Brigitta and Brian married last month at the Rincon Beach Club in Carpinteria! These two could not be any cuter or sweeter. They are so kind and thoughtful and I just ADORED working with them! They have the cutest love story-- meeting while both on vacation in Costa Rica! And I am so happy for them they were able to overcome all the obstacles that come with a long distance relationship and got their happily ever after with a beautiful love and wedding!Brigitta looked like a dream on her wedding day! I adored her tulle and beaded dress, of course! And Brian ain't bad on the eyes either! They had the cutest shabby chic decor for their reception! A lovely wedding for the loveliest couple! So enjoy the pics!Thanks to Kelsey for 2nd shooting!!

Anna + Mikey are another one of my awesome 2015 wedding couples! Their beautiful wedding was held at The Bacara a few weeks ago and perfectly planned by the amazing Donna of Donna Romani Events. I just adore working with Donna, she always makes sure the day runs smoothly! I loved photographing Anna + Mikey as you could just feel the love they had for each other in every smile, stolen glance and embrace. They make each other laugh and they make each other shine bright. They had the sweetest vows to each other and their siblings also honored them with some heartfelt and hilarious toasts! It was a perfect day, spent over looking the gorgeous Santa Barbara coast line and filled with love and laughs! Can't be that!Special thanks to Kelsey for 2nd Shooting!Check out the pretty pictures below!!

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Last year, in the midst of morning sickness a pregnancy, I shot this fabulous mother daughter glamour shoot but never got around to sharing it! So I thought better late than never right?!I love the story behind this shoot. I donated a $500 credit toward a boudoir shoot to the American Heart Association's Heart Beach Ball here in Santa Barbara. The Heart Beach Ball happens annually and is a big fundraiser from AHA! Sarah is on the board and attended the event, and bid on the shoot... AND WON! Woohoo! So this shoot we got to celebrate her and her journey and her charitable work for AHA. I had so much fun photographing her daughter Madison! Too cute!Sarah was floored by the photos and bought quite a few wall portraits to give as gifts to her husband and her daughter for Christmas. I love knowing that a huge canvas hangs in their house, as well as as some smaller shots on her husband's desk. I also love that she got Madison some images for her room-- how great is that for a young girl's self esteem to have gorgeous portraits of herself of the wall of her room! LOVE!Sarah loved everything so much she asked me to donate to Heart Beach Ball again... And I did! Can't wait to meet this year's lucky winner! :)

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It's not every day a client lets me showcase images from her boudoir session, but when she does I'm oh so thankful! I love to showcase client sessions so that way future clients know that I really do shoot real women, and not models (but I sure make my clients look like models, don't I)! My passion is photographing real women, in the Santa Barbara area and beyond, and making them look and feel beautiful! That is what I do best, and it's for real! No client has ever come to me for a session feeling 100% confident and ready, but they see my work and trust me that I will make them look amazing. And I never take that for granted! This lovely lady was also kind enough to write me about her shoot and I'd love to share what she said about the experience! See below: 

"Hi Ashleigh!I just wanted to say thank you so much! I had some reservations about a photo shoot in the beginning, but you made me feel super comfortable and I even had fun!!! I was incredibly nervous about giving hubby the book, but wow was he surprised! He absolutely loved it! I don't even think he noticed the nice watch I also gave him for a wedding gift, lol!The layout of the book and the quality of the book itself is wonderful:)I am so glad I decided to go through with this. My body will not be the same for a long while, since we are expecting our first little one soon! So it will be nice for me to look back at these photos...Thank you so much for everything, Ashleigh:) and a BIG thanks from hubby!"

