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Currently Viewing : September 2009

San Diego Shootout | Mission Beach, CA

Jeff started this photography business in the worst way possible. He’s had a camera since he was ten years old, and he photographed anything and everything until he went to college. It was then that he put the camera down. He loved photography, he knew he did, but it wasn’t something  he could live on. He had to get a real degree that would lead to a real job. He decided to become a doctor, so he got a biochemistry degree. And then he met me. It wasn’t until we met and he took a good look at his future…

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Josh and Emily, Part Two | Las Vegas, NV

As promised, here’s Part Two of Emily and Josh’s fantastic engagement session in Las Vegas, NV. The Neon Museum’s Boneyard was so much fun to shoot in – there’s an endless amount of color, texture, and variety in the old Vegas signs that are displayed there. Its such a photographer’s playground! One of my favorite signs ended up be the old Sassy Sally display. Plus, Josh and Emily were so stinkin’ cute by the time we got to it, that this totally became my favorite series! Emily totally took our advice and had her makeup done for the session. It…

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Josh and Emily | Las Vegas, NV

Love has a way of timing everything perfectly. Like that sweet first kiss on your doorstep, or the warmth of a hug when you need it most. Emily and Josh met on a disastrous blind date. Nothing went right. Both of them were tired, and neither of them was interested. And it was perfect. You see, they weren’t ready for what love wanted to bring them. So they just had to wait. A few years later, Emily had lived and learned and grown into an even more beautiful and spectacular woman. Josh had lived and loved and stepped much closer…

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Josh and Emily: Vegas Sneak Peak

Happy Sunday everyone! Jeff and I spent this morning wallowing in our bed, enjoying the sunlight through our window, and catching up on some much needed sleep. Now we’re just lounging in our PJs and about to make ourselves a fun little brunch – I love Sunday mornings. We just got back from an amazing, relaxing, luxurious weekend in Vegas hanging out with Emily and Josh for their engagement session, so I thought I’d share just a tidbit of what we’ve been up to the past few days. There’s a TON more to come – I think we ended up…

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Featured: Style Me Pretty
Chris and Natalie’s Fresh Summer Wedding

Every October I start to get a little sentimental, and I think its come a bit early this year. Jeff and I have started making plans with our families for Thanksgiving and Christmas and with all of the fall catalogs coming out and with everyone in cooler climates swooning over cranberry scones and Pumpkin lattes, I’m getting all wishy-washy for the holiday season – I know, already.  Halloween decorations haven’t even started showing up in the grocery store, and I’m already planning which holiday treats I’m going to make for appetizers at our Christmas party. How lame am I?? And…

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FAQ: Backing up your Images

Updated August 9, 2010 to include the latest additions to our backup schematic. We frequently get asked how we go about backing up our images, and I’ve been really surprised by all the photographers I’ve come across that have some pretty wacky backup schematics in place that are not only time consuming but can be frustrating and complicated if something goes wrong. So today I’m going to talk about how we backup our images and our system, and hopefully this will be helpful for those that either don’t have a backup system or have one that is causing more pain…

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Amy and Garett: Album

It’s your first family heirloom. Honestly. When I got engaged, the first thing I did was dig through our old worn out cabinet that holds our family albums, searching for that dusty white leather album that lay underneath the rest. I wanted to see her day – the day my parents got married 30 years ago. What it felt like, who was there, what her dress looked like, the smile on my dad’s face. I was searching for – what else – photographs. Their album only contains 20 or 30 photos, but those slightly faded prints are treasures to everyone…

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The worst that could possibly happen

If you’ve read this post, then you understand. I LOVE CEREAL. I have eaten cereal every single morning for the past fifteen years of my life, except for that year in college that I didn’t have a mini fridge in my room. And I never made that mistake again. I eat cereal for a snack in the afternoon, for dinner when I don’t feel like cooking, and even when I’m sick because its the only thing that sounds good. Its in my blood. Its ingrained into the tasty pleasure center of my brain. It makes me happy when I eat…

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The fall issues have arrived

