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Pat & Gabi Engaged | Sutro Heights – San Francisco

Amari — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:59:51 +0000

When we prepare for engagement sessions we’re always concerned about weather. Usually, we are most concerned whether or not it is going to be sunny, raining, or overcast. As photographers, we have to be cognizant about lighting regardless of the situation. When we headed to the location to photograph Pat & Gabi’s engagement session, we didn’t realize that we had to contend with 15mph winds! Although the lighting was perfect the wind conditions wiped out the shoreline of our original location and also created quite a sandstorm. Lucky for us, Pat & Gabi weren’t discouraged and wanted to continue the session elsewhere so we sought refuge at Sutro Heights. Little did we realize that the wind would actually play a welcome character in their images.

One thing I love about Pat & Gabi is their ability to be so utterly comfortable around each other. It is because of this that we, as photographers, are free to actually capture the moments between them rather than having to fabricate a mood. To us, that is what makes a great photograph.

So, to Pat & Gabi, thank you for being you! I hope you enjoy the teasers below and we cannot wait for the wedding!

Rock The Bells San Francisco 2012 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA

Amari — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:00:53 +0000

Thanks to Hip-Hop.com, we were fortunate enough to cover Rock The Bells San Francisco at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA for their live blog broadcast of the event. It was an approach that was truly unique and different than what we’ve done before when we’ve covered these types of live events. I was happy to see the immediate impact it had of displaying the images of each artist after their performance up on the blog. For those of you who have been following our work, you know that our approach is completely documentary so we had to put our own spin to how we “saw” the event unfold.

With the 2012 wedding season finally coming to a close we wanted to circle back to a few events within the last few months that we were lucky enough to cover. So stay tuned for more posts but for now, here are the images from Rock The Bells. Enjoy!

Chris & Julie | Cloverdale Wedding Photographer | Old Crocker Inn

Amari — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:56:41 +0000

We love the fact that a majority of our bride and grooms are artists as I have mentioned many times this year. It’s such a bonus for us because, in all honesty, it makes capturing a wedding story that much more interesting and unique. When couples take the time to put their own special touches into one of the most important days of their life, the wedding really does reflect their personality in each and every detail.

From the day Chris and Julie described their vision for their wedding we were hooked. From early site visits to the Old Crocker Inn in Cloverdale, to enjoying good eats at Q Restaurant and Wine Bar in San Francisco after their engagement session with them, we knew immediately that this was a wedding that was going to be extremely special and we wanted to make sure we were with them every step of the way.

I have to admit, photographing an Art Director’s wedding is one nerve wracking experience. Not that he put any pressure on us but he’s an Art Director for crying out loud! (I mean that in all fondness, Chris!) I also know that Julie’s inner Editor is cringing, doing her best to resist the urge of dismantling this post and re-writing it.

Chris and Julie, it was a beautiful wedding and we were so happy to have been a part of it all. You guys looked amazing and everything turned out perfectly. . . like it was planned all along (*wink, wink*). Here’s to a lifetime of love, adventures, and surprises (like gazebos). Give your family hugs from us!

We Love you guys!

MUAH!

Charbel & Su-Yin | Los Gatos Engagement Session

Amari — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 03:32:54 +0000

It’s been a while since we’ve posted an engagement or a wedding in that matter. Truth is, we are blessed to say we’ve been really busy with wedding season! Speaking of which, we really can’t wait to photograph Charbel & Su-Yin’s wedding in San Jose come November. It’s crazy how time flies! It seems like it was only the last week when Amari and I sat around a table in a quaint little coffee shop with them, discussing their vision board for their wedding motif and colors.

It’s always awesome to encounter people who not only appreciate art but are artists as well. The biggest honor for us is when artists just like, Su-Yin and Charbel, choose us to capture the story of their wedding. To us, from artist to artist, that speaks volumes over everything else.

These two were so natural and comfortable in front of the camera that we hardly had to direct them to do anything. In all honesty, it’s them being comfortable with each other that made it a successful and productive engagement session. The images below are only a fraction of what we captured in all. Enjoy!

Andrew & Wanda | San Francisco Wedding Photographer

Amari — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:57:01 +0000

Andrew and Wanda were troopers on their wedding day. Not because they flew all the way from Minneapolis to have their wedding in the San Francisco Bay Area, but because after travelling and celebrating their wedding they endured Amari’s insatiable and constant need to keep photographing. For anyone who has ever been in the in this position, you know that you cannot get Amari to stop once he’s on a roll. Andrew and Wanda hiked with us through trails and steep cliffs, dodged mountain bikers and stray dogs, and still managed to keep the smiles on their faces whenever a passerby congratulated them. I can’t forget to mention that Wanda was wearing/carrying a very heavy Maggie Sottero gown the entire time! Thank goodness for flip flops!

To one of the sweetest and genuinely nicest couples we have ever been blessed to meet and work with. . . thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day!! Congrats, newlyweds!

Patrick & Elena | Half Moon Bay Wedding Photographer

Mad — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:51:46 +0000

I was sitting in my living room the other day, watching TV when a Chevy Volt commercial came on. It was a seemingly normal commercial with actors voicing their testimonials about the Volt until this familiar face popped up:

Now that’s crazy! I remember Amari and I riding in the back of Patrick’s Volt and I was amazed about how impressive the car was. Patrick did mention that he was chosen to appear in the Chevrolet Volt Happiest Owners Commercial based on the blog he created about his car. Not only was I tickled that I saw one of our clients on the screen it dawned on me that some of these commercials actually have real life customers in their commercial. How novel! ;-) So, if you’re ever interested in purchasing a Chevy Volt make sure you stop by Patrick’s blog, www.mychevroletvolt.com! It’s full of information and insight!

