mike soliman
Proclaimed an uber-geek by friends and family, my involvment in photography began as a hobby, slowly developing into a profession over time. My photography finally came to fruition in the form of my first public showing at the Budget Cafe in San Luis Obispo and the formation of Kinfoto with my good friend, Darren.

My photographic philosophy falls in the realm of photojournalism. I believe in capturing precious moments with no "interaction" or "direction." I earned the nickname "Photo Ninja" after sucessfully shooting a wedding in which people didn't even realize I was taking photos.

darren threlkeld
Having admired photography my entire life and always with a camera in hand, it wasn't until the last few years that I realized how much I enjoyed it and just how fulfilling it can be.

I agree with Mike in that many of the most precious moments are caught with skill, luck and a long lens but I love trying new things to get both standard and complementary shots; a new angle; added light; a different focus maybe...

Born and raised here on the Central Coast, I've always been really easygoing and love to have fun in my sessions. It's been my experiece that the best images tend to be the ones where everyone was goofing around 'between' shots; being relaxed, being themselves. If you're happy and having a good time, it will shine straight through the lens.