I'm in.luck

I'm not usually known to possess good luck. Because usually if something bad happens, it happens to me. And that's how the beginning of this week felt. Like I just couldn't catch a break.

Apartment hunting is one of my least favorite things to do. That and car shopping. They seem like they're fun, like buying a new toy, but for me they're anything but fun. Especially when you're searching for certain specifications.

It all started on Monday, when J and I officially began apartment hunting. At the end of the day I was frustrated and doubtful we'd ever find the kind of place we were looking for. Tuesday we did a walk through in a city that wasn't even on our list, and I fell in love. Wednesday we waited to hear whether or not we got in, and spent the day forgetting our troubles so we'd worry less. Thursday morning we got the call, and picked up the keys to our new place! As timing would have it, we had our first double header weekend, so the official move will take place on Monday.

It's funny how luck can change in the space of a week.

Monday - Wednesday was ridiculously stressful. And Thursday - Saturday has been amazing. I've spent the past 3 days doing things that make me happy and while I'm completely exhausted, I've never been more grateful for where I am right now.

I have sooooooo much to blog and with the wedding and engagement session we shot this weekend, even more has been added to the pile. I'll being taking a break from photography/blogging this coming week, but don't worry. When things get settled and the internet is hooked up, I will be a processing, blogging maniac! Stay tuned for some awesome weddings and engagement sessions.

Here's a preview of last week's session. Brought to you by the ever creative, J.

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Tricks.& Treats

Where did October go? Tomorrow is Halloween (my favorite holiday of the year) and it feels like October just arrived! Maybe it's because this past month has been ridiculously busy. Too much work and not enough candy. That's what it is. I need to go stock up on candy (:

In creating this post, I called in a favor from my one and only photoshop ninja. Aka J. I'll explain to him how I want to display things for this blog, and he'll search for a tutorial and teach himself how to do it. I get pretty cranky when I sit at the computer for hours trying to teach myself how to do something in photoshop. Because obviously, I'm not even close to being that kind of ninja.

So in the spirit of Halloween and J's skills, allow me to share some tricks and treats!

The tricks. Courtesy of one of the coolest brides on the planet. Lucy Love.

Stay tuned for a full post of all her wedding images in the near future.

And the treats. Courtesy of the baby love.




Happy Halloween everyone!

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Times are.changing

Times are changing and I'm no longer 18 years old. I no longer think I know everything. I no longer think I can handle everything. And I'm beginning to realize that although I'm an adult, I'm still afraid of things.

I have one grandpa left and he's 86 years old. He's always been extremely healthy and I take pride in telling everyone that he water skied on his 80th birthday. He's a dentist and he has a Ph.D. in psychology. He likes to make people laugh. He served a mission for our church in England. He likes to send out forwarded emails that are informative when it comes to political matters, although they're always in favor of his political beliefs (: He likes to eat slowly and can eat more in one sitting than anyone I've ever known. He was a captain in the army air corps and flew planes during WWII. And he can still fit into his uniform.

Over the course of the past week in particular, my grandpa's health has been a cause of concern. Last night my mom took him to the hospital for various test to ascertain what was really going on. Terms like "congestive heart failure" and "mini strokes" were thrown around and it just didn't settle well with me. Granted, he was never sick enough to be admitted into the hospital and the consensus of all these tests is that he's just getting older, but it's hard for me to swallow. Because this man is more than just a grandpa to me. He's like a second father. And the thought of losing him anytime soon is too much for me to handle.

We recently got together with my grandpa's brother's side of the family- my mom's cousins and their children. Grandpa's brother passed away when I was about 7 years old and as a result, some of his grandkids never got the chance to meet him. This was my grandpa's first time meeting some of these grandchildren and seeing him with them was so precious. I'm my grandpa's oldest grandchild, and the youngest is in high school. So it's been a while since my grandpa has had the opportunity to be around kids this age. He's counting on me to pop out some great grandchildren for him, but I told him he has to stick around a little bit longer until that happens!

Bailey in particular, was really fond of him. She doesn't have a grandpa she is close to, so I had no problem loaning mine out to her! And I know her grandpa (my grandpa's brother) would be so happy to know that he could stand in for him.

Whether or not she knows it, Bailey taught me an important lesson that day. She reminded me of how lucky I am to have a grandpa that I am close to. She reminded me that I need to cherish every single moment I have with him. That I need to remember to ask him questions about life and about all the things he knows and he's experienced. That I need to remember to take more pictures of him and with him. He was the one who documented my life with his camera, and I owe it to him to do the same with my own.



Times are changing and I'm no longer 18 years old. I no longer think I know everything. I no longer think I can handle everything. And I'm beginning to realize that although I'm an adult, I still need my grandpa. Perhaps more than I ever have before.

