On a very typical San Francisco summer day, which means very cold (!), I spent some time with Kristin and Brian.  After rocking this engagement shoot, I just can’t wait for their wedding, and the great thing is that I won’t have too wait for long at all. They are getting married this Friday! Kristin wanted some glamorous pics so I was quite happy to oblige since I am having so much fun with dramatic poses lately. Kristin was also so brave to face the winter-like temperatures in her sexy outfits. Brian was just so easy going making her girl happy. Our first stop was De Young Museum, which was closed on a Monday, and that worked quite well for us as the area all for ourselves.

Yes, yes, using filters again.. but with this ‘rad’ wall it’s just way too tempting…

Next we thought the weather at the Embarcadero was going to be warmer, but the clouds followed…

Stay tuned next week for Kristin and Brian’s wedding favorites!

One of my favorite weddings from 2009 has been published on Style Unveiled blog. Check it out as Stacie talks about her special Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding.

I am back after 3 weeks of vacation if you were wondering about my blog absence! While relaxing and EATING in Italy, I was most lucky to be in the vicinity of Locanda Del Sant’Uffizio for their official presentation party. The Locanda is 15 minutes drive from Asti in the Monferrato region (in Piemonte), land of great wines, the new Tuscany, how I like to call it. The Locanda is an enchanted event venue and I was invited to spend a couple of days by Laura Pavanati, the Event Manager. The Locanda was an old Monastery, now revived by the incredible vision of his director, Michele Alberti. Besides his peaceful and breathtaking surroundings, the Locanda is a beautiful and elegant location for weddings, events or simply to spend a few relaxing days enjoying the views and the activities provided by the Locanda (wine tours, tennis, the outdoor pool and the ‘in house’ delicious cuisine). I was in awe of the attention to details everywhere!

A little breakfast nook, and here I surprised director Michele Alberti enjoying breakfast with wife Alessia.

Marble stairs leads us in the night area, this elegant corridor brings us to the most important suite, n.40, which is offered as a gift to any bride and groom that books their event here.

The fresco on the wall is a jaw dropper, too bad I didn’t have my wide angle lens with me.. me and my need to travel light on vacation! This room is a must see. And, how about the view from the bride and groom suite…

The Locanda has only been open since March 2010. They are currently booking events/weddings for 2011. I think it’s a fabulous place for a weekend destination wedding, in their elegant setting tasting their delicious food (word of an italian!) you will feel in heaven. You can email Laura Pavanati with your questions at info@locandadelsantuffizio.net

Jennifer and Mike chose an intimate corner of Bol Park in Palo Alto to celebrate their wedding with a small audience of family and friends attending their special day. This was mostly a DIY wedding with the precious touch of Audrey Lee’s beautiful flower arrangements. I am so thankful for that orange touch!

Audrey’s creation for the ceremony site was also my lucky background for some romantic pics of Jennifer and Mike and a few formals with their family and friends. Here’s Jenn with her happy dad and her sister and close friends.

Moving to another spot in Bol Park had to deal with plain sun light, so decided to soften these images with a vintage filter, I loved the ‘country background’ too much to miss it.

When I visited Bol Park with Jennifer and Mike for a picture scouting a few weeks before the wedding, Mike noticed that the names on the playground horses where their own names! How perfect for a fun photo, Bol Park was meant to be! Wishing Jen and Mike a world of happiness, they are a sweet pair!

A note for my readers: I will be on vacation for 3 weeks so probably not updating the blog for a while. Enjoy this wonderful summer time and take care… Looking forward to be back with all the exciting events that August has in store for me. Stay tuned.