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I am so excited to share this wedding for so many reasons! This was my first wedding of 2015 and the first wedding I have shot since no longer being pregnant! Let me just tell you, even though it is a little challenging shooting while being a nursing mama, shooting while pregnant was way more physically taxing! I am also so excited because this wedding took place at Ranchos Dos Pueblos which is one of my top 3 favorite wedding venues in Santa Barbara (maybe in the world??)!!!Seriously, Dos Pueblos Ranch is a photographer's dream. I have shot there a couple times before and I don't think I could ever tire of it. From the private beach and ocean lawn to the dilapidated green houses to the rustic barn to the orchards to the lush natural landscape... there are SO MANY AWESOME PLACES TO SHOOT! My only wish is that I could have had even more time to just shoot and  shoot and shoot! But even with the crazy tight timeline of a wedding day I think I was able to capture so much beauty! Seriously! Amazing!Then of course was my couple. Though I normally do engagement sessions with my couples, I did not have the opportunity to do one with Vanessa & Mark, so really their wedding was the first time we met! That's always a bit of a challenge for all parties too figure each other out on the spot, but luckily Vanessa & Mark are awesome and really rocked it in front of the camera! Vanessa + her bridesmaids are practically models! What a gorgeous and sweet group of gals! And Mark and his groomsmen were really stand up guys! I had a blast photographing them and just love the images that we got! I mean, just look at the length of this post!Special thanks to my ever amazing friend & talented second shooter Kelsey, who definitely helped extra when we got into a pinch with the timeline! This is why I work with strong second shooters, so we can tag team when the day throws curves balls! ;)So... now for a lengthy look at just a FRACTION of the gorgeous images captured at V + M's Ranchos Dos Pueblos wedding!! I hope you enjoy!PLANNING A WEDDING? Contact Ashleigh | View More Of Her Online Portfolio | Join Our Mailing List

I am so excited to share a recent boudoir shoot, and that client's wonderful testimonial! This client, as you will read, is a mom of three... and she rocked our boudoir session MAJOR! She showed her girls her pictures too, and they loved them and thought she looked beautiful! What an amazing thing to teach your daughter, by doing a shoot, that mom can love herself and love her body no matter what! So great! So please, read my sweet clients words, and check out her smoking pictures! ;)

"As a mama of three, I was hoping to gain some new appreciation for my body. Though our body is pretty for incredible for creating, then birthing a human in the first place, it can take a toll on how we view our post-baby bod.Seeing Ashleigh’s work, plus getting the much needed nudge from a dear friend, brought me to make the final decision to go for it and bare it all for Ashleigh. Bare it all I did!Ashleigh created a serene and safe atmosphere that made me feel comfortable, confident, and relaxed during my boudoir shoot. I enjoyed every step from the pre-shoot prep I did on my own, to the hair and makeup Ashleigh’s team provided, and the constant encouragement coming from behind the camera.I would encourage every mama to work with Ashleigh to gain a newfound appreciation for her beautiful, strong, capable body."

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Oh, boudoir how I love thee! Seriously, helping women to see themselves as beautiful is my favorite thing ever! That is why I shoot boudoir. That is why I get up in the morning. Watching a woman literally transform her body image in front of my own eyes is so rewarding... and I know that not only is the process an amazing thing for me to experience, but it is so **life changing** for the women I serve. That's why my studio here in Santa Barbara is my happy place. It's where I make women see their own beauty! LOVE!I have a few snippets to share of a recent session. The client, understandably, did not want to show any images of her face online (which by the way my sessions are PRIVATE so I would never share a clients images online in any capacity without their full support)! BUT, my client did want to share a few body shots, since they are anonymous, and because she so loved the experience. Believe it or not this woman is a mother and came in very nervous about her post baby bod! But she wanted to own her beauty and feel sexy... And judging by the pics, and more importantly her joyful reaction to them, I'd say we nailed it! Check it out below... and keep in mind they are probably NSFW (not safe for work)! xoxoxo

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So excited to share another recent engagement session, for yet another one of our fabulous 2015 couples! Donna + Ron are getting married here in Santa Barbara, and on a recent wedding planning trip I was able to meet up with them to take their engagement portraits. We shot at the always gorgeous Sunken Gardens of the Santa Barbara Courthouse! Fun! These two are so sweet and full of joyous energy, I just can't wait for their intimate wedding! They sure have hired a vendor dream team as well ;)Enjoy the pics below!

