Santa Barbara is a special place to Annie and Joe. Not only have they spent a lot of time there, making frequent weekend trips throughout their relationship, but it was also the city in which Joe asked Annie to be his wife. So, they couldn’t think of a better place to shoot their engagement session! I was more than happy to get out of the heat and make my way to the coast last Sunday where it was a lovely 81º!

Annie and Joe will be getting married next June at a winery in Temecula, and after spending the day with them for their engagement shoot, I know their wedding will be so much fun! They are both so kind and funny and it is obvious to everyone around them that they have a very special connection to one another.

We did a whopping three wardrobe changes and four locations for this shoot. Here are a bunch of my favorite images, and I’ll be posting a slideshow of more photos in the next couple days.

We started our shoot by just walking up and down State Street looking for interesting backdrops. I just loved this doorway. And check out Annie’s dress! I love that blue and green! I actually have tried this dress on before… sadly it didn’t look as good on me as it does on Annie.

How cute are they together?

LOOOOOVE these blue shoes! I was so excited when Annie got out of the car wearing these babies!

In an alleyway off of State Street.

A fun series that is very representative of them.

This guy was just standing there on the street with this sign… Yes. It’s a bit weird, but how could I not take a photo?

After a quick change, we made our way over to this little park area. Great light.

And I was able to fulfill one of my fantasies of doing a shoot on a carousel! Thanks so much, you guys, for letting me play around with this!

I always like to try to get a photo of me with my clients on our shoots. This was a challenging one to try to get.

Then we made our way down to the beach where Joe actually proposed, which was right near the amazing Bacara Resort & Spa.

I love this shot. Great light!

Joe was definitely not ready for the wave to crash in so close!

I’m pretty sure this is my favorite shot from the whole day. Love the colors of the warm sunset light.

Aside from having a great time on this shoot, we all learned a little something about this particular beach… it’s covered in tar that is hard to detect until it’s stuck all over your feet! I was fortunate enough to have kept my sandals on while were walking around down by the water, but Annie and Joe unfortunately did not. While walking back up the beach to the parking lot, we all realized that the tar had covered their feet (and had gotten on their clothes a bit). If you’ve ever known anyone who has had this happen, you know it’s nearly impossible to get off! (Good thing Joe is a handy guy and ended up having some organic degreaser stuff they use to clean engines in his truck. It worked like a charm.)

Seeing this was truly shocking and made me feel awful for the wildlife of the ocean… I can’t imagine how bad the problem is beyond just the amount of tar on the beach. So, I did some research when I got home from the shoot and, as far as I can tell, the tar was caused by a giant oil spill in 1969. You can read an article about the incident here: http://www.sbwcn.org/spill.shtml

Does anyone know if that’s the actual cause of why this beach is so covered in tar? I’d love to know more information about it!

Thanks so much, Annie and Joe, for being so great, despite the tar issue. I hope you enjoy the photos… and enjoy your new place!

3 Comments » Posted by admin / Engagement Sessions

Jeanine and Chris’ wedding was simple and fun. Just one of those days that was truly enjoyed by everyone — all were out to simply have a good time and enjoy the day.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day.

Putting the finishing touches on Jeanine’s hair.

Lovely.

I love a classic necklace.

The happy groom.

The precious flower girl. Check out those big brown eyes!

The stunning bride.

The ring bearer watching the ceremony intently.

Married!

Using the wind to our advantage.

The first dance, and one of my definite favorites from the day.

The rings and a very cool pocket watch that was given to the newlyweds by their Pastor.

One of the most fierce cutting of the cakes I’ve ever witnessed!  Check out the middle photo!

Congratulations, you guys! I had a great time with you and your families and friends! Wish you all the best!

2 Comments » Posted by admin / Weddings

I’m off to shoot a wedding today in Palos Verdes, but I wanted to quickly post an image of a lovely wedding I shot last weekend. I’ll be posting more from this wedding in the next couple days.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

No Comments » Posted by admin / Weddings

I have finally uploaded Heather & Chris’ wedding slideshow!!! Geez… the past couple weeks have been so incredibly busy that I’ve been a step behind on everything I’ve had to do. I think by tomorrow I’ll finally be back on track. Yay!

