They just officially said their I Do’s a few hours ago.. and we missed it.:(

We wish we were there at your wedding.
We are so happy for you Coco and Ches for finding love, taking ‘home’ the love and deciding to let love grow. Congratulations and Best Wishes!
I was so teary eyed when I went over your engagement photos… Can’t believe it’s been roughly six months since we took these photos in San Francisco. We really miss you guys and we hope to see you soon!

Carla

I actually had a good time during the photo selection process.. I loved that tim and tina prepared a lot of props to be used in the session. Loved the pinwheels, the balloons and the bike .Bonelli park was perfect.the lake and the trees were gorgeous! The ‘bike set’ is my favorite coz they looked like they were having the time of their lives-young and carefree!:)

Congratulations on the engagement!
Carla

I’m glad we did this session even if it was a couple of weeks before their wedding. We even had their guestbook ready in time. “Teddy” was a wonderful addition to photos, he was always ready to please James and Dalene which I thought was so cute. It was my first time to do an engagement shoot at Santa Monica. Every time I see an engagement photo done there online, I always thought when is it gonna be my turn? I finally got my turn and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t expect the lighting on the rowboats to be tricky, but it was, and it was a sweet surprise.

This is my third try on LACMA, again my thoughts driving there is how am I gonna outdo my last one? I also went for a backlit look but this time I crossed the street and swung out my telephoto which allowed me to go for a compressed background and straighter lines. A slight change from my previous try, now I’m not sure which one is my favorite.

This coming two weeks will be dedicated to editing and processing 3 weddings, stay tuned!

Vince

I usually find engagement photo sessions tedious requiring extra preparation, ‘staging’ with the couple acting out a concept or a theme, making it less natural and lacking in spontaneity, in my opinion. I was surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed going through Matthew and Shabnam’s photos during the selection process. Enjoyed, like I can’t help but grin during the entire selection process . I don’t know if it was because I was reminded of Twilight’s Edward and Bella while they were running around and having fun in the woods and that i find Matthew Edward-cute (can I say that here?) LOL! or because they looked so at ease and so in love with each other. Seriously, I realized that an engagement photo session is fun and meaningful when it shows the dynamics of the loving relationship. I think that is what it’s all about and that’s exactly what they did:)

Carla

Our first stop was their church, where Matt and Leah are actively involved. Matt is a part time musician. I got the chance to hear him play the piano while I was setting up. All I can say is that he is truly gifted. He has done some music work for tv and has been contemplating on doing it full time. We then headed off to this quaint cafe; a few minutes walk from church. This was where they first met.

Lastly, we went to catch the sunset at Odyssey.

Vince

I’ve been to Manhattan beach several times, and have always limited my visits to the touristy beach-side. We first went to a trail near Manhattan beach. The trail had good patches of shade where we started to shoot portraits.
I would never guess the presence of a trail beside a beach.
When Jeanette was a kid, her dad used to bring her to these places.
I guess finding nice, never been seen places is one of the perks of engagement sessions .

We then headed off to the houses near a sandy shore where we planned on doing an “under a pier shoot”. Seeing from afar that the Manhattan beach pier is made of concrete, we proceeded to go to the ‘much farther’ log-made pier.While passing by the concrete-made pier, we were enthralled by the play of light passing through the pier columns. Straight out the camera I was seeing light rays like I was in a Cathedral. Given that the pier was little bit unsightly, the light more than made up for it. Made it even beautiful. At least from my point of view.

Vince

One trivia about the couple, the day they are getting married is exactly the same day they got their keys to their house last year. Hence it was but natural for us to start our engagement session in there.

Lance is an “all-around-guy”. He’s into motorcycles, cars, cooking, plays the upright bass and is in a band. As the day went on and the sun a little less harsh we headed to San Juan Capistrano.

I love their “old town”, It was a photographer’s paradise, anywhere I looked, I saw possibilities. I would liken it to driving in a huge parking lot where there’s a lot of empty slots. Choosing where to park was the harder part.

