Ellie Grover Photography

I HAVE A NEW BLOOOOOGGGG!!!!

2010-03-07T21:46:00.001-08:00

*********************************************

ATTENTION!

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!

Until I can figure out how to forward this
site, may I ever so kindly "re-direct" your
attention to THIS shiny new blog...

www.elliegrover.com/blog

Also, If I'm linked on your site I would love it
if you wouldn't mind re-refreshing the old
link with the new!

THANKS!

*********************************************

ANDREW & BREANNE: ENGAGMENTS

2010-02-18T14:17:00.001-08:00

I shot Breanne's sisters wedding (Janelle & Mike) a little over a year ago and her older sister is one of my greatest friends. If this family weren't so spread all over the vastness of California I might just be their photographer of the year :) Thanks for choosing me again Crosses! I am so blessed by couples that can laugh together like best friends. Thanks for the fun times and I can't wait for the wedding!

JOHN & ALYSSA: WEDDING

2010-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait for this wedding! These two are just the sweetest, "snuggly-est" couple ever :) I hope you can see their love throughout this beautiful new years eve wedding!

(the calligraphy on the cards above was all done by hand!)

Happy New Year!

CARLOS & PEARL: ENGAGMENTS

2010-02-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

I love couples that laugh together - and these two could win awards for laughter! :) Thank you for making this session so much fun guys, I can't wait to see the joy you bring to your wedding day!

MIKE & MAYA: ENGAGMENTS

2010-01-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

The clouds stayed but the rain left for all of one day... just so we could take these photographs :) What a sweet, sweet couple - I can't wait for the wedding this summer!

BILL & ASHLEY

2010-01-12T12:45:00.001-08:00

It might have taken us just a little longer to find the perfect spots for this shoot (a few minor weather/train track dramas along the way) - but it was well worth it :) Ashely and Bill, you guys are such a sweet couple, I'm so excited for the two of you!

THE DAVIS FAMILY

2009-12-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Although the forecast was not looking too good for us - as fate would have it - it ended up being one of the most beautiful days of the year! Apparently it snows about 'once every 8 years' here, and we were lucky enough to be photographing while it was still clinging to the ground :) This family was so much fun!

And another one on the way.... :)

RONIN

2009-12-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

I just love newborn babies...

THE LENZ FAMILY

2009-12-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

This family invited me out to their house to take these photos - I can't believe people get to live in places like this! I love this sweet family!

I love this photo!

THE ROWE FAMILY

2009-12-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

These guys were so easy to photograph, they're sort of the perfect family in front of my camera - even the dog was well behaved :) Thanks Rowe family, you guys are the best!

These girls aren't good at being serious for long...

... I don't know if you can tell :)

I love this!

TOKI & CRAIG: WEDDING

2009-12-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

You might remember these two from, oh, I don't know, my last post! Well they're back and it's better than ever! I am so excited about these photos and I couldn't be happier for this charming couple - congratulations Toki and Craig!

This was the most amazing garter toss extravaganza I've EVER seen! He had everyone laughing so hard! (and yes, that's a squirt gun in his hand)

Thank you Craig and Toki for letting me be a part of such an amazing day!

CRAIG & TOKIKO : ENGAGMENTS

2009-12-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

Craig and Toki met in culinary school and both went on to work some pretty amazing jobs in the restaurant industry. I would love to be a guest in their kitchen! The time between our first meeting and the actual wedding was short, but sweet :) I absolutely loved every minute with these two - they are so sweet with each other!

Engagements tonight - wedding soon to follow...

THE HOLT GRANDKIDS

2009-12-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

(or maybe I should have entitled this post - a whole boat load of the cutest children on earth! .... but seriously....)

I wish I had half as much style as these little ones!

Smile, don't smile... still just as cute as could be! :)

She was such a good sport with all these little ones!

LOVE it! :)

I wish that was my Christmas dress as a child... just saying...

T.R.O.U.B.L.E

Cousins!

And I leave you with this to conclude:

Wow. My eyes hurt from cuteness overload. I'm going to have to go take a break.

DOWLING FAMILY

2009-12-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

Dogs make eveything 10 times more fun :) .... or maybe I'm just saying that cause I have a dog now... and I'm a little biased.

CHRISTMAS CARDS ARE HERE!

2009-12-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

This year Ellie Grover Photography is offering exclusive Christmas Card designs! I am so excited to be printing my very own cards for the first time - created by myself and the talented Emily Mendez of Frenchie and Flea!

