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

I had such a great time shooting Scottie and Alan’s engagement images on Saturday afternoon!  We braved the impending storm and began the shoot on the cliffs above Black’s Beach–I loved working with the incredible vista and the texture in the clouds.  We then jammed up north to Del Mar and shot some great images downtown, before heading down to the beach as the sun went down.

Earlier this week I spent a fantastic afternoon/evening photographing Kate and Ross’s engagement session.  Kate and Ross were referred to me by coordinator extraordinaire, Melissa Barrad of I Do… Weddings!  Melissa and I worked earlier this year and it’ll be great to work with her again next year.  I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for their wedding!

The shoot started off at the terrace of their condo complex.  It was here that Ross proposed to Kate, so we felt that it was an important place to incorporate into the shoot.  The light was pretty harsh, so I wanted to back-light them and play with the long shadows of the bench and railings.

From there we strolled down Cedros Ave. in Solana Beach.  Over the past 20 years, Cedros Avenue has transformed itself from a blighted industrial corridor to a art/design destination.  The street is lined with galleries, home decor shops and, most importantly, The Belly Up Tavern.  It’s also a treasure-trove of colored walls, nooks and crannies, and killer architectural elements I love to incorporate into my work.

After a quick wardrobe change, we ended up on the beach in front of their condo.  It was one of those green-flash sunsets (although none of us saw it) and the light was just perfect.

After recovering from my sweat-filled shoot at Saturday’s wedding, I was back at it again on Sunday, this time for Kate and Gregg’s engagement shoot.  Kate and Gregg are getting married in October and I’m really excited to work with them!

For Kate and Gregg’s shoot, we started downtown in the bar at Currant Restaurant, which is connected to The Sofia Hotel.  Currant is awesome–friendly staff, great drinks–and I can’t wait to go back and try some food!

After shooting in Currant for a bit (and loosening up with some cocktails) we strolled downtown for a bit, shooting whatever we thought was interesting.  In search of a more organic setting, we headed up to a little secret spot in Rancho Santa Fe.

[caption id="attachment_797" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Some details from our first location, Currant Restaurant."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_798" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="For such a hot day, we were surprised we were the only ones in the bar (yes, that beer bottle to the left is mine). I really fell in love with the space here--I love the design details they incorporated and it made shooting Kate and Gregg really fun."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_799" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Cheers!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_800" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Love this shot of Kate and Gregg. I think the large, colorful painting above them adds an interesting element."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_801" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I used to have a small studio downtown and everyday I drove by the building where Currant is located, always admiring its brick-covered exterior and how great it looked in strong afternoon light. I wanted to incorporate that look into this shot of Kate and Gregg crossing Broadway."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_802" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I love this shot. I loved the strong afternoon light coming down the street, so all I really had to do was put Kate and Gregg in a position where they could relax. This railing did the job, and it also added a cool vanishing-point element to the image, leading the viewer's eye right to the subject."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_803" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I just had to mix in the now-empty "Romantix" adult bookstore, one of the last remaining elements of the old Gaslamp Quarter."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_804" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="We were walking back to the car and noticed this dude in a very animated phone conversation. I think his look makes the image more interesting."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_805" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="These were shot at a small open space in Rancho Santa Fe. I love how this field is still green, even in our drought-riddled climate."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_806" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I've begun to incorporate individual portraits on all my engagement shoots. I think it adds a nice break to the shoot and also helps to show the bride and groom on a more individual, personal level. Kate and Gregg are so comfortable in front of the camera, all I did was point and shoot."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_807" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="At this open space, there is a solitary tree that looks so stark amongst the green pasture. But it adds such a great feel, like something out of the counryside, even though it's in a pretty populated part of the county."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_809" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Working with the solitary tree, I placed Kate and Gregg in a nice spot and just told them to be themselves. They mixed in a little dance practice, but I thought their kiss said so much more in the image."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_810" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="The light, as you can see, was stunning, and I wanted to mix in some more movement into the shoot.  I love Kate's expression in this image."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_811" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="I love taking pictures of relatively small objects in larger spaces to illustrate the juxtaposition in size. There's much to be inferred from these types of images."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_812" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Along the east side this space there's a barbed wire fence, which separates this public space from someone's private land. I think it makes a nice sort of old-West element, especially combined with the warm quality of the light."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_813" align="aligncenter" width="970" caption="Gregg and Kate."][/caption]

Saturday evening was spent with Nicole and Josh, who are getting married at Estancia in September.  Nicole and Josh were referred to me by their coordinator–and my old friend–Heather Balliet of Amorology.  Nicole and Josh played softball and baseball, respectively, at UCSD, so I’m really excited to see what they come up with for their wedding!

The first part of the shoot was done downtown, near Petco Park.  We then headed to Coronado for some sunset goodness.  Nicole and Josh were total naturals in front of the camera and I’m really excited to work with them on their wedding day!

On Sunday evening I met Amy and Geoff, who are getting married in August at the La Costa Resort and Spa, in La Jolla for their engagement shoot.  It was a gorgeous evening in LJ, evident by the buzz of tourists and lack of parking.  In fact, as I made my third or fourth loop around the block in search of a parking spot, Amy and Geoff waved to me from the intersection, and I could see by their grins that they were clearly relishing in my frustration.

Right from the start, Amy and Geoff were into it.  Sometimes it takes some warming up to get couples comfortable in front of the camera, but Amy and Geoff jumped right in with great expressions and laughs.  They were referred to me by Libby and Ravi (see pix on the old blog here), who’s wedding I photographed back in March, and it’s been so fun to get to know the four of them and their great group of friends.