Another evening edition of Tuesday Top 5 is here! In just a few weeks these will be back to early postings I swear! But hey for now, better late in the day than not at all, right? So here goes!1. Swimming...or should I say FLOATING. Because let's be honest people, the kinda swimming I do is a sorry attempt at the doggy paddle. When in the pool you will most likely find me floating upon a fun-noodle. And I like it. It's truly what I call FUN! I'm so happy summer is arriving and we have started to go fun-noodling at my mom's pool! I look forward to it every Spring and enjoy it every summer! Fun fun fun!2. Bare Escentuals make up. I hate wearing make up. And yet its kinda necessary, especially when I'm shooting someone's wedding! I hate make up mostly because of how complicated and time consuming it can be to put it on. All that blending and precise placement of color. Ugh. I am LOVING my new discovery of Bare Escentuals! There foundation & concealer is a no brainer to put on and so speedy too! Best of all I have been getting more compliments than ever before! Heck yeah!3. Old photos. Wowza. Whilst cleaning out my grandparents I have found some majorly old photos. Like a scrapbook my great grandmother made in 1914 (10 years before my grandma was born)!! Or formal portraits that seem to be even older. I wish my grandma had showed me them while she was alive and I knew more about the people and places. But still its so amazing. I cherish these! How rare to have photos not just of your parents lives and grandparents lives but of your great-grandparents lives!! I guess photography was ALWAYS important to my family! Finding these pictures really proved to me the power of photography and makes me feel kinda amazing. Maybe one day a great-grandchild of one of my clients will find their wedding album or pictures and be so amazed and thankful. I am preserving family's histories and wow that's a crazy thought! But one that makes me ridiculously giddy!4. Pinches Tacos!!! Holy Moly Guacomole!!! New amazing discovery in my hood! Pinches Tacos! Went there last night and boy oh boy are they delish! Their fish & shrimp tacos BLEW MY MIND! And the rice was delish. And the CHIPS AND SALSA! Oh lord in heaven, the chips and salsa! So fresh! So crunchy! I am in love with Pinches. I can't wait to go back and try their mexican corn on the cob and if I can wake up early enough for breakfast the chilaquiles! Num num num.5. Family. Family, it's like the most important thing EVER. I have always known that. I have always loved holidays and family get-togethers. I was never a kid or teen who hated to hang with my fam. But lately it's just been proven so much, how much my family has my back and I am forever thankful. Like my bomb uncle who always helps me with my taxes. Or my uncle the doctor who answers all my hypochondriac concerns (and are there ever a lot because I am nuts). Or my bro who today talked to me about 10 times about how to fill out DMV forms to sell my grandpa's car. I mean, he walked me through it a lot. Cause government forms scare me! Or Aunt who has given up the last 2 months to help me clear out my grandparents. Or my in-laws who have graciously offered to help the hubs pay off his student loans! I am so thankful to all my family for all they continually give to me & AJ. <3 Family first and always.
I am so blessed! I have the best job ever! Last Friday I got to photograph a gorgeous wedding held at The Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara. The Bacara is one of my dream venues, and shooting there lived up to my expectations! It's so lovely. The views of the ocean. The lush gardens. The Spanish-style architecture. The sound of the waves. Heaven! I LOVE shooting at the Bacara-- it's literally a photographer's dream! And I love Mike & Serene even more for trusting me to capture all their precious wedding day memories!Serene. I think the name fits her perfectly. Serene is so beautiful, laid back, and just a calming person to be around. She compliments Mike's high-energy perfectly. They are yin and yang for each other. During the ceremony both Serene & Mike wrote in their vows how they felt fate had brought them together. In fact, they knew they were destined to be together when they realized they share the same birth date! I love that! I agree, it must be a sign!Serene & Mike's Jewish ceremony was so beautiful. The ceremony was held on Bacara's Miro Lawn which is on a cliff overlooking the ocean! The billowy white Chuppah framed the view and it was just picture perfect! Amazing! But the ceremony was so much more than just a pretty view. It was incredibly personal, and therefore incredibly meaningful. I loved that it was full of old traditions, like how Mike's great-grandfather's tallit decorated the top of the Chuppah. And I loved the fun personal touches, like how a picture of Serene's beloved kitty, Pono, sat on a chair on the first row, it was as close as they could get to having Pono there! The Rabbi offered wonderful bits of wisdom mixed with a good dose of humor! It was the type of ceremony that makes you laugh and cry, and I think that's always a good thing!I could not be happier for Serene & Mike. I really must agree that these two were made for each other. They fit each other perfectly. Where Serene is weaker, Mike is strong. And where Mike is weaker, Serene is strong. They are a harmony. And I love it.So without further ado, let's check out photos from this gorgeous wedding held at the Bacara Resort and Spa. Oh, and thanks to my hubby, AJ, for second shooting with me! He did an awesome job and I LOVED working with him! ;)
Serene & Mike, thank you so much for sharing your big day with AJ & I! We loved every minute of your wedding and were honored to document it for you! I hope you love the pics and are having an awesome time in Hawaii!
