My Two Favorite Brides

I have shot some amazing, beautiful and wonderful brides but if I had to make a choice these would be my two favorite brides of all time. Now, I am a little prejudice as these two are my own daughters so they do have a slight advantage over all you other amazing brides that have allowed me to be a part of your day.

As I was finishing up Rebecca’s wedding photos and moving all the files to the back up drive, I was reminded that we had done a very quick bridal shoot and I needed to get those on the disc to her too. On the day she had made plans for her hair and makeup to be done we had an unplanned medical situation with a family member and were going to be very short on time. Instead of going to an outside location we just put up the back drops and did a mini session so she could check out her look. She’s as gorgeous as ever and we might even send a few of these to the bridal store where she bought her dress.

I went back and pulled a few from Elizabeth’s bridal photos. When she got married in March 2007 I had neither a blog nor a facebook page and missed the opportunity to share any pictures from her bridal photos. So here a just a few of her.

These girls have many things in common but they are also so very different. They are their own individual selves and have been since the day they got here. May they love and lean on each other long after I am gone.

Back on a protography thought. I recommend to all brides that they do a “dry run” of their wedding day. Make-up, hair, and dress with the underclothes they will be wearing that day whether or not they plan on having any bridal pictures done. It gives them a sense of long it will take them to get ready (so many brides underestimate this). It lets them see how everything looks together and if they really do like their hair that way. I had a bride who wanted to wear false eye lashes. She had been told by many that they really look good in photos (and they usually really do), but she had never wore them before so her eyes felt very heavy and she just didn’t feel right. Her own lashes were so long that they actually overpowered the false ones and it just wasn’t working. She took them off and her whole smile and facial expressions went back to their natural beautiful look. She was so glad she figured that out before the day of her wedding. I had another bride that underestimated the drop in the back of her dress and realized that she needed different underclothes. So my advice is to always do a pre-wedding day “dress rehearsal” just to be sure your wedding day is as you picture it.

Dan and Rebecca's Wedding Video

Here is a video of Dan and Rebecca’s wedding day. It is about 6 ½ minutes. I did a full length one (about 26 minutes) that had a lot more pictures and music but it too long to share on the blog.  Finally getting everything done and shipped off to them. I was reminded how important it is to sync your cameras if you don’t want to spend hours trying to inter sort pictures. I ordered a new pictured cd/dvd cover that I custom designed.

These custom printed cases are a little pricey but I really like them and are going to start offering with my full day packages or as an add on to the smaller packages. I will still carry the leather cases but I think these are just another great way to personalize things.

Anaheim Wedding Album

Anaheim Wedding Album
Click link for slide show

With brides getting back to us with their pictures choices we have been doing our best to get albums designed and ordered so that we can beat the fast approaching Holiday deadlines from the album companies. Here is a look at and Anaheim wedding album that we ordered from Graphi Studios. Is was a larger (9x13) album which allows us to put a few more pictures on the pages. The album turned out wonderful. Can you tell what the brides favorite color is?

We all work for incentive.

These are four of the cutest and most energetic kids you’ll ever meet. (I can say that because they are my nephews and niece. Have you ever heard the expression “herding kittens”? That can off times be accurate when shooting kids at these ages. Out in a new fun place (Botanical Gardens in Riverside) with lots of cool bugs and trails to explore.

The Cristales had put off taking a family photo (see below post about when it the perfect time) and Rod was going to be visiting relatives that he hadn’t seen in over 30 years. They really wanted to have an updated family photo so we were under the gun to get these pictures taken and couldn’t “wait for a better time” so after a long hot day of having to “be good” at school we were now going to be challenged to get these guys to cooperate for a quick family shoot. 

Well as you can see by these cute photos, we did it.

You get this great side shot when the children you are shooting are your 2nd photographer’s kids and she quickly takes the second camera and does what she does best, starts taking some pictures.

Some people use that ugly word “bribes” I prefer incentive. We all do things for “incentives”. Even at our jobs, promotions, advancements heck even our very pay check is incentive. How did we do it? What did their Mom use for incentive? Coldstone Ice Cream. Hey, that would even work for me.

Here is a picture of me and four of my favorite kids!

Is there a perfect time?

When is the last time you had a family picture taken? Before your youngest even had their first tooth? Two children ago? 25 lbs ago? What has been holding you back from booking a family photo session?
Is there ever a perfect time to have photographs taken of your family?
It’s so easy to say-
“We have so much going on”
“I’m too fat”
“Sue is still in braces”
“We’re too busy”
“Maybe next year”

I just want to say STOP IT! We need to take the time to appreciate the value of family photos, if not for ourselves (because we’re too fat or whatever), then for our children. In 20 years, your children are not going to say, “I really love this photo but I wish my mom had waited until she lost some weight or that my sister was out of braces.”

