Melissa and Craig are getting married in November at the Temecula Creek Inn and contacted me after seeing another wedding I had photographed at the Temecula Creek Inn on my blog.  After chatting about their wedding plans over the phone, we decided to meet up the next time they came to Temecula to visit the Temecula Creek Inn.  We met up at Leonesse Cellars, which is one of my favorite wineries in Temecula and grabbed a glass of wine, sat on the back patio over looking the beautiful vineyard, barrel room and rolling hills of the Temecula Valley.  They mentioned how they had originally planned to hold their wedding in Paso Robles, but that the Temecula Creek Inn made it so much easier for them … rather than figuring out how to bring in a tent, and chairs, and linens, and catering, Temecula Creek Inn offered all of that in their package.  As we talked more I found out that Craig and Melissa were members at Tablas Creek Vineyard … my absolute favorite winery in Paso Robles.  Which got us talking more about wine than their wedding, but eventually we made it back to wedding plans and details!

For Melissa and Craig’s engagement session I drove up from San Diego to Rancho Palos Verdes to meet up with them.  They live right outside of Palos Verdes, and wanted to incorporate some of the feel of that area, since they’re wedding will be in Temecula.  I had a great time exploring the beautiful communities around Palos Verdes before we started the shoot.  Ultimately we decided to start at the historic Malaga Cove Library and the shops nearby.

After photographing around the library we wandered down to the shops.  I absolutely loved all the mixed design of the buildings in the Malaga Cove shops, the old fig and eucalyptus trees, and as Melissa and I would agree, there was a lot of great texture down there!

Like any good relationship, Melissa and Craig have their rivalries … namely Arizona v. UCLA.  When we first met in Temecula, one of their musts for the engagement photos was to incorporate their favorite teams.  They even have a doormat for each team, and whichever team wins that year their doormat gets displayed out front until the following season.  I think Craig is supposed to be enjoying coming home to his team’s name on the front step at this point!

After photographing around Malaga Cove and a quick wardrobe change, we drove over to the incredible Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes.  This place is fantastic, and we had such a blast, although, I think we all felt like we were going to get kicked out at any moment.  The landscaping and buildings around Terranea as well as the views of the cliffs, and Pacific ocean are incredible.  There’s a beautiful cove below the resort, as well as a public walking path that goes around the outside.  We, however, drove right up to the front gates, parked and wandered all through the resort.

Melissa and Craig, I had a great time hanging out with you guys in Palos Verdes, and am really looking forward to your wedding!  Thanks for making the session so fun, and for the delicious fish tacos afterwards!

Friends and Family members can register at Pictage to view the images from their engagement as well as their wedding photos as soon as they’re available by clicking here.

I am so excited to be photographing Joana + Roberts upcoming wedding in October.  I met with Joana and Robert to talk about their wedding plans after their wedding planner Lindsy Hines recommended me.  The first time I met with them, Robert did most of the talking and Joana was quiet and shy.  Before we had our engagement session they wanted to meet up again to talk about what to expect.  It seems they had lots of questions about what the engagement session would be like.  We met at Sogno Di Vino which is an annex of their favorite restaurant in Little Italy Bon Appetito for a glass of wine and to talk about the upcoming engagement photos.  A glass of wine turned into a bottle, and we talked for over an hour about their wedding plans, wine, work, how they met, and a little bit about the photo session.  We decided on shooting in Balboa Park which is very close to where Robert works, and he often runs through the park during the days.

We met up by the Prado, and walked over to Alcazar Garden to start their photos.  I love Alcazar Gardens because it seems to be off the radar for a lot of visitors to Balboa Park and is very beautiful.  It’s a small area, but includes some of the great architecture that Balboa Park offers and is a quiet place to start portraits without all the people that you’ll find throughout the rest of the park.

From the quiet of Alcazar Garden and the front of the Museum of Man, Joana and Robert got changed and we attended a rally at the Spreckels Organ Pavillion … this was the exact opposite of the garden, I mean, there were literally hundreds of people around the pipe organ with someone screaming into a microphone to the point of being distorted past comprehension.  Robert and Joana did great even though they couldn’t hear me, at this time, they were totally comfortable in front of the camera and gave me great looks for the photos.  

The arboretum is another great location in Balboa Park and a spot Robert was excited to photograph around.