Each card is professionally printed on high quality, thick matte paper in your choice of:

5x7 single sided flat cards
5x7 double sided flat cards
5x7 folded cards
4x5.5 postcards

Of course I'd love to work with you to create that special card you've been dreaming of, so don't hesitate to ask for custom options!

Below are a few examples, hope you enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

e-mail me here or here for orders/options:

elliegrover@gmail.com

MCCLURE FAMILY

2009-12-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

This family really made the magical forest light happen... or maybe that was the magical forest, either way, I love this session!

:)

Karisa & Arvind Featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs!

2009-12-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled to have one of my weddings from this summer featured on EAD! Karisa and Arvind's wedding was absolutely amazing - and not to mention almost compeletly DIY - even more amazing right? You can take a double look at some of the details on in THIS FEATURE!

A Little word about Elizabeth Anne Designs...

EAD is the place to go to find inspiration for your upcoming wedding! From the featured real weddings, DIY projects, to beautiful inspiration boards and vendor listings, you'll find plenty of creativity for everything wedding! She also features a sister site called EAD living that's awesome as well! Check her out here!

THE PAYNE FAMILY

2009-12-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Adorable family, adorable child and a new one on the way... I had way to much fun with these guys!!

This is absolutely the cutest jacket I've ever seen a little boy wear :)

(They even brought their Polaroid camera, nothing makes a kid smile like a picture of himself! Right?)

RYAN & BRIANA: ENGAGED

2009-11-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

Photographing engagements is one of my all time favorite things to do - so happy, so in love! It's contagious! :)

HENDRIX FAMILY

2009-11-19T23:48:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year... and I am LOVING the family sessions right now, aren't these guys so adorable!?

:)

OLIVE

2009-11-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Warning, more cute little girl-ishness up ahead...

I love how these photos came out, so full of light and sweet little expressions! Can't you just tell her parents treasure this little one!

THE SAIKI FAMILIES!

2009-11-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

These two beautiful families are very special to me. Those of you who know me recognize the name, but for the rest of you, you can check back here for details on my mom's recent marriage into this amazing family! Here are some of my new bothers, sisters nieces and nephews, and I couldn't be happier to call them family...

Kate is just about the cutest little curly-haired girl I've ever seen, how am supposed to stop taking pictures of this sweetness?!

And then there's these sweet brothers... being boys :)

Both of these families brought some pretty amazing props...

This describes them all pretty well I think :)

Oh darn... another one just snuck in there somehow at the end (gosh she's so cute!) :)

AMANDA & CONNER: SENIORS!

2009-11-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

I have WAY too much fun taking photos of graduates, they make me feel like I should be paying them... (maybe don't tell them I said that). Anyway, these two are awesome:

ABBEY & KELLEN MATERNITY

2009-11-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

Abbey has been a good good friend of mine since college, we lived 3 years of our lives in far too close of a proximity, and as a result... friends for life. I was so very proud to be able to capture some of these exciting moments for her and Kellen - we can't wait for you in just a few short weeks baby Bryce!

______

An extra "blooper" at the end, my favorite, just so you know... :)

BRANDON & STEPHANIE: WEDDING

2009-10-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, I've been severely neglecting my blog lately, I know, so I figure to make up for it I'll just post a few, (or maybe a whole lot), more photos on this post! Here is Brandon and Stephanie, the last wedding on the books for Bakersfield this year :) They were such fun, a lot of laughing and limousine riding going on...

Check out these flowers, LOVE them!

Stephanie, your SO beautiful!

The mother son and father daughter dances were so touching at this wedding!

Brandon and Stephanie, thank you for letting me be a part of your beautiful day!!

JOHN+ALYSSA: ENGAGED

2009-09-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Alright, so these guys score a 10 on the cute couple scale. I knew I was going to like this session when I told them in typical Ellie fashion, 'go stand in those weeds over there and just talk to each other for a sec...' yeah, I have great skills - anyway, the first thing she says when she looks into his eyes is: 'I'm so lucky to get to marry you!' I LOVE that! John and Alyssa, I can't wait till this December, you guys make my day!

Look at that antique ring, soooo pretty!

I loved both of these... :)

I told them at the end that their shoes said a lot... I love discovering the little differences in couples, just as much as I love their similarities. These red high heels just look so much sweeter next to his favorite pair of old sneakers, don't they?

WHITMAN FAMILY

2009-09-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sweetest family ever! Thank you guys for waking up early and following me around! Of course I picked the photo where the bunnies are flying and moose ears are in full swing to go first; but don't let that fool you into thinking they're just like everyone else... the next couple photos are what every family secretly wishes they looked like, A+ on the formation guys!

