Alma and Jeff, Second Engagement Shoot, Part Two

Jeff was especially into the colors of the foliage at The Japanese Friendship garden. This was one of his favorite trees. He excitedly pointed out this one, and lots of the ones he, and his fiancee, Alma posed in front of.


This one one inspired by the many walks in the woods they have taken in their years together.



The bridge made a great backdrop for them.



The light hit Alma just right here and made her skin literally glow a golden color.



With the palm trees in the background, it looks like they are already in Hawaii.

Alma and Jeff, Second Engagement Session, Part One

Welcome back, Alma and Jeff!

Alma and Jeff, who went away for the holiday weekend, decided to schedule another engagement session to have a different clothing, and another setting for their photos to be in their sign in book.

The Japanese Friendship Garden added a lot of new colors, here they are kissing in front of a waterall.



The pair spend a lot of their time in the out of doors.




While colors are great, they also wanted a lot of converted images for an old-fashioned look to their sign in book.



Coming tomorrow, some more great shots of their session.

Alma and Jeff Engagement Session

Meet Alma and Jeff who just completed their engagement session. For their location choice they wanted to use the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden where they will be getting married in a few months.


They brought a visitor with them, one who isn't permitted by the signs. Luckily our visitor, Bailey, couldn't read, and was very well behaved.



We just had to get a few quick shots of them with "their baby" as they call him before he was returned to the car to watch in the distance.



Of course, there were then many pictures without their dog.


Alma wanted a ring shot atop red roses which are her favorite out of all the flowers of many hues in the garden.




Here's another of them surrounded by the beautiful red flowers in bloom.



...and taking a romantic stroll through the rose garden.


See you both in July.

An Engagement with Jordan River

Today I had the pleasure of doing a joint engagement session with Jordan River, with whom I am shooting the couple's wedding in late June. We met Marissa and Bradley on a beach in Santa Cruz for some fun and relaxed engagement photos.




Bradley has some experience being the subject of many photographs as he has been a model years ago. With his playful attitude, he was easily able to help his fiance become an instant cover girl.




Bradley is a huge fan of black and white prints and so he asked if we could turn several of the romantic moments into black and white. Here are two of my favorites.





The sun was in the right position to give some terrific light to our couple for the whole shoot. By changing their position, I was also able to catch this great silhouette as well.




Marissa and Bradley, Jordan and I will see you both in a few months on your wedding day.

An Engagement with Steven Frischling Part Two

In between shooting Steven Frischling, the photographer who will be shooting Mai and Mark next month, and who invited me to shoot along with him on their engagement session, I got some touching and fun moments of the couple. They were so relaxed that even with two photographers photographing them, they easily got into a zone where they forgot we were there.

The bride's beautiful smile came out every time she looked at her fiance.


Neither of us had asked them to kiss once, they just did it spontaneously all day starting with this one.


One thing I noticed about them was how physically interconnected they were. I like this one because they are just so literally wrapped up in each other.


As Steven is a Red Sox fan, he joked Mark and Mai's request to go into The Dugout which featured Giant's merchandise would be hard for them, but we got some cool shots. (By the way I'm a Yankees fan and went to a bunch of their games growing up.)

Another kiss for Mai, this time on top of her head.


At one point Mai was looking at her engagement ring and decided that Mark needed one as well, so she made him one, out of grass so the would both look engaged.



I had a lot of fun with these two, and also with Steven. I'm glad I was able to go out and meet him in San Francisco.

Jana and Chris' Engagement Part Two

I told Jana and Chris that I like using things that I just happen to find with couples on engagement portrait sessions, like the walls with the unique textures, and the camera from the tourist.

As we were leaving the Palace of Fine Arts we found this trolley and as no one was in it "stole" a few shots.


I kept telling them the group would come back, then finally realized the puzzled group next to us, WAS made up of the people who had taken the trolley.

They were nice, but we knew it was time to move on to the location of where Jana and Chris met, City Tavern. In the spirit of finding things, it was open at a time we were certain they would be closed.


This shot was taken at the actual shot the two met, however, these aren't the clothes they were wearing that night. I love their "look like you're really strangers" looks on their faces.


I had them just hang out and have fun at this place.