I have had occasions in the past where this has been brought up with a sad reminder to me. Like the call I got just a few weeks after a wedding. We had some time before the reception and per the brides request we had taken some individual shots of the families that were there. One of those family shots was of an Uncle and his family. They called me wanting to know if they could get that picture right away as they wanted to use it at his funeral services. He had been out trimming a tree and taken a fall that was fatal. This was the only family pictures they had all together in many, many years.

I have had some humbling reminders of this again last week as I got a call to please come and take some family portraits before a beautiful and beloved daughter; sister, mother and friend had to have immediate surgery to remove cancer and then started immediate chemotherapy treatments.


We never know what tomorrow will bring. Life is quickly racing by. So my answer to my own question is, there is no “perfect” time to take a family picture, so as Nike would say, “Just do it”.


Thanks, to this family who allowed me to again share some special moments and trusted me to capture the language of love that their family speaks. Thanks for reminding me what is truly important.

Kevin and Bree's Album

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This is quick look at an album I designed and ordered last week from a Newport Beach LDS Temple Wedding from a while back. It will be a 10x10 Art Leather Album. It’s smaller, only 10 pages (20 sides) but I think they did a great job of picking pictures to tell the story line of their day. I know it’s hard to see the details in the little slide show pictures but it gives you an idea of what a beautiful bride Bree was and talk about gorgeous colors.

It been a while since I’ve had a wedding in Newport but I just love photographing there as there is almost always an ocean breeze to keep things pleasant and except for early in the mornings you are usually blessed with blue skies.

Dan and Rebecca

What a magic day. You take one gorgeous bride, one handsome groom; add in some wonderful friends and family and some picture perfect weather (Only 89 in mid August in Southern California) and it was a perfect day! I am only going to post a few pictures here for now. As you can imagine I have more than a few pictures to go through so I hope this will to do for now. A full blog posting will come later. For now if you want to see more of their pictures you can go to their online albums at www.printroom.com/pro/crphotos

Forever in our hearts...we will always remember.

I don’t really put personal things out here on my photography blog but today I really feel like I have to take a moment to remind mostly myself to always take the time to spend with friends and love ones and to never forget the events of September 11, 2001.

As fall approaches and the weather cools I find myself getting nostalgic this time of year. For me, fall is a season for remembering. Yesterday would have been my brothers 45th birthday. I still miss him. Nine years ago today our nation was changed forever. I still cry. It was nine years ago today I found out I had a heart because it was ripped from my chest when the towers got hit and collapsed, as the pentagon got hit and as the heroes took that plane down in an open field to save the lives of so many others.

We are a strong and resilient people, but we must always remember. Remember that day, remember the lives lost and remember that life is short. Let us remember what is important and be thankful for the blessing we do have in our lives. One of my favorite sayings is, “Some things are urgent, some things are important…learn the difference.”

Today I challenge you to reflect on the things that are important in your life and to be sure to always remember. Remember this day of tragedy with an affirmation of life. Take today to remember who and what is important and take the time today to share a very precious moment of life with them.


Below is a clip that my brother carried around in his flight planner. You might recognize the last three words that Nike has taken for one of their slogans but now you have the rest of the story.

May we all step outside our comfort zone and really live life. I love you forever Bro!

Christian and Michelle's Wedding Day

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I had so much fun sharing Christian and Michelle's wedding day. I have had the privilege to get to know Michelle a little more personal then I do most bride’s as she has been one of my daughters roommates at collage. When my daughter saw one of the pictures Michelle had displayed in her room, a picture from her brothers wedding. She recognized it as one that I had taken. Unbeknownst to them when they became roommates I had meet Michelle's family several years before when I had the privilege of capturing her Brother's wedding day memories. I had the opportunity to get to know Michelle better through my daughter and some wonderful roommate pictures that we took of all six of the roommates. I got to know Christian and see his tenderness towards Michelle when we spent the morning taking some fun engagement photos. (See posting from April)

What a compliment it is when a family is happy with your work and hires you for a 2nd time. Inviting you back to captures their special memories and share in their next child’s special day. I loved seeing the Chavez family (missing of course the son who is on a mission serving the Lord) and seeing how the family has grown (two adorable granddaughters…one brand new) and remembering all the fun that family is. Also it was great getting to know the Wagner family. What an amazing family Christian has. They came from far away to support him and were all so easy to work with. A special thank you to his wonderful Mom, Lorilee. My daughter loved Christian and Michelle’s sign in book and how they had used their engagement photos so much. Lorilee, even while busy getting ready for his open house helped us get a sign in book ordered. Thank you. Talk about a joining of two wonderful families.

Here are just a few more from their day. If you know Christian and Michelle you can view all their photos at www.printroom.com/pro/crphotos