Why do I like this photo so much? She's so cute and I love dad's glasses poking around for a peek of her cute smile :)

Aren't they just so sweet!

MATT & JENNIFER: ENGAGMENT

2009-09-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how excited I am for my first Roseville wedding! These two are an amazing couple inside and out - I had an awesome time hanging out with them at this beautiful PARK! When they first asked if we could go there for the shoot I had to drill them on what this "park" looked like - you see, in Bakersfield, a park means golf course grass with stick trees... I should have trusted their better judgment - get ready for the park of my dreams and yellow galore! yes! (I guess I'm going to have to get used to this in NorCal!)

Can't wait till next May!

ARVIND & KARISA

2009-08-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

**Update: stay tuned for a really awesome video at the end of this post by Curtis Nemetz!**

Karisa and Arvind have such a unique and special story, I have been holding my breath over here to finally post these images! The couple met in India - Karisa on a long term missions trip and Arvind serving in the country full-time. It wasn't until Karisa's last day that Arvind made his feelings known, and today they've made it past the hurdle of a long distance relationship all the way to their marriage vows on the first of August! They will both serve as full-time missionaries in India together in just a few short months! This was a wedding that will come back to me over and over again, the joy, the tears, the true and piercing beauty that radiates from faithful servants fulfilling their calling...

I really just can't get enough of these shoes - green! yes!

Karisa, you are SO beautiful!

They met each other for the first time that day on the train tracks!

When the guys "flowers" arrived I couldn't believe it - so ingenious!

A little leapfrog never hurt anyone...

I love this moment of worship during the ceremony

The reception was awesome (and it was just outside the church building- so creative)! Casual seating arrangements so everyone had to mingle a little :)

every table was unique...

complete with a kids table...

and a CUTE photo booth...

While guests were enjoying chai tea and coffee we ran out to a hill behind the church for a few more photos!

The reception at night!

I felt truly honored to be a part of this wedding - thank you THANK YOU Karisa and Arvind - God bless you both and your ministry in India!

**********
Here's a little plug for my favorite videographer on the planet - Curtis Nemetz - Take a look at these moments through his eyes... so amazing!

Arvind and Karisa from curtis nemetz on Vimeo.

Curtis

PAUL & WHITNEY

2009-08-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

I traveled back to my hometown to shoot this one - and not just my hometown, but "downtown", are you ready for some good old Bakersfield backgrounds?! I started off with the groomsmen in their favorite bar...

Love this shot of the groom!

Headed over to meet the girls getting ready in "the pink room" (as I call it) at the church...

I love stained glass windows!

Off to the park for the photo montage!

And then there was the reception!

This reception was a PARTY - this next slew of photos is dedicated to awesomely embarrassing :) "moves"...

What a sweet night! Thank you Paul and Whitney for letting me a part of your day, it was beautiful!

GANIBON-HAYES FAMILY

2009-08-16T14:49:00.001-07:00

Here's a cute little family that I've grown to love since my move :) I'm still loving the nature of Roseville, so fun to photograph in! Fun fact: this is actually one of the most "normal" photo shoots this family has ever experienced - I was told that in most of this families photographs Mickey Mouse sneaks his way in somewhere, and more than likely a costume change two! ... next time....

............. KINGSLEY ................

2009-08-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Meet Kingsley. I've been waiting a long time for this little one! I can't believe the Grovers finally have a dog! YES!! There are plenty of people who needed a sneak peek of this little guy so I thought I'd put him up here for the world to see, he deserves to be seen by the world after all... wouldn't you agree?

Meeting our cat, Owen

First bath - I'm excited, he's...

Kingsley and his new favorite toy/brother Jerry - He doesn't discriminate.

Aly & Joey's Wedding Featured on Olive Rue...

2009-08-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little late but I wanted to make sure and give a little shout out to Crystal over at Olive Rue for featuring my wedding photographs along with the Baker family's amazing talent at creating such lovely weddings! Thanks Crystal!

Joey&Aly featured on...

2009-07-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

Joey and Aly's wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty - a popular site for weddings ideas, galleries, DYI projects and more! Check it out here, here, here and here!

Also, while you're at it you can take a look at more of the wedding details on my good friend and sister of the bride's site Frenchie & Flea! Emily is an amazing graphic designer and friend, she created the bride's program, menus and invitations - simple and beautiful - you will love her work!

