Chyna Darner Photography

New Blog Link

2009-10-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the new Blog link:
Chyna Darner Photography Blog

There is still a lot of blogging for me to catch up on, but checkout whats live so far.

New Blog on the Way!

2009-09-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Its been so long since I have blogged you might have thought I up and left the galaxy! I'm still here!!!

I have been working on a new blog for sometime - actually for a long time. I recently found a solution to the last stumbling block, but have been so busy shooting and editing (and in India) that the blog has been sadly neglected.

Just thought I would drop a line to let you know that after I finish editing the wedding images that are in progress I will be releasing the new blog. The goal is next week! There will be multiply enries with tons of my latests work. The images will be bigger. Well you will just have to wait and see!

Until next week...

Wedding at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga

2009-05-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Kai and Sara were married in April at The Mountain Winery located in Saratoga, CA. What a spectacular venue! The panoramic views from the top of the mountain are awesome!

The Wild Geranium did a wonderful job on all the floral arrangements.

The girls were a bit chilly as the wind picked up toward the evening. However, there was one very savvy bridesmaid who wore tights under her dress to chase away the chill!

The little flower girls were all so cute and a bit shy. So I had fun trying to draw them out for pictures!

I love this old building!!

A sneak peek at the reception room before the guests arrive.

Kai and Sara had their own beer brewed and labeled just for the wedding!

Ceremony on the deck.

We had the winery van drive us around to a few different locations for some fun pictures!

The cake made by Margeret's French Bakery was super fresh and moist!

Two very sleepy flower girls!

Congrats Kai and Sara!

DJ: Sound in Motion

Family and Newborn Photo Session in San Jose

2009-04-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

I photographed the Ward family a couple weeks ago at their home in San Jose.

We had way too much fun dressing her up in little outfits!

Wedding at Dolce Salon in Peoria, AZ

2009-04-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

James and Jill were the winners of my Love Story Contest. I photographed their wedding in February at Dolce Salon and Spa in Peoria. Not only did I get to photograph a totally cute couple but at a really neat location!

Dolce is a small venue that is located above their salon. They have the funnest wallpapers in the bridal room! They also have fabulous chandeliers sprinkled through out the venue.

James and Jill kept their wedding very simple but yet elegant. They concentrated on a relaxed evening of celebration with friends and family.

Who doesn't like hot fudge! What a great favor idea!

First Glance moments are so much fun to watch.

The wall paper in the "getting ready room" is just super fun! The side terrace also made for a romantic little spot for some great image opportunities!

Jill and her makeup artist friend Krysten lighten the mood just before the ceremony and my favorite ring shot.

Ceremony Time!

I love the fun little chandeliers! The relaxed mood of the evening always makes for some great images.

Catering and floral by: AJ's Purveyors of Fine Foods
Cake by: Sweets Unlimited
Hair and Makeup by: Krysten Ruiz at Wild Roots Salon

Wedding Images at Stanford - Part 1

2009-04-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Carol got married in January. I shot their wedding as my gift to them which was super fun since Carol is such a great model! I only have half the wedding edited (I've been busy working on a few other things) but thought I should post some of the fabulous pictures we took at Stanford.

Robert and Carol met on a tour bus in Greece. It's a very sweet and romantic story that I started following when Carol returned from her trip abroad about a year and half ago.
His family flew over from London for the wedding which was on a freezing cold, but rain free day in January. I felt so mean every time I had to ask Carol to part with her coat so we could get some more images. It was so cold that day but her dress had to be shown off!

We met the groom and his family at Stanford so that if it did rain we could use the covered outdoor corridors to shoot the family images.

Here are some of my favorites.

Glendale, AZ Family Portrait Session

2009-04-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

I photographed a family session at Saguaro Park with James, Jill and Riley the day before James and Jill's wedding. If you have been following my blog you will recall that they were the winners of the Wedding Story contest.

Jill and I spoke over the phone a few times but had not yet met in person. So a family session the day before the wedding was the perfect opportunity to interact with the entire family before their big day.

I absolutely love the old buildings and tractors spread through out the park!

I was shocked to find this small vineyards in Glendale, Arizona!

Wedding images will be post soon!

Wedding at 1 Fort Mason in San Francisco

2009-03-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

I photographed Cicely and Adam's wedding in February at 1 Fort Mason. The fort was previously an officer's club but was originally a residence when it was first built in the 1800's.

It was rainy and chilly on their wedding day but they braved the cold so we could capture some fabulous door images.

Below left Cicely with her adorable little nephew.

The ceremony was presided over by the same minister that married Cicely's parents.

I love the chandeliers and the tall windows that allow the natural light to stream in.

An Affair to Remember did a fabulous job catering the event. Their staff was very attentive and personable.

Congrats to Cicely and Adam!

Flowers by: Chong at Ultimate Flowers

Visiting Family in Arizona

2009-03-09T17:09:00.001-07:00

My sisters kids are so cute! Maybe I'm particularly found of them because they are my nephews and niece, but I still think they are adorable even when they are having bad days.

We took all four of them to the park for about 20 minutes just before sunset. It was difficult to keep the little one out of the water. And even more difficult to capture all their attention at once. Included are a few images from the day before also.

WPPI Photo Booth Images 2

2009-03-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

These photo booths are so fun! Here are the rest of the goofy images some friends and I took.
From left to right: Jennifer Low, Me, Scott Andrew and Alice Gung Park

Me, Jennifer Low, Orbie Pullen and Rebecca Meredith

Jennifer Low, Me, a famous photographer and Sarah Hasleton

All jumbled up - Jennifer Low, Me, Jay Kally, Augie Chang, a famous photographer and Sarah Hasleton

I think having one of these in my living room would be super fun!

Maternity Session at Vasona and in The Studio

2009-03-03T17:23:00.001-08:00

Last year I photographed Chris and Kristina's wedding. This year I was delighted when Chris contacted me to shoot a maternity session for them. They live all the way in Tracy, but gladly drove over to my home studio to shoot the session. After some studio shots we drove over to Vasona Park to photograph outdoor images. There we included their little dog in some of the growing family's photographs.

Kristina gave birth to Alexandria a few days later! Congrats!

Engagement Session in San Francisco

2009-03-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

It was a little rainy on the day we had Jason and Dominique's engagement session scheduled. Yet we were not deterred! The rain halted just long enough for us to shoot some images around the Giant's stadium and Ferry Building. As I drove away from San Francisco it started to rain full blast! Perfect timing!

Jason and Dominique will be getting married at Palm Event Center in August. Can't wait!

WPPI 2009 Photo Booth Pictures 1

2009-02-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

WPPI was a blast this year! There were more parties than we could attend. Well actually I think we made almost all of them! One of my favorite parties was probably the Pictage dance party at club 54 in the MGM.

We took these super hilarious pictures below in a photo booth at the GoBee Bags party on the first night.

In these pictures from left to right: Me, Jennifer Low, Orbie Pullen and Rebecca Meredith.

There seemed to be a photo booth at every party! So I actually have lots more! Its funny how these things bring out the ham in everyone! I will post more booth images in a few days.

WPPI 2009 on My Way!

2009-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

I started going to WPPI about 4 years ago. Ever since then I can't stay away and I get super hyped up just before I go!

I can't wait to catch up with all the other photogs that I don't have the chance to see often. Then there are all the new gadgets and products at the trade show. This year I am looking for a new album style to carry. Hopefully I will find something to make my collection more diverse.

Oh but what is WPPI without the parties! I love the parties; especially if there is dancing involved!

Engagment Session at Arastradero Preserve Palo Alto

2009-02-12T01:16:00.000-08:00

Jessica and Daniel met in high school while attending Homestead High in Cupertino. So we started the engagement session there and then drove to Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto for some more scenic images.

They were real troopers as we hiked around the park looking for the best photo spots.

They will be getting married in Santa Clara in July.

Wedding at Dectahlon Club

2009-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

James and Laura are one of the sweetest couples ever! And super funny too! I photographed their wedding at the Decathlon Club at the end of December.

Decathlon Club is a great place for a winter wedding since you can do most everything inside. We lucked out and actually had some sunshine and took a bunch of outside images too.

Laura's friend who went to India before the wedding took a trace of Laura's foot and had these custom shoes made for her. Cute, eh!

