We've finished the un-sexy task of migrating this blog to a WordPress backend. Please update your RSS readers to our new blog here.

Thanks for keeping up with all the madness :D

We're moving!! Not physically ... just our blog address actually :)

Just a quick note to let you know we might not be posting for the next little while as we migrate over to a new super-duper platform and address.

Don't worry: we'll be back better than ever and will have lots to share when we're back online :)

In the meantime, you can always keep up with all things DQ via twitter and Facebook.

It's just the beginning of the DQ Web Presence Transformation, so look out for more coming soon.

Thanks for keeping in touch with us ... really :)

In love,

dq

We've been itchin to shoot something! Thankfully Corinne & Hung's Friday night Tea Ceremony and Saturday Wedding Celebration was the perfect cure for our itchy trigger fingers ...

Nikon D700 24-70 @24mm . ISO6400 f4 1/60

Nikon D700 35mmf2 . ISO2000 f5.6 1/100

What happens when our couple graces us with three hours to shoot them on their wedding day? Stay tuned to find out ;)

Can't wait to work on their images!!

Been NUTS around here without internet for 3 days, but thankfully, we're BACK!

Wanted to share a super-kool Video of YY3 Workshop taken by none other than the wonderful Vlad!

Vlad: thanks for coming out and attending YY3! This is an amazing gift you've given us, so thank you so much for the memories!

If you're looking for on of the industry's leading new videographers, checkout Vlad's work. Will travel worldwide and is totally worth it and more ;)

Thanks Vlad!

Why we call it YY ... Panasonic LX3 . ISO800 f2 1/40

This was the best YY workshop ever. Y? Because we're constantly wanting to do everything we do better, and YY is no exception. From a more hands-on shoot time to the amazing and practical hot-seat sessions I hope YY3 attendees got a lot more than they bargained for :)

One of the side-effects of having such awesome photographers at one workshop is having so many awesome behind-the-scenes pics (photo credits to the YY3 collective ...)

after hours QuiKeys jam session . Panasonic LX3 ISO400 f2 1/8

Huy on-task documenting the shoot session.

Huy demonstrating his PJ skillz ..

Q handing out goody bags from our FAVorite album company: Renaissance!

And there was no shortage of great photogs stealing our lights with their own Pocket Wizards! LOL!

What? Competitive? This bunch? No way .... so many shootouts and silent snipers around it wasn't funny! Actually ... it was. My favorite series is below:

Tyler: TOLD ya you have to clean your sensor! LOL!

Thanks to Tyler and Becca for suggesting Jack Stack for our send-off supper! Soooo much good food ... unless you're vegan.

Geek-confession: It was irresistible to NOT use the flash someone had brought and test it with my little Point and Shoot. With Huy as my trusty light-man, we walked around the table and subjected everyone to the LIGHT!

Thanks to each and every YY3er for making our YEAR so far .... We're blessed to come to know you and especially to call you friends :)

It ain't over yet ;) Working on something special for the YY crew ....

Blessings and hugs y'all ....

dq

Canon 5D 70-200 @70mm ISO100 f2.8 1/2000

We were glad to have had the beautiful Liz, one of Huy's upcoming 2009 brides, come out to model for us on Day 2 of YY3. We were demoing how we shoot synergistically to get a variety of imagery from the same location and pose in a minimum of time and fuss. Using different lenses and points of views helps add variety during the tight timeline of a wedding shoot.

Nikon D700 14-24 @17mm ISO200 f5 1/1250

Canon 5D 16-35 @35mm ISO100 f6.3 1/400

But the real fun begins when we start to light things up; something we fondly call "guerilla lighting techniques."

Nikon D700 14-24 @14mm ISO100 f11 1.250

Canon 5D 16-35 @27mm ISO100 f20 1/200

What?!? <gasp!> You shoot Canon?!!? Don't be silly ;) Thanks to Tyler and Becca who lent me their 5D and glass to shoot with for the demo time. Tyler: you soooo gotta clean your sensor! LOL!

Who knew Huy would be such a detail oriented portrait dude?

Nikon D700 14-24 @24mm ISO100 f13 1/250

Nikon D700 14-24 @24mm ISO100 f14 1/320

Simply knowing how to light is different than being able to pull it off during the stresses of a real wedding. We're glad to share with the YY gang how we pull it off every time with the right tools, techniques and by making lots of mistakes ;) :D

Day to Night and Night to Day ... all in a days shoot ...

Canon 5D 70-200 @80mm ISO100 f2.8 1/500

Nikon D700 14-24 @14mm ISO100 f16 1/250

We were blown away at what the YY3ers were shooting when it came their turn to work the lights. Can't wait for them to blog them!! Gonna be scary to turn y'all loose with lights of your own!!

Here are some background shots from our shoot time, all taken with my trusty Panny LX3 (mostly by Huy ... I think)

Super-duper bonus: not only is Liz gorgeous, she's a fellow photographer too! She took the "official" YY3 group pic below :)

Panasonic LX3 ISO100 f5 1/30

All images were processed in Adobe Lightroom with QuiKeys ... mostly on the plane ride home. Tried a little itty bitty tablet for mouse-work but preferred using the pogo sketch on my Macbook pro's trackpad instead. Also works on my iPhone, but I digress ;)

Liz: Thanks for being so easy-going and accommodating and all the best to you and yours on your wedding later this month!!

hugs ..... dq

Driving from the airport . Panasonic LX3 ISO 200, f2, 1/320

‘What a rush!! Still can't believe YY3 Workshop flew by so fast. It was sooooo awesome to hang out with old and new friends, and super-duper good to be working with our good buddy Huy again. Congrats to him for making this year's American Photo Top 10 Wedding Photographers list!!

Speaking of the Top 10, Huy wasn't the only one ... we were honored to have several other Top 10 photogs <and several that should be ;)> attend YY3 with us in little ol Kansas. We consider ourselves honored to be in the collective creative energy of everyone there.   

Tree in bloom (shot from the car) . Panasonic LX3 ISO 200, f2, 1/320

And you know those stereotypes of Kansas and tornados? Well, one attendee's airplane was struck by lightning mid-flight (no joke!), 4 people had to land 4 hours away in Tulsa, and actually contemplated driving almost 4 hours in the middle of the night to make it to day 1 of YY. Did I mention the guy who was struck by lightning is getting married ... TOMORROW!?!? Thank y'ALL for making the effort to make it to YY3 and making it the bestest ever.

Speaking of which: Bigtime SHOUT OUT! to Tyler and Becca who opened up the bestest studio in Kansas with open arms for us all. When do we move in?? :)

Too many pics that bring wonderful memories :) Below is a montage of snaps taken throughout the craziness. Photo credits are to everyone whom our trusty LX3 was passed around to.

more to come ....