Anastasia + Eric: Wedding Photography in San Diego, CA

1 + 1 made 2 for Anastasia + Eric on 11/11/11! What a smokin’ couple.

I got to photograph this fun-lovin’ group with my friend Joe of Vida Dulce Photography … Here are some of my favorites that rose to the top from their beautiful San Diego wedding and La Jolla reception.

 
Even if there are a bazillion bright, loud, and obvious pieces to capture in a wedding day, my favorite moments are the unexpected, quiet ones.

Stuffed in the elevator to the limo, we had four bridesmaids, two photographers, a videographer, and a bride. I saw Anastasia hold her clutch tight, look down, and take a couple breaths to herself. That’s all it was, and it was my favorite moment of the day. Seconds later (and six floors lower), she returned to reality and laughed at a joke with her bridesmaids.

 
Their ceremony was in the airy and bright St. Thérèse of Carmel Catholic Church in San Diego.
 

 
The weather, which had threatened to rain, cooperated with only wispy clouds for a wonderfully atmospheric session (and a little light jogging?) at Torrey Pines State Beach.

 
As an afterthought, Eric wanted a few beach rocks to remember the experience. I wanted a photo while they still had dirt on them.
 

 
Their reception was at Barcino Restaurant in the La Jolla Hyatt. They strutted in, had a steamy first dance, and a great laugh afterward.
 

 
Flamenco dancers treated the audience to some great music and moves.
 

 
Yes, that’s the groom … breakdancing!
 

 
What a great way to spend the day!

Roxana + Kevin’s Lake Tahoe Wedding – Oct. 8, 2010

Hey,

I wanted to sneak a few images from a Lake Tahoe wedding that my good friend and Sacramento photog Cassi Harms asked me to help with last weekend!

It was good to get up to a different elevation and temperature level (it was, like, 40 degrees at night! Awesome!), and I’ve always found that new locales pique my creativity like nothing else. Maybe that’s why I get all giddy at the thought of shooting a destination wedding.

Roxana and Kevin tied that knot at the Edgewood Golf Course and Restaurant. On a north-facing patio that overlooks Lake Tahoe, they had an intimate ceremony with lots of laughs. Then Cassi and I took them to the beach for some portraits as the sun got low over the water. Check it:

I wanted to experiment with lighting the bride while leaving the groom as a bit of an “accessory” and silhouette-y for this shot below … but hey, isn’t that how it usually is on a wedding day?

Roxana’s a brave one. The sun had dipped behind the mountains by this time, and the temperature was rapidly decreasing. She was always game for more, though!

Of course, I can’t get away with NOT showing a couple details … I was particularly happy with the glassy details this time.

One image is lit only by the sun, and one is lit by a flash-on-stand. Can you tell which is which?

Anitra+Justin Wedding, part 1 – Minneapolis, MN Wedding Photography

Oh, do I have a LOT of good stuff to show from Anitra + Justin’s wedding! So much so that this is going to become two blog posts. Kelli and I had so much fun among new friends and the extra kind people of Minneapolis, Minnesota, that we were sad to leave! I mean come on, they went to a roller derby on their wedding day. What could be better than a wedding that ends with a roller derby?

But I should begin at the beginning: They both started their day at 5:30am …

One of my favorites with Anitra and her dad:

At Justin’s family’s home, Kelli caught their very curious dog, Junebug …

These high-school sweethearts got hitched bright and early in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at the Como Zoo in St. Paul, before it opened to the public for the day. They wanted to see each other before the ceremony, so they had a private moment in the central Palm Dome:

What a beautiful location! They had a decidedly small ceremony, with about 20 guests and hundreds of eye-popping flowers in attendance.

Justin and the guys had a Reservoir Dogs moment outside the grounds …

Afterward, they had a cozy lunch reception at the Palomino restaurant in downtown Minneapolis (food = mmm, dessert = wow).

But I’m saving the best for last.  See Part 2 … tomorrow!

Anitra+Justin Engagement Portraits, part 2 – Lomo photos!

In anticipation of Anitra + Jusin’s Minneapolis wedding this weekend, I want to show off a couple more images. Justin is a cameraman himself, and he asked if I’d take a departure from my usual equipment to make some photos with a Holga camera.

For those uninitiated to a Holga, it’s essentially a toy camera that has gathered a following among a certain set of photographers both amateur and professional — those that enjoy unexpected results! Holgas are actual film cameras — “Wassat? Film?” –  known for their plastic elements and light leaks. To focus the lens is to choose a point somewhere between three settings: “one person,” “three people,” and “five people.” It’s photography guesswork, and the results rock!

Lomography is an unorthodox and freestyle way of making photos with an inexpensive camera such as a Holga. It’s  very hipster idea, and the cameras fill a table at any Urban Outfitters. To switch gears after wrangling a massive camera takes some getting used to, but is ultimately very freeing.

I used “redscale” film for these Lomo photos from their engagement session:

Nothing like a creamy, apocalyptic engagement session!

I’ll be experimenting some more with the Holga at their wedding … stay tuned.

René + Ed, Oct. 8 and 10, 2009

Hey y’all!

I want to share with you more photos from a fantastic,  stylish, marvelous couple I was honored to photograph in early October in New York City & New Jersey. René + Ed, both lawyers and world-travelers extraordinaire, met at a Halloween party in Louisiana. These two fit together like puzzle pieces, and they look good in front of a camera too.

True to their worldly ways, their two-part wedding spread over two states. Their official civil ceremony was in NYC …

after which we trolled the city for some photos.

My favorite shot took thirty seconds from start to finish, in which we borrowed a magazine stand from its grumpy-but-patient owner. My awesome assistant, NYC-local photographer Alejandro Duran, held a flash out of frame behind René on the right side. The natural light streaming into the plywood box from behind me, along with a fluorescent tube above Ed, did the rest of the work. Ha ha, I can find Buttman magazine — can you?

Afterwards, they had a small party at Café Asean in the West Village.

Then on Saturday, the girls (René, Catherine, and Zoey) got all dolled up in NYC, then hopped a limo two hours to Skillman, NJ.

René + Ed had their white wedding in his parents’ gorgeous backyard. The clouds, which had been threatening moisture, broke mid-day to become my favorite light, that lovely post-rain drama.

And then my favorite moment of the evening …after cutting (smearing?) the cake, Ed needed to clean his glasses! Inventive solution, if I say so myself.

Congratulations, René + Ed! May your many years be happy!