I don't usually like to publicly admit to my short comings but walking backwards with 15 pounds of camera gear is not something I do well. It was sort of funny, but sort of embarrassing as I fell back into a step as Laura and her father were heading down the isle. Sorry Laura! Fortunately, I was able to make a quick recovery and still get images of the back of her dress as they walked down the isle. Just another moment where I was really glad my mom didn't name me Grace!

On the subject of mothers. Laura has the privilege of having two mothers; one biological and one adoptive. They were both at the wedding and it was awesome to see how well all the families got along and how much affection everyone showed for each other.

After some heart felt toasts there was plenty of dancing.

Laura's bouquet toss was probably the funniest bouquet toss of the year! There was some definite diving going on. I'm surprised I was able to catch all these images as I was laughing hysterically! There is a picture of some of the women on the ground but I don't want to embarrass anyone so I will leave that one out.

Congrats to James and Laura! I hope you continue to make each other laugh for eternity.

Family and Baby Portrait Session in San Jose

2009-02-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

I photographed Brian, Anne and Helen back in December but just haven't had the time to blog about it until now. Isn't Helen cute!

These are just a few of my favorites.

Love Story Contest Winners!

2009-01-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

First I want to thank everyone who participated in the contest! We had over 700 people go online and vote in the poll!

I also would like to thank the judges Jennifer Low, Sarah from Blush and Melanie from Dutchess Intimates Boutique for taking the time out of their busy schedules to read and vote on the stories.

Without further ado the winners of the free wedding photography love story contest are James and Jill. James and Jill are getting married in Arizona in February and I am very excited to be a part of their wedding day!

Hans Fahden Winery Wedding in Calistoga, CA

2009-01-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Brad and Gretchen where married at the end of October at the Hans Fahden Winery in Calistoga, CA. Since I had not yet photographed a wedding at Hans I showed up early to take a tour of the grounds. This place is spectacular with a terraced hillside, lush greenery and a middle ages feeling cave. I could shoot here all the time!

I started photographing Gretchen's shoes and fell in love with them. They have perfect lines and the most sophisticated little star pendant. Makeup was done by Reggie Freeman (reggiefreeman@yahoo.com)

The beautiful floral arrangements were designed by Michael Holmes Designs. They gave the bridesmaid's bouquets a unique bird nest look. The tall grasses they have growing at the winery made for a perfect backdrop for some images!

The bamboo looking plant was a fun prop I used to photograph their rings.

The ceremony took place out side on one of the terrace areas where there were shade umbrellas for everyone to block the suns bright rays. At the end of the ceremony Brad and Gretchen retreated for a private moment in the shade.

I had fun photographing Gretchen and Brad as they gave me some of their best sassy looks and played around for the camera.

Rolando the chef from Alex's Catering rocked! His presentations and the flavor of the food were all 5 star!

Glass Slipper Gourmet also did a wonder job on her wine country themed cake with cupcakes. Tasty too!

Thanks to Helena for assisting!

Love Story - Contest Finalists

2009-01-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

All the love stories have been reviewed and I have chosen three finalists. It was a little difficult to narrow it down because of all the great stories. When choosing the finalists I took into consideration the story, the couples need and weather they provided all the requested items and data (image, dates and venues).

Originally I wanted to add the voting directly to my blog. However, figuring out how to do this was taking forever! It sounded so easy but ended up being a pain in the butt. So I have posted the stories and voting options in the link below using Survey Monkey.

Please read all three of the finalists stories and vote for your favorite on the last page of the survey (poll). Keep in mind not only the story but also the couples need (or deservability - not a real word).

Thanks for participating! You might want to grab a couple tissues!

Click here to read the stories and vote!

Oh, and here are their pictures.

Jeanette and Carlos

Jill, James and Riley

Ketura and Shalom

Senior Portrait Session

2009-01-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

Family is so Patient! I photographed my nephew Steven's senior portrait session in October. Since I was so busy with weddings and such I wasn't able to do the final edits until just yesterday. I'm catching up! Yippy!

It was fun catching up with my half sister as we wondered around the park looking for the next location. Steven was a bit shy at first but he relaxed after a while. We came away with some great shots!

Wente Winery Wedding

2009-01-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

Steve and Jody were married in October at Wente Winery in Livermore, CA. It was a fabulous day filled with traditions, details and activities. They merged their two different backgrounds perfectly into one celebration that everyone enjoyed.

After getting ready in the separate bride and groom suites Steve and Jody met near the vineyard for their "first look". Here Steve sneaks a sip from the flask just before Jody appears. Jody's mermaid dress was super sexy with its plunging neckline and streamline fit. Steve took some long looks as Jody twirled around to show off the dress. After their few moments together we started on their pictures in the vineyard and some family images.

The ceremony took place on Wente's large lawn area which was decorated with simple but gorgeous hanging floral arrangements and their chuppah. As they walked away as husband and wife it made for one of my favorite images of the day.

After the ceremony darkness came upon us more rapidly than we had hoped. So we moved as fast as possible to capture the remaining family and bridal party images. Toward the end of the session we were using artificial lighting sources which made for some fun shadows.

At the cocktail hour they had set out their guest book which has places for the guests image to be inserted later. Also below, the guys showed off for the camera as they held the girls flowers and played with the brides veil.

Everyone loved the candy banquet and I found it the perfect spot to shoot the rings!

The reception was full of entertainment with the Hora, cake cutting and lots of dancing.

Besides the dancing; one of my favorite parts of the evening was taking Steve and Jody out for the night shots!

Thanks to Laena Brandenburg for second shooting.

Flowers by: Jacklyn Le at Le Bouquetier
Video by: Chris Miller at Silver Lens Productions

Love Story Contest - Reminder

2008-12-31T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hi All!

Just a little reminder that the deadline for emailing me your love story is tomorrow Thursday January 1, 2009. I hope to receive a few more good stories!

Thanks to all the couples who have already submitted their stories. There have been a few tearjerkers!

Passing of Time

2008-12-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

Life stands still when you hear it. Literally you refuse yourself life while you hold your breath as the screaming voice on the other end of the line mutters crazy words that you don’t want to hear. Your mind denies it then immediately moves on to ask abrupt questions. How, when, where, give me details! After the immediate shock dissolves your mind turns to questioning yourself. Could I have done anything to prevent this. Could I have…

If you’ve ever suddenly and/or mysteriously lost a close relative then you are familiar with this thought process that I experienced in November when we lost my mother’s sister. It was sudden, mysterious and completely unexpected.

We have not yet received any satisfying answer to the questions that still haunt our family. But we are all working at moving forward. Just in case you wanted to know why its been such a long time since my blog has been updated.

After the memorial and a brief reception a small group of my aunt’s close friends and relatives gathered at my cousin’s hotel suite. There we enjoyed Aunt Donna’s favorite beverage (good wine; Cabernet) and listened to some of our talented friends play guitar. She would have really had a good time! I created the below memorial brochure for her memorial services.

Engagement Session at De Young and The Flower Conservatory

2008-11-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and Krista started the session off a bit stiff and giggly. It was really fun to watch them become more and more comfortable working with me and the camera. They went through the gamete of emotions starting with stiff and giggly; then serious and sexy to playful and finally calm and relaxed.

They are all ready for the wedding day now; with a ton of new poses to pull out of their pockets. And how great does Krista look in white!

There were so many good images from the session I had a difficult time choosing which images to post!

Can't wait for their wedding in Monterey June 2009!

Wedding at Santa Clara University and Freedom Hall

2008-11-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hoang and Karina decided to take all their family and bridal party images prior to the ceremony. They gave me about 3 hours and had family arrive in intervals. It was like a perfect dream! Karina's organizational skills made the day a breeze.

We met at Santa Clara University near the mission and started the shoot with just the two of them. We then photographed the bridal party and family as they arrived.

After photographs at the university we all went over to Freedom Hall and took a few more images as the sun set. I know the image below of them kissing has the worst sun flare ever but I think it makes the image even better! It's like they are surrounded by the suns energy!

They had a short and sweet ceremony followed by a yummy buffet dinner and a jamming dance reception. Hoang and his sister must have taken dance lessons together because they really worked the floor when they danced together. It reminded me that I need to make time for dance lessons.

Congrats to Hoang and Karina!
Thanks to Jen Low for second shooting.