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Edit.ing

Sometimes I feel like I'm just barely skimming the surface. And I'm not simply referring to the complex and philosophical matters that seem to be difficult for many to grasp in anything short of a lifetime. I'm referring to photography and the kinds of things that photographers do nowadays. Contrary to popular belief, photography is about much more than just snapping a great picture. It's about learning how to really use your equipment. It's about learning how to interact with and build relationships with your clients and the people in your industry. And for many, it's about learning how to find an editing style that compliments your artistic point of view.

Last November, I had finally saved up enough money to buy a set of Totally Rad Actions. I recognized the value of using them very early on, and I was waiting for the day I'd be able to converse using terms like Pro Retouch and Green With Envy. I remember downloading them to my computer, opening photoshop, and testing each one to see what kind of magic it contained. I remember selecting a set of images that I wanted to edit and blog. I sat down at my computer, ready get started with my fancy new tools, and suddenly I felt very confused. Which one should I use first? How many should I use for each image? Is there an order I should use?

I sat there working on a single image for about 30 minutes. And then I realized that I had 20 images left on my desktop. How is this making my work flow more efficient? 30 minutes per image x 20 images = ?! But nevertheless, I kept going and kept experimenting until I realized that I was using the same actions consistently and on nearly every image I sent through photoshop. And so my personal editing style was born.

Before I go on, allow me to clarify something. Editing is not the most important thing I do as a photographer. Editing does not make mediocre images great. But it does makes great images look even better. I edit to enhance what I believe is already there. And I edit as a way of expressing myself artistically. Because a photographer's style is about much more than just the way he or she composes an image. It's also about the manner in which the image is cared for after it's written to a cf card.

I seldom, if ever, post before and after images on this blog. But today I feel compelled to really illustrate what I've blabbered on about for the last 4 paragraphs. Not only that, I'm dying to show you some of the stuff I'll be blogging in the next few weeks! So here are some before & after sneak peeks! Happy Friday everyone (:

Lucy & Chris' Wedding
before.

after.

Chrissy & Kyle's Day Before Session
before.

after.

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My cup of tea.

Truth be told, I don't drink tea. At all. Years ago I tried to start drinking herbal tea. You know, because it's healthy and stuff. I've never had a sip of coffee in my life, so I wanted to have my own daily drink besides water. Because water just seems kind of boring sometimes. But I couldn't find an herbal tea I liked just by itself. As in, without massive doses of sugar added in. So the whole tea thing just never stuck with me. Until now.

I've lamented many a time that the term "Fav Friday" just isn't working for me. My schedule is so crazy at times that designating a specific day each week to talk about stuff I like is like losing a battle on my favorite day of the week. And I don't like losing. Especially on my favorite day of the week. So I turned to one of the trustiest sources I know. An online thesaurus.

I searched through all the synonyms for the word "favorite" in hopes of finding a catchy title with the same meaning. Sans the word "Friday" of course. Admired, adored, beloved, cherished, darling, dear, favored, number one, popular, precious, prized. And then I looked under "favorite" as an noun. Apple of eye, chalk (?), choice, front-runner, ideal, love, pick, preference, shoo-in, teacher's pet. And then I realized that teacher's pet just wasn't it. Along with chalk. Chalk? So I kept scrolling down to look at the synonyms of the synonyms. Yep, cuz I'm that legit. And that's when I found it. A synonym for "choice" is cup of tea. As in finding another name for Fav Friday is my cup of tea.

Then I googled "cup of tea" under images and this is what I found.


That's pretty much what sold me. So from now on, Fav Friday will be known as My Cup of Tea and will not be restricted by day of the week! Ahhh the freedom. So let's begin with the first edition of a new title (my cup of tea) with an old concept (favs). Here goes. My current cup of tea includes...

1. Washing your car in the rain. The other day J had this crazy idea about washing the car in the rain. So he decided to do a rain dance to usher in the rain. Okay, so he didn't really do a rain dance, but he was waiting anxiously for it to rain. I heard the pitter patter of raindrops begin late last night and then first thing this morning, J was outside with his bucket and sponge. The best part is that he didn't have to dry the car afterwards.

When I asked him why the bucket was empty, he told me it was because it wasn't raining hard enough yet.

2. Excuses to wear rain boots. Even if they make you look like you're 5 years old.

Truth be told, I only donned these while J was washing the car. I was in sweats, with matted "I just woke up" hair, trying to hold an umbrella while snapping a few photos. I looked pretty dang cool.

3. Showit! Yes, yes, I know I blogged about Showit a few months ago when we launched the website, but it just keeps getting better and better and better. Case in point, my handy dandy new custom blog header! If you're a Showit subscriber, you can create one too. I'm told it's pretty easy. J created it for me, despite our lack of knowledge about all things html. Definitely my cup of tea!

