Hello Nicholas,

I want to wish everyone receiving this newsletter a happy holiday season along with health and prosperity for 2023. This has been an awesome year in so many ways and I cannot wait to see what the new year brings.  If you make it to the end of this newsletter, you'll see what we have to look forward to in April.

It's only been eight months since returning to Southern California, but I've already hit a comfortable level of balance between my re-kindled freelance business and family. That's mostly due to some awesome clients that I've re-connected with as well as many friends and family receiving these newsletters. It's a great way to keep in touch as well as share some of my latest work.

It's been pretty busy this last quarter as you'll see below, and already much on deck for 2023. As always, an interesting variety of work...I think that's part of why I enjoy it so much. Enjoy!

Press Enterprise assignments

I've been getting a fun mix of assignments from the Riverside Press Enterprise lately. I've had to pass a few times due to other bookings and family commitments, but I generally get pretty excited when I can shoot for them. I'm pretty sure newspaper ink runs in my veins. It was a nice surprise to be on A1 again :)

I haven't shot a court assignment since leaving the OC Register, but the story about Fentanyl was particularly sad. I thought it was going to be a quick hearing, but it ended up having testimony from the mother of the victim and the Sheriff first on the scene. I don't know where people find the strength, but this mom described every heart wrenching moment that led up to her daughter's death. And it gets worse ... her older son also died prior from a Fentanyl overdose as well. Not all photo assignments are fun, that's for sure.

This game was online only, but the good thing about the web is that pretty much all of my game photos end up in an online slide show. Some of them also end up in a round up slideshow on the Orange County Register site as well :)

This Girls Volleyball game was also online only ... I added a few more images here that were in the online slideshow. Vista Murrieta (White) went on to win the 2022 CIF State Championship in Division 1.

Tony Fanticola's 80th Birthday Party

This was a crazy fun evening. It was held at Crevier Classic Cars in Costa Mesa which made for an awesome setting. The decor was over the top, the Rat Pack was there, Marilyn Monroe was there as well as a Magician from the Magic Castle. The band was excellent ... I've never seen a birthday party done quite like this before ... it was truly amazing to see and so much fun to shoot.  

Soon into the event I realized that I needed to follow Tony around to catch those memorable moments as well as get lots of photos of friends and family with him. There were a lot of memorable moments like the toast by his family, or when he was on stage singing with the Rat Pack, or when Marilyn sang Happy Birthday to him. The Magician was lots of fun as well and to see Tony dance with family and friends on the dance floor ... I hope I can move like that at 80 ... wow. 

OCPRSA

OC's Public Relations Society of America's 2022 Protos awards

What a busy night this was. And why, after working so many years in Orange County, have'nt I ever heard of OCPRSA? This is a long standing large organization of Public Relations professionals right here in OC.  

This annual event was held at the well known Five Crowns restaurant in Corona del Mar and we were situated in their beautiful outdoor Greenhouse Patio and Garden. My freelance business has many PR clients so it wasn't a surprise that I knew some of the guests though I still wonder why I didn't know of OCPRSA.  

There was music, great food, speakers, awards, and a raffle. I had to be sharp because when the award presentations started, there were a lot of them and they happened very quickly. My AC lighting set up not only helped light up the stage, it also insured that I caught everything.

This is just a sampling of a very fun evening ...

Mesa Water District

Realtors meeting 

In an effort to reach out and meet local realtors and apartment owners, Mesa Water District invited many of these people to a meet and greet, breakfast and Q and A session at the Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa Hotel. 

They explained how they manage the local water supply and talked about new water projects. Given the water shortage lately, it was very interesting to see what they've been doing. There's more below ...

Topping off ceremony

This was both a beam signing and topping off ceremony at the Mesa Water District's new facility in Costa Mesa. There was beam signing, breakfast, speeches and a toast as the beam was lifted into position.

There is a significance to the small redwood tree on the beam. At this facility are two wells that pull water from an aquifer 1,000 feet below the surface where redwoods once grew. That's a pretty crazy combination of technology and history.

The water is pure and has a slight pink tinge (from the redwoods) which is removed at this facility.

They even have a small grove of redwoods on the grounds of this facility which made for a nice background for executive headshots after this event.

Israel Symphony Pre Concert Dinner

The Samueli Theater is such a fun place to shoot. The wrap around upstairs tier can make for some great photos.

Somewhere in my archives I have photos of Henry and Susan Samueli touring the construction of it when it was being built. That's memorable as are so many other great events I have photographed there.

This event was a reception and dinner prior to the Israel Symphony's concert. It was fun to shoot and the the decor inside the Samueli Theater was outstanding. It was through the generosity of these fine people that enabled the Israel Symphony to perform at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. After dinner there were a couple speakers and a video and then they were off to see the concert.

'A Family Affair' Cabaret Show

I havn't photographed at the Irvine Barclay Theater in a long time, and who is the first person I meet when I come in through the loading dock backstage? Jerry Mandel, who so many see as an Orange County Ikon in the Performing Arts realm. He's currently the President and CEO of the Irvine Barclay Theater, but I also remember him back during his OCPAC (Orange County Performing Arts Center) years not to mention his Saxophone cameos ... It was great to see him again.

Now, onto why I was there. I had been looking forward to this assignment for a good part of this year and I wasn't disappointed. Peisha McPhee along with daughters Adriana McPhee & Katherine McPhee-Foster with other notable performers put on an incredible show. 

Peisha McPhee sang both alone and in duets with with well known performers Ann Hampton Callaway, Lee Lessack and Monica Mancini (Daughter of composer Henry Mancini).

Katherine McPhee-Foster and her sister Adriana McPhee were outstanding together. And It was fun to see Katherine McPhee-Foster perform with her husband, David Foster, accompanying her on the piano. The show concluded with everyone on stage singing together which made it truly A Family Affair. From where I was shooting from, it looked like a full house.

As Promised

As promised at the start ... this is what we have to look forward to in 2023 (April). We found out recently that the baby our daughter Emily and our son in law Ricky are having is a girl. This is in addition to the two Grandson's we already have ... I cannot tell you how excited we are. We shot several options for the announcement photo and all were fun, but I think this is my favorite. The one of their dog Luna and the baby shoes is pretty awesome as well.

Lastly...

Like I always say, these email blasts are a great way to stay in touch as well as show recent work with one single email. Feel free to share them with folks you think might enjoy them or may be looking for a photographer. Contact info is below or I can also be reached through my website at www.nicholaskoonphotography.com.

More next time ... but in the meantime, stay in touch and your comments on these newsletters are always welcome. 

Take Care,

Nick

Nick Koon

Nicholas Koon Photography

www.nicholaskoonphotography.com

nkphoto@aol.com

714.932.1714

714.932.1714