Man, talk about a fun wedding!  I recently second shot this wedding with my buddy Brian Fletcher, fun crowd, beautiful day and good-good music!  Nicole and Matt now how to throw a party, I’ll tell ya what!  So most of my favorites from the day were all the laughs and inside jokes, enjoy kids!  Ok, stopping with all the exclamation points now…

My best wishes go out to Nicole and Matt, and huge thanks to Brian for having me out to shoot.  Thanks buddy!  Oh, make sure to check out Brian’s blog for all his amazing work too!

First time I met Erin a month ago, her wedding was still a simple idea with much planning ahead of her.   She wanted a simple intimate wedding at home with her close friends and family.  It was just that with some sweet touches.  Erin and Kevin were quite reserved but I noticed them holding hands under the table while we talked over coffee, their love-locked eyes and the way he made her smile.  The tell signs that they shared a beautiful kind of love.  They met through mutual friends, and some how she ended up with his watch as he vowed to get it back another day.  She still has his watch, and now his heart.

I know things were going just right when Erin told me, “this is fun!” while on our portrait shoot.  Thank you both for being patient with me and trusting in me,  I’m honored to have been apart of your special day!  Oh, and big thanks to Henry Chen for referring Erin and Kevin to me, it was meant to be!

It’s a great feeling when the wedding season starts up!  The weather is beautiful, (what am I saying? I’m Southern California! It’s always beautiful!) and love is in the air.  In the water.  You know, everywhere.  I would have to say that one of the best part about shooting weddings is when you get to do it with friends!  Never a dull moment when second shooting with my good friend Henry Chen!  Beautiful venues, awesome couple and a pretty chill wedding party.

I had an awesome time shooting this wedding, and I’m sending my very best wishes to Allison and Jason!  You guys had no problem showing your love for one another!  And of course, a big thanks to Henry.  It always a pleasure shooting with you dude!  Please take a moment to check out Henry’s blog for all his recent amazing work!

Once a year the my family and I spend a day walking, eating, buying expensively cheap toys, walking some more, and eating til we can’t look at another Mickey Mouse-shaped confection until next year.  I think if you live in Southern California you can’t help but make it a yearly trip, unless you have yearly passes and show up once a month for the corn-dogs(they’re so bad for you) on Main street, because I totally would.   Every year we go I get the feeling that I don’t have the stomach for Disneyland rides anymore, sad times indeed.  I was totally stoked to get on the new Star Tours, aaaaand right after the ride I concluded that the convincing 3D, motion-simulated space ride in combination with too much coffee in the morning was no bueno.  To clarify, ride = good, too much coffee = no good.

It’s funny how I started to realize that every year we go, we spend most of our time in long lines engaged in conversations with my wife that consists of stares, head nods and speaking through our teeth about the weird guy with the Yoda backpack behind us.  Never the less, we do it all for our kid(s).  Ethan is now 5 and Elena is a babbling, slobbering 6-month-old that makes us presents in her diaper.  Life is good.

Ethan likes to press my shutter button when I’m not looking…

Ethan was picked to train in the ways of the Jedi, this was serious business as you can see in his face.

The highlight of his day(and ours) when he put his Jedi training to the test against Darth Vader.

His excited face after becoming a Padawan learner and certificate in hand!

So I get laughed at when I whip out my old Polaroid camera to take a group picture, but you’ve never seen a group get together for a picture so quickly!  I tell ya what!  My 12-year-old nephew was baffled by the antiquity and instant gratification of the experience.   It was like magic to him!  And yes I sat on the picture when we got on Thunder Mountain, go figure.  Good times!

I like to think of myself as a kid trapped in a grown-up’s body.  I still can’t conceive the idea that I have responsibilities, a wife and two kids.  I still wonder, dream, watch Disney movies, raid the piñata for candy and occasionally blow bubbles in my Ovaltine.   So when I met up with Jodi and Güero for their portrait shoot they kinda one-uped me on all levels.  For starters, they’ve got Disneyland passes.  I like Disneyland just as much as the next kid but they really enjoy the happiest place on earth.   So the balloons, the grape soda pin, and the bikes were just the tip of the iceberg.  But there’s only so many things you pack in your car when you’ve got a balloon arrangement in there.

Jodi and Güero were awesome as they were up for anything I was dishing out, even standing on steep cliff for a sunset shot.  We started shooting around one of LA’s forgotten treasures, Elysian Park, and made our way into Downtown for some evening shots around the Disney Concert Hall and MOCA.  It was all fun and games until I completely lost my voice that night, then I resorted to hand signals, clapping and trying to squeeze out some words but sounding like a hoarse donkey(<-almost oxymoron) instead.

When I met Daniel and Sandra for the first time a few months back I instantly loved them.  I got the sense that we’ve known each other for a long time, kinda picking-up-where-we-left-off sorta feeling.  Needless to say I couldn’t wait to shoot with Sandra and Danny, and last Saturday we made it happen!  I really didn’t know what to expect from Sandra and Danny before we started shooting, but, as soon as I pointed my camera they just came alive!  I thought it was just them being nervous at first but the laughs, giggles, and bald-spot comments just kept on coming.  They were completely comfortable in their skin and more than happy to tickle each other.  When a shoot is going this good, I can’t help but laugh with them and encourage their behavior.

Sunny, warm and not a cloud in the sky, a typical SoCal Saturday in January.  We met up in Old Town Pasadena, you know, great restaurants, no parking, yummy light and more places to shoot than any photographer can ask for.  It was blast working with you guys and I can’t wait to shoot your wedding in October!  Thank you guys for being so awesome!

Please be sure to stop by Henry’s blog and check out his point of view for Jessica and Jonathan’s beautiful wedding!

Be sure to check out Jove’s blog for his post on this awesome wedding too!

A big thanks to Brian for having me out to shoot! Check out his amazing work on his blog for some more of Kristen and Jared!