Engagement Session at Stanford

2008-11-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

Brett and Sara met while attending school at UC Davis. They moved to the Bay Area last year and are planning their wedding at Wente Vineyards for May 2009.

I find that everyone responds differently to being photographed. Some couples I have to work with for an hour or so until they become comfortable in front of the camera. Other couples take their best images at the beginning of the session. Brett and Sara warmed up to the camera right away!

Here are a few of my favorites.

Can't wait for the wedding!

Garre Winery Wedding in Livermore, CA

2008-11-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

Shawn and Clara were married in early October at Garre Winery in Livermore. They were both pretty mellow even prior to the ceremony which made it easy to work with them.

Chris Flitter owner of Events by Twist did an wonderful job of planning and coordinating the day for this sweet couple. She made sure no detail was missing.

The beautiful floral design was created by The Pedal Pusher located in Pleasanton.

The winery has a small bridal room were the girls were able to finish up their hair and makeup and get dressed. The porch made for the perfect place for some last minute portraits of Claire just before the ceremony.

Garre also has vineyards in every direction so we didn't have to walk far to find a green location for the bride and groom photos. It was also nice that Clara didn't mind getting her dress a little dirty for the vineyard photos. So we were able to get lots of nice shots of them roaming among the vines.

And they took a 5 minute break from the reception for my favorite night shots!

Congrats to Shawn and Clara!

Fogerty Winery Wedding

2008-11-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

This place is fabulous! I had never had the chance to photograph at Fogerty Winery so when Jay Kelly asked if I would second shoot Kim and Kimberly's wedding I was super excited that I had the date open!

I photographed Kim (the groom) and his brother prior to the ceremony while Jay worked with the girls.

Amy Burke Designs did an awesome job with all the floral decor!

Krista Strader played beautiful music with her harp for the ceremony.

While photographing guests during the cocktail hour a yellow jacket stung me. Ouch! This was the first time I'd been stung by a yellow jacket so I freaked for a minute until I Found some ice and realized I wasn't going to die. Even though the sting itched and burned the rest of the weekend it was nice to finally get my first sting behind me.

Kimberly was one of the coolest brides ever! Shortly before sunset we took her out to the vineyards so she could run through the rows of grape vines! I liked her attitude about getting her dress dirty. She bought her dress to look fabulous for the day and she wanted to get the most use out of it as possible on this one day.

The videographer David Etheridge worked pretty much none stop from the time he arrived until the time the bride and groom left.

The Amazing DJ's out of San Jose area were really entertaining to watch. They work as a team and one or more of them will get out on the dance floor to lead the crowd in dance moves. They really had the crowd going!

The catering was done by Le Papillon and it was mouth watering! It was some of the best catered food I have tasted.

These two newlyweds were so entertaining I couldn't put my camera down! I had too many favorites to even blog them all.

YEN Mixer

2008-11-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

What does YEN stand for? YEN is short for Bay Area Young Entrepreneurs Network; a new organization which encourages young (or youngish) business owners to get together and network. Their first network mixer was at A Different Day Gallery in Albany.

It was a great chance to talk with others about their businesses, swap cards and expand my network.

They also had a few drawings for different items. I won a bottle of nice wine!

Thanks to Serena and Lea for putting this together and giving us a new opportunity to network and learn from others!

Newborn Session in Mountain View

2008-11-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Newborns make the cutest faces!
I photographed Masako's maternity session while she was pregnant this summer and was then able to go back and capture some images of Mia within a few weeks of her birth. She is so cute!

Baby Session with Gavin

2008-11-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

Bobby and Laurel brought their little guy Gavin over for pictures when he was about a month old. It was really hot the day we photographed Gavin; add studio lights to a small studio and that makes it even hotter. However, we were able to capture a few good images before he became incurably grumpy.
We will have another session soon so we can catch him on a better day!

Wedding at Embassy Suites Milpitas, CA

2008-11-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

David and Leah were married in September at the Embassy Suites in Milpitas.

The open atrium lobby at the hotel is a perfect environment for foliage and trees to grow; which makes for a nice backdrop. The best thing is you don't have to worry what the weather is like on the day of your event it will be nice inside no matter what.

The room where the girls got ready had a thin white curtain that made for a perfect light box and backdrop for pictures.

I had the guys pose for some group shots in the library and lobby and made good use of my new fish eye. Love it!

The reception was jam packed with entertainment. First the Mariachi Jalisco band played followed by a Mexican dancing group.

Alex Mag from Mag One Productions created a slideshow/video to play in the background while David and Leah danced their first dance. The family also had Alex put a mini movie together as a tribute to Leah's grandfathers boxing career.

Just when we all thought the entertainment was over in came two impersonators who sang Johnny Cash, Elvis and Marylin Monroe songs.

Congrats to David and Leah!

Makeup by Erin Slater 510-557-4497
DJ E&B Music www.djbrothareese.com

Ecco Friendly Wedding in Wine Country

2008-11-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

This was the “greenest” wedding I had the chance to photograph so far.
Peter and Jackie were married in August at Jackie’s parent’s house in Healdsburg. It is a beautiful location surrounded by vineyards.

Jackie is naturally an environmentally friendly person which was evident in many of their wedding planning decisions. Their center pieces were cute small planted herbs that the guests took home. There are many other ecco friendly alternatives to traditional wedding items that they implemented for their wedding; some are mentioned below.

Jewelry by Mallary Marks available at Barneys at select online stores.

They scheduled most of their picture time for prior to the ceremony; which worked out perfect.

When I first saw Jackie's schedule I wondered why she had several 15 minute breaks scheduled in. I quickly figured out that it was so everyone could rest from the heat. I will be shooting in sandals and crop pants next time I work a summer wedding in Healdsburg! I'm so glad Jackie scheduled the breaks and had ice water ready for everyone to rehydrate!

Peter and Jackie provided umbrellas to block their guest from the hot sun, miniature lights so their guests could find their way to their cars in the dark, a bottle of homemade Mead wine handmade and bottled by Peter and Jackie, and a Trader Joe's reusable grocery bag to carry it all home.

The scrumptious food was catered by Sage Catering. I also overheard several guest compliment the groom’s home brewed beer (which I forgot to sample).
The homemade Hostess style filled cupcakes made by Sibby's Cupcakes were super-duper yummy!

DJ Dave Tutton kept the mood just right all day with a perfect blend of music.

How cool are Jackie's aunts white Hollywood style sunglasses! I so need a pair of these.

Peter and Jackie worked really hard in advance so that their family and friends would be able to enjoy a relaxing and unique day of celebration. Congrats to these two newlyweds!

Japanese Tea Garden and North Beach Engagement Session

2008-10-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Steve and Jody rock! We started their engagement shoot at the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park and then went to North Beach to keep shooting. I like to shoot for a couple hours if the client is willing and Steve and Jody were all for it so I think we were out gallivanting around town for about 3 hours. Yeah!

They own a web-based image management and sales platform service called Spit Fire Photo It gives organizations and photographers a place to archive images and have e-commerce store fronts.

This first image below is probably my favorite of the day! It wasn't posed at all! Or at least I didn't pose her. :^)

We found this really old looking brick wall while walking around North Beach. I so love it. Then we waited around til we could catch a cable car. We successfully caught a few quick images without disturbing the cable car driver or passengers.

How can you not have fun shooting in the middle of traffic on Columbus? Notice the nice officer in the background who asked us to stay on the pavement, but didn't give us a ticket (center image).

Engagement Session at San Jose Rose Garden

2008-10-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am so far behind in blogging! Its just been so busy and I have to put shooting and editing first. But I'm in the mood to write so I'll be working on a few new posts for sure.

I shot David and Leah's engagement session at the San Jose Rose Gardens prior to their wedding in September. Leah is able to go from a happy in love look to super sexy in a split second so they were really easy to work with.
The makeup artist had run a little late so we only had about 50 minutes, but we were still able to get some amazing photos.

My favorite images has to be the bottom middle shot. It just rocks!

I'll be blogging their wedding images soon!

Publishing Party with Jay Kelly Photography

2008-10-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

We just needed a reason to have a party! Ever since Bryon and I moved in to the new place with the huge backyard I had been dying to give a party. So when I was published in the Fall issue of The Knot Northern CA that gave me all the reason I needed. I just had to wait a little while to find an available weekend.

