1 field + 1 fire truck = Madison.Ryan

Some people are afraid of the camera. But Madison and Ryan are not. Some people are serious in front of the camera. But Madison and Ryan are both serious and silly. And some people, well some people are ridiculously good looking in front of the camera. People like Madison and Ryan.

Most of you remember these 2 from from their wedding I posted a couple months ago. And for those who have checked out the website, you may have already seen a few of these images from Madison and Ryan's day after session. But trust me, your life will not complete until you see all my favorites from their session. Because you never know what's going to happen when Madison and Ryan are around (:

For those who are curious about "day after" sessions, check back in the next week for a post with a full explanation. I'll be discussing what they are, why they're cool, and why I don't mind getting my own wedding dress a little dirty every now and then. But in the meantime, check out Madison and Ryan's day after session...

Let's start off with one of J's images. Just because.

Fun Fact: When I decided I wanted to pursue photography professionally, one of my first shoots took place in this field. With my point and shoot camera! True story.

And can I tell you how awesome it was to return to this location with a legit camera and a lot more experience under my belt? Because these next 2 images couldn't not have been created with my good old p&s.

Look familiar? Hint: website.

Madison, you're so fabulous it hurts.

Ryan...you're fabulous too (:

The serious and the completely adorable. Don't worry, the silly is coming your way...

Here's another one of J's images...

I love the feeling in this one.

Poor Ryan had a bad cold that day but he still rocked it.

I love these next 2 individual shots.

Another Fun Fact: Since the truck was parked in the station, we actually asked for permission to use it and they said yes! Don't underestimate the power of a couple in wedding day attire! I was ridiculously excited. Heck, I'm still ridiculously excited.

Ready for the silly? It starts right about here...

I told them to pose for me and have fun with it and this is what I got. Hot.

This is probably my favorite from the silly. Again, totally their idea. Ryan and Madison brought it that day.

Check out my portfolio here. Contact me here.

Investing in the finished.product

I've always believed in the value of photography. And I've always believed in printing, framing, and displaying the images you create in your camera. But I have a confession. Up until last week, all the framed images in our home were printed via a lovely little company called Snapfish. Even our wedding photos. Photographers, please insert your gasps here ______.

Let me preface this by saying that there's absolutely nothing wrong with Snapfish. I printed through Snapfish for many many years and all the images in my scrapbooks (also printed through Snapfish) look just fine. However, now that I've learned just a thing or two about photography, I'm beginning to recognize the difference between a Snapfish print and a really good quality print.

You see, companies like Snapfish aren't the kind of companies professional photographers typically use. Why? One reason is because companies like Snapfish computer enhance the images they print. Which wouldn't be such a big deal, if I weren't already making my own adjustments to the images I shoot.

When I was just starting out as a photographer, I shot some images of my family at my grandpa's funeral, perfected them in photoshop, and then ordered online via Snapfish. I wanted to frame them and give them as gifts for Christmas. When they came in the mail, I couldn't wait to open that Snapfish envelope and see the finished products. Because even when you already know exactly which photos you ordered ahead of time, seeing them in print is always a thrill. But when I saw the prints I'd ordered, the thrill was gone. Because they all looked horrible. Like really, really horrible. Especially on skin that I lightly retouched.

"Snapfish has really lost their touch...maybe their machine was broken" I said to J. And the next day I took my disk of images to Target. Because Target is always good at everything, right? Wrong. The prints looked just as bad if not worse than the Snapfish prints. Especially because they were glossy. I'm not a fan of glossy. And it was then that I figured it out.

I took those same images to a printing company that one of my photographer friends recommended, spent a little more per print, and guess what- all the images looked exactly the way they did on my computer screen. And they didn't look horrible anymore. They looked amazing. And it was at that moment that I figured out the difference between a 9 cent print and a good quality print.

Last week I finally revamped all the framed prints in our home. And boy does it feel good! It looks pretty good too if I do say so myself. And I reselected and reprinted all our framed wedding images. Because Snapfish just wasn't doing them justice.

We'd been saving this empty wall for all our favs from our rebranding photo session and I'm in love with the finished product!

If you've ever invested or plan on investing in the services of a professional photographer, especially for your wedding, don't discount the importance of good quality prints! It's not worth it to spend good money on a service, if you're not going to invest in the finished product as well.

Check out my portfolio here. Contact me here.

Brand.name shoes are a photographer's best friend

No, I'm not talking about Louboutins or Manolos. Although I do appreciate a good looking shoe every now and then. Okay, more than every now and then.

Ever since our car accident last year, my eyes have really been opened up to the world of chiropractic health. A good friend of ours offered his services shortly after the accident, knowing very well that had certain issues not been addressed, I might have had back problems for the rest of my life. I had never seen a chiropractor previous to our accident, nor had I ever suffered from chronic back pain, and now, 8 months later, I can honestly say that I'm now a believer!

But this post isn't about my newfound love of chiropractic/applied kinesiology. It's about shoes. Brand name shoes to be exact. You see, the biggest take home lesson I learned from our chiropractor friend, is that wearing good shoes is ridiculously important! No, he's not a fashionista. But he's educated me about the role that good quality shoes play in one's health.

As a wedding photographer, I spend many of my weekends on my feet for 8-12 hours at a time. Standing, running around, rolling on the ground, squatting, you name it. Weddings are workouts! And at the end of the day I'm not only exhausted, but complaining to J about my aching back and aching feet and aching everything else. And while I've always worn flats when I shoot weddings, I recently learned that not just any flats are the right kind of shoes to be wearing. Especially when you're shooting a wedding.

"Heel support. You should be wearing shoes with good heel support." That's what he kept telling me. But I could never seem to find good looking shoes with good heel support. That is until I visited The Walking Company at SCP. I had passed by this store hundreds of times before, but it wasn't until I had a reason to actually search for shoes with good heel support, that I stopped to take a closer look. And folks, what I found has changed everything.

