Four new covers to DROOL over! Thu. July 22, 2010 photographers
One of my favorite things to do is to shoot bright, fun, creative things! One of the people who shares my passion for decor and photography is Renee Delsigne, owner of OC PROPGIRL, a company who sources and rents props specifically for photo shoots of any size! She really understands style, and she was my first choice to style a little set for the FOUR BRAND NEW SHOOTSAC COVERS launching TODAY!!!
Since styled shoots seem to be all the rage lately, I thought I'd give a little bit of behind the scenes info on how this one came together.
We wanted this shoot to really encompass the theme of "Summer Fun", so where else to go but the beach!
(**The hot models for this shoot all came from my twitter & facebook casting calls, so if you're interested in modeling for Shootsac in the future, that's where you should keep an eye out!**)
In no particular but equally fabulous order they are:
Renee did such an incredible job creating the perfect set for me to shoot the whole group!
It's deceptively simple--look at all the elements she had to put together in order to make this happen:
1. Vintage Yellow Umbrella--found at an estate sale on Balboa Island
2. Vintage Water Cooler
3. Amazing End Table, hand repainted by Renee to add a pop to the shoot
4. Wooden Beach Sign
5. Polka Dot Drink Stand, found at Home Goods
6. Polka Dot glasses, flamingo straws, watermelon, and colorful sodas
7. Antique Radio (looks way cooler than an ipod!)
Next, we needed gorgeous girls to show off the new summery covers! Since the covers are REVERSIBLE, I needed them wearing the covers showing both sides. Here are some individual shots of Sarah, Kathleen, Smita, and Nicole in the patterns:
But style isn't enough--a Shootsac model needs to be able to SHOOT! Here's Elise & hubby Ryan modeling while the group shoots:
I love this shot of Nicole showing off her pattern with the rest of the girls wearing the solid sides in the pattern (Nicole's cover has the gold on the back):
Here's Kayte, Kathleen, Sarah & Smita workin' it:
And you've gotta give it to Elise & Ryan-Elise is rocking a silver swimsuit from Anthropologie that I just LOVE!
Elise & Ryan are simply adorable:
I'll be posting a few more photos of Elise & Ryan's beach shoot tomorrow over a the Shootsac Blog!
For now, I'm so excited to introduce our FOUR NEW REVERSIBLE COVERS!!
And now a contest: LEAVE A COMMENT and tell me which is your favorite for a chance to win your fave! The winner will be announced on the Shootsac Blog tomorrow afternoon!
**UPDATED TO ADD--NO MORE ENTRIES! To see the winner, head to The Shootsac Blog
A West Virginia Wedding: Part 1 Wed. July 21, 2010 i do
I don't even know where to start. I've been looking and looking at these photos thinking, I can't actually post THAT many, but I finally had to just give up and give in
Marcos & Kalindi's wedding in West Virginia was one of the most unusual, visually stunning events I've ever had the opportunity to photograph. Kalindi and Marcos live in Mexico, in a town/village called Oaxaca. They are very involved with the community there, but chose to get married at Kalindi's family home in the mountains of West Virginia for it's beauty and atmosphere for their union.
I can see why. The second you pull up the driveway, you know you're somewhere special. This is the theme of the home:
There were all kinds of artifacts and things to look at and marvel at:
The flowers for the summer wedding: sunflowers of course! And the rampant wildflowers all over the property didn't hurt either:
Kalindi was an effervescent bride, who smiled and enjoyed every second of her day:
And the house....let's just say it was enchanting and amazing!
Kalindi's dad had to look his best too:
Marcos got ready and then enjoyed some Mezcal with his friends:
Kalindi slipped into a gorgeous lace and tulle gown:
She could have worn anything, but this dress was really special:
I just couldn't get enough of the colors and flowers!
Marcos holding an intricate little ring box:
I hardly ever post group photos, especially groomsmen, but I just love the casual feel of this:
The ceremony location for their Persian ceremony:
A few of their carefully chosen items, gold coins and fans to keep their guests cool:
This is probably my favorite father/daughter walking down the aisle shot ever:
*a sidenote--Michael Richards (Kramer on Seinfeld) was there! He's a friend of the groom. He's also a photographer and couldn't resist capturing a few moments--Michael Norwood who second shot for me on this job got quite a kick out of it! He was VERY respectful of us, and quite chatty about photography. Not your average wedding Uncle Bob!!
Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled programming: Kalindi's dad was so sweet giving her away:
I just LOVE Persian ceremonies. I love Persian weddings too--I actually have always wanted one, but since neither Jeff or I are Persian, I was pretty much out of luck:
Kalindi looking at Marcos. They wrote their own vows, and one line I'll never forget is when Kalindi said, "I wish to see you with a thousand eyes...". So beautiful!
Marcos looking at Kalindi: You could so easily feel their love through the whole ceremony:
Just married!
