Bryce: Fall 2012
6 Months

This post is the start of our look back on the little big man’s first year. We have been so lucky to have such a loving little man in our lives. There are about 4-5 more posts in the rest of the series, so make sure to check back to see more soon!

We had a very eventful Fall 2012 and celebrated Bryce’s first Halloween and Thanksgiving!  He celebrated his first Halloween with a fun party at daycare, a scary Skeleton costume, and helped hand out candy to the trick or treaters in our neighborhood.  We were even able to prop him up to a “sitting” position using pumpkins for some precious photographs of him in his costume!  By Thanksgiving, he had mastered sitting and hit a milestone that Mom and Dad really enjoyed. He learned to hold his own bottle!  I never realized how convenient it is when your baby learns to do this but it really was awesome.  We had a nice Thanksgiving at Grandma Gennan and Grandpa Miguel’s house.  The McCracken’s joined us as well!  Bryce LOVES all of the attention he gets from his Grandparents. He might be spoiled since he is the only grandchild, but he doesn’t mind one bit!

See more of Bryce here

Sirena: First Birthday
Cake Smash

Today we had a blast celebrating Sirena’s First Birthday over at Marina Vista Park here in Long Beach.  The June gloom didn’t keep everyone from having fun with a water balloon toss and other kid friendly games.  Miss Sirena received tons of awesome gifts too!  Of course, no first birthday party would be complete without a cake smash.  Sirena really seemed to enjoy that cake, even though at first it was a bit scary.  She definitely is a neat eater compared to little Bryce!  Bryce had fun playing at the party. He also discovered his first stick at the park and was introduced to his first juice box at the party which he automatically squeezed and sprayed apple juice everywhere!  Thank you for having us at the party today and Happy Birthday, Sirena!

See More of Sirena’s First Birthday Cake Smash Here

Stefany & Steve
Downtown Long Beach Engagement

Steve & Stefany are head over heels for each other, and it’s hard not a smile everytime we look though their images. We knew when they came to meet with us late last year for their Long Beach wedding this August that their event would be thoughtful and full of love.

Spending time with Steve & Stefany over the course of our Downtown Long Beach street-side engagement just reinforced why we do what we do – surrounding ourselves with couples who radiate happiness and affection for everyone in their lives. One of our favorite things to ask our couples is just to relax, take a deep breath, act like we’re not there, and just let their love for one-another shine. To Steve & Stefany it was just second nature, and it allowed us to truly capture their fun & loving glances.

We also put together a little Fusion Slideshow and it’s up for viewing here on their Couple’s Site – Steve & Stefany’s Engagement Fusion Slideshow. If the stills here don’t already prove that these two are old souls, the clips in their Fusion Slideshow will, so stop by and show them some love.

Thanks again to Steve & Stefany for sharing their love with us! We are looking forward to capturing their Long Beach wedding this August, so check back later this Summer for updates to their Couple’s Site, complete with their wedding photography and cinema content.

View more of Steve & Stefany’s Downtown Long Beach Engagement Session Here

Johnson Wedding {Part Two}
Bella Gardens Estate Wedding | Murietta, CA

Thanks for stopping by to check out the second half of Gina & Bobby’s Bella Gardens Estate Wedding. If you missed Part One of the Johnson Wedding blog, no worries, just click here to view in all its glory:  The Johnson Wedding Blog – Part One.

Last time we showcased their lovely portraits, prep coverage, and ceremony…but we can’t wait until you see what we have in store today! The wedding party portraits are just classic! We tried out a few new fun ones, but these guys also busted out in a full, unique dance that made us laugh so hard we almost couldn’t shoot anymore. After they worked out all the wiggles, we settled into some gorgeous sunset Bride & Groom first dance time.

Make sure you leave a comment below to tell the Bride & Groom just how much you love them Thanks again Bobby & Gina for everything. We hope  these memories make you smile until you’re old and wrinkled!

More Bella Gardens Estate Murietta Wedding Reception Here

Johnson Wedding {Part One}
Bella Gardens Estate | Murietta, CA

Gina & Bobby’s day was filled with friends, family, happiness & laughter. The event was very intimate and thoughtful with many of their closest friends staying on site over the wedding weekend. The property they chose (Bella Gardens Estate) was nice and private, tucked away, and had beautiful little portrait areas with plenty of depth and shade. The candor was light and the details were simple, yet elegant. We were lucky to start off this year’s wedding season joined with such a genuine and fun-filled wedding party. They even had a dance they made up, specifically for the bride and groom, and named after the bride and groom! You will have to stay tuned for Part Two of the Johnson Wedding Blog (coming soon). Thank you again to our bride & groom for being such gracious hosts!