I don’t check the mail everyday. Sometimes it takes a few days for me to walk the 50 feet across the street to check our mail. And by a few days, sometimes I mean five. Or six. I know, its terrible! But ever since Jeff left his day job, the mail has been picked up much more often, and I’m sure our mailman has been pleasantly surprised every time he opens our box and discovers that he doesn’t have to use herculean efforts to shove that day’s mail in with the rest! Yesterday, Jeff picked up the mail and after…

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My Adorable Hubby

My husband is a cutie. I really don’t want to obsessively gush too much to all of you because I’m sure you don’t want to hear it from this head-over-heels married girl – but I’m going to. My hubby is sweet, loving, kind, generous, positive, exciting, and above all, he’s simply adorable. I’m seriously the luckiest girl in the world. We’ve been hanging out with a lot of new cool couples for 2010, and each couple has been asking how we got started in photography. Which is a very valid question, and its definitely a very cool story that I…

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Super Chargers!

When I moved to San Diego at 18 years old, I quickly became a member of Charger Nation – especially when Jeff and I moved into our first apartment just a mile from Qualcomm stadium. NFL Sundays were a little crazy in our neighborhood! Ever since then we’ve been die hard fans and love watching the game with chips, salsa, and some Sam Adams Oktoberfest! Today’s game against Baltimore has been going for about two and a half hours already and we’re just starting it on our DVR, so we’re turning off our phones from Twitter and e-mail so no…

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Vowell, Gilbert, and Wroblewski

I’m sure that many of you are simply dying to know my progress on my 2009 Reading List – ok I’m sure most of you forgot completely about my little reading series, so that’s why I’m writing about it now. To remind you. And also because I am one of those glasses wearing little girls that curls up in bed at night to immerse herself in the latest literary saga and wants to tell everyone in the world about how mindblowingly amazing it was the next day. Normal people would do this with Lost or So You Think You Can…

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I'll Always Be a Midwest Boy

It’s true. No matter where we go, where we live, and whatever adventures life has in store for us, I’ll always be a midwest boy at heart. I root for the Vikings, cheer for the Twins, and I’ll never turn down a casserole or hot dish. Ever. My grandma would be proud! I was born in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, which is a suburb of Minneapolis. We moved away and headed for California when I was just 4 years old. But even though I was raised in California, I’m still thoroughly attached to Minnesota. I love my homeland. I have such…

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Blair and Erin | Point Loma, CA

It wasn’t until Blair was her boss that she fell for him. She had worked for Amor Ministries the summer before, but with her new position she came face to face with the boy of her dreams. It wasn’t until she smiled at him, that his heart gave in to her. This new red-headed cutie that now worked for him had stolen his heart – and as her boss there was nothing he could do about it. They both quietly knew. And they both quietly loved. Until her job changed. He was no longer her boss, it was Valentine’s Day,…

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Wedding Guests!

This last weekend Jeff and I morphed into a species that we’ve only been able to quietly observe for the past three years. A species that attends the cocktail hour, enjoys their delectable dinners, chats festively, and chews slowly. Our attire felt awkward, the views were disorienting, and the alcohol – well let’s just say it felt so weird to be drinking wine at a wedding. To actually go up to the bar and ask for something other than a huge glass of water without ice to pound down while switching lenses for the grand entrance in T-minus ten seconds….

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The Daily Commitment

What I learned this past weekend: 1. That being a guest at a wedding is FUN 2. That being a guest at a wedding is not nearly as fun as actually photographing a wedding 3. That a good book may not be a cure for an upset tummy, but its a good distraction while you’re sprawled out on the couch with a bottle of Pepto 4. That a box of Raisin Bran actually IS the cure for an upset tummy 5. That my mom was right – I need to eat my Raisin Bran… 6. That our readers love it…

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FAQ: Preparing Images for the Blog

During our last FAQ Friday, I (Jeff) talked about how we made our blog using WordPress, and I mentioned that this time we’d be talking about how we actually prepare our images that go on our daily blog posts. This is something that we get asked about frequently, and I’m surprised how many photographers I’ve spoken with that have a hard time getting images on their blogs in an easy and efficient fashion. Instead of writing the process out step by step, I figured that a screen cast of what we do would be much more helpful! This is my…

