Elsie Lopez Photography

Kate+Sean Part III

2012-01-02T23:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the last of this awesome wedding.

Kate+Sean Part II

2012-01-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering where I've been, we moved to PA for my husband to attend law school at Penn State. Needless to say, I've been busy unpacking, adjusting, and building up a clientele in a brand new town! It's been an exciting couple of months and I'm working hard to get back into a good routine.

Kate and Sean's wedding was my last Utah wedding and boy was it a beautiful event. Looking at these photos makes me miss Utah weddings, but I know that my Pennsylvania clients are going to be equally awesome!

Happy New Year everyone!

Kate + Sean, Wedding

2011-09-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have a few posts coming up, but I just wanted to share this one from Kate and Sean's beautiful wedding at the Salt Lake City Temple

Sarah + Devin

2011-07-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sarah and Devin on a beautiful, beautiful wedding at Talons Cove! Their sweet, young love was so tender to behold. Tears were shed, love was felt, and good times were had by all. Enjoy this little preview ;)

Marisa + Nate

2011-06-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Words cannot describe how happy I am for this couple. You see, they are my friends. Marisa and I have seen each other through the good times and the bad and I know I can say that with Nate by her side she is definitely in for many, many good times.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE WEDDING!

My cooking survival kit

2011-04-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Do you find yourself using a lot of the same ingredients over and over again when you cook? I just realized that I use these all the time and our dinners would be pretty bland without them.

I included the Cholula in this shot for Matt. The man can't live without it. Sometimes I wonder who the real Mexican in this family is...

Sarah + Devin

2011-04-06T08:37:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited for Sarah and Devin's wedding in May!

Kiana

2011-03-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Meet little Kiana. She's my cousin's daughter and I'm not sure what to call that so I'm going to leave it at cousin ;). I got to do a mini shoot with her and her older brother Caleb and we had a blast! I love this photo because it captured the relaxed and happy feel of the shoot. I will be posting more soon!

Again

2011-03-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I love food. I just ate this, and yes, it was delicious.

How rude of me to not share the recipe! For those of you who requested it, here it is:

- Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Get it nice and hot so that it will toast the bread quickly.

- Toast a couple of slices of french bread in the olive oil. As you can see, I didn't have french bread, but any bread will do.

- Once toasted, put a little bit of minced garlic on top of the bread. I used a lemon zester for the garlic because I don't like thick garlic chunks. The original recipe suggests simply rubbing a garlic clove across the surface of the bread, but if you are a garlic lover that is definitely not enough.

- Place a couple of mozzarella slices on top of the garlic bread.

- Sprinkle a generous amount of basil on top of the cheese.

- Salt and pepper to taste.

- Add tomato slices (I didn't have Roma or cherry tomatoes, but it was still good). Add a touch more basil.

- Eat your little hear out.

My Latest Obsession

2011-03-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Baking blogs. Yup, you heard right, baking. While my thunder thighs are saying, "NOOO!" my taste buds are all about it. OK, I don't really have thunder thighs. Wait, do I??? I need a mirror...

While I go check myself out, go browse through Bakerella. Maybe you'll find something tasty to bake. Unless you have thunder thighs, in which case you should stay way from the oven!

Baby Jason

2011-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Talk about a bundle of energy! This little guy was unstoppable during our shoot so I was glad to get at least a few shots of him looking at the camera. Jason is the darling son of my good friend Heidi and I just absolutely love his energy and happy disposition. I know this is random, but I also love the fact that he's 1/4 Mexican. I have no idea what that means. I just think it's cool. Hahahaha!

So cute!

Playing hide-and-seek with his dad.

I couldn't decide between color or b&w so I posted both!

Continued

2011-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

As I was going through my folder of photos that need to be blogged I ran into these. I know I've posted quite a few photos from this wedding, but I just had to share this last set with you. Every time I look at these I think about how wonderful life would be if I were this photogenic. Don't get me wrong, life is great, but when you look this good in pictures it's even BETTER!

...and they lived happily ever after.

The End.

Happy Presidents' Day

2011-02-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone enjoys their day off! Unlike Yoshi, I will not be laying in bed all day. This girl is gettin' things done!

Yes, Please

2011-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me your house is full of things you keep as a result of those "when I have time" moments. Because I tell myself that tomorrow or the next day, or the day after that I will have time to do X activity, I keep things like: books that I never read, "learn how to knit" kits, sheet music for piano, unwrapped holiday decorations, blank canvases, vintage cameras, and clothes and shoes that don't fit that I swear I'm going to give to a friend one of these days....

