Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! There is simply nothing better than gathering your friends and firing up the BBQ together, so I hope everyone is cleaning off the grill and calling their friends for a good ‘ol time tonight. Jeff and I got to sit down with some of our best friends last night for...
Can I just begin today’s feature by saying how simply adorable these two are??? Now that we have that out of the way…. After a quick shoe change (yup, Dena is a girl after my own heart) into some boots that Chris bought her (and Chris is a guy after Dena’s heart for sure!), we...
Chris was tired of relationships when they met. There just didn’t seem to be a the kind of girl out there that he was looking for. One that would understand his heart, that could feel what he was feeling. That felt right. So he wasn’t out to impress anyone when mutual friends introduced him to...
When I laugh, I feel beautiful. I feel like I’ve been given permission to be that free little girl I was meant to be. Or that classy, elegant woman that I want to be. Or that nerdy, neurotic person that I am. When I laugh, I feel like life will be ok. That it is...
Well folks, we’re back! And we’ve got the second half of one of the coolest – if not most unique – engagement sessions straight out of the Land Down Under. If you had told me on the flight to Australia that I would not only see about twenty kangaroos on my trip but that I...
It’s walks around the block or flights around the world. It’s trying that new Korean restaurant or enjoying the same old tacos at home that you love. It’s picking up Thai food from a stall in Bangkok, or grabbing a burger from around the corner. It’s driving along washed out dirt roads for an eternity...
Welcome back to Part Two of Josh and Kate’s San Francisco engagement session. This session was all about two things – the fabulousness of Josh and Kate and their life in San Francisco. Kate picked out Mill Valley for it’s warm and rich surroundings, and we had so much fun running around in the trees!...
As most of us girls know, it’s all about the shoes. Finding a man that understands that statement – priceless. Josh, my dear ladies, is one of those men. Let’s take a moment to applaud his wisdom…and his effort. All that Josh had was an image of a pair of shoes, which later turned out...
Yesterday we featured Aaron and Heather with their simply adorable son, Jaden, at the Olivenhein Town Hall in Rancho Santa Fe. Being the curious photographers that we are, though, Jeff and I happened upon a lemon grove nearby (!!!) that just couldn’t be passed up! Not only is Heather one cute girl in general, but...
I totally think it was the pajamas. I mean, don’t guys always say that the just-woken-up-look is always the best? Heather would probably fiercely disagree, but I totally think it was the pajamas. Here’s the story… She remembers the whole thing like it was yesterday… Cute and adorable college Heather is sitting in her room...
I just love Nick and Melissa’s engagement session at Santa Fe Christian High School in Solana Beach. Once we made our way through the buildings and lockers, we headed down to the football field with little Chloe tagging along! 5 people love this This is definitely my favorite series of the session! 3 people love...
Do you remember your first big growth spurt in junior high? When you grow about six inches in one summer? Well, Melissa doesn’t remember hers, but she definitely remembers Nick’s. It was a season of braces and acne and N*Sync locker posters when Nick walked into class the first day of school. All of the...
I’m so excited to share the second half of Shannon and Dwayne’s engagement session. Yesterday, we featured their game of Bocce ball, which I thought was the CUTEST idea for their session! After that, we got all dressed up to visit the neighborhood where they lived and loved during their law school days. Awww…. 3...
They said that all of the new law students would probably meet their spouse in the next three years of law school. They all laughed, not really believing it would be true. It took about a year for the Bocce ball game to occur, and in that time, everything that they said would happen, happened....
So if yesterday’s adorable feature of Calen and Kendall’s farmers’ market themed engagement session didn’t satisfy your insatiable taste for cuteness, be ready for today’s picnic themed session! It just might do the trick… 7 people love this Kendall always keeps a big tub full of Red Vines in her room, so they were a...
Call it a story of pride and prejudice. Calen and Kendall came from two different worlds when they met on their first day of college. He grew up on a farm in Kansas, and she was born and bred in Southern California. When they met, Kendall’s friend had a crush on Calen, so like any...