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You have to forgive me for my tardiness lately with TT5 and for totally skipping it last week. I hate excuses. But here's an explanation, just so you guys know what's up. I am the executor of my grandparents estate (being the only child of an only child is awesome...that was sarcastic) and I have to have their stuff cleared out of their apartment by June 29th. And apparently my grandma saved everything!! So it's literally been a full time job. Spending all day at my grandparents working, packing, getting dusty...and then I come home and I'm pooped! Plus its full swing wedding season so I have a lot of things to edit. TT5 has kinda become a burden.And I really didn't even think people cared about or liked TT5...but apparently you do! Because there have been many sad emails as to what's going on with it! And that makes me sad that I'm letting my readers down! So I will try my darndest this month to keep up with the Tuesday Top 5 postings, but please forgive me if they are a little late. Anyways...I'll stop whinin' and get down to biznass.1. Etsy. I have been obsessed with Etsy for some time. I discovered it back in 2008 when I was planning my own wedding. Brides, if you don't know about Etsy then whoaaa you need to learn!! It's a site where craftsy, artsy peeps can sell their awesome handmade goods or vintage treasures! It is AMAZING! Want art for your house? You can get it on Etsy. Want a wedding ring? You can get it on Etsy. Want clothes, accessories, and amazing hair adornments? You can DEFINITELY find it on Etsy. I <3 Etsy forever.2. Hawaii. OMGGGG. So my mom & I are taking a trip to visit our cousins who live on Oahu this summer. We last visited them in 2007. So it was definitely time to see them again!! Though Oahu isn't my favorite island, heck, I sure will take it! Plus we are staying in Kailua which I know I will enjoy more than being in the hustle and bustle of Waikiki! We will be close to Lani Kai...one of the world's most GORGEOUS beaches! So I am pretty friggin' stoked!! I actually am DYING to organize a stylized Mr. & Mrs./Trash-The-Dress session while there so if anyone knows any newlyweds on Oahu or even some awesome Oahu based vendors (planners, florists, etc) please send them my way!3. Sex and the City 2. Yeah I loved it. Yeah I am obsessed. I am a modern chick, what can I say?! I really had a fabulous time watching this movie and I laughed my pants off! I love Carrie and the girls. Always have, always will. And the fashions?? Amazing! I gotta say I get jealous of all the luxury! That trip to Abu Dhabi?? FABULOUS. I'll fly on that first class suite any day! ;)4. Kitty Lightshow Laser Pointer. The hubs was an awesome kitty-daddy this week and scored a free laser pointer thingy at our pet store! The cats LOVE chasing the laser light so much! They go bananas. And honestly? It's THE FUNNIEST THING EVER!!! It's like having a live youtube video in my house! LOLZ forever. It's so cute because now the second we pick up the pointer, before we even turn it on, they are BOOM-- right there! Ready and waiting with the widest, most excited eyes you have ever seen. It's awesome.5. The Bacara. OMG, I shot a fab wedding at Bacara last Friday and it was amazetastic! I have been dying to go to Bacara since I saw a Great Hotels with Samantha Brown episode highlighting the resort back in 2005. Okay, yes, I am a dork! But seriously! What a gorgeous place. And the gardens are everywhere and smell SOOO good. Man, now I wanna go there for a weekend getaway. I must! I must!And now here is a picture of me being a superstar photog at the Bacara. I look cute eh? Anywho, I will be blogging this wedding soooo sooon! Soon soon!!
I instantly knew I liked them. During our initial meeting I remember chatting with them about so many things besides wedding photography, like food, the awesomeness of Culver City, and Santa Barbara... and I remember thinking these people are really cool. They are sooo my kinda people. I like them. LOTS! So when I heard they liked me back and wanted to book me I was thrilled!! I may have even squealed and jumped up and down for a minute. Maybe. I cannot confirm or deny ;)So I have been looking forward to shooting Christine and Tyler's Santa Barbara engagement session for awhile now!! And guess what? It more than surpassed expectations! Christine and Tyler are so fun! They remind me a bit of me and AJ. Tyler is pretty adventurous I'd say. And he is definitely comfy just throwing himself into nature! Camping, bugs, sitting in the grass? No prob ;) Christine is more like me! We can appreciate the beauty but as long as there aren't too many crawly bugs to spoil the fun! Hehe! But just like me and AJ, Christine and Tyler are so sweet with each other. They make each other laugh. They make sure the other is okay. They get lost in their own little world together. They keep each other warm during a very cold and windy session!! It's so sweet! I just love it!It was really cool that Christine and Tyler chose to do their engagement session at UC Santa Barbara. These two met at UCSB while getting their undergrad degrees. As we walked on the campus they shared little memories. And I gotta say I was a teensy bit jealous. I thought meeting AJ in Boston was all romantical...but um...UCSB may just be the most gorgeous and romantical campus I have ever seen! There is natural beauty everywhere! For their first date Tyler took Christine to the bluffs on the campus. AMAZING! What a truly special place to fall in love! I am really glad that I got to capture their relationship back at the beautiful place it all began! It makes the images that much more meaningful! :)So here's a looksy at Christine and Tyler's fabulous engagement session at UC Santa Barbara! Beautiful couple, beautiful backdrop! These are a total must-see!!