Anyway, I had a fun time putting together this slideshow, because even though I was there as the photographer, I also felt very much like a friend and guest thanks to all the lovely people there. So, I hope this shows just how much fun everyone had on Heather and Chris’ big day.

By the way, the song is “No Other Way” by Jack Johnson, which was the song for Heather and Chris’ first dance. I know I’ve used a couple of Jack Johnson songs on recent slideshows, but I couldn’t resist using another one for this because it’s a special song to them and goes with the laid-back island feel of their wedding day.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the slideshow!

P.S. I have a few shoots that have been waiting patiently for their chance to debut on the blog, and a few shoots coming up that I hope to blog more quickly than I have been blogging lately. Soooo… check back often!

P.P.S. How about those Olympics?? I’ve found myself to be much more intrigued by everything going on in Beijing than I thought I would be! Obviously, Michael Phelps was just insane to watch… But, I’ve also been glued to women’s gymnastics (seriously… who else thinks they were robbed by some sketchy scores?? I’m definitely rooting for Nastia to get a Gold tonight on the balance beam!), women’s beach volleyball (Misty May-Traenor is an alumnus of my alma mater, Long Beach State!), and even the pole vaulting is fun to watch.

I think I’m actually going to be sad when they are all over, and we’ll have to wait another four years for when the games hit London — quite possibly my favorite city in the world.

At least the Fall season premieres will be starting soon. Who else is excited for the new version of 90210? haha! Yes, I feel 14 again.

1 Comment » Posted by admin / My Life and Weddings and Just a thought...

As I posted a couple days ago, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii to shoot Heather and Chris’ wedding, thanks to my friend Kevin (Chris’ cousin) for recommending me! I am just now finally getting the opportunity to blog some images…

Not only did I have an amazing time exploring the island with all of their friends and family for a couple days before the wedding (a true vacation), I was able to photograph a really fun wedding in paradise. Not too shabby…

It’s been a big goal of mine to venture out into photographing destination weddings, and now that I’ve done it, I know that this is a goal I definitely want to continue to pursue! So, I’m announcing here that I am willing to travel anywhere to photograph a wedding or other special event!

Back to this Hawaiian wedding…

Heather and Chris have been together since eighth grade! How amazing is that? The Maid of Honor, Gina, in her speech actually mentioned that she knew Heather would marry Chris even way back then. They are truly amazing individuals and make an even more amazing couple. They are kind, caring and fun, and, though I only met them a few weeks before the wedding, I couldn’t imagine two people more perfect for each other. Not to mention, they made absolutely certain that everyone who flew in for the wedding had an amazing time throughout their stay in Hawaii– and the wedding day was no exception.

I have a lot of favorites from this wedding, so let’s get to it!

Heather told me about these shoes a couple days before the wedding and was so very proud of them. They didn’t stay on her feet very long on the wedding day, but they definitely looked amazing.

Heather’s mom Alma watching her get her makeup done. Alma was so much fun! They are a great mother-daughter duo.

Then, it was off to the other hotel to get some photos of Chris and the guys.

The handsome groom. He was a natural in front of the camera!

Chris and the guys. From left: Nick, Logan, Kevin, Chris, Ben (Chris’ brother and Best Man) and Brandon. The guys had to goof off a bit before I could get some tame photos.

I love this one… even though Ben is the only one not looking. Figures.

The gorgeous Heather and her ladies; Lynette, Adri and Gina.

I’m not going to pretend like I shot this out of focus on purpose… this was totally an accident. But, I love it anyway.

Some great scenery in front of the church.

Speaking of the church, Heather and Chris chose this great one for their ceremony. The Mokuai Church is the oldest church on the islands and was built out of lava stone and mortar made of crushed coral!

This was the moment when Heather got so choked up during her vows that she couldn’t speak for a long moment… so she promptly stated “I’m not going to run!” just in case Chris was worried. A very funny moment that will no doubt be talked about among friends and family for a very long time.

The mother of the groom during Chris’ vows.

Married!

A fun shot of the wedding party outside the church. I love all the different expressions.

After the ceremony, Heather, Chris and I headed over to a small strip of sandy beach next to the reception. Most of the beaches in Kona are very rocky because of all of the lava that once flowed, so it was nice to find this little space for some beach photos.

