"let's do 52" - wk 47

This week has been a pretty busy one, that's for sure! Between family photo sessions, Thanksgiving dinner, and the crazy black friday shopping, this week seemed to zoom right on by. Of course, a photographer's work is never done, since I'll be heading out for another session this afternoon and putting in print order this week! I did manage to avoid the crazy shopping for the most part - minus the hour I sat in the fabric store Friday night waiting for my number to get called... but that is pretty much the ONLY shopping that I do on that crazy day! The Holiday season is coming on us FAST, and it will be so weird when 2012 sneaks it's way in. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your families :)

"let's do 52" - wk 46

It has reached the Holiday time of year, and in past years it would have been insane! There would have been school projects to finish, portrait sessions to do, editing, printing and shopping for Christmas all at the same time. Well, since I've graduated, a huge chunk of that has been taken off my shoulders, and I've decided to spend this year making quite a few of my holiday gifts for friends and siblings. So far, so good, with the help of pinterest being an inspiration, I've found some new things to try out to help keep me busy the next few weeks!

I've got 3 sessions lined up so far this week, with hopefully a few more to come between the rainstorms! And lucky for me, I'm not a big black friday shopper. You won't find me out there at midnight hitting the malls!

"let's do 52" - week 45

This past Friday was another one of those "big ticket" wedding days, with it being 11-11-11 and all. Instead of being out and about shooting a wedding, I was actually attending one!

My colorguard "big sister" from high school tied the knot on a very wet and rainy friday. Weather and crazy bay area traffic aside, the day couldn't be more perfect for the two of them to start the rest of their lives together. Weddings are such great events, full of love, reminisce, and an all around fantastic time! No wonder why I love the industry I am in so much :)

Aileen Homecoming Portraits - Loomis, CA

We were finally able to get out and do a few quick shots of my sister Aileen in her homecoming dress and take a few photos. It was rather cold outside, but she toughed it through.She apparently didn't actually go to the homecoming dance, but instead watched movied, got dressed up, and went and had ice cream at Leatherby's. A very "pre dance" kind of night, without the actual dance! One of my favorite photographer friends Ariana and I stumbled across the dress on a thrift store expedition, and it came to great use! Makes me wish I had thought to check thrift stores in my high school dance attending days.

"let's do 52" - wk44

The day has come and gone, and I survived. No, not a terribly monumental birthday like turning 18 or 21. Yesterday I had the big 2-3, and spent it pretty simply. Kicked off the day at a marching band competition (the exact same one I spent my 17th birthday performing at) watching my sister compete. The latter part of the evening was spent with good friends, good food, and having an all around good time. Pretty simple birthday if you ask me, but sometimes that is all that a birthday needs to be :)

Kent Cake Smash Session - Modesto, CA

The last time I did a cake smash session was well over 2 1/2 years ago when I worked in a portrait studio. Now that this little guy turned one, Lisa churned out her cake decorating skills (and thrift store crafty skills to make a cake stand) and got to work planning for Kent's one year session. We started off (quickly) with one outfit, and piece by piece took away to get him ready to dive right in to the cake. It's always entertaining to see how the little ones react to the cake smashing idea. Kent had his hesitant moments, but he was also ready to dive right in at the same time!Kent was so excited about the initial cake smashing, that he full on knocked over the stand! Sure made for easy access once that obstacle was out of his way :)Love this face!
Sure was quite the mess to work with, but it was a fun experience to say the least! So if you have an almost one year old and no fear of messes, this is TOTALLY the way to go!

Michela & Tommaso Tower Cafe Wedding - Sacramento, CA

Michela contacted me two weeks before her wedding day. Yes, you read that right. TWO weeks! Even though it was so close to her wedding day, I agreed to meet up with her that week, just to see if there was even a smidgen of a possibility of making things happen for her, and boy am I glad I did. Hearing her story of how they met seriously sounded like something you hear in the movies. Girl travels abroad to study and meets a local Italian boy and becomes friends, but nothing serious. Girl comes home to California for a short while, boy follows shortly, and it wasn't until Girl goes BACK to Italy without him that they realize they are meant to be. Tommaso is her Italian boy who was willing to wait it out for her, and they have been together ever since! Both the bride and groom come from cultures with very large extended families - Tommaso from Italy, and Michela from China, so they decided to have a very small and intimate "first wedding" with close friends before having their next large weddings each for Tommaso's family in Italy, as well as Michaela's family in the future.
Their wedding day began in Old Sacramento, where we did their formal photos as well as a few groupings of their friends before heading to the venue for the ceremony. Train tracks were a special request from the bride, and Old Sacramento is the perfect place for those!This stop along the river was another request, since "they don't make buildings like that in Italy!"Love Love LOVE. When I make my gallery wrap samples, I have a strong feeling that this shot is going to be on one of them! I mean seriously, are they super cute or what?Tommaso's best man flew in from Italy to be here for the wedding, and as you can see, the boys were WELL out numbered! They didn't seem to mind one bit though :)The ceremony itself was held right outside Tower Cafe in Sacramento, and they went through and put up the archway themselves without Michela or Tommaso knowing! Before they knew it, it was time for their short and sweet ceremony to finally become husband and wife.The party then moved over to Tower Cafe, where there was toasting, dinner, and a gorgeous cake that yet again, Tower Cafe staff went above and beyond with being so gracious to this couple on their wedding day. I had never been there before but after seeing how amazing the staff and management were, as well as the delicious food, I would definetly go there again and again! Their wedding bands originally belonged to Tommasso's parents. Such a sweet gesture that they became their wedding bands for the lives they are just beginning to share together.

Michela & Tommaso - Thank you SO much for not hesitating to contact me on such short notice before your wedding day! I had a fabulous time with you two, capturing your "first wedding day" memories to last the rest of your lives! We battled the heat together, and you both looked fabulous doing so. Again, thank you, and I hope your next two weddings to each other are as special as your first :)