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Twenty years from now…

If you asked me what I envision our life to be like in five years, I could give you an answer with a fairly decent amount of confidence. Maybe living here, probably doing this… But if you asked me what I envision life to be like in twenty years, I can tell you with absolute certainty one thing – we will be surrounded with love. Or rather, we will have surrounded ourselves with love. Jeff and I have always kept close friendships around us – people that love us, care for us, and know us better than we know ourselves…

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Mark and Katie's Guestbook

I absolutely adore engagement sessions. If they could cuddle up next to me at night, I just might kick Gracie out of bed and let them snuggle in so I can dream about all of the possibilities for engagement sessions this next year. While the most important moments and photographs take place during the wedding – there’s no doubt about that – engagement sessions tell the story of life leading up to that most amazing day. To hear more about our love for engagement sessions, and for some tips on how to get the most out of your engagement session,…

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Featured on the new Queensberry website!

One of the sweetest grooms we’ve ever gotten to photograph has tattoos all over his body. He was never a bad kind of guy and although he had a rebellious streak as a teen, his tattoos are all symbols of pure love, goodness, and faith. He’s the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet – seriously, he’s SUCH a sweetheart! – but the tattoos and his quiet demeanor make his seem like a bad boy rockstar at first glance. But as soon as Brad smiles, its obvious that this guy is nothing but a fun-loving softie. And now, he can add hand…

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Every Other Kicked-Out Tuesday

Every other Tuesday I get kicked out of our house and it gets flooded with men. Jeff is a part of a men’s bible study/barbecue night/kegerator “connoisseur” meeting that takes place at our house every other Tuesday. So naturally, I’m banned. Which doesn’t bother me. Not that spending an evening barbecuing and drinking Rag Top Red from the tap isn’t my idea of a good time (because it definitely is), I just know how important guys nights are. And I have come to realize how precious every other kicked-out-Tuesdays are. There’s something a little desperate about getting kicked out of…

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Chris and Natalie | Part Two

As promised, here’s Part Two of Chris and Natalie’s gorgeous outdoor wedding at Leo Carillo Ranch located in the hills of Carlsbad. Natalie and Chris hired Holly Vanderslice of Slice of Heaven Catering to coordinate and design the event. Along with Diane of Whimsey Florals, they designed a fresh space with soft colors and beautiful lighting. I loved everything about it! Side Note: For those of you excited to see an FAQ Friday post this week, we had some technical difficulties and were so bummed to have to cancel yesterday’s installment. However, we will be begin posting FAQ Fridays every…

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Chris and Natalie | Carlsbad, CA

Natalie smiles in warmth. As in, when she casts her fabulous smile across the room, it breathes sunshine into the deepest corners around her. As in, shadows scatter at the sight of her smile. Or rather, they melt away, sheepish that they ever dared to shadow the beautiful world that surrounds her. Chris laughs in waves. As in, when he shares his laugh with the people around him, they’re wrapped with a cool breeze, the kind that makes any August day the perfect summer afternoon. So I guess you could say that Chris is the cool breeze to Natalie’s warmth….

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Indian Summers

Warm, drowsy afternoons, the sticky, sweet air, fading tan lines, long nights with a cool sheet, juicy fresh fruit, the taste of sweet summer wine, midnight conversations under warm starry nights… There are so many things to love about long, lingering Indian summers. Especially when Natalie and Chris are involved. Jeff and I shot a beautiful summer wedding this last weekend, and here’s a little peek at what’s to come soon! Hugs, Erin

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Jason and Jen | Solana Beach, CA

Miles separated them until it was time. Jen lived, worked, and loved in San Diego, a place that stole her heart and captivated her imagination. She loved this city, and wanted to spend her life here. But something kept pulling at her, urging her to go – anywhere. She fought it for a long time, but then finally she was ready. Halfway across the US, Jason lived, worked and loved in Kansas, a place far away from the beaches of California. A place that got turned upside down one Sunday morning when she walked in. Suddenly, the miles that had…

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