photography // luke turns two

Today I wanted to share some fun photos of sweet Luke, who I've had the pleasure of getting to know the past few months -- I've started moving into a studio space with his mama, the lovely Amy of Stella Bloom Designs.

If Luke can feel like he's helping with something (carrying around the Styrofoam padding from a furniture delivery, for example) or being productive by hammering into some cardboard boxes, he's a happy camper.  Here he is helping Amy style a bridal bouquet for a styled inspiration shoot we did recently:

And here are a few candid photos I snapped of Luke during our shoot at McCormick Home Ranch in Camarillo (peeks at the shoot itself coming soon!).

And happy belated birthday to Luke, who turned two just this past week!

Is he a cutie or WHAT?!

life // happy weekend to you.

Hi friends!  I just wanted to stop by and wish you a happy Saturday before I run down to Los Angeles for a wedding this evening.  I am SO excited about the venue (Sidebar at Covell) -- it's moody and sexy and a little quirky, and I love it.

Here's a selfie I snapped during my site scouting yesterday.

What are you guys up to this weekend?

photography // styled.

In my post last week, I mentioned I was working on THREE styled shoots!  I can proudly say "that's a wrap" on all three, and I'm pretty happy with the results thus far.  I can't spill ALL the beans, patience is a virtue, etcetera, but I am willing to share a peek or two.

This first shoot (which was actually the most recent shoot, which took place on Sunday) was just outside Bakersfield, CA.  It seems like an odd location for a styled wedding shoot, unless you know about the almond orchards.  Kern County is teeming with almond trees, which produce some pretty stunning pink-and-white blooms for about two weeks every spring.  Lucky for me, my collaborator Vanessa (of Vanessa Noel Events) is a Bakersfield native, so she knew just the time to set up shop among the trees to take advantage of them in full bloom!  Here are just a couple of my favorites:

I also had the pleasure of collaborating with a few of my ultimate favorites here in Ventura County: Joelle (A Charming Occasion), Amy (Stella Bloom Designs), and Crystal (Crystal Robinson Makeup).  Our Kate Spade-inspired shoot was a very different style from the Bakersfield almond orchard shoot, which is so fun -- I had so much variety in my photographic life this week.

Last, but certainly not least, I had the incredible opportunity to photograph a shoot styled by the unbelievably-talented Summer Watkins of Grey Likes Weddings(!!!!!).  I'm totally not supposed to post anything from this shoot yet, as it'll be officially debuted on the Grey blog soon, but I just cannot resist sharing this gem with you guys...

I mean, HELLO!  Gorgeous much?!  All of the models this week were pretty damn breathtaking.  I'm officially spoiled.  Stay tuned for more; I'll be sure to let you guys know when these shoots are posted in their entirety!

What did you guys do this weekend?

photography + life // boudoir + updates.

First things first: Anna Delores Photography was featured on Modernly Wed yesterday.  My bridal boudoir session with the lovely Vanessa took place just outside Bakersfield, CA in September 2012; here's the link to see the collection of images for yourself!

It has been such a whirlwind couple of weeks.  Definitely in a good way, but also a little overwhelming, too.  Everything since my birthday (a little over two weeks ago) feels like a total blur.

And, rather unfortunately, I'm not even sure when I'll have the opportunity to catch my breath.  "Why?" you may ask; well, I'll tell you!

• Not one, not two, but THREE styled shoots in one week.  I haven't been doing styled shoots on a regular basis, and yet somehow I managed to schedule three of them within five days of each other.  I'm done with the actual photographing of two of them already (the third one is on Sunday), but sorting and editing a collection of images is the real time-consumer.


• I have five photo shoots (which doesn't include the aforementioned styled shoots! EEK!) currently in my "queue" for culling and editing.  So by Sunday, after my third styled shoot, I have a grand total of EIGHT sessions to edit.  OMG doesn't even begin to describe how overwhelmed this makes me feel!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being busy, but the pressure to get these series of images turned around to clients in a timely fashion starts to become a little counter-productive, as the thought of getting it all done just makes me want to crawl into bed.


• Blogging?  What's blogging?


• I have a trip to Seattle scheduled for next week and I'll be gone (i.e. away from my work computer with all the images in need of editing!) for five days.  And when I come back, I'll have two more photo shoots to edit.  If you're counting, I'm now at 10 shoots in line for edits, all before mid-March.  Which reminds me: if anyone is interested in guest posting for March 7-12, send me an e-mail!

Here's the thing: yes, I am WAY stressed out by the details articulated in the bullet points above... but damn, am I happy about the excitement and empowerment that comes with being my own boss and doing something that I LOVE to do, and getting to do it every single day. 

For that, I know how incredibly fortunate I am.

I hope you guys have an amazing weekend!  Any fun plans in store?

inspiration // chandeliers

Y'all love chandeliers, right?  Of course you do.  Duh.

In planning for an upcoming project I have with a few of my favorite fellow Ventura County wedding pros (we've got big news in the works!), I've been perusing all shapes, sizes, and styles of chandeliers on (you guessed it!) Pinterest. 

Feast your eyes, friends!  And if you're in the market for some dangling light fixtures, keep an open mind: chandeliers really do come in a variety of packages.


A couple of favorites (both prints on my walls!) from photographers Myan Soffia and Elle Moss
LOVE the Anthro vibe of these vintage-inspired lovelies from Recyclart.   A dramatic chandelier is always a good bet for adding a glam or "wow" factor to wedding styling (all four images from Style Me Pretty).  

