California Dreamin’
As summer on the East Coast approaches, I can’t help but to dream about California beaches, especially after this great day in Santa Cruz with Lindsey & Matt. When Jung and I told Lindsey and Matt that we wanted them to take us somewhere special for their engagement session, they knew exactly where they wanted to go. Santa Cruz. Jung and I were excited to shoot in Santa Cruz since that was our family beach and we spent many warm and not-so-warm days there with friends and family. And we certainly felt as if we were spending a fabulously lazy day on the beach with Lindsey and Matt.
We began our day with a tasting at Pelican Ranch, Lindsey & Matt’s favorite winery and then headed over to the cliffs for some barefoot climbing and high-heel climbing. Our engagement sessions are always an adventure and Lindsey and Matt were the epitomy of pro! They came prepared to bear their souls and with plenty of wardrobe changes (I love options!!)
Engagement sessions are hard work and here is some great advice from seasoned NYC & LA model, poet, writer and blogger (Dress Me Up in Hand Me Downs), Melissa Napoleon, on how to get the best results from your engagement session:
1.) Don’t Plaster A Smile On Your Face:
You should look happy and excited in your engagement shots, but give your facial muscles a break. You don’t need to smile big in every picture. Relax and be as natural as possible, or else your pictures come off boring and unbelievable. Mix it up a little bit with big and small smiles, smirks, drama, passion, contentment, and even silliness to show your personality. Variation is the key and helps to keep things interesting and exciting.
2.) Leave Your Comfort Zone At Home:
Expect to be challenged. Let go and let your personality and emotions do the performing. Even if you’ve never been on or in a shoot, don’t let it stop you from acting like a pro. Treat the camera like it’s your bedroom mirror. Forget about the photographer and feeling embarrassed or awkward. Photographers want you to let loose and experiment with different facial expressions and poses; it keeps their creative juices flowing. They love being surprised, so give them all you’ve got!
3.) Pluck, Tuck, Clip and Fit!
Photoshopping will cost you time and money so don’t go thinking it’s your bff. Pluck your eyebrows, tuck in everything that needs to be tucked, clip your nails, and make sure your clothes fit you perfectly before the day of the shoot. DIY, or spring for a mani/pedi or even head to the salon for a blow out. If you don’t want to spend extra money, just make sure you look and feel your best. Bring a few different outfits; casual, dressy, edgy, fun, or whatever you think enhances your body and personal style. Remember, you are creating art-your creative input and expression is just as important as the photographers!
WHICH PEN?
So now that you have your beautiful new guest registry, you’re wondering which pen to use.
I suggest using an Extra Fine Point Sharpie, pictured in the foreground here and not to be confused with the Ultra Fine Point Sharpie, pictured in the background. The Extra Fine Point Sharpie will leave smooth lines and will not bleed through to the other side of the page.
Scatter a few extra on the table. I can guarantee that you’ll have a crowd over the book.
AN URBAN GUEST REGISTRY
I am addicted to Asuka Books right now. Here’s the latest. A guest registry I designed for Marilyn & Danny using images from our San Francisco Engagement Session. Our contributing author, Melissa Napoleon, penned a beautiful poem to compliment the pictures.
Marilyn and Danny will use their book as a guest registry at their wedding. They will be married on May 17th at the luxurious Hotel Valencia located in European-inspired Santana Row.
Wendy Hearts Michael
Wow! What an amazing day we had shooting Wendy and Michael’s engagement session in Monterey. The weather and the setting were both perfect. We started off on the pier where Wendy and Michael enjoyed a glass of wine and shared a bag of cotton candy. After they were full, we drove down to Lover’s Point. Again, I repeat, WOW. We could’ve spent days shooting them there. It was amazing how many different scenes were available in that one location. But really, Wendy and Michael deserve all the credit for an extremely successful shoot. They are so in love and so outgoing and all we had to do was document the day as they enjoyed it together.
Our wonderful friend and videographer, David Ethridge of A Video Reflection, also joined us on the shoot that day. He is compiling a documentary of us and we look forward to sharing that with you soon!