I am back!! I took 4 months more or less off to enjoy new motherhood and my adorable baby boy! But wedding season is up & running and so am I! I am also of course shooting boudoir & glamour too! ;)I am excited to share this gorgeous light filled engagement session from one of my wonderful 2015 couples, Brigitta & Brian! I had an amazing time shooting them-- it felt so good to be working with my couples again! Brigitta & Brian are just the type of couple I love to work with: sweet, easy going, fun, trusting of my expertise and SO IN LOVE! We shot here in Santa Barbara, on the gorgeous Ellwood Bluffs. I just LOVE the result... beautiful couple, light & location... nothing not to love, right?! ;)Check out the gorgeous images below

So for those who don't know... exactly two weeks ago, I had a BABY! Life has been a crazy whirlwind ever since. I am so incredibly thankful though for my healthy baby boy who we named Theodore William John (Theo for short)!Because I love when others share their birth stories, I have decided to share very candidly his detailed birth story below! WARNING-- IT'S LONG! Maybe as long as my 12 hour labor! lol! But enjoy if birth stories are your thing!Also for those wondering, I am still shooting weddings and portraits this year. I return to portraits mid-April and Weddings in mid-May. I am still booking 2015 weddings and replying to emails as timely as I possibly can!............. Theo's Birth StoryTheo was born 13 days early at The Santa Barbara Birth Center with an all natural, drug free labor that was about 12 hours long. My whole pregnancy I was convinced I’d go into labor on the early side because all the petite ladies I know who’ve given birth have been 2-3 weeks early, and I hypothesized that it’s because the babies run out of room in a tiny mom’s body! So around 37 weeks I began wondering if it was go time… On Friday of the MLK Jr weekend, I truly felt I could not get much bigger and he’d arrive soon. My cousin & his girlfriend came to visit that Friday and the entire time I had light contractions… and I thought we might have to cut the night short due to me going into labor. But no such luck. When I got into bed that night the contractions faded. Saturday I felt miserable, almost like I was getting sick… kind of a nauseous and tired feeling. I slept a lot that day. In hind sight I think my body was resting up for the adventure to come. On Sunday I woke up again feeling nauseous but realized it came in waves, and at some point realized they might be contractions. But they were easy enough to ignore so I tried not to get too excited. That morning AJ made me delicious pancakes and I told him what I felt. We both hoped the baby might come that day and tried to do a variety of activities to make labor jump start. Nothing really intensified the contractions though. I decided that we should go out for dinner to Los Agaves that night in case this was our last chance to go out to a restaurant (good call me!) and I made sure to eat the habanero salsa in hopes the spiciness might further induce stronger contractions. Many people at the restaurant asked when I was due and I kept replying “any day now” and I remember thinking, “well it could be any second now, my water could break right here! Wouldn’t that be funny?!”We went home after dinner and decided to watch some Sunday night TV. I really wanted to get labor moving, and noticed that naps or lying on the couch did not help them, so I made sure to sit extremely straight up. First we watched Girls, which I could pay full attention to. Then we watched Grand Budapest Hotel which I enjoyed but remember also being a little focused on the contractions. The movie ended around 11 and we decided to go to bed. I realized labor would probably not be happening that night and decided it’d be wise to rest. We got into bed, and I got comfy. Stella in her usually cuddly mood hopped atop me and did her cuddle blitz where she walks around on my tummy. I remember it was extremely tender and saying “Ow Stella!”… Then she decided to curl up on my belly and she purred which felt so good. The moment I fully let go and relaxed I felt and heard a POP inside me that felt like an explosion. It scared me and at first I had no idea what it was or could be and worried for Theo. It scared Stella too as she jumped in the air when it happened! I screamed “Ah” and told AJ “I think maybe my water broke… but I don’t feel wet”… So I got on my knees and sure enough pink watery liquid began to trickle out. I believe my exact thoughts were “HOLY SHIT” and AJ jumped out of bed in a state of excitement and maybe panic. He threw on his clothes really fast even though I reminded him that just because my water broke did not mean it was time to go to the Birth Center. We had been instructed to call when active labor started (contractions 5 mins apart lasting a minute each) and at that point I’d be pretty far in “labor land” unable to talk or function normal… which was not the case yet. AJ said he still preferred to be dressed! He frantically packed the rest of our birth center bag and I felt my first stronger contraction. I moved through contractions in the closet area of our bedroom, pacing, getting on hands and knees, using the wall to rub my back against... after maybe an hour of that I finally felt the contractions maybe hurt enough it was worth at least calling the midwives.Jenna was on call that night and I was really happy because over the course of the pregnancy I got to know her best because she ran the PreNatal Group Meetings every other Tuesday which I always attended. I love Jenna and she has a calming way about her that reminds me of my beloved yoga coach Melanie… so I was happy to know Jenna would definitely be at our birth! Jenna said it didn’t sound like we were ready to come in yet, but she suggested I shower and see if that helps easy the pain for the time being and gave AJ more detailed info on how to know when to call back. I took