double the Fun at the Fess Parker Double Tree Resort

2007-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had the privilege of photographing Chelsea and Jon's wedding at the Fess Parker Double Tree in Santa Barbara. After the ceremony we headed across the street to take some fun photos at the beach then headed back to the double tree for some dancing. It was yet another beautiful evening in Santa Barbara.

Fashion Runway at the Race Track

2007-08-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I traveled down to the Del Mar race track for a fashion photo shoot for the Charlie M. Collection. We got access to the paddock area where the horses are pranced around for onlookers. We had our own onlookers during the shoot and we even had a few of the jockeys come out and model with the Charlie M. girls. We had a blast! Check out the video of photo shoot below.

Charlie M. Collection

2007-07-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I traveled down to Orange County to photograph fashion and product photos for Charlie M. Collections custom jean company. The company specializes in custom fitted jeans for tall women. My good friend Lauren was one of the models and my close friend Jenalee, who works for Charlie M. as the marketing director, took over as the art director for the photo shoot. We photographed the product shots at Charlie M's warehouse and then headed over the to Ritz Carlton to shoot the fashion images. It was a fun, yet exhausting day at the office. :)

A Night at the Museum

2007-07-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I photographed Joanna and Matt’s wedding at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. Back in February Matt and Joanna opted for my fashion engagement package which took place here in SB. Matt works as the senior editor for the Santa Barbara Independent and was looking for a story to write about for the wedding issue. My fashion engagement concept was exactly what he needed and about two weeks later Matt’s article about his experience during my fashion engagement was published in the Independent. Check out the online article HERE

I had a blast at the reception during the Hora where the bride and groom are lifted into the air on chairs and celebrated as 'king and queen of the night'.

Nate Birkey, a famed jazz trumpet player, flew over from New York to attend the wedding and perform with the band. He took down the house with his unique trumpet playing and wistful voice.

Independence Day in Santa Barbara

2007-07-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Spent the evening hanging out with some friends at East Beach and cooking a tasty dinner on the BBQ while watching the fire work show. Right when the grand finale was rocking some locals had their own grand finale right in front of us!

Lauren's Fashion Photo Shoot

2007-07-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Today I had a blast photographing my friend Lauren in Santa Barbara. Lauren is currently attending medical school to become a doctor but had always wanted a chance to be in front of the camera. Today I gave her that chance and she shined! She did an amazing job considering that she had never modeled before. We started at a beautiful estate in Montecito then headed down to Chase Palm Park and ended on the beach. Lauren’s makeup and hair was prepared at Planet Beauty and her wardrobe was supplied from LF clothing.
My good friend Ben who is Lauren's boyfriend put together this video of the photo shoot. thanks Ben!

Weather Forcast

2007-06-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Since all my photo shoots are on location I am always utilizing the sun as a key source of light for my images. Well, it looks like its gonna be another beautiful sunny photo week!

Puerto Aventuras, Mexico

2007-06-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I traveled to Puerto Aventuras, Mexico to photographed Marina and Karl’s wedding. I previously photographed their Fashion Engagement here in Santa Barbara back in April (check out the archived post). The wedding was hosted at the OMNI beach side resort and was decorated with an ambiance you would expect out of a James Bond movie. I had a blast taking photos and hanging out with all my old college teammates and friends. It was a weekend in paradise I will never forget!

Tripdavon

2007-06-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the privileged of photographing Tripdavon, a local Santa Barbara rock band. Ive known these guys for the past 3 years and watched them develop into world class musicians. They are currently working on getting signed by a major label in Los Angeles.

Tripdavon's website:
www.tripdavon.com
Myspace:
www.myspace.com/tripdavon

Check out their new music video Lithia Breeze from their latest album The Enlightened Operative
Tripdavon: "Lithia Breeze"

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Italy

2007-05-18T02:22:00.000-07:00

Corniglia. One of the costal towns of Cinque Terre.

Vernassa! This was on one of the 5 small coastal towns of Cinque Terre. I hiked the entire lenght of cinque terre in one day with my 50lb pack back! It took me about 7 hours to hike but it was well worth it.

