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Christy and Josh were married this past Saturday at Firesky Resort in Scottsdale. They are a beautiful couple, with a quiet kindness about them. It was hard not to take lots and lots of pictures of Christy, who was just stunning in her gown. I told her she reminded me of old Hollywood glamour, and she really carried herself with such a sense of grace and calm. Christy and Josh did see each before the ceremony, which was great because it gave us time to get all of their photos done ahead of time, followed by their night time, candle-lit ceremony. I also can't say enough about KT, the catering manager at Firesky. She is very on the ball and was terrific to work with and kept things running smoothly and efficiently. Couples getting married at Firesky are in very good hands!   Classic red rose bouquets provided by Fiori Floral I loved her gown!  Seriously? I mean, b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. And love that yummy light!  And the handsome groom.  I loved this candid of her below. (And right after I took it, I had a first at a wedding - I tripped and fell since I had been walking backwards and slipped off the sidewalk! Oi vay. I was embarrassed, but fine. Luckily my camera and 24-70 lens was okay too!)  Christy's dad had recorded a message to her before their dance and played it while they were walking out. It was very touching.  All the groomsmen got down on bended knee and serenaded Christy ala "Top Gun" style
  Congratulations Christy and Josh! It was an honor to spend the day with you and your families capturing your wedding. I hope you are having fun in San Fran :)
And a special thanks to the adorable and great Cristi Owen for coming along to second shoot the wedding with me. I always love hanging with her and she has a few images on her blog as well. Labels: WEDDINGS
I kicked off the fall wedding season with Christy and Josh's great wedding yesterday at Firesky Resort in Scottsdale. I'll post more images later this week, but here are two that I wanted to get up today. They are certainly a beautiful couple!   I have several family shoots to get up here as well, so more images coming very soon! Labels: WEDDINGS
 Okay, you may want to settle in; this is going to be a long post.
Ginny and Dave's wedding this past Saturday at The Grand Del Mar in San Diego was pretty much the perfect storm of beauty, class, fun, amazing bride and groom and their respective families & friends, exquisite location, band, food... and did I mention FUN? Suffice to say, I was in wedding photography heaven. Rebecca Gaffney and her team at Red Letter Days Events, together with Ginny and her mom Terry, pulled together a truly wonderful event. But even as beautiful as the venue and details were, it would not have been as much fun without Ginny and Dave. They are one of the cutest, nicest, coolest couples I have ever had the privilege of photographing. And that is saying A LOT for me, because I really do love 97% of my clients.
Dave is my friend Sarah's brother, so I first met him and Ginny a few years ago before they were even engaged. I photograph their family throughout the year and told Sarah when I first met Ginny, "If they ever get married, I would LOVE to photograph their wedding! She is literally the cutest, sweetest person ever, and your brother is just so cool!" Sarah of course agreed and said she thought they would. So I was thrilled when they eventually did get engaged and decided to hire me. I was also excited it would be out in San Diego where Ginny grew up.
Ginny and Dave both went to UCLA, but did not really meet and fall in love until they both ended up in New York City for different jobs and reasons. As their Priest said during their full-mass ceremony, they were definitely destined to be together. I cannot say enough about their respective families and friends; it was literally one of the most enjoyable days I've had because everyone in the bridal party was so kind, welcoming and fun.
The talented Jeff Youngren, wedding photographer & Pictage User Group leader in San Diego, had the day off and came over to second shoot with me. He was great to work with - thanks again Jeff! Together with my sister Shannon, who also helped shoot, the three of us had several moments during the evening where we looked at each other, shook our heads and said, "That was awesome!" (Most specifically when Ginny & Dave got up on stage with the killer band and sang "Honky Tonk Woman" with as much gusto as any professional singer might.)
