here is a sneak peek from palm springs! i love when brides and grooms are up for some fun and creative ideas! every moment i looked at the windmills, i thought of hundreds of flowers rotating around in the breeze. more photos to come soon darlings!
Archive for March, 2010
Destination Wedding Photographer Palm Springs California
March 28, 2010On assignment until Friday
March 22, 2010To my clients, prospective clients, and friends:
I will be heading to the Los Angeles Califonia and Orange County on several shoots this week and return to shoot a wedding Saturday. I will have limited access to email and phone. I appreciate your patience!
how to plan for an engagement shoot
March 17, 2010now that it is spring, i have many couples hiring me as a photographer to take their engagement photos. when thinking of location ideas for engagement shoots, i always try to encourage my clients to bring their personality to the shoot. i have had couples dress smart, some couples coordinate outfits, and other couples taking a more casual approach. my favorite time of day to shoot is in the morning before my clients go to work, or in the afternoon. i love the warm lighting during these times of days.
PREPARING FOR YOUR SHOOT
before the shoot, plenty of rest, plenty of water. no exceptions! you want to be at the top of your game. some brides use their engagement shoot as the perfect occasion to schedule their hair and makeup trial appointments. this way, you can see how your “look” is going to look in photographs. whether you go with airbrush or liquid make up, most makeup artists know that bridal makeup needs to be applied a bit heavier than usual so that it shows well in photos. while mineral based makeup provides a nice natural glow, i strongly advise against using any makeup that contains a high amount of titanium dioxide as this appears ghostly in flash photography. having professional makeup done for your engagement shoot will allow you to get a feel for your makeup artist and provide a really polished look for your photos.
LOCATIONS
while many couples choose the skyline as a backdrop, i encourage everyone to think outside of the box and bring a bit of your personality into your choice of location. instead of easily having your shoot location be where everyone one else has done theirs, think about your hobbies and interests, and see if you can tie them into your engagement session. it isn’t out of the question to talk to a theater about using their venue for photos. is there a restaurant where you got engaged that would be great for some cozy photos? if you’ve always dreamed of being a fireman, why not take some photos in a cool fire station? did you meet at the gym and want to incorporate that into your photos? do you spend a lot of time in the library studying? i’m all for creative ideas for engagement shoot locations. while some locations require permits, many locations will simply let you use their facility for photos if it is during a time where they are not busy.
malibu wedding photographer santa monica and beyond
March 10, 2010
surfer in black & white, malibu beach, malibu, callifornia
konditor meister wedding cake with a nautical theme
March 8, 2010i love the sea (have we talked about this before?) and i am currently wrapping up edits on a coastal winter wedding. as a wedding photographer, i’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to shoot some pretty awesome weddings near or overlooking the water – wedding venues such as the Harvard University owned CRI Rowing new modern Boathouse on the Charles River in Boston, the famed Hammond Castle in Gloucester, the newly built Duxbury Bay Maritime overlooking the bay, the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham, MA, Cohasset’s historic 1704 Red Lion Inn. a few of my coastal weddings for 2010 include the White Elephant Hotel on Nantucket Island and Newport, Rhode Island Oceancliff Hotel.
many of my clients who have seaside or island weddings go with a navy or nautical theme. i am currently wrapping up edits on a wedding that was carefully decorated with a classic New England navy blue color theme. below are some photos of a wedding cake with a blue ribbon from the world renowned wedding bakery Konditor Meister.
This particular cake was a round, four tier wedding cake, covered in light ivory buttercream frosting with a wide navy ribbon overlaying a narrow champagne ribbon at the bottom of each layer and swiss dots decorating the entire cake. The top and bottom layer was carrot cake with cream cheese filling, the second layer was chocolate cake with oreo filling, and the third layer was gold cake with Grand Marnier filing and fresh strawberries. Are you hungry yet?
chinese wedding favors
March 7, 2010last night i photographed another chinese wedding. i love documenting traditions such as the tea ceremony and the li shi money in the red envelope. the double happiness symbol was present throughout the day, adorning the door to the wedding ceremony as well as in front of the bride and groom during the actual ceremony. the bride and groom gave me a wedding favor before i wrapped up shooting. it was a small tea strainer / tea infuser shaped like a house. a tea house, get it?! if you are looking for a cute high quality wedding favor that is good for any wedding including chinese weddings, these rock! you can buy the tea house tea infuser with its own little drip tray here.
I shoot resorts, lifestyle, interiors, exteriors, spas, food and dining, resort grounds and landscaping, destination weddings, and events. Happy clients have been passing new work to me, and I am so grateful to be able to do what I love. My photography has appeared in several national and international publications including Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine, The Knot, Caribbean Trave + Life, and This Old House, just to name a few.
I love natural, clean photographs, with minimal digital processing. Though years ago I once had to superimpose a bowl of fruit on a bare table to create a more interesting image for a hardcover publication, early speed bumps like this made me learn long ago that it is essential to develop a visual theme and stage accordingly to generate the look you are going for.
When a new luxury resort is built, or an existing hotel changes hands and is upgraded, hiring a resort photographer is a must. Advertising agencies and marketing departments know that sub-par photography makes for lackluster brochures and ineffective advertising. For resort and architectural photography, my goal is always to create a photograph that communicates the most ideal representation of a space. A marketing consultant will look at what can be created to attract specific audience segments. Taking cues from a photojournalist perspective, I like to document the guest experience through lifestyle photography. Photographing a resort at the right time of year is also a must. It is most practical to arrive when the resort is not at full occupancy, and when the landscaping is at optimal bloom. From the big picture to the small details, I ensure my clients are aware that taking all the necessary time to produce stunning visual imagery is essential. While high impact resort photography is only one aspect of promoting a resort’s brand, it provides an enticing, visual display of a hotel or resort’s offerings both online and in print for your customers.
Here are some images from a recent shoot used in a marketing campaign for a leading luxury resort and spa.
cupcakes and candy buffets to sweeten up your day
March 4, 2010over the last few years, i have noticed a trend in couples offering an array of sweets at wedding receptions. i have seen everything from chocolate fondue, fruit tables, color coordinated candy buffets with jars, scoops and even little chinese food containers, along with cupcakes arranged on a tiered stand to replicate the look (and sometimes even replace) a wedding cake. there are many cupcake bakeries popping up in nearly every major city, as well as wedding cake bakeries offering cupcakes now. for candy, there are online candy suppliers, wholesale stores like costco and BJ’s, and even local shops that offer handmade candies and baked goods. i have even seen some wedding planners and day of coordinators are starting to offer candy bar setup including jar and supply rental. check with your venue or caterer to see if they will assist in setup and breakdown of your candy buffet as well. often, the venue coordinator and servers are busy with their normal routine, so friends, family members of hired coordinators can set up the candy station if you plan in advance. for jars, you can find apothecary jars or canister jars sometimes on sale at discount department stores. the container store is another good resource. craft stores and etsy are a great place to find DIY elements for a candy station including ribbons, labels, and even blocks to provide varying elevations for a unique visual array of jars.
