Katie + Ryan Engagement in Oakland, CA

I had a BLAST photographing Katie and Ryan's engagement session.  They live in the Oakland hills and even have a barn in their backyard!  We roamed their large and beautiful property when the light was at its best, and it was truly one of my favorite spaces to photograph.  Oh, and do you see their adorable little dog, Sasha?  She was adopted from the pound about a year ago, and I don't know that I've run across a happier dog - she was literally hopping from spot to spot with a huge grin on her face.  Congratulations, Katie and Ryan!

Beth + Daniel Engaged!

I'm going to be a bridesmaid this coming year for my dear friend Beth.  We knew we weren't going to be able to photograph her wedding so Adm and I wanted to do her engagement pictures to help capture part of the happiest time in her life.

Beth could not be more perfectly matched than she is with her fiance Daniel.   Adm likes to call Beth the "Fiesta Bandita" (or "Party Bandit") because  no matter where you go, Beth ALWAYS seems to have just the right bottle of wine, champagne, home brew, wedge of cheese or baguette at hand, literally in her purse, to perfectly fit the situation.  And now, the perpetually happy Daniel with a heart of gold is always ready to throw gas on Beth's party fire.  These two are nonstop fun and I'm pretty sure you can tell from the pictures that their engagement shoot was exactly that.  Plus, Daniel, who still DJs in his spare time, raised the roof for us all over Knights Ferry which is where he proposed to Beth.

Beth and Dan, you know we love you and we absolutely cannot wait for your wedding this May - it is going to be like no other!

Marie + Todd Engaged!

One of the best parts of Marie and Todd's engagement session was not getting arrested for trespassing.  Who knew that a shoot that began with an ice cream sundae at Citizen Cake in Pacific Heights would lead to sneaking through fences and climbing the side of hills while wearing heels in the Presidio?  And on that note, Marie is a rockstar when it comes to walking/climbing in heels.

After we were done breaking the law, we headed to the pier by Crissy Fields for some shots with the Golden Gate Bridge in the fading light.  Adm and I had a fun adventure with these two and are really looking forward to their fall wedding next year.

We had one casualty during the shoot: Todd's sunglasses.  I feel partially responsible because I'd been reminding him all day to take his glasses off so he put them in his back pocket and subsequently sat on them.  Whoops.

Ngoc + Steve Engagement

When it comes to engagement shoots, it's no standard day at the office for Adm and me.  Even when we know the locations, the situations often hold many surprises, and Ngoc and Steve's session was no exception.

When we pulled up to meet with Ngoc and Steve, Steve was hastily taking shots in the car.  OK, I kid I kid - there were no shots, but he was downing a beer as part of his mental preparation to get through what he thought was going to be a difficult portrait session.  I find that lots of my grooms are not always keen on having their picture taken so while I don't flat out tell them to drink to loosen up before our shoots, if they voluntarily opt for it, then let's just say I don't discourage it.

We started off getting lost among the cacti at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens before heading across the street to the Redwood Amphitheater (one of my personal favorites!) where we found ourselves completely alone with some very beautiful light.

Next we drove down the hill to Ngoc and Steve's alma mater, Cal, where Steve treated us to VIP parking, albeit in a construction zone.  Normally I wouldn't consider mentioning a parking spot, but finding a prime parking spot on campus, though technically illegal, is pretty amazing.  We finished the evening with Ngoc and Steve in the Berkeley hills where we were treated to a sweeping view of the Bay, and at the end of the session, Steve actually admitted that he really enjoyed it (which is a total success in my book!).  These two are getting hitched in December so stay tuned for wedding photos to come!

Bee + Stanley

Bee and Stanley were out here visiting from Malaysia and even though they're technically married, they wanted to do some wedding portraits around the city.  We hit up a lot of the San Francisco landmarks including the cable cars and Golden Gate Bridge, which we had to visit twice because the first time, it was completely covered in fog.  These two, who have known each other since primary school and reconnected at a class reunion 15 years later, are planning a small wedding ceremony at home in December.  We wish them lots of love and happiness.

Nancy + Eric Pre-Wedding Session

Nancy and Eric's engagement session was more of a family outing than a photo shoot.  They wanted to take photos with their dog, Royce, but because he wasn't allowed in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, Nancy's sister Helen and her boyfriend Tony came along to watch the little pup, and they simultaneously provided styling help and a big heart balloon bouquet.

After Golden Gate Park, we made Nancy and Eric brave the cold sunset at Sutro Baths for some stunning shots.  We had a lot of fun with this whole bunch, and we really appreciated all of the care and attention Nancy put into the shoot - she had her hair and make-up done earlier in the day, thoughtfully planned out her props (including little Royce), and as you can tell, she and Eric looked amazing in their wedding clothes.  These two are getting married in a month or so with a City Hall wedding, and we wish them all the best!