Patrick and Elena had their wedding ceremony at the Hastings House in Half Moon Bay, and in all honesty, they couldn’t have picked a more beautiful location. The grounds at the Hastings House reminded me somewhat of an enchanted garden. I tried the best I could to hide my inner Princess (which doesn’t come out often) while I was here. I’m telling you, the garden was one of which I used to imagine when I used to read books as a young girl with fairies and unicorns. (Don’t judge!) To top it off, it is right off the beach! Linda, owner and groundskeeper at this venue, takes great pride in making sure the grounds are kept perfect, and it was evident.

The reception was held at La Costanera Restaurant right off the coast in Montara (Half Moon Bay)l. It was another gorgeous location they chose which is located right above Montara State Beach. (Really good Cebiche, by the way.) Patrick & Elena had a magician entertain the guests during the cocktail hour. Guests relaxed on the outdoor patio area sipping on sangria and munching on appetizers; Enjoying good people, good vibes, and good ambiance.

Patrick and Elena, thank you again for allowing us to capture your wedding. It was an honor!

Ryan & Grace | Cliff House | San Francisco Wedding Photographer

Amari — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:10:16 +0000

Every wedding is unique. That’s a given. However, there are certain couples that we meet that totally catch us off guard. Ryan and Grace are no exception. These two have to be, hands down, the most chillen-est (yes, I made that a word) couple we have ever met. That’s what made their wedding so unique. You always hear of the Bridezilla coming out but for Grace she was quite the opposite. In fact, she was slightly aloof about the whole thing which made it quite comical. Not because she was nonchalant about the wedding but because she didn’t let the little things, like the decorations, bridesmaids dresses, or the like bother her. Instead, Ryan and Grace focused on each other, their guests, and family–Things of importance and value. I realized that their attitude in simplicity was refreshing and it made the day so much calmer and relaxing.

We started off the day photographing them getting ready. Grace the ladies ~~partied~~ got dolled up at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco while Ryan and the fellas were across the street at the Hotel Diva, which is of the Personality Hotel’s boutique collection of properties. I can go on about the series of events at the Clift but I think I’ll reserve those just for the bridesmaids. All I can say was that “Pop Champagne” was the theme song of the morning.

The ceremony and reception took place at the Cliff House near Sutro Heights. We lucked out on weather as it was actually quite clear that day. Overall, it was such a pleasure photographing these two. There was never a dull moment.

Raymond & Liana | Wedgewood Banquet Center | Oakland Wedding Photographer

Amari — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:21:13 +0000

Photographing Raymond and Liana’s wedding at the Wedgewood Banquet Center in Oakland, CA was like photographing two of our own homies getting married. From the moment Amari switched on the Tevin Campbell station on Pandora while the ladies prepped and got ready, I knew we would witness a marriage surrounded by love and friendships of long standing history. And that it was. From vivid to fuzzy recollections given by the entourage about how Raymond and Liana met, to Liana’s cousin battling out with Raymond’s nephew on who could teach who how to really do the Dougie the best, well, it made for an interesting and humorous day of events.

Raymond & Liana, thank you for allowing us to capture your day. Can’t wait to show you guys the rest of the images! For now, here are a few of Amari’s favorites:

Joseph | Napa Senior Portrait Photographer

Amari — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:20:25 +0000

Writing this post is purely bittersweet because I look at the young man in the images below and only see a baby boy. . . my Godson. . . It’s a little hard to fathom how my best friend, his mother, feels at this point, watching her eighteen year old take this rite of passage, knowing that he is no longer a child. It seems like only yesterday that we threw a baby shower for her and now here we are. . . facing the realization that 18 years just flew by us but in our minds, hearts even, we still feel like we just graduated high school. I think about how much we’ve watched Joseph grow and choke up when I come to terms with how far he’s come. Joe has accomplished so much within a short amount of time. He has received Vintage High’s MVP award in wrestling as well as ROP Student of the Year as a few of his accolades this year. No amount of spoken word will ever be enough to express how proud myself and the rest of Joseph’s Godmothers are of him.

Congratulations, graduate!! Joe, I am so so proud of you! I don’t need to tell you much because you already know. . . Keep the faith. Love you like my own son!

Joe & Irene | Berkeley Wedding Photographer

Mad — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:02:55 +0000

If you ever get the opportunity to meet this couple, consider yourself blessed. Joe is like a big teddy bear and always a gentleman. When we photographed a wedding last year he was there as a guest and emcee and assisted us with group shots. . . and if anyone is familiar with Gracepoint group shots they know that it is not an easy task to overcome. :-) Joe was there helping us out as well as the bride and groom at that time without even being asked. A real stand up guy. Love him.

Irene on the other hand. . . we met her last year while photographing her cousin’s engagement session. Hanging around her is a little weird because we act so much alike. She’s my kindred spirit, my sista from another mista. . . (okay, that was lame) but fact is, it was so hard photographing her wedding because I had to keep an absolute professional and straight face the entire time, which meant, no cracking jokes and laughing in the background. I love her.

Joe & Irene, congratulations again. We are so very blessed and honored to have been a part of your wedding. Love you guys!! Here are just a few teasers for you. ;-)