I want to give a HUGE thank you to Jody Domingue for hosting our Step Up Field Trip at her studio on Melrose.  She showed us how to pose, use studio lighting, and just let us run wild through her amazing studio. Check out Jody’s work at http://www.jodydomingue.com.comWe all had a blast dressing up in costumes and trying different poses out for our upcoming photo shoot.  Check out our glam new looks!

I LOVE LOVE Sea World!  My boyfriend Rob and I decided to spend Thanksgiving down in San Diego with his sister and her husband and they had to work the day before Thanksgiving, so we decided to spend the day at Sea World.  It was SO awesome, because NO ONE was there.  We basically had the park to ourselves and got to really interact with all of the animals.  I surprised Rob with a Dolphin Interaction, where he got to go in the water and swim and play with the dolphins.  I hid in the bushes and took photos, so he wouldn’t have to buy prints from their photographer..LOL, but it was SO cool to watch.  We are both HUGE animal lovers and I have decided that all of my gifts to Rob from now on will be joint adventure gifts….I plan on checking things off our “Life To Do List”…one of those for him was to swim with dolphins…so CHECK!

FINALLY, I met little Shane.  Nish and Jeremy Fuchs are also a former bride and groom of mine from 7 years ago!  It makes me feel old how long ago I shot their wedding, but over the years I have become great friends with Nish.  She came with me on one of my recent weddings trips to Indonesia, I shot their pregnancy photos that were featured recently on the Baby Segment of E! News, and we all used to play softball and do yoga together.  They are truly two of my favorite people and I am SO glad that they finally started their new family.  My gift to them (and always will be:) was photos of Shane.  I remember coming over to Nish’s house 5 days before she gave birth and she was painting that Shane canvas in the background…now she’s a mom!  Crazy how quickly your life can change, but I can’t wait to watch him and document him as he grows.  Love you guys!

Joie and John are also a former bride and groom of mine and they recently had a baby, little Lukas, and they asked me to come over Thanksgiving to shoot their entire family and their kids since they were all together.  I had SO much fun, the kids were a blast, John and Joie are still a gorgeous couple and I got to meet their new baby, AND best of all they gave me a TON of wine in exchange, since John works for Gallo Wineries.  I LOVE my job!:)  Seriously, I am stocked UP for the holidays! But I know I have mentioned this before, but part of the blessings of my job is that I get to stay in touch with my brides and shoot their new families and important events throughout their lives and it creates a bond that most friends don’t even have, because I get to be a part of their most intimate moments in their lives. It is one of the main reasons I am a wedding photographer.

I LOVE Jovina.  Not only is she a former bride of mine and that’s how we met, but she is THE most talented masseuse EVER and now one of my best friends.  I have been all over the world and had many spa experiences, and honestly she is THE BEST there is. Her company is Total Body Management and  she brings her table to your home and she also does pampering parties.  Check her out at www.massagesbytbm.com.  I decided to do a photo trade with her for her family Christmas  portraits in exchange for a massage and let me tell you, we will have a life long relationship of trades:)  I had the best time seeing little Michael Dale again.  I remember him as a little baby and now he’s a little man!  Check out her beautiful family, I HAD to post some of these!

I KNOW you two are still In Australia for your honeymoon, but I HAD to post a sneak preview from this wedding.  These two met on EHarmony (yet ANOTHER success story) and they have traveled the world together and he even proposed to her on the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa!  Talk about AMAZING!  They joked that the lack of oxygen got the best of him, but its obvious these two are meant for each other.  Thanks to Ryan Larson of Savoir Flair Weddings, the event was GORGEOUS..and thanks to Coreen’s parents for providing the HUGE frame for some fun photos (AND giving it to me as a gift..I LOVE it!).  

If you would like to see more photos from this event, just click on this link.

