The story of the Guests

For this wedding, I want to focus on the smaller story within the big one! This blog is post is not going to be about the bride and groom, the details, or the place but rather taking a look at the guests that come, in particular one very creative man! During the "down-time" of the reception, I wandered around to take some photos of the guests. I began talking with one of the tables and ask an older gentleman if he was really doing what I thought he was doing, which was writing on a napkin! His wife waved me over and he smiled and showed me his beginning work of changing the "I do" on the napkin to several different phrases! I had to laugh as I saw the creative way that these guests were entertaining themselves while waiting on dinner to finish.

This charming man informed me that he and one other man were seeing what phrases they could come up with. They realized that it would be some time before the bride and groom could come over, and they were happily keeping themselves entertained!

Near the end of the night, I had to go back and see how many napkins and phrases they came up with! I was thrilled to find a whole bunch more equaling more reasons for me to giggle as I read them!

Now, he didn't just write on napkins. His wife also made sure he took some time from his "artwork" to go and dance! The two of them on the dance floor made a very cute couple!

And while they were dancing, I was able to vote on my personal favorite napkin phrase of the night! Which was this one! It was super creative and made me laugh the hardest! 

These details were not a planned part of the bride's decoration, but it shows the fun and playfulness that each person at a wedding has! As a photographer, it is easy to miss things like this because so many different things are going on, but I love to take time and really look at the stories of the people who come to a wedding because they have been included for a reason! Life is made up of small details, we just need to take the time to enjoy them!!!!

Megan and Andrew's Engagement

Megan and Andrew are a great couple to work with! They did everything I asked without question, and we had a great time! I would tell them that we were changing spots and on our way, I would see another really cool spot and send them over to there before we made it to the next spot! I called it my photographer's ADD! But it was worth it because the photos turned out great and instead of missing the opportunity, we made the most of it! I am very excited for their wedding in March! Megan is going to be a GORGEOUS bride! My favorite part of shooting the engagement photos is that it gives me a chance to know my couple personally. I get to know how they interact with one another and what they are the most comfortable with. Also, they get to know me and my style and my photographer's ADD! It makes the wedding day so much more easy-going and comfortable. I love developing relationships with my clients, not just viewing this as a "contract". Each couple means something to me and I value their opinion! The engagement photos is definitely a great chance to get to know one another on a more personal level! I cannot wait to finish going through all of these and than have the wedding photos! And also to be able to get to know Megan and Andrew even more in the months to come!

Fall is for Family

As the holidays are fast approaching, family pictures come into season! I aim to take family portraits that show the love and emotion your family has. With Chris, Victoria, and Jessa it was easy to capture their joy and love! I wanted them to be as comfortable and  natural as possible. What sets your family apart is that no one else has the same family dynamics. I strive to capture that to the fullest. I want to see what makes your family different! I love the joy that comes from being with family, and the love that always pours out. Often I direct things than wait for that perfect moment like these below!

Yvette and John

Yvette and Jon had a simple but beautiful wedding! Her dress had a beautiful train that I had a lot of fun making the most of! We were also able to visit a winery for some bride and groom photos! They have a lot of personality and are a great couple to work with! We were able to take their engagement photos at this same winery, so it was fun coming back with them in their wedding clothes! 

An unforgettable experience

I went to Seattle, Washington early June of 2011 on a trip with my family. One of the things we attempted was Orca Whale watching. The day was cloudy and freezing and it began to rain and to top it all off, on our way there, our boat began having engine trouble. We were informed that we would need to turn around without going out to whale watch. Reaching port, we received vouchers to go whale watching again within the next year. Seeing that we live in Southern California, we did not know when we would come to Washington again. 

I have several close friends in the area (including one of my best friends and her husband) and shortly after coming home, found an amazing deal on Southwest and booked my 2nd trip to Washington for the end of summer! It was for the end of August and the Orca Whales are more frequent during that month. I was able to stay with my best friend, Rochelle Woods and her awesome husband Jon, and so began my Washington adventure! Rochelle, like me, is a photographer and we had a great time being camera buddies together! 

