Just wanted to quickly post Kim and Shane’s e-session images up to share with you a great session with a gorgeous couple.  Couples usually have a couple of change of clothes: one casual and one a little formal.  Kim and Shane went REALLY formal but rocked the tux and dress!

Enjoy their pix.

I’m so glad that I’m finding time to show you Kimberly & Will’s engagement session in beautiful San Francisco.  The day was (pun intended) picture perfect.  It’s pretty rare these days with the crazy weather we’ve been having but the stars aligned and we got a perfect day for a shoot.

Fun does not come close to describing these two. Their laughter is infectious.  Their love for each other deep and genuine.  I am truly lucky to have met them and even luckier to have them as friends and clients.

Yes, the groom’s name is Telemachus. Known as ‘T’ among his group of friends, I was relieved that I didn’t have to butcher his name by trying to pronounce it throughout the e-session. I was curious to the nature of T’s name and found this great entry on Wikipedia. But the Greek reference does not end there! Part of Telemachus’ groomsmen at their July wedding will be his 2 god brothers: Prometheus and Flaminius! I better start brushing up on my Greek mythology!

When I first met Vy and Telemachus, my first impression was that Vy was very outgoing and Telemachus was more reserved but at the engagement session, Telemachus really opened up! Since they were a referral from Bobby and Yen (engagement & wedding from last year) and that Bobby and I have become good friends (and fellow Tough Mudder workout buddies!), Bobby joined us at the engagement session in San Francisco to see how it’s like to be on the other side of the camera for once. He got some great shots and I included a couple below!

Here’s the thing, having referral from past clients is kind of tough on the photographer. I want to give them great pictures but obviously not give them the same shots as their friends’. Although Vy liked my work, she didn’t want the same locations that have been requested from my previous clients. She asked me to do something different. As you know from previous blog posts, I love it when clients challenges me!

Since Telemachus was born and raised in San Francisco, he found some great spots for us to hit. The weather that day was just perfect. A rare things these days in SF! And so, here is their San Francisco e-session pictures. Enjoy!

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Great shot from Bobby's angle

Here's another image from Bobby.

What an awesome idea!  I love how camera shy these two were when we started off but within 15 minutes, they were so at ease it’s remarkable.

After the hair & makeup trial with Giao Nguyen, we headed out to beautiful Santa Cruz for the engagement session.   We ended at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and nearby beach.

Really had a blast with Michelle & Linh on such a rare and beautiful day.

Enjoy!!

We started the shoot at Victoria’s home in Saratoga where we got the chance to take a few pix with her mom’s Lotus sports car!!  HOT!

We then headed to San Francisco to do the second half of the engagement session.  Coming along with us was David Ethridge from AVRFilms who was shooting their e-session video.

Here’s some of their e-pix.  Enjoy!

I haven’t been nervous for a shoot in quite a long time but my heart rate was certainly high just before meeting them for their engagement photo shoot.

In our conversations in the days leading to the shoot, Kris and Gabe informed me that they had some vintage bikes that they found… of all places… in Gabe’s parents garage!   And so, they asked that I incorporate the bikes into their e-session!  I’ve been shooting for a while but this is the first time I’ve been asked to incorporate a set of bikes in a shoot.  I LOVE IT!

To add to the excitement, Gabe contacted me (unbeknownst to Kris) right before we headed out to Half Moon Bay and told me that he wanted to surprise Kris with a new engagement band and made sure that I captured the moment.  I LOVE IT!  AGAIN!

So, as you can see, my stress level was rising considerably!   But like I’ve mentioned in the past, when I’m under pressure, that’s when I’m at my best.

Here are some of their e-pix.  Enjoy!

In one of those rare occasions, Giao actually accompanied me to the photo shoot!  She had just finished Lesley’s hair & makeup trial and all of a sudden decided to come with us.

She hadn’t done that since last year.

Here are some of our favorite image of that day.  Enjoy!

Giao and I were brainstorming one night on how we can combine her bridal makeup and hair services with my photography and we came up with (among other exciting news) our Signature Photo Session!

How is this service different from the regular e-session you ask?  Well, the regular e-session that is part of my photography packages is 2 hours long.  It’s complimentary to all my Collections and a great way for me to get to know the couples better.  Well, it’s a two way street really.  The couples in turn get to know my quirky ways of getting the pictures they want!  Win-win situation.

In contrast, the Signature Photo Session offers the following:

• Can be for an engagement session or an aftershoot (a.k.a. Trash The Dress, day after session, etc)
• 3.5 hours photo session
• Hair & makeup by Giao Nguyen
• 10×10 album from the session
• 4×6 prints
• Hi-res images on disk

The first line is important!  You can book us for a pre-wedding engagement session OR a post-wedding aftershoot.  Most weddings are so hectic and rushed that there’s often little time for quality portraits.  With the extended time, we can hit up to 3 locations to get different looks to the images.  Something literally impossible to do on a wedding day.

The Signature Photo Session will be included in a couple of my new 2011 Collections or can be booked separately (please send me an email to inquire about availability).  I’ll be making further announcements in future blog posts about changes to the photography product and services.

Connie and Nick were gracious enough to test out the new service offering and I’m glad to say that things couldn’t have turned out better!  Are they not a great looking couple?

I had a blast being with them that day and got some amazing portraits.  Naturally we had to get some of my signature shots (now you know where I got the ‘Signature’ from!) of the San Francisco skyline!

Our 2011 calendar is steadily being filled so please contact us today and learn about our special offering.

Lily and Terry contacted me last year for the July 2010 wedding (can’t believe it’s just next month!) but to make things interesting, they both live and work in San Diego and their wedding is in Palo Alto.  The ceremony will be held at the Stanford Memorial Church.  Can’t wait!  It’ll be my first time shooting there so it will be awesome!

With the wedding approaching, we had to schedule Lily’s hair & makeup trial with Giao and get the engagement session taken care of ASAP.

Lily had a special request to hit the cable car at the turnaround on Market Street.  We met up with one of Terry’s friend there and we all had a great time hitting a couple of other spots.

Needless to say, their wedding will be just as picturesque as their engagement session!

Enjoy!

Nancy and Edwin asked me if it was possible to do the second half of their e-session capturing them working out.  I was intrigued to say the least.  I knew from our first consultation last year that they were fitness buffs but it wasn’t until the day of the e-session that I found out that they both competed in professional fitness competitions!

We started off at Union Square in San Francisco and moved to Chrissy Field to get some pix of them working out.  It was nearing sunset and it was getting chilly pretty fast.  I wished we had more time and more equipment because I had a ton of fun.  I could easily shoot this type of lifestyle pix for hours!

Enjoy!