So I won't go on forever, I'll just get to the nitty gritty...   Who can beat a classic pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes  Congratulations Ginny and Dave! You guys are the best and we loved being there to capture your day and share in the celebration. Have fun in Bora Bora :) Labels: WEDDINGS
Elissa and Ryan tied the knot at the Ashley Castle in Chandler two weeks ago. It was a super hot day even though it looked like we'd get our usual evening monsoon this time of year, the clouds abated and it stayed pretty clear. I spent some time with Elissa and Ryan at their engagement session several months ago, and found these two to be very, very in love. And they have a pretty cool story of how they fell in love...they originally met by taking out trash at the same time! Elissa came in and called a friend and said, "I just met the man I'm going to marry." They dated for just one month when Ryan was called away for his Marines Boot Camp training and he spent four years overseas. When he came back a year ago, they began dating again and picked right up where they left off. Suffice to say they were both just trilled to finally be getting married! They wrote their own vows for part of the ceremony and Ryan gave a very endearing and personal toast to his bride and guests. It was a fun reception, where Birkett Entertainment kept the crowd very entertained and the great team at Serendipity Video provided video coverage and were wonderful to work with. And thanks to the always great Andy Andrews for coming to second shoot with me.
My favorites from the day:
Andy took the top left image above. This was not staged at all. These two just starting walking on the path after they saw Ryan and Elissa do it. So cute!  The girls being sexy  The boys being funny   The kids were loving throwing the flowers  Lots of reception fun:  Congratulations Ryan and Elissa! Thank you so much for sharing your day with me! Labels: WEDDINGS
I first met Kim over 3 years ago when she hired me to take some headshots of her. She had recently gone through some life changes, broken up with a boyfriend and wanted some new, fun shots to commemorate the new her. I liked her immediately and not just because she was such a pro in front of the camera and easy to photograph (she looks like a model but she is not). She is one of those people that possesses a rare combination of grace and poise, but also this fun, goofy side and an ability to laugh at herself. I told her then that I wished I knew more single guys because she would be such a great catch for any lucky guy that might meet her. The following year she did a fun bridal shoot with me and then I saw her again about a year after that for a session with her and her adorable dog Bob...and all the while I told her that I was keeping my eyes wide open for anyone that I thought would be a good match, and said I couldn't wait to photograph her wedding! Of course, her life's bigger plan was already set into motion as she had very recently starting dating Deacon. And then she called me several months ago, and said, "Your wish is coming true, I'm getting married!" I was thrilled for her and knew she must have met a great guy. Kim and Deacon's wedding was a week a half ago in Payson at The Chaparral Pines Golf Club, and much to Kim's delight, the storm clouds rolled in just before her ceremony and brought a few raindrops - and cooler weather. She was actually doing the rain dance, not the opposite as most brides might be! Kim had told me she was never really one of those girls that dreamt of a big wedding day and did not care much for the planning hoopla. All she wanted was a small and intimate ceremony to celebrate their love, witnessed by God and close friends. Just as I imagined, Deacon was indeed a great guy and I can tell they are a perfect match. They share a very similar sense of humor and passion for life, close friends and deep faith in God. Here are some of my favorites from their intimate wedding day: Labels: WEDDINGS
Great wedding in Payson last Saturday! I will get more images posted as soon as possible, but here is one image of the gorgeous bride. This is one of my favorite clients of all time and aside from being stunning, she is also an amazing person...
 Labels: WEDDINGS
 Tiffany and Ty were married this past Saturday at the Wigwam Resort in west Phoenix. July weddings in the valley are a little less common since temperatures frequently rise above 110 degrees, but ironically I have three this month, and theirs was the first to kick things off! Luckily the monsoon clouds descended in the afternoon, which allowed us to go outside to get some bridal party and bride and groom shots, but for the most part, the rest of the day (and most photos) took place inside in the air conditioning. Tyler is in the Air Force, so the wedding was themed with Air Force blue, hot pink and white, and Ty wore his blues for the day as well. Their wedding was pretty big - about 300 people, so they have lots of friends and family who love them and were happy to be there celebrate!
Here are some favorites from the day...