the shower and in there things got more intense. But the shower felt good. It was then I began making low sounding noises with an open jaw with each contraction, something I did the whole rest of the labor! Everything felt pretty manageable... Until the water heat pooped out and the shower got cold. I tried laboring in our living room and remember crawling around the floor in pain. So AJ called Jenna again and she said we could go to the birth center.During the drive the contractions stopped and I was really scared Jenna would send me home for stalled labor when we got to the center. She checked me and I was 1cm dilated but totally thinned out and said she could manually open me to 3cm and I could stay and see if labor picked up. Uh, YES. I did not want to go home. After she got me to 3cm, I hopped in the birth center shower (which has continuous heat) and labor started picking up again. The shower felt good and I was relieved and welcoming of the contractions because I really wanted things to progress. Jenna put AJ to bed because it would be a long night and I was coping OK on my own. AJ slept for the next 4.5 hours. I labored a long time in the shower but remember telling Jenna I was really tired and was wondering if there was a way I could rest deeper between the contractions. She told me I could do the contractions while laying on my side on the bed and relaxing. I said OK. This was really hard because laying still and relaxing into a contraction is very challenging as you are face to face with the pain. The rest between was great but I couldn’t do it for long. I think at some point around this time I may have done some hands and knees position on the bed, and also ate some peanut butter & jelly toast which Jenna lovingly made for me… in typical Ashleigh fashion I was starving! A PB+J never tasted quite so good!This is where things get hazy as they get more intense. I think at this point I went into the tub and labored in there for awhile. At some point Jenna checked me but never let me know my exact dilation, only that it was much to my sadness not time to push. I later found out from AJ, I was only 5 cm dilated so thank goodness she hadn’t told me or I would’ve felt really discouraged. I think I labored in the tub for a while and then Jenna suggested I go back to the shower. She also asked if it was OK if she take a break and rest because she needed to rest before I was ready to push. She assured me the midwife assistant, who luckily was Jen who taught our birth class would be there soon. I said yes, and asked if AJ could join me in the shower to rub my back through each contraction as Jenna had done. She said she was thinking the same thing, so AJ was awoken and joined me. Sadly, AJ was not a pro at counter pressure massage for labor like Jenna and I was a little annoyed with him in the shower! My back hurt so bad with each contraction and the counter massage was the only way I could get through it. Thankfully Jen arrived and took over. Jen and Jenna were saints through my labor till the end, lovingly rubbing my back. I know I couldn’t have done it with out them and I can’t imagine how bad their own backs must’ve hurt being hunched over for hours rubbing me! Seriously, bless their hearts.I don’t exactly remember when I got back in the tub but when I did I was shocked to see bright sunlight in the birth room. I realized I had no concept of time. At this point, things were strong and hard and the light really bothered me. I closed my eyes somewhere around here and maybe only opened them a few times in between this moment and the moment Theo was born. So everything at this point is hazy, voices, smells, feelings. I remember having a conversation with Jenna about when she would check me again. I was terrified she’d check me and say I was still not ready to push and then she’d have to wait a few more hours to check me again, so we decided to hold off. She left to rest. Jen & AJ were there. Things were so intense at one point I had Jen rubbing my back and AJ spraying the shower type water handle on me. Then another midwife assistant Malti also arrived to help. At some point I gulped down a smoothie. I was howling with each contracting and dropping long, slow, deep sounding F-bombs. Like a an “OM” in Yoga except replace “om” with “fuck”. Just keeping it real! At one point I opened my eyes and saw Alice, my second midwife, in the hallway smiling. So many hands were on deck to support me. I had my eyes closed and remember grabbing for any one and I must have grabbed AJ’s hand. I didn’t know who’s hand it was till I felt his ring. I remember saying “I can’t” and Jen reminding me that “I was” … I was doing it and each contraction had me one step closer. I remember contemplating drugs & the hospital and reminding myself the many reasons why I didn’t want that. I remember feeling the urge to push kinda sorta.Jen told me I was very close and Jenna was coming back to check me. I asked Jen how she knew I was close and she said it was easy to tell by how I sounded. Jenna checked me and said I was fully dilated, the baby was very low and I’d be meeting him soon, it was time to push and she wanted me to get out of the tub. I really wanted a water birth, or so I thought, so I asked to push in the tub. I totally did not know how to push effectively though and I had apparently been on my hands and knees in the tub for hours. I remember hearing Alice saying they needed to get me off my hands & knees or I’d be bruised up. After some time of non-effective pushing, Jenna explained it was important we switch it up before I tired myself out. Honestly, she was right as I was already tired and had not a clue what I was doing. So I listened.The pushing part of labor was the worst for me.  