I feel like I say this every time I post, but Bo and Karin might be my new most favorite people. It’s always a special treat when you get to work with people that you would be friends with in real life. Having people not thinking I’m off my rocker while I stand around talking to my camera is a plus as well!
For Bo and Karin’s engagement session, they hemmed and hawed a long time trying to decide where to go when, apparently, Bo suggested Big Basin Redwoods State Park, about an hour south of Saratoga. Karin, finding a photo of a fallen tree trunk online, was inspired, and we were off! Even as the sun set and the forest changed from a bright, beautiful day, to a cooler, mysterious and freezing cold grey, they kept their spirits high, and we got some fantastic shots. The way the light just wrapped itself around them in these photos just makes my heart go pitter patter! I am thoroughly looking forward to shooting their wedding in a month. Karin, Bo, you know I love you guys,right?! See you soon! 😀
About a month ago, one of my beau’s friends came to visit, and I took the inevitable redwoods hike we went on as a chance to rent and try out one of Nikon’s PC-E lenses, the 85mm tilt-shift, the results of which you can see in this post! Click on through! (more…)
One of my most neglected resolutions of the New Year so far has been my resolution to add a little bit of more personal flair to my blog. I give everyone a little bit of information about me here and there – you know I love wine, for example, if you visit my About Me page, or you know about the bunny rabbit we welcomed into our family last year, Blackjack, from this post. He’s all grown up now, by the way. Still tiny, but definitely double the size seen last year (d’awww). But mostly, I’ve only posted about my weddings and engagements! I’ve really found myself asking, what’s the point of a blog if I can’t engage you (oh ho ho) as a person?
At any rate, in that spirit, I spent my Sunday with a few other wedding vendors in Scott’s Seafood. There were a fun variety of people – a band called Diminished Blue, a bridal shop, Nouvelle Bridal Boutique, and a color specialist, Color Insight. There were also booths for the Paper Source, Scott’s Seafood, and Jen’s Cakes, although none of the vendors attended personally. It was a small show, but I’m always inspired meeting new people. You can see that Jen’s Cakes was right next to my booth. She’s on the east coast finishing up her time at the reality show, the Next Great Baker. I’d been watching it on and off all season, so I was a little starstruck just by being *near* a booth with her cakes in it. 🙂 I’m sure her price tag will go up when she finally returns to San Jose, so many hearty congratulations to her!
London and Steve originally contacted me about two, maybe three weeks, before their wedding, hoping I was still available. As luck would have it, I was, and boy, what an adventure. The Fairmont San Francisco hosts a gorgeous penthouse suite, with, as you’ll see below, a fantastic view of the San Francisco skyline. Steve noted that they booked the location because, “Well, where else can you get this view??” All in all, it’s an impressive space to hold your wedding, with beautiful bedrooms and fascinating decor.
As for London and Steve themselves, with such a close, fun family, it was hard not to take great photos. With no prompting, people tackled each other, fake punched, air guitared, and leapt into each other’s arms. I don’t think a photographer can ask for anything more in a portrait session! Congratulations, London and Steve! I hope that you’re both doing well!
Holly and Matt got married in her parents’ backyard in Hollister, with an insane amount of attention to detail. As Holly noted – a family full of strong, creative women is going to create something fantastic! Everything you see here was pretty much put together by the bride and her family. Although the days leading up to the wedding threatened rain (Holly describes digging in the garden with her father in the rain, despairing that “this is NEVER going to work!”), the day of was bright, sunny, and overall, just perfect for a classic country wedding.
Congratulations, Holly and Matt! I’m so glad my photos will help you remember your wedding day for years to come. 🙂
I don’t remember which set of parents was describing this, but when they put out Ayesha and Brian’s hamburger wedding cake, they proudly noted how the cake was one of the components that really showed how these two made the wedding their own. Everything about their wedding was unique – from the memorable cake and sword cutting combo, to the fact that the whole thing was taking place at the Falkirk Cultural Center, a Victorian House with a whole lot of personality.
And once you spend some time Ayesha and Brian, it’s easy to see how well all the details really reflect their own personalities. I can really only hope that my own wedding will have at least as much character packed into one space.
I met Topher last summer when I was working a couple weddings for him as a second photographer – his old second had moved out of town and he needed someone to step in. He’s a joy to work with, by the way, great photographer and easy to get along with! He approached me in late September, trying to plan a couples’ photo session for his better half, Oscar’s birthday. Naturally, I agreed, and then, when they got engaged, this clearly turned into an engagement session! I think every photographer says this at some point, but it’s nerve-wracking taking photos of another photographer. I’m sure the experience was equally nerve-wracking for Topher – the keyword of the day was definitely RELAX. RELAX!!!
But let’s not focus entirely on Topher – after all, Topher and Oscar are building a life together! Because they’re planning their wedding as an outdoorsy park event, they wanted some contrast in their engagement photos and chose the Mission District, in all its beautifully colored mural glory, to add some city grit to their locations. They played off each other and injected a healthy dose of tackling and licking (not pictured for their dignity!) to help each other loosen up in front of the lens. Best of luck, Oscar and Topher! Thanks for humoring my constant self-depreciations to create some fun photos! 🙂 I hope you have the BEST wedding ever!
Tiffany explained to me that she had started to plan her wedding when she realized – yuck, nothing looks good! The first time I met Jeff and Tiffany, they looked at each other, and said, “We really just want to be married.” It’s important to remember that sometimes – even as a wedding photographer, I do believe that we put all this time and thought into planning every last detail of our wedding days, the “perfect” day, but in the end, what’s important to remember is that you get to spend the rest of your life with the person you love. I admire these two for really recognizing that.
We met up a couple hours before the ceremony to take some shots at the Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, before we headed over to Redwood City. We stole into the San Mateo County History Museum (which used to the be the courthouse here – if you know anything about the history, the architect was essentially trying to make a mini San Francisco City Hall) before we headed over to the clerk’s office for a short and simple 7 minute ceremony with their close family (including an adorable niece and nephew). Congratulations, Jeff and Tiffany! I wish you all the best!
Poor Tina – she said that she hoped she might get the littlest bit of sunshine at Golden Gate Park on her wedding day, but the sun just refused to poke through those clouds. Still, as the low fog floated combed through the trees, creating a dreamy, romantic feel in the Shakespeare Garden, it was pretty hard to complain. Both graphics designers and artists themselves, Tina and Jeremy brought their skills to their wedding design, and the result was both simple and elegant (plus a rocking reception). As there was barely a dry eye during the speeches, I think it’s safe to assume that these two are well loved by their family, and have a long, happy life together ahead of them! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the vendors linked at the end of the post!
Congratulations, Tina and Jeremy! It was an absolute pleasure getting to capture such a classic and romantic wedding!
From the beginning, it was clear that Eric and Stephanie were going to be a barrel of laughs. We braved the cold winds at Moraga Steps (the colorful steps with the amazing mural you see in the middle of the post!) and then, with a costume change, we headed to wander around Golden Gate Park. We spent so much time laughing, my backwards twirling fall down a flight of stairs and my miraculous safe landing barely made a dent in our good times. Thanks for all your wonderful enthusiasm, guys! It made your photos beautiful.