Thank you Tiffany and Ty for sharing your day with me! I have no doubt you have a wonderful & exciting life together in store for you. Labels: WEDDINGS
I'm a little delayed in getting this posted up the blog! Tracy and Tom were married late last month at Circle Bar Ranch and held the distinct honor of being the last event ever to be held there. It's a beautiful ranch:: wide open fields, wide open skies, and generally quiet and peaceful, with a rustic, old-world charm. They wanted a smaller low-key wedding, with their cute little dog Haites playing a role, and only their nearest and dearest as part of the celebration. These two were very, very kind and easy-going and a pleasure to spend the day with. Congratulations Tracy and Tom - you two are wonderful! A few favorites...  I loved Tom's genuine show of excitement at being pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Tom Doody  Playing with some off camera flash...  A fun little dance series with the newlyweds   I wish you both all the happiness you deserve! Labels: WEDDINGS
 JD and Andriana were married a week or so ago at The Arizona Inn in Tucson. I had never met either of them prior to their wedding, so it was a happy surprise to find they were so darn cute! After they both graduated from the University of Arizona, they moved to California where JD is now in law school and Andriana, who had just passed the bar one day before her wedding, works full time in a busy firm. Obviously they are both very busy, so Andriana's Mom planned the entire wedding for them, which I think they were extremely grateful for. These two were so incredibly kind the entire day -- Andriana was one of the calmest brides I have ever met. (She credited much of it to passing the bar the day before.) While she didn't radiate one ounce of stress, JD, so sweet as it was, couldn't keep his eyes of her all day :-) I have to also mention that my good friend Melissa Jill, the incredibly talented photographer also from Phoenix, came down to second shoot the wedding with me. I was thrilled when she said she would come (you can read & see more from her very popular blog as well), and we had a great time together. Thank you again Melissa!  I loved her crinkled Nicole Miller gown. So pretty!  See what I mean about both of them being so cute...
              I love they way Andriana's Dad is looking at her here   They had perfect light for their ceremony  A sweet moment right after their kiss  Speaking of, nice dip JD!      Thank you again JD and Andriana. You guys are clearly in for a long and very happy life together! Labels: WEDDINGS
 Despite my best intentions to shorten my blog posts, I don't think I can on this one. I have too many favorites from Allison and Chris's wedding last week that started at Brophy Chapel and ended with a complete rent-out of Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix. Allison is clearly a beautiful girl, but honestly her inner beauty radiates even more strongly from the inside. I know that may sound cliche and that I say that all of my couples are beautiful and nice, but they really are. Allison and Chris were high school sweethearts and continued their relationship through college and beyond, never hitting one of those breakup/speed-bumps along the way. As their family and friends toasted them during the evening, they all spoke about the uniqueness and strength of their love, because as these two have grown through the years, their relationship continued to grow even stronger. There is definitely a great deal of respect and just-plain- easiness between them. And they are both so good looking AND nice too. There, I said it again.
Some of my favorites...
This was my first wedding with my tasty new 50mm 1.2 lens. I have the 85mm 1.2 and find I have not been using it for weddings lately because it's so heavy and can be a little tight for the prep time, which is when I used it the most, as well for portraits of the bride. I'm loving the wider angle of the 50 and the much lighter weight of it, while getting that same beautiful blur as the 85. (So if anyone is in the market for an 85mm 1.2, let me know.)  We all looked over and saw adorable little Lucy sitting on the bed like this, taking in the quiet hustle and bustle of a bride getting ready. She just melted my heart.  And then she jumped down to get a closer look.  These next two are straight out of the camera. I dodged her face once to highlight just a touch more on this one, but the following of her mom putting on her veil is untouched. Gorgeous woman! All of these of Allison were taken with the 50. Labels: WEDDINGS
Allison and Chris's beautiful wedding from last weekend will be posted very soon, but here is a teaser of the gorgeous bride.  Labels: WEDDINGS
Remember that Lifesavers commercial several years ago where the little boy and his dad sat and watched the sun go down? The one where they savored the sweet taste in their mouth, of both the Lifesaver and the shared the experience of watching the sun slowly descended over the horizon. "There it goes: going...going...gone." I thought about that commercial a lot at Laura and Brandon's wedding because it was such a sweet experience, one that in many ways might be a photographers dream. The light, the location, the view, the wind!, the gorgeous couple -- the nice and trusting couple who were so open to suggestion and climbed up on rocks for me -- and that Arizona sun. That gorgeous sun that slowly descended over one of most beautiful mountains in town: Camelback Mountain. It has been said that Arizona has some of the most beautiful sunsets in the nation, and on this late day in April, I especially agreed.
