Just for the fun of it

This video is not photography related but absolutely cracks me up. A friend sent it to me and said it reminded her of my birthday party.

Kevin & Marissa's Engagement Shoot

Yesterday I shot Kevin & Marissa's engagement photos at Freestone park in Gilbert. I felt like I was shooting for a magazine with how gorgeous and comfortable in front of the camera this couple is. Their wedding is next November and I'm so excited to be a part of it.

Kevin & Marissa brought their adorable Yorkshire Terrier, Lola, along for part of the shoot. I couldn't stop smiling and laughing at how cute she was. It was all I could do to keep shooting and not stop and cuddle her.





Here's some more of my favorites of Marissa & Kevin. I love how the colors turned out. I don't really think of Arizona as having Fall colors but they showed up in these photos:


I love this tree. Again--great colors:




Gotta love the bridge shot:



Check out the ring:




SUCH a cute couple! Thanks for a great shoot guys--can't wait for your wedding!

Alex & Ryan's Engagement shoot

Last weekend I shot Alex & Ryan's engagement photos. I got a little behind with blogging and most everything this week with Thanksgiving and then catching a cold. But I had so much fun with them! I'm excited to finally share these with you. Alex and Ryan are such a cute couple and so laid back and fun to be around. They are getting married in May and after shooting their engagement photos, I'm really looking forward to the wedding!

We shot at the Scottsdale Civic Center. When we got there we found that the entire thing was taken over by an Arts and Crafts festival but we worked around and with it. Here's some fun shots from around the festival:




This beautiful swan was hanging out in the lake and I had to get a shot:


Here's some more shots from the park area:





We decided to walk around Old Town Scottsdale and shoot at some different locations there:




We came across a cool historic car show and shot by their favorite old Chevy:

After grabbing some dinner we took advantage of the city lights to get a few fun night shots. This is one of my favorites:


Alex & Ryan--you guys are great! I can't wait for the wedding!

Day trip to Mexico

Some of my extended family is in town for Thanksgiving from across the midwest - 7 aunts & uncles and 8 cousins. I've been trying to take some time off to spend with them this week since I don't get to see them often enough. Yesterday we took a day trip over to Algodones, Mexico. We ate at a taco stand and I walked around doing some street photography while everyone else shopped. We were in a very touristy border town area but it was still fun to walk around and see some of the culture. I love all the bright colors and old textures.

Here's a guy who was working extremely hard in the heat to entertain the tourists and get some tips:

I found myself photographing a lot of gates, chains and locks that day. Here's a few of my favorites:




Some more bright colors:


As I was walking by these locals asked me to take their photo:



Another fun shot:


This little boy was so cute and loved having his photo taken:


On the drive home I got a cool shot of the sunset:


It was a great day shooting just for the fun of it.

I hope you all have an excellent Thanksgiving!

Scott & Melissa

Last Sunday I shot Scott & Melissa's wedding. I had so much fun with these two. They were so easy-going and comfortable around the cameras. They also have amazing taste and their wedding was unbelieveably stylish and beautiful.

Before I go any further, I need to give a shout out to my friend and fellow photographer, Stuart Thurlkill, who helped me out by 2nd shooting with me at this wedding. He is super-great and talented. He also shot a number of my favorite photos below :). THANKS Stuart!

Ok, on to some of my favorites. How lucky am I that I get to shoot such beautiful brides!?
Unbelieveably gorgeous!



Here's Melissa's sister trying out a new hair-styling technique--cute! :)


I loved the color Melissa chose--yellow:


The mother of the bride was trying SO hard to hold it together as the wedding began:


The bride coming down the isle. Notice mom in the background :)


Fun shot of the groomsmen during the ceremony:


The wedding was at Desert Mountain Chiracahua Clubhouse in north Scottsdale. It was such a breath-taking venue:


Married!




The band kept the party going and was very entertaining:


One last shot of the couple:


And the beautiful venue:


Melissa & Scott--thanks SO much for including me in your wedding. It was amazing!

Click here if you'd like to view the slideshow!

