This is my new Monterey Bay Wedding Photography TV ad which will be running on KION 46 in Monterey, Salinas, and Santa Cruz. I’m having a hard time deciding on which ad to choose! What are your thoughts?
Should I pick Black or white?
This is my new Monterey Bay Wedding Photography TV ad which will be running on KION 46 in Monterey, Salinas, and Santa Cruz. I’m having a hard time deciding on which ad to choose! What are your thoughts?
Should I pick Black or white?
What an absolute honor it was to photograph Patty & Jerry’s Cabo San Lucas destination wedding at Hacienda Encantada Resort and Spa in Cabo San Lucas Mexico!
From the beautiful rocky Baja shoreline to the amazing Hacienda Encantada resort and spa, it truly is a wedding photographers playground. I have been very fortunate to photograph many local destination weddings here in the Monterey Bay area but this was our first destination wedding in Baja Mexico.
Being a professional Monterey wedding photographer I am spoiled by the scenery in my own back yard, however this was different.
The magnificent backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, with whales and dolphins jumping all day long so close to shore was an amazing sight to behold.
A day before the wedding I hired Indalecio at the resort to drive me around the entire place in a golf cart. We scouted some breathtaking locations which I took advantage of the day of the ceremony.
As with most couples I photograph on their wedding day, we always become friends with the couples we shoot, and this time around it was no different. Hanging out with Patty & Jerry on the days leading up to their wedding and again on the days following, made me realize how lucky we are to do what we love for a living!
Destination Wedding Photography
Manuel Ortega Photography tells your wedding story through a unique style of photojournalism that beguiles viewers while giving an accurate representation of love, family, friends and events leading up to the actual ceremony. The Monterey Bay area photographer chronicles destination weddings worldwide but focuses on the local communities of Salinas, Big Sur, Monterey, Watsonville, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel, San Jose and San Francisco. Couples can tell their story through a unique blend of candid and formal shots that allow their true personalities to shine through in high-definition.
Giving Back to the Community
Choosing a photographer is a very intimate decision, and California’s central coast residents happily provide glowing recommendations and testimonials of Ortega’s skills, lighthearted personality and artistic vision. People don’t choose artists based solely on skills, and Ortega impresses many clients with his commitment to local causes, experience with high-profile events and down-to-earth personality and humor.
– Ortega takes part annually in the Birdies for Charity event that benefits the YWCA of Monterey County for domestic violence and intervention programs.
– The photographer donated his time, materials and skills to chronicle Tatum’s Garden, a Monterey Bay initiative to provide a safe and secure place for children to play, socialize and learn.
– Ortega sponsors a customer-submitted photography contest that feature senior portraits he posts on social media forums. Social media users then “vote for the best” portrait. Contest winnings include a free high school senior portrait for the one that receives the highest votes.
– Celebrities often choose the photographer, and local news anchor Michelle Imperato booked Ortega recently for her upcoming Pebble Beach wedding.
The Best Photography Captures Life as Art
Manuel Ortega Photography adheres to Ortega’s personal philosophy of support for family, community and real experiences. The talented photographer finds magic and art in everyday life and offers the following services for clients:
– Wedding and engagement photography in a journalistic-type study
– Location shoots of baptisms, children, birthdays and anniversaries
– Classic family photos and memorable artistic shots taken in stunning Monterey Bay locations
– Photos of children from maternity to graduation
– High School Senior Portraits that capture a teenagers true personality
– Photos of parties, special events, holidays and celebrations
About Manuel Ortega
Manuel Ortega began pursuing photography at the age of 13 and photographed his first wedding at age 18. Although Ortega has been in business since 2005, he has taken professional photos since 1990. Self-taught and observant of the smallest details, Ortega preserves the magic of events, places, people and relationships. Although specializing in wedding photography, Ortega also takes stunning maternity photos, portraits, family photos, and high school senior portraits that families can treasure for generations.
Dec. 27, 2013 – MONTEREY, Calif. — Manuel Ortega Photography Receives Silver WeddingWire Rated™ Badge
Monterey, CA – December 27, 2013 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Manuel Ortega Photography has received the WeddingWire Rated™ Silver badge for excellence in Wedding Photography.
The esteemed WeddingWire Rated™ program recognizes wedding professionals who have received positive newlywed reviews about their business on WeddingWire. The program recognizes businesses across more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and requires a minimum of three wedding reviews and an average rating of 3.5 stars or higher.
Within the WeddingWire Rated™ program, there are five different levels that wedding professionals can reach based on the number of wedding reviews they have received (Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Black). The WeddingWire Rated™ Bronze badge is awarded when a business receives ten or more quality reviews.
As a member of WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one million reviews, Manuel Ortega Photography’s achievement of Rated™ is an impressive milestone and an indication of the positive experiences expressed by their past clients. As a recipient of the Silver badge, Manuel Ortega Photography is highlighted on WeddingWire, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada.