JOEY & ALY

2009-07-27T17:13:00.001-07:00

Aly's family and I go back to when I was born... she has two sisters, I have two sisters and we grew up playing together! I love this family and I couldn't wait to photograph the wedding - especially after meeting her sweet groom, Joey! They met up a Hume Lake Christian Camp and have a very sweet and special relationship. They are both so fun to be around, I hope you can see the joy on their faces throughout the day!

So sweet...

Joey's laugh is contagious, I love this one during the ceremony!

Aly, you are just gorgeous!!

It was such a beautifully done wedding, I truly had so much fun shooting all the pretty details! So many beautiful details...

What a special and beautiful day! Thanks again for letting me a part of your day, I love you guys!

PETER & MEGAN

2009-07-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

I first met up with Megan and peter at an airport to take their engagement photos, right from the start I was convinced that this was going to be an awesome wedding! They were so sweet with each other and so in love. Being a small backyard wedding, family and close friends overwhelmed this intimate setting with their love and good wishes. Peter's two children where both in the wedding party - how sweet is that?! what a pleasure to witness such a close and personal event, truly a love story worth telling... in pictures!

They kept the airplane theme in the wedding too! The guests found their seating arrangements by picking up a hand-folded airplane and following it to their corresponding "airport" abbreviated on some of Megan and Peter's engagement photos at each table - so sweet!

High fives!!

What would a wedding be without a jumping picture?

These hummingbirds represent a sweet story that Megan and peter share - and also make a very special cake topper!

I didn't eat any of these cupcakes.... Ok, maybe just one or two...

these old books were on every table setting, I absolutely LOVE old books, and I thought they made a great background for a ring shot... like a fairy tale :)

Thank you for letting me be a part of your day Peter and Megan - you guys are awesome!

CHRIS & DANA

2009-06-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Chris is the son of my eight grade teacher, a very special teacher in my life, I was so pleased to be a part of his big day! Chris is a kind and caring man, strong and silent - Dana is a sweet match for Chris, funny, loud and awesome :) Chris + Dana, well... it's so true that opposites attract (even when you don't want them to, right guys?!?)! What a fun couple and an absolutely beautiful wedding!

Look at those blue eyes! wow!

Here they come....

So after the ceremony, since they were so amazing as to finish off the bridal party and ALL the family shots BEFORE the festivities even began - wow!- Chris and Dana let me steal just them for almost an hour before the reception this was the most rad time of bride and groom photo-epicness ever! (we even rode around on a golf cart train! Ok, maybe that doesn't sound as cool as it was...)

(I think this is my favorite!)

These four were marathon dancers!

Here's to Chris and Dana and many more years of celebration to come! Thanks for letting be a part of your day!

THE MACDIARMID FAMILY

2009-06-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

These beautiful people were the only friends my husband Eddie and I had moving up to Roseville - they've introduced us to everyone we know - we love them :)

Two more of these sweet little boys are on the way, can you believe it! I'm so excited!

This is the most beautiful pregnant woman ever, right?! I know.

I know Katie is not a fan of the frontal belly shots... but I just love how she's carrying her (now empty) case of m&m's in her left hand - even the best of the best resort to good old fashioned bribery in the face of imminent defeat :)

PETER & MEGAN: ENGAGMENT

2009-06-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

They took me to the airport! I love it when I get to go on little adventures and explore new places, I had so much fun re-discovering the old Bakersfield Airport with these two. That's Peter's plane too, how awesome is that! The wedding is coming up in less than two weeks and after meeting up with them I am more excited than ever, I can't wait!
(p.s. if any certain person reading this who happens to have his pilot license would like to pick me up and fly me to Bakersfield for the festivities that would be awesome too.)

Megan was most definitely a fan of jumping pictures - Megan, I have to tell you, I NEVER get tired of the jumping picture!! Thanks for joining me in my jumping picture fan club :)

WEEDS...

2009-05-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

... are sometimes the most fascinating subjects to me

Im heading to Bakersfield for an engagement session and a wedding... more pictures to come soon!

THE ALEXANDER FAMILY

2009-05-19T13:26:00.001-07:00

What a sweet little family! I get so inspired by all the new places I have to explore, I hope I didn't wear these three out trekking around my neighborhood in such hot weather for a little over an hour :) I can say it was well worth it for how these turned out! You are a beautiful family, and it was so great to meet and hang out with the three of you!