It is such a thrill for me to discover new places for my Family Portrait Photography. A client on mine introduced me to Foothill Park, accessible to Palo Alto residents only. And on a weekday morning it was practically all mine! It was great to see the adorable Cohen’s family again. After a tough year in their lives due to an almost fatal accident, it was such a blessing to see them all doing well and being so happy.. the kids have such a special bond, you can really tell they have so much fun with each other…

About 700 children registered for 2010 Ryan’s Ride! As every year we were blessed with a splendid sunny day, I imagine Ryan smiling, looking down at us as we honor his memory… Year after year I see all these kids coming back again, it’s such an emotion to see them grow, mature. It’s fun to watch all their bike gear, or their concentration… they are so committed! Ryan’s brother Matthew was so excited to be riding in the category with the 9 years old for the first time this year! And at the end of the finish line there is ice-cream and entertainment waiting.. it’s really the kids day! I collected my favorites in this slideshow, which I dedicate it to Michele, John and Matthew Phua with all my love,  for their friendship and continuous inspiration.  The Pictures from Ryan’s Ride can be purchased at the following link (register and you will be notify when photos will be available) www.pictage.com/863350.

Ready to be delivered, here’s Melanie and Ben’s wedding album. You may be familiar with this couple as we already featured their engagement, wedding, slideshow and we did it session.  Melanie and Ben’s preparation started at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco…

Here we are at St. Ignatius church waiting for the ceremony to begin, lots of emotions as family members come to visit for quick congratulations.

it’s time for the ceremony…

a few formals… a must have in the wedding album to make the family happy. I would have loved to shoot formals outdoors but it was quite a windy day, San Francisco style!

And here’s the Pacific Athletic Club staff members preparing for the reception and party can begin when Melanie and Ben are announced!

A few collage pages, normally I would like to display less photos, but I know how much the bride and groom want to see as many friends as possible in their album, after all they made their day so special!

And now, more emotional moments on the dance floor…

I love the next few pages… Melanie and Ben had a tight schedule on their wedding day, so we decided to shoot a ‘we did it’ session a couple of weeks after the wedding in Holbrook Park, plus Melanie wanted a real Fall theme for their photos and waiting those two extra weeks made the timing just perfect at the Park. I wish I could have always as much time to play around with the camera with all my brides and grooms!

At my new studio in Mountain View, Boudoir photo shoots are blooming. I am so happy with my new studio location and all the natural light I get to enjoy and put to great use. This Peninsula Boudoir photo shoot, featured Miss T. who kindly allowed me use a couple of the super sexy images we came up during a Classic Boudoir session.. she plans a very special gift for her soon to be husband… a very lucky man!

A super big thank you to Yeonji Williams for her fabulous make up work!

Like every year, this Sunday June 27th 2010 I will be the official photographer of Ryan’s Ride, the annual event to honor the life of beloved Ryan Phua. I photographed Ryan and his twin brother Matthew for the first time when they were 6 months old and became really close to the Phua’s Family along the years. My dear friends Michele and John are such an incredible inspiration to all the people in their lives. Ryan’s Ride is part of the Burlingame Criterium and supports the Lance Armstrong Foundation, so join us numerous, bring your kids and their bikes -or tricycles – and support a great cause. Links of the pictures of the event will be posted at www.ryansride.org.  This is the latest newsletter of Ryan’s Ride with all the information you need to join us and remember you still have time to register at the event.

You can’t miss this fun event.. Enjoy a few precious moments from last year’s event in this slideshow

As I am preparing for my upcoming workshop Through Your Eyes,  I will share a couple of tips on posing families today. Graduation time is also often time to reunite with family members who live long distance, it’s a great occasion to consider a big family portrait. What a precious photograph to look at year after year, grandma, sons and nephews all together. It’s a bit more formal then my usual style but turned to be fun once my models got more relaxed and started playing with each other.

Once the kids started to goof around with each other, the energy changed and the seriousness was gone, everyone looked relaxed and had a good time. In these candid poses, the heads of my subjects are close, the hands and arms entertained. When posing, and in candids, I think hands play a major role, they can express so much.. unity, love, care. I always tell my subject to entertain their hands, show the love!

Grandma was the focal point of our shoot, she flew all the way from China! We used a chair to make her feel comfortable, and this way also helpful to pose everyone around her, some standing, some leaning or kneeling on her side.

When posing couples, I like heads to be as close as possible and posing the subject a bit more on the side of my frame, makes it more interesting to me, gives the shot more energy.

Let’s not forget the goofy shots, you do it for fun but sometimes they are just irresistible!

But in the end, it’s all about the ladies…