It’s always nice to see our work in print. This was a wedding I photographed in Lima, Peru. The couple Nancy and Life were Peruvians and wanted to have a wedding in Peru. This images of the them in the Plaza Mayor is one of my all time favorite wedding pictures in Lima, Peru.

Marie Claire China was kind enough to get in touch with me and name Gene Higa Photography as 1 of 5 of the Top photographers. WOW! I have been internationally published before but this was really humbling. Marie Claire-China and I have been in talks for several months now and it’s nice to see it in print. Here are a couple of shots my buddy Jim Garner sent over. I have the privilege of being published with close friends Jose Villa, Jim Garner, Cliff Mautner and Karen Wise.

Robert Evans and Curt Appanovich the creators of photography mentor were in San Francisco last week, for the Photo-fusion Tour. Some of you may know of Robert Evans, he shot Tom Cruise + Katie Holmes and Brad Pitt’s first wedding to Jennifer Aniston a couple of years back. Amazing! They were kind enough to ask me to do a wedding model photoshoot. Photography Mentor is a educational website for the up and coming or seasoned wedding photographer. Photography Mentor is one of the best social medias out there for wedding photographers in San San Francisco and abroad.

Jaime Dollaga is THE amazing San Francisco based model who was happy to be my bride for the day. Armando Sarabia got her do up and glammed up her make up. All of her amazing handmade jewelery was from Lindsie Jones of Haute Bride and Jose gave me the dress. Thanks everyone for the hook up.

Armando Sarabia
get your DO up!
415.425.8259
www.getyourdoup.com

Lindsie Jones
Haute Bride
415.923.5900
www.hautebride.com

Here are some of the shots from the shoot. Stay tuned for some behind the scenes shots from Candice and Gustavo. The video will be posted on Photography Mentor.

enjoy!

I met Jules and Joy Bianchi many years ago. I think Joy used to leave comments on my blog posts and asked to have lunch one day. Ever since we have become close friends. Jules’ dog Olive lives Bogie and we love her right back.

The Bianchi twins created this website called Jules Cafe. It’s loaded with tips and tricks to make you a better photographer. Well, this week they we’re kind enough to feature my work and talk a bit about my life. As series called, Photographer Interview Series. If you’re a faithful blog reader you know that I am doing my best to do more and more teaching.

Here is the interview posted and I hope you will enjoy, be inspired and get involved with Jules Cafe.

………………

Welcome to the first interview in our Coffee Break series! Jules Café is committed to providing you with great information from sources around the world, so we will be featuring photographers who inspire and motivate in the Learn-Grow-Share spirit.

One photographer who has literally been shooting all around the world is the fabulous Gene Higa. Gene’s engaging personality and beautiful photography has taken him to places across the globe as one of the industry’s premiere destination photographers.

Recently named one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world, Gene Higa travels the world doing what he loves, photographing weddings near and far, and is one of the most sought-after destination wedding photographers today. Originally from Los Angeles, Gene makes his home in San Francisco, but calls the world his office. Gene has been commissioned to photograph weddings all over the world, including Spain, Philippines, Peru, India, Italy, Greece, Hawaii, Jamaica, Thailand, Brazil, Barbados, Mexico, as well as across the United States.

I was thrilled when Gene agreed to be our initial interviewee for this series, as I have always admired him and consider him a very good friend. Gene is always looking for the next big thing for his business, and for himself. He is constantly pushing himself to do better, and yet he also is very interested in helping his colleagues around him. Gene has an easy-going and friendly personality that just makes you want to hang out with him and get to know him more! His rise in the industry is not by chance, this photographer works hard at what he does and strives to be all he can be.

Gene, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. I appreciate you and your honesty!

LEARN: What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?
Video. Since the birth of the Canon 5D mark 2. “Video”, is the buzz word in the industry. I have to be open to the possibility of incorporating video into my business. If I don’t do it now, I may fall behind the times in a year or two. The time is now for video to be a part of my business. I used video in my marketing plan several years and ago and I am glad I did. I always want to be on the cutting edge of technology. It’s important to my clients, the industry and my business.

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

Learning things the hard way creates integrity. I have always been a hard worker and have no problem failing at something. I maintain focus and find another way to achieve my goals. But, If I had to do it over again, I learned the hard way how to invest my money and take care of the financial part of my business. Everything is fine now, but that was the most important part of my business. How to make money, save it, and invest it.

GROW: How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you?

I grow every year. Maybe not taller, LOL, but I am very curious being. I ask questions, I listen and I learn from everyone I meet. You can learn something from everyone. Remember that. I have found true friends in this industry. I have always stayed true to the friendships I forge. I never forget that I photograph weddings for a living. That is not what defines me as a person. I will continue to create new relationships personally and professionally.

How would you recommend others grow—do you have a favorite marketing tip, workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?

Growing is simple: Be the most responsive to change, be fearless in your approach and be willing to fail.

SHARE: How do you feel that you contribute to the industry?

Photography is the one thing in my life that has been good to me. So I am good to it. WPPI changed my life over 5 years ago. Its time to give back what I have learned, things I have failed and give inspiration to others. The answer to that is Gene Higa workshops.

What is something you would like to share with your fellow colleagues? How can they turn around and do the same for others?

To always help one another. Don’t hold your cards too tight. Once you learn to give what you have and expect nothing in return, you will find that it comes back to you, 10 fold. There are no secrets in business and certainly no shortcuts.

Favorite charitable contribution?

My mom has in the past battled cancer. I have lost family member to this terrible disease. So a portion of my workshops income goes to the Susan G. Koman foundation.

