9/10/11 is one of those numerically perfect wedding dates, and couples know that on such dates, vendors’ calendars fill up quickly. Gilbert and Rudy walked into my studio back in February of this year and crossed it off my calendar, so I’ve had a long time to think about the kind of engagement shoot we’d do together. Rudy considers himself a night owl, and he proposed to Gilbert at the end of a long, intimate, meticulously planned evening. These guys have serious style (they even have their own wedding logo, which I’ve happily added to the photographs!) so I wanted to create an elegant, moody, intimate feel, to perhaps capture the essence of the night of the proposal, and show the intense connection between them. Although they already wear their rings, the wedding day is finally right around the corner at the Marriott in Union Square. Can’t wait!
Archive for the ‘Engagements’ Category
Gilbert + Rudy | Engagement Session
August 25, 2011Scott and Natalie’s engagement shoot took us from the stately Legion of Honor in the western part of San Francisco, all the way across town to Chez Spencer, where they actually got engaged. From the moment they met me at the Legion of Honor, I could sense their energy and intense connection with one another. Luckily for us, SF provided an afternoon flooded with equally intense sunlight, which really set the mood for the session. As Natalie and Scott danced and connected, I watched and captured the light dancing between and around them. There was something undeniably elegant and stoic about them as a couple, and I didn’t hesitate to break some rules by throwing them in the path of hard, direct light. Towards evening, as things got more mellow, we took the opportunity to get some iconic shots around the restaurant where Scott proposed. Overall, it was a great afternoon, and afterwards, we shared delicious smoky martinis at Chez. I can’t wait to document Scott and Natalie’s wedding at Hans Fahden in September!
Foggy San Francisco Summer Engagement | Stephanie + Neil
June 14, 2011Stephanie and Neil are adventure-seekers. What did we do during our engagement shoot? Climbed and descended a giant staircase (several times) near Grand View Park. Weaved through 19th Avenue traffic on motorcycles. Jumped over rocks and played in the precarious surf at Ocean Beach. Then, more climbing on sandy dunes and concrete walls. All the while, the San Francisco “summer” attacked us with unrelenting fog and wind chill. Despite the weather, the climate of our engagement session was full of energy, color and laughter. Thanks, guys! Looking forward to your wedding next April!!
I love it when couples come up with cool engagement shoot ideas, and I was absolutely thrilled when Chez suggested we should do our engagement session at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Memorial Day brought perfect weather, and we met in the late afternoon in order to take advantage of the gorgeous ‘magic hour’ sunlight. The Boardwalk was packed with people, but photography in public is just a walk in the park for these guys. We strolled up and down the Boardwalk, buying up unhealthy treats and grandé beers, chatting up employees, and taking advantage of the light and color all around. As if there wasn’t enough excitement to be had, Chez and Craig ventured on a couple of rides – first a fairly tame one, and then later, the Fireball. Intimidation factor was high, but they were undeterred. I tried to sneak onto the ride with my camera, but was turned away by the conscientious employees, and so I had to paparazzo their spin on the Fireball from down below. All in all, the session was simply awesome. Chez and Craig had limitless energy, and were totally down for every single adventure. Guys, thank you!! Looking forward to all the fun we’re going to have at your wedding next month!
When an engagement shoot approaches, I’m always keeping an eye on the weather. After all, very few people want to go out and be photographed in the rain. Well, with a 50% chance of rain, Maritel, Eric and I ultimately decided to just go for it. What we found, is that even though a rainy day can be sometimes unpleasant, the reward is well worth it. Since a dark, overcast sky can cause some pretty flat, boring light, this photographer just had to make his own. After that, illuminated droplets of rain, glistening sidewalks, puddles…all of these elements made for an incredibly fun and creative session. At some point we even stumbled upon a gentleman washing his beautiful classic car. Yep. A rainy day is the best time for a car wash, he tried to convince us. Well, it was a great time for an engagement shoot as well. Thanks, Maritel and Eric!
Jessica + Fred | San Francisco Engagement Session
May 10, 2011When you get your portrait taken in a studio, it’s usually a sit-down affair. But when all of San Francisco is your photo studio, running, climbing, jumping, dancing, skipping and twirling may all be required. I loved working with Jessica and Fred, because aside from the fact that they’re a gorgeous couple, they had amazing energy throughout our photographic adventure. Fittingly, we even pulled into the Sports Basement parking lot to do an outfit change. Can’t wait for your wedding in June guys! I hope the day is just as warm and that we have even more fun together!