The first time I wore these shoes to shoot a wedding, I experienced an entire day free of aches. No aching back, no aching feet, no aching anything. I was absolutely shocked. And ecstatic. All at the same time.

Good heel support. That's the key my friends.

I spent quite a bit more money on these than I normally do on shoes. But I don't just wear them to shoot weddings. I wear them all.the.time. And now I want to buy another pair!

Not only does The Walking Company stand by this brand of shoes (Ecco), our chiropractor friend does as well. Not to mention that J wore this same brand of shoes while serving a 2 year mission for our church in NY, walked long distances every day, and never ever got a single blister. They're not the most fashion forward shoes, nor are they my absolute favorite pair in terms of the way they look. But there's something to be said about not only healing from chronic injuries (thank you nasty car accident), but eliminating every day aches and pains. And when I'm not wearing these fabulous shoes, I wear a special pair of custom inserts so I can still be fashion friendly without re-injuring myself.

Note: It took me at least a week or two to fully break in this pair of shoes. They felt really rigid at first and I purchased heel liners to make them a bit more comfortable right off the bat. But that aside, even during the breaking in process when I thought I'd end up with blisters, I never got any from these shoes.

All you photogs out there! Even if you're not a wedding photographer per se. I dare you to try donning a pair of good quality shoes while you shoot. I dare you to see how you feel when you're done shooting. And I dare you to thank me profusely the next day. And the day after that and the day after that! I'm starting to sound like an infomercial now. Nope, no one is paying me to endorse shoes with good heel support. But man, they probably should be paying me, shouldn't they? Free pairs of Ecco's are always welcome here (:

Check out my portfolio here. Contact me here.

Lizzie.Ty make golf carts look cool

It seems like just yesterday that J and I flew to Seattle to shoot Lizzie and Ty's engagement session. Is time going by faster or is it just me? And now it's finally time for me to show you Lizzie and Ty's wedding images!

I had the most difficult time narrowing down my favorites from their wedding. And while that's typically a problem for me, probably because my brides and grooms are so ridiculously cool, this time is was even harder. Lizzie and Ty, why are you so darn cute?

Lizzie and Ty were married at the Mile Square Golf Course on (what I think) was the hottest day of February this year! I think mother nature knew that Lizzie and Ty were sick of the rain in Seattle, so she decided to show them (mainly Ty because he's not originally from OC) what a typical SoCal day is supposed to look like. Needless to say, it was a perfect day for a wedding.

But not only was the weather amazing, so was everything else about Lizzie and Ty's wedding day. Especially their wedding cake. Melody from My Sweet and Saucy Shop did not disappoint! Even J was raving about how delicious the cake was even though wedding cake isn't really his thing. Me on the other hand...please don't get me started on her cake ball lollipops. Confession: I ate one for breakfast this morning.

But enough about cake and cake ball lollipops. You want to see Lizzie and Ty's pictures, don't you? It's almost time. Just one more paragraph.

Lizzie and Ty, I can't thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your wedding! You welcomed me and J in as if we were family and trusted us unconditionally. Even when I asked you to hop on that golf cart (and make a u-turn) and sit in the grass in your wedding attire. And let's not forget when J played iphone DJ and you indulged him by getting your groove on for a few candid portraits. Don't think I didn't include those in your slideshow! You guys are so awesome and I know you're going to have nothing but a lifetime of fun, lots of laughs, and happiness. We can't wait to see you again in May!

The day began bright and early at Salon Cache for some getting ready pictures. One of my favorite parts of the day.

The look on Lizzie's face when she saw herself in the mirror was priceless! She looked gorgeous and you could tell she really felt that way too. Every bride needs to have this kind of moment!

Lizzie's dress was another amazing detail that day. I adore vintage dresses like hers.

And I loved the simplicity of the calla lilies. Lizzie, girl, you got style.

More deets. Cuz we all know how I love my deets!

Just minutes before the ceremony. Lizzie was quite pensive...

...and when it was finally time for her to see Ty, she just lit up. These two are meant for each other.

The next 2 images from the ceremony were taken by J. J's got skills.

I told the wedding party to put on their "serious faces" and they rocked it out for me.

Then it was time for Lizzie and Ty's portraits. And the golf cart. I loved that golf cart.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. When Lizzie rocks it out for the camera, it's like she's staring deep into your soul. Lizzie, you look absolutely stunning!

Bridal portraits are another one of my favorite moments of the day. Don't worry Ty, your portraits were my favorite too (:

See, Ty? I didn't forget about you!

When I saw the light pouring through this window, I knew we'd eventually end up on this couch. Lizzie and Ty that is (:

One of my favs of the day!

And another one of my favs. Even though all these images are technically my favs. Ty was laughing at me because like always, I gave him crazy instructions. Ty, I love what your laughter brings to this image. I really do!

I know I already showed you quite a few images of Lizzie by herself, but when I saw this AMAZING light, I just couldn't resist. And to think, we almost stopped shooting 10 minutes before we found this light. Just goes to show that if I ever beg you for just 10 more minutes, it's usually worth it. Right Lizzie?

The aforementioned fabulous cake!

This next one falls into my ultimate favorites category. Father-daughter dances are usually pretty amazing in terms of the emotion that is present. But this one? This one was spectacular!

J and I recently dove into the wonderful world of off camera lighting. This is one of our first ring shots using this type of lighting. I'm in love!

Click here to see some of Lizzie's sweet dance moves in her and Ty's wedding day slideshow. I used one of my favorite new songs and I think Lizzie's gonna like it. Ty's probably gonna like it too. Right, Ty?

Check out my portfolio here. Contact me here.