Here we go with with second half of Christian and Nicole’s adorable engagement session in Point Loma. After shooting in the streets a bit, we stopped by their favorite restaurant, Old Venice. A BIG thanks goes out to the restaurant staff for letting us shoot on their back patio – they were so nice and...
If you ask Nicole, it was love at first sight. If you ask Christian, it was love at first sight – for him. Much like the many other stories they laugh about together, this one only makes Nicole laugh even more – because he’s totally right. Nicole was used to guys playing it cool. They...
We’re continuing Tarl and Kellyn’s La Jolla engagement session today, and when these two pulled out their shades, the fun really began. Let’s just say these guys rocked it! 1 person loves this I’m in LOVE with this series. These guys make me giggle so much. 1 person loves this 1 person loves this 2...
Tarl and Kellyn greet life in living color. Between Tarl’s energy and Kellyn’s lovable giggle, they paint the world with a whole new color wheel – one full of fresh, bright, wonderful shades. When they met, Kellyn was new in town; Tarl had called San Diego home for little while. She decided to meet some...
Happy Tuesday everyone! Here we go with the second half of Michael and Jamie’s engagement session at Chapman University in Orange, CA. I loved the old buildings in the original part of campus, and since we had a day full of sunshine – yay! – we got to enjoy some golden lusciousness! 16 people love...
It’s all about laughter with these two. In fact, I’m pretty certain they’re goals in life are to 1) to love each other, 2) drink great wine, and 3) laugh while doing it. Because Michael and Jamie have the kind of love that doesn’t take itself seriously all of the time. They aren’t afraid to...
The inky sky melted around us as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, and soft clouds blanketed our heads as if tucking us in together for the best wedding of our lives. Between swigs of wine and laughter came trays of delicious Tuscan cuisine, the kind of food that fills your heart and your belly...
For Part Two of Dylan and Christine’s Solana Beach engagement session we walked down to Fletcher Cove, a tiny little beach that holds a lot of memories for these two. Even though they now live in Ohio, they lived in Solana Beach for a year together and between discovering new restaurants and exploring the beach...
It’s that hop into a cushy chair and throw your feet up above your head kind of easy. The kind of easy that feels bendable and squishy, like mud between your fingers or a bubble bath between your toes. It’s that throw yourself onto a bed full of feather pillows and then jump up and...
Welcome back to Jeff and Shannon’s Virginia engagement session. We’re continuing with the rest of our time at Mount Vernon, where every image just kept getting better and better! This one is definitely in the running as my favorite! These two definitely top my list as favorites too! I just giggle with joy when I...
Shannon was dressed up as a fairy for Halloween. One of her long, layered, soft skirts was pulled up to make a cute strapless fairy gown and a pair of tiny, lovely wings donned her shoulders. She had covered her eyes in soft fairy colors and hints of glitter. She was feeling cute. Really, really...
Today we’re continuing with the cute Joe and Rachel and their warm and delightful Julian engagement session. As I mentioned yesterday, Joe played football for years through high school and college and is now coaching at the collegiate level, so football is a huge part of their lives. When I held the football Joe brought...
They met when their lives kept them thousands of miles apart. Joe was born, raised and lived in the Midwest. Rachel was going to college in Florida and would soon be moving back home to San Diego. But the way Joe glanced at her from across the room made her heart skip that knowing beat....
I seriously love our couples. Each bride and groom is so unique, and yet they all share a few things in common. They are all madly in love, and they are all make-your-heart-melt-into-a-little-pool-of-love-and-joy cute. I mean serious adorable points have been going on in front of our cameras lately, and I just can’t help but...
Happy Thursday everyone! Once again, our bags are packed and we’re jetting out the door to the airport as I write this. But would you really expect anything else from us Youngrens lately??? For the past six months, our lives have basically centered around packing and unpacking the same suitcase over and over again! By...