Thanks to Bey Chua for assisting and second shooting.

Vince

An e-session in church grounds? I thought, now that is something different. Something to look forward to.

The church played an important role in their relationship, it’s where they first met 6yrs ago. As we moved from one area to another, Tiffany and Tom described how each area was special. From the front pew where they stayed during worship, to the industrial looking ceiling and the rooftop which they used as filming locations for the church’s various programs. They were part of the church’s film crew, so we had access.

We used their Arri and KinoFlo lighting equipment as props. They were even kind enough to let me use them along with my lighting equipment giving the photos personal significance. See you in May.

Thanks to Nik Esguerra for assisting and second-shooting.

Vince

I usually have a list of locations that I give our couples for potential places we could do an engagement session. However, nothing beats picking a location that is special between them.

Playa Vista is special for Eugene and Cassie. It’s like an oasis in Los Angeles, a place I could imagine myself living in. Being based far north in Valencia, its proximity to all things essential in LA got me really envious.

After Playa Vista, we headed to LA County Museum of Art. I did an engagement there a few years ago and so I thought I would do it differently this time and inject some off-camera flash flavor.

In a few days, our whole family, will be heading off the country for a much awaited vacation, it was nice to cap things off with them.

Vince

For places to shoot e-sessions, Southern California has a lot to offer. It is for this very reason, that it took us a while to shoot one within Sta Clarita, where we currently live.

Right within our “backyard” our first stop was the Saugus Cafe, which opened around 1890′s. Instead of meeting up in a coffee house somewhere, I thought why not do it there and sneak in a few photos. The diner offered a stark contrast to the usual sub-urban development sprawl within the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV). Staff were very friendly, so accommodating, we stayed there for quite some time. They even played mood music courtesy of their jukebox just for us.

Next is Mentryville, California’s first oil boom town. Now, its a basically a ghost town and a terrific place to shoot. Lot’s of possibilities, I can see myself going back again for few more occasions.

I had the pleasure to enjoy these places with Dan and Jisun. They were simply awesome! They were very willing to experiment with the poses. I can’t wait to shoot their wedding.

Griffith Observatory on a Sunday Morning. Refreshing. The thick fog was a challenge but was also something different. We had fun, can’t wait to cover their wedding this month. Thanks to Alvin for second shooting.

Vince

full gallery – now uploading – link will follow

when bermie asked me a few months back for suggestions on beach locations for an engagement shoot, point dume was the first location that came to mind.
not only because it takes just about an hour ride to get there from where we live;
but it provides a quick,easy magnificent view of the pacific ocean.
point dume is a few miles off santa monica through the pacific coast highway.
the beach is set along the malibu coastline and it was just the perfect setting to capture photos of couples traipsing along the wide sandy beach.
bermie and raymond just brought along with them the right amount of enthusiasm to enjoy the cliff, the beach and the ocean.

click on client gallery for photos

i have met jen and ed briefly at the start and at the end of the e session. though vince did all the shots,
i can not help but post a few lines as downtown LA is special to me as it is very special to them.
almost everyday i pass by the walt disney concert hall, and most days, photographers-pro or
hobbyists alike can be seen capturing different angles of downtown’s most beautiful
structure (in my opinion); so when i learned that they wanted their e session done at the
historic bunker hill, i was excited.
some days, on my way to work,while passing through the disney concert hall along grand ave,
i would imagine them right in the middle of grand ave backdropped by the downtown sky,
the disney concert hall and the skyscrapers, and i was ecstatic when i saw some of the
photos conveying what i have imagined.
and there were more surprises…

it was a pretty day. the sun was low, it was at its best..
there was a slight chill in the air which was just perfect for a walk around the concert
hall’s grounds,

there was an ongoing concert which gave the place an ambience of ‘busy-ness’;
it was a sunday so it was just pleasantly busy =)

-carla

location: downtown los angeles – kenneth hahn hall of administration, los angeles water and power department

click on client gallery for photos

duke and sheryl engaged! and they are a lovely couple. it was particularly pleasant seeing them pose and make faces during their engagement session at the pasadena city hall; and the city hall was an awesome find. it is said to be one of the finest examples of california mediterranean architecture. aside from being in the national register of historic places, it is a favorite among filmmakers as filming location. it was not busy during the weekday, so duke and sheryl found no trouble twirling and dancing under the city hall’s majestic dome. it was lovely and did i say they are a lovely couple?

