Kaitlyn and Eric exchanged vows at Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado, California. Rancho Las Lomas is a secluded wedding venue located amongst the Orange County hills. The venue is lovely for an outdoor wedding, complete with tigers and parrots, it looks like a wildlife sanctuary.

I was amazed by Kaitlyn's beautifully adorned wedding dress. She was a vision of beauty. As you can see, Eric was quite taken with how breathtaking she looked that day. I love the emotion displayed by the father of the bride. He was so handsome walking her down the aisle. I sensed he was focused on making Kaitlyn's wedding day the best day of her life.

When I photograph a wedding, I love to capture the emotions: the joy, the tears and the laughter. I am so blessed to photograph the special moments in people's lives. I consider it an honor and a privilege. I definitely don't take it for granted.

I loved photographing Kaitlyn and Eric's wedding with Hal Jurcik of Weddings of Distinction Photography.

I had a great time at Escalate Live 2010 this week in Newport Beach, California. Escalate was a 2 day conference for wedding photographers organized by Dane Sanders. I love the Regency Lido Theatre's retro design, the venue Dane chose for the event in sunny Newport Beach, California. If you look at my images, you'd think it was sunny for the whole event, but actually it was quite overcast and rainy most of the time.

There was only one stage at Escalate. And that was a good thing because it ensured every attendee would experience each and every great speaker on the schedule; and a wonderful group of speakers there was!

DAY ONE

Dane Sanders got things started by welcoming the attendees, both at the Lido Theatre and online via webcast. Dane organized this great event. His book, Fast Track Photographer was released during the conference. Dane encourages fellow wedding photographers to open up communication and dialogue with colleagues. Collaboration leads to a synergistic result which is more powerful than if we work alone.

Chris Becker, AKA Becker or [B]ecker, a native Orange County wedding photographer and namesake for the [b] school spoke next. Becker stressed how he focuses on giving his clients the best experience humanly possible. He concentrates on pleasing the customer, giving great customer service, making the day enjoyable and making the bride feel beautiful. Like Zappo's, great customer service will thrill your customers and bring you genuine referrals.

Jasmine Star, in her bubbly manner, encouraged fellow wedding photographers to blog to connect with clients. She tries to be herself, not a clone of someone else. She said it's important to be true to oneself and share who you are to your readers. If clients connect with you, they will want to employ your services. Look for what you can do for others, not solely what's in it for you.

Julianne Kost, digital imaging evangelist for Adobe Systems presented an overview of new features in Adobe Photoshop CS5. I beta tested and currently use Adobe Creative Suite 5 Photoshop Extended and am loving it. I love the new content aware features. I can't wait until all my plugins are updated to 64-bit, but I can run all of them in 32-bit mode for now. I use Nik Software products extensively and look forward to 64-bit versions in the future. Julianne was oh so informative about Photoshop. She knows Photoshop CS5 inside and out. She's a self-professed geek, but I was happy to find her humorous and witty. One would expect a lecture on Photoshop to be dry and boring, but one would be wrong in Julianne's case. She was truly a joy to watch. I would love to talk Photoshop over lunch someday. She was genuinely likable.

DAY TWO

I truly love Jerry Ghionis, his photography and his album design. I would be ecstatic if I become half the wedding photographer he is someday. I first became aware of Jerry at WPPI this year in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had the good fortune to speak with Jerry at the [b] school party. He is truly a gentleman. I was amazed by his gorgeous and glamorous mutliple award winning albums. Not only is his photography amazing, he is a joy to see in person. I'd love to attend one of his workshops. I'm a member of his Ice Society and purchased his set of Picpockets at the show. I like to watch his instructional videos before I shoot weddings to get motivated and improve with every shoot. Jerry has a way with relaxing his subjects. He casually guides his subjects resulting in poignant, glamorous portraits which don't look posed at all. Please check out the Soul Society, Jerry's non-profit organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children around the world.

Jessica Claire shoots her weddings with intent. She shoots with a purpose and encourages us to do so as well. When you shoot with intent, you increase your effectiveness because it forces one to think and plan to get the images you want to show your bride and future clients. It's important to shoot for yourself, but be sure to get the shots your clients can't live without. Please the client by meeting their desires and show what represents you and your style. My friend Catie purchased a Shootsac at the conference, a lens changing bag very popular with wedding photographers.