We have one last installment of Keith and Janine’s engagement session, and this time we scooted on over to Janine’s hometown of Los Gatos where Keith and Janine met for the first time. For their one year anniversary, they re-enacted their first date, but Janine had no idea that Keith was planning on proposing on...
Happy Friday everyone! We’re celebrating this almost-weekend morning with more of Keith and Janine’s adorable engagement session in Palo Alto, CA. After playing with our picnic setup, we changed outfits and explored some different areas of Foothills Park. For example, we found this little meadow with a wooden fence tucked away in a fun corner...
It was one of those Saturday night coincidences. She decided to give it a shot on Match.com, he was helping his friend set up a profile. She just wanted to have a little fun and meet some new people. He was tired of a long string of dates that went nowhere. He was ready to...
We’re back with the second half of Travis and Christina’s gorgeous engagement session out in Laguna Canyon. If the stars (and sun and weather and light and Christina’s adorable Anthro sweater) could align at any one moment, they definitely took it upon themselves to align for us! We couldn’t have had a better afternoon with...
If you could fall in love with love itself, it would be the love between Travis and Christina. Just watch them for a minute. He’ll pull her close and whisper in her ear. She’ll lean into his arms and lace her fingers through his. It’s a soft, comfortable, warm kind of love. It’s lay out...
Today we’re featuring the continuation of Victor and Rose’s engagement session down in San Clemente Canyon in the heart of San Diego. We have to send major props their way for putting up with Jeff and I and our sheer ecstatic joy at the amount of green in the canyon right now. We kind of...
There isn’t a field or mountain or ocean big enough to contain the hearts of Victor and Rose. When he wraps his arms around her, a great wave of compassion and joy washes over them, over everyone. Over me. It covers the wildflowers around them like a sweet spring rain, or like a clear cool...
Welcome back to Part Two of Laura and Chuck’s “day-before” session at Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. We took these two out for a casual lifestyle shoot a few days before their wedding in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, and it was so much fun! And as promised yesterday, we have...
I sat in the middle of the circle and drank it all in. I was caught in a sweet mixture of girly laughter, warm light, thick air, family love, English phrases, and Spanish dichos. Laura had invited me to her bridal shower just a few days before her wedding in San Jose, Costa Rica, and...
Welcome back to Part Dos of Chuck and Laura’s engagement session in Point Loma, one of our favorite neighborhoods here in San Diego. Chuck is a native of Costa Rica, and we’re so excited to fly down to his homeland for their Costa Rica wedding next week! I can’t wait to rub my toes in...
Chuck and Laura are perfect for each other in the way that ice cream goes perfectly on top of a waffle cone. They are both sweet, they are both refreshing, they both make you smile (the kind of smile that runs deep into your memories and pulls at every wonderful moment from your childhood years),...
It all began with K-C & Jo Jo. A car ride home, a dark evening outside, a warm conversation, and “All My Life” started playing over the radio. After a fit of giggles, they both admitted that they love the song. The same song that was a staple during junior high dances and high school...
Welcome back to Ryan and Cassie’s engagement session in the heart of Los Angeles at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. These guys are truly fantastic people and we are so blessed to call them friends. Cassie totally rocked the camera with her stunning blue eyes and Ryan charmed the beans out the session with his...
It hadn’t been a good day. In fact, it hadn’t been a good week. Cassie wasn’t sure if he was going to to propose, and her doubts were growing. They were meant for each other, and she knew that he loved her dearly, but he had been saying so many things to the contrary lately…...
Jeff and I have had a whirlwind of a weekend (yes, I realize its already Wednesday, but the days are starting to run together at this point…), but I’m about to enjoy some much needed TLC in the next few days. Jeff will be out of town over this next weekend, and yes, he will...
Part two of Ryan and Chelsea’s engagement session took place down on the beaches at La Jolla cove and it was as if the world came together for the perfect session – the sunset was creamy, the tide was out, and tons of sea lions serenaded us in the background, which made us laugh more...
