Engagements

THE BEST phone call to receive is from a bride asking you when you are available so that she can choose a wedding day and THEN book their wedding venue. And it all makes me smile. I photographed the wedding of both of her sisters, Courtney and Erin, and now it’s Kristin’s turn! Kristin is tying her own knot to Derek at a beautiful vineyard-side wedding this fall, in Lodi. If it is anything like her sisters’ previous weddings, the absolute abundance of love, family and laughter will abound. I love her family and all the fun I’ve had documenting some very special milestones.…

Given their marathon running experience, Jennifer and Tim had no problem navigating snow and ice for their January engagement session.  Our lakeside plans had to be scrapped when we encountered a locked entrance gate, but the snow and light was actually better just around the corner.  Jennifer and Tim had no problem trudging through the deep snow, and with all the slipping and sliding there were pretty of opportunities for genuine smiles and happy laughter!  Jennifer has one of those smiles that just lights up the world, and luckily Tim gives her plenty of opportunities to make good use of…

It’s no secret that fall in the Placerville mountains is breathtaking.  No wonder Megan and Brandon chose a crisp November afternoon for their engagement session!  I got acquainted with these two when they booked their wedding for Wedgewood David Girard Vineyards.  Sunflower Field, a sister company, is privileged to be a preferred vendor for this gorgeous wine country venue, and even more flattered that Megan and Brandon chose us to document their special day.  Megan said they really connected with the emotion in our work, and if their engagement session is any indication, their wedding will definitely have all the feels. 🙂 Self-professed…

We uncorked a bottle of Pinot Noir and chatted between shots. I learned that they have been together for 20 years, that they are adventurous, love to travel and are in fact heading off to Portugal for three weeks this month. By the time we were done it had felt more like a girl’s happy hour than a photo session, although we had more than enough gorgeous shots of them together.

Melanie and Mark’s Flower Farm Inn wedding is just around the corner and we got together recently in Apple Hill for a sunset engagement session. Usually when I begin my sessions, I ease into them. A little chit-chat, some pleasantries exchanged, giving everyone the opportunity to relax before the camera turns their way. But I purposefully chose to forego that with Melanie and Mark because, right where we met was the most amazing patch of golden light illuminating a picnic bench. I hurried them straight from their car (where they were wrangling their dogs after a drive up the hill)…

My friends, Nate and Shelley are making it official on August 14 this year at the Sacramento Yacht Club. They will be surrounded by close friends and family and in fact, the cool thing is that their friends are my friends too! I don’t often photograph friends’ weddings mostly because I am not very good at multi tasking wedding photographer and wedding guest. In fact, I don’t think anyone is. It’s usually one or the other for me. If I’m photographing a wedding, that is where my brain is- I guess it is muscle memory and hard to turn off with…

I met Lauren and Chris on a glorious fall day for their engagement session up in Apple Hill. It is a great way for us to get to know each other in front of and behind the camera. As with many sessions, we slowly moved into those moments that feel real as we all got comfortable with each other. I always joke, “you mean you don’t have photo sessions every weekend?”.  Lauren and Chris love fall along with the cooler weather and cozy evenings that it brings. They are both nurses and live in Hermosa Beach and were up having an…

Lots of fun and a little bit of friendly competition! That’s how our session with Kristin and Jason was filled. They’ve been together for two years and clearly enjoy playing together on and off the courts. They live in Redondo Beach, where Jason has fun high-fiving people bicycling past. (He says he was practicing his “Calvin Klein look” for this shoot.) Jason works as a motion camera assistant. Kristen is a physical therapist. Her folks have beautiful home in Placerville and that’s where their “big day” will take place. It’s usual to wonder just how the wedding event will go…

We all got together just a couple weeks prior to Mikal and Michelle’s Forest House Lodge wedding to have some fun on a beautiful property in Placerville. Michelle is also a photographer and as I have said in the past, it is always a little intimidating to not only have been chosen by another photographer to shoot their wedding (i.e., one of the most important days of their lives), but then to actually do it! This session was a good way for all of us to loosen up with each other and just be creative and have fun. Super easy…