James + Andrea LA Engagement Session

It’s been a while since my last blog post but I thought sharing one of my favorite engagement sessions to date is the perfect opportunity to start blogging again.

Andrea reached out to me wanting a retro vibe for their session and the original In N Out Burger replica was one of the locations for her engagement photos with James. Naturally, I was beyond excited. What southern Californian doesn’t enjoy a classic burger and fries from In N Out? I would highly recommend making a pit stop at this spot in Baldwin Park, LA. Unfortunately, it’s only a tiny museum with patties and buns made out of felt but there is an actual In N Out just a block away where you can enjoy your animal style fries and Neapolitan shake. There was an In N Out employee manning the replica, who was ridiculously friendly and shared some neat historical facts of the famous burger spot. She even walked off site for a while letting us have the place to ourselves for photos.

Afterwards we explored the arts district and downtown, finishing off our session at The Last Bookstore. This place has gotten so popular, that it’s crawling with people not even genuinely there for books but for photos of the clever and Instagram worthy decor. Mind you, we were guilty of the same thing, but that doesn’t make it easier to work around everybody and make it look like we had the place to ourselves.

I had an amazing time exploring with these two. Their style and love for each other is definitely evident in these photos.

Chris + Laura

March 4, 2017

From beachside ceremony to intimate backyard wedding, this was such a dream wedding to shoot. Laura has been one of my best friends since we were little girls, and she is still one of my closest friends down to this day.

The ceremony began at 10:30am at La Jolla shores, a local beach that is absolutely beautiful (Laura’s dad told me it was always her dream to get married at the beach since she was a little girl). Afterwards we walked along the shore and under the pier for portraits. I still stare at these shots from time to time; they were such naturals and their smiles were from ear to ear the entire session. Seriously my dream couple to take photos of, not only because they looked incredible, but because their love for each other is so sweet and genuine, it’s clearly shown in these portraits .

For their reception we all enjoyed a brunch including a crepe and waffle bar, bacon, eggs, bagels, and mimosas galore, they danced to Cat Power’s “Sea of Love”, and we danced the afternoon away.. Congratulations again you guys! It was such an honor capturing your love.

Ruiz Family

A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of taking family portraits for my good friends and colleagues Tony and Maria of Black Rider Studios. A couple of years ago, I received a message from Tony asking if I would be willing to join their team as a third shooter for weddings. Since then, I've been able to work side by side with them as well as join them on a few photography projects. I can honestly say Tony has helped me grow so much with my own photography, motivated me, and has taught me a lot. He is so passionate for photography and you can definitely see that with his work. 

This shoot was a lot of fun. Tony gave me the freedom to choose the location for their photos and I'm beyond happy with the results. Little John Taze is such a cutie, already well trained to be in front of the camera. With a baby girl on the way, Audrey Jane, I'm excited just thinking about the next family session.

Be sure to check out Black Rider Studio's redesigned website here. 

7-23-16

Deshawn + Nikki

About two hours northeast of San Diego, you'll arrive in San Bernardino and Redlands. I had no idea what location was chosen for the wedding portraits, so imagine my relief as I pull up to the particular park I was directed to and see a beautiful orange grove that's so huge it almost seems as though it's a maze. I immediately fell in love and was ecstatic. This was easily one of my favorite spots where I've been able to shoot. Deshawn and Nikki were such a pleasure to work with; their love for each other is so apparent in these photos.

02•27•16

Korey + Zari

Last year, I had the honor of being able to take engagement portraits for one of my best friends and her fiancé. We strolled through Bankers Hill in search of brick walls, shady street corners, and the Quince street bridge. This particular spot under the bridge was challenging to capture, but these two were troopers- all dressed up on a hot day and still willing to climb to get the perfect shot.

07•23•15