It wasn’t until years later that she noticed him back. The first time Ryan laid his eyes on the cute girl at church, his heart skipped a beat. A few in fact. Chelsea was stunning – her big smile, her green eyes, her joyous laugh – everything captivated him. But it just wasn’t time. Neither...
Its that look that happens one evening. Nothing has changed, the world is just as it has always been: late night snacks, movie nights, inside jokes, and playful banter. Its the stuff of best friends. Two people that have shared the world together as long as they can remember. Until a quick touch feels a...
Summer afternoons by the lakeshore fill her memories of childhood. Her grandmother would walk her out to the shore, hand in hand, side by side. She would help her hold her fishing pole straight, and together they would cast a line out into the deep lake water. Those lingering moments are still precious to this...
Today’s post is all about Part Two of Eric and Cindy’s fun and fabulous engagement session in Rancho Santa Fe. One of their good friends let us shoot at her parent’s gorgeous house in the hills, and we had a field day! There were tons of benches, tables, nooks, and patios to keep us shooting...
Cindy readily admits that she forgets people very quickly. Even after Eric’s sweet “hello’s” their sophomore year at UCSD, and his “ORGANISM” t-shirt at a family retreat that they both volunteered at a few years later, Cindy couldn’t remember Eric for the life of her. He had called her to hang out. He was coming...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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,...
One night a few years ago, Jeff turned to me and asked if I remembered this guy, Dane, that he had second shot with at a wedding a few months prior, and then asked if he could invest in this book Dane was going to write and become something called a “Founder.” I honestly don’t...
Its straight out of one of those romantic comedies that I sit up late at night watching over and over again on TNT, cuddling my blanket and Gracie and my heart all at the same time. Cute Boy meets Cute Girl downtown with a group of friends, but Cute Girl talks to Cute Boy’s friend...
If you ask Dana, she met Ryan at In Cahoots, a line dancing club in San Diego. If you ask Ryan, they met a few weeks earlier, when he saw this cute girl riding around the neighborhood on a scooter. Dana was just goofing around, laughing at the fact that she loved to ride her...
As promised, here is Part Two of Matt and Abby’s engagement session that was part of our private workshop that we did for a local San Diego photographer (more on this later – we promise). Matt proposed to Abby at the beginning of this session, much to Abby’s surprise and sheer delight! Read our post...
About a week ago, Jeff and I asked for cool couples to volunteer their time and, well, dashing good looks for a little private workshop that we did for a local photographer (more on this later). I really have to say a huge THANK YOU to the awesome response that we received. There were so...
Ryan’s friend, Tim, introduced him to Megan, a sweet girl with a gorgeous smile and an even more beautiful soul. When Tim borrowed Ryan’s phone to call Megan, Ryan realized that he suddenly had this cute girl’s number dialed into his phone. So he kept it. You know, just in case. A few months later, ...
Their beginning was not love at first sight. Aaron and Krista met over coffee after a friend suggested they hang out. As shoppers rushed past the door of the Coffee Bean at the Irvine Spectrum, Krista took a sip of her coffee and Aaron fiddled with his coffee sleeve. They chatted, she smiled, he laughed,...
The rhythmic slap of the water on the lake shore calmed his mind as he allowed his thoughts to wander. He lay his book aside and watched the sun fall through the afternoon sky. Where did he ultimately want his life to go? Not just in the short term, but in the next 80 years?...
I love engagement sessions. Nothing is more fun or more inspiring that spending a few hours with a cool couple roaming the streets of a cool city with a big cool camera! Some people ask why we include engagement sessions with every wedding that we photograph, and the answer is simple. We’re selfish. We love...
***This is the fourth and final installment of our Honeymoon Shoot in Venice, Italy, with the beautiful John and Christie. Go here to see the first, second, and third installments.*** For our final shoot in Venice, we wanted to do a creative and unique Lifestyle session with John and Christie, and we had heard fantastic...