"Fall in Love... workshop" with CAMERON INGALLS

2009-05-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of being among six other very talented photographers for a day in San Luis with Cameron Ingalls and his wife Anna! I was truly inspired by his story and love for photography! I learned so much in such a short amount of time, I wish it could have been longer! We spent the morning with Cameron at a friends studio, then headed out for (a really yummy!) lunch, back for more lecture and then out to the fields of Holland Ranch for a practice engagement shoot. The photos are from the shoot with Pelt and Marissa who are actually getting married at this ranch later this year! Cameron let us in on his "pre-engagmenet engagment shoot" :) It was a beautiful day full of photography, learning and photography! (I even won a new little Holga at lunch, yes! I can't wait to play with it!!)

Here are a few shots of all of us!

I love this one of Cameron in action, the back of his shirt sums it up to me :)

Thank you Cameron for such an inspiring day - and thanks to all the fellow artists out there who made this day so special:

Hair+Makeup: Sunnie Brooke Jones

Print Lab: Pro DPI

Web + Design: 805 Collective

Meeting Space: Cana VP

Wedding Photography Unveiled: Jose Villa

Flowers: Adornments

Engagement Session Venue: Holland Ranch

Operations Coordinator: Anna Ingalls

THE HARDIN FAMILY

2009-05-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Such a beautiful family! I can't believe the awesome trees and grass in my new town! It's been so fun for me to explore different place to photograph what I love :) These turned out awesome - and thank you Hardin family for exploring with me, I had such a great time with all of you!

SOPHIA

2009-04-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am just a little behind on a couple family/portrait sessions over here.... it seems like forever that ago that I photographed this beautiful little girl! Sophia, her mother and I met in a small field for our session, (one of the first places I discovered as I drove through my new town). Sophia had no problem running through the grass and playing with the flowers for me! She climbed into trees, ran down pathways and even stood on top of an old washing machine - she was so easy going and so so sweet - what a beautiful little lady :)

meet Sophia....

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING OF ALL...

2009-04-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

I can't express in words how sweet this wedding was for a lot of close people in my life. This beautiful bride is my mother, and her equally charming groom is a most amazing man as well. After years of living a hard life alone, each with their own separate struggles, they were blessed with the company of each other. They fell in love and were married just weeks ago! I've known Jim's family for years and I am overjoyed to have gained this new extension of brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews! What a testimony to God's grace...

(and yeah, I'm allowed to post a lot of photos when it's my own mother's wedding!!)

THE STORY OF JIM & CHERYL

How funny is this?!

They were married at the Santa Barbara Courthouse, who knew a courthouse could be so awesome! It was a beautiful day and a beautiful place!

Father of the bride...

My talented sister took this shot while I was singing the communion song - that's my husband!

I just love this moment, right after the ceremony - look at how her arms are wrapped up inside his jacket...

afterward, the whole family walked across the street to an awesome restaurant called Elements

The courthouse at night!

I love you Mom... and praise God for the love you found in Jim... Congratulations to you both!

SENIORS: part 4

2009-04-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the last installment of my adventures with the Seniors of Bakersfield - and what an awesome pair of people I saved for last! I love these girls, they are simply amazing. Smart, talented and sweet. They let me be a little tired and crazy during their time to shine, and we ended up with some really great photos and just a few :) fun moments...

meet GRACE

and LEXUS

And again, just so everyone is clear, we didn't have any fun at all...

SENIORS: part 3

2009-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what to say about Drew and Phil, except that I never thought I would be able to handle hanging out with the two of them put together for the afternoon... :) we had such an awesome time, and I LOVE these photographs!

meet DREW

and PHIL

Disclaimer: Don't try this on other normal photo shoots - or at home for that matter.

SENIORS: part 2

2009-03-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

This time we all woke up a little bit earlier to catch some good light, that is until someone who is not to be mentioned and doesn't happen to be represented in this first photo decided to show up just a little late...

meet COOPER

ISAAC

and RICHARD.

SENIORS!

2009-03-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

So being that I used to live in Bakersfield and work with a whole bunch of great high school students, the demand for senior photos this year was a bit large :) I made an extra trip back to Bako to hang out with these wonderful people... and we had an awesome time! Here's the first group of four - introducing:

MEGHAN

NATHAN

and PAUL

... :)

just having fun...

2009-03-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

I went out on a little walk around my house the other day and took a few shots of my surroundings. I didn't get much, but since things are a little slow when you move towns, I thought I'd share some of my favorites :)

I am just fascinated by all the nature we have in our new town, did you know Sacramento is called "The City of Trees"?!

I stumbled across an old piano someone had smashed to pieces, and I think I just might have to make something out of some of its remains... :)

PROOF BOOKS!