David Jay is a wedding photographer currently known for his Showit Sites product which helps photographers create compellng websites without technical web programming experience. David's father told him that as long as you make your business about helping others, it will work. I love that attitude. I personally aim to help others through my photography business. I connect and look out for my clients' welfare when they trust me to photograph their weddings.

Jeremy Cowart photographs his subjects employing his signature style. I was not familiar with Jeremy's work prior to Escalate. He has only shot professionally for 5 years, but has enjoyed great success in that short time. He has shot for most of the major television networks and has worked extensively with celebrities the likes of Sting, Kerrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and Imogen Heap. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Jeremy recently relocated to Los Angeles, California. Jeremy has a heart for people. He puts it into action through his Voices of Haiti and Help-Portrait projects. It brought tears to my eyes seeing how joyful people in need can be through something as simple as photography. I would love to participate in Help-Portrait in my community.

I had a great time with my colleages and friends Katie Trujillo, Catie Stephens and Michael Boardman. After the conference, Katie, Catie and I ventured out on a photo walk of Newport Beach. I took the above photograph under the Balboa Pier, a location suggested by [b] school photographer, Paul Edwards. It was a perfect ending to a great event.

Crystal and Jay's wedding ceremony and reception were held at the Norco Village Banquet Hall. Relatives traveled from north of Monterey and from Mexico to celebrate their marriage. I started at Crystal's house to take getting ready pictures. Her family was so warm and welcoming. It was truly a joy to work with them.

The wedding was very touching and Crystal's parents were noticeably moved. After the ceremony, the guests were served a delicious traditional Mexican meal; so comforting. Once everyone had their share of dinner, it was time to dance the night away. And they did just that.

It was a great experience photographing Crystal and Jay's wedding with Shane Thompson Photography.

Katherine and Travis chose the Baileyana Winery as the venue for their wedding ceremony. The vineyards are just a stone's throw from their home in San Luis Obispo, California. It was a beautiful Central California day, a bit warm, but lovely nonetheless. I love the youthful innocence of this couple. I absolulely loved the wide open country surroundings of the vineyard. It was a refreshing change to be out in countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

After their wedding, they were whisked off to the world famous Madonna Inn for their reception. It was the perfect venue because Katherine has a Victorian look in her beautiful wedding dress; a perfect match for the old world style of the Madonna Inn. The couple ended their day with a stay in the famous Caveman Room at the Inn.

It was truly a pleasure photographing Katherine and Travis' wedding with Elisa of Ahlin Photography. It was especially enjoyable since San Luis Obispo is one of my favorite places to visit!

Sheila and Bob selected the church they both attend for their ceremony and reception. They are both very sweet individuals and wonderful to work with. We started out by going to the University of Redlands to take some pictures of the couple, the bridal party and family. It's nice to get a head start on formals before the ceremony when couples choose to have a first look before their ceremonty. One of the highlights of their day was the classic Bentley they rented for the day. We took advantage of the beautiful vehicle by incorporating it into many of the images captured of their wedding day. A big thanks to Mark Leonard Imaging for allowing me to shoot with them at Sheila and Bob's wedding.

I loved the cool lighting.

This looked like a fairytale treat wonderland. Sweet treats were prepared by Sweet & Saucy Shop.

See how the brownies were adorned by the Shootsac logo?

My hot spiced apple cider was delicious!

Becker converses with guests at the Shootsac Open House.

Dane Sanders talks with Jessica Claire at the Shootsac Open House.

Debbie and Kingston chose Prince Seafood in Cerritos as their Los Angeles wedding ceremony and reception venue, which made perfect sense since based on their Chinese heritage. When I think of Debbie and Kingston, I think of joy. I absolutely love how they both don't hold back when expressing their happiness. Although this couple looks sweet and friendly, which they definitely are, don't be fooled. They are both students of the Chinese martial art of Kung Fu. In fact, I am told Kingston has attained the level of black belt and instructs martial arts.

