Patricia + John

Earlier this year, I hosted a "Trash the Dress" photography session at the Santa Fe Dam. The superintendant of the park is the nicest guy and helped me out tremendously in organizing that event and also saving me some money in permit fees too. Well, this superintendant, John, saw the results of that photo session and hired me to capture his wedding day memories. Turns out the bride, Patricia, is as nice as he is! The ceremony was held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Artesia. We took a break nearby at the Cerritos City Hall and Sculpture Garden to grab a few shots and then it was off to the party at the Cerritos Senior Center where John, Patricia, and everyone danced and partied the night away.

Please click on a picture to enlarge it.

Of Bar Mitzvahs and Broncos

If there's one thing I love almost as much as photography, it's learning about another culture. This past weekend, I was introduced in depth to the Jewish religion when I had the privilege to document Jeremy's Bar Mitzvah. I learned a great deal about Judiasm and more specifically the importance of the coming of age of a Jewish child.
Jeremy celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at the Congregation Emanu El of San Bernardino. I have to give Rabbi Douglas Kohn many thanks. He was the officiant of the ceremony and educated those not familiar with the Jewish faith about the nuances and importance of the faith. He also permitted me to have a front row seat to photograph Jeremy's coming of age, which gave me the opportunity to take some fabulous pictures!
The celebration continued afterwards at The National Orange Show Events Center. The staff outdid themselves decorating the hall with a Denver Broncos theme. Did I forget to tell you that Jeremy's father, Greg, is a HUGE Broncos fan? Well, the pictures did not do justice to all the hard work the staff put into the event. Jeremy and family had a lot of fun dancing, playing games, and eating way too much!

Please click on each picture to see an enlarged view.

The Budding Ballerina

Young Delilah is taking ballet lessons, and she looked so adorable in her ballerina outfit that her mother, Maureen, needed to capture that cuteness! I was happy to oblige. Delilah was a lot of fun to work with and had a bundle of energy that kept me on my toes. She even came up with her own ideas for costume changes and poses! In fact, she insisted on taking pictures with her new cat, which proved to be a bit of a challenge, considering cats are extremely independent animals. Luckily, we were able to take some shots of the cat looking straight at the camera, and also many great shots of Delilah too!

Please click on a picture to see more detail.

Helping to define "Pure Elegance"

Simone Dickerson of Pure Elegance Salon has been slowly and successfully building her business with her bridal suite and spa. You've already seen some pictures of her salon and suites in my previous posts. Last week we spent the day building up her photo portfolio emphasizing hair styles, dresses, and make-up. I also worked with Hala, another stylist at the salon, to photograph her work. In fact, we had a great time because Hala invited her relatives as models for the photo shoot. These girls really know how to have a good time! In fact, they were up for anything, even humoring me with my crazy idea of taking pictures in the alley behind the salon, as you can see in the pictures below.

Please click on any photo to see an enlarged view.

Revisiting the '80's, Workman High School Style!

Last weekend, I was able to travel back in time to my favorite decade, the 1980's! William Workman High School celebrated their 25-year reunion at The Mission Inn in Riverside. I was the lucky photographer that was called upon to capture portraits of some old friends and acquaintances. The rad music from the '80's was only topped by the great architecture and atmosphere of the Mission Inn. If you haven't visited this place, you're missing out on one of the jewels in Riverside! I have to thank Jackie Cummings for making this event possible for her class. Things went smoothly and everyone had a great time!

Please click on a picture to see an enlarged view.

Marsha + Stephan

Let's continue the beach theme, and head over to Long Beach, where Marsha and Stephan celebrated their special day. Marsha and her party began the day at Pure Elegance Salon in Bellflower, where she took advantage of their bridal suites and enjoyed a relaxing buffet, spa and salon services, and prepped for the big event later in the day. Tonya, Marsha's sister and co-Maid of Honor, is also a hair stylist at Pure Elegance, went above and beyond in organizing and creating a special atmosphere in the bridal suites for Marsha.
Everyone later met up at the wedding site, which took place at The Grand in Long Beach. The ceremony was held outside in beautiful weather, and the celebration continued inside all night! Special thanks to wedding coordinator Karen Morgan of "Love and Grace Catering and Events" for creating such a beautiful day for the happy couple!
Please click on any picture to enlarge it.

Vivian + Jason, Engagement Session

Well it looks like I'm a regular fixture at Aliso Beach! I had the pleasure of enjoying the surf and sand, but this time for Vivian and Jason. They're an engaged couple that are getting married this month in Hawaii. Lucky couple! I won't be accompanying them for the wedding, but it was fun working with them to memorialize their engagement. I actually met Vivian when I was hosting the Trash The Dress Photo Session at the Santa Fe Dam this past June. Below are some photographs from Vivian's and Jason's engagement shoot.
Please click on a photo to enlarge.

Heather's Day At The Beach, Trashing The Dress!

It looks like the beach proved popular in the hot weather -- no, not for swimmers and tourists, but for brides! Young bride Heather decided to trash her dress at Aliso Beach, in order to get some spectacular photographs. The tide was low and the water was a bit more cooperative than in some other photo shoots I've had at the beach. We came away with some great shots!

Please click on each picture to get an enlarged view.

Trashing the Dress at Laguna Beach with Jenni

It was over 100 degrees in some parts of Southern California this past Sunday! What better way to spend the day than at the beach in the cool water? Well that's exactly what bride-to-be Jenni did...except she did it in a wedding dress! Jenni was one of our brides/models at my last "Trash the Dress" event at the Santa Fe Dam a few weeks ago. She had to leave early and missed out on having her picture taken while in the lake.
We made up for this by trashing her dress again at Aliso Beach , located in south Orange County in the city of Laguna Beach. The waves and tides were pretty wild. They made for some great pictures, but Jenni got tossed around a few times with the waves. Luckily, she only came away with a few scratches, a torn dress, and some fantastic pictures! Jenni's getting married in August, but it won't be in this dress! :o)

Please click on each picture to get an enlarged view.