Sunset Strip

our boston buddies from extreme took the house of blues by storm on tuesday night.


what an amazing time! it’s been way tooooo long since we have hung out with them. last time we saw them was on the “right coast” something like 12 years ago. gary cherone did spend some time with the van halen boys so that may have had something to do with the long break. extreme is wrapping up in the states and heading to europe and japan to finish out the tour. their fan base in japan is like how the beatles were in the 60’s.

mark “slaughter” opened up with his rock n’ roll fantasy camp. it was hilarious to listen to his stories…. sing in g, we are now in g, okay g people! in this photo he is talking to kevin cronin from reo speedwagon and the phone seemed to get passed around for a while. it was like speaking to a relative at a big family reunion but who wasn’t there! kevin even posed for a photo via cell phone with lisa, mark and i… tooooo funny.


nuno bettencourt – the guitarist for extreme was born with such an amazing gift. you would have to be in his presence to understand the talent that this man carries with him. it’s ridiculous. he inspires us in ways that are unexplainable… undeniable.



gary cherone – vocals for extreme is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. he is more down to earth than the soil he stands on. he too, couldn’t help himself and was singing with kevin on the phone.“ as soon as you are able’a”… and i am willling’a…keep on rolling’a… i mean isn’t it “more than words” ... whose concert are we at anyway?


the one and only steve perry from journey was in the house. he does not come out much these days so to see him was like an eclipse. talk about talent. i don’t care how old you are… chances are you know the lyrics to a journey song.

a special thank you to bobby – extremes tour manager for the vip card blanche.
we love you guys… “more than words” can ever say!


you rock!
-karen

Elyse and Bo - lompoc, ca

on-line proofing website
on-line proofing editorial album


we arrived in lompoc, just outside of santa maria, ca on one of the HOTTEST days known to man (at least known to "these parts") and was immediately struck by how one needs to move "with intent" in this heat!

i was reminded by bo and his buddies that it was HOT and that black wasn't the best color to be standing still in for too long...in the sun. so, not missing their subtle hint i shuffled them off into a nearby shed i noticed driving up to the ranch.

within minutes i think the boys and their beers were starting to chill.

overhearing that bo's dozer was on property i took the opportunity and ran with it. had some fun tweeking it a bit and came up with a cool shot. great bunch of guys. every last one of them.


having photographed their engagement session in "their" neighborhood karen and i were prepared to throw down in a big way. but nothing prepared us both when elyse stepped out into the sunlight. she was every bit as beautiful as the countryside she chose to marry her cowboy on. her bridal portrait embodies what we all saw.




elyse, bo, their family and friends all came together to put on one heck of a day.
what may have blended into the background on any given day or may have been simple in appearance from afar looked down right country and damn proud of it up close!

bo's kiss has to be very high on the rickter scale® of kisses.

a moment that comes to mind is when elyse looked into bo's eyes and seemed quite content.

thinking back on it, i see more than two people in love, i see two people embracing being loved and that, i think, makes them both content.




what a great day..."i've been all over and back again and still never cease to be amazed of the color of our nation right in our own back yard. how much fun did we have.?! boy, what a ride."

-joey


p.s. karen said it best "It had all the touches of pure cowboy meets county girl elegance!"




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Simply Bridal

a couple times a year we come out to meet the brides at what is known as “boutique bridal shows” it is our way of bringing our passion for photography to the road. we always have so much fun coming face to face with new brides. we never know how we are going to meet you! whether it’s a personal referral, being a guest at a wedding and seeing us in action or coming to a show and connecting. we love. love, love what we do! and for those of you who stay awhile and look around… you can tell! we also enjoy seeing our peers too. we share stories and gain inspiration from each other. we are all in this together!

nate and samantha from digishots -

are such good people. we could sit and talk with them for hours, eat, and just laugh. nate spent more time in our booth because he had nowhere to sit in his and we did! he should have gotten a smaller flat screen so he could bring chairs in, geez nate! hey nate...don't DIAMOND that jacket! comon'now.


william innes… what a sweetheart,

at the crack of dawn walking into the valencia hyatt he was there to greet us and share his passion for photography. it’s so nice to hear how much he digs our stuff. the feeling is mutual. william brought in his family… to help and we think of them as the “simply irresistible girls”!

cody and toby tucker -

came by and introduced themselves to us at the westlake village hyatt… how cool are they! the tuckers are a husband and wife team who really relate to the ma and pa shop.

jason and chris from elegant event dj’s(not shown) but we always enjoy hanging with them and talking shop… they didn’t have any chairs either!


to our future brides, congratulations! we salute you.
call us today for an appointment. tell us you read it on the blog!


-karen

Vallens Family Portrait

our family portraits are always fun to explore "Family Time" and what a family likes to do...together. we have photographed many families that just like taking strolls. taking strolls along the beach, after bath-time, after dinner but most of all they just like taking it all in - together. the vallens family took advantage of one of their favorite spots along a greenbelt that makes for a perfect outing...anytime.