Thanks to WhoWhatWeddings.com for posting such a BEAUTIFUL blog of my photos…

Le Petit Ermitage Masquerade ball

Chameleon Chairs with Wild Flower Linen

Tic Tock Couture Floral

Petit Ermitage Masquerade Ball – Patio

Masquerade Ball – Detail Florals by Tic Tock Couture

Masquerade Ball – Candy Buffet Bar

Host of Masquerade Ball, Harmony Walton

Hair & Make up by Fiore Beauty

Masquerade Ball – Make Up Artist

Petit Ermitage Painted Masquerade Mask

Jamie of Fiore Beauty

Ladies of the Masquerade

Cobalt Events & Bridal Bar

Laura Grier of Beautiful Day Photography

Aqua Lilies

Aqua Lilies Performing poolside at Petit Ermitage

AquaLilies Performance

What a fantastic event! The Bridal Bar and Angeleno Magazine hosted an amazing Masquerade Ball at the Petit Ermitage Hotel in West Hollywood, CA on November 17, 2009.  Designed by Cobalt Events , the extravagant ball had an all star team of industry vendors including Tic Tock Couture Florals,  Classic Party Rentals, Beautiful Day Photography, Laura Hooper Calligraphy, Custom Candy Buffet Bars, Plush Puffs,  Supernova String Quartet, and Madame Chocolat. The highlight of the night without a doubt was a performance by the Aqualillies, a 50’s inspired water ballet group. Guests were invited to have their face painted by an authentic french Masquerade make-up artist and have their photos taken with a group of lovely Masquerade Models  wearing sexy lingerie  with their gorgeous hair and makeup by Fiore Beauty. Many industry movers and shakers were in attendance. Scroll through to see who you recognize behind the masks!

Thanks to Sarajane Landun with SJL Events for referring me this shoot.  I had SUCH a blast doing it! Bradford Rand, the CEO of Go Green Expo, put this FABULOUS Eco Forum together for other “Green” Entrepreneurs out there to not only showcase the new TESLA ALL Electric sportscar, but to learn valuable marketing tips from Erin Carlson with Yahoo Green the keynote speaker, eat  yummy  morsels provided by Organic to Go Catering, and Eco-Friendly cocktails made with 360 Vodka. I learned alot about the business side of “Green” at this event and I thought it was a great success.  Thanks Bradford for having me!

I also wanted to thank and mention the Eco Forum Founding Members:
seth berk, sr. vice president of Go Green Expo (co-founder)
bradford rand, president / ceo of Go Green Expo (co-founder)
judy tenzer, vp of corporate social responsibility for American Express
alex matthiessen, president of Riverkeeper
mariel hemingway, Author, Actress & Environmental Activist
emmanuel verstraeten, president & owner of Rouge Tomate
gay browne, founder of Greenopia
dr. allen hershkowitz, sr. scientist of the NRDC
jean-michelle lopez, corportate responsibility and public affairs, MTV Networks
michael richter, founding partner of Environmental Capital Partners
mara engel, co-founder of Organicworks Marketing
nicole rousseau, vice president of retail marketing for HSBC
gregory wendt, cfp director sustainable investing for Enright Premier Wealth Advisors
roo rogers, co-founder of OZOcar
christopher gravagna, ceo of Print Responsibly
Josh Tickell, award winning film producer & director

I have known Tammi since before she was even married to Bart and I was shooting her Real Estate Portraits!  Since then, Beautiful Day has shot her kids being born, her wedding, and now round two of family photos!  They have THE most adorable two daughters Satchi and Tessa and we had a total blast on Sunday at Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach.  This park is SUCH a hidden gem I shouldn’t even blog about it.  It is an overgrown park with a duck pond that you can camp out in over night with grills and showers and everything.  ALL in the heart of a suburban neighborhood!  When you are inside the park it honestly feels like you are out in the wilderness!  It’s so perfect for young kids (or adults that like to pretend they can “rough it” and go camping, yet like the convenience of a grocery store a few blocks away:) In any case, I had to share a few fun picks we had of our time there.  Thanks for having me, yet again guys!

I had the great pleasure of shooting Michael and Michelle’s wedding a year ago and already they have welcomed little Charlie Diane to the world!  We shot this a few days ago almost exactly a year to the day of their wedding.  Zona, their Mastiff is The BIGGEST dog I have EVER seen, making little Charlie look even more like a doll in comparison.  He was so gentle with her and even helped the put on his matching sweater!  LOL.  Too funny, but it was SO wonderful to be able to capture yet another amazing moment in their lives and I hope to continue documenting their family as it grows…and the wine and Lakers tickets in exchange aren’t too bad either:)  Love you guys!  I’ll be thinking about you when Rob and I are sitting in the Staples Center!