I can’t exactly tell you the order it all happened but we tried a myriad of pushing positions, each one I resisted because I had to learn to push in a new way. I did side-lying squat, I did on the birth stool, I did hands and knees on the bed, I even labored on the toilet because I had to pee extremely bad for hours but couldn’t get it out. In fact, they had to put a catheter in me because they thought my full bladder was making things not progress. They were right it was excruciating to have to pee so bad and not be able to. I was terrified of the catheter but I didn’t even feel it. I guess my other pains were worse! And the relief of emptying my bladder helped a lot.All through pushing I was in SOOOO much agony. My back hurt so bad, and then pushing was hard and painful too. I kept not going into it they said, which reminds me of how I am during an exercise class. I have a hard time going straight into the physical challenge & pain of it. No back rubs were enough at this point. They suggested I lay on the bed with my legs in a diamond shape in the air and I pull on my feet with each push. Surprisingly this position felt best because the bed supported my back. Jenna used her hands to guide me where to push. They coached me but kept saying I needed to listen to my body for when it was right timing to push to make use of the contraction. I never really fully knew what that meant or if I did it right. I remember being frustrated and feeling defeated. I remember Alice giving me the tough love of “you have to” or “you can and you will”… I remember Jenna and Jen giving me cheers and words of encouragement. And finally I knew I was really close when they brought AJ in. It hurt soooooo badly. I literally felt that “ring of fire” burn of being ripped open and I just freaking pushed because I was almost at the finish line and the only way for the pain to end was for me to meet it face on. I remember being told his head was out. I remember hearing AJ sobbing behind me. The shoulders took a few more strong pushes that I barely had energy for. I felt some tugging and then relief! He was out and then he was on top of me! All blue and slimy. I think AJ said “look at him! look at him!” and I remember saying “Oh my god. Oh my god.”I was really in shock. I was in shock I did it. I think I was a little in shock that there was a baby now and I was no longer pregnant. I was in shock of how my now non pregnant stomach looked and wobbled. I had been so focused on getting through labor pain, I almost forgot the prize at the end was a baby, not just relief from the pain. I remember there was some chaos with them listening to the his lungs and his cry because he still had fluid in his lungs or something. No one was panicked but there was definitely more commotion than I had anticipated. I somehow wasn’t too worried and knew he was okay but I asked because they were so focused on him. Honestly after that is a blur. He was on top of me, I was trying to see him. He had hair that looked kinda brown but I didn’t really see his whole face. I delivered the placenta with him on me. Soaking it all in. I finally saw his face and remember being like “weird he looks exactly like his ultrasound picture” even though at the time of the ultrasound, the picture made no sense to me. AJ was still weeping.The hours after the birth were really crazy. I felt a little out of my body. I was so dang impressed at myself for giving birth but also a little traumatized by all that physically happened and definitely traumatized by how my non pregnant body looked and all the after gore still coming out of it. At some point we tried breastfeeding but he couldn’t latch right away. Then I needed to pee. Then I had to be stitched so AJ got to hold Theo. They were bonding so sweetly and seemed so smitten. It was so cute to watch. I talked to Jen & Jenna a lot through the stitches because I think I was trying to process all that had just happened.When it was time to go home, I was panicked, I felt clueless and like a terrible mother. Who was this little dude I was now supposed to take care of and how would I be able to do it?! What would I do? I barely knew how to feed him. I think I was still in shock of all that happened, processing and I felt like maybe we should have bonded more after the birth because it seemed to me AJ was already a baby whisperer. We made it home. And the first night was confusing. The first whole week was absolutely insane, terrifying, emotional, the hardest of my life. I have to say I thought the birth would be the hardest thing I ever did but as it turns out that was a cake walk compared to raising a tiny human and breastfeeding him 24/7. But with each moment I fall more and more in love with Theo’s sweet face and funny personality. Each day is a little easier and I am excited to figure out my new life with his new life. In a way Theo’s birth story is both my birth and death story. My old life and everything I knew about myself died during giving birth and a new life and new woman was born. AJ says this new person I am is amazing. I am unsure because it’s all so new, and I know it will never be the same, But I am excited to not only know this new little person I birthed but also the new me I birthed on 1/19/15 as well!Another thing I have to say, is despite the difficulty and challenge of giving birth the way I did, I am so thankful for the experience. I was surrounded by such an amazing team of loving women, who even have been at my house almost every other day since he was born. These women cheered me on, believed in me, rubbed my back, call me at every question and freak out, reassure me, and made sure that I figure all this out. I don’t think I would ever get this level of emotional care (and physical care) at a hospital. I don’t yet know for sure if I have a second baby in my heart yet but if I do I would want to use the birth center again. It has truly been a community boosting, spiritual and personal growth experience for which I am truly thankful!Below is the only photo I have from the birth, taken a few minutes after he was born. I wish I had more photos of the experience but am thankful I at least have this one!

