Elle made this shoot easy. She definitely felt comfortable in front of the camera. Often times clients feel awkward in front of the lens, and as a result the poses look "posed". This can become challenging to the photographer... capturing photos that are natural and candid-like. I try to capture those small moments, a glimpse, a small smile, or a laugh...something that reveals my client's personality. Something candid and real. As you can see, this came naturally for her. Elle came well prepared with many outfit choices.  Bringing different outfits allows for larger variety of pictures.  I like this location particularly in the spring because the foliage is so green and many of the wild flowers are in bloom.  There is also a wide range of different areas to shoot, allowing me to easily change the setting without driving to another location.  

Finally getting rain here in Southern California and early in the week it was looking like a rain out, with some big storms hitting at the end of the week. We lucked out getting a beautiful Saturday break in between storms which left us with a gorgeous sunset.

First time doing a photo shoot at this location and liked it a lot. So many details and backdrops to explore. Such a great looking family and great location made for one of my favorite family shoots. Would love to come back to this location for a Senior shoot one day.

After a couple re-schedules, including a rainout the previous weekend, we finally got this done. Was hoping for one of those great sunsets and then just hoped for some sun as a thick fog bank rolled in ten minutes into the shoot. Thankfully it cleared out after twenty minutes and we ended up with a great session. Ashley and Kyle were very natural and comfortable in front of the camera, a joy to work with.

Another Team and Individual shoot from Glendora High School. Have done the Boys Golf for two years now and glad to get asked to photograph the girls as well. Fun group of girls made for a very quick and fun shoot. 

Was pretty excited to get an email asking me to do the Glendora High School Girls Volleyball program. Great group of girls and coaches made for a very smooth and fun shoot. Girls Golf is up next.

This our third year doing the Team and Individual photos for the Glendora High School Pep Club and the first where we didn't do them at a location off school grounds. I am a fanatic about having a nice background and correct sun placement for these shoots, but sometimes you have to just do your best with what works for the client. In the end it turned out very nice and the Pep Club is always great to work with. More info on our Team and Individual services can be found HERE.

Definitely my favorite bike race of the year to cover. This was my 5th year in a row and it just keeps getting better, 

Night One Blue Dome Criterium

Day Two Brady Arts District Criterium

Day Three River Parks Criterium (Cry Baby Hill)

Found this spot over at Bonelli Park awhile ago while mt. biking and have wanted to do a session here. It is a bit of a walk, but worth it. Got there a bit late so kind of a rush to get it in before we lost all the back lighting. Then off to the college where she had requested a second session. 

I actually met this family at a previous wedding I shot earlier in the year.  The bride was very easy going and never seemed stressed or anxious.  Her family was a lot of fun, making it easy to get those candid shots at the reception and on the dance floor.  Candid shots are my favorite.  I love capturing those intimate moments in time that are unrehearsed, natural and real... a look, a smile, a touch... a wrinkle in time that can never be recreated.  I want to thank the Harmon Family for giving allowing me to capture the beginning of their happily ever after.  

This past week I shot an engagement shoot for Emily and Garret.  They were looking for something a bit more rustic so I decided to take them to a large park in our area. This park is one of my favorite places to shoot because of the variety it has to offer  There is beautiful docks, a lake with ducks, a beautiful hillside with mustard plants and gorgeous willow trees.  The scenery changes with each season, which one of the reasons why I love this place.   

This couple was so relaxed and patient that it quickly became a fun and easy shoot.  They were not camera shy and were very easy to pose which lead to some amazing and beautiful shots.  Even though the sky was kind of muggy, it ended up making the lighting perfect for all of the dock photos that were taken.  Of course it always helps when the Bride-To-Be has an idea of what she wants... a change of clothes, special pose requests, props.   Lighting is always a concern of mine.  The sunset this evening was disappointing, none-the-less we were able to get some beautiful shots.   All in all, a fun couple plus a great spot is always the recipe for a perfect engagement shoot... sun or no sun. 

This was a very special shoot for me, not only getting to photograph my daughter and her fiance, but getting to experience the challenge of shooting at a very crowded beach.  The first shoot was taken in Balboa which was much easier to photograph being that there was not a person to be seen.  I then thought it would be awesome to get some sunset shots over by the Huntington Beach Pier.  Once we got there,  I could not even describe the insanity that was going on around us.  I kept the shots under the pier tight and was later thankful for photoshop.  In looking back at the pictures, one would never the know the chaos and commotion going on around us.  In lieu of all this,  I was able to capture what appears to be an intimate moment, at sunset, under the pier.  Like I've said before, each shoot poses its own unexpected challenge and in this case it was definitely crowd control.  However when it was all said and done, we were able to capture some very beautiful shots plus the added bonus of  getting to see my daughter's happiness through the lens of my camera.