Since Chris' shirt reads (Game Over) with a bride and groom, I had Jana tie him up with some caution tape outside as well. (It's funny he wore this shirt she bought him, the day before Colleen and I had been shopping and saw a shirt with the same message and she jokingly suggested I buy it and wear it to engagement sessions).



Jana and Chris, I had a great time discovering things with you on your session, looking forward to your big day in September.

Jana and Chris' Engagement Photos (Part One)

When Jana and Chris showed up with coffee cups for their engagement session, I found out they had stopped off at a place they go to every day. I decided they would make a great prop for some unique ring shots.


We did their first shots at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. It's a place with many beautiful features, birds and tourists.


Usually I get asked to take people's pictures with their cameras when the see mine around my neck. A stranger asked Chris though, and after she shot them, I borrowed the camera and had Chris appear he was taking a photo of Jana. I think the tourists may still be puzzled over why I did this.


Inside are many great architecture structures. On the way to the more typically appreciated and photographed structures, I found these.

Time for a quick portrait with some of the more familiar arches inside.


Tomorrow some shots from the place these two met years ago.

Lindsey and Jim Engagement Photos Part Two

First another shot of the beautiful background that awaits Jim and Lindsey on their wedding day.


As part of their session we walked around town, near water and rocks and just had fun.

They both really wanted to go to the park with its fountains.


While I was photographing them a kid came up near them. They both wanted me to keep shooting and get one with him, so I did. I did wonder if he would start splashing, though.


Actually, he was well behaved. However, Lindsey took matters (and water) into her own hands. If you look closely you can see drops ready to splash Jim.


Looking great, you two. Looking forward to shooting your big day this September.

Lindsey and Jim Engagement Photos Part One

Lindsey and Jim chose a great spot to have their engagement shots done, Sausalito, where they will be having their September wedding. Here is one showing just one of the many beautiful backgrounds the town has to offer.


When I went to take a ring shot Lindsey wanted one without fingernails and with showing Jim's watch. Here you go.


They were both so comfortable in front of the camera that Jim would kiss Lindsey throughout the session, without any prompting.


I found a wall with an interesting texture, so I suggested they pose there. Jim had the idea for them to look tough to match the wall.

When we went to park we saw a row of great bikes. I had them stand next to them, Lindsey looks like she wants to go for a ride, but as we don't know whose bikes these are, this is the closest they got to them.

Tomorrow: Some more great shots from the session.

Stillie Awards - Engagement Sessions

As I've previously blogged about this year's Stillies, the photo moments from this year that make me metaphorically stand still as favorite moments in time, it's time to look at the Stillies from my wedding photojournalism, starting with some favorites from engagement sessions.

The first Stillie involves a photo from a session where the groom had said it took practice to remember to smile for photos before we had begun. This reminds me of an episode of Friends where Monica and Chandler decided to get engagement photos done (theirs were done in a studio) and try as he may Chandler couldn't show a natural smile whenever the camera was on him.

It was much easier for this couple, Chauntel and Gerardo to smile naturally than Chandler, in fact, Gerardo told me at the wedding that he even looked daily at this photo, to remind himself to just relax and smile. He did a great job of enjoying himself and smiling at both this session and the wedding day, itself.

Stillie for Best Smiles at an Engagement Session:


The second Stillie involves Jill and Aaron, a couple who are originally from the south, and who have come to love California and call it their home. For their session they wanted to go to many easily recognizeable places so the folks back home could appreciate the beauty of the state.

They wanted photos both where the scenery was itself a separate subject and where they would all blend in together. In this photo they blended in well, and with the light enveloping them and the statues surrounding them, it feels to me like they are getting a blessing on their relationship.

Stillie for Best Overall Use of Background Scene


The last Stillie involves John and LaTrisha who really wanted to match their surroundings and each other at their sessions. Conventional photo wisdom is that a couple should dress similarly both in terms of colors and formality of clothes to look like they belong together in these photos. They not only matched dress wise, they also brought three sets of outfits and we matched them color and style wise with their enviornment.

Stillie for Best Overall Matching




Congratulations to Gerardo and Chauntel and Jill and Aaron who were married in 2006. I will be photographing La Trisha and John's wedding on January 24.