Christine + Tyler -- Yay!!! I had SO much fun during our session! And I cannot wait for the big day! I know it will be sooo super fun & awesome!! :) Hope you love the pics! xoxo
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What a way to start the day!!! I woke up this morning to see Jenni + Jamie's beautiful Santa Barbara Glam wedding featured on one of my absolute favorite wedding blogs ever, Elizabeth Anne Designs!! Yippee!!!!!!! I am SO thrilled for Jenni & Jamie and also BFF and planner Michelle! They all worked so hard to create a gorgeous wedding, and they really more than achieved their goal!! Now their wedding can serve as an inspiration to many other brides!!! SO cool!!!So go check it out:
Thank you SOOOO much to Ami at EAD for the feature!!! I am honored!!! :)
Remember how on this week's Tuesday Top 5 I mentioned that last Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing a REALLY awesome Italian couple's engagement photos at The Santa Monica Pier? Well here they are! Meet Andrea & Barbara, two of the sweetest, funnest, most stylish people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting! Andrea has got to be the best fiance ever! Barbara had flown in from Italy to watch him graduate from USC and get his MBA, and while she was here he planned an amazing time for her-- shopping, a trip to Vegas, and then...photos with moi! I am totally flattered that of all the photographers Andrea could have chosen to document the love that he and Barbara share, he chose me! :) But I digress, so Andrea is a total prince charming! Case in point, as our session started Barbara spotted a cute little hat being sold at one of the stands on the pier. By the way, Barbara is 100% a woman after my own heart! She loves to shop and has such a fun, chic sense of style! I love that she can find a treasure of an accessory even at the Pier!! And like a true catch, there Andrea was, as if on cue, holding the mirror up for Barbara so she could see how the hat looked, and when she decided it was perfect (it really was perfect), he whipped out his wallet and bought it for her! My kinda man!! LOL. But it's not about the material things of course. It's about the love. It's about showing love by being a helpful shopping buddy. And by doing all you can to make the person you love extra happy!And that's what I love about Andrea & Barbara. In the short time I spent with these two I could really see that they make each other SO happy. And that they are always looking out for each other. And that they are always giggling and laughing. And that they can get lost in their own little fun world together, even when my camera is 10 inches from their face! That's love!I left this session feeling totally giddy. This is my job. I get to meet awesome, happy, adorable couples. And I get to create art with them and document their love story. And in the process I make amazing friends. Pinch me because this has to be a dream! It's too good!!!! I'm so glad I met Andrea & Barbara and that this last minute sesh worked out! And now I've blabbed enough, so why don't I be quiet and let you look at the pics!!!We started out by checking out all the fun games and rides at the pier! Look at how fierce these two are! Ah, to be Italian!
And when the sun started melting us, we retreated to underneath the boardwalk...just like the song!
I am totally in LOVE with this next pic! Barbara, you are GORGEOUS!!!
See what I mean about how happy these two are? They have so much fun with each other, it's contagious!!!
I'm in love with this photo. AJ took it though, not me! He's got a good eye that husby of mine!!
Cotton candy mustaches always equal photography gold!!!
Aw, this photo is my FAV!!! I didn't pose this at all. Barbara just looked at her ring and genuinely got so excited! It was such a sweet moment. When I look at this picture I can totally feel that "Ahhh!!! We're getting married!!!" excitement! And that's what engagement photos are all about!
For more lovely images from this fun session check out the SLIDESHOW below!!
Andrea and Barbara -- thank you sooo much for trusting me to document your love!! I had a blast with you two, and am glad to now be able to call you friends!! Congratulations again!!! I am so happy for you!!! Best of luck with everything and please keep in touch! :)
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Yo peeps! I feel like an awful blogger. I haven't been updating and I have two weddings and two engagements that need to get blogged stat! Yikes! I have been in a whirlwind trying to clean out my grandparents apartment and close out their estate. And my daddy is in town to help me. So that's where I've been. Wish it was more exciting, like I was on fantastic trip or something...but nope. I've just been going to banks, paying bills, closing accounts and filling garbage bags with TONS of stuff to donate!!But I don't want to leave my buddies without a dose of TT5. That's my new abbreviation of Tuesday Top 5. Plus, it is still technically Tuesday!!!So here goes:1. Awesome Italian people & last minute bookings! Last Friday I got a call from a charming Italian fellow, asking if I could take engagement pictures of him & his fiance...the next day! Because she would be leaving town! Crazy! But I'm SOOOO glad Andrea & Barbara found me, because they are like the coolest people ever. It doesn't hurt that they are Italian and have amazing Italian style and adorable accents. And they are so sweet & fun! I had a great time! I am so glad they found me & the last minute shoot worked out! It was fun & spontaneous and I will def be blogging there pics THIS WEEK!2. UCSB. Also last Saturday, AJ and I headed to his hometown of Santa Barbara for an engagement shoot with my superrr awesome couple Tyler & Christine. Believe it or not, I never have been to UCSB before. I actually was accepted there for college, but I was dead set on going out of state...so I never even looked at the campus. Did you know that....UCSB is like the MOST GORGEOUS CAMPUS EVER?!? Like oh.my.gawdddd! It's got this lagoon and all these birds and nature and marshy-ness and bluffs and beach and wow. The dorms face some crazy good views. Dang...I almost regret not going there. Except not, because going to school in Boston was awesome too and I met my lovey at college. But still...wow. UCSB...who knew you were so cool!!!!3. Headbands! Headbands are my new obsession accessory. I hate to admit it but as much as I love dressing up and looking pretty, I kinda suck at styling my hair. My hair is very fine and stick straight. And I just don't have the patience to try to curl it. Ever. And it barely holds anyways. And cool buns and side swept do's?? Uh, ladies, HOW DO YOU DO THIS? I suck. I can't get my hair to ever look cool. I can't even accomplish the messy-effortless-up-do look. And that's supposed to be messy and effortless. Take away my girlie membership now! But cute headbands? They are a LIFESAVER. A boring, hair down look can be instantly glamorous with one of these beauties. And I love it. Easy, breezy, fo' sheezy. That's how I roll.4. "Easy, Breezy, Fo' sheezy." DID I JUST MAKE UP THE COOLEST NEW PHRASE EVER??? Yes, I think I did!5. AJ. Because he wanted me to write about him in my top 5. I guess he hasn't noticed that I mention him on this segment, like, all the time!! I think he just enjoys reading all the gush. If I write about him anymore his head may not fit through the front door! But really he is awesome. Because he goes with my on shoots and helps me out. And carries my bags! Because they are heavy!! And because he gives me kisses all the time. And because he takes pictures of me in action.Check it out. Ashleigh in action over the weekend. By AJ! Do you see what I mean about UCSB being AMAZING?!?? By the way, this was the WINDIEST shoot ever! And the most adventurous (I climbed a bluff)! Yes, I am so lame that climbing up a bluff and surviving wind seems adventurous to me. Don't hate. I'm a city girl. I'm sooo LA. Anyways, I digress. Picture below!
