I love little trips… just enough to get out of the office and stretch and relax.  Just enough to come back revitalized and ready to go.  So, when Amanda setup a girlie photography trip to Palm Springs, I was so in.  I’ve never been and am so incredibly excited to sit by the pool (perhaps only in the pool.  It’s supposed to be 116 degrees.), drink a few fruity cocktails and catch up on some girl time.

I’ll be out of the office until Thursday July 22, returning all phone calls and emails then.  If it’s a photography emergency, feel free to give me a call at 310.498.8284.

Have a great week!

A super amazing thank you to Ala, who made me even more excited for this trip with this little nugget.

Rebecca was quite possibly the most excited bride I’ve ever met.  She literally grinned from ear to ear all night and the smile never left her face.  Rebecca & Eric were so happy.  They were so happy to be getting married.  So excited to spend their lives together.  So happy to be together.  This is the kind of couple that makes me so happy.

They were married at Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo.  Such an incredibly beautiful venue!  The grounds, the mountains, the flowers… amazing.  Kathrina of Joe + Kathrina Photography was by my side to shoot with me (and laugh at my jokes!) It was a beautiful day, perfect for a wedding. Not too hot, the perfect breeze, a beautiful couple and guests that were ready to make a fantastic party.

Rebecca & Eric - Thank you so much for choosing me to document your day!  It was absolutely stunning and you two were glowing.  I’m so happy for the two of you… Congratulations!

Cristina & Alec met in high school.  The actual moment they met is a bit fuzzy, as each as a slightly different story, but their first picture together was taken in tenth grade.  Eleven years later they’ve travelled the world together, they’ve lived apart, they’ve moved across the country and they’ve finally made it official!

They moved here while Alec his finishing his graduate program in Chemistry at the California Insitute of Technology.  I loved that they really infused their backgrounds into the wedding with tables named after elements, flowers in beakers and custom cufflinks - Aluminum (Al) for him and Chromium (Cr) for her.  Their favors were mini pies, her favorite.  It’s these personal touches that make my heart flutter!

I feel that all weddings create something very special, and there’s always a bit that hits home for me.  At this wedding there were tons!  They’re both from North Carolina, my home state!  It was so much fun for me to just listen to their guests talk to each other… I have missed that accent so much!  And it even brings my own long lost accent out a bit.  Quite nice to hear again!  They had a dream team of vendors, which always makes my job exciting.  Paola from Just Chic Events, my most favorite coordinator, made sure that the day ran incredibly smoothly.  Tom from California Sounds kept the party going.  And there were two of my own wedding vendors!  Joe from Todays The Day Videography and Michelle from Flora by Fauna!  And their venue, The Athenaeum was absolutely stunning and I’d like to work there every weekend.  It’s gorgeous!  And with Ala from Love Ala by my side, the day couldn’t have been better.

Cristina & Alec - I am so incredibly thrilled for the two of you!  Your wedding day couldn’t not have been more perfect and I’m so happy to have been a witness to such a beautiful event.  The North Carolina treats have beyond hit the spot… feels like a little bit of home, Thank You!   Congratulations!

I have an incredible respect for Candice & Jared. They’ve been together for many many years, but wanted to wait until the timing was absolutely right in their careers before getting married. So wise for such young people!  Watching them finally tie the knot was so amazing.  To know how far they’ve grown together… it really added to the immensity of the event!

The day was absolutely beautiful… a perfect day!  They choose The Clarke Estate as the venue and Vanessa of V3 Events to ensure that everything went off without a hitch! Allie of Flower Allie made everything look absolutely beautiful!  Her bouquets are always to.die.for.  and make me so happy to photograph!

Candice & Jared - I could not be more excited for the two of you!  Congratulations on taking this huge step in your lives. Chris & I are amazingly thrilled for you!

Candice wore the same necklace and earrings that her mother wore to her own wedding.  I love that it’s become such a beautiful tradition.

First looks… I can’t say enough about them!  I love that moment so much.

Nina moved to LA from Chicago for a little change of pace.  Something new.  I don’t think she ever thought she’d be here for the long term.  Until Gurpreet.  Funny how love does that.

Nina & Gurpreet were sent to me by Paola over at Just Chic Events and I could not be more excited for their wedding!   I get to work with my most favorite coordinator.  They chose Hummingbird Nest Ranch, which is one of my favorite venues in LA.  (I looked at it for my own wedding and all the outdoor space just wouldn’t work for our January wedding.  Devastating.)  They’ll be having a traditional Indian wedding!  And they’re an incredibly adorable couple that make me so happy!  It will be the most perfect wedding and I’m crazy excited.

Nina & Gurpreet wanted to shoot at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.  They love fish and I love that they choose to incorporate that into the session!  They both had great ideas and had a great time in front of my camera.  It was a fantastic afternoon! 

