We're Back :)

Well, paradise couldn't have been any more relaxing. What better way to start our trip than sipping on tropical drinks while listening to a live jazz band and looking at views of Bali Hai on Kauai's beautiful North Shore. Even the quick rain shower was refreshing and enhanced the setting. We took pictures of the amazing sunset we saw that first night but our camera phone didn't quite do the scene justice.
We had lots of visitors come to our patio door, we just didn't expect them to be large birds!

The following day was a highlight of the trip...an ATV tour at Kipu Ranch where we were treated to breathtaking land and seascapes and sites where many famous movie scenes were filmed.
By the way...I do not look as scary without the helmet gear.

I even swung from the same tree Indiana Jones did in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I was really proud of Gina being that it was her first time on an ATV and though she was a little timid at first, she decided to go it alone rather than ride tandem. As with most things, she picked up the skills quick and by the middle of the trip, I was having a hard time keeping up with the little speed demon.

The rest of the days were spent snorkeling and 'chillaxin' for some much needed R & R in popular beaches like Ke'e and Anini on the North Shore and the Poipu beaches on the South side of the island. Of course being the top chef that I am, we had to have a sunset bar-b-q overlooking the cliffs of our Princeville condo (thanks Mom & Dad for letting us use the timeshare!)

Any idea why bar-b-q's taste so much better in paradise?
Another highlight was the friend we met at Kalapaki Beach in Lihue, a 'honu' (Hawaiian sea turtle). It swam right by us while we were jumping the waves. It was so cool watching it play near the rocks, bobbing it's head up and down with each crashing wave. And according to traditional Hawaiian lore, seeing a honu brings good luck, so it was the perfect way to finish our trip!

UPDATE: We'll be out of the office from 8/2 thru 8/13. We've posted lots of new sessions below

for your viewing pleasure :) so don't forget to check them out!

Wedding at Bowers Museum

Bonnie and Peter had a gorgeous outdoor wedding at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. The ceremony was held in the beautiful mission style courtyard and the reception followed in the modern museum. After the ceremony, wedding guests were treated to exclusive access of the museum's exhibits during the cocktail hour and reception.

Peter and Bonnie were so fun to shoot, I think Bonnie has a side job as a supermodel, she was giving us some fierce poses and Peter's playful personality made for even more fun photos. During the reception, the happy couple played a slide-show of their seven year journey to matrimony and to say Bonnie and Peter have had an exciting life together is an understatement! From sky diving, to scuba diving (where Peter actually proposed to Bonnie underwater) to motorcycle riding, these newlyweds are true adrenaline junkies.

Bonnie and Peter, we hope you're having a great time on your honeymoon in Costa Rica! Check out some of our favorite pix and catch even more of their wedding story in the SLIDESHOW.

True Blue Engagement

Gina and I were looking forward to capturing Gabe and Alma's engagement shoot at Dodger Stadium. It was a perfect place to shoot some fun, creative pix. Dodger Stadium also held a special importance to Gabe and Alma because they're both Dodger fans and spend a lot of time there. I'm guessing going to the game is their idea of a perfect date :) Being a big Dodger fan myself, I could relate to their 'true blue' passion. We really enjoyed shooting on the upper deck which allowed for some great perspective and panoramic shots of the stadium.

Check out a few of our favorite pix below and...GO DODGERS!!

Laguna Beach Engagement Shoot

We met Susie and Henry for their engagement shoot last weekend at the gorgeous Montage in Laguna Beach. They were such a fun couple to shoot with, and even though it had been over a year since we met they were completely comfortable in front of the cameras.

The hotel had lush tropical landscaping and there was an amazing sky scape with lots of clouds, even the water was unusually aqua...all the right ingredients for photos. We have to thank Susie & Henry for picking out this great spot, after the shoot Mike & I enjoyed some live music and tasty margaritas at the hotel's Patio cafe and the beautiful tropical area was the perfect place to get us in the mood for our upcoming trip to Hawaii. Check out some of our favorite PIX below.

News, Pix & Trips!!!

Wow, it's been a busy few weeks as we've added some cool new products & services to Pix of Life, met some awesome couples, prepared for a long awaited (and earned IMHO) vacation and once we return, get ready for a full schedule of late summer/early fall weddings!

News:
For those blog stalkers & others out there considering our services, we're currently booking for the 2009 wedding season and we have some new packages featuring beautiful custom designed wedding books and a special 'early bride' discount (limited availability). In addition, with every wedding package booked, we offer special pricing for engagement sessions and a FREE hardcover Photo Guestbook to show off all your favorite engagement images. These are really cool because they have lay flat binding, are printed on thick paper stock and include a full color photo on the cover.