Laura and Brandon were married at the private home of the owner of Sanctuary Resort on Camelback Mountain. A stones throw from the nose of Camelback Mountain and a favorite retreat among movie stars and locals alike. The view was so beautiful... and the feeling and ambiance was so unique because of that. I tried to capture that feeling, that intangible aspect that reins supreme at every wedding and is a refection of who the couple is, together and individually. The part I love most about my job--attempting to capture that essence.
Apart from being incredibly kind and open, Laura and Brandon are a young, beautiful couple who share a simpatico that is apparent from the moment you see them together. The day started with the bridal party getting ready at Casa Montana, a spectacular house above the resort     Before the ceremony the guys had a "board meeting" and had that guy bonding time that often occurs right before one of the boys leaves bachelorhood to marry his girl   I loved the back of Laura's dress   An uber-sexy shot of Laura  The ceremony and reception took place at the owners home, a place not normally rented out. I loved the canopy of trees.       There is just something about the feeling of this that I love.    Joining their party for the first time as husband and wife  Love this moment during the toasts... The wind blowing, the looks on their face, the feeling.   What a view! Congratulations Laura and Brandon! You guys are a beautiful couple and I loved being there to photograph your wedding! A wedding photography member at Wedding PartyLabels: WEDDINGS
Another very cool couple and fun wedding! Julie and Dan were married earlier this month at The Pointe Hilton at Tapitio Cliffs in north Phoenix. These two are both so kind and just easy to get along with, and have many, many close friendships and family members who celebrated along with them. I really enjoyed sharing their wedding day with them by photographing all the joy, and fun, and love.   Dan, romantic that he is, surprised Julie with roses while she was getting ready   
I love this shot of Julie with one of her best friends     Julie is a jewelry designer here in Phoenix and custom designed their gorgeous wedding rings: She also designed these unique buttons in Dan's shirt...
  Julie and Dan integrated and celebrated their two faiths beautifully during the ceremony  The hora is always so fun to watch and photograph This shot cracks me up: I liked this shot of Julie's mom (left) Dancing up on the stage with the always fun band Azz Izz... I don't normally ever post group candid shots like this one below, but I am in this case because these are Julie's girlfriends with whom she is very close! Most of us are lucky to count a small handful of close friends among our circle, and this just goes to show what a good person Julie is that she has this many girlfriends. After spending some time with her and Dan at their engagement session, sharing a glass of wine afterwards, and then shooting their wedding day, this does not surprise me in the least -- she is just easy to like. (They both are!)
Congratulations again Julie and Dan! Labels: WEDDINGS
I really loved Sheryl and Dane's wedding -- the super cool couple, the colors, the venue (Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale), the great light, and their essence focused on friends, family and fun. Ashley Stone with Something Blue Events coordinated this beautiful event. Sheryl and Dane share a true love of life and I believe will love a long and happy life together, filled with A LOT of laughter. I have lots of favorites...
The wedding slideshow is here.
The gorgeous bride
One of my favorite colors of green for the bridesmaid gowns
Lots of bright, bold details...beautiful!
(Sorry for the pixelation - these compilations are harder to keep the files large and still upload)
Sheryl and her Dad, dressed in his full Army blues...
Sheryl, adding her personal touch
The beautiful roof top reception overlooking Old Town Scottsdale
The boys...it was hard to keep them standing still :-)
The girls
The boys, being boys
One of Sheryl's "flower-babies" -- her friend & bridesmaid's 2-year-old
 Our "cruise ship" sunset picture :-)
 The first dance
Sheryl loves silhouette pictures, so this is for her!
Thank you Sheryl and Dane for sharing your amazing and fun wedding day with me! You two are an absolute joy to be around.
A wedding photographer with Wedding PartyLabels: WEDDINGS
I have been receiving a lot of emails from aspiring photographers in the recent months and have decided to start offering one-on-one training and/or small, group workshops depending on the number of people interested.