Over looking Portofino from a castle on the hill top.

Entering Portofino, Italy on a ferry.

Santa Margarita Italy at night.

Santa Margarita, Italy. After traveling to 5 countries in 13 days I finally found paradise!

Sunrise from my hotel room in Santa Margarita Italy.

Morocco!

2007-05-12T09:31:00.001-07:00

Im in Rabat, Morocco.... wow! I visited Fes and Meknes today which are amazing places to experience. The medina was amazing. I had a guide drive me all over the country side. it was a beautiful day!

Im off to Italy today!

Barcelona!

2007-05-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So me and Lindsey made the most out of our two day visit to Barcelona. The weather was beautiful and relaxing just like Santa Barbara. The alley ways were full of small stores and pastrie shops. We had our last dinner on the infamous La Ramblas street. We had a great time! Our overnight train ride to Gibraltar took us through Spains beautiful coutry side.

Paris!

2007-05-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Some more photos of Paris. We had an amazing time touring the city during the day and night. Next stop Barcelona!

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France!

2007-05-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

Today we arrived in Paris after two amazing days in Normandy. My good friend Raphael invited us to his cottage house in Normandy for his birthday celebration with his old college friends. After a tour of the country side and the cliffs of Normandy we played tennis for a few hours then headed back to his cottage. We sang french songs and drank french wine until sunrise! The new president of Paris was elected today so me and Lindsey headed down town to see all the action. There were thousands of people waving French flags and honking their horns. Tomorrow we are touring the city then off to Barcelona!

London!

2007-05-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Me and Lindsey had a blast discovering London today. Got to ride on the London eye which had an amazing view of the city. The weather here is perfect! Tonight we are seeing Les Miserables at a local theatre. Next stop Normandy!

Marina and Karl's Fashion Engagement

2007-04-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Matt & Ava

2007-04-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few photos from the wedding I photographed of my old college roommate Matt Edens and his wife Ava. I had a blast running up and down the beach taking photos of them walking in the sand for the first time as husband and wife!
Matt & Ava

The Ranch

2007-04-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I visited my parents on their new 32 acre ranch in Santa Margarita, CA. My cousins were in town from the east coast and I had not seen them in about 4 years. They are growing up so fast, I could hardly keep up with them. We had a blast hiking around the ranch. Its a freakin zoo!

The Ranch

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Fashion + Castle = Fun

2007-04-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

My photo shoot on Sunday was amazing. A friend of my assistant wanted to do some fashion photos at her house in Carpentaria, CA. Little did I know it was a Castle!
A big thanks to all my assistants and models: Kira, Naomi, Lindsey, Sophie, and Luke. you guys rock!

Fashion Photo Shoot

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my old college house in Isla Vista

2007-03-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight I took a trip down memory lane. Got a Monster burrito at Freebirds for dinner and watched the sunset on the bluffs in front of my old college house. some damn goooood memories....This used to be my back yard!

ahhh...the good ole college years.

..IV Livin

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WPPI Convention. Las Vegas.

2007-03-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today I find myself sitting by the pool and drinking a hurricane margarita in Las Vegas attending the Wedding and Portrait Photographers international 2007 convention at Paris & Bally's Casino. This is my first convention I have attended so it is going be a new experience for me. Tomorrow I will be attending workshops and checking out all the cool booths. Getting out of town is always rejuvenating for me. I have a busy life in Santa Barbara with working my full time job during the week at Geosyntec Consultants and my photography business.

I entered my fashion engagement photograph of Erin in my first ever photo contest for the convention. The photo was enlarge to a 16X20 custom print and will be displayed at the convention. There are some cool prizes if I win!

Here is the photo I entered into the contest.

here is a video of my long long drive to Las Vegas.
the long drive to las vegas....