As the light faded in the park we were sad that the cafe lights that line El Prado, but we still took advantage of the fading light and got some great twilight shots on the main boulevard that travels through Balboa Park. I’m so looking forward to Joana + Robert’s wedding after their engagement photos in Balboa Park, and it’s coming up fast!

Family and friends can go to Pictage to register to view the images from their engagement shoot as well as their wedding photos as soon as their available by clicking here.

On my last trip back East, I met up with Betsy and John at Betsy’s parent’s home in Maryland for their engagement photos.  Betsy and John are planning their wedding in June of next year, and I’m so excited to be included in their wedding plans.  Like most of my couples I could tell they were a bit nervous at first when we got started, but unlike some couples, they immediately relaxed and seemed to really enjoy being with each other, and didn’t seem to care that I was pointing a camera at them.

We had a great time wandering around the small town of Eldersburg near her parents home to start, taking advantage of the old split rail fences, the stone buildings of old town Eldersburg as well as the trains and even, maybe breaking into a restaurant that wasn’t yet opened!

After wandering around Eldersburg, we went back to Betsy’s parent’s beautiful home and large yard to continue their engagement photos.  The lush grass, big old trees are something I definitely miss when photographing around most of San Diego.  Even though it was the middle of the day, the light dappling though the heavy canopy of old trees around Betsy’s parent’s home was simply beautiful.  Also … it was close to 100 degrees, but I don’t think you can tell at all from the photos.

Betsy and John were really a fun and beautiful couple to photograph.  I can’t wait for their wedding day next June and look forward to hearing more about their plans, although it sounds like most everything is already wrapped up … they have the winter to relax and wait for the big day!

Friends and Family members, if you would like to see the rest of Betsy and John’s engagement photos, you can click here to sign up at Pictage to be notified when they’re online and you’ll also be notified as soon as their wedding photos are ready next year!

I met Jean and Frank at Cylburn Arboretum for their engagement shoot just two weeks before their wedding.  Jean contacted me in San Diego back in March as she and Frank planned their wedding for the end of May.  Since I was traveling to Puerto Rico at the beginning of May and they wanted the opportunity to meet with me in person, and also wanted engagement photos, I decided to fly into Baltimore before flying on to Puerto Rico.  It was a beautiful fall afternoon in Maryland when we met at the Cylburn Arboretum; a secret gem of a location just north of Baltimore where you can roam the grounds and feel as if you’re the only one on the whole property.  After a glass of wine (or two) at Cylburn, we headed down to Fells Point for the cobblestone streets and brick row homes as well as the view over the harbor.

I had a great time hanging out with Jean and Frank for the afternoon, and can’t wait to share their wedding photos … coming soon! Check out a few more of their engagement photos below.

Friends and family members can register to view the rest of their engagement photos as well as their wedding photos at Pictage.

I recently traveled back to Maryland again for one of my last East Coast weddings of the year which was actually held in Deleware … more about that later.  But before I left for Maryland, I had been exchanging emails with Megan about her wedding plans for next fall.  During our discussions Megan and I talked about doing engagement portraits and how much she would like to have photos taken of her and her fiance Chris while there was still some beautiful colors on the trees.  The great thing about traveling from San Diego to Maryland during the Spring and Fall is that I get to experience those most beautiful of seasons on the East Coast.  Fall this year in Maryland was beautiful, and I’m so glad I got to travel back at the peak of the Fall colors.

Since I was going to be in town anyway, we set up a shoot on Friday afternoon at the beautiful Ladew Gardens.  Ladew is known primarily as a topiary garden, so I didn’t think we would find a lot of beautiful fall colors.  Our initial plan was to meet at Ladew, get some shots, then travel around the beautiful farm country in Baltimore County to find some nice rolling hills with the brilliant yellows and reds; split rail fences, farmhouses, perhaps even a horse or two … too much to ask for?

Well the point is Ladew is absolutely beautiful, and there were a lot of trees in full fall display, so while we did get out and find a nice farm, with a split rail fence and even some horses, we spent the majority of the shoot at Ladew and had a great time!

Chris and Megan were great and I’m really excited to keep talking with them as their wedding plans develop!  Check out a few of the images from our shoot below.

Susan called me out on not having any Hispanic couples in my portfolio. Before I left Maryland, I found these cool buttons to give to them at our shoot. Thanks for being such a great couple! Congratulations on your engagement and I wish you all the best – Kristy and I will definitely look you up for drinks when we get into town permanently!