El Dorado Family Session

As a photographer who primarily shoots on location with natural light, most of my sessions are held later in the day, a couple hours before sunset.  Late afternoon light is wonderfully soft and warm, and a favorite of many portrait and on-the-go lifestyle shooters. But for this family session, we took a different approach, and scheduled the session for early in the morning.  The family had to catch a flight by noon, so shooting later in the day wasn't an option.  The good news is morning light is just as cozy -- it's gentle and has a waking quality to it, minus the caffeine.

 

 

   

We rendezvoused at El Dorado Park, Long Beach -- which I love for its sprawling grounds, tree cover, turtle ponds, and oasis of natural beauty in an otherwise urban sprawl.  Little "K", age 14 months,  was such a great sport throughout the session. With a little one this age, I can usually snag a few good stationary shots while they're still curious about my camera, and then after that -- ZOOM! --  it's catch-me-if-you-can-photographer.  The session will last about an hour, and with the child taking an enthusiastic lead, I always walk away with a fantastic collection of candid moments.

I want to thank "K" and family for taking the time out of their busy Sunday to meet for this session.  It was a warm morning -- 80 degrees and humid -- that's unusual for Southern California, so kudos to everyone for braving the temperatures and giving 110%!

More sessions to come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily & Elvis: The Wedding Slideshow

More images to share from Lily & Elvis' beautiful wedding, here in their slideshow.  It's always so fun to cut these together.

Click here or on the image below.  Enjoy!

Up next on the blog, fall family & portrait sessions!

I Do: The Wedding of Lily & Elvis

St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church.  You can't miss it when you drive by.

Located in downtown Los Angeles, standing tall at an intersection adjacent to USC, it's a remarkable urban gem.  Built in 1925, it's described as a combination of Spanish baroque + California Mission.  Outside, your eyes dazzle over the details of the architecture. Inside, warm woods and the drama of the space soothe and encourage reflection.  And as a plus, the property is fairly photo-friendly as far as churches go.  Some churches ask that you pretty much photograph from one fixed location at the rear = a lot of shots of the backs of the couple's heads.  St. Vincent allows discreet access along both sides of the altar, which really opens up the possibilities in terms angles and perspectives.

After capturing some getting ready coverage at Lily's home east of L.A., we headed to St. Vincent.  I'm always a bit anxious heading into downtown for a wedding on a weekend, because inbound traffic can be a real game changer.  But we made great time, and Lily and Elvis committed to a life together at the altar.   Post-ceremony, there was some talk of going up to Griffith Park for some portraits, but seeing as how the wedding reception was a good distance away at Mirage Banquet Hall in North Hollywood, I suggested we head on up to the valley and spend a half-hour taking shots at a park just a few blocks away from the reception hall.  Plenty of great light there that time of day, and the natural setting made for a nice contrast to our earlier urban adventures.

Lily and Elvis threw one heck of a party.  A saxophonist for cocktails and two killer bands rocked guests into the wee hours of the morning.  At the close of my services, Lily and Elvis made sure I followed through on a promise to have a few farewell shots with them to close out the night.  Good people, good times.

Praise to Karina from Cana Karola Bridal for a smartly coordinated evening.  Congrats, Lily and Elvis!