Engagements

Stephanie and Aaron drove up from San Jose for their engagement session up in high country. Little did Aaron know that he was just up this way the previous weekend when he was 4-wheeling with his friends out past Loon Lake. I enjoyed meeting Stephanie and Aaron outside of their wedding day. It’s great to get to know my wedding couples through a photo session prior to their wedding day. It helps me to better understand their connection so when the big day arrives, I know what is natural and what is comfortable for them, in order to capture them…

Melanie and Wai are planning an elopement on a beach in Kauai this summer. Sounds miserable, doesn’t it? With four young children and a family already living as one for awhile now, their “get away” will be all about them. And it sounds absolutely perfect. Melanie wanted some professional photographs of the the two of them since they had never had them done before. From my website , they chose El Dorado Hills Town Center as the backdrop for their engagement images. After a couple of emails back and forth to talk about wardrobe, she suggested to me that Wai might…

One would think that simply getting your once West Coast, now mostly East Coast, family together for a holiday in Lake Tahoe would be enough reason to celebrate and capture family photographs, the Blair family squeezed so much more in. When Rebekah, their oldest daughter contacted me months ago with an holiday gift idea for her mom(and my old friend), I was all in. I knew Ruthie back when my kids were young and it really seems like forever ago. As I remember (and that can be tougher these days), she was the mom who always made it all look…

Cameron and Erin have know each other since they were very young. They used to play together on the field while their older siblings played baseball. They even attended the same junior high and high school however it wasn’t until senior year that they started dating. Now, they will marry this month at the Flower Farm in Loomis. I simply LOVE the Flower Farm. Cameron LOVES basketball and is a Warriors fan. Having enjoyed many a Kings game in the past (my husband calls me a fair weathered fan), I had to know. They enjoy going to games together. Erin,…

THE BEST phone call to receive is from a bride asking you when you are available so that she can choose a wedding day and THEN book their wedding venue. And it all makes me smile. I photographed the wedding of both of her sisters, Courtney and Erin, and now it’s Kristin’s turn! Kristin is tying her own knot to Derek at a beautiful vineyard-side wedding this fall, in Lodi. If it is anything like her sisters’ previous weddings, the absolute abundance of love, family and laughter will abound. I love her family and all the fun I’ve had documenting some very special milestones.…

Given their marathon running experience, Jennifer and Tim had no problem navigating snow and ice for their January engagement session.  Our lakeside plans had to be scrapped when we encountered a locked entrance gate, but the snow and light was actually better just around the corner.  Jennifer and Tim had no problem trudging through the deep snow, and with all the slipping and sliding there were pretty of opportunities for genuine smiles and happy laughter!  Jennifer has one of those smiles that just lights up the world, and luckily Tim gives her plenty of opportunities to make good use of…

It’s no secret that fall in the Placerville mountains is breathtaking.  No wonder Megan and Brandon chose a crisp November afternoon for their engagement session!  I got acquainted with these two when they booked their wedding for Wedgewood David Girard Vineyards.  Sunflower Field, a sister company, is privileged to be a preferred vendor for this gorgeous wine country venue, and even more flattered that Megan and Brandon chose us to document their special day.  Megan said they really connected with the emotion in our work, and if their engagement session is any indication, their wedding will definitely have all the feels. 🙂 Self-professed…

We uncorked a bottle of Pinot Noir and chatted between shots. I learned that they have been together for 20 years, that they are adventurous, love to travel and are in fact heading off to Portugal for three weeks this month. By the time we were done it had felt more like a girl’s happy hour than a photo session, although we had more than enough gorgeous shots of them together.

Melanie and Mark’s Flower Farm Inn wedding is just around the corner and we got together recently in Apple Hill for a sunset engagement session. Usually when I begin my sessions, I ease into them. A little chit-chat, some pleasantries exchanged, giving everyone the opportunity to relax before the camera turns their way. But I purposefully chose to forego that with Melanie and Mark because, right where we met was the most amazing patch of golden light illuminating a picnic bench. I hurried them straight from their car (where they were wrangling their dogs after a drive up the hill)…