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Mary Jane

2007-03-19T01:51:00.000-07:00

Today I had a blast photographing fellow photographer and friend Mary Jane. Janey works in Santa Barbara as a wedding photographer and approached me back in December to do some fashion photos. I decided to do the photo shoot up at Lizards Mouth located in the Santa Ynez mountain range. Lizards Mouth is a local rock outcropping and rock climbing hot spot that looks out over the entire Santa Barbara coast line. Today the fog and low clouds covered the coast like a white blanket hugging the mountain range. The Channel Islands could be seen in the distance peeking through the low lying fog. Fortunately the weather up at Lizards Mouth was sunny and beautiful with a slight off shore breeze. The wind actually was perfect for blowing Janey’s hair around, making for proper fashion styled photos! Leaving lizards mouth we headed down to Henry’s Beach to get some personality photos for Janey’s website. At the beach the sunlight was burning through the fog which created perfect lighting for the fun photos we had planned.

Mary Jane

Photo Shoot at Knapps Castle in Santa Barbara

2007-03-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Although the weather in down town Santa Barbara was foggy and gloomy the foothills were sunny and HOT. My photo shoot was at Knapps Castle, an old burnt down castle that over looks the Santa Ynez mountain range. Brandon was my model and he did an incredible job considering he had only modeled a few times before. My kick ass assistant, Lindsay, made sure the music was a rocking and the mimosas were a flowin! Next stop, GQ Magazine!

Published in the Santa Babara Independent

2007-03-07T22:21:00.000-08:00

My first publication since college feels like a million bucks! As some of you may know I was the Chief photo editor of UCSB’s campus paper the Daily Nexus for over 3 years. I was use to seeing my photos in print on newsstands around town. But this time was different. A few months back I was chosen to be the wedding photographer for Matt Kettmann who just so happened to be one of the senior editors of the Santa Barbara Independent magazine. I pitched the idea that Matt and his fiancée Joanna should experience one of my fashion engagements. Matt was in search of a story to write for the wedding issue for the Santa Barbara Independent the following month and voila! Matt picked my fashion engagement concept to write about. Below is the article that Matt wrote and the photos I took of Matt and Joanna’s fashion engagement. Matt is a fantastic writer and I could not have asked for a better interpretation of my fashion engagement photo shoot. Enjoy!

Be a Model Before You're Married

By Matt Kettmann, February 22, 2007
Introducing Damian Langere’s Fashion Engagement Shoot
by Matt Kettmann

It’s a recent Saturday afternoon, and I — at long last — am a male model. I’m dressed in stylish clothes, sitting atop the colorful pillows of Chef Karim’s Moroccan restaurant, and holding my head at the perfect tilt beneath the bright lights. In front of me is a photographer contorting his body to get the right shot while simultaneously directing me where to look, how to sit, what to do. I am fully at ease, surprised to be enjoying this momentary glimpse of the glitzy life between sips of a mimosa and nibbles on catered snacks. He, however, is sweating profusely, working hard to get the right shot as if he were shooting for the cover of GQ.

“Okay, now it’s your turn,” the photographer says to my fiancée Joanna, who then lays across the pillows and flicks her hair at his command. Despite a stressful morning that included a makeup overdose from a nearby salon and a non-delivery of flowers I had ordered, Joanna’s eyes sparkle, her smile widens, and she begins fulfilling a childhood dream of being a fashion model.

During the next couple of hours in the restaurant, atop the bluffs, on the beach, and beneath the county courthouse, Joanna and I pose together and separately, we kiss for the camera, we pretend we’re famous, and we laugh a lot. But mostly, we eagerly anticipate the shots that result from the special treatment that’s usually reserved for celebrities and supermodels. It’s funny, it’s fun, it’s Damian Langere’s Fashion Engagement Shoot.

In the cutthroat world that is wedding photography, the constant challenge is to be unique, to rise above the competition by offering more than the typical services and standard experience. For Damian Langere — a onetime Olympic gymnast hopeful, UCSB grad, former photo editor for UCSB’s Daily Nexus, and geographer by trade — the path to wedding photography success exists somewhere between the worlds of fashion and love.

Ever since his mother gave the Eagle Rock, California, native a camera when he was 14, photography has loomed as a career goal in his life. Throughout the ensuing years, Langere, who never took a photo class in his life, moved through photography’s various worlds — sports, news, travel, outdoors, lifestyle, and even weddings for friends. He eventually settled on the dream of becoming a fashion photographer, hoping to one day move to New York and set up shop.