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Chrissy.Kyle know how to put the fun in Fun Zone

It all begin with Erinn and Brant's wedding this past April. Erinn's brother Kyle had recently returned from serving a 2-year mission for our church, and Erinn's mom wanted updated family portraits while everyone was in town for the wedding. There was talk of the wedding which would take place the very next day, as well as a need for more family portraits in the coming months. More family portraits? At the time Kyle's girlfriend was also on a mission for our church and was to return home at the end of the summer. Since the idea of more family portraits meant a new addition to the family, we inquired within. Kyle chatted with us about how he planned to propose just as soon as she returned home, and collected one of our business cards, just in case. Sure enough, just one week after his girlfriend got home, he popped the question and contacted us a few days later!

The first time I met Chrissy, I knew right away why Kyle was madly in love with her. Not only is she tall and gorgeous, her enthusiastic personality is completely contagious and so is her laugh! When asked about a potential location for their engagement session, Chrissy told us about how the Balboa Fun Zone is a place that has particular significance for she and Kyle. And so it was decided. Since their wedding was just 6 weeks away, we'd be photographing their engagement session at the Balboa Fun Zone less than a week later.

It was a warm Wednesday evening when we met up with Chrissy and Kyle in Newport to carpool to Balboa. Chrissy thought it would be fun to begin the session by taking the ferry and I was excited to get started. As the ferry moved away from the dock, we all stepped out of the car and at the time, J and I had absolutely no idea what we were in for. We usually begin by getting everyone warmed up so that they're comfortable with us and with our cameras, but Chrissy and Kyle required no such warm up! We all hurried to the front of the ferry and Chrissy and Kyle immediately started dancing and kissing and having fun. But that was just the start. For the next 2 hours, I found myself wanting to capture every single kiss and every single hug and every single adorable moment that those two created. Because not only are Chrissy and Kyle madly in love with each other, they're not at all afraid to express it for my camera.

Chrissy and Kyle, I love you to pieces and even more than that, I love your love. Just as I said before, you make my job way too easy and I am so excited to photograph your wedding later this month!

Here's one of the very first images I shot.

This one pretty much sums up Chrissy and Kyle when they're together (:

Here is one of my favs from their session...

As per usual, J snapped another image that I just love. There's just something about it.

Chrissy and Kyle rocked out the "faces" portion of their session.

And this is one of their favorite things to do...

And here's J's magic once again...

I love these next 4 images in front of these amazing doors.

This alley rocked my world almost as much as Chrissy and Kyle did that day. Almost.

Remember how I posted that image of J on the rooftop? This is what came from his bravery (:

As per Chrissy's request, we headed down to the sand and caught the last little bit of sunlight of the day. This is one of J's favorite images.

And here's one of mine!

Chrissy, you look AMAZING!

Here is another reason why I love Chrissy and Kyle. Because this is how much they trust me.

And here's one of my ULTIMATE favs. Not just a fav, an ultimate fav. It's kind of a big deal.

Click here to check out their slideshow! I selected a song that I know will have meaning for them. It's all in the title Chrissy and Kyle!

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Fav Friday: Mcpoison edition

It's been a while since I posted an edition of Fav Friday (yep, still can't think of another name for it) and seeing as how it's now Saturday evening, I feel like the time has come! This past week J and I have been enjoying a much needed staycation (house sitting for a friend) and as much as I wish I could have taken the entire week off, I used the time to catch up on photography related tasks that have been begging and pleading for my attention. I'm feeling a bit more centered, accomplished, and well rested, so I'm happy to report that the staycation definitely lived up to its reputation! Having said that, let's review all my favs from the past 2 weeks, shall we?

1. Last week J and I went with Jen and Becker to the Angels vs. Yankees game and sat 2 rows behind the dugout. Nope, that's not a typo and I didn't mean to type 22 or 222. TWO! Jen's parents have season tickets and she so kindly invited all of us to go with her and sit in their ridiculously amazing seats! I've officially dubbed her my photo bff because of it. Oh and Jen's parents, if you're out there, I just want to let you know that I love you. I've never met you, but I love you. And I'd be more than happy to accompany you to any and all Angels vs. Boston games in the future. Heck, I'd even spring for nachos and red vines.

I brought the p&s camera along because I couldn't resist documenting the awesome that was had at Angel's Stadium. Here is J's signature face he makes whenever I attempt a self portrait.

And here are our seats. J's sitting in the bottom right corner of the photo as proof (:

If this would have been the Red Sox lined up in front of me, I don't think I would have had the wherewithal to take this picture. No offense Angels! You're my second fav.