Jaime and Anthony - engagement

jaime and anthony have a quite presence that beats to a continuous rhythm that is only heard when one is patient enough to listen.


i received a call a few weeks ago from jaime telling me that she and anthony had decided to change the location of their engagement session from the beach to the santa barbara courthouse in santa barbara, ca.



now, i was quite impressed that jaime and anthony had went against conventional mindset towards taking an engagement portrait to embracing a style that was unique to them and let us adapt to the surroundings.

i immediately researched the location and instantly fell over in my seat. i have never been to the courthouse but booooooooooooooooy was it right up my ally. low light...extremely low light, beautiful architecture and an environment that could evoke some incredible moments.

i met jaime and anthony and instantly whisked them away and had them walk with me throughout the courthouse.


i can really get a feel of the couples "engagement" with one another and the love they have for one another the moment the shutter fires. i sensed an apprehensiveness to be on film...like 80% of us, but slowly found that jaime and anthony let me be with them during moments that they "just let go".

this important element usually reveals some amazing and unscripted images. thank, thank, thank you jaime and anthony for sharing this wonderful location with me and embracing our photography to capture you in a way that touches both our hearts.







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Deanna and Charles - engagement

i am often curious to know how couples have come together and or how they met or what makes them attracted to each other. at first glance deanna and charles might appear just like the rest of us...but nooooooooooooooo!

the gloves were taken off after we talked about the engagement session and some of my ideas. i had them relax under a tree that i thought would be a peaceful beginning. immediately deanna tackled charles to the grass.


it was down hill from there. haha. charles retaliated with a greco style take down of his own.


sometimes the smallest of gestures, the quiet before the storm or the exact moment a couple engage in an embrace really speaks volumes without even saying a word. take a look at our selects of deanna and charles and you can see a pattern that is sooooooooooooo obvious.


it's their laughter and willingness to be goofy.


i think i enjoyed just being around them and watching them tease each other in a way that was endearing and contagious. all the goofing off made for a nice break at a really cool pizzeria in old towne ventura. this is were deanna did something that made me say "awwwwww".

sneaking a kiss from charles, deanna blushed with laughter and found, to be, an oh so comfortable and familiar place in charles' arm...planting her face right up against his left cheek.

this is what colors my photography, patience, listening and a love of observation. you can tell a lot about people by just observing. right charles?

(one of his favorite past-times...kicking back and "people-watching) me too.

Quote of the Month

after watching joey in action, a beginning photographer at a recent location shoot asked him, "how am i ever going to learn all this?"

his response? "put yourself in an uncomfortable situation where you have to know that information. work in a place that is beyond your means and beyond your comfort zone and you'll have no choice but to learn."

-matt

Sekula Family Portrait

i've had the pleasure of meeting some very colorful characters in my life, edna and frank are VIBRANT in color.



i met frank a few years back during a fund raiser golf tournament for saint maximilian kolbe church held at north ranch country club, westlake village. it was a scramble tournament, for those who are not familiar with the term, you are paired up with players that have similar handicaps to polar opposites. this keeps the tournament somewhat "even steven" for all teams. from the time we tee'd off to the banquet frank had more energy and a readily available smile that was contagious. it is because of his laid back demeanor and love for golf and ease of telling stories that the day seemed to just flow. not thinking too much and having a lot of laughs made for a great day. so much so...when i came into the clubhouse frank made a bee-line towards me and announced with jubilation that we had placed 2nd!



i was honored to have been given a call a few weeks back from frank that he loved our photography and wanted to take a family portrait with his lovely wife.


i met frank and edna at their home, showed them a few of my ideas and within minutes...literally,edna said "great" good ideas. so, true to form i kept the portrait session focused on their personalities and their dynamic. my favorite is the clubhouse deck.



great, great people and funny...boy are they funny.

-joey

Lilian and Kevin - westlake village, ca

lilian and kevin's o-line proofing website

as the ceremony was about to begin you could feel the anticipation in the air. lilian and kevin could not wait to be married!
father o’dwyer, the pastor at st. max, presided over the wedding. as usual, he was quick witted, loving and quite brilliant. father o’dwyer keeps you on your toes. this day was no exception.


during the lighting of the unity candle he stopped the ceremony mid-flight for a photo opportunity. we were all surprised… including the bride and groom!


we also never know if father will announce the kiss, sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn’t. on lilian and kevin’s wedding day he did not announce the moment. so we were all ready for that beautiful moment and our cameras were on fire.




lilian and kevin gave us so many opportunities to share their love and do some very classic shots with our artful approach.


the four season’s is exquisite and a local favorite for shooting weddings.


david h. murdock has given us a special gift right here in the beautiful westlake village.

thank you!

p.s. just a little something FUN that makes the day even more unique is when lilian and kevin insisted on really showing why it's great to be "young and in love."




congratulations to lilian and kevin. you’re married!
-karen

lilian and kevin's online wedding album.




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