But then he had an epiphany: “I was able to make a lot of my friends into models who had never modeled before. Then it clicked,” Langere said. “I like doing weddings, and nowadays fashion is all over, and people are really part of it. Why don’t I just merge the two?” The idea of a fashion engagement shoot was born.
Though still in its nascent stages, Langere’s full package — in addition to the standard practice of photographing your future wedding — will include a visit to the salon and a consultation with a stylist who’ll help get you outfitted in new clothes that you get to keep. Then the three-hour engagement shoot — fully catered — features professional lighting, is staffed by at least two additional aides, and involves multiple locations around town, from Elings Park to Knapp’s Castle. Along the way, Langere’s pleasant demeanor keeps everything moving fluidly, and that’s his goal. “I want it to be a fun day, not a strenuous experience,” he explained. “Anybody can look good in front of the camera. I’m a good coach. But it’s not my thing. I want you guys to look the best you think you can look. You’re it for the day.”
By the end of that day, Langere watches as the couple unwinds, relaxes, and starts acting naturally, as if there’s no photographer around. That’s when he snaps the best shots. Afterward, Langere touches up the photos like a fashion magazine editor, and voilà!, you’ve got photographs to show your grandchildren that prove you were, in fact, a model in your younger years.

Langere realizes it’s not for everybody and that his target market is more likely those glamour-loving Angelenos who see Santa Barbara as a relaxing wedding destination. But he’s had plenty of interest from Santa Barbarans, too, and Langere claimed that many in the S.B. wedding photography community are “going crazy” about his idea, especially since “most wedding photographers have just done weddings.” He believes his fashion background will set him apart from the pack.

The sun is falling fast, and rain clouds are quickly approaching. We are outside the courthouse, and Joanna and I are embracing much more naturally than when we had posed earlier at Chef Karim’s. The flutter of the camera shutter is in the background, but Joanna and I are whispering to each other, still pretending we’re supermodels but acting like no one is watching.

“That’s great guys — just like that,” says Langere, kneeling to get the whole majestic building in the background. And then, a few seconds later, “Okay, that’s it. We’re done.”

“Can we see some of them?” Joanna asks immediately, and we peer into the tiny screen on the back of Damian’s camera. It’s too small to see, but already, we can tell we look different, more special than ever before.

And at the end of the day, that’s the basic idea behind Langere’s Fashion Engagement Shoot. After all, who doesn’t like looking good?

Mammoth Mountain

2007-02-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went Snowboarding in Mammoth with some friends. My old college roommate and Mammoth native Wes Smith was nice enough to offer his house for me to crash at for the weekend. A massive snow storm hit on Sunday and I was stuck in Mammoth for another night. I made it back safely Monday morning. Enjoy the video short I made of the trip along with some photos.
I had a blast!

Mammoth

Karina & Marisa

2007-02-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

Karina and her sister Marisa modeled for me today at Shoreline park in Santa Barbara. Like all my friends who model for me they had never modeled before. They did a fantastic job.

Creating a Fashion Photograph

2007-02-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

Steps to create a fashion photograph.
1. Remove blemishes from the face and body.
2. Add shading to the eyebrows and eyes. Darken areas around the face and hair.
3. Adjust levels so that the shading defines the lighter areas.
4. Desaturate the image to black and white (do not “turn” it to B&W).
5. Adjust levels as needed.
6. Make sure to crop just above the hairline or around the top. Fashion is known for this type of cropping. It is suppose to focus your eyes on the clothes not the model…go figure.
7. Pour yourself a glass of wine and relish your masterpiece.

Fashion Created

Undergound Hair Artists, Santa Barbara. Styling by Fay Doe, CEO/Owner.