She glowed from across the room, filling the space between them with rays of warmth. Her eyes sparkled when she said hello, and her smile lingered like a soft perfume when she walked away. Every day she came to work, and Chris’ heart skipped with joy to see the most beautiful girl he had ever...
She couldn’t deny it – Kevin was one of her best friends. She could laugh with him, cry with him, and be completely herself when he was around. She had known him for years, and they were flawless as co-workers. As she sat at dinner on her date, getting to know the stranger across from...
They clicked instantly. His humor, her smile. They just fit so perfectly together. He made her laugh, she made him sparkle, and their love lights up the room. So when the dessert plate arrived after a fabulous dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, her joy stopped the world in its tracks. Written around the...
Candles flooded the small courtyard and Sean paced back and forth, adjusting candles and taking deep breaths. Stephanie walked slowly along the sidewalk toward her house, holding the gifts that each family had given her in the past few hours. With each slow step, Stephanie thought over the past day and smiled in disbelief. She...
As she slowly opened the ring box, tiny little hearts glinted back at her. Her jaw dropped and her heart pounded. Tears sprang to her eyes and she looked in disbelief at John. “But how?” she cried. It was exactly the ring she had always dreamed of, but never in her wildest dreams did she...
Matt & Jourdan are seriously one of my favorite couples ever, and for so many reasons. Erin & I photographed their wedding back in March of 2007 and since then we’ve been so blessed to have become great friends, and we were so excited when they agreed to come down to San Diego last weekend...
“Are you Jessi?!” The barista’s eyes sparkled in excitement as she scrambled to fetch the tiny package. Jessi stood quietly, speechless, overwhelmed, and utterly happy. She clutched the small tape recorder in her hand and gazed around the coffeehouse where she had spent so many afternoons, sitting across from him, holding hands, dreaming about their...
“Why does he keep checking his phone?” Christine held onto Drew’s hand a little tighter, wondering why in the world they would be meeting her family here. Plans kept changing and setbacks kept happening. All she wanted to do was be with him. As they parked the car and began walking towards the Organ Pavilion,...
While most couples take a couple of minutes (or fifteen or twenty…) to get used to having two rather large cameras pointing straight at them at the beginning of an engagement shoot, Meredith and Jeff looked at us, smiled their GORGEOUS smiles, and laughed. Seriously. Who are these people?! And to take things over the...
A few weeks ago we went up to Angel Stadium for Annie & Frank’s engagement session, which is always such a cool thing! It definitely is always so amazing when you get to walk into an empty stadium and be told “Go for it!” The whole shoot was total surprise for Frank, who is one...
“I just can’t hang out with her,” he kept thinking. “I can’t be around her too long.” He was setting her up with his best friend. He had to concentrate on that. “If I’m around her for too long, I know I’ll fall for her.” Andy knew that this girl had something incredible about her,...
A few weeks ago I got to hang out with Megan & Joe down in Coronado for their engagement session, and we had such a blast! Leading up to the e-session, every time I talked to Megan she was SO excited for the session, so I knew it would go wonderfully. I think my favorite...
Within moments of meeting Kristy for the first time, I knew that Matt had found someone incredibly special; they just seemed to fit so perfectly. I’ve known Matt for years and seeing them together just made perfect sense. Like, Oh, that’s the person that was totally meant for you, for sure! When I heard that...
A successful entrepreneur very rarely considers themselves as having succeeded. The most distinguished experts always have something new to learn. A good photographer will never be quite good enough. What a thing to think about. This weekend at the Shootout, I didn’t do much shooting due to logistics (I was keeping everything running together!), but it gave me...
I am constantly blown away by all the amazing couples we get to meet, it’s seriously unreal how every couple who we get to work with is so awesome, so real, and so fun. Patty and Memo are definitely no exception, and I just love these two to death! We met Patty through Alesha &...
They come here all the time. After a long week of being apart, they come together and breathe together and just be…together. Carrying his guitar as they walk, she laces her finger through his hands, loving the strength that he brings to her busy life. Later, she’ll lean against him and feel his arms move...
