This session makes my heart so so happy. Brightly-patterned skirts, a pretty bouquet, tall buildings, open fields, a fantastic couple – all shot in this city I love so much. I’ve been going on some photo adventures recently shooting personal work (on film!), and I feel like it’s given me a newfound adoration for LA. Because it has a bad rap sometimes doesn’t it? Urban sprawl, crowded, superficial, trafficky…. But if you care to really explore and see – it’s full of the most amazing little locations.

We started in downtown, rode Angel’s Flight, strolled through Angel’s Knoll Park {500 Days of Summer!}, frolicked by fountains, then finished in a sunlit field in Griffith Park, where the most awesome vintage motorcycle was awaiting us (thanks to Tri’s brother!)

Sara & Tri are fun-loving, laidback, adventurous, and I loved exploring with them! And if for any reason LA has not yet won over your heart, I hope these photos help change your mind…

After the fun with water balloons, we finished up Alwyn & Alvin’s shoot with an evening stroll around Chinatown. I know I don’t usually chat about the tech-y side of things on here, but these were all shot sans flash, just making use of the colorful twinkly goodness of Chinatown. I fell in love with all the bright colors & the dreaminess of the lights – it was my first time doing a night session and it was so much fun!

The cherry on top was the delish bakery I came across afterwards… flaky curry pies were the perfect way to end the evening!

When Alwyn & Alvin contacted me about an engagement session, they immediately started a fun dialogue about props. They really wanted the session to be vibrant and dynamic, colorful and sweet, and to most of all, show their personalities. We tossed around a few ideas and in one email, Alwyn suggested water balloons and a bat. Upon reading her suggestion, I did a little happy dance in my seat, and then started brainstorming other ways we could incorporate exploding balloons of awesomeness. On the morning before the session, I bought a sweet pink umbrella from Target (how I got out of Target without buying 571 other things is entirely beyond me), and as you’ll see below, it made for some fun photos {before it met its end at the hands of one especially overzealous water balloon}.

Alwyn & Alvin were SUCH troopers, not minding one bit that they were basically drenched by the end of the session – in fact they happily forged ahead into the second half of the session, where we skipped over to Chinatown for a romantic night shoot. Stay tuned!