2007-02-01T23:36:00.001-08:00

Since my fashion concept evolved last year I have worked very hard to network myself with the fashion industry here in Santa Barbara. The Underground Hair Artists has sponsored all my photo shoots in exchanged for photos. I highly recommend photographers to work with local stylist and salons when building a fashion portfolio. Last week I helped the owner of Underground Hair Artists, Fay Doe, with photographs for her styling competition. She is an amazing stylist and a wonderful person to work with. Since I am a location based photographer I did not shoot these in a studio. I found a red wall back in the waiting area at the salon. I set up my single mono strobe and shot away.

kat & theo

2007-01-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

It was another beautiful day in Santa Barbara during my photo shoot with Kat and her boyfriend Theo. Both had nevery really modeled before so my coaching skills were in full affect. Theo is about 6’7 so it was a little awkward on some of the shots but we managed. Wardrobe was provided by LF Clothing.

family photos

2007-01-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I was asked by my friend Leslie to take photos of her and one year old her daughter Kaila. This was my first time photographing a baby so I was in uncharted waters. Both Leslie and Kaila were a blast to photograph! I put together a short slideshow for them as a Christmas present. Check it out!

Leslie & Kaila

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2006 in Review

2007-01-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

2006 in Review

In one year I accomplished more that I had ever thought possible. I began 2006 having photographed only three weddings and two fashion shoots the previous year (2005). By the time December 06’ rolled around I had photographed 8 weddings and 10 fashion shoots, including my first ever fashion engagement session with Erin and Bryan. Practically all the wedding and fashion photos on my website were photographed in 06’.

Outlook for 2007

This year looks even more promising than 06’ having already booked 10 weddings. My fashion photo shoots will start to pick up again and I hope to shoot a few more fashion engagement sessions. Marketing my “total fashion makeover” concept for engagement sessions is my top priority for 2007. When opting for my fashion engagement session, my clients will be treated like super stars for an entire day! My clients will receive star treatment ranging from hair and makeup artists to stylists and catered food during their photo shoot. They even get to listen to music of their choice during the shoot.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fashion Makeover

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Winter Vacation at the Ranch

2006-12-30T17:46:00.000-08:00

Going home for Christmas is always fun epically when you got chickens, goats, and horses to play with! I got to pay around on my parent’s 32 acre ranch in Santa Margarita, CA during my winter “vacation”. The weather was surprisingly warm for this time of year which made my trip home even more enjoyable. You can see for 50 miles in all directions from our deck! It was beautiful!

Learn to be your own website creator and administrator, it will pay off in the long run.

2006-11-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

It dawned on me a while back that my website will be published on the World Wide Web, most likely, for the rest of my life. Just think about that for a second. Never in the history of human civilization has there ever been access to this type of personal information about individuals that will span their entire lifetime. Since I have a good 60 or so years left in my life I decided to take on the challenge of learning how to create and manage my own website. Over the past few months I have been slowly tackling through Macromedia Flash 8 with great success. Check out my intro to my website that I created in about 2hrs time. There is a ton of information on the web about creating flash websites using Flash8. I estimated I have saved myself around $3000 bucks managing my own website. Check out my new opening page www.damianlangere.com

I plan to add many more extras but for now it will do.

Marketing Video for Fashion Engagements

2006-11-25T01:36:00.000-08:00

I was in Los Angeles today at my dad's video recording studio editing more clips of my fashion engagement marketing video. Here is a short 40 second clip from the footage we took. The entire marketing video is going to be amazing! I cant wait to finish it.
Let me know what you think.

Marketing

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Erin and Bryan's Fashion Engagement

2006-11-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

Its late and Im tired but I had to post a few of the photos from todays fashion engagement makeover photo shoot staring my good friends Erin and Bryan. It wan an Amazing day with an amazing couple. Erin and Bryan were super models! They treated me to Sushi and lots of good drinks after the shoot. I had a blast hanging out with them. I had to include some "normal" engagement photos at the end because they came out fantastic! Stay tuned in for more photos and videos.

Preparation for engagement fashion makeover photo shoot

2006-11-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today I took the day off work to enjoy the beautiful weather in Santa Barbara and check out my locations for tomorrow's fashion engagement makeover photo shoot. There is a lot of planning that goes into every fashion photo shoot I do. All my photo shoots include mimosas, lunch, and good music to lighten up the mood. Below is the flyer I created for the fashion shoot for family and friends of Erin and Bryan as well as my field notes of each location. I sketch where I will be as well as the location of the video camera. I also included some of the footage of the actual interview of Erin and Bryan about their upcoming engagement fashion makeover. Its gonna be a fun day tomorrow!