My co-host for the party was my buddy Jay Kelly (fellow photographer) who had also recently been published in a book called Style Your Dream Wedding.

I had my mom fly in from Arizona so she and our friend Lisa could cater the event. They are both foodies so they had a lot of fun making the mouth watering menu! Chocolate dipped figs filled with marzipan, 4 different gourmet cupcakes, Thai chicken and beef skewers, and baby red potatoes with caviar; to name a few.

We set up a bar (manned by our favorite bartender Wyatt), some cocktail tables for mingling and a dance floor so we could get our boogie on. The below images are of me hiding behind my mohito, Chad showing off the cupcakes he frosted (Chad was such a huge help), and Melanie owner of Dutchess Boutique in Campbell, sipping her glass of cab.

Below are the 2 chefs and their assistant (Donna, Mom and Lisa). They joined the party after we were done with all the food prep. I was also happy that my long time friend Sherree and her daughter Jasmine were able to make the party (see them in image on right with me).

My favorite picture of the night is of Melanie and her hubby Jeremy at the bar. Picture on left is of Jay and me hamming it up for the camera.
Thanks to Jennifer Low for taking most of the pictures!

Free Wedding Photography Contest!

2008-09-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

We all love to hear a good love story! So I am having a contest to find the best love stories out there. Do you know anyone getting married in 2009 or 2010 that is deserving of free wedding photography? If so, have them submit their love story, a picture, their wedding date and wedding venue to me via email. Or you can submit it for them! chyna@cfoto.com
DEADLINE is January 1, 2009!

I will post my three favorite stories (which will be the three finalists) on my blog in mid January 2009. The blog readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite couple. The blog reader's votes will count as one of our panelist votes. The judging team panelists will consist of me, 3 other wedding vendors and the blog readers as a whole. The couple with the most panelist votes will receive FREE photography coverage for their wedding! This will include a free engagement session, 8 hours of wedding day coverage (including an assistant), online viewing gallery and a 20 page coffee table book.

You don't have to be getting married in the SF Bay Area! If you are getting married in another part of the country or world that's okay too. If the winner is located outside 100 miles from San Jose they will be asked to cover basic travel expenses (lodging and airfare if applicable).

Don't let them miss out! Forward this to all your friends and spread the word!

Rules: The story has to be true. Anyone submitting a false story will be disqualified! Your entire wedding budget has to be under $30k. I will investigate both the stories and budgets of the finalists. The couple must be willing to appear on my blog with their story. To qualify I must be available on their wedding date in 2009 or 2010. Contest will be closed January 1, 2009 at midnight pacific standard time.

A Real Wedding in The Northern CA Knot Magazine

2008-09-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

I was super excited this past winter when one of the photo editors at The Knot Magazine (Northern CA version) emailed saying they were interested in publishing a wedding I photographed last summer.

I kept it sort of quiet just in case it was cut before printing. Now that the magazine is on store shelves I’m telling the world! Some might think it’s silly to get so amped up over some images being printed in a magazine, but to me it’s that little ego boost that lets me know my work is appreciated by more people than just the clients.

The images are from Keith and Stacie's wedding in Guerneville last year and are printed with a story about them and their wedding particulars. Thanks to Stacie and Keith for putting so much thought and effort into every detail!

If you want to see the spread you can find the magazine at Barnes & Noble or come by my office. I have at least 6 copies! :^)

Crystal Springs Golf Club Wedding Burlingame, CA

2008-09-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Darrell and Shawna were married in August at Crystal Spring Golf Course. Crystal Springs has the best sunsets anywhere on the peninsula!

Their wedding had a bit of a forty's theme. There were so many little things about the wedding that were fabulous! Old cars, fun outfits, a playful bridal party, and the list goes on.

The girls got ready in a big suite at the Double Tree in Burlingame. From there we went to the golf club and took pictures near the wedding site on the grassy hills. The bride brought fun polka dot sunglasses for all the girls! I love it when the girls are ready to sass it up and have fun with the pictures!

After the ceremony and family images we photographed some great bridal party pictures near their vintage cars. Then after a short photo walk at sunset with the bride and groom we headed in for the party!

I ended up with way too many fabulous images to post. See the slideshow at www.cfoto.com under the slideshow tab.

Wedding at Flood Mansion in San Francisco

2008-09-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Congrats to David and Kiye who where married at The Flood Mansion in San Francisco in July!

What a beautiful Mansion! This was my first time shooting a wedding hear, but hopefully not my last. They have the most exquisite ornate ceiling in the dance room. Not to mention their site coordinators where extremely attentive and assisted us with everything.

Syreeta and Tracy from Sweet Pea Events did a terrific job making sure the day went smooth. Sweet Pea is a full service event planning company out of Oakland. They helped with place cards, dress details, errands and even wardrobe malfunctions. I think I have a new tag line for them. Never fear Sweet Pea is here!

The DJ gets no props because he was late. :^(

But the chocolates from around the world brought in by Cocoa Bella were truly scrumptious! I think I will be stopping by their store front next time I am in San Francisco.

David and Kiye did an amazing job planning their event and entertaining their guests.

River House Wedding in Ben Lomond, Ca

2008-08-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Sean and Monique were married in July at the River House in Ben Lomound. Its a great outdoor wedding location with beautiful greenery in every direction.

During the ceremony Sean and Monique had everyone's eyes watering up (including mine) while they read their vows to each other. You can see their affection and fondness for each other in the way they gaze at one another. At the end of the ceremony they had a butterfly release in which all the guests participated.

After the ceremony we finished up the family images and then they were off to dinner. The tri-tip was really good! Kudos to the chef! Love Creek Catering

They had several children at the wedding and they provided them with some fun activities. The kids loved the bubbles and the cupcake decorating table was a hit!

Thanks to Jennifer Low for second shooting/assisting.

Golden Gate Park Engagement Session

2008-08-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

I met Pete and Jackie at Greg and Val’s wedding last year. When they approached me to do their wedding I was super excited as they where planning to have an environmentally friendly (Green) wedding.

We shot their engagement session in Golden Gate Park at the Botanical Gardens and Stow lake. At the lake we rented a bike; which was great because they are avid outdoors people and love to bicycle. Little did they know that I would be hanging off the front of the 2 person bike snapping photos as they tried to peddle and steer. It was fun for me and they got a good work out!

They get married in mid August and I should be posting wedding images sometime in September.

Lafayette Park Hotel Wedding

2008-08-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

I met Kyle and Katie at Daniel and Sabrina’s wedding last year. When I met with Katie for the consultation she warned me that Kyle would not be into taking a lot of posed images at the wedding. Which was fine with me; as I typically prefer to take more Photojournalistic photos and less posed images.

They were married in June at Lafayette Park Hotel. The hotel has some great places to take photographs. I especially liked the iron gates near the front of the hotel.

On the day of the wedding Kyle was pretty kick back and we ended up taking lots of different picture scenarios of him and the guys. We had a blast setting up different compositions!

After the ceremony we took a few more images in the hotel lobby which has beautiful natural light.

The reception was bustling with the majority of their guests on the dance floor. I have to hand it to Brad Kinney Productions; Brad did a great job with transitions and remembering key guest names. Not to mention the music selections kept the crowd grooving til after it was time for me to depart.

Congrats to Kyle and Katie who are expecting their first child very soon!

Thanks to Jennifer Low for 2nd shooting.

Wedding at Clift Hotel San Francisco, CA

2008-07-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Rochelle were married in June at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. I didn't know this venue existed until Rochelle had contacted me about 10 months before the wedding. What a cool hotel! Their venue will only accommodate small wedding parties of about 60-70 guests, but if you are going for a small wedding this would be a great city location.

Ryan and Rochelle took most of their family images prior to the ceremony; which I always prefer.

The hotel has a huge Alice in wonderland type chair in the lobby. It takes a ladder to climb up to be seated! Awesome for some surreal photos!

During the ceremony both the groom and bride were caught shedding some tears. After the ceremony they had a brief cocktail hour while the hotel staff transformed the ceremony location for dinner.

The side sun room where the cocktails were served has perfect light for portraits. The ceiling and side wall are all covered in white material and the open side of the building is all glass windows.

I cant wait to shoot another wedding at the Clift! See their slideshow on www.cfoto.com under the Slideshow link.

