This past week I took time off from my wedding and portrait photography, returning to my outdoor photography roots. Hiking around one of my favorite places on earth, Hume Lake, California, in Sequoia National Forest, I was able to capture the beauty of God’s creation. Here are 18 of my favorite shots. Which of these connects with you?

Redwood and sky

Broken, 2012

Dam, lake and sky

Bridge, forest and sky

Bee and flowers

Purple thistle

Tiny reds

Blue jay and nuts

Seven Deer

Hume pond

Water hole (at 10 mile creek)

Lakeside bench

Raft

Anvils

Anvil

Debris

Hume Lake at sunrise

Hume Lake rock at sunrise

I’ve been to this location and these spots so often before, this time around I told myself not to be disappointed if I didn’t capture anything unique or different. I was very pleased to discover otherwise. It goes to show that even if something has been photographed a lot — even by you! — there’s always something new to uncover and capture.

Technical info: for these, I mostly used the Sigma 17-50 f2.8, though one of these uses the Sigma 8-16, and a couple use the Nikkor 70-200 f2.8.

Eduardo Suastegui is a fine art photographer who serves the Los Angeles area in the cities of Downey and Whittier with his wedding and portrait photography

What does wedding photography have to do with a local school musical? Capturing timeless moments in good light, for starters. A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure — and I mean that — of hanging back from my seat during St. Jeanne de Lestonnac’s presentation of Oklahoma, and grabbing a few shots. The kids did a terrific job, from the singing, to the choreography, the sound, and yes, the lighting. I had a great time trying to capture a glimpse of their terrific work.

Eduardo Suastegui is an event and wedding photographer serving the Downey, Whittier, Los Angeles – Orange County, California area.

Here are a few photos I’ve selected so far as best-in-trip from my recent trip to Brussels and Bruges, Belgium.

I’ll keep mulling these over to see which if any merit specialized post-processing into a fine art print.

On a recent trip to Brussels, I found plenty opportunity go wide with my compositions. When I found myself with the wrong, as in not wide enough, lens while photographing the Grand Place, I decided to take a 10 frame composite with the Sigma 17-50 at 17mm. A quick stitch using my panorama software of choice gave me this image.

Just in case that didn’t turn out, I decided to not be lazy and swap in my Sigma 8-16 and get it all in one shot.

I tend to prefer that second shot because I managed to compose with less of a tilt, but the two samples get the point across. If you’re caught with a not-so-wide lens, remember that there’s more than one way to get the job done.

This weekend I did a little event coverage during The Spirit of Art reception at the Whittier Art Gallery. I spent most of my time, however, talking with folks about the work on display. Here are some photos I hope will give you a glimpse of the happenings. If you missed it, you can still check out the exhibit during the gallery’s regular business hours, Wednesday to Sunday, Noon to 5pm.

Though many say they don’t like it, I am a sucker for quirky wide angles, especially when big skies are involved. Here’s an favorite of mine, taken with the Nikon D80 and 10-24 lens.

Since then, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to explore and experiment with wide angles and the interesting perspectives they produce. Here are two recent shots, taken with the Nikon D7000. The first one uses the Sigma 17-50 f2.8 at its widest angle setting, and the second uses the Sigma 8-16.

One should be able to see the difference between the two shots. While both explore similar themes and subjects, the second is far more radical in its portrayal, and certainly less concerned with “realism” in its abandonment of vertical lines in favor of ones that “keystone.” Note also how the sky gets that radiating look in its cloud formations in the wider perspectives.

By of further demonstration, here are two shots, one below and one above Manhattan Beach pier.