If you are "family" enough to be invited into our home on the days when all these items are in plain view (i.e. when our house is a mess), you will surely find among them one of my most prized possessions--my cooking magazines. I believe that my love for cooking and cooking magazines is hereditary. You see, my mother and grandmother both have substantial cooking magazine collections in their homes. My mom even subscribed me to some of her favorite magazines as soon as she found out I was getting married!

I love having at my fingertips recipes that have been tried and tested and that satisfy my cravings for salty, creamy, spicy, fresh, sweet, and flavorful food. My favorite thing about getting a new magazine in the mail each month is that I never have to eat the same thing twice. Do Matt and I have dishes that we love to eat on a regular basis? Sure, but rarely do I make the same thing twice within a two or three week period. Do I mess up recipes because I'm always trying something new? You bet, haha! That's all just part of the fun.

While all the other junk scattered around our house might lie there collecting dust, my cooking magazines will not. They are precious to me ;).

More cooking magazines, you say? Yes, please!

A Place Called Home

2011-02-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

I know I'm home when I can feel the ocean breeze against my skin, when I look around and I'm no longer the only brown person in sight (LOL!), when I look in the mirror and see curls, and when I drive around and see a Whole Foods grocery store on every corner. I've always loved Marin County, it's my home. I love it even more now that I've experienced it with Matt and Liam.

Sarah + Dave Wedding

2010-11-24T00:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm alive! Who knew that carrying a tiny baby in your belly could almost literally drain the life out of you?! 9 more days...!

OK, enough complaining. I'm excited to share some of my favorite shots from Dave and Sarah's wedding. Looking back at these made me smile and for a moment I thought I could hear Sarah laughing. She has a contagious laugh. In fact, it's not just her laugh, it's her personality. She's the kind of girl that makes you smile and feel warm inside the moment she steps into the room. How could Dave resist falling in love with such a wonderful girl?

Sarah and Dave, congratulations! You guys make a beautiful couple and I feel very blessed to have been part of your beautiful wedding!

Sarah's beautiful ring was custom made.

I'm not sure what it is about this, but I love it.

Can you tell I love food? That's white chocolate-covered popcorn. Yum!

The color scheme for the wedding matched Sarah's personality perfectly--bright and happy ;)

Grateful

2010-10-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

November is here and I would like to start off the month by expressing a little gratitude. I've stopped to think many times about what I would say when the time came to blog about Moose, but nothing really came to mind except how sad it is that he is gone and how hard it was to see and feel him take that one last breath. The house has a different feel to it, different sounds, and especially different smells ;). While there has been mostly sadness I just want to say that I am grateful.

I'm grateful for the opportunity we had to have Moose in our lives. I'm grateful for the incredible bond that can exist between man and dog. I'm grateful for the chance we had to love him and be loved by him in return.

About a week after Moose passed away we got a sympathy card from the vet's office and inside we found a little poem that made me shed a few happy tears as I pictured in my mind the happy reunion we will someday have with our beloved Moose.

Here is an excerpt from the poem:

They romp through the grass without even a care,
until one day they start, and sniff in the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
then all of a sudden they break from the pack.
For just at that instant their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other,
these friends from long past,
the time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
and then, side by side,
they cross over together.

We look forward to the day when we can reunite with our dog, but for now we are happy to know that he is in the company of Grandpa McDonald and my Junior ;).

Stephanie's Maternity Session

2010-09-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

To say that I've know Stephanie since my freshman year in college makes me feel so old since it was waaay back in 2001, but it also makes me feel grateful to know that I've been blessed with her friendship for so many years. It's been awesome to see our group of friends develop and mature throughout the years and especially exciting to see my friends' families grow. Husbands and babies are just so in right now ;).

This shoot was my first maternity shoot and I certainly hope it won't be the last. Steph was so cute it wasn't hard to capture her maternal beauty. You'll see in a sec....

Steph, I will miss you and your cute family. I'm sad that you won't be here for my birthday parties anymore =(. Congrats on baby Adele and good luck in grad school!

P.S. Dave, you were a great model too ;)

Stephanie

2010-09-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a little preview of my first maternity shoot! More to come...

Winners!

2010-09-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry! I know it's past 7pm, but I totally forgot that we were taking my mom out to dinner for her birthday. Ooops! Anyway, here are the lucky winners:

Holly Hirt- Free family photo shoot

Daisy Reyes- %30 off photo shoot

Marilyn C- %30 off photo shoot

Heidi Buckner- %30 off photo shoot

Congrats to the winners (you will be receiving an e-mail from me within the next couple of days) and thank you to all who entered. I loved reading your comments! I hope you guys all had a wonderful Saturday!

