The Awesome

i'm not a big fan of teasers... but every once in a while, i am sorting through thousands of images from someone's special day, when a single image reaches out, grabs me by the back of the neck, and whispers into my ear "i am The Awesome."

the following was such an image.

now, back to work.

Orange County Engagement Photography - Noel and Brett

stoked! stoked!! stoked!!!

i love my job, and i love noel & brett. noel & brett are the kind of laid-back, yet thoughtfully stylish kind of people i love to shoot. and though carlie & i already had the chance to meet noel last fall, at one of our favorite spots in the oc [the gypsy den @ the lab], we had yet to meet the man she fell in love with.

so, when we pulled back up to costa mesa for their engagement shoot, carlie & i were excited to get to know brett a little more. his calm demeanor seemed to bring out even more of noel's personality, and now it was obvious...

these two were meant for each other.

check it. engagement shoot complete, roof-tops and all.





my first car was a 1969 vw beetle...

...but not this one.











down for the cause.

San Diego Wedding Photography - Emily and Braden

emily & braden exude my favorite adjective: intentional. every word, every touch, every detail, seems specifically chosen in context. and yet, they are not stuffy. in fact, emily & braden are... well... simply put... perfect.

they plan on-purpose, yet respond to the moment with true passion. their friends and family adore them, and strangers grow to love them, quickly becoming friends. and, in it all, they love story. as a gift that has passed back and forth during their dating & engagement days, emily & braden have archived their story in a journal; a journal that tells their story, from their heart.

when dealing with such intentional & passionate people, the pressure rises from within. i want nothing less than to honor emily & braden's story through the photos captured, and i pray that these images stamp their mark on this particular chapter.

emily & braden, you are now man & wife. and, carlie & i couldn't be more excited for the two of you.

The Icing in the Cake

when you finish watching, make sure to go check out melody @ her sweet & saucy shop [your taste buds will be stoked you did]. thanks melody, for making the best red-velvet cake to ever cross the threshold of my face.

and jasmine, thanks a million for your friendship & for the occasional favor ;) and, though it has been stated a thousand times in countless other blogs & personal conversations, i can't help but say, you are fabulous.

and, of course, THE woman that lets me be me, and still chooses to stick around. carlie renee davis, you are it for me. i love you more than words... that's why i thought a video might work.

enjoy.

Orange County Engagement Photography - Jenelle & Byron

they make a quaint little family: jenelle, byron, and blitz. so, when we pulled up to their home on that warm early-summer afternoon, carlie & i were excited to meet the whole family.

we had already met jenelle & byron, when they took the short trip to our home studio & client lounge in ladera ranch. but, as for blitz, we had only heard stories. and, after a brief introduction, inclusive of sporadic barking & sniffing, blitz welcomed carlie & i to capture a few frames of their quaint little family.

and though, blitz, you won't be joining us for the trip down to cabo next month, for jenelle & byron's destination wedding, you will be missed my friend. i'll make sure to have a margarita for you.

and now for the hotness, also known as jenelle & byron...





hops... imagine what he could do with some jordan's.












enjoy.the.story.

Mission San Juan Capistrano Engagement Photography - Megan and Dom

mrs. tori sepulveda, my high school art teacher taught me the fine art of laying the foundation before creating a piece of art; the art of priming a canvas. rather than going to town on a stark white surface, she instructed us to throw down a quick wash of color. and for some reason, just that thin layer of paint & water was enough of a foundation to spring a complete, and eventually refined, work of art. and, in those rare spots, void of any further brush stroke, a little color would still show through.

quite like a canvas, i feel it is essential to first know my client's, before attempting to lay out their story in photographs. who are they? not just what do they do... where do they live... what are their occupations... when did they get engaged... those things are all important, but what is more important is who they are. what is there essence.

with great honor, i give you megan & dom. i have been fortunate enough to catch glimpses of their relationship since their introduction. in fact, megan, dom, and myself, all crossed paths at about the same intersection in our lives. and, i pinch myself to think, "what if i had known then..." what if i had known, that just a handful of years later, would megan & dom join their stories into one; their story.

megan & dom, carlie & i love you guys. and to everyone else, here they are: megan & dom.

Vintage Wedding Photography - Julie and Jeremy

he smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. it was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life.

although a quote from fitzgerald's "the great gatsby," it was also the way he smiled at her. it was the way he smiled, as he poetically articulated how he would lay down his life for his new bride. jeremy described julie as his "beginning," ushering in that quality of eternal reassurance.

the rest of the day overflowed with class. and, from the first part of the day, to the final toast, julie & jeremy's wedding overflowed with class. and, to no surprise, the elements were perfectly reflective of the early part of the 1900's and some of the couple's favorite works of literature, including "the great gatsby."

here are a handful of moments from julie & jeremy's story. you may notice that the images carry a bit of a different aroma than the standard gabriel.ryan. "look," as carlie took a bit of creative reign to continue the vintage feel of the grand occasion.

enjoy.their.story.