-carla

it was our first trash the dress participation, and i had so much fun. though i was ‘under medication’ battling with the symptoms of the common cold, the fun and experience did not escape my attention. i was not able to shoot alot, i wanted to do a lot of candids just hovering in the sidelines, but the harshness of the sun required me to provide vince an additional fill light…

i ended up mostly holding 2 flashes. it has inspired me to participate in future ttd events, as well as to when that will be..   depends on how fast i can bring myself to fit the size 0 wedding dress that i have worn almost 5 years ago.

-carla

ps. still got more to come

one of the candids that i took. couldn’ t resist evening’s graceful pose here.

a candid of sylvia that i took while she was being photographed beside the lifeguard tower

april here reminds me so much of the cherubs in Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna” painting.

we gave this a different treatment. the sepia look was just perfect for evening’s classic looks and pose.

we were taking photos beside the restroom and found the orange cones. we thought it was ‘trashy’ enough for Katie, literally speaking. =)

Trash the Dress Session in Santa Fe Dam, Irwindale. The event was very well organized and the brides were so cool to work with. Thanks Bryan!

As usual the hardest part or shall I say the most tedious process in our workflow is selection. We’ve whittled 1200+ photos down to 200+.

Although not obvious, Becki is actually sitting down on the ground leaning on a red door. For a while we confined our shot in the shade, like this one. The concrete floor just in front of her acted as our makeshift reflector. We’re not trashing the dress enough? That is what this teaser is all about. More to come!

-Vince

we were excited for this engagement shoot.
hydee opted for a guestbook instead of the slideshow, its a storybook format where guests could scribble in their thoughts and wishes; her idea was brilliant.
(well, im a little biased since it bore some similarities with what i did for my wedding almost 5 years ago =)
i used polaroid photos that guests took of themselves, posted them on a blank guestbook page beside their scribbles)
i think it is more intimate and very accessible.

Click HERE to see their guestbook. It may take few minutes to download.

i’ve always tried to make my slideshows on 16:9 aka widescreen format as i assume that they will be viewed again, long after the wedding. by then, i’m assuming most, if not all people are using widescreen tvs. I did however reverted back, as experience has thought me not all projectors and screens are widescreen compatible. i wouldn’t wan’t to risk being unable to play the vid during the reception program just for the sake of future-proofing.

they were an awesome couple to work with, they even provided the songs. it was joy making this vid.

wedding and engagement photos coming up. =)

We were blessed with good light when we shot this at the Getty Museum. I didn’t want to alter the reddish-yellow skin tone which was naturally given by the setting sun, so I made this color its theme. They were so at ease with each other that I had no problems getting close to them composition-wise.

I’m not sure if it’s a fluke, but usually, the last set of photos for the day, has always been the best or at least has the ones that I like the most.

I love e-sessions. Almost always, there’s no time pressure and couples tend to let loose and have fun. Joseph and Leah were just that awesome, Carla and I had so much fun.

It got me so excited that I wanted to post all the photos. I do have to contain myself, I don’t want to spoil their slide show. I am posting a previous engagement session instead, to make up for the lack of photos. =)

I used to dread blown-out highlights, but now I embrace it. It de-clutters the photo, and helps the viewer concentrate more on the subject.

Long Beach has a very good array of photo locations.
There seems to be one every hundred feet.

PS. They prefer candid photos, so I will be posting one soon…