Grace

2010-09-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

This photo shoot was a real treat for me because I don't often get to work with kids, pre-teens, or teens. It seems like I'm always shooting brides and weddings and while I LOVE the whole wedding scene, it's nice to do something different once in a while, you know?

Grace was especially fun to work with because she was an AMAZING model. She gave me a great variety of looks and poses to work with so we were able to get some really great shots.

Grace, you are smart, sweet, and just plain awesome. Thanks so much for letting me work with you!

This teddy bear was a gift from her mom, cute!

Katie +Brian: Manti Temple Wedding

2010-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

I've said it before, but I really do enjoy shooting friends' weddings. I think it's because when I'm shooting I don't feel like I'm intruding on their personal space and if I do or say anything that sounds crazy or totally uncool, they know that that's not the real me. Because, my friends know that the real me is definitely cool ;).

I'm not always insightful enough to be able to say this about other couples I interact with, but Brian and Katie, I think you two are perfect for each other. Thank you for letting me capture this wonderful day!

Guests were able to hang their congratulatory notes on these branches. I think it's an awesome alternative to a sign-in book.

Katie found this book at an antique store and filled it with pictures of the two if them.

Loved the Dipiddee cupcakes!

Coolest bouquet ever. Katie, I love your style.

To view their engagement photos click here. To view Katie's bridal session click here.

Sarah, floating.

2010-07-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Balloons, vibrant colors, and a little floating action are just so her. Sarah is happiness personified and I love being around her.

Stay tuned for weddings photos of Sarah and her beloved. They are getting married next Tuesday!

Ok, I don't know how to fix this, but every time I post on the blog my photos are drained of all their color. Picture this image with vibrant colors! It's waaaay better.

The Big Surprise!

2010-07-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound this past week and true to Matt & Elsie fashion we decided to be a little creative (some would just say weird) about how we would reveal the baby's gender. We decided to get this on video so we could share it with our family and friends who weren't present. We are beyond thrilled and grateful to be able to have this baby in our lives and can't wait to see her/his little face in December!!!!

How we did it:

After the ultrasound we had the nurse write down the gender of the baby on a piece of paper and had her put it in an envelope. Later that week we dropped the envelope off at The Chocolate, a bakery on State St. in Orem, where they baked the cake and included the color of frosting that correlated to the baby's gender. Both the nurses at the Dr.'s office and the girls at the bakery were visibly excited about having a part in all this which definitely added to our own excitement. So, that was pretty much it!

We had so much fun doing this and sharing this moment with our families that we have decided to make this a family tradition!

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think!

Isabel Turns 1!

2010-07-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a few photos from Isabel's birthday. I absolutely LOVE celebrating birthdays and I think it's because birthdays were always a big deal growing up. My mom would always throw themed birthday parties for us and invited all our friends and neighbors. It was awesome!

Isabel's mom did an amazing job planning this party. From the color theme to the magician, every detail was perfect.

Happy birthday Isabel, and thanks Jenny, for inviting me;)

The birthday girl!

Big brother. Isn't he so handsome?

The club house where the party took place had HUGE windows on every side. Yay, natural light!

This little girl was giving me attitude! Hahaha, loved it.

I can't say enough how much I loved the colors!

All the delicious treats you see photographed here were made by the talented Tina, form Cheat Day Treats. Not only were these goodies fun to photograph, but they were so delicious! I've had my share of gourmet cupcakes and these are my favorite yet! If you're planning an event or even if you just feel like eating a dozen cupcakes for no reason, give her a call!

Grace

2010-07-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Many more to come, but for now enjoy this little preview of the beautiful Grace.

Nicole, Birthday Shoot!

2010-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Meet the birthday girl, Nicole! She's another one of my beautiful friends from BYU. I tell you, if you want to meet some good looking people go to BYU!

So, today is Nicole's birthday and I'm excited to be able to share with you these shots from her photo shoot. Nicole is one of those girls who is beautiful both inside and out and it was an absolute pleasure to work with her. She brought along some props to give the shoot a more personal touch and I liked it so much that I decided that I would do this with more of my shoots.

Nicole, you were amazing to photograph. Happy Birthday, friend!

OK, how many athletic girls do you know that can pull off killer heels like these?

Nicole loves softball.

Nicole loves the band MUSE.

In her hands are two drumsticks that belonged to MUSE's drummer, Dominic Howard.

She got each one separately at two different concerts she attended and now they belong to her ;)

Independence Day

2010-07-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July weekend was pretty low key this year, partially because we had failed plans and also because it was just too darn hot to go outside! Luckily, I still managed to get in a few good shots to put up on the blog.