Aspiring Wedding or Portrait Photographers: One on one training will include hands on experience with your camera, detailed Q&A sessions, the fundamentals of f-stop, composition, lighting and posing techniques. One on one training will also provide the opportunity to attend a portrait session or wedding with me, as well as tailored discussions on your branding, marketing and pricing strategies. It is highly recommended you have a digital SLR for this training.
Parents Looking to Take Better Pictures of Their Kids: I also receive a lot of questions from Moms & Dads who are looking to take better pictures of their children. Many have already purchased a digital SLR camera and want to learn how to use it more effectively and get those great shots where you turn off the flash, get more of the background blur, and how to use light effectively. These workshops are open to parents or hobbyists looking to take their photography to the next level. Digital SLR cameras recommended, but point and shoots okay as well.
If you are interested in either one-on-one training or a group workshop, please contact me for more info.Labels: NEWS, PORTRAITS, RESOURCES, WEDDINGS
Charlie and Kent's wedding this past weekend took place at Brophy Chapel, followed by a gorgeous reception at Desert Botanical Garden. Victoria Canada and her team at Bright Event Gallery did an amazing job transforming the Dorrance Reception Hall and surrounding patios into a very vintage, chic, pretty-in-pink affair. Pink is Charlie's favorite color, so variations of it (along with greens and golds) were represented in nearly everything from the bridesmaids dresses, flowers (by The Flower Studio), the groomsmen's ties, table clothes, cake, her adorable shoes, all the way down to Kent's socks!
I'll start off with some of the pretty details, including her shoes and wedding gown that I just loved:
  
Some of the other details, including M&M's with their names, hand-embroidered table numbers (Charlie's mom made these), the very chic and unique table placecard display, Chambord & Champagne signature cocktails for the guests (pink, of course), and the cookie favors with C's and K's. The pretty flowers carried in brocade patterned hat boxes:I love this shot of Charlie checking out her eye makeup: Another shoe shot that I really love:
 A tight shot of the place cards and beautiful calligraphy:
 Note the pink stemware: And those famous pink socks... did I mention Charlie loves pink? (And that Kent loves Charlie.)
 A "casually traditional" shot of the girls:
 And the guys: A few portraits of the bride and groom:
     Thank you Charlie and Kent for sharing your beautiful and very fun day with me! I'll post Part II later today, including some images from the ceremony, reception, first dance and a few more preparation shots and candids...Labels: WEDDINGS
You may remember several weeks ago I hosted a contest for those who had terrible wedding photos when they were married. Cristi and Curt won the contest (here is their story and original pictures) and this past Sunday, we met up to take some new, fun pictures of them! This August will be their 5th wedding anniversary and no doubt their love has continued to grow over that time, which I think we were able to capture a little. While we certainly couldn't recreate many of the moments from their wedding, we did have a blast spending a couple hours getting these pictures. I cannot say enough about Cristi and Curt. They are such a genuine, caring, nice couple and I honestly had a great time hanging out with them. Cristi is that rare mix of being a stunning beauty, coupled with an absolutely adorable personality and sweet soul -- and a total pro in front of the camera! And Curtis is just an absolute class act and quite the pro too :) I'm getting all mushy here, but I just loved these two!Thank you again you two! You both are amazing people. Labels: CONTESTS, NEWS, PORTRAITS, WEDDINGS
Hello blog readers! I wanted to take a quick poll to see who is out there reading my blog. Will you vote below just to let me know a little more about you? I can't see any other info about you than how you vote. Thank you!Labels: NEWS, PORTRAITS, RESOURCES, WEDDINGS
Here is another contest that just came to me.... and it's open to any bride, groom or portrait client of mine.
Send me a quick note and tell me which image from your wedding day or portrait session (that I took) is your absolute #1 favorite and why? If you had to rescue just one single image from your wedding day or a particular shoot because it just represents YOU or something important to you, which one is it and why did it mean so much? The one who moves me the most with their short story will WIN a FREE PHOTO SESSION in 2008. (I'm in a pay-it-forward mood this year.)
The Jist: Describe or email a copy of the photo | | | | |