One of my favorite parts of this Chinese wedding was the Lion Dance. Skilled acrobatic artists don colorful lion outfits and perform for the bride, groom and their guests. Drummers beat out rhythmically as the lions dance more and more frantically. There is one part where the lions eats a head of lettuce dangled from a pole by the couple. It was a wonderful treat for me to witness this exciting ritual.

Based on the images I captured at their wedding, I feel confident Debbie and Kinston have many years of joy and happiness in store for them.

These bride and groom key chains were absolutely adorable.

Kingston may be a tough martial arts instructor, but he has a soft side as well.

See how delightful Debbie and Kingston were to work with?

Did I mention how Debbie and Kingston are so expressive? Debbie was so tickled with the lion dancers.

They sure know how to have fun. I love their free spirited attitude toward life.

Debbie is definitely not shy about showing her affection for Kingston.

The Chinese dresses worn by Debbie were so beautiful and ornate in their design. This dress had sentimental value as it was the wedding dress worn by Debbie's late mother.

This was no ordinary engagement shoot. It was the first time I've photographed a genuine, actually as it happens wedding proposal! People have asked me if these images are staged or posed and if I was hidden from Lindsay's view. Well, I was initially hidden from her view and later let my presence be known when Gabe called me out of the bushes. Although some of the images are posed, the ones of Gabe proposing are real and I did not intervene in any way.

Gabe planned this elaborate trip to California from Dallas, Texas to propose to Lindsay. She thought they were flying to Houston for a weekend getaway. The first surprise was they were actually flying to Orange County, specifically to the St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Dana Point overlooking the beach. The second surprise was Gabe serenading her by guitar at the Botanical Gardens with hundreds of candles, chocolate sculptures, champagne, tulips and rose petals. The next surprise was the wedding proposal and a photographer hired to capture the event for family and friends to experience. Then it was on to the beach for a few more photos where Gabe unveiled his last surprise. Lindsay's parents had secretly flown out to congratulate the couple and have dinner at the beach.

Lindsay could not have been more beautiful or more gracious. She was so touched by all the planning Gabe had done to make her proposal just perfect. Gabe, thank you so much for choosing me to be a part of your plans. Although I just met Lindsay, I can tell she is a special woman. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.

One day as I was going about my business, an email arrived in my inbox from a gentleman from West Sussex, England. He explained how he found me using an organic Google search on weddings in Palm Springs. He was planning a honeymoon with his fiance and would be in Palm Springs. Apparently he liked the images I captured at an Ace Hotel Wedding he saw on my blog. His name was Richard Ford. And it turns out he is a wedding photographer in the United Kingdom.

In his email, he asks if I'm avaible for an engagement shoot at the Ace Hotel. I checked my calendar and as luck would have it, our schedules aligned perfectly. I know I said they were on their honeymoon, but because of their schedule they decided to do things a little backwards and go on their honeymoon first and get married after returning home to England. Although I had agreed to do their engagement session, if I'm totally honest, I was wondering if this was some kind of hoax. I'd never had a photographer from another country contact me out of the blue to schedule an e-session.

When I arrived on the day of the shoot, there were magazine photographers at the Ace Hotel shooting with a crew and a bunch of heavy duty equipmentm, complete with an array of vintage cars and models. Well, it turns out the engagement shoot was for real; I saw Richard and his beautiful fiance Karen walk up to meet me at King's Highway, the hotel's restaurant.

My assistant and I put them at ease with a drink and a little conversation. I like to get to know my clients before beginning a session. It's important they feel comfortable. Karen and Richard were a bit camera shy at first, but warmed up to being photographed quickly They are both used to not being in front of the camera, so they told me by being models they had a better idea how their brides and grooms felt to be photographed.

It was great working with both of them. I loved their personalities and their accents too. I have a fascination with British and Austrailian accents. I could sit there all day and listen to them just talk about anything. Many thanks to Karen and Richard. It was a delight to meet and photograph you. I wish you many years of happiness together. Hopefully, our paths will cross again. Please promise to contact me whenever you return to Southern California. It woould be great to meet and catch up on your lives.