One of my favorite things about this holiday is that every year we get to sing The Star Spangled Banner at church--all three verses. What a great song to have as our national anthem! It seems to me like it's one of the few songs that are acceptable to sing at the top of your lungs even if you're tone deaf ;). So next time you sing it, sing it LOUD!

Another thing that Matt and I got to do was to go to the hot air balloon race in Provo on Saturday morning. I have to give credit to Matt for setting the alarm and waking me up even though I didn't want to. Pregnancy has been tough on my sleeping habits and it seems as though I can never get out of bed at a decent hour these days...

Here are my favorite shots from this weekend.

I love it that my mom is one of the most patriotic people I know.

I hope you had an awesome Independence day weekend!

Katie's Bridal Session

2010-06-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

I recently remembered that the rest of Katie's bridal photos never made it onto my blog and while normally this would stress me out because it's another thing to put on the list, I was actually glad to be able to look back at photos from this shoot.

Katie planned every little detail so that her photo shoot would be exactly what she wanted. She chose the location and was ready with props, two beautiful wedding dresses, a helpful fiance, and enough energy to last through the many hours of driving and shooting in the hot, desert sun.

Thank you Katie, for making hours of work turn into hours of creative fun!

Skyla + Shawn Wedding

2010-06-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's always a privilege to be able to photograph a friend's wedding because you are able to share in the excitement of the occasion a little more personally than if you had just met a few months, weeks, or even days before as can happen with clients.

I've been lucky enough to know Skyla for quite some time now and knowing of her hopes, dreams and attempts to find "Mr. RIght" I was thrilled when she announced her engagement to Shawn. There are many reasons why I can say that Shawn is a lucky guy, but for now I'm just going to leave it at that. Shawn, you are one lucky man =). Congrats to you both!

Shawn's daughters looked so pretty. I LOVED their blue dresses!

We didn't have much time for bride and groom shots, but the time that we did have was well spent. Look at how great these two look!

Sky, you truly were a BEAUTIFUL bride.

Brooklyn

2010-06-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling ambitious and so decided to post again on my blog! Here are a few more shots from Brooklyn's session.

It was a beautiful sunny morning when I met with Brooklyn and her fam., but out of nowhere it started to rain so we were forced to stay inside. While I really do prefer natural light for my photo shoots, it was a great opportunity to get some use out of our studio lighting. I have to say that I was happy with the results.

Brooklyn was asleep for a few minutes and when she woke she let us know that she didn't like this whole photo shoot idea. Unfortunately for her, I still thought she looked cute enough to photograph =).

Back to sleep...

Isabel and Brooklyn

2010-06-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I last posted, but a lack of posts certainly does not mean a lack of photo shoots! It just means that I'm lazy and I don't know how to manage my time very well. Oh, yeah that and the fact that I'm pregnant should be good enough reasons to explain my absence =).

Here are two of my favorite shots from photo shoots I did with Isabel (top) and Brooklyn (bottom). They are from back in the day when photographing beautiful little babies was the closest I got to actually having one. Now, I'll have a baby of my own and I can't wait! I hope that my baby is as cute and as sweet as these two little ones.

Life with Matt: Part 1

2010-04-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Gruyere cheese is one of those foods that when you smell it you have to wonder if it really is eatable. The first time I used it in a recipe, the ring that I forgot to take off while cooking wreaked of stinky cheese for over 6 months! But, you know what? I don't have to worry about that anymore. You know why? Because now, I live with Matt.

Life with Matt means that I don't have to smell like stinky cheese anymore =).

Stephany and Rossalim

2010-04-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

I love facebook. It facilitates my people stalking, allows me to keep in constant contact with family and friends, and attracts many potential clients to my blog! This is how these two sisters came to know of my work. You see, every brown person in Utah either knows each other or is one friend away from knowing each other. Lol! It's true, ask Matt. He's not brown, AT ALL, but seeing as how he's married to me, he knows about these things...

Anyway, through mutual friends Stephany, Rossalim and I were able to get together for a photo shoot in downtown Provo and as I said before, these girls were nothing but kind, sweet and to my delight, very photogenic.

When I asked the girls if they had any specific shots they wanted to take, they suggested this:

Thank you Stephany and Rossalim for being beautiful both inside and out.

Sweet As Pie

2010-03-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met someone that you just click with right away? Someone that within minutes makes you feel like you want to be friends with them forever? Well, I have! Two of them, in fact. Here is a preview of a photo shoot I did with two of the sweetest girls in Provo!

