Jessi + Michael Engaged!

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This couple is pretty special to me: Jessi has been my best friend since I met her my sophomore year of college, and considering that we lived together for two years, we've got LOTS of memories.  Her family pretty much adopted me while I was in North Carolina, and even though I'm in California, I still like to think I'm one of the Owensby clan.  Since Jessi met Michael after I'd moved back to California, I only learned about him in our phone conversations and didn't really get to know him until they came out for a visit this past July.  Michael is pretty awesome, and Adm and I had such an amazing week with them, particularly since we benefited from their cooking expertise (check out their food blog here!).  I wish so much that they lived out here, and I'm doing my best to convince them to move out west!  I'm so happy Jessi has found a wonderful partner in Michael and can't wait to help celebrate their relationship at their wedding next June in Asheville, North Carolina.  Since I won't be photographing their wedding (bridesmaid duty calls), Adm and I did their engagement photos during their summer vacation.  We headed to Crissy field and then followed up with Lombard street in San Francisco.  Here are some of my favorites - enjoy!

About the above image:  this is Adm's photo that he made using an old viewfinder that was given to us by his friend Allen.  The viewfinder has collected lots of dust and bugs, which I think add character to the image.

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This is Jessi and me on their recent vacation when we made a quick getaway to Lake Tahoe.

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judith + tom engagement pt. 2

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For the second part of Judith and Tom's engagement session, we headed to Philz Coffee in the Mission in San Francisco for some cozy cafe shots.  I thought it was so sweet that Judith and Tom planned to wear the same outfits they wore on their first date in New York.  Lucky for me, their clothes matched the couches!  On a side note, Philz made one of the most delicious coffee drinks I've ever had: an iced coffee mint mojito!  Delicious!

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judith + tom engagement pt. 1

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When Judith and I first started talking about ideas for their engagement session, she casually mentioned something about how they're always joking that Tom is "Country Mouse" to Judith's "City Mouse."  Judith says, "He's the kind of guy who brings flowers to the first date, will always open the door for a girl, and carries a handkerchief - he is super old school." I loved the idea of using a story to symbolize their relationship so we staged their session as "Country Mouse" coming to meet "City Mouse" for the first time.  It was a fun and new adventure to produce a shoot that involved story-boarding and finding props and costumes.  Judith and Tom were the perfect character actors, and with downtown San Francisco as our backdrop, it couldn't have been more perfect.  To get the best of both styles, we also headed to a cozy cafe afterward for some natural shots so check back for those in a later post.  Adm and I can't wait for their wedding in October!

This is Tom (as Country Mouse) looking wide-eyed and feeling a little overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of a big city.

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Little did he know he was about to meet the love of his life.  Check out that City Mouse!

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