Nina & Gurpreet - Thank you for being so wonderful!   It was a fabulous afternoon and I’m so happy to have shared it with the two of you.  CRAZY looking forward to your wedding!

Last week was a week of amazing engagement sessions!  Mariah & Edgar put a lot of thought in to the kind of session that they wanted to have.  They wanted something glamorous and swanky.  But, at the same time, they wanted something relaxed and naturey.  Two of my favorite types of sessions, and yet, so rarely combined.  It’s tough to find swanky & naturey in the same vicinity! We threw around lots of ideas and finally settled on The Viceroy in Santa Monica and one of my favorite fields in Malibu.

I’ve been DYING to shoot at The Viceroy for ages.  It offers so many nooks and crannies that are impeccably styled.  It’s a photographers dream!  I was giddily excited for our session.

And it was incredible.  Mariah & Edgar were perfect models and every frame is stunning.  I shot a good 50% more than I usually do they were so good!  Mariah has the fantastic air of elegance and sophistication.  She literally glides across the floor and then glances at you with the warmest eyes you’ve ever met.  Edgar is effortlessly cool.  And he’s got these dimples that are incredibly adorable!   Together, they are an amazingly chic couple and an absolute joy to photograph!

Mariah & Edgar - Thank you for being so chic.  So incredible.  So much fun!  I’m thrilled with your images and incredibly excited for the big day!  Enjoy!

On their first date, there were seven other men.  Michelle gathered a bunch of her friends for some late night dining at the 101 Coffee Shop and she thought to invite the cute guy she’d met through mutual friends.  When Barrett arrived, Michelle was there with seven of her guy friends.  I can only imagine what he must have been thinking!  But when he left, Michelle walked him to his car and kissed him on the corner of Franklin and Argyle.  They’ve been together ever since.

Our session last week was absolutely incredible.  I always encourage clients to choose locations that have some significance to them and I was THRILLED when Barrett told me why the 101 Coffee Shop was an important part of their relationship.  It was the perfect backdrop and added so much depth to our shoot.  But honestly, I could have shot the two of them in front of a brick wall, in the middle of nowhere and been just as happy.  They are so in love with each other and it shows.  Her smile is magnetic and the way he looks at her, well, swoon.   Just swoon.  Michelle & Barrett trusted me completely, they relaxed and had fun and I think it shows in every image.  I simple sat back and furiously hit the shutter button.  I do believe it’s one of my favorite sessions to date!

Michelle & Barrett - You were so much fun.  Incredibly fun!  I couldn’t have asked for more from the two of you… Thank you! I’m so happy that we shot your session so close to the wedding so I don’t have to spend months being excited for the big day!  See you in a few weeks!

It’s rare that I do family shoots.  Babies & their families sometimes, but almost never families with grownup children.  And I was nervous.  I can make goo goo noises and tickle little babies, but I didn’t think that would work here.

And as always, in the end, there was no reason to be nervous at all!  Oscar & Justin were fantastic and I had so much fun with them!  And Aneta & Damian were so welcoming, so fun.   They’re from Poland and came to the United States almost twenty years ago. The boys speak fluent Polish and it was so interesting for me to watch them interacting with each other, but not to understand what they were saying.  To be a part of this interaction, but to really be viewing it only from the outside.

It was a fantastic afternoon and I’m so happy to have documented this fantastic family!  Aneta really wanted to capture her family hanging out at home.  So, that’s exactly what we did and I love what we created!

Aneta, Damian, Oscar & Justin - Thank you so much for inviting me into your home and into your lives.  I had a fantastic afternoon and hope we created just what you were looking for! 

Damians father is in town from Poland and I’m so glad he got to be a part of our shoot!

We’re not really sure when his birthday is.  The East Valley Animal Shelter thought he was about 1.5 years, but, who knows for sure.  Sometimes, while I’m rubbing his ears, I think about where he came from.  Who his family was.  What life was like before escaped, got hit by a car and ended up at the pound.  What our life was like before him.

I can’t imagine my life without him now.  While the first few weeks were super tough, he’s settled in to our family.  Chewing is his favorite and we’ve just found the perfect spot on his belly that sends him to his happy place.  He’ll eat everything and has learned how to work the crowd on the sidewalk whenever we’re out to lunch. The cats still don’t dig him as much as we do, but they’re getting closer!

We adopted him on December 28, so I’ve decided that his birthday is June 28.  We celebrated with some hanging out in the backyard and a nap on the couch while watching a movie.  All in all, a super fabulous day.

Photobooths are my favorite.  It really creates an opportunity for nearly all of your geusts to be photographed.  It allows groups to have their photographs taken together.  And it brings out the silly.  And the wild and the crazy.

Geraldine & Dannys guests had the silly and the wild and the crazy.  Enjoy!