Katie: Bridals Preview

2010-03-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of editing Katie's bridal photos and wanted to take a moment to share this one with you. Isn't the little nest adorable? Unfortunately, it is no longer in existence thanks to Yoshi.

All Grown Up

2010-03-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

In my mind I feel like I'm about 19 years old and if you ask Matt, he'd probably say that more often than not I act like it. I recently came to the realization that I still whine like a little kid when I want something. I TOTALLY thought that I didn't do that anymore! Ugh. Matt always laughs at me and says it's cute, then I laugh at myself and feel embarrassed. The truth is that I'm 26 years old and in the eyes of the world I've been an adult for quite some time now, but it's not very often that I actually feel like one.

The other day I decided to make a traditional, Mexican, green salsa for the first time ever. This is the kind of salsa that you have to boil a chicken, turn on the frying pan, and peel tomatillos for. At least, that's what the recipe says. I made the salsa as part of a chilaquiles recipe and it turned out great! I was so excited about my made-from-scratch dish that I decided to share some with my mom. A few days later Matt and I were hanging out at her house watching Project Runway when she came up to me and said, "I think it's time for you to have this." She handed me the book. THE book. The book that she loves. The book that she would borrow from the library again and again until she received it as a gift for her birthday. The book that she decided to buy for each of her children and wait for the right time to give it.

It was one of those moments when I didn't feel like I was 19 anymore and it was weird. A good kind of weird.

If you're looking for a book with delicious, authentic, Mexican recipes and don't mind spending a few hours in the kitchen, you MUST have this:

Baby Isla

2010-02-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another post that is waaaaaay over due. Isla is such a darling little girl and I was so happy to be able to schedule a photo shoot with her. The Bates family welcomed me into their home and we were able to shoot in the main bedroom which had really great natural light. I love it when I don't have to worry about reflectors or flashes. Natural light makes me oh so happy! And so do beautiful, chubby babies ;).

Here are a few of my favorite shots of baby Isla.

Viva Las Valentine's Day

2010-02-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so from my cheesy title you should have guessed that my Valentine's day had something to do with Las Vegas. Yes, Matt and I spent our Valentine's Day in Vegas with some good friends of ours and while our stay was very brief like, two-days-kind-of-brief, it was still very enjoyable.

The highlights of our trip included relaxing in the jacuzzi in our room, having brunch at the Bellagio, and waiting in line at a Churrasqueria (Brazillian steak house?) for like, 3 or 4 hours. Ok, so maybe waiting in line wasn't that much fun, but the chaos that led to such a long wait definitely made for interesting memories. Matt and I also enjoyed watching wedding parties celebrate at the million-and-one wedding chapels in Vegas. I remember thinking, "Wow! people really do get married in these random, little chapels."

Matt and I neither drink nor gamble, so watching other people drink and gamble was as wild as it got for us! The only regret I have from our little trip is to not have taken a single shot with my SLR. I took it with me, but I was just too lazy to lug it around everywhere. I did however, get a few shots of the pretty flowers (Iris and Spider Mum) and cute card Matt got for me and the darling little box of candies my mom gave to Matt and I so, I decided to include them in this post.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day!

Katie + Brian: Engagement photos

2010-02-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun shooting this engagement session, one--because I love Katie and Brian and two--because it was at the Heber Valley Train Station. This photo shoot was also exciting because I've been a witness to this cute couple's burgeoning love. Relationships are formed and terminated all the time so it's great when you see two people go from being strangers to lovers and have it workout as marvelously as it has for these two.

Brian and Katie, congrats and I look forward to your wedding day!

Katie's brooch added the perfect touch to her outfit, don't you think?

Lime green and black are their wedding colors. Now, if that doesn't shout "crazy-fun couple," I don't know what does.

The Result of a Bad Deam...

2010-02-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday morning I woke up from one of the worst dreams I've ever had! It was so bad that I woke myself up crying and wondering why all these horrible things had happened. When I finally emerged from that place between dream world and reality I jumped out of bed and checked the thermostat--72 degrees. Yup, that was it. You see, any time that I get too warm while sleeping I have bad dreams. Strange and annoying? Yes, but it never fails.

I sent Matt a text message and told him what had happened and how I was feeling. He replied and told me that he would be coming home for lunch in a few hours. When he finally showed up, he presented me with these beautiful flowers and a yummy Cesar salad that he had bought for lunch. I was so happy and felt so blessed to be able to have someone who takes care of me when I'm feeling scared, even if it's only because of a silly dream.

I forgot what these are called, but aren't they cool?!

