While Josephine and Robert are planning their wedding in SF Bay area, the two decided a drive to San Diego and a visit to their old college romping ground are in order. What a better place have take your engagement photos than the place where you spend such a pivotal part of your life. It so happens that UCSD is where we all went to school. It seems like eons ago. Returning to campus, it was fun to see how much the topography has change and to discover old ones that remain the same.

We started off at the new parking garage addition and made our way towards the central Geisel library.

Strolling through one of the Eucalyptus forest at UCSD. Josephine and Robert are so cute together.

Then it’s a clothes change and off to the Cliffs nearby. I used to come out here just to gaze upon the horizon and the shores below. From this vantage point, the sunset is always magical…that is if the marine layer isn’t hiding that magic like it did during the engagement session.

I always love catching these moments. Josephine lovingly gazes into Robert’s eyes. The texture and the gesture gives this image a soft feel.

After getting the following shot, we were approach by a cute little girl asking if we are part of some TV production and whether the couple will be featured on TV. Love the innocence of youth. I guess the umbrella and remote flashes can seem like overkill.

I just love it when my couple bust out laughing. Whether at me or with me, it makes for a great photo.

When the wind picked up, I told Josephine not to worry. It makes for great, dynamic images.

Towards the end of the session, Josephine is starting to work it like a natural. Love it!

I won’t even say how much I love the feel of the following image. That’s the UCSD Scripps Pier in the background.

Josephine and Robert – thanks so much for coming all the way down to San Diego and making the engagement session uniquely your own. It was so much fun to walk through UCSD and discover all the new nooks and crannies. We hope you enjoy this preview of your engagement photos. We got many more awesome images that you’ll have to wait till tomorrow to see as a part of your slideshow.

I have always had a romanticism for adventure and travel. The notion of visiting a foreign country, but avoiding the tourist traps, to simply navigate through it’s diverse landscape and differing cultures and traditions, is very appealing. As much as the notion of world travel is a fantasy for me, it is very much a part of who James is. Soon, James will have a traveling companion. After the wedding and as soon as the house is sold, Millie and James plans on boarding his sailboat and sailing down to Mexico to live for a few years. The plan is to eventually sail around the world, visiting each country along the way. Hearing Millie’s tale of driving across the country by herself, she will no doubt be a perfect traveling companion for James.

Millie and James, thank you for dinner and kindling my own desire to travel and explore the world. It’s awesome to hear about your travel plans and your desire to allow a job and work be a means to that end, and not become an end in itself. Ham and I look forward to seeing you two again at your wedding and sharing in the beginning of your journey as man and wife. -David

We hope everyone is out celebrating their moms this day. This is the first mother’s day where Ham and I can both celebrate motherhood with our wife since Ham’s wife gave birth to baby Nolan 7 weeks ago. The days are flying by as we each adjust and get acclimated to life with a newborn for Ham and a newborn and kid hitting his terrible ‘twos’ for myself. Oi vey…it’s certainly has been a life altering change, that’s for sure.

Even though we are a little spares on the update, there are a lot of things happening behind the scene. For our clients old and new, the implementation of a album review and proofing site that should help our couples better view and communicate album changes so that the final product is exactly customized for them. I am always user friendly centric so we needed a process that is simple for our clients to use and grasp. We couldn’t find anything out there that fit our needs exactly so we built it from the ground up ourselves. We’re designer and creatives, not programmers…so it was hard and an ongoing process. But I think it is already ahead of what’s out there and we can’t wait to finish implementing everything we have planned for it. Here are a few screen shots.

The presentation view with background music…

Quick dropdown login…

Facebook style commenting system…

Some weddings and engagement sessions in the works:

Grace and Walter…

Millie and James…

Josephine and Robert…

My mom with her three grandsons.

We are going to try to enjoy the rest of the day with mom and we hope you all do the same. Happy Mother’s Day!!!

-David

Their romance may have started when Herman was invited to attend an art exhibition where he met Melissa. It makes perfect sense as both are creative artist in their own right. And it also makes perfect sense to start their engagement session at the De Young fine art museum in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Melissa and Herman are so cute together. It would be the first time I get to meet Melissa and Herman but I didn’t have a hard time figuring out which of the park’s many visiting couple simply by the way they walked hand in hand.

We packed our gear light and went inside the museum for some shots before heading outside to explore the park’s grounds. Somehow we managed not to get kicked out while shooting inside the museum. But as we were shooting on the grounds outside the museum entrance, a lady kindly let us know that we are not allow to have professional photography in that area as it was an art exhibit in itself. Ooops and thank you for noticing we were professionals. :)

Loving this wall and sequence inside the museum.

I usually tell my client that Spring is my favorite time to shoot. Everything is buzzing with life anew. The flowering trees are starting to flower and makes for awesome backdrop.

We found this tunnel and set up the remote flash. Because we were trying to keep it on the down low in the museum, I left the Pocket Wizards in the car and toss a couple of the smaller ebay triggers in my pocket instead. We had a difficult time getting the trigger to fire consistently when blocked by Melissa and Herman’s body, but it was worth the hassle as it allow for one of my favorite shot of the day.

The sky was overcast most of the day but the sun did come out for a few minutes to give this scene nice contrast and depth.

Herman did his best to keep Melissa warm when the wind blew, and when Melissa’s feet hurt from walking on heels, Herman carried her instead.

Their outfit match the tones of this house perfectly.

