I am SO in LOVE with this family.
Just a quick peek of what I am currently working on. I'll post more as soon as I can.
marc + beth {real.love.}
Most people have pictures taken of themselves at momentous occasions. Birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc. But what about all the in-betweens? If you're lucky, someone at a party will happen to be carrying their point-and-shoot or iPhone, and you'll get some pictures of yourself posted up on a friend's Facebook wall. If you get extra-lucky, the pictures are okay. And if you're not-so-lucky, you beg your friend to remove them or "untag" yourself. Quickly. But again, what about having GOOD pictures to celebrate your life? And not just the milestones, but the OTHER important stuff. The in-between stuff. The journey that happens after that milestone birthday, after you collect your diploma, and after you've said "I DO." There's more to life than wearing the white gown for a day... so shouldn't you have the pictures to prove it? And to CELEBRATE that?
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Beth & Marc were ready to celebrate. Just because. They've been married for over a year, and together for much longer. They have a great relationship, and it was nice to see it in action. The way they laughed together, held each other, and seemed to speak that special shorthand language that only two people in love can understand. It was fantastic to be allowed to witness, and be a part of capturing pieces of it in imagery.
And so, we played. Here are some favorites from the day:
When life gives you lemons... take GREAT pictures of them! First up, we played in a local park filled with rows & rows of lemon trees.
I had fun playing with a new lens for the day (LensBaby Composer).
Look at those EYES!!! Be-AU-ti-ful!!!
Change of location & clothing... ending in a local field just as the sun set.
*Note to self... do not EVER wear shorts to a shoot ever EVER again. The brush was dry and scratchy, but I wasn't willing to give up my shots. So, in I went. My legs got torn up pretty bad... but it was soooooo worth it.
I had asked if they wanted to incorporate any special memento into their photos. Beth brought Marc's dogtag to wear. Marc had given it to her when he was deployed overseas... as he asked her to be his girlfriend. How incredibly sweet is that?
Thanks, Marc & Beth, for allowing me to witness some of these moments of yours.
marc + beth {sneak peek}
what I'm currently working on... more sunshine to come soon!
shaun & hollie {wedding}
My brother, Shaun, is a romantic. In high school, when he was trying to woo Hollie (yet again), he visited her house on Valentine's Day and placed little Hershey's Kisses on her doorstep in the shape of a heart. He also left a note for her which read, "Now that I have kissed the ground that you walk on, will you be my Valentine?" She turned him down. (It wasn't the first time.)
But Shaun never really gave up trying to win her over. They remained friends, and every once in a while Shaun would try once more. And get shot down. But he never gave up hoping that someday, Hollie would see him as more than a friend. And Shaun's persistence paid off. They'd parted ways after high school, but found each other through the magic of Facebook. And enough time had passed so that each of them had gotten to a better place in life... they'd both found their own way, matured, and were both actually ready for a real relationship. And that's where their love story truly begins.
Hollie and Shaun were married on December 10th. I wasn't able to be their official photographer since I was in the wedding as a bridesmaid... but that didn't stop me from taking all the pictures I could get away with! And, thankfully my husband was there to hand the camera off to during the ceremony and most of the reception. We tag-teamed the night so that I could get some memories to take home with me. And not wanting to bog either of us down for the day, the images we captured were shot with one camera, two different lenses, and no flash. We were there to play, not work.
Hollie had always wanted to be married at Christmastime... which was perfect, because it is Shaun's favorite time of the year, as well. The details were beautiful. The bridesmaids' bouquets included pinecones, poinsettias and berries. On the pews of the church were wreaths of pine, pinecones and roses. And the stage held four beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
preparations... (and me playing peek-a-boo in the mirror, apparently).
just chillin'...
Shaun trying to fix his boutineer that just broke. While most of his guys spend some quality time with their phones.
Shaun & Hollie opted to see each other before the ceremony (I LOVE this!) and get their pictures taken ahead of time. I managed to snap a few pictures of the two of them while they were hanging out in the lobby for a few minutes.
Here is where I was forced to hand over my camera to my husband, Tony. Anyone who knows me realizes how difficult it was for me to let go. Thankfully, Tony has a fantastic eye and caught some fabulous photos that I couldn't be more proud of. I am so incredibly grateful that he stepped up to get these for me on this day... it was a strange sensation for me to be without my camera for the day, especially in a situation like this. So I'm eternally grateful that he was able to capture these memories for me. Our vision & styles are very similar in this respect, so I knew I wouldn't have to worry about him catching the moments as they came.