Mooshi

2010-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby these days, and while I'm very happy for you and your family, I get a little jealous that I don't have someone to brag about and post pictures of all over Facebook, Myspace, and my blog. Or do I?

Just press PLAY

One a Day

2010-01-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make: I haven't been keeping up with my One a Day project. I know, I know, you're not surprised....

Anyway, I decided to post a few photos that I found hiding away in my external hard drive as I take a break from cleaning and editing, cleaning and editing. Did I mention that I've been cleaning and editing?

I have to say that being able to look back on my One a Day photos has been amazing because there are so many experiences that I've had in the past year that I have already pretty much forgotten, that I can't even imagine how valuable my One a Day images will be to me as I look back 10 or 20 years from now. It's my photographic journal and I love it.

These images may not mean much to you, but I thought I'd share them anyway. If you want to know the stories behind them, just ask!

Jackie + Jared: Mt. Timpanogos Temple Wedding

2010-01-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

Let's go back a few months, say September.... On a beautiful day, actually two days in September I was shooting my little heart out at Jackie and Jared's two-day wedding extravaganza. It was my first time taking "getting ready" shots, (thank you Jackie!) and I absolutely loved it. There is so much preparation that goes into the most important day of a couple's life and it's nice to be able to look back and know that even the smallest detail was captured in a photograph.

Another thing that I loved about this wedding was that it was FUN. I can't tell you how many people I heard say that this was the most fun they had EVER had at a wedding reception. What's not to love about a reception where you can enjoy good food, good music, top notch entertainment and the company of a fabulous couple?! Nothing.

Jackie's parents and grandfather

The next day:

The pretty bridesmaids.

Aren't they a good-looking bunch?

Sorry, I couldn't decide...

Jackie's brother.

The money dance!

Don't worry, he kept it PG for the kids ;)

"El muerto"

Logann + Dave: Engagement photos

2010-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

These photos are from an engagement shoot I did this past summer with my friend, Logann and her fiance Dave. I know I'm stating the obvious when I say that they are a beautiful couple and that their children will be drop dead gorgeous, but I just have to say it! Logann is one of the sweetest girls I know and although I don't know Dave very well he has been my most entertaining subject to date (well, it's a tie between him and Matt).

Here are a few of my favorites:

Merry Christmas to Me

2009-12-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

Meet Yoshi, he was my Christmas present from Matt! You know all those times when you walk around talking about this one thing that you really want and wonder if anybody is paying attention? Ok, maybe that's just me, but anyway Matt really did it! He got me a puppy! I'm pretty sure that the few times when I stood in front of his face shouting, "We want a puppy! We want a puppy!" may have helped just a little. Oh, and by we I meant me and Moose. He really wanted a puppy too.

Yoshi is a bundle of energy and if you thought Moose was a handful, wait 'till you meet this little guy. Despite the fact that the house constantly smells like pee and poop, and that my favorite Steve Madens' are now ruined, Moose, Matt and I are thrilled to have Yoshi with us.

The Buckner Family

2009-12-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

So, once upon a time (this summer) I had the exciting opportunity to photograph the Buckner family. Their little daughter, Jami, was turning one and this was a birthday photo shoot of sorts, which is why all of the photos on this post are of her. Jami had recently learned to walk on her own and made sure to demonstrate her walking and running skills throughout the duration of the shoot which made things a lot more fun and interesting for me!

At the end of the shoot Matt took over and got in a few floating photos of the Buckners' which I was really excited about. Unfortunately, they are not included in this post so you'll just have to wait =).

These are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Aren't her hair ribbons darling?

Lovin' the Roxy sandals

Thank you Buckners' we had a blast!

A new Cullen?

2009-11-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

As I was browsing through Christian and Debbie's photos the other day I came upon this one and couldn't help but think that Christian belongs in the next Twilight movie! I nominate him to be the newest member of the Cullen family. Who's with me?!

P.S. Christian, this is a good thing. Just in case you weren't sure ... ;)

P.P.S. Check out the MAJOR sun flare! It might be a little much, but I though it gave the photo a cool faded/aged look.

Debbie + Christian

2009-10-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being negligent and abandoning my poor little blog. I'd like to think that if all of you were getting married in a month you would be as bad about blogging or worse (this is the part where you agree with me to make me feel better about myself)!

Anyway, enough about me, let's talk about these beautiful people! Debbie and Christian contacted me about doing a photo shoot as a celebration of their one year anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend, isn't that awesome?! What's even better is the fact that the whole thing was Christian's idea and he planned it as a surprise for Debbie.

Note to the Guys: Scheduling a photo shoot with your girlfriend for your anniversary = a million "my boyfriend's better than yours" points. Hey, I'm just trying to help you out...