Hello 2015, nice to meet you! I hope everyone had a tremendous holiday and is gearing up for a new & exciting year! I know I sure am! There's exciting business & personal stuff ahead for me this year and I can't wait to share it all here on the blog!Today I am excited to share that Natasha + Greg's wedding is featured on Style Me Pretty!Check it out HERE!So pretty, fun & exciting! Can't wait to see where else 2015 takes us! By the way, we have only 8 spots left for 2015 weddings! So if you are interested in booking, don't delay!

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I am over the moon & excited to share that we have a gorgeous 4 page spread in the latest issue off The Knot Southern California on newsstands now!This is a dream come true for me! While I have had a few single images featured in The Knot magazine before, this is my first multi-page feature in this particular publication! YAY!The wedding featured is the gorgeous wedding of Kaitlin + Andrew which I photographed in the fall of 2013! Kaitlin & Andrew are the sweetest couple and their wedding was pure magic, so it definitely deserved this high honor of a feature!! Check out the photos of the feature below and go buy a copy of this amazing issue on newsstands now! :) 

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2014 was an incredible and crazy year! I shot sooooo many weddings this year-- some while in the complete misery that is morning sickness-- and yet I still had so much fun and created some gorgeous imagery! My couples were all so kind and sweet, which always makes things super easy-breezy and fun! And I got to shoot at some of Santa Barbara's very best venues including The Bacara, The Biltmore Four Seasons, El Encanto, Sunstone Villa, Firestone Vineyard and Montecito Country Club, as well as some gorgeous private estates and 2 destination weddings in So Cal!  This post is very long because it was hard to narrow down this year to just 20 favorites! Enjoy all the pretty eye candy! Can't wait to see what 2015 holds!Speaking of which I only have room for 10 more weddings in 2015... if you would like to book please contact me! 

Natasha + Greg are one of my absolute FAVORITE couples of the year! They are just so sweet, caring and fun loving that it is always a joy to be around them! Their wedding at Rockwood Santa Barbara Women's Club was no different! Natasha wanted a stress free affair, which is a tall order when we are talking about a **wedding** after all, but some how she pulled it off! There were so many cute DIY details handmade by Natasha and her family. The very talented Hint of Chic filled in the gaps with some gorgeous floral arrangements! Sophie of Amazing Days Events made sure the day was coordinated perfectly, adding to the stress free vibe! And Pure Joy Catering provided some dee-lish eats! Natasha and Greg were surrounded by many friends and loved ones, but chose to forgo the traditional bridal party which added to the laid back vibe! And they did a First Look so we could do as many photos as possible before the ceremony, which left plenty of time to party after the ceremony concluded!All in all it was a truly fun, bright, gorgeous and relaxed fete and I was so pleased to document it! I wish all weddings were as stress-free as this one was! hehe!Special thanks to Kelsey for 2nd shooting!

