Posts Tagged ‘downtown los angeles photography’

{ ashley + erika // sunrise elopement }

The streets were still empty at the time I was driving, the sky was a shade of dark grey. When we all congregated at the observatory around 6am, it was still quiet, the sidewalks vacant if not for the occasional runner. We walked to the lawn, and as the sun peeked over the Hollywood hills, surrounded by just their closest family & friends, Ashley & Erika exchanged vows.

I had someone ask me once about the future success of my wedding photography business – based upon the kind of fancy venues I could hope to shoot at, or the kind of high-end expensive weddings I could “grow” to shoot. And I was confused about their question at first, and then surprisingly overjoyed as I realized I consider myself immensely successful already, because I get to shoot weddings like this, this very one you see below. That somehow in the past few years I’ve been drawn to and gotten to be a part of these types of days – the ones that have their sights constantly set on the right thing, the ones that are all about the love. These days have been both big and small, short and long, filled with details ranging from just a bouquet to quite a bit of lovely decor – but they are all the same in that the couples are warm, and the emotions are open and real, and there is just so much love in every corner.

I teared up more than a few times while editing these photos, and I feel very very fortunate to have been able to document this day.

{ Tammy | Portraits }

I am a firm believer in dreams. I believe that if you can imagine something in your mind, you can make it come to fruition. That if you want something with every ounce of your being, you can dream it into a reality. This was the mantra I repeated to myself when I began purusing wedding photography. I repeated it religiously as I picked up my first camera and clumsily fumbled through the controls and cursed my less-than-perfect photos. I reiterated it when I emailed photographers to second-shoot and received a less-than-ideal response. As I excitedly set up my business email only to log in to a less-than-full inbox – for the first few months, I wanted to shake my first at the sky and whine at the world, but I kept the encouraging words in the back of my mind. If you can dream it, you can make it so.

I love meeting people who are following their own dreams, so when Tammy contacted me with her story I was so excited to work with her! She wanted to move from her self-proclaimed “normal desk job” into a career in sports broadcasting and needed some headshots for the occasion. We fittingly did the session at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (what better location than a hall named after such a famous dreamer?), and as we shot I asked her about her goals and aspirations. Her passion shone through as she talked about her love for sports and her highest hopes for the future. Tammy – thank you for sharing a piece of your story with me and best of luck in pursuing your dreams! :)

The metallic walls of the concert hall are stunning, but I was so enamored by the garden! The lush greenery (complete with the most unique colorful flowers) was such a nice contrast to the mod silver walls!

{ Pamper Me Fabulous 2009 }

I almost wanted to burst into a rendition of “My Favorite Things” as I walked through the Vibiana a couple weeks ago for this year’s Pamper Me Fabulous event. It was as if someone had peeked into my mind and pulled out all of my most adored things – fruity drinks, delicate chocolates, girl talk, fresh magazines, spa treatments, sweet architecture & design, overflowing swag bags, and best of all, a good cause – and made a huge fabulous event out of it. I thought Pamper Me Fabulous was a 100 on the Fabulometer (a new device I just invented) last year, but this year’s event was completely off the charts!

I started snapping away the second we exited our car and first caught site of the majestic Vibiana (I believe I was ooh-ing and clicking away while Scott was still struggling with the bags). Upon stepping inside, we found ourselves in a decadent oasis in the midst of downtown LA – clean lounge furniture, magazines on tables, and an amazing line-up of salons and spas, bazaars, and of course, the food, the FOOD. When I’m on the job, it’s always about focusing on the shots and not on the Fabulous Tier of Endless Cupcakes, but I do admit to being convinced by the woman at Mignon Chocolate table to try ONE teensy Mojito-flavored morsel.

Amanda, Ada, and the their team at Fresh Events definitely outdid themselves this time. The ambiance was divine, the treatments as relaxing as ever, and the causes beyond noble. This year they put together the Fabulous Female Awards as well, recognizing amazing women who serve within our community. The awards ceremony concluded the day perfectly with a message of empowerment and giving.

And now for a walk through the day!

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous photos

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous pictures

pamper me fabulous photos

The drinks below are amazing fruit smoothies from Glowelle. They come in luxe flavors like Raspberry Jasmine and Pomegranate Lychee and are chock-full of vitamins to refresh your skin from the inside out!

pamper me fabulous photos

Councilwoman Jan Perry kicks off the Fabulous Female Awards.

pamper me fabulous pictures

Karina Smirnoff presents; Alice Crisci, who launched a foundation for breast cancer patients, speaks about her cause.

pamper me fabulous photos