Thank you so much for choosing me and entrusting me to document your engagement. I will remember this session fondly always.

They look like the were made for each other!

I love how this one looks in black & white.

I have been so excited to photograph Annette and Ryan's engagement session for some time now. Annette is a friend I met while volunteer shooting Ballet Folklorico at UC Riverside. She was one of the students working the event. I asked if she would like to pose for portaits in exchange for custom prints and she said yes! We did her session with her sister Stephanie at Balboa Park and they came out beautifully. All of the Navarro sisters are beautiful, so it's easy to make them look good.

Annette's initial photo shoot was years ago. So, when we thought of places to shoot Annette and Ryan's engagement pictures, Balboa Park came to mind. It's a wonderful place to take portraits because of its variety of architecture and foliage. I love it there!

Annette is a perfect blend of beauty, intellect and ambition. She's also very kind and giving. Ryan is one lucky guy, I can vouch for that. I have to admit I wanted to meet Ryan because I feel a little protective of Annette, in a father-like way. Ryan is a fire engineer and a very personable individual. I can say I feel very good about him. And I could tell he really loves Annette and she loves him too by the way they interact and look at each other.

I can hardly wait to photograph their wedding in July. I know it will be a pleasure and the photos will be wonderful because they are such lovely people inside and out. Thank you so much Annette and Ryan for honoring me with the privilege of photographing your most special day.

Don't they look unbelievably cute together?

This is the very definition of "adoring".

This one is very romantic and surreal.

I love capturing the joy shared by couples. It's one of the my most loved things about being a wedding photographer.

Preparation : Manchester Grand Hyatt
Wedding : Our Lady of the Rosary
Reception : The Prado at Balboa Park

Tricia and Ben were married at Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church in San Diego. They had a traditional Catholic mass wedding with traditional elements performed by a Jewish Rabbi. Tricia was a vision of loveliness and Ben looked so handsome in his Navy dress uniform. After their nuptuals, they were whisked off to their reception at Balboa Park in no less than a white vintage Rolls Royce limousine. As usual, it was a pleasure to second shoot with San Diego wedding photographer Cary Pennington.

Joan Shum is a Los Angeles wedding dress designer who designs and hand makes each and every one of her corset and skirt dresses creating vintage masterpieces; she was recently featured at The Wedding Chicks.

It was great fun working with Chris Austin, Kensy Reissig and Joan Shum. Oh, and we got some pretty nice images too.

Wedding and Reception : US Grant Hotel

Megan and Justin were married at the beautiful and historic US Grant Hotel in San Diego, California. The elegant decor of the US Grant was the perfect backdrop for this couple to celebrate their love. The wedding took place in the Crystal Ballroom with romantic candlelit ambiance. It was a pleasure to second shoot with San Diego wedding photographer Cary Pennington. As always, I love documenting the bride and groom's most important day. I always feel connected with the families I photograph. They become like family in my heart.

I want to introduce everyone to my ever loving dog, Taffy. I love to shoot weddings, but I also love shooting studio portaits. I've had the pleasure of photographing many beautiful ladies. Well, Taffy happens to be a premier model. She loves to pose in front of my camera. So, one day I got the idea, why not combine Taffy's good looks with the beauty of the subjects I shoot? For a while now, I've asked almost every subject I shoot in the studio to pose for a shot or two with Taffy. And so far I've loved the results. My goal is to create a book chock full of photographs with Taffy and others entitled, "Taffy and Friends." Here's a first look at one of the photos to be included. In this picture she is posing with the lovely Victoria.

Wedding and Reception : Ace Hotel

Sarah and Andrew are such a fun couple. They picked a retro theme for their Palm Springs, California wedding. The venue for their outdoor wedding was the uber cool Ace Hotel. Sarah's dress was so lovely. The beautiful lace was stunning. Shooting with Abi from Abi Q Photography was great. Sarah and Andrew are a wedding photographer's dream come true. I couldn't have chosen models for a wedding shoot with more chemistry and style as these two. The reception was held in the Commune, a jazzy venue with glass walls which open up to the pool area and stunning San Jacinto Mountain views. The sunset was picture perfect that magical evening in Palm Springs.