“With the growing importance of online reviews, WeddingWire is pleased to celebrate the successes of the wedding professionals who have received positive reviews on WeddingWire,”
“Monterey Peninsula Wedding Photographer Manuel Ortega is thrilled to have achieved the WeddingWire Rated™ Silver badge for Wedding Photography in Monterey CA. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire;
For more information about Manuel Ortega Photography, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront at http://www.weddingwire.com/
To learn more about the WeddingWire Rated™ program, please visit http://wed.li/
About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire®
Monterey Bay trash the Dress Session-
I had the honor of shooting Marissa and Noel’s wedding earlier this year and I was just as excited to shoot their Monterey Bay trash the dress session! As with most of my “wedding clients” Marissa and Noel have become good friends of ours and we wish them all the best! Special thanks to Carlos Gonzales (LOS Photography) for taking some of these shots and for always contributing in a BIG way. THANK YOU to my wife Melissa for ALWAYS being by my side!
Enjoy!
Manuel Ortega
*Update! Take a look at the article in the Monterey County Weekly showcasing this Monterey Bay trash the Dress Session!
Page 24
Monterey County Weekly Trash the dress session
Wedding photography is not easy, In fact it is very difficult. Capturing emotional moments which happen so quickly under different lighting conditions can be a daunting, but there is nothing that compares to the exhilaration of knowing you got “the shot”.
I absolutely love what I do and feel very blessed that I can make a living doing what I love. I love wedding photography. Truth is, I love all kinds of photography, but especially wedding photography. I love the laughter. I love the tears. I love the emotion. I love the beauty. I love being there on that special day with a bride and groom. Best of all, I love capturing moments filled with emotion. Weddings are the perfect avenue to do just that.
Can you think of a life event that has so many different emotions attached to it? A bride looking in the mirror anticipating the event she has waited for most of her life. The look on a groom’s face as he sees his bride walk down the aisle. A father about to walk his daughter down the aisle, proud of his little girl and wondering how she grew up so fast. A couple just married, having a quick second alone before going off to meet their guests. I love freezing these moments for people, the moments they will want to remember for a lifetime.
I received a thank you card last week from a very special couple I didn’t meet until their wedding day. Laura and Todd are from Minnesota and they chose to have a destination wedding in a private resort in Big Sur CA. When Laura called me, I felt honored to have been chosen to be their wedding photographer. I felt an immediate connection with her infectious personality and I just knew her wedding would be a lot of fun. I spent one day with Laura and Todd and it is a day I will never forget. Trekking the short trail at Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park for some formal wedding photography shots with the iconic waterfall as a backdrop was a lot of fun and one of the many highlights of the day.
It’s always nice when a couple recognizes the hard work you put into their special day, so when I received their custom hand written thank you card (with a photo I took) I was very happy to say the least.
The following is their testimonial, which makes me love what I do even more..
“Manuel,
Thank you so much for photographing our special day! You were awesome! We loved your energy and passion and our pictures turned out so beautiful. We absolutely love them. We’ve received so many compliments from our guests and others. Thank you for making our special day so wonderful and for capturing the emotions so perfectly.”
Laura and Todd
Minneapolis Minnesota
Are you still searching for a venue to host your wedding or take your pictures? Where you take your photographs is a crucial decision because your wedding day will be talked about for a long time to come, and your photographs will play a big role in how the day is remembered years from now. You therefore want to ensure that you get professional quality shots by seeking only professional Wedding Photographers in the Monterey Bay. In addition, the right venue can add so much more. Luckily, The Clement Monterey makes getting the best location hassle-free.
Why You Should Choose the Clement
The Intercontinental Hotel & Resorts, The Clement Monterey is known for being one of the best Wedding Venues Monterey CA for a number of reasons. Also referred to as the “Clement Hotel”, this testament to majestic architecture boasts stunning sunsets and rooms with balcony views that will leave you breathless. It also has other on site arrangements that are sure to yield great photos. Plus, its location is high on the list of reasons it is famous, so it is definitely worth looking into if you are searching for a place to take stunning photos that will immortalize that big day.
Location aside, the Clement Hotel has over 200 rooms ranging from suites to guests rooms, single occupancy and double occupancy rooms. It is close proximity to the must-see areas, has a long list of amenities and 24-hour room services. Accessibility is also a high priority so it also caters to guests with special needs. In fact, efforts include the admission to service dogs, rooms outfitted to meet accessibility standards and designated parking. This means you can have a location that offers all you want and a venue that caters to everyone.
Their staff is also multilingual with six languages spoken fluently apart from English, including Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, French, and Tagalog. Not sure what to do or where to go? Not a problem, make use of their concierge service and discover even more places to take photographs. You literally have everything in one stop.
A Little Piece of History
The Clement Hotel is situated right on Cannery Row which will forever have its place in history because of its connection to literary great and Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck. Besides this merit, it has a sweeping ocean view that not only enhances its beauty but it makes for great photo ops. In addition, the mountains in the background add even more majesty to the pristine waters of this famous waterfront district, and the Pacific View Courtyard as well as general Monterey Bay area with its shops, eateries and other great locals provide even more options.
Remember that your wedding photos will capture more than just stage poses of the wedding party and family. The atmosphere, the mood of your guests and the liveliness of your venue (or lack thereof) will be there to look at as you skip through them. Do not leave anything to chance; speak with your Monterey Wedding Photographer to see how you can make your photos the envy of all.
This is an excerpt from a book I’m reading (more…)