>Senior portraits can be very edgy and more like a fashion shoot nowadays! They are a lot funner then when I graduated. I got the typical Albert & James, “I look like I am 25 instead of 18,” and very traditional. This young couple wanted a shoot for their graduation as well as a shoot together, as they have spent years of their high school experience together and are now off to college together. I really love this shoot, it was very fun! You can imagine this shoot being for a model, a band, high fashion, etc. It would be cool for so many shoots, even a bride and groom.

Idaho has the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. These sky pictures are real and not altered, believe it or not. Idaho is called “big sky country” and I know why. The skies are low and bellowing with humongous clouds. It truly is a photographers dream. Here in Southern California the skies are often white and we are lucky to get bright blue skies with amazing clouds. Idaho photographers have an advantage shooting with those skies as the backdrop, I am jealous. Hope you enjoy this really fun shoot as much as I enjoyed shooting it!

>Capturing Moments offices are now located in Newport Beach! YAY!!!

Hope this link works. Mom TV link and she talks about me and my kids on live internet!
http://is.gd/d5ay6

Off to shoot another wedding at the Hacienda in Santa Ana, on my 6th Saturday in a row! Wedding Season is in full swing!

Congrats to Marinor and Michael wed on May 15th, 2010 at Aliso Viejo Country Club.  Aliso Viejo Country Club is a brand new venue built in 2008. The view backdrop behind the ceremony is really pretty and the view from the reception room is even better. I like the front doors and staircase as a photographer. Marinor and Michael had a daytime ceremony and reception which I absolutely loved. Daytime wedding always seem to be more slow and easy going. The are always classy and simple at the same time,  I just love them! I especially loves Marinor’s daisies springing up along the ceremony isle. It was very cute and I actually used the image for a marketing advertisement in Orange County Bride Magazine. Enjoy!

If you do not know already I am a huge fan and supporter of Marriage Bootcamp. Ron and Tina Konkin are the directors and just launched their new website, http://www.marriagehelpcenters.com/. This is a intense four day camp that ANY adult can attend married or not. Mostly designed to help save marriages or teach couples compassion and forgiveness to strengthen your marriage. You do not have to be separated or “on the rocks” to attend, however I have seen plenty of couples re-unite and many marriages and families saved as a direct result of this life changing camp. There is a money back guarantee, and nobody has ever asked for their money back, because I don’t think it is possible for it to not be life changing. My husband and I went a few years ago and it saved our marriage I believe. I now currently train at them when I am not shooting. They are amazingly healing! I dare you to go!

June 17th-20th

July 22nd-25th


Aug. 26th-29th

Michelle & Joe started their “getting ready’s” at the St. Regis Monarch Beach, their wedding romantics in Downtown Circle of Orange, and the wedding reception at Taps Los Lagos, Corona. This wedding was so eclectic with so many looks and feels, that I blogged this one 3 times in sections. You can find two previous blogs on this wedding as well. Tap Corona overlooks a lake, and it is a great place to have a wedding or event. http://www.tapsfishhouse.com/corona/  Since the couple owns the Taps in Corona (along w/Taps in Brea), they decided to have their wedding reception at their own restaurant vs. another venue. I have never seen a wedding with so much food, it was awesome. The entire restaurant was closed for their wedding. Initially the bar was stocked with all kinds of appetizers, including oysters on the half shell and lobster. Dinner was amazing and then dessert was absolutely delicious. There was a chocolate fountain, an entire room dedicated to cappuccino and coffee, a candy bar, and then the entire bar was filled with different desserts of their menu, cotton candy, and on the patio even had a smores bar where you could roast your own smores, very fun. Late in the evening the In-N-Out truck came to insure the guests would stay and dance on full stomachs. Truly the best food spread I have seen at a wedding. So many details, had to share these with you.

View their wedding video by Jason Young owner of Garner Films. He is an amazing videographer with all HD equipment and a very cinematic style to his work. Link below.
http://www.garnerfilms.com/video/joseph-michelle/

In-N-Out wedding truck rental link:
http://www.in-n-out.com/cookout_trailer.asp

Link to St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point
http://www.stregismb.com/?PS=PS_aa_WSW_WestSouthwest_Google_BD_st._regis_monarch_Exact_051310_NAD_FM

           All us wedding Vendors taking pics at the photo station. Miguel Pola, Jason Daniel, and Me!

Winner or bouquet and grater toss got 2 nights stay at any Rizt Carlton in the world for 2 nights.

Very fun and the guests LOVE it. The truck came at 10:30pm. GREAT IDEA!!!

                 Taps Fishouse Los Lagos, Corona

I wanted to share my new Logo and Business Card. I have not done new business cards for about 5 years now, so very long overdue. Amber with Amber Dawn Creations designed my new card and logo. I had no idea what to do and I am really happy with the outcome. I wanted a card that was unique and different. So we decided on a ROUND 3×3 card, and Amber did the rest. Yes, I am doing a round card. They square design will disappear once printed. Love the flower effect on the back using my images. I am super excited to have new cards and something very different and unique and also show a little of what I do.

Wedding albums nowadays are simply amazing! I wish when I got married 11 years ago they had the beautiful flushmount albums that they have available now. When I got married, the wonderful world of wedding photography was still film and the albums were the traditional slip in type. Nowadays, a couple submits on average their top 100 images, from there an album is professional designed and a story is told. The albums are then professionally bound and the most popular covers are the genuine black leather with a name and date embossed on the cover, or a really cool wrap around picture cover with the bride and grooms name and date down the spine. Both are classy and will not go out of style 20 years from now. Albums come ion all shapes and sizes from a 3×3 purse size album to a 12×12 extra large album. Most albums are 15-20 spreads or 30-40 pages. I wanted to share an example of a designed albums. If you have your digital negatives and want an album it is never too late. All I need is 100 images top get your design started. The album can be split into two payments over a few month period, and my albums are half the price of most photography studios. Inquire if you would like to start one of your own wedding albums. They really are gorgeous! This wedding album is an oldy but a goody, I still really love this wedding album and this couple. I shot their engagement shoot at the Disney Concert Hall in LA, and their wedding was held at the Surf and Sand in Laguna Beach.

Wedding websites are a great way to keep your guests in touch with all of your wedding plans and details. On these sites you can include photos of the couple, pictures of the bridal party, links to the vendors, maps of the wedding day or bridal party locations, invitations so they are easily accessible, guest lists, fun quizzes about the couple….etc. There are plenty of free wedding websites online. Below I attached one of my couples wedding websites. They featured me as a vendor and included a link directly to my website. This is great because all of their guests will potentially check out my website and remember me when they are thinking of a photographer. Check it out and couples consider having a free wedding page.   

http://www.ewedding.com/sites/ErikLisa