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Samantha + James were another one of my favorite 2014 couples!! These two came all the way from Canada to get married in beautiful Santa Barbara Wine Country at Firestone Vineyard, and boy was their day nothing short of amazing!! First of all, Sam + James hired a dream team of vendors which included Hint of Chic doing full service event design, florals and all the planning, Haute Catering on food & beverage, Town & Country on Rentals, La Tavola for linens and Bella Vista for lighting design! So of course this event was going to be a beauty, and it was!But also the day was perfect because Sam + James are perfect. These two are so sweet and so in love. They were so happy that this day they had dreamed of for so long was finally coming true! They were surrounded by their closest friends and family only, which made the wedding so intimate and personal. You could really feel the love that was there! At the reception, there were lots of laughter and happy tears during toasts, and crazy dance moves once the party got started! But the best part was seeing the way Sam & James looked at each other... you could tell they were over joyed!Thanks to Kelsey for 2nd shooting! Check out the awesome photos & swoon worthy details below!

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Hold on to your seats... this might be the CUTEST  photo shoot you've ever seen!!! Seriously though, Lawson's 6 month styled photo shoot was nothing short of ovary-tingling adorableness. Between his little Chef''s outfit and the cakes his momma made, and his funny faces, you just can't not look at these photos and melt a little! I'd love to do more baby shoots just like this because I mean really. Just look at him!You can see Lawson's newborn photos here, and his 3 month photos here! Isn't it so fun to watch them grow??!!

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Wow!!! I had fallen so behind on blogging that I am just now getting to share Baby Lawson's 3 month pictures... and the kid is going to be NINE months in a few days! Crazy!Well as they say, better late than never! And I am very very excited to share these absolutely adorable baby pictures! You may remember his super cutie pants newborn portraits, and this kid is only getting cuter with age! I guess he got it from his too-cute parents! ;) Anyways, check out the photos below! This shoot was so fun and made me realize I love shooting babies and have the perfect studio for it! So hopefully there will be more baby shoots in my future!

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Brenna + John are such a sweet couple and were married just over a week ago at Godric Grove, here in Santa Barbara! Brenna + John are former wedding photographers themselves so it was a HUGE honor to be able to photograph their big day! And what a lovely day it was! From the scenic venue, nestled in hills which overlook Santa Barbara, to the beautifully written vows, to the fun bridal party to the sweet details... all was perfect! Brenna looked like a dream and beamed with joy from inside out! John was glowing with happiness as well! And these two just gazed at each other and smiled all night long! It is such a pleasure to work with such kind, caring, sweet people and Brenna + John are definitely one of the sweetest couples I've ever worked with!

Thanks to Kelsey for 2nd shooting! Check out the pretty details below!

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It's always such a HUGE honor to shoot a wedding & engagement for another top wedding professional! It was amazing to shoot Kaitlin of La Fete Weddings big day, almost exactly one year ago! And next fall, I am so excited to be photographing Lani of LBPS Events wedding to his beautiful fiance Jessica! Lani & Jess have lined up the best of the best of Santa Barbara's event pros as their vendors and I am so honored to be on the list! Eeek! But no pressure, right? hehe!Lani & Jess wanted to do part of their shoot at the historic Marjorie Luke Theater, which is part of Santa Barbara Junior High. They each spent many many days in this theater and are both theater-lovers (like myself) so the location was super meaningful! And it really fit their fun personalities! After that, we finished the session with some pretty sunset light over at Alice Keck park! It was dreamy!Check out the photos below!

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Shannon is a very special bride to me! She has been following my work for at least 4 years, maybe longer, via Facebook & here on my blog (we had some mutual friends and became friends on "the book" ourselves)! So of course I was flattered and honored that as soon as she got engaged she chose to hire me! She even planned her date around my availability which was crazy sweet of her! Her big day was held in San Clemente-- and it was a destination wedding for both her & me! I made the trip down from Santa Barbara, and her and her fiance came all the way from Texas, as did many of the guests! San Clemente is just a beautiful area of California, and her historic, ocean-side wedding venue Casa Romantica was super lovely to photograph!Shannon & Kyle are just so cute and sweet together. It was easy to photograph them because you could tell how over the moon they are for each other and how happy they were to be getting married! There were a lot of special touches and cute details to this day-- which was perfectly executed by Sterling Engagements! The food by 24 Carrots was dee-lish as well! It was a perfect day with so many gorgeous elements you just have to check it out below!Also I have to give a huge thanks to my two assistant shooters Kelsey & Erin! This day was so grand & had so many details, it would have not been possible to get it all done without these superstar photogs on my team! So thanks gals!On to the gorgeous photos!

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