After months of searching, Crystal of Amazae Special Events & I have finally found our studio! In case you haven’t heard, Crystal and I will be sharing both office and studio space.  Our dream of creating a beautiful space to meet with our clients is finally becoming a reality.  Nestled in the beautiful Rose Garden district of San Jose, we are located on The Alameda, just off the 880 exit.  We will be moving over the next couple of weeks and can’t wait to show off our new space!  Here is a sneak peak of what’s to come …

A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to photograph one of my favorite families. This family is very dear to me, as I have been photographing their boys since they were little babies, back when I was still in Virginia. They now live in Colorado, so imagine my surprise when I got the e-mail saying they would be vacationing in Santa Cruz, and wanted to schedule in their portrait session. I was so thrilled to see them again :)

About a week and a half ago, I had the pleasure of taking baby Luke’s 8 1/2 month portraits. I just couldn’t believe how much he’s grown since our last session! Now he’s crawling around, exploring everything, and even standing.

Here’s just a few of my favorites from our session. Enjoy!

Connie & Mickey were amazing to work with. They have such a great sense of design, and composition, and incorporating the architecture of the Rotunda, and the university was very important to them.

Unfortunately, there was a private event going on at the Rotunda, but we were still able to sneak in and take a few shots in hallways.  Here’s a few of my favs from our time together.  Enjoy!!

This is an extra special blog post for me. When my good friends Lisa & Garrett approached me about doing their maternity photos, I was both ecstatic and a bit nervous! Somehow, it’s different when a close friend entrusts you to capture such a momentous event in their lives … you invariably set the bar higher … and I was scared to death of disappointing them.  Of course, it was silly of me to worry and had such a great time with them.

They are so cute together - and were amazing in front of the camera. It’s going to be so much fun to meet the little guy when he comes!

We started the session at their home …

I love this one of Garrett … I just know he is going to be a great dad!

I just had to do a few sexy shots of Lisa … isn’t she gorgeous?

We found this amazing beach just north of their home in Half Moon Bay and lucked out with an amazing sunset ;)

A beach shoot is never complete without a sunset shot!

Mike & Gaby
June 7, 2008

Ceremony: Saint Anthony’s Church
Reception: Sheraton Palo Alto
Floral Design: The Apple Blossom
Wedding Cake: El Gallo Giro
DJ: AB Productions

It was another picture perfect sunny day for Gaby & Mike’s wedding at the Sheraton Palo Alto. Following the ceremony at Saint Anthony’s, we went over to Stanford for their portraits. There is nothing I love more on a wedding day than long veils! They are so beautiful to photograph … especially when the breeze kicks up a bit.

The Conservatory of Flowers is such a great place for portraits. It was Monica & Dan’s idea to start our session there, which I thought was just perfect :)

This was the first time I met Monica and Dan. What a sweet couple! We had a blast taking pictures at the conservatory, then made our way to Baker Beach for some fun beach shots. Thanks guys, for a great shoot!!

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a very special place for Samantha & Tim. Not only have they spent many weekends there, but it is also the spot where Tim proposed to Samantha. So it was only natural that we would start off their engagement session at the aquarium. From there, we made our way down to Carmel River Beach for some sunset beach shots :)

I love this shot with the scuba diver floating about them …

Gayle & Mark
May 31, 2008
Ceremony: The Redeemer Lutheran Church
Reception: Holbrook-Palmer Park
Hair Stylist: Bridal Hair Design
Videography: Awesome Shot Studios
Cake: Sugar Butter Flour
DJ: Big Fun DJ

Gayle & Mark are such a beautiful couple. I have so enjoyed getting to know them. Now that their wedding has come and gone, I am truly going to miss working with them. They both love the great outdoors, and did a wonderful job of incorporating this theme into their wedding - from the cute butterfly favors to the Yosemite Falls wedding cake. To see a trailer of their wedding video created by the incredibly talented Oren of Awesome Shot, click here.

Just to warn ya, it’s gonna be a long post!! Hope you enjoy …

They were such hams … love it!!

Just your regular, run-of-the-mill portrait session…

Mark proposed to Gayle at the top of Yosemite Falls. I think the cake is just perfect :)

Last weekend, I finally caught up with Marianne & Josh for part 2 of their engagement session. We lucked out the second time around with a gorgeous, bright blue sky and amazing sunset at Baker Beach. We had an amazing shoot that included a bit of rock climbing … running … climbing trees … Here are my favs from our evening together.

There’s just something that I love about footprints on the sand …