2009-03-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

I just had this beautiful proof book sent to me so I could finally get some decent photographs of what one looks like for any who are wondering! I think it's a wonderful way to view all of your photos at a glance and choose the ones you'd like to print! It's also a neat little book to take around and show off to your friends, especially when you don't always have a computer around to view your disk. (not to mention the bonus of having a few large prints mixed in!) This is the standard 10x13 inch proof book that I am now offering with all my current wedding packages, enjoy!

BRIAN & KATIE

2009-02-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

I love these two, they were so sweet and so beautiful toward each other all day long! Katie's family is close to my heart as I have known them for a long time, Katie being my little sister's best friend since they were 5 years old! The day started out with a slew of pictures - we did it all from the bride's dress to the family photos! The forecast was rain, and we were lucky, (though it was cold), the sky was absolutely beautiful that day!

After our marathon of photos we headed to First Presbyterian for the ceremony! I loved the intimate moments during their first communion...

The reception was held at the Petroleum club, overlooking the town of Bakersfield. It was beautifully decorated from head to toe with charming handmade touches by a talented artist - Katie's own mother!

Things tend to get a little crazy when your party is awesome...

THE BEST FAMILY EVER

2009-02-10T21:56:00.001-08:00

Ok.... well I am slightly obligated to call them that, this so happens to be a family belonging to a great friend of mine, Lorie Chambless! And because this family has several different last names we're just going to stick with 'The Best Family Ever' - that is what I put on their CD and that is what I think of them. So, here you have it...

.... oh boy did we laugh a lot.

THE PAVLETICH FAMILY

2009-02-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

I hope you guys are liking these family photo posts as much as I am... or maybe I just like joining the world of being on top of all my blogging :) Here is a wonderfully beautiful family! I just love it when you can sense the closeness of a family just by looking at their photographs - I'm so glad we found a time to take these just days before I left Bakersfield!

one of my favorites... :)

THE BARTEL FAMILY

2009-02-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

How cute are these guys!?

I thought this was a beautiful photo, but we where having a bit of trouble getting the serious face off of this one...sometimes having to try a little harder just means having a little bit more fun (with some brotherly love mixed in) ...

Success!

THE BALLOCK BUNCH

2009-01-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

It's always a good time when I get to photograph children, but six at one time? AMAZINGLY fun! These kids are from two different families but get along like brothers and sisters, so sweet, so much fun! Meet.... The Ballock Bunch!

THE STEARNS FAMILY

2009-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

I love this family! They were so kind to follow me all around downtown Bakersfield, in the freezing cold (well, ok, cold for the desert - we have thinner skin people! It feels like freezing to us). I had a blast with you guys, thank you!

WELCOME TO 331

2009-01-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my home... I was getting just a small (ok, maybe a large) amount of pressure to post these pictures, and since I don't have a personal blog, everyone is invited! So, here is my wonderfully old house - my husband and I share this rented house with a cat, a creature in the wall and a backyard tenant! We love it - and so do you :)

Here's the view as you walk in the front door...

My new favorite detail, the typewriter (I'm not exactly sure how it ended up claiming the second desk... maybe I'm just getting tired of computers...)

Say hello to orange chair number two - that's right!

where I spend most of time time playing - I mean working. working.

Guest room. Why does everyone seem to be drawn to this color blue. If I had one ounce of painting energy this would be GONE. Sorry everyone - but your blue pains my eyes.

Kitchen.

boring bedroom.

And I mostly put this one in here because our toilet is now awesome. :)

Hope you enjoyed the tour - come and visit soon!

WE MOVED!

2009-01-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been quite some time since I last posted, (maybe I just have to accept my fate as a terrible blogger?), but this time I have a grand excuse - or at least something worth noting on this blog even - Eddie and I moved to Sacramento (Roseville to be exact) this month! Just in case you weren't sure where...

It has been a long and crazy month full of new adventures and now I'm finally coming back to reality and will resume my postings as normal...hopefully. Business here will change to say the least but I am excited about the new possibilities presented in being closer to Sacramento and the Bay Area!! I love this town! We are living in an awesome old house in downtown Roseville that was built in 1936 - I am absolutely loving it! As we search for a house of our own to buy I can't help but fall more in love with old houses, they are just so unique - and smelly and quirky and not perfect and fun! Anyway, thank you all for your patience as I made my way up north. I am still booking weddings all over California and I will be posting my last adventures with some families in Bakersfield over the next couple weeks!

