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.

You can probably tell by my lack of activity that I’ve really taken to the off season and I’ve been relaxing and enjoying myself! Truth is I’ve been really busy with album design, side projects, kids and other family stuff so I’ve barely had time for the extras like keeping up on my blogging!
For Michelle and Tim’s engagement session we decided that seeing as they love Justin Winery and are even members there that we should head up there. It’s a gorgeous venue and a great place for engagement photography as the light is beautiful, the vineyards pristine and the buildings have tons of great angles to work with. We had a great time and I can’t wait to photograph their wedding!

Emily and Matt really wanted to shoot out in the field of Paso Robles. I’m all about beautiful natural light out in the fields but this year the weather, while beautiful, has not been very good to the fields. I love a nice 80 degree day but in November when we haven’t gotten any rain in San Luis Obispo it’s not the best for the fields as it was pretty much all dirt! That’s okay though because Emily and Matt had awesome attitudes so they could have taken pictures in a parking lot and they would look great. We did end up finding a good field and also had a great time shooting in the candy shop and around Paso after dark. Many thanks to Emily and Matt for being awesome!

Sarah and Ben’s wedding took place at Hastings House and was a gorgeous and intimate wedding in Half Moon Bay. Hastings House is a beautiful garden setting and the weather was perfect. Most of the weddings I photograph are 200 or more guests so it’s always fun to get to shoot a smaller wedding where I really get to know everyone and really feel a part of the day. Maybe it’s the intimacy or maybe it’s just because Stephanie and my wedding was very small but I had a great time! After the garden wedding ceremony at Hastings House we did a photo session then drove over to the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto. The hotel is a great spot for an intimate reception and the staff was wonderful. Sarah and Ben’s signature drink was flowing and the food was great! Sarah’s family came in from all over the US while Ben’s family came in from his native Australia so I had a great time getting to know everyone and thank everyone for being so gracious with me! And thanks for the VB, that was great! You have to love a bride in a birdcage veil! Downtown Palo Alto I loved the details! The ceiling lamps combined with my off camera lighting make some cool colors! This is one of my favorite Photojournalistic photo’s from the wedding. It shows Sarah and Ben dancing then each of the other couples is their parents, very cool!

Rob and Lisa’s wedding was just as much fun as I thought it would be after their engagement session, there is just nothing like getting to work with people who are passionately in love! We started out at the Claremont Resort for all the getting ready. The Claremont is always a wonderful place to shoot and we were blessed to get some gorgeous weather! Lisa and Rob did their “First Look” at the Claremont Resort then we headed up to The Brazil Room at Tilden Park for the wedding and reception.
I had a great time getting to know both of their families before the ceremony and have to say that the Rabbi was pretty funny! He definitely kept everyone laughing. It was a beautiful ceremony overlooking the mountains and the reception was wonderful. After all the festivities winded down we headed back to the Claremont for some night images that I think came out really well.
Thanks again to Rob and Lisa for having me!

Wow I’ve had a great year of couples! One couple after the next just have this amazing connection that makes my job so much fun! It really is great to get to hang out and get to know people that are so in love.
Ashley, Brandt and I started out at Summerwood Winery, (which is ever so conveniently located at the bottom of my road!) before heading around the Paso Robles for their engagement session. It was pretty windy and a bit chilly, well, actually it was freezing but we toughed it out. Always easier for me to say as the photographer who can wear a hat and jacket lol
Looking forward to the wedding at Robert Hall Winery!

I had a blast this past weekend shooting Rob and (E)lisa’s engagement session up in the North Bay! They were so much fun to hang out with and get to know, not to mention their connection is so strong it made my job a breeze! And yes, for those of you following my work for awhile, they do have the same names as Rob and Elisa! How funny is that? Plus, you gotta love facebook because now they are friends!

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!

This was just good times!
At the beginning of November I traveled up to Carmel Valley to the beautiful Gardiner’s Resort for Brian and Sophie’s wedding. November is such an odd time in California because you never know if it will be warm, cold, sunny or raining! Oddly enough, we got warm and rain! The other thing about this time of year is that plants and gardens tend to be out of their prime. However, I was amazed at how beautiful the staff at Gardiner’s keep the grounds! I’m not normally a flower picture kind of guy but it was just beautiful and amazing to see at this time of year.
Now, for those that remember from their engagement session, Brian and Sophie are biologists from the Monterey area and Brian is a great bird photographer. Sophie’s actually originally from Belgium by way of Mississippi (I knew that rhyme I learned in 3rd grade to spell Mississippi would come in handy sometime!). Brian is originally from New Jersey so pretty much everyone traveled quite a distance for their wedding! Both their families and all their friends were so much fun, great people all around. We had a great time and the rain held off (mostly) until the reception started so that was perfect!.I went out in the rain at night to get some night shots of the venue that I think are kind of cool. Besides, I need to give my tripod a workout every now and then!
Thanks Brian, Sophie and your families for making me feel so welcomed! And thanks to David Lee who did a great job helping me shoot!

Last week I headed up to Seattle to shoot with my friend Chris of Chris+Lynn. We had a great wedding and then headed up to Chris and Lynn’s place near Vancouver. The first day we headed out to Stanley Park in Vancouver and road bikes around then went to some great places for dinner and drinks. Then next morning we all wanted to go hike so Chris, Lynn, TJ and I all headed back across the border so we could hike around Mt. Baker.
It took us awhile to get there but once we got on the trail it was truly beautiful! We hiked up to the side of a glacier and then just enjoyed the view. Here’s a couple pics from the trip. I’ll post some images from the wedding later this week.

Chris and Lynn just can’t get enough of each other!

There’s about a 200 foot drop just to my right, do I look nervous?

TJ trying out for a job for an outdoor clothing model!

I tried to get them into the water but seeing as that water was glacier about 5 minutes ago it was a bit cold!

Enjoying the view

I should have brought a reflector to fill in those shadows! lol

It was hard to not just sit and enjoy

This is Bob. Bob is our new cat, his brother Tom also lives with us. I forgot what a complete pain in the ass kittens can be! lol