Affordable Photography
I wore a veil at my wedding. It was my mom’s, beautiful, and each of my sisters had worn it before me. But for some, the decision is more complicated. As an affordable Los Angeles wedding photographer, I’m very close to many brides on their wedding days, and I hear and see the advantages and disadvantages of a veil. So, here are a few things to think about.
Samantha and Luke have a very cute relationship. I was able to do their engagement photos up in the snow at Idaho City, and it was so much fun and some of the most gorgeous photos I’ve ever done! Sam has this an amazing amount of gorgeous blonde hair. They’ve been together for a long time, and the wedding was bound to be a gorgeous, wild party with awesome friends. And that definitely is what happened! The DJ was Soundwave Events. Chyrell, the coordinator with Sandstone, was the epic chaos wrangler, and the cakes and desserts were provided by someone I don’t know.
I love doing Christmas mini-sessions. A mini-session is basically a temporary studio where I set up in a pretty place and families/couples come to me. It’s cheaper for them, and it’s worth it for me. I love giving families and couples affordable photography, and this is one way to do it! This mini-session I set up with an amazing Idaho winery, Hell’s Canyon, last Christmas.
I loved photographing for these two. They had their wedding at Shadow Hills Event Center in Nampa, Idaho. Although I’m primarily a Los Angeles wedding photographer, I love traveling to my native state for photography. These two were a joy to work with. Herminio’s sister, Rosa, interviewed and hired me because she’s awesome and crazy and volunteered to help them with the wedding. I meet them and instantly fell in love with their vibe. The cake was by “Oh for Heaven’s Cake’s” in Nampa. Catering by a friend of the family. Shots in downtown Nampa afterwards. I used a Canon 5D Mark III with a Tamron 35mm prime lens, 50mm F1.4, and 70-200mm with a Yongnuo OCF and a videolight.
I can’t claim to be an expert. But throughout my photography career I’ve amassed a bag of tricks I use to get kids to cooperate with photos. I grew up in a large family and my mom was also a very good photographer. So I learned some from her, some from hanging with my nieces and nephews, and some from just plain old remembering what it was like to be a kid. So here’s my top advice to parents and photographers.
So this article popped up on my newsfeed, and I had a few thoughts about it. Basically, this cute couple hired a wedding photographer (unnamed) for their upcoming wedding, and when they got photos back, they were HORRIBLE. They had looked on the photographer’s instagram, and liked what they saw, but the actual product was awful. The photographer didn’t ask for a contract and they paid her $800.
Brittany and Brendan came along at a time when I was so busy. We were in the midst of a move down to Los Angeles and their wedding was the last one in Idaho. But honestly, after their engagement session, I really started looking forward to their wedding. They’re both quiet, but about half-way through their engagement session, they dropped their guard and showed such a cute side of their relationship. Every time he wanted to, Brendan was able to whisper something in her ear, and this quiet, reserved girl would dissolve into giggles. It was absolutely adorable.
So, you want to elope, but don’t know how your family will react? Here’s a little advice from someone who has seen a LOT of weddings. As a Los Angeles wedding photographer, I get involved very early on in the process. And I totally understand the thought of “I want to elope.” I’ve seen the planning process and the stress of traditional, big weddings. I have had my own relatively simple traditional wedding. And I’ve photographed quite a few elopements. If you want to elope, go for it! Here are some tips for breaking it to family/friends. The photos scattered throughout this post link to real elopements I’ve photographed recently. Hopefully this article comforts your soul and helps in your journey.
Inside an artist’s chest there beats two hearts. One is weak and ugly. It is necessary, the pessimist, the one who critiques, talks finances, and picks out all the little details that aren’t correct. The other one is colorful, vibrant, relishes the colors of the sunset, and imagines up the most beautiful creations. It never thinks about something as trivial as money or food. Those things just don’t matter compared to the soul-filling joy of CREATING.
Moses is a great guy, an aspiring drama/comic actor. I did his Los Angeles acting headshots in my neighborhood in Burbank. We used a combination of natural light paired with flashes. We used a shallow depth of field and a natural background that was easy to set up and flexible.