Thanks to Karl Ko for second shooting!

DJ: Matteo

Family Portrait Session in Atherton, CA

2008-07-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Tina was in a wedding that I photographed last year. She called me in June for some family pictures with emphasis being on their 2 year old boy Sebastian. Tina had taken him to a kids photo studio (to remain unnamed) but didn't have much luck getting good images. So my challenge was before me.

We met at Holbrook Palmer Park in Atherton hoping Sebastian would feel more at ease in this setting. It took a while but I finally got him to warm up to me. Yippy!

These are a few of my favorites from the session.

Maternity Session in Mountain View

2008-07-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Masako and John were referred to me by Greg and Val. Greg and Val are a wonderful source of referrals for me! I had shot Greg and Val’s wedding last year and they have sent me several referrals since then.

When Masako was about 6 months pregnant she scheduled a maternity session. A little early (about 7 months is best) but it turned out perfect because she also wanted some images of just her and John without the belly in the picture.

They are both sweet people and were easy to work with.
Congrats to John and Masako who are expecting their first child in August!

Felton Wedding - Jason and Liz

2008-07-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is a long past due blog entry. Jason and Liz were married in May in his parent's beautifully gardened backyard. After the ceremony the couple and their bridal party hopped into a fire truck and we went to Henry Cowell Park to take some images.

Liz had really developed her modeling skills since the engagement session. At the wedding she was much more aware of her facial expressions and body flow. They were so much fun to work with!

After some images at the park we went to the Felton Firehouse for the reception. Liz's parents are both volunteer fire fighters and Jason is a fire fighter in Monterey. How cool is that to have your reception in a big firehouse!

After dinner, toasts and dancing we took Jason and Liz out for some night shoots and then into one of the firehouse garages to take a few last images. We had too many good images to post. To see their slideshow go to www.cfoto.com and click on slideshows.

Thanks to Jen Low for 2nd shooting and assisting!

New York - Baby Cakes and Old Friends

2008-07-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

On our last Sunday in the New York area Bryon and I drove to Stanton Island and took the Ferry to Manhattan. There we met up with my old friend Natalie.

First we went for brunch at a little place that was super busy (cant remember the name) but they offered free drinks with their brunch items. Nice! We then walked around little Italy and over somewhere else to a new museum. We hung out with Natalie for most the day dragging her here and there. It was great to catch up!

We also visited a wheat free bakery called Babycakes. I bought a bunch of stuff to bring back to one of my wheat free buddies. Everything we had there was okay (for wheat free) but my friend Michelle makes way better gluten free cupcakes!

New York - Canal Street, Conan O'Brien

2008-06-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

New York - A place of diversity and constant movement. Bryon and I stayed just outside New York State in New Jersey in May and adventured into the city via car, train and ferry. Oh, that sounds like a bad movie!

One of the days that Bryon had to work in their New Jersey office I met up with my friend Sherree who happened to be visiting NY from California. She has lived in NY in the past so it was fun just following her around.

We met at Grand Central Station. Find Sheree in the picture.

Then we hooked up with her friend Brandee and went to lunch and to Canal street for a little shopping. We wanted to buy a bunch of New York t-shirts for Sherree's daughter and my nephews. We went into a little souvenir shop and started holding up shirts to see which styles we liked best. The lady who was running the place became irate with us for opening too many t-shirts and kicked us out! Speaking partially in slang English (words I cant repeat) and partially in Chinese. It was hysterically funny! Only in New York!

Once we were done shopping on Canal St. we went over to the NBC store and bought Bryon an Office coffee mug. As we were headed toward the cashier we were pushed aside by security guards yelling "clear the way!" We looked at each other - "Cool someone important must be coming through!" We got all excited and pulled out the camera. Who could it be? Within a few minutes we saw camera men running backwards (thats talent) with Conan O'Brien running in front of them acting all crazy. Good thing I'm somewhat tall! Find Conan in the picture!

Family Portait Session in Mountain View, CA

2008-06-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have been friends with several of the Marquez-Dicky-Spencer clan for almost two years. Teresa and then Debbie approached me months ago to shoot a session with their entire extended family; their parents, 5 siblings plus their mates and children. They wanted to shoot it in time to make enlargements for their parents anniversary. This was my favorite group photo.

We came away with some great images! Even though some of them kept making goofy face at me and making me bust up. This one of Debbie is one of my favorite! I was laughing so hard that I'm surprised it wasn't blurry!

Rehearsal Dinner at Hollin's House Santa Cruz, CA

2008-05-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Jason and Liz had me photograph their rehearsal evening, two nights prior to their wedding. It was great to get to know the key family members before the wedding took place that Saturday.

After the rehearsal in his parents backyard - which is gorgeous! - we went to The Hollin's House in Santa Cruz. If you don't know exactly where this place is don't trust your GPS! I had to call the restaurant for directions after my GPS took me to a locked back gate on another road.

After I arrived, we took pictures on their back patio; which has an incredible view. They also have lots of green trees and a gazebo on the side yard. We started with some formal type poses and then quickly moved to some goofier playful images. I'm sure the other restaurant guests were entertained as they watched us from their dinner tables!

It was wonderful to watch these two families get together and enjoy each others company.

Stay tuned to see their wedding images in a week or so!

Wedding at Murrieta's Well Livermore, CA

2008-05-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Steve and Amber were married at one of my favorite locations. The wedding took place in April at Murrieta's Well in Livermore.

The first time I met with Steve and Amber she had purple hair, or at least part of it was purple. Was this going to be a punk wedding? On the wedding day I was elated to find Amber had transformed herself into an elegant and beautiful bride. I didn't even recognize her that afternoon when she first opened the bridal suite door!

Not only did Amber look amazing, she is also very self aware; being conscious of her facial and body movement. This made my job truly enjoyable.

My favorite journalistic shot from the day is when Steve is putting on Amber's ring during the ceremony. The groomsmen's facial expressions are just awesome!

Eating Gluten-Free - Missing Big Pieces of Wedding Cake

2008-05-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

I know this is not photography related, but I couldn't resist witting about my recent experiences with my new gluten free diet. I figured out sometime around February that I was gluten intolerant. I don't get super sick like some people, but I definitely don't feel good the next day.

If any of you have tried to change your diet in such a big way you will know what I mean when I say "It's a tough path!" Almost everything we eat in the United States has wheat in it. Did you know that most cream based soups (in the rue), most seasoned French fries, soy sauce, and most battered items (fish, veggies, etc) have some wheat in them?

I miss my chocolate chip cookies! But Whole foods carries gluten free brownies by Crave bakery. So yummy!

So when you see me only take one bite of your wedding cake don't be offended. It's probably to die for, but I don't want to be dieing the next day. However, I do want to be able to give props to the awesome bakers who create the pretty and tasty cakes for your weddings. So you will find me splurging on that one big bite!

San Francisco Engagement Session - Palace of Fine Art

2008-05-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I met Jon and Angel a few weeks back to shoot their engagement session at the Palace of Fine Art. We are all from the San Jose area so we didn't realize that the dome was undergoing renovations and had scaffolding surrounding it.

They were a little bummed, but we were in a prime location with tons of beautiful areas that didn't include the dome. So no worries! We photographed in the areas all around the Exploratorium and then went across the street to the little marina area.

Cfoto has A New Website

2008-05-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Not only did we move in the middle of April, but the day before the move started I launched a new website! www.cfoto.com

I like to do everything at once for maximum chaos!

Check out the new site and let me know what you think; especially about the new logo and color scheme. Feel free to leave your comments on this post or send me an email with your thoughts.

We've Moved to San Jose

2008-05-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Lots of new things going on around here! A couple weeks ago we moved into a larger location in San Jose. We now have a huge yard that will be perfect for photo sessions! Oh, and big enough for volley ball games and BBQ's too!

The new place has wood floors; which I absolutely love! But the most picture worthy item has to be this bright yellow door that leads to the backyard.

Family Photo Session at Cuesta Park Mountain View, CA

2008-04-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

You don't need a reason to have a photo session! Keith and Michelle have been married a couple years, so this wasn't an engagement session. They just wanted some new family pictures.

