December 27th, 2016:
Just like it has been for the rest of the world, 2016 treated me to a crazy whirlwind of excitement, adventures and changes. We started the year off visiting family in Singapore, a quick vacation in Taiwan, then returned to Los Angeles – only to be shortly followed by a job offer for Felicia in Seattle. 10 days later she started work, a couple weeks after that the movers arrived at our place in Burbank and I drove up and started unpacking us into a 110 year old house near the Seattle Center.
Then summer arrived and my wedding season kicked off in full. Each year I become more and more of a destination wedding photographer, and this year was no different – I shot 25 wedding up and down the west coast (Seattle, Palm Springs, Orange County, Las Vegas, Ventura, and a good number of Astrophotography sessions in Death Valley and Joshua Tree). I even earned Alaskan Airline MVP status in the process (Woot Woot! Early boarding and free premium seat upgrades!).
As always, the best part of my work is all the people I get to meet and the clients who throughly trust me to document their memories. I really couldn’t be living this life without you all.
2017 is looking even more exciting for me, I already have a solid number of weddings booked with some charming people and will continue to shoot in Los Angeles, Seattle and worldwide. I also plan to make it a year of travel and portfolio diversification – in two days I head off for a month in Myanmar to do some traveling and work with a few NGO’s and non-profits to create images documenting their work. I also will continue creating new portraiture, as it is something I has really grown to excite me. This photography business really can bring all sorts of adventure into my life and I really wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks again to everyone who trusted in me this year, below is a little recap of a few of my favorite images and I hope to catch up with you in 2017!
Above is Matt + Katie’s wedding day at the Graf Barn in Oxnard.
Chinatown in Singapore. February 2016.
Taiwan. February 2016.
Maryelyn + Hector’s Wedding in Southern California
I caught up Andrew and Dana, whose wedding I photographed a couple of years ago, when their friends bought them a family session as a gift right after the birth of their son, Chief.
Natalie + Andrew’s engagement session in Laguna Beach
Felicia came out of retirement to celebrate with Jason and Matt at The Living Desert in Palm Springs – I am fairly certain she wanted to shoot it just to witness the high-fiving porcupine!
Maryelyn + Hector’s engagement session at the Los Angeles Arboretum.
We hung out with John, Drea, Sara and Chris – letting them throw water at me while photographing, just to see those smiles.
Andrew + Natalie’s wedding day at Castle Green in Pasadena.
Angela + Victor in Los Angeles
The windiest session EVER with C + D in Palm Springs. I guess we should have known it would be windy, since we were shooting next to WINDMILLS. duh…
Topanga Canyon in the springtime with Ryan + Nicole for their engagement session.
Nicole + Jon at Malibu Creek State Park
A Death Valley Astro session with Dietmar + Gemma on their wedding night after they eloped in Las Vegas.
I marched in the Seattle Pride parade as an advocate for my LGBTQ friends.
Inkyu + Tiffanie’s wedding day at the Coyote Hills Country Club in Fullerton.
Brooke + George immediately after saying “I do” on the beach at the Bahia Resort in San Diego.
A quiet, private moment outside of the church right after Maryelyn + Hector’s ceremony, before the loving onslaught of family and friends.
Ariel + Lornalyn overlooking Los Angeles during their engagement session.
Breyana + Kyle at Secluded Gardens in Pala, California.
My first wedding of 2016 was in January with Mark + Monica at the Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles.
Minjee + Tsolmon’s wedding at the Arctic room last summer (above and below), marked my first of many weddings in Seattle.
Helen + Ralph wandered downtown Los Angeles with me while I contorted myself into uber-uncomfortable positions to get the image.
Jodi + Eugene’s Pasadena wedding.
Twilight on T+L’s wedding day at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens.
A Last minute engagement session with Jeff + Genevieve at the Cerritos Sculpture Garden.
I caught up with Ted + Kate, who I haven’t seen since their 2013 wedding and was able to meet their new daughter, Camilla and create some family photos for them.
Rachel + Jamie flew in from Australia for that perfect Los Angeles wedding at the Culver Hotel.
Because when you move to Seattle, you NEED pictures of the Space Needle, right? At least Juan and Vanessa love the needle too!
Helen + Ralph overlooking the ocean after their ceremony at the Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes, CA.
Tyler, Melanie and I spent an afternoon wandering the quickly changing Arts District in downtown Los Angeles for their engagement session.
It’s rare, but whenever the chance occurs, I love to get behind the bride and groom during their first kiss, like this one from Nicole + Jon’s wedding in Chino, CA.
Sometimes the gods of photography smile on me an give me that perfect light, like at Nicole + Ryan’s wedding at Olives Adobe in Ventura, CA.
This has been a year for meeting so many of the little people that past client’s have created. In the fall I was able to meet Danielle + Michael’s children for the first time, I also learned that Danielle recently started a new job and randomly know/works with my father. Small world, huh?
This year has seen more trips out to Palm Springs than ever before, not that I am complaining, especially with clients like C+D and their beautiful venue, the Sand Acre Estate.
Eric + Anna booked their astro session months in advance and then flew out to Death Valley to get this one picture of him proposing under the stars. Needless to say, I wouldn’t let them off with a single image, so of course we did an entire session.
Jeff + Genevieve’s wedding at Our Lady of Angels in downtown Los Angeles.
A super intimate wedding at the Neon Graveyard with Shelle + Chris.
My last wedding of the year was the day after Thanksgiving with Juan and Vanessa just north of Seattle – as always, I rave when clients plan extra time for me to get really creative on their wedding day, thanks you two!
So that’s just a few of the pictures, places and people that have been a part of my life in 2016. I am thankful to you all for the time, trust and willingness to suffer my my crazy ideas in the wind, sun, cold, dark and any other situation we find ourselves in to create fun and unique images!
Now, it’s time for one more late Christmas dinner with the family, then I pack my bags and am off to a new adventure in Asia in 48 hours.
See you all in 2017.
Share your thoughts