Happy Birthday!

Daniel is three!!!!!! I guess I can't call him my baby anymore. No, that won't stop me, he's still my baby.

Rochelle and Doug

Rochelle and Doug are some of the nicest people I've met in a long time. They are absolutely thrilled about each other and their upcoming wedding, so it was easy to get great engagement shots. For the engagement session, we chose the Botanic Gardens and the area around the Mission Inn, both in Riverside. They are just so darn nice!!!

David and Diana

I had so much fun on this engagement shoot. Dave & Diana are getting married in Huntington Beach on June 2nd. Dave proposed on this beach, very close to the spot where the above photo was taken (insert romantic music here). When I do an engagement session, we usually shoot at more than one location. On this shoot we parked a couple blocks away from the beach and casually strolled along, taking photos at my pre-selected spots on our way to the shore. Many people don't realize how cool an old building can look in a photo. It's all about contrast. It is ugly, they are beautiful. I love this shot:

Natalia and Yop

Natalia and Yop are getting married on April 14th. For engagement photos, they allowed me to choose the location and I decided on Newport Beach. In addition to the standard "beach shots", we spent time exploring the Fun Zone, since they're a fun couple. I can't wait to photograph the wedding!!! Here are some of the photos. Nothing but fun in the OC!!!

BWA

Babies With Attitude. Most children like to snuggle off to bed with a soft teddy bear or a blankie. Not my Daniel. He prefers his cold, scaly crocodille. Can't wait to see him as a teenager!

Taylor and Kevin

Last week's engagement photo session with Taylor and Kevin was awesome. For some reason I keep getting clients that look like professional models. I think good looking people feel comfortable with me since I'm so good looking...... ha ha! I make me laugh!

2nd Cameraman

Check out this sweet photo taken by Jason, my 2nd cameraman. I don't like shooting weddings alone. There are so many things going on, having another set of eyes is key to getting the goods. If you like the photojournalistic style and you plan on getting an album, you really need two cameras going. When this shot was taken I was following the bride and groom, so I wasn't even thinking of this little sweetie. Jason nailed it!

Your Wedding Website

Zaki and Gader are a fun couple who will be getting married on the perfect day, 7/7/07. They've just completed their wedding website using my engagement photos, and I must say they did a great job! Check it:
zakiandgader.com
Personal wedding websites are all the rage. After the wedding, it becomes your family's website, which is just the coolest thing on the family tree. Here is the company Zaki and Gader used for their site:
ourweddingwebsites.com
All my wedding packages and engagement sessions include the digital files, so making your own personal website is always an option.

The Paisano Identity

So there I was, driving through the OC with my gear in the trunk, a cancelled photo shoot and the afternoon off. So what do I do? I call my good friend Jeff Paisano and say, “Photo shoot. You bring the props.” In my vocabulary, that pretty much means it’s on. So Jeff decides we’re going full Jack Bauer style and next thing I know we’re running around Laguna Beach like madmen. Jeff busts out his patented spy walking techniques, I bust out the spy lens, people are coming out of their stores to look, mom’s are holding their babies tighter, it’s crazy. Full 24 season five photo shoot for no reason whatsoever. Yes, this is what I do for fun. Come on now, just because you’re an adult doesn't mean you have to grow up.

Sunsets

Gader and Zaki are getting married on 7/7/07 (the perfect day). As an engagement photo, they wanted a silhouetted sunset on the beach. The shoot went great, it was alot of fun. Engagement sessions are a great time to get to know your photographer, and that's important. The more relaxed you are around your photographer, the better your pictures will be on wedding day, since you won't be looking into the lens of a stranger. No paparazzi!!!!