Evidently J smiles when B is the one taking the picture! Either that or he was just as happy as I was that the yanks lost and the angels won. Anytime the yanks lose is cause for celebration (:

2. Saw this movie a couple weekends ago and I loved it! Good music, good plot, good cast. It's definitely a buyer.
3. Here are a few things that made me laugh over the past week. Because laughing is definitely a fav of mine.

a) J sneaking out while I was editing to go and grab some chicken mcpoisons (aka mcnuggets) at McDonald's. He said he was craving it a few days ago and because I forbid the consumption of most McDonald food items, I reminded him of his frozen buffalo wings from TGIF's he had sitting in the freezer. He resisted the temptation and came home to cook said frozen buffalo wings. Yesterday he said he was going to run a few quick errands and after being gone for quite some time, he walked in the door without any food in hand. You see, every time he goes to run errands, he inevitably picks up some fast food, but this time he was empty handed. I looked him straight in the eye and asked him if he went to McDonalds. He said no. I asked him if he was lying. He said yes. I asked him if he got a 4-piece or a 6-piece and he told me that he had just downed a 10-piece box of chicken mcnuggets in the car. As much as I think consuming McDonalds is the same as consuming rat poison, I couldn't help but laugh because he totally tried to hide it from me!

b) I was reading Jen's blog today, and came across a post titled - My love/hate relationship with the food network. Her take on Giada = "I TOTALLY love Giada...but I'm pretty sure she's a puker. I just don't believe that any chef can have that kind of bod naturally and eat Italian food nonstop..." = awesome! I've always wondered how she stays so skinny while eating all that food! Thanks for clearing that up for me Jen! Ha ha ha.

c) a few more items from the funniest forwarded email...

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing
else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom
and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a
scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street
smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary
smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just
nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

That's it for Fav Friday (hopefully soon to be renamed)! Here's a sneak peek of an engagement session I'll be posting next week. Happy Saturday everyone!

Check out my portfolio here. Contact me here.

Lizard.Brockstar Married!

Alright everyone! The moment you've been waiting for and I've been teasing you about for too long is finally here! And now as I sit here anxiously wanting to hit the publish button and share these images with you, the words I felt like I would write are escaping me. I've told you about how the Lizard and I know each other and about how perfect she and Brockstar are for each other. I've told you about how crazy and awesome it was doing double duty as a bridesmaid and photographer for their wedding and how stoked I was when they decided to do a day before session. So instead, I'm going to get down to the basics and on to the images!

Lizard and Brockstar aka Liz and Brock were married in the Newport Beach LDS temple. The light outside was perfect and the day itself was truly representative of their personalities: easygoing and entertaining with the perfect amount of humor that those who know them appreciate. Myself included. Their family and friends were so welcoming, their groomsmen were gregarious, and their bridesmaids were charming. Myself included (:

Lizard and Brockstar, words cannot express the happiness and love I feel for you two. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your wedding in so many different ways and especially for letting me invade your space with the fish eye! Please, please, please persuade only the SoCal med schools to accept you so I don't have to travel more than an hour to visit you and J can continue his bromance with Brockstar! Seriously. And if that doesn't work, make sure to visit me at least 8x a year. Because 8 is my favorite number.

Lastly (because I wrote a lot more than I thought I would), a huge thank you goes out to my friend Jen for serving as our amazing assistant for the day! If I'm ever asked to serve as a bridesmaid + photographer in the future, J and I won't survive unless you are there with us!

And now the moment you've all been waiting for...unless you just skipped ahead to this point!

I'm a big fan of the color yellow so I was very excited when I saw Lizard's bouquet!

I could have posted about a billion images of their grand exit but I was able to narrow it down to these 3. But not without much internal debate (:

Are you ready to see one of my all time favorite bridal party images? The best part is that it was completely sporadic. Right place, right time, right car, & right friends who pulled up in the car! Oh yeah and I'm part of this particular party!

Here's a candid of Lizard's grandpa who has mad photo skills!

Lizard = gorgeous

Brockstar = kind of a big deal

This is how he convinced the Lizard to marry him.

And she happily agreed! This is J's image by the way and I am in LOVE with it!

Hot.

Question for Brockstar: Would it hurt your manhood if I told you I think this is adorable?

This time I'm not asking because this one IS adorable!

The fish eye. It's not even funny how "up in their bid-ness" I had to get to snap this one. Worth it.

Another one of J's images!

One of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer is photographing details. I call them "my deets".

J and Jen captured these deets. Oh and the bottom right image is what the Lizard gave all her bridesmaids. She made each hair clip from the extra fabric from her wedding dress! I almost cried when she gave them to us.

And last but not least, one of my favorite deets to capture. The bling!

But wait, I'm not finished just yet. Click here to see the slideshow!

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