So I was digging out the first image that you can see in this post when I stumbled on a bunch of old images from 5-10 years ago. While my processing was a bit heavier back then you can see my wedding photography has stayed consistent (I’m happy about that!). These days I’m looking more for the emotional shots whereas back then I was always trying to find the most dramatic shots. Here’s a mix of wedding photos that really bring back some memories!
The first picture above I just adore not only because it’s dramatic and a bit hot, but also because this couple was so into it they’d do anything! Here they are laying in the wet sand at Moro Bay on a freezing and stormy January evening! I love it when my wedding clients really go all out to get the best images possible. These guys were so good we actually brought them back to model for a workshop I helped put on later that spring.

I love the above picture not just because it’s a pretty picture and an awesome moment but also because it is one of my best lighting setups ever! The wedding venue was the enormous San Francisco City Hall. I have 3 off camera flashes (2 are actually high powered strobes). The first is just to camera right to light the brides back, the second is on a second floor balcony pointed at the bride to make her wedding gown glow, the third is pointed down at the guys so the groom really stands out. One of my favorite images I’ve ever taken.

I’m often asked what my favorite wedding is that I’ve shot and why. Most people assume it was one of the pre-”Great-Recession” weddings I shot with a $300k budget. Truth is, I love very small and intimate weddings. Add in this was also a destination wedding and I’m stoked! This intimate wedding was one of the more memorable ones from the beach in Carmel. A gorgeous day with lots of emotion as the couple had been through hell and back but their love overcame it all.

I just love the color and fun of this image. Throw in some excellent champagne and a great couple and you’ve got some good times!

The groom flew to the UK to have these kilts custom made. I’ve shot several weddings with kilts but I’ve never had a groom go that far! They rocked the look and had a great time only to change into their tux’s later for the reception.

I do a lot of off camera lighting as many wedding venues are very dark and drab. Straight in lighting is just boring. This image is from the first wedding I shot using extensive off camera lighting. I remember taking this image and knowing that I had to always use lighting in these situations as even a fairly straight forward image becomes beautiful with the right light.

Ah, the days of the $200,000 budgets! I sort of miss shooting this kind of wedding but reality is it’s all about the couple, not the money! I love to see beauty but a couple that is truly in love is the most beautiful thing of all and that’s all I really need!

I’ll put up another post of some of my favorite San Luis Obispo wedding photography later this week. I have tons but I want to post just the images that bring back memories for me. They aren’t necessarily the ones that are the portfolio shots but they have a lot of meaning to me as a professional wedding photographer.

We headed up from San Luis Obispo to my Aunt Renee’s 50th Birthday party at Seascape Resort in Aptos (near Santa Cruz). It’s not all that often we all get a chance to see each other as there is just so much going on in everyone’s lives and we have spread out all over the place so it was a great afternoon. Everyone was about to head home after a fun day of visiting and taking the kids to play on the beach when I saw this gorgeous light filtering through the trees and knew I had to get everyone in for a family portrait. I didn’t have all my fancy wedding photography cameras, just my trusty little X100 so I set things up as best I could, locked in my settings, handed the camera to someone and had them take the picture. Came out really well considering it was a spur of the moment shot! Happy Birthday Renee!

Got to hang out and shoot with Vinnie and Annabelle a couple weeks ago for their wedding in Shell Beach and Pismo Beach. It had been kind of bad weather for the previous few days then broke out with the beginning of what has been a gorgeous September! What better? I get a hot couple, gorgeous weather and I get to shoot a wedding in San Luis Obispo!

Why yes my photographer friends, the new 100 macro IS that much better than the old version! So sharp it could cut you! (yeah, that was a lame photographer joke, don’t judge me!)

I really dig the Cliffs Resort, fun light!

Yes, they are all ridiculously good looking! Even better, they were all super nice people who made me feel like an old friend.

Don’t ask, I won’t tell…

My friends would have seen this and turned immediately left

This kid is the man! And quite the dancer as well.

I had a blast with Whitney and John at their wedding in the Biltmore Four Seasons down in Santa Barbara. It was an absolutely perfect spring day (okay, technically still winter but it was about 73 degrees so it felt like spring) and I could tell how excited everyone was to be in such a gorgeous location and in such great company! It was funny to see how many people sat at the reception and just stared off at the sea and enjoyed the view!

Had an awesome time with Melanie and Nick, I love a good beach wedding! Here are a couple of my favorite images from their wedding on the beach in Cayucos.

I love shooting engagement sessions in locations that have real meaning for the couple, Lori and Bobby have tons of history together at UCSB so what better location to shoot? You don’t have to twist my arm to get me down to the beautiful town of Santa Barbara! In the middle of a January heat wave with a hot couple? Even Better! I went to Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara for photography school so it’s always nice to get back there.
Stephanie (my wife for those that don’t know) decided to join me to assist. It was her birthday so we figured we’d go out after the shoot (at Los Olivos Cafe). We met up in Isla Vista and headed right into campus. There must have been 20 new building on campus, it was pretty crazy. Sure would be nice to sit in class and look down the beautiful Santa Barbara coast line!
Lori and Bobby were super nice people and a ton of fun to get to know. We went all over campus and even shot in the library where Bobby worked for several years. Next we went to a couple different beaches (that were packed because of the gorgeous weather) then back to campus for some night shooting.
I can’t wait to shoot the wedding this summer at Gainey Vineyards in Santa Ynez, it’s going to be amazing!

Gotta love night shoots!

Lori looking gorgeous

super wide angles sometimes are fun!

Out in the fields…well, actually not but it looks like it

Making out in the library… If only all studying was this fun!

Gotta love sunset in California!

I love this shot, so much fun shooting at night!

This is a totally funky building with all these fluorescent lights that cast some very interesting colors.

We had a blast hanging with you guys and can’t wait for the wedding!

After all the rain at their wedding in November, Desiree thought it would be a great time to do a nice sunny day after shoot back in Carmel. We scheduled and guess what? It rained! So we rescheduled for mid January and, as my West Coast clients know (and my East Coast clients are very jealous of!) it was just about 80 degrees every day!
We met up in Monterey and shot at Fisherman’s Wharf before heading over to Carmel Beach then around Carmel. Desiree and Chris are always a pleasure to work with and we had a ton of fun!

Last weekend I headed up to San Francisco for a beautiful wedding with my good friend John Griffin (more from that wedding later) and stopped by Pacific Grove to meet with Brian and Sophie for their engagement session. The smoke from the Big Sur fires was a concern but seeing as it ended up being super foggy it didn’t really matter in the end!
Both Brian and Sophie are Biologists by trade and by lifestyle. They thoroughly enjoy the outdoors and being in nature, being that I am an avid cyclist we all get along really well! Brian is a self described “Bird Nerd” who not only works tracking bird populations but he is also a bird photographer and avid bird watcher. It was really cool to be walking through the forest and he knew the names of every bird we saw and could even identify them by their call. I might just borrow his bazooka of a lens, the Canon 500mm f/4, just to have some fun with at the wedding. Being that the combined weight with my camera would be about 13lbs, I might have to bring a third assistant just to lug it around!

Sophie and Brian were a ton of fun to work with and have such a great time with each other.

Walking down Asilomar Beach

I couldn’t resist the comparison to birding, lol

Wasatch leading the way!

In front of the Carmel City Hall