I am soooooo glad Tony captured THIS picture. The one on the left. This is one of my favorite images from the day. You can see the tears in Shaun's eyes, as he looks at his bride standing before him.
Shaun and Hollie read the traditional vows, and then had a few moments to whisper their own words to one another. They weren't mic'd, so the audience had no idea what was being said. But being so close, I, along with the rest of the wedding party, were able to overhear a few words. So we desperately tried to stifle our laughter as we overheard Shaun whispering to Hollie that he would love her till the end of time... even if a zombie apocalypse should occur!
The ceremony itself was fantastic... serious where it needed to be, to honor the commitment they were making to one another, but sprinkled with enough personal touches to make the event truly their own. Including the entrance and exit... Shaun & Hollie decided that they wanted to celebrate more than be somber... and so they had us all DANCE down the aisle (to a song from GLEE) instead of traditionally walking slowly down the aisle. The room was filled with joy.
Introducing... Mr. & Mrs. SIMMONS! Now... let's get this party STARTED!
Proof that I was, indeed, there. A strange sensation to be in FRONT of the camera. But I'm always ready with a funny face. And the second picture is a dance with my dad... awww, so sweet.
Time for the newlyweds' first dance. (I took the camera back so I could capture these.)
Shaun sang to Hollie as they twirled, and then Hollie joined in... making it a perfect duet.
father/daughter dance...
... and mother/son dance. My mom looked beautiful that day.
Shaun, simply having a good time... and the girls dancing circles around him during the money dance.
The cake was sooooooo good. Each layer was a different flavor... though there seemed to be a pile-up of people waiting for the red velvet.
And finally... the bouquet & garter toss.
To my little brother and my new sister... I am so very happy for you both! It couldn't have been a more perfect day for you both... the perfect start of something wonderful.
Andrea, Luke & Kobe {Orange County lifestyle photography}
Andrea has plenty of pictures of herself. And plenty of she and Kobe (the dog). Luke also has plenty of pictures of himself, both with and without Kobe in the shot. But since one of them always had to be holding the camera, what Andrea and Luke were missing were pictures of the both of them together. And since they haven't been able to train their dog to work the camera yet, they needed my help. We met up at Balboa Pier to capture these shots. And don't let the sunshine deceive you... it was COLD. And super-windy, too. But these guys were troopers. We all managed to stay active enough to keep warm. Including sliding down a steep wall of sand to get near the water. Kobe didn't seem to mind the weather, though. He was happy to simply be on the sand.
Here are some of my favorite shots from the afternoon.
Mike & Vivian {wedding}
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of working along-side John Dinh at the wedding of Vivian & Mike. It was a wonderful experience to work with John. His "go-with-the-flow" attitude put me completely at ease, and our shooting styles were very similar, so we weren't stepping on any toes. It was like a beautiful dance... he'd move here, so I'd position myself there. Move and circle some more, and we had all angles covered. And then, the wedding itself... WOW. It was amazingly beautiful, made even more so by the awesomeness of the people involved. Seriously, these were some fantastic people... from the bride & groom to their wedding party and family... and even the other vendors involved... it was simply a wonderful day.
Mike and Vivian's wedding was an all-day event. And when I say "all day," I mean ALL DAY. These people were troopers. My coverage of the event began bright & early at 7:00 a.m. at the hotel, where I got shots of the groom & his guys.
These next few pictures were taken at what would later become the ceremony site.
By 7:45 the guys left the hotel and headed to the bride's home for the formal tea ceremony and luncheon. I didn't attend that portion of the day's event, but you can click here to see some of those images as captured by John Dinh.
I met back up with everyone around 1:00 pm, and we commenced with the picture-taking for the bride & groom and their bridal party.
Time flew by... and before we knew it, the final touches were being made to the ceremony site.
Everyone was tucked away out of sight. Just enough time left for hair & make-up touch-ups... and bubbles. Time should ALWAYS be made for blowing bubbles.
I have to admit, I almost cried during the ceremony. Mike & Vivian had written their own vows. And even though the vows had been written separately, they both said pretty much the same exact thing... even starting out with calling the other person by the pet name they share. And as I captured images of their union, I knew that I was documenting something special. Hearing the words spoken, and knowing that they were both "on the same page" in their lives, and seeing how they looked at one another... it was just so amazingly touching. Mike & Vivian had been strangers to me before this morning... and yet they tapped into a place in my heart as if I had known them my whole life.
Time to par-TAY! The cocktails were flowing outside at the ceremony site, while the ballroom's decor was being finalized. And check out that CAKE!