I could have chosen any one of a thousand spots on their property that all would have been perfect for portraits:
I had to settle for a few--this one is a favorite of mine too:
This one just has something about it I can't stop looking at:
I wish there were places like this to have weddings here in California!
I *heart* this shot:
A little black and white here and there for variety can't hurt:
A spot so magical I never wanted to leave:
It had amazing light in every direction--how do you do that West Virginia?!
Seriously--Kalindi belongs on the cover of a magazine. Marcos, you're not bad either ;)
Who doesn't love an old barn?
Time to go mingle!
The cocktail hour was spread out through the courtyard area:
I just wanted to hang out here--even with all these people it had a sense of peace about it:
They had a bluegrass band called Brown Chicken Brown Cow! Michael shot this one:
My first ever wedding hookah lounge! What a rad idea:
There is an Iranian tradition where the couple dances with a large knife around the cake--I loved it!
It was so fun!
Of course there was a garter toss--and amazing lighting inside the structure they had built for the wedding in the backyard:
The party was craaaazy! It was so much fun, not a single person sat the whole time!
I'll be posting their Indian ceremony and fireworks show that happened the next day soon, so check back!
Acey Puppy is getting so big! Fri. July 16, 2010 my life
My little Acey is getting to be such a big girl! I don't take nearly enough photos of her--I am feeling a little parental guilt :)
Before we brought her home, we were able to visit with and meet her whole litter. At that time, we didn't know which one would eventually be ours, so I tried to shoot all of them so we'd have at least a few to look back on after we chose our puppy! I'm so glad I did, because otherwise I wouldn't have these darling photos of Acey at one month old (about six pounds)
And this is what our sweet puppy looks like now (she is four months old and close to 40 pounds)
Kids--they grow up so fast! Having her has been SO MUCH WORK. Seriously. I have to find childcare for my puppy if I want to leave the house for more than a few hours at a time, I have to make sure she has playdates and exercise, and her sleep schedule seems to dictate mine.
Joe & Holly's Newport Beach Engagement Mon. July 12, 2010 will you
Every now and then I'll get what I like to call a "mystery client". This is a client that books me entirely over the phone or email, and whom I don't meet until the wedding day or the engagement session! Holly and Brian, being Manhattanites, were one such couple, and their wedding will be at the gorgeous Four Seasons Santa Barbara late next month! I was so excited to meet them finally, and shoot their engagement session up in Newport Beach!
I recently visited New York myself last week, and i have to say, I was quite glad to get back to the sunny but not humid weather of California. The week we were in NYC, it was humid to the nth degree, the kind that makes you feel like you can't get dry after a shower and makes your hair frizz up the second you leave the house (I'm speaking generally but suffice it to say, I mean it personally).
**as a sidenote, I'll be honest--I HATE HUMIDITY with a passion. it's one of the reasons i had to get the heck off the east coast as soon as i could!**
I imagine that Holly and Joe were looking forward to a typical bright and sunny afternoon for their shoot, and it did seem at times during the day that they might get one! However, by the time we shot, it was overcast, and looked much more like a day in the city than one in Newport Beach.
Oh well, the best laid plans!
I'll be honest though--an overcast day to me is a bit of a welcome sight. The even light, the darker skies--I like the mood of it. And with a gorgeous couple like Holly and Joe, the truth is that they would look beautiful in any light!
They said they wanted the wild, natural areas, so I wasted no time in having them tromp through the fields. You know, like a warm up :)
Black and white photos seem right on days like this:
This is one of my favorite locations to shoot, and I haven't been there in at least a year! It was nice to be back:
I even saw things a little differently than I ever had before--I LOVED shooting in this tall wheat grass. These are two of my faves:
Forehead kisses are the best, aren't they?
Everywhere I turned there was a spot better than the next:
I love this one:
And this one:
We had to break a rule or two to get this one (but it was worth it):
I love the way Holly's skirt moves in the wind just a little bit on the side--it completes this photo for me:
Even though we didn't get the sunny day we hoped for, I might even say we got something better :) Holly & Joe, can't wait for your wedding!!
Kalindi & Marcos: West Virginia Wedding Sneak Peek Thu. July 8, 2010 i do
Every once in awhile a wedding comes along that is SO unusual, SO special, that you almost can't believe it could even be real. That was how I felt about Marcos & Kalindi's wedding in beautiful rural West Virginia this past weekend.
I'll be doing a full post about this wedding soon, but I just couldn't wait to share a few with you today.
There was a Persian wedding ceremony so emotional that the entire group of guest was spellbound:
A spot to shoot so magical it was otherworldly:
A party so fun there wasn't a single guest in a seat the whole time:
An Indian Hindu ceremony so magically breathtaking, it was like something out of a movie:
And a couple so in love, it couldn't have been a more perfect weekend:
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