Even if you are a small family without children its a good idea to have periodic photo sessions. Plus its fun! I have couples do lots of kissing, cuddling, walking, and jumping... Oh, did I forget to mention; you probably won't need to go to the gym on the day you have a photo session with me! :)

Home Safe Photo Shoot in San Jose

2008-04-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today I photographed women and their children at Next Door/Home Safe, a facility that provides support and housing for women that are victims of domestic violence.

Rhee Bevere, a wonderful south bay photographer, organized hair stylists, makeup artists and photographers for the event.

Most the women at Home Safe have been through more difficulties in their lives than most of us. They simply do not have the means to take their kids to a portrait studio for a photo session. This was an opportunity for these busy mothers and their children to get dressed up, made up, and take sometime for themselves. Our job as photographers was to give them images of the experience. This might sound odd to some, but a beautiful image of oneself is a definite confidence builder.

I would love to post some of their images, but because of the sensitivity of some of their situations we were asked not to use any of the pictures. So here is a picture of some of the photographers that volunteered for the project (from left to right) me, Kimberly Sawyer, Angela Banchi, and Shannon Montez. We all shot at the home Safe in San Jose, but there were 3 other photographers at the Home Safe in Santa Clara.

WPPI 2008 Photos - Party Time!

2008-03-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Since most event photographers work weekends it is most entertaining when a bunch of us get together and have a chance to let loose. Think about it...
Wedding photographers are always around a party; always hearing dance music and rarely having the chance to dance. I didn't go to any super dance party's but I did get a chance to go out.

After a couple seminar's on Sunday afternoon I went with a friend to see the Cirque du Soleil show Mystere. Wow! I didn't know people could do such extreme maneuvers with their bodies! No pictures allowed in the theater! So I snapped a quick non flash image at the end of the show (see image below). If you go to Vegas don't miss out on seeing one of these shows; its worth the pricey ticket!

Tuesday night I went to a small party hosted by Richard Photo Lab out of LA. They are a smaller custom lab that does high quality work. My friend Jen and I met Jose Villa; an awesome film photographer. Really nice guy too!

Wednesday was party night! First there was the WPPI Awards Ceremony. See picture below of Jen and I looking oh so cool (but please forgive the point and shoot quality). We didn't bring any crystal awards home this year, but I will be working even harder this season to get rock star images for next years competitions.

After the awards a few of my friends and I were in the mood to dance. So we went to a few different places until we found a neat little Irish Pub called Nine Irish Men at NYNY hotel. There was a live band playing and it was a great time!!

By Thursday it was time to fly back home. So I'm back at work putting into practice some of the great inspiration I received at WPPI!

WPPI 2008 - Las Vegas, NV

2008-03-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

This was the third year in a row that I attended the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographer's International) convention in Las Vegas. Every year I still learn something new and have a ton of fun!

As a small photography business owner there are many different hats that we need to wear these days. Besides photography we have to know at least a little about Photoshop, slideshow software, websites, sales, advertising, marketing, bookkeeping, and newsletters (haven't gotten to that yet). At the convention there are always new suggestions or softwares to assist in making these daily tasks easier.

This year I found a new editing software that I like by Nik software. It should stream line certain types of touch ups and special effects I apply to some images. I also picked up some great tips from Doug Gordon's seminar on how to make picture time "poses" flow more naturally.

This year I left the real cameras at home and took only a point n shoot so please forgive the poor image quality! Thanks to diet Pepsi for keeping me awake!

Stay tune tomorrow to hear about all the fun we had and see the goofy pictures!!!

The Pouting Child!

2008-03-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my previous post; I think my nephews are cute even when they are in the middle of a solo drama production. Avin had lost his temper and found himself writing the same "I will not.." phrase 10 times (big job for a 5 year old). After he was done he started pouting and sought out isolation.
I couldn't resist the temptation to document the event!

Family Portraits Surprise, AZ

2008-03-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

My sister and her ever so cute kids live in Surprise Arizona near Phoenix. So I travel out once or twice a year to visit the whole lot of them at once.

There are two things we always do while I am there. One is go to the park cause that gives my sister some quiet time. Two is to take lots of pictures! I think they are the most adorable things on the planet; even when they are throwing a fit.

Usually it is more fun for me to take the pictures than for them to have their picture taken. I guess boys don't like to get cleaned up and have their hair done! Oh, the torture I put them through! LOL! So this year I shot most of my pictures on the go and at the park.

Poppy Ridge Golf Course Wedding - Livermore, CA

2008-03-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Chris and Kristina were married at the beginning of March at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore. They have known each other since elementary school. Isn't that cute!

This was my first time working at Poppy Ridge. The views were phenomenal! The outside architecture of the club also makes for a great picture back drop. Everywhere I turned there was another perfect place to take pictures! It was a great place to work and the staff were all very friendly.

It was a little chilly outside that day and the wind was definitely blowing. But we used the wind to our advantage; allowing it to add movement to some of the images. Everything was in one location so it gave us plenty of time to take pictures without keeping everyone else waiting too long.

At the reception I had a side of veggies and mash potatoes and it was all yummy. The cake was picture pretty and looked well made but I didn't try any. I'm on a low sugar diet! DJ Rob from Amos Productions had everyone grooving on the dance floor well into the evening. I'm sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Baby Portrait Session in Los Altos, CA

2008-03-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

This little guy is so cute! He doesn't care for the indoor studio much though. So I was only able to get a few good images before he had enough of the flashing studio lights. That's okay. I will photograph him again soon but outdoor next time. Stay tuned for more images...

Toddler and Family Portraits

2008-03-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

I photographed Autumn and Andy's wedding a couple years back at Hayes Mansion. It was a perfect outdoor wedding day.
Recently, when their daughter turned one they called for a portrait session. These are a few of my favorite images from the shoot.

Bridal Tips - Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!!

2008-02-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know how they do it but some women can squeeze their feet into tall spiky heels and still walk. If you're like me and cant go shopping for 6 hours in your stilettos; then don't try it on your wedding day!

Many brides are switching their high heels out for some comfort at the reception. I've seen more than one bride put on white converse. Others have slipped into ballet shoes or flip flops after their first dance. However, if you don't want to loose the height try switching to another pair of heels that have different pressure points.

When you are shopping for your heels look for a pair with a thicker sole. Pass by the super thin soled heels that allow you to feel every pebble in the pavement. Happy shoe shopping!!

Maternity Session at Baker Beach with Kate

2008-02-23T22:55:00.000-08:00

I photographed Peter and Kate's wedding last year and it was a blast. They are fun, creative, and easy to work with!
It was an awesome day for photographing at Baker Beach. We had a clear view of the bridge and some dramatic cloud coverage all at the same time! Perfect conditions for shooting!
Here are a few of my favorite images.

Maternity Photo Shoot at Bakers Beach - San Francisco, CA

2008-02-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

I shot two maternity sessions at Baker Beach in San Francisco last Friday. What an awesome day it turned out to be! This is the first session of the day; with Mark and Mendy. They are due at the beginning of March!
These are a few of my fav's. I got some new Photoshop actions that I was testing out on the images so they are a little punchier than normal, but I think I like them punchy!

Green Weddings (environmentally conscientious)

2008-01-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

Are you having a GREEN (environmentally conscientious) wedding in 2008? Do you know someone who is? I'm looking to photograph a wedding that is going to be really environmentally friendly. Email me about the wedding details and you could save yourself a bunch of green stuff!

Biltmore Hotel Wedding - Santa Clara, CA

2008-01-23T15:34:00.000-08:00

David and Anne were married in January 2008 at the Crosswalk Church in Sunnyvale with a reception following at The Biltmore Hotel in Santa Clara.

The young couple had friends and family from various parts of the world converge in the bay area to celebrate the occasion. Although it rained most of the day we found covered walk ways at the church the perfect place for outdoor photographs.

After the ceremony preformed by the grooms father the bridal party and guests made their way to The Biltmore for an intimate reception dinner.

Flowers by: Petals by Design
Cake by : Cake Expressions

Friends and Horses

2008-01-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

My friend Lisa bought a horse (Shalazar) recently! I went out to watch her train him and take pictures. These are the before pictures, before she trains him into shape. I will be back in a few months with after pictures. Hopefully he will be all buff! He is so cute it makes me want to buy one too!

Bridal Tips - Questions to Ask Wedding Photographers

2008-01-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

There are so many vendors to hire when planning a wedding and most couples don't know a whole lot about photography. Here are the questions I would ask a photographer and the answers I would hope to hear.

