Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Engagement of Chai & Joy


The Getty Center, Los Angeles is an amazing feast for the eyes. I arrived a couple hours prior to our scheduled session to scope out this architectural wonder, only to realize 120 minutes later that I had covered relatively little ground, and my brain was hopping like a pot boiling over with all the ideas I wanted to try out. With so much wonderful space to work with, where to begin?! In any given direction, there's incredible lines and forms, lush gardens ripe with color, and then you go and add two sweet souls like Chai & Joy to the mix, and you've got all the coveted ingredients that would give the infamous Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe a run for its poultry. It's just that yummy, Colonel!




My biggest concern with shooting at the Getty was being asked by security to cease photography and then having our session cut short. I don't think that engagement or portrait photography is necessarily forbidden at the Getty, but I've read of this hiccup happening a few times to fellow photographers. So, the three of us did what any self-respecting people would do to remain discreet: I holstered two cameras, and Chai & Joy sported a bright red parasol (us photogs love parasols), a tasty cupcake (Chai's favorite), a long stemmed rose (no, we didn't pick it from the gardens), and a change of wardrobe -- all of which I fully encouraged, and happily, none of which caused us any undue attention or disruption. We were respectful of the space and had a wonderful day.




Chai and Joy, thank you so much for being such great sports while we explored every nook and cranny we could before the sun set down. Your energy and enthusiasm are to be admired, and I can not wait to resume our time together in May at your wedding!

















































Sunday, January 17, 2010

Press Printed Books


Happy New Year! I hope January is off to a kick-butt beginning for everyone. We are jump-starting 2010 with a move: packing boxes, rendezvousing with appliance deliverymen, juggling intermittent internet access... you get the idea. Blog posts might be a bit lean over the next month or so while we shake things up and regroup... but I'll still be shooting away as we rebuild our nest in another corner of Southern California.

For today, check out the book for Michael & Jennifer that just got signed, sealed, delivered - it's theirs! I love the color and detail in these press printed pieces. We coordinated a square 12x12 couple's book with a 5x5 family duplicate, and I think they make for a nifty pair.





Michael & Jennifer opted for a graphic, magazine-style layout, and by limiting the amount of images for inclusion in the book, we were really able to do some great full page portraits and two-page panoramic spreads. Even with the tiny center gutter, the pictures translate seamlessly and have plenty of room to stretch and breathe. It's not always easy culling through hundreds of wedding images to approve a select handful for the album, but less really is more with page design.







And, although we don't want to judge a book by its cover, it's always nice to have options: photo, fabric or leather. Keep the large book on a shelf safe at home, and pop its small counterpart in a purse for sharing your favorite images on-the-go.









That's my show-and-tell for the moment. Stay tuned for a colorful engagement session, which I'm really looking forward to sharing and should be hitting the blog by next weekend!