Whoa dudes! What is up with this gloomy weather?! I feel like its winter and all I wanna do is hibernate. But there is WAY too much to do to hibernate! Like, for example, it's time for another round of Tuesday Top 5!1. Escalate Live Broadcast! Did I ever mention, I LOVE a good deal? ;) Well, over the last two days a really cool photography conference that was a couple Benjamins to go to in person...but then they decided to live stream it for FREE! That's free knowledge guys! Love it!!!! So the past two days I have been multi-tasking, doing editing and chores while listening to all the good info being preached by Becker, Jasmine*, David Jay, Dane Sanders, Jessica Claire, Jerry Ghinois and more! It's awesome. Getting smarter, saving money, and getting things done. BOOM! That's awesome.2. Sentimental Finds. So I have been tasked with the overwhelming job of cleaning out my grandparents' condo. Well, I am the co-executor of the estate with my dad...but he is only coming into to town for a week since he doesn't live here so I needed to get a head start...my grandparents had SOOO much stuff! As daunting of a job it is to clean out someone's whole home, someone's whole life basically, but there have been so many good memories unearthed along the way. Found photos. Found figurines I used to play with. The doll they bought me in Arizona. My baby clothes that they saved. It's crazy emotional but so sweet at the same time. It's weird how a simple object can bring up so many memories & sentiments. But its wonderful too.3. Vinatge Cameras! Speaking of finding stuff at my grandparents...I found two really old cameras! One is like hella old, you know the kind that looks like basically a black box with a pinhole? Sweet! I also found something called a Kodak Instamatic, which apparently is an old school point and shoot. I don't think either one works, but they just look cool! I will definitely be treasuring them & putting them on display.4. HGTV. I go through phases where I am into HGTV. Sometimes I get sick of it and will not watch for 6 months or more. But right now I am back into it. My favorite thing is watching the shows about selling & buying since buying is like a may-jah goal for me in the next 2-ish years. Now, I'd like to ask, where the heck does HGTV find the people to be on the shows?!!! They are SOOOO stoopid! Yes I spelled "stupid" as "stoopid" to hilight how lame these people tend to be. They will see a house and its perfect, in their price range which by the way isn't too high, spacious...and they hate it because of paint color, or cabinet facades or even worse the bathtub needs to be cleaned!! Seriously, a dirty bathtub is gonna ruin this sale?!! Get yo' self some comet and scrub it homie, and it will be fine!!!! Ughhhh. It just really bothers me. But it also makes me laugh hardcore.5. Peaches. I love a good peach. Or plum. Or apricot. I enjoy stone fruits basically. But only if they are sweet! It sucks to bite into a flavorless stone fruit. Majorly disappointing. But one of my husband's student's gave him a bag of fresh picked peaches. And they rule! Num nummy nummers nummerton! I love them!And now here's a very teasey teaser of a wedding I will be blogging soon! Stay tuned, friends!
Did I mention I LOVE boudoir season?! As summer brides prep for their weddings, I tend to get more & more boudoir bookings. Bride's want to give their hubby-to-be a special little something. A truly personal gift. But what I love about boudoir photography is that even though brides may initially think the session is for their man, they get to realize boudoir pictures are truly a celebration of themselves! Yep, I think boudoir photography celebrates your womanhood, your femininity, and yes your sexy. And sexiness comes from being who you are and owning it! And that's what I love...seeing my fab clients go from being shy and nervous at the very start of the session to ending the session being completely confident and rocking who they are.My afternoon with Melissa was amazing-- it was everything I love about doing boudoir. I met an amazing, gorgeous, fun, hilarious woman! She gave this session her all, and it was awesome! She rocked my camera. As we laughed and talked and became friends, she let all the sides to her personality shine. She was owning everything that makes her Melissa. And it was fabulous, as evidenced by these amazing pictures!! Seriously Melissa, I love everything about you and am so glad to have met you and now be able to call you my friend! :)
Cupcake goodness!!! Soooo cute!!!
Did I ever mention that... I LOVE VEILS?!?!
I love The Shade Hotel for boudoir sessions because all their rooms feature gorgeous spa tubs. Bubble baths make for ultra sexy boudoir photos, don't you think?
I am SOOOO excited to debut this new look to my blog! To be honest, for a long time I have been working on my branding, and though I really liked my logo, I knew there was a missing piece somewhere. I got my blog to a point I was okay with, I liked it well enough, but it wasn't quite right-- it wasn't quite me. For months it has been bothering me, and I have asked sooo many photographers "well should I rebrand? I'm not sure if it's right..I do like my logo though...I dunno..." I am sure I annoyed quite a few photographer-friends in the process!Last Thursday while having coffee with my good friend and fellow photographer Cindee Bae, we started talking about my blog/branding and kicking ideas around. Before I knew it she was over at my house helping me redesign EVERYTHING. Thanks to Cindee for designing this awesome new background based on my beloved shootsac, and also figuring out to round the corners on my blog, and just making it 100% better looking & more like me!!