Brian & Paula

I shot Brian & Paula's wedding Saturday at The Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix. It was an absolutely beautiful day for a wedding. Here are some of my favorite shots. Jamie, my very talented assistant, who has been working with me for over a year now, shot these first three.

I love this image. It came out of the camera like this. All we did was change it to black and white. It was shot through the veil over the bride's shoulder (she was wearing a striped shirt) with her face reflecting in the mirror.



We saw this when we first arrived at the mansion. I made Jamie shoot it since she had the right lens on her camera even though she's terrified of bees :). I love the color. Again--straight out of the camera like this:


Here's a fun detail shot of the shoes hanging on one of the cool old door knobs in the mansion:


Paula was absolutely stunning:



The groom looked pretty good as well. Here's a shot of him right after Paula walked down the isle. It's shot through some candles and bridesmaid's shoulders:


The ceremony site was amazing:




And here's some fun detail shots. Emily Edwards, one of my favorite wedding consultants, gets a lot of credit for pulling together all the details and helping the day to run smoothly. She is so fun and easy to work with. Thanks Emily for hooking me up with Paula & Brian!



Thanks Paula & Brian for including me in your wedding day!

Click here if you want to view the slideshow!

Cute Kailey

Today I got to spend some time with Teri, my best friend from high school, and her adorable little girl Kailey. It's always fun to hang out with them and recently I insisted on taking some photos of Kailey because she is just SO cute. I couldn't resist. Here are a few of my favorites from our laid back, "hanging out" shoot today:




Next week I get to do a family shoot with them so there's more cuteness to come!

Starting tomorrow, I'm shooting 20 hours worth of weddings this weekend. They're going to be great but if you don't hear from me after Sunday, it's quite possible that I dropped dead in the process. Just wanted to give you all a heads up :).

John & Kim

John & Kim got married on Saturday at Grayhawk Golf Club. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. Kim was a gorgeous bride and one of the most calm and peaceful brides I have ever seen. She was just ready to marry John. I had a great time getting to know this wonderful couple and documenting their day.

Below are some of my favorite shots. You can also click here to view a slideshow of more photos, including a few from their rehearsal dinner the night before at The Royal Palms.

Here's a shot from the rehearsal dinner that I just like--gotta love little parts:


A few preparation shots:



The bride peeking out at the guests as they arrive for the ceremony:


The adorable flower girl:


This grandpa was so sweet with his little granddaughter:


Kim looked stunning as her father walked her down the aisle:


John is such a happy, likeable guy. He was glowing during the ceremony:



A few fun portraits of the newlyweds:



The reception was a blast. Here's a shot I caught of the groom literally sliding across the dance floor:


It was an amazing day. Thanks John & Kim for including me in your wedding! Click here if you would like to view the slideshow!

11 family portrait shoots

This weekend I logged 16 hours of shooting--a rehearsal dinner Friday, a wedding yesterday and 11 family portrait shoots today. The family portrait shoots were all a part of The Silverleaf Club's annual Family Portrait Brunch they hold for their members. This is one of my favorite venues for weddings, by the way--it is SO gorgeous. It was a crazy 4 1/2 hours but I met a lot of great families and got some great Christmas card shots :).

There were cute kids everywhere. Here are a few of my favorite shots:










These two cuties were stylin'. I love their colorful clothes:


The little girl was SO spunky. I had her and her brother in the above pose and then she gave me one of these:


I think she has a modeling future with all the poses she was coming up with :).

The wedding on Saturday was fabulous as well. Stay tuned...I'll post some of my favorite shots from the day and the slideshow in a day or two.

NEW WEBSITE!!!!

I am SO excited to announce the launch of my brand new website! My last website was designed by me over three years ago and has served me well but I was definitely overdue for an upgrade. This time I payed someone else the big bucks to do the work and I think it turned out great! This website has all updated photos in slideshow format, video testimonials of some of my clients and even a dorky video of me welcoming you to my site (so embarassing). So check it out by clicking here. And I would love to hear what you think!