(images courtesy of a good friend/non-photographer/but would do an awesome job if he was - Ryan MacDiarmid)

SEAN & JENNY

2008-12-18T11:27:00.001-08:00

Sean and Jenny are a stunning couple, both inside and out. Hanging out with these two for a day was way too much fun! I started out the day meeting up with one of my best friends, Lorie Chambless, and we began the photography adventures at Jenny's own shop, The Little White Dress, downtown. I absolutley loved these two! Beautiful wedding, awesome party, and some pretty ridiculous photos! (this is the part where I come up with some excuse for the massive amount of photos posted, but I have none- hope you all enjoy!) Thank you Sean and Jenny!

Here are a couple of Lorie's shots of the guys!

The only couple I've known to grab a milkshake after the ceremony! (this... I would highly recomend)

JOEY & ALY

2008-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Aly has been in my life since we were babies! Our moms were (and still are) close friends, so naturally Aly's oldest sister, (who is my age), and I were best of friends growing up and she stood by me as a bridesmaid in my wedding a few years ago! I love this girl, and I was so happy to be able to shoot her engagment photos. I am so looking forward to the wedding! Joey and Aly are a perfect match, we had an awesome time tromping through the field and even making friends with a horse or two.

FOUR MORE....

2008-12-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

THE FROEHLICH FAMILY

THE ANDERHOLT GIRLS

THE WARD FAMILY

THE SHOGREN FAMILY

BRANDON & STEPHANIE

2008-11-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

We went out to Hart park for this shoot, and it was a beautiful day! I'm looking forward to photographing the special day in September, such a sweet couple!

FAMILIES!

2008-11-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

OK, so I hope I'm not alone in saying that, I FEEL A LITTLE BEHIND! I know this is a busy season for all of us so I hope you all enjoy this splash of three families all in one post!
Sorry for the delay those of you who were waiting to see your photos up on my blog, I loved photographing you all, and here is your long awaited post...

THE OGDENS

THE GRUVERS

THE HOUCHINS

This actually happened... the phones came out and the book appeared out of no where, I swear, this just happened, in the middle of my shoot! Thanks Mrs. Houchin for always keeping the pose on.

THE BUCK FAMILY

2008-10-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

We had a nice day walking around the park trying to capture all five of these wonderful people in a photo, which turned out to be quite a feat because I think the littlest one was a little shy of the camera. And you know what happens when you're shy of the camera don't you? You get a million pictures of yourself!

KYNSLEE!

2008-10-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love that name? Such a sweet little girl, and so serious! She wasn't too fond of smiling, but she loved making this face....

This is just pure awesomeness:

HENNESSY FAMILY

2008-10-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

I love these guys... cute family, cute people, what else can I say? I mean look at that smile!

and then the kids decided we were done....

So I took the more energetic, persevering couple out for a shoot of their own!

CHRIS & JESS

2008-10-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

What can I say about my little San Fransisco wedding? I think they almost convinced me to move there! I fell in love with the city scene and I most definitly fell in love with this beautiful couple, they were so sweet and so awesome at the same time! A very creative pair, down to every detail of their two day wedding party. the first day I shot the ceremony at City Hall and then headed out into lower Haight with Chris and Jess...

... and the following day we had the time of our lives shooting the reception at a little restaurant called Foreign Cinema. The party was held in a small gallery in the back of the restaurant - a very unique and colorful location! I absolutely loved every minute of it!

DONOVAN

2008-09-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, this kid is KING of facial expressions as far as I'm concerned. He definitely kept me entertained! We had fun tromping around in someone else's backyard for these photos, I'm not sure if he enjoyed our attempts at making him into a pirate all that much... but either way, Donovan did an awesome and we certainly had a great time!

Baby hair... wild and free!

DENNIS & STEPHANIE

2008-09-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've ever met a more flexible bride than Stephanie! She let us put her in a bathtub, hang her dress off a balcony and followed Curtis (the amazingly talented videographer and good friend of mine) and I out to a field full of barns dirt and weeds... Dennis, you've got an incredible wife and thank you both for letting us have some fun on your day! Awesome wedding, beautiful story, and with the appropriate new last name of Muskrat we deemed this day as brimming with Muskrat Love. Enjoy the barrage of photos below!

