Joyce + Jake Engaged

Joyce and Jake's engagement session was our last photo shoot for 2010, and I gotta say, it was pretty incredible. We wandered all throughout Half Moon Bay - we started with a stroll through downtown where we stopped in for drinks at a local restaurant, and despite initial curious looks from the wait staff, once they saw how sweet Joyce and Jake were with one another they let us transform their outdoor patio into an impromptu photo studio.  Next, just down the road, we scaled a fence to climb into a gorgeous pumpkin patch and corn field that provided the perfect backdrop as the sun streamed in between the mountains.  For our third stop, just a quick car ride away, we arrived at the beach just in time for a beautiful golden sunset in the exact spot where Jake had proposed to Joyce.  If all of that wasn't enough, we capped the night at the Ritz with a bottle of sparkling rose in front of a crackling fire.  It's shoots like these where I'm like, seriously, this is our job?

Joyce and Jake couldn't not have been more fun and easier to work with.  These two are doing a long-distance relationship at the moment - Joyce is in California and Jake is in Australia, so they really seemed to cherish every moment they spent together.  Furthermore, Joyce brought along her little sister, Alice, who was photo assistant and stylist extraordinaire.  We had a blast with these three - thanks for making the end of our 2010 so memorable!

Adm made this photo:

2010 Highlights: A Year in Review!

I can't believe we're already ringing in a New Year.  2010 has been a complete whirlwind, and at the end of the year, when things are starting to slow down and we're getting ready to breathe and relax for a few months, I always like to reflect on what we've done and think about what direction we're headed in.  In pulling out images for the highlight slideshow, I can see how our style is evolving and what areas to focus on for the future.  This is part of what makes our job so fun - constantly critiquing one another and pushing each other to do better.  We absolutely love what we do and are so incredibly lucky to work with such wonderful people who trust their memories with us.  We are so grateful for each and every couple that lets us into their lives on such an important day, and we just hope that the care we take in creating their images is a true reflection of how important they are to us.

The slideshow includes images from every wedding and engagement session we photographed this past year.  Music is "Perfect In My Mind" by Gold Motel.

Alison + Bryan Engaged!

Disastrous and embarrassing, yet oh-so-fun!  Alison and Bryan's engagement shoot was a bit of a foley on my part.  During the stunt portion of their session at Crissy Field, I fell hard (or rather supermanned) on the rocks damaging myself, my pride, and my brand new leather boots.  I wanted to wear my new boots so much that I neglected to consider they weren't exactly made for walking on wet rocks.  It took me a minute to recover, but we were having so much fun that we joked our way right through to the end.  Leading up to (and including the fall), their photoshoot felt more like a day out playing with friends than work.  Actually, we met Alison and Bryan over a game of beanbags at Jaclyn and Andy's wedding this past summer so we knew their session was going to be a good time and full of laughs.  At the end of the day all was well because we alleviated my aching body with wine and delicious food at this amazing little French Bistrot near their apartment in San Francisco.

I should note that where I fell was just a short walk from where Bryan proposed to Alison.  He lured her to Crissy Field with a little white lie and had to pay off some skateboarding kids to scram so that they could be alone on one of the benches.  Furthermore, the restaurant that we went to with them was the same place they went after he popped the question!  So, basically we relived their proposal, but with a little comic relief thrown into the mix.

We did a pan and combined exposures at one of the piers.  I know it's really small, so you can check out a larger version here.

I love the ballerina pose!

Adm had to make this silhouette given the incredible sunset we had!

Aubra + Justin Engagement

After making engagement photos with Aubra and Justin for more than 3 hours, we can't wait for their October wedding!  Aubra and Justin are both so easygoing and fun to be around (not to mention that Aubra is also a Tar Heel alum).  This was my favorite kind of engagement shoot - leisurely exploring different parts of Oakland, looking for cool street scenes and art.  We ended up in our old neighborhood near the Parkway Theater where we found some great light, shadows and colorful murals.  They also brought along their adorable pup Lucy who joined in for the shoot.  I happen to be an avid Oakland lover, and so I love these shoots that get to show off my city and feel so quintessentially "Oaklandish."

Who doesn't love a good stick fight?

Photo below by Adm:

Jeanna + Peter Engagement in Knights Ferry

Jeanna and Peter's engagement session brought me again to the beautiful Knights Ferry.  We met up at my favorite time of day - early evening just before sunset, and I was in heaven taking full advantage of golden hour with these two.  Many many thanks to Adm's dad and renowned photojournalist Al Golub who was on hand to help with the shoot.  We had a great time exploring Orange Blossom Road, which had so many open fields, rustic fences, and moody (although somewhat mosquito-ridden) river banks.  I can't wait to photograph Jeanna and Peter's wedding in September!

Megan + Willie Engagement

When Adm and I first got together, we used to go on photo walks where we'd just meander through a neighborhood, taking in our surroundings, looking for the good light, and photographing whatever we wanted.  This engagement session felt kind of like one of those walks as we just wandered through the Financial District and parts of Potrero Hill early on a Saturday morning.  Shooting in the FiDi is really fun because light gets reflected off of so many surfaces - most notably the tall buildings but also the sparkly sidewalks.  Megan and Willie were such great sports about sitting on the curb of busy streets as passersby went about their day.  They also introduced me to some great views in Potrero Hill before ending at the Anchor Steam Brewery.  We're looking forward to their fall wedding in Hopland!