Tomorrow's weather forecast for Santa Barbara: Mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain. Highs in the 60s. Northwest winds around 15 mph in the morning. Chance of rain 40 percent. The weather man is always wrong in Santa Barbara. My prediction for tomorrow would be beautiful and sunny! what else would you expect from SB...

-9am set up at Underground Hair Salon
-10am Erin and Bryan get styled
-11am SB Court House
-2pm Shoreline Park
-3pm Shoreline Beach

Fashion Makeover Interview

2006-11-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Check out the behind the scenes footage of the interview with my friends Erin and Brian about their first ever upcoming fashion makeover photo shoot for their engagement photos.

This is a new option/concept I am adding to my wedding photography packages. Any couple who chooses the total fashion makeover will get to be treated like a super model for a day while modeling for their own fashion photos! They will have their own hairstylist and makeup artist at the photo shoot to make sure they look incredible in ever shot.

The fashion photos will then be printed and displayed at their reception all the while the video of their interview and fashion photo shoot is played on an LCD monitor.

My fashion engagements sessions are up and coming! Stay tuned in for more of the interview and actual fashion makeover photo shoot with Erin and Brian.

Fashion Makeover Interview

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My First Video Blog!

2006-11-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

I had a blast today in SB taking some video of my hike and drive.
Check it out! whoohoo! more to come..

Posted By:damian

Knapps Castle

2006-10-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

Just got done editing some photos of a shoot I did up at Knapps Castle in Santa Barbara. The shoot was for my friend Dilini's music album. She is an extremely talented singer! We had a blast traveling around down to three different spots.

Lobster Hunting in Santa Barbara

2006-10-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Had a great time this weekend lobster hunting with my good friend Ben. Last week Ben kayaked for 10 hours along side Ned Denison as he swam 26 miles across the Santa Barbara channel. Catching lobster with a net requires bait & patience. We used cat food to lure in the shy creatures. Didn't catch a lobster but did manage to catch a crab. I brought along my trusty Casio Exilim EX-Z600 point and shoot camera. I put the camera in a ziploc bag and prayed I didn't drop it. As we headed back to shore I notice the water glowing with light as I paddled the kayak. We were caught in a red tide. Super cool! You could cup your had with water and see hundreds of shooting stars zip all over the place. It was an awesome night out on the ocean.

Santa Barbara Hiking

2006-09-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like waking up and going for an early morning hike in Santa Barbara! Here I am again playing around with my new fisheye lens at the top of inspiration point. I love this place!

Malibu Fashion!

2006-09-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

Malibu was AMAZING today! My good friend Naomi let me use her Malibu cliff house for my fashion shoot with model Rob Radwill. I busted out my new fish eye to take my own portrait. Another model was scheduled to attend the shoot however she canceled on me this morning...I guess that's how this business goes.

beach fashion!

2006-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Yet another fanstic photo shoot on the beach!! Sondra and Spencer were my models. Both are friends of mine and just so happen to be a couple. They are one good lookin couple! I even got Sondra behind the camera to take a picture of me in action...

Chef Karim Photo Shoot

2006-08-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

My friends had a blast on this photo shoot! We got to use an entire Moroccan resturant in Santa Barbara for the photo shoot.

2006-07-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

I just got done photographing an amazing fashion photo shoot in Santa Barbara. A modeling agency based in Los Angeles (Otto Models) sent up Robert Radwell to be photographed by me! Robert was born and raised in Wisconsin. He now lives in LA and is an aspiring actor/model. Robert has taken parts/roles in a few blockbuster movies such as Mission Impossible 3 and Spiderman 3(not yet out!) . He is currently working on the hit tv show Vegas where he is a frat guy who is caught cheating at a casino. Sondra was my second model and a personal friend of mine. She had never modeled before and did an AMAZING job!

4th of July. Fireworks!

2006-07-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful warm night in Santa Barbara for the 4th of July. People packed the streets as they walked down to the beach to watch the firework show.

My Photography

2006-06-28T10:50:00.000-07:00