SAN DIEGO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG :: SAN DIEGO POTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG: SCHNACK STUDIOS

On Tuesday evening I spent some time in La Jolla photographing the Perry family.  The Perrys hail from Kansas City, MO, and are here on vacation enjoying La Jolla and points beyond.

Nicole and Josh were married this past Saturday at St. Therese of Carmel church, with the reception taking place at Estancia La Jolla.  Nicole and Josh played softball and baseball, respectively, at UCSD.  So, it was only natural that they had a wedding that incorporated details of America’s favorite pasttime.

Incredibly designed by my old friend, Heather Balliet of Amorology, Nicole and Josh’s wedding had a baseball-themed element at every turn:  Stadium vendors with peanuts and Cracker Jacks, little bottles of Coke at each place setting, placecards that looked like game tickets.  It was stunning!

I also got to work with another old friend and fellow SDHS alum, Benny Ek of Benny Ek Media.  He did a great job and it was fun catching up.  Tim Altbaum did his usual awesome job as DJ and emcee.  Thanks to everyone for doing such a great job!

Special thanks to my crew as well:  Second-shooter extraordinaire Lindsey Byrnes for her fantastic work and comic relief, and Kelly Kramer for her great work with the photobooth and keeping everyone loose!

[caption id="attachment_869" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole and her bridesmaids each wore embroidered tops, all in the spirit of the wedding."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_870" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole's dress was stunning. There were no good spots inside the room on which to hang the dress for a photo, so I trekked it to the hallway and hung it on one of the HVAC vents. I love the dress framed by the symmetry and interesting lights of the hallway."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_871" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole bucked tradition and wore pink shoes! Totally cool. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_872" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I turned the corner in Nicole's suite and saw a pair of arms coming out of the doorway, adjusting Nicole's hair."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_873" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Attaching the veil is always a production. Nicole's veil was handed down to her by her mother, pictured."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_874" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Some cool portraits of Nicole and Josh. The image on Nicole was lit by a large tungsten lamp to her left. The shot of Josh was taken in the limo. Love the shades! Photo on right: Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_875" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Josh and some of his groomsmen in the limo, looking cool as ever.  Photo:  Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_876" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Love this photo! A few of Josh's groomsmen, practicing the processional. Photo: Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_877" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole and her dad walking down the aisle. Nicole is looking right at Josh, obviously beaming."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_878" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="A cool little moment from the ceremony. While the guests were exchanging greetings of peace, Josh flashed a quick peace sign to his groosmen, who were seated across the church."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_879" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole and Josh's flowergirls, Isabella and Sophia. During Catholic ceremonies, it's always good to keep an eye on flowergirls and ring bearers, as they tend to get a bit bored and exhibit some cute expressions."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_880" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Great shot of Nicole and Josh during their recessional. I love Nicole's expression!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_881" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Portraits of Nicole and Josh. It was dark by the time we shot these, so it's an opportunity to get creative with off-camera lighting. The shot on the left was lit by a single strobe high and left of the subjects. The shot on the right was lighted by the interior lights at Estancia."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_882" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="This photo was kind of a happy accident. This is the last setup we did and we only had a few minutes left in which to make some photos. I placed a single strobe camera left and aimed it at a door to bounce some light on Nicole and Josh. You can see the reflection of the strobe in the mirror, but it's so bright that it creates a huge highlight and a flare in the lens."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_868" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Details, details! Heather and her crew did an awesome job designing the feel of the wedding. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_883" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="A couple of different views of the cake. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_884" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole and Josh at the photobooth. Check out the baseball-themed background!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_885" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole and Josh's first dance."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_886" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Love this cake-cutting photo. Nicole is getting into it."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_887" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Dancing Queen."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_888" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Wedding guest getting airborne to "Jump Around"."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_889" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="From the beginning, we knew this was going to be a good party. We weren't disappointed."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_890" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="The ice cream bar was a big hit. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_891" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole and Josh's brother and best man."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_892" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Nicole's maid of honor, Kristy, caught the bouquet. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_893" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Maybe my favorite photo of the evening. Josh tossed the garter and it went straight to this young man, who was more stoked to catch a garter than anyone I've ever seen."][/caption]

Sarah and Joe were married this past Sunday at Hartley Botanica in Somis, CA.  Sarah and I have known each other for several years now, and I was honored when she and Joe asked me to photograph their wedding.

For those who don’t know, Somis is located just north of Camarillo, near Ventura.  It’s a relatively rural area surrounded by hills on all sides.  Hartley Botanica is part nursery, part wedding venue and is absolutely gorgeous.  Sarah and Joe are both really mellow and the location was a perfect fit for their personalities.