Again... I almost cried as the bride and groom were announced. You could totally feel the LOVE in the room. Not just between the 2 of them, but also from the 200+ family members and friends who were all gathered there to celebrate this union.
Here are my favorite shots from the evening...
Vendors:
Venue: Hilton Hotel, Costa Mesa Wedding Planner: Stacie Tran, Lifetime Wedding and Events Florist: Lifetime Wedding and Events Hair and Makeup: Ly Duy Nguyen Entertainment: DJ Icy Ice Rentals and Linens: Lifetime Wedding and Events Cake: Lifetime Wedding and Events Main Photographer: John Dinh
Mike & Vivian {sneak peek}
Just a quick peek of what I've been up to lately. More to come soon...
Jasmine Star Workshop
I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd taken a sneak-peek at the blogs of the other attendees, and had even briefly chatted with a few of them on Facebook. But I was really, really nervous, having no idea what was in store for me. One of the attendees had set up a meet & greet for the night before the "big day." So, on Monday evening I drove to Claim Jumper with my heart in my throat... with thoughts of "please don't let me make a fool of myself, please don't let me make a fool of myself..." playing on repeat in my mind. I walked into the restaurant, reminding myself to not bite my lip, twirl my ring, or talk too much in my nervousness. (Oops... I think I did them all.) Because I was about to meet one of my heroes, Jasmine Star.
A little background for those who haven't yet heard of her: Jasmine Star is a wedding photographer who is very well known in the photography industry, as well as the local/national wedding industry. She is a young (30-year old) self-taught photographer. She had a full ride to law school but decided to give it up, realizing it just wasn't the life she wanted to lead. Jasmine turned to photography, started from scratch... and made her dreams come true. She started out only about 5 years ago, and was charging $1,500 for her first weddings. Within her first full year of business, she booked & shot 40 weddings, and now averages $9,000+ each wedding. She works in the high-end market, shooting beautiful locations from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and also traveling for destination weddings. Jasmine has been voted photographer of the year by various companies, and has been published in numerous magazines.
Besides shooting weddings, she now holds workshops to help others in the industry. One of the goals I'd sent for myself for this year was to attend one of her workshops. So, when she announced that one was to be held in April, I jumped for joy... and held my breath that I'd be one of the 20 lucky attendees. And I got in.
Attending this workshop has been one of the highlights of my life so far. Seriously, it was just that good of a day.
You know how it is when you actually meet your heroes? How, oftentimes, they're better in your head than in reality? This was SO not the case with Jasmine. From the moment I arrived at the restaurant on Monday night, she was completely warm, welcoming, and sincere. She made sure to take the time to greet each & every one of us as we arrived, and really made an effort to make us feel comfortable. I'm glad I attended that night, as it gave me the opportunity to relax a bit in her company, as well as get to know the other attendees (and also our models for the day... Michelle & Colton) a bit better.
Tuesday was the BIG DAY. It was an all-day workshop, running from 9-6, and ending with a wonderful dinner at Maggiano's afterward. Jasmine poured her heart into this day... sharing her expertise, her "secrets" and her SELF. And it was such an incredible experience... I can't say enough good things about it. Where words fail me, my tears of joy express it all.
I am so incredibly grateful that I had this wonderful opportunity, and wanted to share a few of my favorite images from the day.
We were all greeted with branded stationary and a personal note from Jasmine.
There was a photo shoot held during the day, so Jasmine could show us how she worked her magic.
Here she is, giving us a pep-talk before we get started.
Our models, Michelle and Colton. You'd never know that they aren't professional models, right? They both volunteered to be our "guinea pigs" for the day.
They might not be real models, but their love (and outfits) are 100% real. They were recently married in January, and even more recently moved to Virginia, where Colton is stationed for the time being. And check out Michelle's GORGEOUS wedding dress... yes, this IS her actual wedding dress. A friend's mother made it for her. SCORE!
Thanks also to Kristen of The Treasured Petal for the beautiful bouquet & birdcage veil. (And check out her etsy store for even more of her handmade wedding accessories.)
Jasmine... showing us all how it's done.
Quite possibly my absolute FAVORITE images from the day! Um, HE-LLO?! Look at those SMILES?! And check it out... her shoes are PURPLE! best. shoes. ever.
Jasmine, jumpin' into my shot...
I am still on Cloud-Nine from this amazing day. If you'd like to see a few of Jasmine's own shots (including a group picture of all of us from the day), you can head on over to her blog.
And see a slideshow of more of my images from the day by clicking here.