I am soooo excited by this new look, and now the wheels are turning for a new, separate website to come out this summer! Yayyyyy!!! So what do you think of my new look? Leave your comments ;)
It's Tuesday again! Woohoo! I am actually very excited because tomorrow is Wednesday and on Wednesday I will be working on something I am super excited about! Expect results soon!!! But you didn't come here for cryptic messages about big plans, and things that excite me...you came here because it's time for Tuesday Top 5! So here goes!1. Babysitting my nephew. On Friday, I was left with a big responsibility. Pick up my nephew from school (it was a half-day) and babysit him till around 5:00pm. Now, I babysit my nephew all the time. But pick up from school? Oh man, that part sounded scary. That's what moms do! You gotta drive all extra safe. You can't forget him and accidentally leave him there (once someone forgot me at school and it SUCKED). But all went smoothly. I was like the best aunt ever. Picked him up on time. Took him to Victor Jr.'s for a little pizza pie lunch! Took him to the playground and got him a popsicle. Please file me under Best Aunt Ever! Seriously, it was awesome. And I had a blast with my favorite li'l guy all day. Because my nephew is HILARIOUS and ADORABLE!!2. Watching Kids Perform! This week was like my kids week. You see my friend Brooklyn directs a kids musical theater program and I went to see their final performance of Annie. Then the next day, I saw my niece perform in her spring school recital, which also was a musical theater theme. It kinda warms my heart to see the kids get up there and give it their all. When I was a kid I was in like a gazillion musicals. I loved seeing a full house and watching people clap & cheer for me (and you know the whole cast)! It gave me so much confidence. And so going to these shows is kinda a full circle, giving back thing. And it gives me the warm & fuzzies.3. The Culver City Car Show. On Saturday it was just lovely outside! So AJ & I decided we should take a stroll over to the annual Culver City Car Show. To be honest I am not really like a "car person." I can appreciate a classic car or a nice car but I don't know..it doesn't really excite me. Still, I had fun looking at the cars with AJ and being goofy. I decided of all the classic cars, my fav is a Chevy Bel-Air. Two tone please. It is a pretty hot car! :)4. Mother's Day. Lots of people asked me what I did for mother's day. Well, I spent it with my momma. At Dim Sum. All day. Because we waited for two hours to get a table. Because apparently that place took reservations and we didn't know. So two hours of sitting & waiting & hunger. BUT when we got to eat finally it was delicious!!! Plus I got to be with my mom and laugh and just be. And that was nice. On a sad note, it was really hard not having dinner with my grandma or buying her a card. Mother's Day was like superrr important to her...so to not be doing anything with her was just strange.5. Spring Weather. Okay well minus the days it has been really windy, it is finally starting to get all springy & warm! The Jacaranda trees are in bloom which I love! And the sun feels so good! It just makes me excited! I can tell summer is around the corner and that means swimming and bbqs and fun! Love it!I will leave you with a quick picture I snapped of AJ & my nephew, Leo, back in February. I never posted it because its not a perfect shot. AJ is a little out of focus. But I dunno I kinda love this shot. Despite AJ being out of focus. So there.
Eeks! I met Zoe + Nima at the Santa Monica Pier weeks ago. And I loved this session so much and had all these great plans to blog it right away...but as you all know life, or the opposite of it, happened. And so this fun & vibrant session sat on the back burner, and workaholic, anal, type-A me was feeling very guilty! But honestly I am glad that I had this session to come back to after everything. Zoe + Nima's Santa Monica Pier session was light, fun, vibrant and happy...just looking at these pics washes away any sadness from my heart and fills it with joy!Zoe & Nima are incredibly sweet together. When I met them, I knew in an instant that I loved them...and I could see how much they loved each other! We talked over coffee for hours at our meeting and when they booked me on the spot I was thrilled!! I knew our session would be fab...but I didn't know just how fab it would be! I love how Zoe picked out two colorful over-sized balloons for our shoot! They bring such a lightness and fun energy to the photos! I also love the location, The Santa Monica Pier! Seriously, that is one of my fave spots to shoot at! Its always a blast! But as it turns out, Zoe & Nima didn't just want to shoot at The Pier because its colorful and makes for a good backdrop in photos...They chose the Pier because it meant something. This was where they had their first date. The Santa Monica Pier is the place that started it all!!I really love when couples choose locations that have meaning to them! And I love that the Pier was where the first love sparks flew between Zoe & Nima. And I love that these pictures show the sweet kind of love Zoe & Nima share! So enjoy these images below!
And to see more pics from this fun Santa Monica Pier Engagement session please check out the SLIDESHOW below! I absolutely love how this one turned out! It's soooo sweet, like a gumdrop! You can really feel the love!