1. Do you shoot RAW or JPG? Hopefully RAW. If they say JPG then ask "what size JPG?" If they shoot files that are any smaller than large fine JPG's - run the other way. You need at least a fine large JPG to get a good enlargement. But there are a few "pro" photographers out there that shoot medium JPG.

2. If you haven't photographed at my wedding venues will you scout the location? The answer should be yes unless there is a lot of travel involved. If your wedding sites are a distance from the photographer's location they should agree to show up a little early on the day of the wedding to scout out good picture spots.

3. Can I purchase the full size images files for printing? Typically a pro photographer can deliver you a higher quality print than if you go down to the local lab yourself. However, if you are planning on making some reprints yourself you don't want to be surprised if your photographer's policy is to not release image files. If a photographer says they don't release the image files or at least not for a year, keep in mind you will need to pay their prices for any enlargements and reprints.

4. How many images do I get to see after the wedding? You should be able to see all the images except tests shots, blinks and if they have a photojournalistic style a few mess ups. Even if the photographer only prints a certain amount of the images for you all the rest should at least get posted to an online gallery. Because his/her favorite 500 might not be your favorite 500.

5. How much post processing do you do to your images? I run almost all my images through a PhotoShop action. This takes a lot of time! Your photographer should at least run actions (digitally enhance) 100-150 of their favorite images. The rest of the images should be adjusted for color and density.

Have questions or comments regardign the bridal tips? Feel free to send me an email!

Wedding at Ranch Golf Club in San Jose

2008-01-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Javier and Nicole were married in November at the Ranch Golf Club in San Jose. I shot their wedding for Jay Kelly Photography (another great wedding photographer).

Nicole is such a great model that I didn't need to give her much instruction. She just gave me all kinds of great poses. So much fun!!

Nicole and her mother spent endless hours putting together this perfect day and they didn't miss a detail. Everything was so well done I never had to look far for my next image. I didn't have the chance to taste the cake but it was beautiful. I did however, get a few caramel apple candies from the candy jars; another great detail for the guests enjoyment. Mmmm, yummy!

Congratulations you two!

Wedding coordinator: Katherine at Custom Celebrations

Family Portrait Session in Mountain View

2008-01-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

The Niemoth family booked a portrait session while the whole family was together in November. It turned out to be a beautiful fall day and we were able to get some fun interactive pictures along with some great posed images.

We shot at Cuesta park in Mountain View. Their little boy is so adorable!

iFly - Indoor Skydiving

2007-12-31T23:48:00.000-08:00

My oldest nephew, Isaiah visited from Arizona earlier this week and I wanted to take him to do something really fun. So I booked a session for him and some friends at iFly (an indoor skydiving place) in Union City. I went a few months ago and it is such a blast!
I didn't fly this time but I video taped while some friends took to flying (or as I like to call it levitating).

Its funny though Bryon and Isaiah built a fire in our fire pit the next night and just hung out; I swear they had just as much fun playing with fire as they did at iFly. In this day of high tech its still the simple things that make us smile the longest.

Checkout the video of Isaiah at iFly.

Bridal Tips - Picture Scheduling

2007-12-30T23:33:00.000-08:00

Pictures before or after the ceremony? I get couples asking this every week.

Every wedding is different (that's what I love about my job). However, I have seen some trends over the past 5 plus years. When the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony there are way more images of them together than when they don't. Also because they are not rushed these couples tend to be more relaxed and enjoy the day more.

Brides often say, "I don't want him to see me before the ceremony; I want him to be surprised". So some couples go to elaborate lengths for the first time the groom sees the bride on their wedding day.

Last year a groom was blindfolded for a 10 minute limo ride with the bride to the picture destination. He could hear her voice but not see her. There the bridal party led him to an unveiling spot where the bride took off his blindfold so he could see her for the first time that day. After they had a moment together we proceeded to take all the bride/groom and wedding party pictures. It gave us plenty of time for lots of variations and fun shots and the groom still had his moment of anticipation and surprise.

The advantage is that there are fewer images to take after the ceremony and the bride and groom often have the chance to join their guest for a drink before dinner.

If you are saying this is not for me then keep these tips in mind when creating your schedule. If you take most the family, bridal party and bride/groom images after the ceremony you have a lot of images to fit into a short amount of time (typically one hour). Have your bridal party, immediate family and yourself ready early so you can take as many of family and friend pictures as possible before the ceremony.

Also, ceremonies almost always start 10-15 minutes late. Put this in your schedule. If your invitation says 3pm put on your schedule that the ceremony actually starts at 3:15pm. If you are not taking the bride/groom images before the ceremony this 15 minutes could be crucial!

Look at your scheduling closely before the wedding so you can enjoy your day and not be rushed.

Saratoga Club Wedding - Greg and Val

2007-12-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Greg and Val were married in November at The Saratoga Club. It was a beautiful fall day with perfect weather!

They decided to see each other prior to the ceremony to take the majority of their pictures. This allowed them more time with their guests at the cocktail hour.

After shooting a few getting ready images at the Saratoga Hotel we went to a nearby park that I had scouted out earlier that week.

Their officiant was funny, really funny! He was an older gentleman who had lots of great experiences and advice. After the ceremony and a handful of family pictures they joined their friends for some cocktails before dinner was served.

Once the dancing got started I was super impressed with the fancy foot work they had been practicing. Shortly after the first dances the DJ played a swing song and Val and her swing dancing buddies really showed their stuff off! This wasn't a two lesson crowd of dancers, these guys have been dancing for sometime. So cool!!

Their dancing was so impressive that the next week I looked up info on were I could take some lessons. Now if someone can tell me how to convince my husband to take lessons I'll be set! Lol!

Thanks to Syliva for second shooting/assisting.

Bridal Tips - Scheduling Hair and Makeup

2007-12-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

I am asked many of the same questions by brides while they are planning their wedding. So I've decided to start a weekly bridal tip. Check back every week for a new tip or sign up for a subscription to be automatically emailed when the blog is updated.

Brides often ask me about pre-ceremony schedules. So this weeks tip has to do with scheduling your makeup and hair.

I've seen late hair and makeup postpone a wedding by 1.5 hours. Okay that is the extreme, but I believe you cant schedule your makeup and hair early enough. It always seems to take longer than you might think.

If you run late with hair and makeup not only can it delay your ceremony schedule, but it can cut into your pre-ceremony picture time. If this is the case you might end up with twice as many images to be taken after the ceremony. This can make for a rushed and stressful situation for you and me alike.

It is better to be ready early and have the time to take lots of pictures and just relax. Maybe even enjoy a glass of champagne with your girl friends.

Do yourself a favor! Add at least a half hour to your hair and makeup schedule so you can keep it low stress!

Family and Maternity Portraits at Cuesta Park

2007-12-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

When Richard and Grace, former wedding client's, found out they were to have another addition to their family they called me for a maternity session. After taking some studio style images of Grace to show off her growing belly, we moved to Cuesta Park and took some images of the entire family. I got a good workout chasing Madeline (their little one) around the park, but it was fun!

Lake Merritt Hotel Wedding - Oakland, CA

2007-12-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Michael and Tiffany were married in November at Lake Merritt Band Stand with their reception [party!] at Lake Merritt Hotel.

Yes it rained, but it was still a beautiful day and all their guests enjoyed the dry cover of the band stand while they watched Michael and Tiffany's wedding ceremony.

The flower arrangements, table center pieces, bouquets, and boutonnières were all gorgeous. Adam from Ira Andrew Designs did such an amazing job putting together a fall theme.

I met Michael and Tiffany at a wedding I photographed last year where they showed off their cool dance moves. Not only can they dance, but so can all their friends! Which was super fun to photograph! DJ Matteo kept the party hopping well into the evening.

Thanks to Jenn for assisting/2nd shooting!

Felton Engagement Session - Jason and Liz

2007-12-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

Jason and Liz are getting married in Felton next April. We shot their engagement session on a rainy day last month. With a few different locations and one hair drying session we accomplished what we set out to do; get good pictures and stay somewhat dry!

Shakespeare Gardens Wedding - San Francisco, CA

2007-12-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

Mel and Alisa were married in October at the Shakespeare Gardens in San Francisco. I didn’t even know this little gem of a place existed until I met them for their consultation. It’s a poetic location and perfect for an outdoor wedding.

