San Francisco engagement sessions can be pretty much what ever you want them to be. I love it when my couples get to playing around with creative ideas and push for something a little different in their engagement photography. Rosann and Josh both work at Gaia Online, an anime-themed virtual world, so a conceptual shoot like this was perfect for this creative duo. So what happens when a little red riding hood comes through town? Well, it always seems like the big bad wolf is never too far behind.
Big thanks to my partner in crime, Aubrey, for coming out to so many engagement shoots lately to help me out. She rocks!
Hello everyone! Hope your weekend has been utterly splendid. To say I've been busy lately would be the world's greatest understatement. Seriously. I have never been so busy as I have been the past few weeks!!
I happen to be finalizing preparations for the fabulous wedding of Jessica + Jeff, and am (wayyyyy) beyond excited for the big day! I promise you will be blown away with how it all comes together.
How's that for a teaser??
Today's post, however, is about another pair of clients I LOVE and adore: D&C. From the first time D & I corresponded via email, I knew we would be the ideal planner/client fit. D is ultra sweet (truly a blessing to me!), organized, creative (graphic designer) and stylish. As if that weren't enough, she's also drop.dead.gorgeous!! Can you say former Fiesta Bowl princess and red carpet reporter for E! Entertainment?? Yeppp.
Of course Clay is a dashing counterpart; they are just too much wonderful in one couple. Best of all, their relationship is a beautiful reflection of their own walks with the Lord. I was so encouraged just chatting with them during our first consultation. I can't wait for their intimate, modern rustic wedding this fall at The Parker Palm Springs . I have been dying to work here for ages!!
Here are some photos we shot at our recent site visit and tasting…

funky furniture in the entryway. the entire property was designed/styled by jonathan adler .

How to make sure your engagement pictures come out looking like you had fun.
1. Come extremely nervous to your shoot.
2. Tell your photographer that you are awkward in front of cameras.
3. Make sure you hire a funny photographer.
So I don't consider myself being that funny. Ingrid, tells me that I'm not that funny. I know I'm not that funny. I don't crack jokes or have special one liners that I use to make couples laugh. I think I just tend to make brutally honest observations that my couples and I can all laugh about. When I can be real and honest about the silliness of trying to make my couples look all romantic in front of a camera, then the fun begins. I hope that helps every camera shy person feel excited about their next photoshoot!
Whew! Has it really been a week since we blogged last?! We've got to step up our game and we intend to BRING IT, especially since we've been shooting like mad! Let us start things off with this handsome couple named Danah + Ahmad. So glad that they hired us to capture their engagement session and wedding day. We shot their engagement session literally three days before they tied the knot, so stay tuned because their wedding is next on the list. Danah + Ahmad make a sweet couple and when I say sweet, I really mean it, our experience with them has been nothing but that! So excited to feature them here on the blog:
Jeanna's mom spotted my profile in the Portland Press Herald last year and saved it for Jeanna, noting our shared alma mater, Syracuse University, in the event Tyler proposed to Jeanna. After popping the question last October, Jeanna was in touch and secured me as her photographer for her July 2010 nuptials soon after.
Tho she grew up in Scarborough and he in Cape Elizabeth, it was a chance meeting between their parents and a chat about carpooling home from Syracuse for a holiday that lead these two to meet in New York. Seven years later, it's been bliss ever since. They just bought a darling home south of Boston and are busy planning their Maine wedding for next summer. (Today, Jeanna is visiting my friend Traci at Traci Romano Events searching for her perfect dress where I found mine! I'm hoping she has great luck!)
I met up with this handsome couple earlier this week for some portraits at the house where Tyler grew up. I can't decide which I loved more, the location or the crazy cute adoration these two have for each other! Both were spectacular!
We started at the beach where Tyler proposed to Jeanna last fall.

We arrived to shoot Wendy + Sunup's engagement photos, and the first thing I noticed were the huge bouquet of sunflowers Wendy was holding in her hands. I was super excited that they had thought to bring a fun colorful prop to add to our shoot! My favorite thing about this set of images (besides Wendy + Sunup of course!) is the color. I've always told my clients that I love working with color and prefer this over tans, blacks, or most of all browns (fact: I don't own a single brown item in my wardrobe). We shot this engagement session in Costa Mesa and had a blast! We're definitely looking forward to the wedding coming up soon in October!

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Liesl from Claris Photography just wrapped up an engagement session with a couple planning to get married next June. When she shared her photos with us, our jaws dropped and we couldn't believe that this happened right around the corner. Check out what Liesl had to say and how she worked with the couple to bring their ideas to life!
I immediately was drawn to PJ + Yea because of their endearing personalities, both so fun to be around and so real! We shot their engagement session in Downtown LA. I arrived and thought to myself, “hmmmm, I've seen this before!”, but didn't know from what. Then it came to me! We were just around the corner from where The Aquabats Fashion Zombies music video was filmed (Justin produced this a few years back). This was also the same location where the fight scene from Anchorman was shot! Yea actually works in the film industry and has access to all of the hot film locations. I was excited to have a super sweet couple to work with, and even more excited with the awesome location choice, nice job PJ + Yea!

This destination engagement shoot was special. This is my cousin, Sarah, and her fiance, Steve. She'll be the first to go in our family, so it's been fun realizing that I get to be such an integral part at this point in her life. Ingrid and I spent almost a whole week out there with them, so we got to know Steve pretty well. Before that, I had only seen him three times briefly, so hanging out with him at his home was very different. They are both busy doctors, but Steve manages to watch and re-watch every episode of So You Think You Can Dance. He's Tivo'ed every episode, so one night he got us caught up on the whole season! We were mesmerized, because we actually don't own a TV.
We'll be shooting their wedding next year, so you'll be seeing a ton of pics of my family up here, which is going to be a weird experience for me.

I just adore Christa and Tim. Their love is laughter, and I love to laugh! I'm so excited for their super laid back September wedding in a couple weeks! Our initial meeting was one of my favorites, and we shared in the joy of being foodies together. There's nothing to bring people together like yummy food!
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