These two were incredibly friendly, kind, and as you are about to see, ridiculously photogenic!

This last one is my favorite, hands down!

P.S. I'm months behind on posting photos so be patient and look forward to more in the next few days ;)

Moises + Ruth, Salt Lake City Temple

2009-09-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

You can imagine my surprise when Moises showed up at my house two days before his wedding to Ruth and asked if I would be their photographer. Yes, you heard right--two days before! He explained that due to unforeseen circumstances their photographer had to cancel her services and so they basically had one day to find someone else. As someone who has much, much, I mean MUCH to learn about photography I felt a little nervous (OK, a lot nervous) as I contemplated the opportunity that was before me. You have to understand that Moises has impeccable style and class and while I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Ruth yet, I could only assume that she was Moises's equal in that sense. The bottom line was that Moises was a friend and I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to help a friend no matter how unprepared I felt.

The wedding was a beautiful and classy event and I feel honored to have been the one to document it. So, thank you Moises and Ruth. Thank you for reminding us that families are forever, thank you for allowing me to be part of your special day, and most of all thank you for your friendship.

Ladies and gentlemen, Moises and Ruth:

Moises had two wedding bands, one with diamonds and one without. He asked me which one he should wear and of course, I told him to wear the BLING!

* Moises's parents

They look so happy!

The Aguirre men

The Tinti family

Moises and Ruth took the time to greet each guest individually throughout the night. How awesome is that?!

*Thanks again to Molly for acting as my second shooter on such short notice!

Moose

2009-09-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Meet Moose. He is our loving, puppy-eyed, killer gas-passing skills, death-by-drool, Great Dane. I say ours even though technically he is Matt's dog, but I feel a sense of ownership because I WAS THERE the moment he came into Matt's life. Not to mention the fact that Matt and I are getting married and I'm going to have to pick up his poop now. Moose poop, yuck! Matt told me the other day that when we get married he will be in charge of every thing that comes out of Moose's front end and that I'll be in charge of what comes out his back end. YEAH RIGHT!!

Anyway, Moose was adopted earlier this year and it's been quite a ride. A fun and very interesting ride. Matt had had childhood pets, but never in his adult life had he been a dog owner. I've had Junior, my Bichon Frise for 13 years, but nothing could have prepared us for THE MOOSE. He is large and tries very hard to be in charge.

For all of you Moose-lovers out there, this one's for you.

Window light, gotta love it. And yes, that is his drool all over the blanket.

Moose, on HIS couch. Thanks Molly and Andrew!

Moises + Ruth: Preview

2009-08-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Moises is a close friend of mine from college and yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity of photographing his wedding to Ruth. She was such a beautiful, happy, and gracious bride. You know, the kind you wish every bride would be.

I also had the pleasure of working with the extremely talented Chris McClain, their videographer. I had never worked alongside a videographer before, and I while I was a bit nervous at first because I didn't know what to expect, my experience was such that I hope to be able to work with many more videographers in the future if they are anything like Chris.

I admired his work so much that I will be booking him for my November wedding. Woo hoo! Here is the link to his teaser trailer for Ruth and Moises's wedding. Leave him a comment if you like it, I'm sure it will make him happy =).

Chris McClain Productions

Lastly, I was extremely thankful to Molly for acting as my second shooter yesterday. I can't tell you how much more stressful shooting a wedding can be when you are all by your lonesome, so thanks Molly!

More to come...

Stacey + Chase, Provo Temple

2009-07-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, this wedding took place quite a few months ago, but seriously, my life has been insanely busy and I haven't been able to post pictures until now. I had more pictures from this wedding that I wanted to post, but for some reason they are not uploading! I'll try again later...

Many thanks to Celeste Grover for assisting me and acting as my second shooter--she's awesome! Some of the detail shots in this post are hers ;)

If you were wondering where Stacey and Chase got their good looks from, let me introduce you to their parents:

The Furr's (Stacey's parents)

The McNeil's (Chase's parents)

Don't you just love the yellow tulips?

Floating...

2009-06-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

This photo is the first of something new that I've been dying to try out--floating (at least, that's what I call it!) While I contemplated incorporating this technique into some of my past photo shoots I could never find the time or the "right" subjects to try it on. Alas, Jesse and Becca! Jesse is my BF's brother and Becca is his GF. They live in PA, but decided to pay Happy Valley a little visit. Jesse and Becca are photographers themselves, so Matt and I knew that they would have just as much fun experimenting with this as we would. On their last day in Utah the four of us set out on a photographic adventure and this is the result.