So for those of you who don't know, my grandfather died 16 days after my grandmother passed away. To say April was a hard month would be an understatement. My April consisted of hospital visits, a funeral, taking care of my grandpa while he was in hospice care at home, and another funeral. Needless to say, blogging and editing were so far down on my to do list. So I am behind and I feel terrible about it. I am way too type-A to be this behind!! Plus, I have left y'all in the lurch for way too long! And that makes me sad! The good news is, it's May. It's a new month, a fresh start so to speak, and I am getting myself back on track. Blogging will return to the regular 2-3 days a week posting, and I am working like a busy bee to catch up on all the editing that has backed up! I am looking forward to getting back to life and to doing what I love!!!So what better way to kick off my return than with a Tuesday Top 5 eh? Here we go:1. Sunny SoCal Days. I love living in LA. The weather is so beautiful...and the warm sun? I cannot get enough! Feeling the sun on my skin makes me feel so happy and so alive. There is nothing better to me than just laying out and soaking it all up. Too bad its terrible for my skin...I will probably be a splotchy & wrinkly old lady, but I can't get enough sun!!2. Sunday Brunch. I usually brunch with my mom on weekends when I am not scheduled for a shoot or a wedding. It doesn't happy every week, but when it happens its so nice! This Sunday my husband, my mom, my other grandparents (her parents) who live in Palm Springs, and my Aunt Betty and I all went to brunch together at John O'Groats, one of my favorite LA brunch eateries. I love just being with family, chatting over coffee and eggs, and just enjoying the leisure of it all! Bonus points to the delish Artichoke Eggs Benedict that John O'Groats serves up! 'Tis mighty tasty!!3. Bobby Fay the Spider Killing Cat. My black cat is named Bobby Fay after Iron Chef Bobby Flay...It's a long story...but anyway point is I love my cat for a million reasons. He is sweet and cuddly and smart and curious and funny and loving...and one more amazing thing. He kills spiders for me! I HATE spiders. And sometimes I am home alone when one appears on the wall. Spiders the size of nickel. SICK. But there goes little Bobby cat. He spots that spider and plans a strategy of attack. Then POW! He kills that spider. When AJ is home sometimes he just alerts AJ to the spider's presence...he doesn't want to take away AJ's role as man of the house. But when daddy's not home little Bobby goes and gets that spider for me. Its amazing. I have never had a cat quite skilled and practical as Bobby. It makes me love him that much more.4. Singing in the shower. Did you know the shower generally has the best acoustics in the house? No wonder my voice sounds all divalicious while I am in there. I used to sing in the shower all the time. Often prompting my stepdad to bang on the bathroom door yelling "SHUT UP!!!!" :) But I stopped in college...dorm living=not so good for shower concerts. Then I moved in with AJ and I was just super embarrassed to sing in the shower while he was home. I am actually still embarrassed. So I wait until he's GONE, and then I sing out loud! Muwahahaha! My only concern is that the neighbors my hear me...hopefully they don't mind the entire soundtrack to Cabaret or Lady Gaga's "Speechless" over and over and over ;)5. Treme. As a crazy huge fan of HBO's The Wire, I was super stoked for the new show Treme to come out! Can I just say, David Simon does it again! Treme is a really good show! I love the characters and the way it goes about telling the story of New Orleans trying to put itself together after Katrina. Each Monday I am already anxious for Sunday so I can see another episode. May I also add that I really am digging Steve Zahn on this show. He is so underrated! If you have HBO, I suggest you check out Treme...but start at episode 1...you can't start mid way through the season ;)And now here is a teaser of an engagement session I am currently editing! The lovely Zoe + Nima!!
It's kinda funny. Life seemed to be against everything about Christina & Syl's engagement session with me. First, we had to cancel and reschedule the shoot TWICE due to weather. Then as I was preparing to blog the pictures I found about my grandma. UGH. Yeah so needless to say I feel pretty terrible that it has taken sooooo long to get these pictures taken and blogged. But we did it. We conquered fate so to speak. Because I am blogging these pics now and there ain't a-nothin' nobody can do about it. ;)Christina emailed me on my birthday last year inquiring about info for her wedding. After a few emails it was clear to me that she was totally awesome, so when she booked me online without even meeting me I was thrilled! We have become friends online and through facebook. But I actually had never met her or her fiance Syl in person. When we met at the Lab a few Saturdays ago, I was sooo over joyed! She was everything I thought she'd be and more-- cute, funny, bubbly, bright! She has the best laugh and she laughs hard just like me! And Syl is just wonderful too. He reminds me a bit of AJ, very chill and low-key, but totally funny and sweet and so caring. He was so attentive to Christina the whole shoot and so tender with her! I just LOVE it!! I cannot wait for their wedding later this year in San Diego! I know its going to be a BLAST!!!Christina & Syl picked the most awesome spot for our session-- The Lab in Costa Mesa, which is a mall, or technically speaking an “Anti-Mall,” that is home to a bunch of trendy shops. The Lab is very quirky and fun! The perfect backdrop for our shoot & also the perfect place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon! ;) Here's the info if you want to check it out:The Lab2930 Bristol StreetCosta Mesa, CA 92626714-966-6660And now its time to share some pictures!! I hope you enjoy these colorful images!!! I know I loved taking them!! :)
This is probably my favorite picture of the whole day!! So cute!!!
