What a spectacular day in Laguna Beach! Along with the amazing weather, Diane and Frank looked great, too! Not much more you can ask for :) We had a great time and they were pros right off the bat. Can’t wait for their wedding this October! Enjoy some goodies here:

A while back, we decided to enter some photos in our first ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) photo contest. We never really got into contests for a few reasons. Tey always thought that judging photos was such a objective thing. While I still think she is right, seeing what your peers can come up with in comparison is also a great reason to take part in the whole experience.

And the other big reason we never got into contests is that choosing which photos to submit can be so difficult. You can never tell what the judges are gonna look for. Also, many times, we both fall in love with certain images that it’s really difficult to subject them to judging. Who wants their favorite images shot down?! :) But there were some brilliant images in the contest and it really is one of those cases where merely participating (while stressfull!) is a really great experience.

In the end, we are proud that we placed 4 images in the Summer contest. Considering submissions were in the hundreds…not too shabby :) Now, we know what do for next time! Here they are:

Category: Decisive Moment
Place: 2nd

Category: Decisive Moment
Place: 10th

Category: Framing the Subject
Place: 10th

Category: All About Light
Place: 6th

I had daddy daycare duties today, so I had all day with my little boss. Nathan is now 20 months old and is starting to be the boss of everyone. He’s still a sweetheart but always gets his way these days. He’s a hitter, so we’ve had to put him in timeout here and there. Although, he doesn’t really say anything yet, he knows when he’s been bad and will walk to the corner when we tell him to. It’s pretty funny. But his personality is quite different from Lucas. He’s so much more interested in sports toys, like balls and cars where Lucas seems to be more on the artistic side. Hopefully they both get to like a little bit of both.

Today we headed out to lunch with Mommy and spent some time at the mall. Yes, I’m so domesticated!!! Check out my little boss dressed to impress. Happy weekend to all!!!!

What better place to shoot a fun session than at the fair?! It was a great session at the OC Fair with Carina and Marcus. Such great color everywhere and not to mention a TON of people. But we managed to find some really cool spots and had a lot fun. We even got to try (gasp!) chocolate covered bacon! Mixed reviews but I kinda liked it :) Their wedding in Rancho Santa Margarita is coming up fast and should be a cool affair. Happy Thursday!

We were delighted to shoot at another great venue! Kelly and Kyle chose a wonderful place right on the water down in Dana Point. The Ocean Institute is set up wonderfully for events and I just fell in love with it. It’s definitely one of those locations that you would never think of but it was perfect! Great architecture, fantastic views and a wonderful staff. We also had the opportunity to work with Vanessa of V3 Weddings & Events. She was fantastic! Such a sweetheart and made everything just fabulous. Can’t wait to work with her again.

Kelly and Kyle decided to see each other before the ceremony and we set up a “first glance” at the Blue Lantern Inn just up the hill. We took care of most of the photos before the ceremony which is always great for us! :) It was also great seeing some familiar faces from one of last year’s wedding. Love that! Congrats to Kelly and Kyle!!

Venue: The Ocean Institute
Coordinator: V3 Weddings & Events
Florist: Finishing Touches
DJ: Atmosphere Entertainment
Officiant: You May Kiss the Bride