Thank you, Gene, for taking the time stop for a cup of coffee with us today. We really appreciate your time and valuable insight! For further inspiration from the charming Gene Higa, check out the following links:

http://www.genehiga.com : web | http://www.genehiga.net : blog | http://genehigaworkshops.com : workshops

Gene is offering workshops around the world, so make sure you visit his website to get in on one near you! As you can see below, Gene’s workshops are not your average workshop

It’s crazy to me what is on the web these days. Gustavo Fernandez was kind enough to send over this article. Sorry, I can not translate. Can anyone help me, haha.

Here’s a direct link to website. click here

enjoy ~

La fotografía de bodas no suele ser un género que me atraiga especialmente, pero hay que reconocer que existe un buen número de fotógrafos que se dedican profesionalmente a ello con resultados muy notables. Tanto para los que les guste, como los que se dediquen a ello o lo pretendan pueden encontrar en Gene Higa, un fotógrafo a tener en cuenta.

Este californiano posee un enorme prestigio en la fotografía de bodas y es cariñosamente apodado como el “Indiana Jones” de las bodas. Y es que ha recorrido el mundo retratando esa ceremonia tan peculiar y según ritos y costumbres muy dispares (Bali, Filipinas, Grecia, India, Jamaica, México,…). Está considerado uno de los diez mejores en Estados Unidos.

Gene Higa me gusta por su gran elegancia y fino gusto, quizás el valor que más destaco en este tipo de imágenes. Sin caer en la repetición, sus imágenes consiguen transmitir la felicidad y lo singular de un día tan especial para una pareja de novios. Posee un estilo muy distintivo, de enorme positivismo y con muchos recursos, además de variedad (color, blanco y negro, virados,…). Como curiosidad, indicar que tiene una tarifa de unos 4.800 euros al cambio, desplazamiento aparte. Espero que a los que se dedican a ello, el trabajo de Higa les sirva de inspiración para poner en práctica los consejos que os hicimos. Algunos ejemplos de su magnífica galería:

UPDATE: Javier Gimeno Martinez Sapiña from Spain was kind enough to send me a email and translate this for me.

Wedding photography is not a photography that specially attracts me, but i must confess that there are a bunch of weddingg photographers that get really great results. Both for those who like it or are pro´s (or willing to), they can find in Gene Higa a photographer to have an eye on.

This californian-born has a huge prestige in wedding photography an is known as the “Indiana Jones” of the weddings, as long as he has travelled trough all the World portraying these peculiar ceremony following a diversity o frites (Bali, Philiphines, Greece, India, Jamaica, Mexico,…). He is considere done of the 10 top photographers in USA.

I like Gene Higa for his great elegante, maybe the thing I admire the most in these type of images. Without being repetitive, his images get to transmit the happines and uniqueness in such and special day for a couple. He´s got a very disctintive style, and a huge variety (colour, b/w, …). Has a curiosity, let´s say he is worth 4800€, plus travelling. I hope that for those who work as wedding photographers, , Gene´s work become´s a source of inspiration

Thanks so much Gustavo and Javier. Good looking out. Gotta love it.

Friend Ray Santana, called the other day about featuring my business on Pro Photo Hub’s blog. I humbly accepted as I boarded a plane to NYC. I was off the give a workshop and it was perfect timing. Ray is one of those guys that knows everyone and knows all the cool gadgets for us to play with. If I were you, I would RSS or bookmark his site. He’s got some cool interviews with some of the industries coolest photographers, including me, yay!!! You can find my interview just below good friend, David Jay’s.

Click here to read my interview: Pro Photo Hub Blog

Thanks, Uncle Ray for having me. I hope to see you sooner than later. best ~

Gene Higa- “Creating a Niche Market to Set Yourself Apart”

Livebooks has been really good to me and my websites are a important part of my brand. J. Sandifer, good friend uber talented photographer from the east coast asked me to take part in a series of Webinars for Livebooks. Blush, I get to part of this dynamic group of photographers, of course. Anything to support Livebooks and J.

So what’s a webinar? Well, it’s you and me live, virtually. A presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web. I will be in a undisclosed location for this webinar. I’ll let you know where I am when we go live. Basically, you can ask me anything you wish or just chat. As some of you may know, I am making teaching a big part of my business. i think it’s important we help our peers.

What am I going to talk about? In today’s highly competitive market we must stay one step ahead of the competition. Does your business have that “WOW!” factor? Is it enough to have great images? Recently named among the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo Magazine, Gene will share his insight on his rise to the top and how he made destination weddings his niche market. From shooting backyard weddings to traveling the world, Gene will inspire you to take your business to the next level and reach for the stars

So I hope you will join me or any of the many talented photographers.

click here to register.

You have got look professional, especially on the wedding day. While speaking at Pictage Partner Conference, I visited good fiends Sara France and Lauren Hillary at the Go|Bee booth. I discovered this very fashionable CF card holder. It fits perfect on my hip and holds all of my 8 and 16b cards. After all, my images at the most important thing I have keep with me on the wedding day.

If you don’t already have yours, click here
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Here’s a cut and paste from the blog. Thanks Ann Hamilton for the great shot.

Gene Higa, San Fransisco based destination wedding photographer sent us this awesome shot of him shooting at the Gorgeous Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado Canyon here in the OC!

This uber talented photographer not only flys all over the world shooting beautiful destination weddings but was also listed as one of the Top 10 wedding photographers in the WORLD by American Photo Magazine in 2008!

What an accomplishment!

We are so stoked that Gene loves his Card Holster!

After a very successful talk at Partnercon a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to everyone who came, the room was packed. Lisa Allen was kind enough to have me participate in a live online Ask and Learn with me. You can log onto the Pictge Fourms here. I will be online from 4-6p.m. You can ask me anything in regards to my presentation. Looking forward to talking to you all.