Wow, wow, wow. I can't believe how exhausted I am from everything in the past week. I really want to thank everyone so much for their kind words, support and patience. I know it took me a lot longer to respond to emails than usual and I really apologize for it! I believe I have responded to everything though now! Phew!So its been a tough week obviously and I don't know if I even have 5 good things to write about. My days have consisted of visiting my grandpa in the hospital, going over paper work and their finances, and trying to figure out what the next step of care for my grandpa is. You see I am the only grandchild, and my dad is the only child, but he doesn't live here...so everything that can't be done on the phone is something I need to do. It kinda sucks...but I shouldn't grump and just do the best I can right guys?Sooooo I'm going to try to think of 5 good things...here goes:1. Growing Up. Growing up kinda sucks sometimes. But its also a good thing. So many times in life I don't really feel like an adult. I feel like a kid. I don't know why. I just sometimes still feel like I am in college or high school or something. Well this whole experience has definitely made me feel older and feel my responsibilities more. I guess that is a good thing, despite that it stems from such a sad situation. Everyone in my family, husband included, said they are really proud of how I am dealing with things and how they definitely see me "growing up" in a good way. So maybe that's a yay for finally being an adult.2. My mom. My mom is an amazing, wonderful lady and I am so glad to have her in my life. I am not going to lie, she can really drive me crazy sometimes. Sometimes so much so that I forget to stop and really see how awesome she is. The truth is, my mom always has my back. She supports me in everything I do. She knows when I am in a hard time and helps as much as she can (even during her busiest work week of the year). She makes sure I am ok. She is always here for me. And she is always selfless when it comes to me. And I'd be pretty much lost without her. So, mom I love you. Even when I tease you, or use that tone of voice you hate, I really really love you. And I do see all you do for me!3. Realizing life is a journey. I have always been a super competitive person. I'd say until very recently life, I was definitely about the destination and not about the journey. I wanted to be the BEST at whatever I did, and if I wasn't the absolute BEST then I wasn't happy. A few years ago I started trying to accept the fact that life is about so much more that "winning" or being "the best." Everyone really does have their own path, and its so important to go about life finding joy. Its also important to let go of negativity and remain positive about wherever you are at (especially if you are at a place you didn't want to be). My dad thinks I am a total California-Hippie-Yogi-Freak for believing that life is a journey. But I am starting to not care. If you can't enjoy the ride of life than what is the point of living? I of course still am competitive and would love to be the best at what I do, but I am really understanding that there is a lot more to life than just that, you know?4. My husband. I talk about him too much, huh? But he is really amazing. I must have done something REAL good to deserve him ;)5. Photography. While reading through all the sweet comments and emails I have received I realized that photography has opened up so much for me. It isn't just about the pictures anymore, though of course I do love taking amazing pictures! But its about the people too. Its about the connections I have made with clients, and peers, and mentors. Its about reaching people through art and capturing something special for people. I knew photography would be a fun job, but I didn't know it would be an incredibly heart-warming job. Each one of you reading my blog has touched my life in a way you will never know! I am really amazed by all of you and so thankful to have connected with so many wonderful people. You all make me feel sooooo blessed.Wooohoo! I did it! I came up with 5 good things from this terrible week. I know that the road ahead is going to be a lot more difficult and I have a lot more responsibilities now than ever before. But as long as I can remain positive I will be okay. And meeting all you awesome people and capturing moments of joy with my camera definitely makes me happy and counteracts the sad and difficult parts of my life! I know I will come out of everything a stronger person and much better photographer. So in the end this will all be worth it!
often go awry. I am sure many of my readers are wondering what happened to today's Tuesday's Top 5 or my post on Christina & Syl's amazing e-session. And I have been meaning and wanting to blog all of it. But sometimes life gets in the way.Without making too many excuses or giving a long sob story, I will just say this: my grandma went into the hospital last week with a stroke. She passed away yesterday in the early afternoon. My grandfather, her husband, who has been in and out of the hospital (you may even remember he nearly died several weeks ago) was readmitted to the hospital today with a high fever and pneumonia. He could pass this week too. So its a hard time.I haven't had much time to blog, and to be honest putting together a blog post right now just feels daunting. I never want to rush through a client's post and not give it the attention and care it deserves. So I REALLY apologize to my clients for the delay in the posts. I promise the images rock and will be up when things calm down & I don't feel so gloomy. Funnily, besides my mom, husband, and kitties my only source of joy has been discovering the amazingness of RuPaul's Drag Race on late night tv...I watch it when I can't turn my brain off, and it makes me lolz. So that's good, I guess. If I had done a Tuesday Top 5, this week I am sure I would give it a shout out!Anyways, expect a return to regular bloggity programming next Monday. I am hoping after the funeral things will stabilize.xoxoxo to all my lovely readers, friends, and clients! I love you all more than you know.
Homies! This is my 100th post!!! Woooohooo!!! And what better way to celebrate than with a Tuesday Top 5!1. Sea Harbour Dim Sum. Ohhhh man you guys. I have always loved dim sum! Always. Its one of my favorite ways to start off a weekend morning. My whole life I have gone to Chinatown for dim sum. And I like it. And its good. But it had been pointed out to me by many a person that for the best and most authentic dim sum in the city, I must get myself to the El Monte/Rosemead/San Gabriel/Arcadia area. It finally happened! My mom, my step-dad, my beautiful niece who is growing up way to fast, and I hit up Sea Harbour Dim Sum in Rosemead. It was DELISH!!! The shrimp har gow was big, juicy and the dumpling skin was so soft and tender. Also loved the Shrimp in Rice Noodle, and Shrimp & Chive dumpling yummmm. But my favorite had to be Shrimp & Dry Scallop dumpling. I will say "dry scallop" sounds scary, and I am not sure still exactly what it means...but it is TASTY. YUM. Then we finished off the meal with hot milk bun for dessert. I have never had that before but it rocked! Warm, doughy, sweet, creamy center. Oh boy. So now the question is...when can I get back??2. Hubby On Spring Break. My hubby is on spring break right now and its great having him home!!! I am so glad he works a job he loves and inspires little middle-schoolers to think and write amazing poetry and expand their minds. But you know what, I am kinda selfish and want him home with me!! I just like looking at him. And forcing him to laugh at my jokes. So I am trying to enjoy every single moment of his break! Because he rocks my world!3. Bastide. Last week was my mommy's spring break! Which meant ladies lunch! Holla! My mom & her friend/my honorary aunt Barbara and I went to an amazing lunch at Bastide. Barbara picked the spot, which is always good because Barbara has the BEST taste in food and knows the best restaurants in the city! Did I mention I LOVE fine dining?! If I ate meat I could have loved being a food critic! Because me and LA's dining scene? We know each other well. So back to Bastide. The courtyard is gorgeous- it definitely feels very European! Oh and the cute french waiters didn't hurt either (AJ, you didn't read that). But what I was there for was food. And boy did we eat a lot of amazingness. We split yellowtail sashimi with radish and green beans, oysters, roasted beet salad, and smoked salmon tartine and ahi tuna nicoise! YUMMMM. The yellowtail and oysters were my fav but really everything was so good. The food is just fresh, clean flavors and delicate. I like that! Anywho...then we had dessert Apple Tarte Tatin (one of my favorite desserts ever) and Beignets with 3 dipping sauces! BOY OH BOY it was all so good! I am spoiled for sure!4. Hawaii Fever. Aloha, my name is Ashleigh and I have Hawaii fever. It happens every spring, I get the craving to go to Hawaii. Because Hawaii is amazing. Beautiful beaches, warm clear water, stunning sunsets, mai-tais and lava flows, trade winds, ahi poke, coconut & macadamia nut breakfast concoctions, tropical gardens, lush scenery...I could go on and on about why I just LOVE Hawaii! Sadly I doubt its going to happen this year. But Hawaii is definitely on my mind!5. Amazing Clients. You might be annoyed because all I do is talk about my amazing clients. But can I help it if the people who work with me are fabulous?? Last Thursday I shot a boudoir session and the bride blew my mind. The bride brought so many cute outfits, fierce accessories and props! Girl took my tips on what to bring for a session and ran with it! LOVE that! Then this weekend I shot Syl & Christina's engagement session and they blew my mind as well with their cuteness! It was an amazing colorful session with lollipops and laughter! Can I ask for anything more?! I feel so so so lucky to be working with so many awesome people! People who wear their hearts on their sleeve. People with their own unique, fun style that they rock with confidence! People who laugh hard and smile bright! I love these people, these clients, these FRIENDS. I am the luckiest. You all rock my world more than you know!And now check out a teaser from Christina & Syl's amazing session!
