Here’s part II of James and Danielle’s fabulous engagement session. Be sure to check out their kick-ass slide show.

Originally, we had planned on shooting at the Neon Boneyard, but as it turns out, the Boneyard is closed for the summer. After discussing several options, we arranged to shoot at an old rustic town in Las Vegas. Then we ended up rescheduling because the winds picked up to about 30-40 mph, not an ideal environment for shooting out in the middle of the desert. Despite all that, everything worked out perfectly and we had an amazing time during the photo shoot as you can tell from these killer images!

When we finally met up for the shoot, the soon-to-be bride and groom were excited about getting started and game for just about anything. I was able to capture so much of their personality and attitude in addition to creating some very different, unique engagement photos – including “Escape from the Plane Crash” and “Making a New Home in the Desert”.

They put together an awesome mix CD titled “Danielle & James Greatest Hits” and used one of the engagement photos on the cover – how cool is that? The playlist consists of fun and classic tunes from artists including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday.

These two are certainly a couple of characters and the kind of people we love to work with. Thanks for keeping me laughing guys. I am really looking forward to making more creative, beautiful and quirky photos at their vintage themed wedding next week.

Every year after shooting the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, I always feel a slight itch to play some Texas hold ‘em. Of course, I’m not big into gambling, but I’m sure it would be exciting to play against some of these poker pros. Among some well known faces were Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu, Ray Romano, Jennifer Tilly, and our friends Evelyn Ng and Amanda Musumeci from Bodog.

The new trendsetters in poker have really revived the game’s popularity. Many fans are under the impression that poker is all about living the high life, since some pros have taken home six figure winnings in just one day. However, a conversation with one pro poker player told me that the stakes can be quite high. It’s not just about calling bluffs and having a good poker face – there is a bit of strategy involved. Sometimes it’s simply knowing when to quit. That said, there is a certain amount of adrenaline involved and it’s what keeps the players coming back.

WSOP 2010 took place at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. As an event photographer, it was a fun event to document because the energy was high, and this year, so was the security. Normally I would have been issued an all-access media pass to photograph the players during tournaments. Unfortunately  this time the number of passes were drastically limited due to heightened  security after the poker heist in Berlin.

That left me with the difficult job of trying to capture close-up shots of players from behind the ropes. It was a challenge, but it also forced me to come up with creative solutions to get the shots I needed. Most of the time it was about patience – finding the right angles and waiting for crowds of people to separate.

I enjoyed shooting the World Series of Poker this year as well as the challenges it presented. It was great meeting some of world’s top poker players. I look forward to watching the final table this November and seeing who takes the bracelet.