What is your favorite style of chandelier -- do you prefer classic and traditional, modern and contemporary, reclaimed and unexpected?

 

weekend snapshot.

I just finished editing a mini-session I had with Joelle and her new intern, Emily, last week in Santa Barbara!  I'm sure Joelle wants to debut the images herself on Something Charming, so this is all you get for now...

This weekend is going to be jam-packed for me.  Today (Saturday) I'm meeting Julie, Gina, Tammy, and Olivia for early lunch, and then I'm off to Paramount Ranch to shoot an engagement session.  Sunday is another engagement session ... and it's my birthday.  :)

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

photography // camera bag lust.

I get asked all the time if my camera bag is by Kelly Moore.  I LOVE Kelly Moore bags, but mine is actually from JoTotes (and is sold out at the moment, so clearly I'm an awesome trend-setter, right?).  ;)

Mine is the one on the left, the Betsy in teal.  I really love this bag; it's big enough to hold the goodies I need immediate access to during a wedding (and my Tenba backpack takes care of the rest).


It gets heavy, but that's because of what I'm loading up inside.  Really, I'm considering either a belt system (like Kinesis) or even getting a Kelly Moore bag after all -- something a little smaller than Betsy that will let me move around more easily.  I'll have less space to carry extra lenses on my person, but during a wedding reception especially, I'm not really changing lenses all that frequently and the bag's bulk ends up being more of an inconvenience than it is a useful accessory.  I've found myself getting into the terrible habit of taking my bag off and setting it down somewhere; usually I can keep an eye on it from wherever I am in the room, but it would be really easy for someone to snatch if they wanted to.  #myworstfearissomeonestealingmygear

Kelly Moore's Posey 2 bag (also comes with a shoulder strap)

I actually got a Kelly Moore bag once before I changed my mind and bought Betsy instead.  I LOVE their Posey 2, and especially loved that the outer zipper pocket has memory card as well as credit card slots for photographers on the go.  But when I'd ordered the mustard Posey 2 and it arrived in the mail, I quickly decided it was too small.  Since then, my experience (and my poor, aching back at the end of an eight-hour wedding gig) has taught me that a smaller bag is a good thing to have.  So I might go ahead and invest in a Posey 2 after all.  I'm going for black this time, though -- one brightly colored bag is enough, and Betsy has already stolen the spotlight in that regard.

I'm also a big fan of Epiphanie.  I had a lovely red Lola from them (can I mention here that I love the names these companies use for their lady-friendly camera bags?  Always a rad girl's name!), but I definitely bought that one more for its aesthetic than its practicality.  I was ALWAYS bumping into something or someone with that bag, and that was before I started shooting weddings, during which I knew the need for maneuvering with ease would be crucial.  So I said goodbye to Lola and sold her to a good home in Florida.

(That's Lola there on the right.  The one on the left is a new Epiphanie I'm definitely drooling over!).


Are you coveting any camera bags? Do you have a pretty one for your DSLR? 

weddings // engagement paparazzi

This is a branch of my business I am extremely interested in expanding!  I think it's a VERY thoughtful, smart thing for dudes to do for their future wife: capturing the proposal on camera (either video or still).

It certainly takes some premeditation and creativity to make it work without making the lady in question suspicious, but I also think that most women would greatly appreciate both the effort expended and the resulting memories.

Here are some of my favorite engagement "paparazzi" shots!  Fellas, please give this option some serious consideration.

Dilworth Photography

 Brittney Melton Photography and Design

Q Avenue Photo

Tyler Branch Photo

Caressa Rogers Photography

Another recommendation for guys planning a proposal?  Get her friends and family to be there to share the joy!  Evani has a great story for this (her man proposed at her favorite place, Disneyland, and then all her family jumped out!).   Here are some more rad photos from proposals, this time of happy family greeting the new bride-to-be.

Rich Smith Photography

Katie Bultema

Minnow Park Photography

And of course, this video is the ultimate in surprise, involving friends and family, and capturing the whole thing for fond memories!  I cry every time I see it.  Break out the tissues.

I also found this link that has tons of videos of proposals caught on (video) camera!
 
How did your man propose?  Did he have someone take photos or video?  If you're not engaged or married yet, do you have a dream proposal scenario?

photography // shenanigans

A week and a half ago, Leo & Kat Evidente invited a handful of Ventura County-based photographers (plus wedding coordinator extraordinaire Joelle Duff) over to their lovely abode for wine, hors d'oeuvres, and good company (did I mention the wine?).

Throw into the mix the appearance of Kat & Leo's awesome custom photobooth (plus Olive Duff, Joelle's ridiculously adorable Italian Greyhound/Chihuahua mix pup), and hilarity ensues.  Feast your eyes!

Dustin & Courtney of Waller Weddings!

Me and Emily Kappen (yes, the two Emilys) trying (and finally succeeding) to get some rad hair tossing photos...

 Nichole, me, Emily, & Peter

 Our amazing hosts, Leo & Kat Evidente

I have such a crush on these two... their work is amazing and they are super cool folks!

me, Alyssa, Kat, & Jillian

So, as you can see, we had copious amounts of fun.  So good!  The photographers of Ventura County are so rad and fun, and I can't wait for our next get-together!