[caption id="attachment_823" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Joe and his best man. According to Lindsey, they struggled with Joe's tie for quite a while. Photo: Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_824" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="As Borat would say, "HIGH FIVE!"  Photo:  Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_825" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Love this photo! It's one of those in-between moments from which so many things can be inferred.  Photo:  Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_826" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Really nice portrait of Joe. Photo: Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_827" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Shoes in the limo on the way to Hartley. Loved the juxtaposition of the criss-cross lighting on the floor with the legs and feet mixed in."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_828" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Sarah and her maid of honor, Alicia, working on hair. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_829" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Dress and shoes. The small bridal suite at Hartley was campy yet quaint. It had a really cool vintage feel to it.  Sarah's gown was stunning."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_830" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I loved the light in the bathroom for two reasons: First, it came from one direction; and second, it was only one type of light (tungsten). Mixing tungsten and flourescent light can create some funky colors, but I really loved the warm, bright light from the single set of tungsten lamps. It really softened things and gave it such a more organic feel."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_831" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="This small pendant was given to Sarah's grandmother by her grandfather on their wedding day. Sarah pinned it to the inside of the back of her gown."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_832" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Sarah made her earrings and this bracelet by hand."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_833" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="This is Sarah's mom. As you can see, she was pretty happy."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_834" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Some details and key figures from the ceremony. At top left is Joe's sister, who helped videotape the ceremony.  Top left, bottom left photos:  Lindsey Byrnes "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_835" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I love these two photos of Joe as he first sees Sarah and her dad walking down the aisle. In the second photo, he's obviously trying to contain his emotions."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_836" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Sarah and her dad walking down the aisle. This photo was taken moments after the shots of Joe, so you can get an idea why Joe was so emotional."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_837" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Love this look from Joe during the ceremony."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_838" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Not a bad place for a wedding.  The ceremony was officiated by my old friend, Christian, who did a fantastic job."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_839" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="My favorite shot from the ceremony. Sarah gave a quick look to her maid of honor and to her parents, who were seated close by.  Sarah's bracelet broke during the ceremony, so her reaction may be part embarrassment, part elation. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_840" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="The kiss. I was lucky enough to capture someone's flash going off, which created a nice fill light on Sarah's face."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_841" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="The grounds at Hartley feature walkways that are sheltered by arches of vines and lights. There were large shafts of light coming in, so it was just a question of finding the right light and letting Sarah and Joe do their thing."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_842" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Same spot as the photo before, but with a few different poses."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_843" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="These were taken in a different spot on the grounds where the light coming in was considerably stronger. To create more impact, I intentionally placed them right in the light and underexposed the surrounding parts of the frame."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_844" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Joe and Sarah in black and white."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_845" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Joe and Sarah."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_846" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Joe and Sarah."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_847" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Joe and Sarah, in between kisses."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_848" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I love these shots from a different part of the garden. The light was fantastic; Joe and Sarah really made my job pretty easy."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_849" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Reception details. Sarah's nickname is "Sweets", so the reception featured a table with various candies. Top row, bottom middle photos: Lindsey Byrnes"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_850" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Sarah and Joe's first dance."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_851" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Cheers!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_852" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="There were some really emotional toasts given during the reception, but I thought this light moment made a really great image."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_853" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Joe's sister and her husband getting the killer cake shot."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_854" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="As the light waned, the spotlight on the cake and the overhead bulbs really really looked awesome."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_855" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="A great moment between Sarah and her dad."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_856" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Party time. Joe did a great job managing his drink while dancing."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_857" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Quick kiss on the dance floor."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_858" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Sarah's friends tore it up on the dance floor. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_859" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Cake cutting. I love setting up a strobe lights the entire scene evenly. Not only can I get great shots from the front, but I can go behind the bride and groom and get some cool shots that show the entire crowd."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_860" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Sarah and Joe dancing with Joe's neice. For a two-year-old, she held court on the dance floor for nearly the entire night."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_861" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="The conga line is always a serious moment, especially when it ends up at the bar."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_862" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Late-evening at Hartley Botanica."][/caption]

I was so stoked yesterday when I got the e-mail from Sarah, world-class stationery designer at FuzzyNk Design Studio, to let me know that Erin and Scott’s Scottish-themed wedding had been featured on the StyleMePretty blog!  The SMP blog is one of the most popular wedding blogs on the web, so it’s a thrill and an honor to be featured on the site.

Special thanks to all the vendors who made Erin and Scott’s wedding so great:  Melissa Barrad at I Do… Weddings! for her fantastic coordination; Haydee de la Cruz from Haydee’s Creative Flowers for her magnificent floral design; Sumi’s Oven for the gorgeous wedding cake; and Sarah at FuzzyNk Design Studio, not only for her beautiful design work on Erin and Scott’s wedding stationery.  Most importantly, special thanks to Erin and Scott for giving me the opportunity to create images of you on such an amazing day.

[caption id="attachment_820" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Web page capture of Scott and Erin's Scottish-themed wedding on StyleMePretty"][/caption]