Thursday was the day that we planned for whale watching and Rochelle, Jon, and two other friends-Daniel and Max- set out at 4:30am to drive to Seattle to make the 7:30am boat boarding! Our adventure began with Krispy Cream donuts and coffee. The boat ride started at close to 8am and all of us opted for the top of the Victoria Clipper. I had checked the weather the night before and it was to be clear skies and 0% chance of rain in Seattle (which had to be a record of some kind!!!!) 

The wind was blowing hard and it got a little chilly, but we didn't care and laughed and talked and took photos as we settled in for our 3 1/2 hour ride to Friday Harbor. It passed by quickly with all of us friends and no engine trouble this time! We let some people off at the harbor than the rest of us set out to see the whales! It took us twenty minutes to circle the island and get to where the whales are supposed to be. 

We saw some other boats and headed towards them. We hear that there is whales off to the left! We see them way in the distance sprouting, and I am already snapping photos and grinning from ear-to-ear! They start heading towards out boat and I am peeking above my camera watching and than clicking the shutter as fast as I can when one surfaces for air! We see about 5 all spread out and we never know where or when they will pop up. Our captain turns off the engine according the the law that says you cannot be within 200 yards of the whales (unless they come to you). Well, the whales do not know this law and they keep coming closer! Everyone is packed tight on the railing as one surfaces 60 feet from the boat! We look and we can see him swimming under water and suddenly he surfaces right at the bow of the boat! I snap as fast as I can, never dreaming I would get this close to them in the wild! It was truly amazing!!!!

I was bouncing from excitement, and my eyes were scanning for more. Another one surfaces near the bow! And again, I snap as fast as I can in the brief second he is out of the water. They swim fast and are soon long past our boat. We followed once they were far enough away and headed further into the sea.

We have a group of four that we find also to the left of us. They are heading straight for our boat as well!!! I catch one coming head on and run to the other side to see them surface, but they stayed under for 15 minutes and finally surfaced further away. There I got the perspective of them, a fishing boat, and the land, for an amazing scenic photo!

All in all we saw probably over 20 whales in an hour out on the water with them! It was spectacular! It was the K-quad, the smallest of the three known in those parts. But to me, it was amazing! It was a gift from God, and all I could do was smile and thank Him! It was an amazing gift from Him and I was in awe! His beautiful handiwork, wild and free! And seeing them, being able to photograph them so close, was all I could dream of! Thank you, Lord, for the amazing beauty you have let us see! And for my amazing friends that I was able to spend the time with and get to share in an incredible and definitely unforgettable experience! 

Lighting the Wedding

As a photographer, especially as a wedding photographer, you encounter many various lighting scenarios, and it is your job to make use of them all! For Shanna and Mark's wedding, we started out in the shade to get beautiful diffused lighting for their photo. Their venue was called the Sons of Italy in Fontana, and inside of the banquet hall was a giant map. I saw the lighting by the map and took some ambient light photographs using the lighting provided for the map. I moved Shanna and Mark to the perfect position so that she would be highlighted in a high drama lighting scenario and I could achieve the photo I envisioned! After that they had their first dance. The lights were beautiful and I wanted to emphasize them and mainly the couple! I used two off-camera flashes to illuminate Shanna and Mark while exposing my camera for the background. This enabled me to get the look that I really desired for their first dance! I really enjoyed the wedding and playing with the lighting that I had available or that I "created". Shanna and Mark were a great couple and really good about doing as I asked them too! I am excited to go through and edit the rest of their photos! 

Tips for the photographer, it is so important to always be aware of what is around you, especially what lighting is around you. Bringing the moments, the composition, and the lighting all-together is the aspiration of every photographer! Each time I shoot, I look for the "light at the end of the tunnel" to make my photograph as perfect as it can be!

An Antique Wedding

This wedding was at a beautiful venue in San Marcos! The bride and groom were so laid back and fun! I had a great time and really loved the whole day! I shot this wedding for a friend, Jodi B Photography, while she is on maternity leave. The wedding went great and I was so blessed to have the opportunity to shoot this wedding! I loved the antique look of everything, including the bride's dress! It was a fairytale looking wedding for sure!