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

Pearlyn & D’Andre
San Perdo Engagement

These two are such awesome people! I love grabbing drinks and hanging out with my clients after their engagement session so that we can get to know each other better, but these guys are no joke. We had so much in common that the restaurant was about to give us the boot after staying so long, but we left feeling like we had been great friends for years. I can’t say enough how I love getting to do my job, and thank you to Pearlyn & D’Andre for yet another exceptional excuse to do what I love.

We hadn’t previously done any work across the bridge in San Pedro, and this was a great chance to get some nice content at new locations. We began the session over at Point Fermin Park and Lighthouse, a beautiful spot which has a great big park, an amphitheater, and a great view of the cliffs wrapping around the Palos Verde coastline. We just let these two hang out, have piggy-back rides, and be themselves while we captured the moments and expressions. There are great spots of open shade and backgrounds with sun filtering through the large trees, making for soft, directional light and great backgrounds…perfect for portraits.

After wrapping at Point Fermin Park, we headed down near where their wedding reception will be held (Double Tree, San Pedro, CA). The 22nd Street area at the San Pedro Marina is beautiful. The dock area has some really fun and cool architectural features, and best of all there were hardly any people around to get in our shots. Also, right across 22nd from the marina was a really cool park/field, similar to a few others that can be found in Southern California, but again, they are extremely rare. I just love the bokeh from the 50mm @ f/2.0, so natural and flattering, with back-lighting…soft and creamy skin tones…the stuff that just makes for a great session and great photographs.

The Mr. & Mrs. will be tying the knot on September 15th, 2012 at the Wayfarer’s Chapel in Palos Verdes, CA. We can’t wait!! Check back then for their wedding blog.

Point Fermin, 22nd Street, San Pedro, CA Engagement Photos

Jennifer & Jason
Bolsa Chica Reserve Engagement | Huntington Beach, CA

Jennifer and Jason are definitely troopers! Once we met up, we dragged them straight into the weeds and dirt, climbing up and down hills, and getting poked by nasty thistle…ouch! Whatever the circumstances, they were up for it, and a blast was had by all. This time of the year the reserve is just stunning and beautiful. The flowers are in bloom, and the fields are just high enough, but not yet overgrown. Natural environments like these make me wish I were shooting with vintage film cameras, because I just feel that it compliments the surroundings so well. Maybe I was a hippy in a previous life? Hard to believe with my love for electronics..hah!

My idea for this shoot was just to get the two of them out in the middle of this beautiful, natural environment and just see what happens. I always like shooting with whatever available foreground elements are around, and of course with plenty of depth to get some nice, creamy bokeh all around. I think this was successfully achieved by getting low, shooting through the field, and definitely by using the creeper lens aka 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM ii. Sometimes it may be hard to focus with so much foreground, and the 70-200 makes super weird focus noises, but once you get that focus with nice foreground and background elements, it’s just butter.

The kids came along to join in the fun, so we took some nice shots with them also. Their boys are so polite and well behaved, I can’t believe it! We celebrate the soon-to-be Mr. & Mrs. and look forward to their wedding this June! Congratulations again you two!!

Natural Engagement Photos from Huntington Beach – Bolsa Chica Reserve

Courtney & Mark
Laguna Beach Engagement

These guys are outdoorsy people all the way… After talking to Courtney over the phone, and then meeting both Courtney and Mark in person, I knew hanging out in Laguna Beach for the day would be perfect. In fact, when I asked, she told me that they had never really spent time down in Laguna…double win! Personally, I’ve always loved spending time in the area. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen too often, so this was another great excuse to head down to the beach for some play time.

The beach at the Montage Resort wasn’t too crowded, and luckily the little cove where I wanted to take them wasn’t even occupied at all…sweet! We were a little pressed for time, but regardless, I just had the two of them “hang out” so capture those little moments. Funny enough, as we were leaving our little spot, another photog rolled in with his overdressed couple (she was wearing LARGE heels, nearly falling down on the wet, slippery rocks!!) and started with some seriously awkward looking posing. Ok, I’m not hating, everyone has their style, I just thought it was ironic, considering the great candid moments I had just captured with Courtney and Mark. Again…just preference and style. Ok, back on track…

So we wrapped at the Montage Resort Beach, and quickly headed to the Top of the World. The skies tricked us, as most of the day we had some great potential for a beautiful sunset, but by the time it came around, we had a large cloud covering. It’s ok…improvise…these times are great for catching blown-out, back-lit portraits with creamy, even lighting. Also, those dark, brooding skies make for great dramatic clouds with just a little exposure and contrast adjustments, YAY!

Candid Engagement Photos – Laguna Beach & Top of the World

Becky & John
Belmont Shore Engagement | Long Beach, CA

Becky and John are a love story if there ever were one. A chance encounter, an overseas romance, and a proposal in the Gardens of Versailles. Not only is their story incredible, they’re just such genuine, kind-hearted people. We can’t wait for their wedding, fall of 2012!

Natural Engagement Photos from Long Beach

Brianne & Marcus
Urban Engagement | Portland, OR

We spent the day with Brianne & Marcus in South-East Portland, OR. From one street to another, the quirky neighborhoods hide little gems of enjoyment. We also spent some time getting to talk to this fantastic couple in the Green Dragon Tavern, a Rogue-run spot in the South-East. Overall, I love the area – great little neighborhoods with beautiful trees and parks, and just a few minutes away, awesome, grungy & textured warehouse districts. Portland is such a diverse place to shoot, or just hang out, have a beer, some good food, and explore.

Oh, did I mention? It’s my home city True story!

We look forward to next Summer and capturing Brianne & Marcus’ wedding at Merrywood Farms in Oregon City, OR. Enjoy the blog…

Fall Themed Engagement Photos from Portland Oregon

Amanda & Zach
Fall Engagement | Salem, OR

Amanda & Zach are an amazing couple; they’re fun and adventurous. They wanted to have photos taken at Detroit Lake, OR, but on the way we stopped at a pizza place in Mill City, OR that holds a lot of sentimental value for them. We ended up doing most of the shoot in Mill City since the scenery was just so beautiful. There were several bridges crossing the scenic river and the leaves were turning…what a nice time to be in the North-West.

We look forward to their wedding this coming Summer in Salem, OR. Enjoy the photos..

Stunning Natural Fall Engagement Photos from Oregon