She had no idea what was happening when the carriage driver pulled over and Chris led her down to the edge of the Seaport Village pier. “Could you take a picture?” He motioned to the driver and handed her his point-and-shoot. Danika leaned into Chris and smiled for a picture. Click! She was unbelievably happy...
Both Katie and Wes are the kinds of people that just being around them makes you happy. They both have a joy that is absolutely contagious, and a love for one another that is powerful! Erin and I first met Katie & Wes at Scott & Bekah’s wedding last September (Wes is Scott’s brother) and...
Courtney & Joe are just the kind of people that you just can’t help but enjoy being around. Erin and Courtney had some classes together back in college and when we heard that her and Joe got engaged, we were totally stoked! And we were even more stoked when they asked us to photograph their...
Last weekend our friends Katie & Wes came down from Sacramento and Erin and I had the pleasure of doing a SUPER fun engagement shoot with them in Balboa Park. Katie is super excited to see the pictures and so I thought I’d give a sneak peak by sharing just one of my favorites! More...
A few weeks ago I got to spend some time up in San Clemente with Kelly & Jon doing a sweet portrait session. I first met Kelly at Martin & Theary’s wedding where she was one of the fun awesome bridesmaids. Her husband, Jon, was serving overseas in Iraq, so when he got back we...
I first met Kelly back in September at Martin & Theary’s wedding, where she was one of the super fun and cool bridesmaids that Erin and I got to hang out with! I was stoked because a few weeks after that wedding Kelly and I began working on a super-secret project for her husband, Jon,...
Just before Christmas, Erin and I got the chance to spend the afternoon with Jeff & Becca down in Mission Beach, and it was such a blast hanging out with them! They both live out on the East Coast (brrrrrrr) and so they were in paradise, getting to wear sandals and walk on the beach...
Erin and I got to hang out with Paul and Echo the other day down in Coronado for a SWEET engagement session, and we really had a fantastic time. Paul is a trainer/instructor at the gym that I *sometimes* go to (I’ll make a New Year’s resolution, Paul) and I’d always heard about Echo from...
We recently got to shoot Paige & Dan’s engagement pictures, and it was such a blast! We always encourage the couples we work with to think outside the box when it comes to their e-session, and Paige and Dan were so creative! We had a wonderful time just walking around, and having so much fun...
So I’m up to my eyeballs editing images for all my awesome couples so we can get prints out in time for Christmas, so I’ll make this brief. I thought this set of images was interesting because what I did is I took the first image with my 24-70 f/2.8L and then realized I really...
Erin and I shot Jordanna & John’s engagement session a few weeks ago down at Liberty Station, which is one of my favorite places in San Diego to shoot, so we had a ton of fun! Their wedding is coming up in January at the Dana (also one of my favorite spots) and I can...
I feel so lucky to get to hang out with such rad couples and make so many new friends and get to take some pretty sweet pictures, but every once in a while I snap a frame that the instant I take the picture, the moment just resonates with me. This is one of those...
A few weeks back Erin and I got to meet up with Angela, Ken and Ken’s son Jordan up in Dana Point, and we had an absolute blast! These two are getting married in November, I’m really excited 1) because they’re super fun, and 2) the wedding is going to be broadcast on the internet,...
I was so excited when I first started talking to Kelly & Eran about their engagement session because they were basically like “let’s do whatever you want, we want you to just go nuts and be creative!” Which was like music to my ears. Fortunately, nearly all the couples I work with let me just...
After a wonderful Saturday and Sunday, today is a day to relax, and I’m pumped! I’m reading “The Four Hour Work Week” and so far, it’s really good! I’ll give a full review once I’m done with it, since I like to read a book in it’s entirety before deciding what I really think of...
Bekah & Scott’s wedding is just around the corner, so I thought it would be fun to post up their guest book! I love when couples ask for these things, I think they are such a cool way to have a memory of the guests from a wedding as opposed to those boring guest books...