We did most of their fun couple and bridal party pictures prior to the ceremony; leaving plenty of time for some large group and family photographs afterward. This is the way to do it! I had more favorite images than I had room to post!

They hired a cable car on wheels instead of a limo. It was perfect for the occasion! After the ceremony many of the guests where able to ride in the cable car to the reception. There they had an authentic Chinese reception dinner.

Thanks to Jen for 2nd shooting/assisting.

Day of Event Coordinator: AKDesigns

Wedding at The Reata - Oakdale, CA

2007-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Alan and Tracy where married in September at the Reata (use to be a brewery) in Oakdale.

Some of you might ask where is Oakdale anyway?! Well, Oakdale is close to my home town of Modesto. It was fun shooting at a location that recalled memories of hanging out sipping beers in years past.

Reata is such a great location for a wedding. It has ideal spots for pictures including a yellow wall, a brick building, a picture perfect little fence, and a bit of greenery. A stone water wall fountain made for a nice backdrop for the ceremony. The reception area has awesome high ceilings, brick walls and pleasant ambient light.

After the ceremony we had ample time to finish up some pictures before the reception started. Having all the proceedings at one location makes the day flow so effortlessly!

The catering was done in house and was absolutely yummy. The chicken in mushroom sauce and mash potatoes were scrumptious!

Thanks to Lydia for assisting/2nd shooting.

Florist: Country Shelf
Makeup: Marz Salon (I use to get my hair cut there!)
Cake: Linda Bernardi 209-522-8456

Wente Vineyards Wedding - Livermore, CA

2007-10-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Thomas and Shannon were married in September at Wente Vineyards, Livermore in September 2007.

With perfect weather they held their ceremony outdoor and included their two family dogs in the event. I’ve never seen dogs behave that well at a ceremony; they didn’t bark or try to run away.

After a touching ceremony we took pictures of the bride, groom and their entourage around the vineyard premise. They have some great stylish walls and cellar doors at Wente that made perfect picture backdrops.

The days events went late into the evening with dinner, toasts, drinks and lots of dancing.

Mountain View Engagement Session

2007-10-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Val and Greg had their engagement session in September. We decided to keep the theme local and explored a few different locations around Mountain View. After spending sometime at a near by park we walked around downtown and found a cool pink wall with a one way sign. They get married in November at the Saratoga country Club.

Preservation Park Wedding - Oakland, CA

2007-10-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Susan and Sung had a September wedding at Preservation Park in Oakland. The tree lined streets with historical houses are a perfect setting to take you back to simpler times. Sung and Susan met while attending the acupuncture school in San Francisco.

Susan wore a simple and elegant white gown by Jim Hjelm for the ceremony but for part of the reception she changed into a beautiful Hanbok (traditional Korean dress).

This was truly a celebration for everyone young and old. They invited their friends and family to bring their children to the wedding (not always custom these days). This was fun for me because all the children were so adorable and some of them instantly warmed up to the camera.

After dinner and toasts DJ Matteo kept the crowd grooving on the dance floor for hours.

Thanks to Lydia for assisting and second shooting.

Flowers: bloomer
Catering: La Bocca Fina
Cake: Masse’s
Makeup: Christine Craven

Hotel Valencia Wedding San Jose, CA

2007-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have already posted the brief video that we taped at their wedding. Now we have some of their images ready to view.

What a fun couple! Austin has all the dance moves down and Diem is just plane adorable. They were married on August 18, 2007 at The Hotel Valencia in San Jose, CA.

Hotel Valencia is in the middle of Santana Row, a high end shopping area. There are tons of fabulous locations all around the hotel.

Everyone knows I love cake (ok and cookies and anything baked)! But wow their cake was the most unique that I've encountered. Kelly at Glass Slipper Gourmet did a great job with all the details they requested. It was sort of sad to see her art work cut up into pieces.

Thanks to Jen Low for assisting/2nd shooting and video expertize.

Vendor credits:
Event Coordinators Lea and Natalie at Simply Sparkling Events
Makeup by Nam Vo and Tammy Son
Flowers by Atalanta Jackson

Pictage Partner Con LA - September 2007

2007-09-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

This was the first time I have attended a Pictage Partner Con, but not the last! It was smaller and shorter than WPPI. I went with Jill Johnson a fellow photog who knows everyone. So I had the opportunity to meet several new faces.

I must say that the highlight was definitely the party on Wednesday night hosted by Show It, Kiss Books and Shoot Dot Edit. They had a cool photo booth there and free drinks. So what do you get when you put a bunch of photographers together with some booze, dancing and a photo booth. Lots of fun pictures!

I picked up a few new points from the speakers too.

La Playa Hotel Wedding - Carmel, CA

2007-09-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Monica tied the knot in Carmel at the historical La Playa Hotel on August 25, 2007.

The hotel has a decorative metal gazebo in the garden were they had the ceremony. After the ceremony we photographed Ryan, Monica and their family in several of the hotels great locations.

After the pictures we moved to one of the hotels banquet halls for the reception dinner where they served some really good food. La Playa also made them a pretty pink cake that reminded me of something from a Jetson's cartoon. Check it out below, its cool!

I have been so happy this season to get so many great brides. Monica has perfect milky skin and was so easy to photograph. Every look from her was photographable!

Flowers by Swenson & Silacci
Makeup by Debbie Celeste

Hotel Valencia Wedding - San Jose, CA

2007-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Austin and Diem were married on August 18, 2007 at the fabulous Hotel Valencia in San Jose, CA.

Check out this short video Jen made that will give you a little insight to my goofy personality and the way we start our day out.

Some highlight images from the wedding will follow in a few days.

Palm Event Center Wedding - Pleasanton, CA

2007-09-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

The day started at The Rose Hotel in Pleasanton where Sabrina and her girls were getting ready. The Rose is a charming boutique style hotel and the room theme happened to match her accent colors.

After the girls were done making themselves look beautiful we met up with Daniel and his guys at Palm Event Center in Livermore. What a gorgeous estate!

Palm's event manager Clay kept everything running seamless. Palm does their own catering and the round pasta dish is to die for.

DJ Brad from Brad Kinney Productions kept the music flowing and the guests grooving well into the evening. They did the Hora dance (traditional Jewish chair lift) and a dance where the bride leads the party around with a parasol in hand while guests wave napkins in the air. This made for some fun pictures!

Thanks to Laena for 2nd shooting/assisting
Cake by Cake Delights
Flowers by Le Bouquetier
Dress by House of Fashion

Redwood City Historical Museum Wedding

2007-09-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Jt and Kristie rock!

They decided to see each other before the ceremony so we could take most of the family and bride/groom pictures early in the day. No rushing or stressing out (for me or them).

They were married at the Redwood City Historical Museum that was previously used as the Redwood City Courthouse. Dinner followed in a courtroom upstairs. Yep, a courtroom with a stain glass ceiling! Dancing was back on the first floor, under another huge stain glass dome. They don't make buildings like this anymore!

Thanks to Sylvia for 2nd shooting and taking those great fish eye images!

Flowers by Floral Celebrations by Kelly Baird - 650.364.7070
Cake by Kathy's Kreative Kakes

Engagement Session at Stanford

2007-08-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

David and Michelle met at Stanford and are getting married soon. We shot their engagement session at their favorite university.

They have such great admiration and affection for one another. Their so cute!

Corner Stone Gardens Wedding - Sonoma CA

2007-08-28T15:54:00.001-07:00

Zach and Alison were married at the Corner Stone Gardens in Sonoma. www.cornerstonegardens.com Corner Stone is a unique location with 20 different gardens; each designed by a world-famous landscape architect.

One of my favorite pieces is the blue tree; check it out below.

After shooting images at several of the garden locations Zach and Alison joined their wedding guests for a banquet dinner served by Corner Stone. I love their Halibut; its so yummy!

This wasn't a wedding with lots of traditions, rather a grand celebration. Cupcakes by www.debbiedoescakes.net instead of cake and dancing instead of bouquet and garter tosses. Let the party begin! You could see the guests were really having a good time as the dance floor was in constant use while DJ Dave www.fogcityent.com kept the dance music flowing.

coordinating and flowers by Alicia Falango www.aliciakdesigns.com