Ryan & Celeste Funky Montana Wedding!

This is Celeste, at her parents' place in Butte...

Celeste's wedding colors were "pink and leopard".

She removed the sleeves from her dress and made gloves, and it looked divine.

This is Ryan.

Well, actually, this is more like Ryan.

Look at his awesome side of the wedding party! They are way too cool for you. Just kidding!

Celeste wore these leopard print stilettos. A really long time. And never complained. I just love that about her!

Ahh, the ceremony...just look at grampa's hat dad is wearing!

The ceremony had some tough light (full sun, facing the bride) but the officiant (Ryan's Dad) was so cute (he was so emotional in the beginning he laughed about hoping he could make it through the ceremony), and the vows so personal and absolutely perfect that the sun was the last thing on anyones mind...

Oh yeah! I love this shot of Ryan seeing Celeste (for the first time) on her way...

Everyone in the wedding party was talented, creative, and full of life...see that suit? Joe sewed it himself ;) Here are some favorite shots.....

Philana wrote and performed the most incredible song personalized for Celeste and Ryan. OMG.

I feel like I've left so much out! To see the entire slideshow, click here!

The Groom, Beach Ceremony, Reception Lighting tricks!

This is Brian the Best Man & Greg the Groom. You don't need me to tell you they are brothers, do you?! I just absolutely love this shot of them. They are so adorable, aren't they?

I'm a sucker for camera tricks, so I thought it was hilarious when Greg (or was it Brian) says, "Oh! We should do 'big head, little head'!"

As guests arrived on the beach for the ceremony, the sea breeze danced by and made the California sunshine comfortable...acoustic guitar filled the air...

A union was made official. . .

I am convinced that this image wouldn't be half as good if the little boy's foot wasn't trailing off like it is...reminds me of a Norman Rockwell moment!

Recipe for Great Group Shots:

1. Spread the word! Let EVERYONE know ahead of time, several times, that they will be needed for a group shot.

2. Let them know exactly WHEN and WHERE.

3. Take several shots but not too many. I never take more than 5.

4. Show your enthusiasm and appreciation for their participation!

I've learned to embrace wind, whether it's during formals or a senior photoshoot...Predictable? No. If you respect it and work with it, it can be so dreamy. . .this is Monica's favorite shot.

But this is one of my faves. . .

And I love the tropical feel of this one. Palm trees!!

Just this summer, I began shooting receptions with an external flash mounted on a stand with an umbrella. Add a remote trigger and voila! Dramatic lighting that you just can't get if you are using the flash on your camera. . . .


Here we have it in color which is just as striking...



I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to photograph such a wonderful group of people. Monica and Greg are truly meant to be together. They are so thoughtful. . .so tender. . . so funny. . .There are so many other awesome moments from Greg & Monica's wedding. . .to see their entire wedding slideshow, click here!

Greg & Monica's Santa Barbara Wedding-Continued!

Wow! What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been. I've got eight posts coming your way! EIGHT! So let's get to it!

Monica & Greg were married on East Beach in Santa Barbara, CA last month. . .first off, check out the detail on her dress. Ab-so-lute-ly BREATHTAKING!



Monica's beautiful sister and neice. . .





Monica's friend from college also happened to be a spectacular makeup artist...

Monica's beach wedding...stay tuned for her groom!

Senior Portraits-Erika!

Meet Erika.
She is one of those seniors with a lot of poise, she's got a calm way about her on the outside, but listen to her talk and she's all fire on the inside!


Erika is a shortstop for her year-round select team and catcher for her school team. So before you hear anything else, let's just think about that for a while. The shortstop position is pretty much where all the action is, where all the split second decisions are made (okay probably not ALL of them). It's a position for a player with confidence and ability. I don't know much about catching, but I know that communication between the catcher and pitcher is an integral part of the entire game. . . Check out how we caught the wind just right on the shot below!

Did I mention she was the Captain of her Fastpitch team as well as Senior Class President?
. . . AND she is being recruited by over 25 schools in the nation to attend their school and play softball based on her academic and athletic accomplishments?! How about being Brown University’s number one recruit in the nation for the class of 2009?

It probably won't surprise you that she's got a 3.9 GPA. . . .

Erika! I had a great time meeting you and shooting your senior portraits! Enjoy your senior year and designing a fantastic future for yourself! In life, we go through several waves of reinvention, and your senior year is definitely one of the biggest. I'm talking with my business coach about "designing my lifestyle" now that my littlest started Kindergarten! It's is a whole new world of opportunities each day for me, and I can definitely identify with the feeling that the whole world is at your fingertips, which hopefully every senior feels. Heck, everybody should get in touch with that feeling; it's more true than not. . . .