Melissa and Herman – thanks for spending the afternoon with us. We had a blast exploring the museum and location scout in the Mission district. I especially enjoyed the ride to and from the area, including getting lost on the tilted and confusing streets of San Francisco. If I didn’t have to make my flight, it would have been especially cool to just hop out of the car and document that. We can’t wait to experience your wedding day with you two later this year. Until then, enjoy more images in the slideshow below.

We received a special delivery the other day that required 1 part milk and 1 part baby aged for 6-12months to make a whole lotta cuteness.

Thank you so much Grace and Walter for the thoughtful gift. We can’t wait till baby Jason can try it on a few months from now. He’s growing by leaps and bound and have already gain 2+ lbs in the three short weeks he has graced us with his life. Three month clothes are already high watered on him so I am sure given a few months, I can have him don these cute onsies. We can’t wait to hang out with you two again and get some awesome images of your wedding this weekend. Good luck on the final preparation and we’ll be talking to you soon.   -David

   Each time this year, we find ourselves filled with much of the same feeling of anticipation for the feast that we are about to enjoy. The anticipation of getting together around the dinner table with the family, where laughter are shared and stories are told and retold. The obvious anticipation of being stufft beyond our stomach can handle and the food coma that follows.

However, this year my wife and I found ourselves anxiously anticipating the birth of our second son. It is odd how nine months seemingly flies by but the last week and days seem so slow. What is even more odd is the feeling we had as his due date came and went. Each day, I found myself too anxious to get any work done as I anticipate my wife calling for me to rush her to the birthing center.  Each night, we sit having dinner and wondering if tonight is the night. We found out that it would be seven days and nights of wondering before lil.Jason made his debut into our world.

Mom and dad have been anxiously anticipating your arrival little one. But we are happy and thankful that you arrived healthy. All 8lbs 3oz of you.

As our family enjoy our first Thanksgiving together with lil.Jason, we wish that all our clients and friends have a wonderful time with their own family. Have a safe journey to all those who are and will be traveling.

-David

Grace and Walter are so wonderful together. I believe that laughter nurtures the bonds of love and witnessing Grace and Walter together, there is obviously an abundance of love between the two of them. Walter always seem to know how to get Grace to bust up laughing. His smile is infectious because I can’t help but smile and laugh along with them, even when sitting at my desk as I edit through their engagement photos. We spent the afternoon at Crissy Fields in San Francisco and took advantage of the late afternoon sun. We are excited for your upcoming December wedding. Until then, enjoy these images…

The afternoon sun bathed the gardens, trees and vines with beautiful golden light. The lawn is lush and the vineyard full. The picturesque pond add to the tranquility of the location. The weather was just perfect for guest who came from near and far to enjoy the gardens of Cornerstone in Sonoma county and more importantly, to witness Emily and Russell begin the next chapter in their lives together.

Emily and Russell – all your planning has paid off and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. We hope you two get some rest and relaxation in Mexico. All the best. -DH

There were all types of cool art pieces around the vineyard. Here is the bouquet as seen through the legs of a metal sculpture. The floral arrangement and bouquet were design by Maki Aizawa Gilman of Viola Flowers.

Maria Chang and her awesome crew of PMA were on hand to work their magic and lend a helping hand. They are the most helpful crew of hair and makeup artist I have worked with.

Emily looking just radiant shortly after putting on her gown and veil.

There were a lot of cool and unique places to shoot around Cornerstone Gardens.

Gorgeous cake from Auntie B’s Cakes.

The speeches were very heartfelt as well as funny. Emily did her best to fight back the tears, but siblings has a special way at tugging at the heartstring. Her brother Raymond did just that.

Lighting art from Irja and Jon of got-light

Click on the following image to view more photos from Emily and Russell’s wedding day.

The marine layer hovers in the distance like it usually does in Monterey. But on this day, in the distance it continues to stay, leaving the beautiful grounds of the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa continually kissed in beautiful golden sunlight. The wedding has all the sights and sound you would expect from a seaside venue. The squawking of seagulls flying high overhead. The bustling of tourist as they made their way around the sideside village. The smell of the ocean within arms reach and the sound of the waves as they announce their arrival.

The wedding ceremony was held on the terrace overlooking the ocean. The brides maids’ dresses swayed and danced to the ocean breeze bringing it’s deep, vibrant hues to the ceremony. Derek’s dad did a wonderful job officiating the ceremony despite claiming he may be more nervous than the bride herself. Lisa’s nerves may have appeared ever so slightly once her wedding coordinator Sarah Ward came by the hotel room and announced that it was time. But that was quickly replaced with excitement as the day and hour has finally arrived for her to marry Derek. The wedding ceremony itself was kept short and sweet so that Lisa and Derek could spend more time dancing the night away with their friends and family. Dancing they did as it started early and brought an end to the night.

Lisa and Derek – thank you so much for sharing your special day with us. We wish you both a long, long time of happiness in a galaxy near, near to us all. Have the best of time on your Mediterranean cruise you two. Much love. -DH

The beautiful bouquet with touches of something blue.

The gown was absolutely beautiful.

Something blue…

Now for something old…

Like me, Derek is a big fan of Star Wars. Ok…with a Star Wars themed wedding cake, he may be a bigger fan than I am.

In case some of didn’t notice, there is a new California law that went into affect last Tues, July 1st that requires everyone using a cellphone while driving to utilize a handfree device like a bluetooth headset.

According to Cnet, headset.com wanted to bring light to this new law by giving away a free Plantronics Discovery 925 if you happen to get caught using your phone while driving without a handsfree headset. We’re not sure if headset.com is promoting the safety of driving with a proper headset or encouraging you to break the law and get a free bluetooth headset. Either way, if you find yourself with a ticket, you may lessen the sting by getting a freebie. ;)

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