Although I mostly photograph weddings, I always get excited when I am contacted for a portrait session. Discussing and planning the session is like taking a peek into their backgrounds and experiences – a dancer, a business woman, a new addition to the family; each session celebrates who they are and this moment in their life.

In this case it was Takeo Uesugi, the father/father-in-law of Keiji & Becca (the first couple I ever photographed!). Takeo is an amazing landscape architect. The Japanese Garden at Cal Poly Pomona, the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, the garden by the JACCC in Little Tokyo – he’s designed countless beautiful landscapes across California and beyond. As we walked through the garden at Cal Poly Pomona, he pointed out the koi, described the different sounds of the water trickling under the bridge, and explained the varieties of plants that filled the garden. His serene knowledge and absolute love for what he did shined through his every word and it was an honor photographing him in the midst of his beautiful work.

The cherry on top was when Keiji informed me that an article featuring Takeo and some images from the session would be featured in the Nichi Bei Times, northern California’s leading Japanese-American newspaper. The article is a wonderful recognition of all of his work and a great overview of Japanese gardens in the US. The online version of the article can be viewed here.

And a few more shots from the session…

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P.S. Thanks to everyone who played along in the little giveaway in my last post! The winner of a wonderful little package of tea bags is Nelly! Nelly, I’ll be in touch with you soon and everyone else stay tuned for the next “Fave Finds” installment :)

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At the end of a long day or during a busy morning, there are few things more soothing to me than a cup of tea. Hot or iced, green or black, with sugar, honey, milk (or none of the above) – tea makes me feel simultaneously happy, centered, calm and energized. But in all my tea-loving days, I had never been to what I consider the epitome of a tea drinking experience – afternoon tea! You know the kind – delicate finger sandwiches, scones with cream, mountains of fruit, and the perfect pot of tea by your side.

Some girlfriends and I finally visited the Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena a couple weekends ago, which provided the perfect first-time afternoon tea experience! We marveled at the fresh strawberry sorbet, the dozens of sandwiches to choose from, the perfectly crumbly scones (I was not a scone fan until Scarlet Tea Room swiftly converted me), the mini desserts, and the wide variety of teas. Before we started eating, we joked about how we’d all be lining up at the Jack in the Box drive-thru after our dainty tea meal, but by the time the meal was through we found ourselves surprisingly full.  Stuffed in fact. To the point where we we could not fit even one more mini-cupcake into our happy stomachs.

And since it’s no fun to keep “fave finds” all to yourself, I am going to be accompanying each post in this category with none other than a giveaway! For this installment, I’ll be sending one lucky commenter (chosen randomly) a package of tea bags from Lupicia – one of my favorite tea shops on the westside. The store is full of amazing teas – you walk in and are greeted by rows upon rows of tins, all presented for your sniffing and smelling delight! There are lots of luscious flavors to choose from, options like muscat, English caramel, rosehip and grapefruit green! Thirsty commenters, rejoice!

Just a few shots grabbed with the point-and-shoot in between bites..

They had met in the dorms at UC Irvine – during those golden years of staying up late, playing football in the halls, spending 75% of the day in pajama bottoms, and swiping a card that magically lets you into a land of all-you-can eat pizza and ice cream. On a grassy knoll on campus during these happy times, Rick asked Christina to be his girlfriend. 4 years later, they found themselves back on campus at the very same spot. In place of the grass was now the Student Center, a tall brick building, surrounded by tables and meeting areas. And although the scenery had changed, the school had changed, although they no longer frequented dining halls or spent late nights chatting in dorm hallways, what was most important in their lives had stayed the same. And so Rick asked Christina to be his wife.

I was so delighted when Christina told me they wanted to do their engagement session at the campus where they met and fell in love. When planning the e-session, I always ask couples to think of someplace that is meaningful to their relationship, and UCI was definitely their perfect location. As we wandered through the campus, Christina and Rick pointed out the benches they rested on, the buildings their classes were in, their most favorite nooks where they had spent their college days. It was so much fun hearing about all of their memories – not to mention getting a spectacular tour of the campus!

An extra dose of excitement was added to our email exchange when Christina disclosed that she was would be bringing balloons! I have been wanting to do a session with balloons for the longest time and was beyond on board with the idea! (Additional fact: Christina chose green since the color reminds of her Rick.. apparently when they first met in the dorms, his freshman wardrobe was quite green-intensive! ;)

Love the sexy boots!

Where the proposal happened!

A quick change of clothes and more exploring around campus! During the change, we tied the balloons to Scott’s camera bag. When we took off again we decided we might not really use the balloons for this part of the session, so we left them attached to his bag. You can probably guess what happens next – I’m snapping away, Scott goes “uh oh”, we all look up, and there are the balloons 30 feet up entangled in the top of a eucalyptus tree! We felt horrible, but of course Christina and Rick were beyond sweet about it, and the show went on!