Last Saturday, in Santa Barbara, I photographed the most amazing wedding ever-- the bride and groom, their friends and family, the scenery, the details, the food, EVERYTHING was amazing beyond words. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure it wasn't a dream! And I have to thank Michelle Black of Lehr and Black, who happens to be one of the most fabulous people on planet Earth, for booking me for this wedding. Michelle and I had met at Priscilla & Chris's wedding last August, and ever since I have been itching of working with her again, because as I said she is *fabulous*. So imagine my glee when she wanted li'l ole me to shoot her best friend's wedding! I nearly died of joy when she asked! And then I heard it was going to be in Santa Barbara, and I was double sold! Sweet!But I hadn't met the bride and groom, Jenni and Jamie, and that is always strange for me to show up on the wedding day not knowing the couple. As I have said before, I always try to develop relationships with my couples prior to the big day. So on the drive up to Santa Barbara I was a little nervous of how the wedding day would go. No surprise though, Jenni & Jamie are as equally fabulous as their BFF Michelle and we hit it off right away! Remember how I was talking about Soul-Clients on Tuesday? I think they are yet another example of this! I see a lot of myself in Jenni. She is fun, has an amazing laugh and smile, is refreshingly open and candid, says hilarious things, and knows how to get down low on the dance floor. My kind of woman! Jamie is one cool dude as well. Very funny and very kind. You can see how much he loves Jenni just by the way he looks at her. These two can joke together at ease, make each other laugh, calm each others nerves, and party with each other like teenagers. And its awesome! I could hang out with them all day, just laughing and chillin'. They are that cool! And I am so happy to have witnessed their union. It was a beautiful and personal ceremony-- a bit of laughter, a bit of tears, just the way I like it! I have no doubt these two will be loving and laughing together for the rest of their lives! They are an amazing pair! I feel blessed to have met them and documented their big day! Really, really blessed!Love and laughter is all it takes to make a wedding fabulous. Everything else is icing on the cake. Well, this wedding had a LOT of icing! Because the eye candy was overflowing! Michelle, her mother Ellen and the rest of team at Lehr and Black did an amazing job coordinating and designing every detail of the day. From the gorgeous flowers by Lehr & Black's own Jane & Rudy, to the couture invitations that Lehr and Black are famous for, to the candy buffet, to the stunning tablescapes, to the views from The Santa Barbara Villa they had rented for the affair! Gorgeous! As a surprise to the bride and groom, Ellen hired Santa Barbara based Enjoy Cupcakes to set up the most fabulous dessert bar set up ever. No wait, you do not understand. Enjoy Cupcakes has this vintage trailer and they brought it to the wedding and set up the CUTEST little area for the desserts. Absolutely charming! And then the cupcakes themselves were DELICIOUS. I could have ate them all but that would have been rude. So I didn't! But, really, I think Kevin at Amber of Enjoy Cupcakes are amazing and all brides should be booking them for their weddings, like, RIGHT NOW!All right, I am chatting your ear off and all you want to see are pictures. And there are a ton I tell you! A TON! Thanks to Jenn King for coming along to second shoot for me last Saturday! :) Now for the eye candy!
Getting featured in an online publication was one of my goals for 2010. Pretty much a dream! And I am so thrilled to say that it has happened! The lovely ladies over at StyleUnveiled.com have featured Rachel & Mark's wedding as one of their real weddings!! Hoooray! I am so excited that I could scream at the top of my lungs! This is pretty much one of the coolest things to happen to me to date! Yeeeah!I really have to thank the fabulous Susie Chhuor for bringing this wedding to the attention of the gals of Style Unveiled! I also gotta thank Rachel & Mark for a)being the most awesome people ever b) having a fabulous wedding c) trusting me with their memories and d) writing such kind words about me in the article! I am so moved! And of course major thanks to Heather & Kimberly at Style Unveiled for the feature! You all made my day! :)
But seriously go check out the article and then go browse the site and lose hours of time while checking out all the eye candy! It really is a great resource for stylish brides!!!