This is one of my favorites…

A more traditional shot of the gorgeous sunset at the reception site — Hulihe’e Palace — a historic vacation residence of Hawaiian royalty. Unfortunately, the palace itself was undergoing earthquake repairs, but the view from the grounds was amazing.

Finally, here I am with the bride and groom.

To Heather and Chris,

I am so incredibly happy for you guys and am very thankful to you both for making my trip so wonderful and making me feel so welcome. I had an awesome time with you, your families and friends and feel very lucky to have been able to share the experience with all of you. I wish you the best in starting your new life together in Hawaii… perhaps I’ll be over there to visit you again!

Love,

Heather

The slideshow will be posted soon!

2 Comments » Posted by admin / Weddings

Well I haven’t blogged in quite a while because I went to Hawaii to shoot a fabulous wedding, and then I needed some time to regroup after that. It’s amazing how much time it takes to get back into the swing of things after going somewhere as relaxing as Hawaii… Needless to say I was not super excited to come home after having such a great time there, but here I am and have finally refocused my mind on work.

Heather and Chris were the bride and groom, and Chris is the cousin of my friend Kevin. So, I was invited to join all of their family and friends, who flew in for the wedding, in exploring the island in the days leading up to the wedding. They were all so welcoming and so much fun to hang out with. I had an amazing time and I took a lot of photos, so I have a lot of images blog!

The first day on the Big Island of Hawaii, we were in Hilo and visited the local Farmer’s Market. I thought this guy was so great. He had been carving one of these beautiful banjos and took a break to play us a song.

The colors of Hawaii are to die for.

I was able to snap a photo of this awesome gecko before he sped away. These guys are fast!

These were the step leading up to a local bar. I thought that “Bring Money” message was pretty funny.

After the Farmer’s Market, we drove down to South Point which happens to be the southern-most tip of the United States. There are 40-foot cliffs here that you can jump off of into the ocean below. When you jump, there is nothing between you and Antarctica. How crazy is that??

Here’s the bride Heather checking out the view from the cliffs.

There is dried lava everywhere on this island. Such great texture.

This was the view from the edge of the 40-foot cliff. How awesome does that water look??

Here’s Kevin making the first jump of the day. Yes, I actually jumped but there are no photos as proof. I’m not the type to avoid such a unique experience… I jumped four times and it was awesome!

Here we are driving from South Point up to Kona, where we would spend the rest of our trip. In Hawaii, it’s actually legal to ride in the beds of trucks, which probably isn’t the safest but it was a great way to see the island on the 1 1/2 hour ride.  Photos shot by Kevin.

This is one of the scenes we saw on that drive. Love the colors.

The next day, I just sat and enjoyed the sunset across the street from our hotel.

The heavy clouds actually prevented me from seeing the typical gorgeous Hawaiian sunset, but this was beautiful anyway.  The last night we spent in Hawaii actually had a great clear sunset, but of course I didn’t have my camera with me!

We went to a place called The Place of Refuge where we enjoyed some snorkeling. This beach wasn’t a sandy beach, rather it was surrounded by dried lava which made for some awesome photos. I wish I had an under water casing so that I could have photographed the amazing stuff I saw under water!

I wish we had water this clear here in SoCal.

Here’s a close-up of some lava. Loved the texture!

I thought this was really striking. This was a national lava park where all you see for miles is lava. Amazing to think about how one day long ago lava was just free-flowing across the entire island.

I took this photo on Hapuna Beach which was about 45 minutes from where we stayed in Kona. Because the beaches in Kona were mostly very rocky, it was great to be able to lounge around on a sandy beach… and the sand here was so soft! The water was great, too… At first we were bummed that the sun wasn’t out, but I grew to love these amazing clouds.

Finally, here’s a collage of some of the people I spent my time with on my trip. Such fun, great people! The top right corner of this collage is Chris and Heather, the lovely bride and groom.

What an awesome trip!

Thank you all so much for including me! I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to join all of you in this amazing experience. We’ll have to do it again sometime. I’m available to come back anytime!

I will be posting images from the beautiful wedding soon!

7 Comments » Posted by admin / My Life