ARVIND & KARISA

2008-08-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, my friend Karisa, who I grew up with, is the sweetest (and smartest) girl in the world! As the three of us were driving around downtown I heard the scoop on their meeting, and what a story these two have! Without going into too much detail - I'll leave the story for them to tell - the two met in India and started dating the day before Karisa moved back to the states. For the past year they have kept up their relationship long distance and just recently became engaged when Arvind came to visit Karisa. I had the privilege of spending some of their precious moments together with them! (they drove 2 hours to take some photographs with me!) Arvind left the next day for India and they are prepared to spend another year apart until the big day! You know that your love and commitment is far reaching when faced with what they have been through. Karisa, born and raised in California is planning on spending the rest of her life in India serving on the mission field with Arvind. Such an awesome story, I am so excited for them! I hope you can see the sweetness of their love in these photographs.

I know this might seem like a normal engagement session... but you just can't underestimate the things you'll do when it's HOT!

EUR O P E.

2008-08-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well.... I sort of went to Europe this summer. I took my camera too can you
imagine that? The combination of these to has caused a few people to continually
ask me when I'm posting pictures of this event. So for all you pestering and
rather bothersome people, here is a smathering of photos for your eyes only
(and anyone else who cares). I would like to dedicate these to my husband
who made me take "the small camera" - seems he's the only one who thinks
that things get stolen when you travel. I love you Eddie!

everywhere we went the "futbol" game was on....

and of course... us! (well at least the first one is me, I think Eddie
found a new friend for life!)

THE WILLIAMS KIDS

2008-07-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

cute little bugs... I love photographing children, they can't help but be
so cute. And these two certainly did not disappoint!

Nathan being a typical boy I suppose, wanted nothing to do with his sister getting in the way of his own personal camera-time - and believe me, little Elisabeth tried everything to get him to smile with her. At one point I guess you just have to give in, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'... and scream!

JOSH & AMY

2008-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Josh and Amy were full of love... and style! (I loved the Yellow bridesmaid's dresses!)
What a sweet and memorable wedding. Josh and Amy's ceremony was a powerful
example of faith and love for all who were there.

BRYAN

2008-06-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

4:30am
+
coffee
+
the grapevine
+
hiking way too far into an overgrown field to find a broken corral
=
the best photo shoot ever for my very talented friend Bryan

WES and ANDREA

2008-06-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

The setting for this ceremony was a gorgeously decorated backyard spilling over with
so many beautiful flowers... as well as close family and friends!
Such a sweet couple, you could tell they were loved by all who were there!

MIKE and JANELLE

2008-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

These two are in love! I can't tell you how refreshing it is to watch such overwhelming love on a wedding day, an awesome day for me and I'm sure for everyone else at the wedding. Janelle is the little sister one of my best friends and daughter to my mom's, so the day was filled with good friends and family. Just one big happy, smiley, wonderfully fun-filled day of photographing, wedding vows, and dancing!

CALE

2008-05-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Little ones are just too sweet, what a joy to photograph! Cale is adorable,
and also the child of a high school friend I haven't seen for a long while.
It was neat to be able to catch up and see what she and her new little guy were
up to these days!

CALEB and CASEY

2008-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

I love being downtown! There's always random surprises, like this random black
and white wall that conveniently matched Casey and Caleb's wedding attire.
These two are such nice people! I really felt honored to be able to photograph their
wedding. I am always so amazed when a couple can put up with my super stalker
camera skills for 7 hours and still say thank you when it's time for me to leave.
You guys were great, and congratulations!

JOEL & JENNA

2008-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

These two awesome Seniors are actually cousins. I've had the opportunity to hang out with Joel and Jenna a lot over the past couple of years as I volunteer at the church high school group they attend. Such sweet people, I had a great time with you guys downtown!

and a little bit of senior enthusiasm might have just escaped toward the end of our shoot:

Congratulations on.... almost graduating high school! It's coming soon!

THE SHOGREN FAMILY

2008-05-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

These are some of my best friends. I had such a great time photographing them along with the newest edition to their family, little Ethan!

STRANGE WORLD WE LIVE IN

2008-04-25T14:34:00.001-07:00

I was photographing some seniors downtown and this poster just begged to be noticed, I can't bear to imagine the fun I'll be missing out on come May 14th.

SACREMENTO

2008-04-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

first posts are just supposed to be awkward, well, getting on with it...
these are a few fun nature shots from a field in Sacramento. My husband
and I planned a fun weekend away with our friends and I ended up tromping
around in a field full of mosquitoes taking photographs. That kind of stuff
tends to happen to me a lot lately.

Of course we had to take a few jumping shots at the end...why not.

This is how our friend's daughter Macy felt about all the mosquitoes.
You'll understand why grown ups like to play in fields later Macy,
it will all make more sense when your older I'm sure.