Here are some PIX from Angelina & Mario's book at their reception:



For details on these special offers, email us at info@pixoflife.com

Pix:
We've had some fun shoots over the last week including a wedding at the Bowers Museum in Orange County and 2 engagement shoots and we'll be posting some previews by the weekend before we leave for vacation so stay tuned!

Trips:
And speaking of vacation, the Pix of Life office will be closed from 8/2-8/13 as we head for a little road trip to visit family in Arizona and then fly out to paradise for a week in Kauai. Since we photographed 6 weddings last year in Hawaii, this trip will be pure pleasure and we're looking forward to plenty of fun in the sun.

We may not be able to reply to all emails while away as we will have limited internet & email access but we will surely return all correspondence as soon as we return.

Lastly, on a personal note, I wanted to show off my new Shoot Sac (lens bags created by the awesomely talented photographer Jessica Claire). These are likely carried around by thousands of photographers, and I finally ended my debate as to whether to get one after hearing how lightweight and versatile they were. I've used it all week and so far I love it. Jessica Claire has a complete line of designer covers so photographers can personalize the bags to their tastes, but I found a way to take the personalization one step further with the help of Sandy. Look at the cover she created for me:



Aloha everyone and check back this weekend for some new Pix!

Engagement Session at Santa Monica Pier

Since many of our couples choose Santa Monica Pier for their engagement session, Gina and I decided to start at the bluff for some different photo locations. Good thing we did because we got some great PIX with vivid colors and dramatic sun flare.

After the bluff, we headed down to the pier & beach for sunset photos. The area is usually pretty crowded on the weekends but that particular Sunday (the weekend of 4th of July) it was more crowded than ever! There were likely thousands of people enjoying the sun and sand, but still Andrea and Bob were so comfortable in front of the camera and with each other that we got plenty of fun shots.

We finished the session with some shots on the sand and though we didn't plan on getting them in the water, the unsuspecting tide caught them by surprise. Check out some of our favorites below as well as in their SLIDESHOW.

A Perfect Summer Celebration : Wedding in Orange County

There was more heat than just the sparks that Andy & Lisa showed for each other on their wedding day a couple of weekends ago; there was also the hot humid weather of one of the hottest days of the year, almost 100 degrees! We started early in the morning at the bride's family home to capture her preparation photos and then headed to the beautiful Newport Beach Mormon Temple where her groom eagerly awaited. We captured some wonderful 'reveal' images and some portraits before they were married in a closed religious wedding ceremony.

Later in the afternoon, we met back with the newlyweds for their lakeside reception in Irvine. I love it when couples bring their personality to their weddings and from the brides beautiful, custom made vintage, 3/4 length wedding dress to her floral & color choices featuring daisy's in rustic pail centerpieces there was plenty of personality at this celebration. Even their entire family including brothers, sisters, nieces & nephews all wore color coordinated attire of yellow, tan & green. I could only describe their day as the "Perfect Summer" Wedding...there were paper lanterns and twinkle lights hanging among the trees, an ice cream & cookie station, gourmet chicken salad entrees and of course an endless supply of ice cold lemonade (between us Mike & I probably downed a gallons worth!)

Lastly, we have to give kudos to Lisa & Andy for not only happily and enthusiastically posing for the camera for plenty of photos, but also for looking great in the sweltering heat while doing it!

See our favorites below, including some cool evening images of the couple against the twilight blue sky which we captured using some off camera lighting techniques. And don't forget to watch their SLIDESHOW.

I got a surprise! :)

Last night Mike gave me an awesome treat for our anniversary! After having an easygoing day of breakfast and a movie, we got ready for our anniversary date and headed towards Long Beach. I had been wondering what the 'surprise' would be all week and once we drove toward 2nd Street & Belmont Shore, I couldn't help but figure it out. I was so excited I actually squealed with joy, a gondola ride in Naples Bay!!! Yay! Over the years I had let out many 'not so subtle' hints that I would love to go on one someday and Mike has won hubby of the year award all with this one date :)

It was so relaxing, we floated through the canals looking at all the gorgeous houses, sipping champagne and eating bread & cheese. Here are a couple of cell phone snaps (forgive us for the bad quality..as you all know we generally take much better photos than these ones)..lol

Summer Loving : Engagement Session

We photographed Laura and Phil's engagement session a couple of weeks ago at Gardens of the World. It was a unique location choice that they found and filled with lush green trees, bright florals and even tall tropical bamboo..perfect for some bright colorful images. The whole area was so peaceful and beautiful, Mike & I agreed that we'll have to go back there sometime for a romantic picnic.

Afterwards, as I edited the pictures what stood out to me most was that throughout the session, Laura and Phil were so happy with each other that they couldn't stop smiling, which of course made our job even easier! We're looking forward to capturing their wedding in August!

Check out some of our favs below and a lil slideshow.