Our Part One of the Johnson wedding blog covers prep, groomsmen & bridesmaids formal portraits, and all the ceremony goodies. You’ll have to swing by our Facebook page, like us & be the first to know when Part Two of the Johnson Wedding Blog is live! You wont want to miss the fun wedding party dancing & beautiful first dance images.

More Bella Gardens Estate Murietta Wedding Ceremony Here

Bryce:
First Disneyland Trip

When we were younger, we always looked at all the strollers that “overpopulated” our walking spaces and constantly nipped at our heels as we roamed aimlessly around Disneyland. Wow, how things change when you have a kid! Pure naivety, that’s exactly what I chalk my actions up to, from that what seems to me like an entire lifetime ago. I can honestly say that it was partially a pure lack of respect for parents on our part. While I believe we were hunted down and maliciously trampled by stampedes of baby carriages, most of the time we were simply guilty of being kids.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I respect parents because I know how difficult it is to be a parent in the world of today.

On another note, we as parents should think twice about some of the images we publish online. Sometimes it’s either too much, or it’s just not a quality photograph. Now I don’t mean to take a negative tone, but I think that because everyone readily has access to a photographic device, all of a sudden we’re desensitized to the fundamentals behind how and why photographs are beautiful in the first place: framing, composition, exposure, lighting techniques, posing….oh and yes, content. Why is content so low on the list? Simply because if you focus on all the skills before it, content is nearly irrelevant, and you will find yourself producing compelling images of something that you thought previously may have had zero photographic interest.

I don’t say this to discourage people from (as we say) popping off shots, growing, and improving…it’s quite the contrary. I say this because not every photo you take is worthy of putting online, and this is true with everyone…not just parents. Instead, cull the hell out of your images. Really sit down and critique your own work. Hold yourself accountable for producing compelling images by practicing the fundamentals of good photography. Think of it as more of a challenge than a critique

See more of Bryce’s first Disneyland trip!

Chi & Rich
Vintage Engagement | Downtown Los Angeles

Chi & Rich have such great style. As soon as we spoke about shooting their engagement session we were excited – Vintage L.A., how can you go wrong. Instantly we were thinking magazine/fashion work…unique little locations tucked away in the city + fun, dramatic posing…LOVE! I think it went just as planned, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

To start off the shoot, we worked around 3rd & Broadway and incorporated architectural elements into almost every shot. We carried this same change over to the Central Library for more content, lots of lines, and nice interest and depth to the shots. After the change, we headed toward Grand Park to grab some more intimate, personal, and candid moments…a nice change from the fashion type shots.

Leave it to us to find a field in the middle of downtown L.A…I mean seriously, we always find them wherever we go! Once we see one we already know we have to stop and shoot, no options. Some of the best content comes from those fun & candid moments just frolicking around in a field…haha!

Thanks again Chi & Rich for being such fun & genuine people. We can’t wait for your wedding this June!

More Downtown Los Angeles Vintage Engagement Session Here

Yvette & Gil
Holi Powder Engagement Session

When we first spoke with Yvette & Gil, they mentioned their plans to have a completely one-of-a-kind engagement session. Quite frankly we had never even seen it being done anywhere, and we’re thankful to have such creative couples with great ideas! We’ve seen holi powder used in marathons and other random events before, and of course in Indian holidays, but never before for engagement sessions. We had the opportunity to get some more typical “before” shots…before they blasted each other with color. But our favorites are the in-between candids & real reactions right after they landed a giant fist-full of powder. Those gasping expressions and uncontrollable laughter are quite spectacular moments!

It’s nice to be back into engagement season! Late fall and winter are typically slow for weddings (obviously), but it provides some well deserved down time to relax, re-coop, and enhance offerings for the coming wedding season. We just re-launched the website last month after a complete overhaul to the blog & portfolio, as well as completely new styling. As you’ve probably seen, we’re now also providing “Couple’s Sites”…a nice way to showcase our couple’s content. The’re  built and designed to aggregate each couple’s content, from engagement to fusion video, wedding, and even cinema. They come complete with their own URL & perfect for sharing with friends and family. We think it’s the perfect, unique experience for all of our couples!

If you made it here to Yvette & Gil’s blog without seeing it, feel free to visit! Gil & Yvette’s Couple’s Site.

More Holi Powder Color Bomb Engagement Session