I would like to say that the inspiration for this shoot came from the photographer Lauren Rosenbaum. I was browsing through the pages of American Photo one day when I saw a photo of hers that incorporated this technique and I instantly knew that I wanted to try it. While her photos were mostly self portraits, I wanted to try it using couples and families and I'm glad I did! Thank you Jesse and Becca! And thank you Matt for helping me bring this idea to life.

Not bad for our first try, right?

Logann + Dave: Preview

2009-06-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Vanessa + Josh

2009-05-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

This post is coming to you about a month after the photo shoot, but hey, better late than never, right? Josh is a good friend from college and I was really looking forward to photographing him and his girlfriend Vanessa not only because I love to take pictures, but because they are such a good-looking couple and I just knew that they would be great in front of the camera!

This is actually the second time that I've worked with Josh on a photo shoot; the first time was about a year ago (?) when I was working on a family health history project with the Utah State Health Department. I actually got to be in the pictures for that one and Josh and I played the role of a married couple in distress. That's when I realized that I was a terrible actress and model--I couldn't keep a straight face! I'll stick to taking pictures...

I LOVED her shirt and necklace!

I might try this one in sepia tone or b&w...

I think this one is my favorite.

Carissa

2009-05-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Meet my friend Carissa! We started working together on health education classes for the community here in the Provo area last year and as I've gotten to know her better she just amazes me more and more! She is even nice enough and patient enough to let me photograph her just for fun. The purpose of this shoot was for me to practice posing people for individual portraits, but she was so good that she did most of the posing on her own. I guess I'll just have to look for someone else for my posing practice... =)

This is my second favorite shot of the day.

This is my favorite

Stacey

2009-05-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

I was so nervous for this shoot because it had been raining all week long and Stacey only had this one day free to take bridal portraits. It turned out that the rain stopped for the whole duration of the shoot and started up again as soon as we started walking toward the car--Hallelujah!

Doesn't she look stunning?!

My fav. shot of the day (the background isn't a wall, it's the sky)

This next photo was Stacey's little sister's idea and it turned out to be one of my favorites!

These last two images turned out a little grainy because of the high ISO, but I love the way she looks in them so I decided to post them anyway =)

Don't Forget!

2009-04-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Junior Turns 13!!!

2009-04-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

Meet my blind, partially deaf and very diabetic Bichon Frise, Junior. He is the most loving and the most loved dog in the world! We are so happy that he's STILL with us!

Erika

2009-04-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

I had the awesome opportunity of working with my good friend Erika this afternoon. She's graduating from BYU on the 24th with a bachelor's degree in middle eastern studies and Arabic and wanted some nice pictures to give to her parents as a gift for their support throughout her college years. The weather was absolutely perfect and Erika was a pro in front of the camera. She was smiling and laughing a lot and I think I even got a few shots of her crying from laughing so hard, it was great. Here's a sneak peak:

Lights, Camera, Matt!

2009-04-17T03:11:00.000-07:00

These rockin' photos are brought to you by: Matt, Elsie, the Canon, our lighting equipment, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. Enjoy!

Cross Processed

B&W

Get Faded

Faded B&W with a little bit of color

One A Day

2009-04-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since I embarked on my photographic journey I made the commitment to take at least one photo every day. Not only has this helped to refine my technical skills, but it has turned into a pretty cool photographic journal. These pictures might not be anything to write home about (they're all pretty random), but each of them holds a memory of things, places and people that at one point or another have crossed my path. I will definitely be adding more...

Calling all Mothers and Daughters!

2009-04-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love projects. I feel like there is so much I need to learn about photography so what better way to learn than to give myself a project? I have been contemplating on doing a series of photo shoots on mothers and daughters for some time now, but it wasn't until I read a fellow photographer's blog that I really made up my mind to get started. Why? Because he had the same idea and he is actually doing it! Seeing the images from his first couple of shoots really inspired me and opened my eyes to how much artistic potential this project holds.

Another exciting thing about this project is that I won't be working alone! I've invited my friend and fellow photographer, Molly Hunter from mmac photography to work with me, which means double the fun =).

If you or anyone you know are interested in being part of this creative project please contact me to schedule a session.

More info:
- The session will be free of charge
- Plan on about 30-45 minutes per session
- You will receive a free digital copy of the picture of your choice from the session
- You may purchase a digital copy of all the images from your session for $35
- A portion of the proceeds will go to HELP international (Molly and her husband will be working at one of their orphanages in El Salvador this summer)
- By participating in this project you agree to let us post your images on our blog and use them for advertising purposes.
- Looking for ALL types of people =)
- The more generations we can include in the picture, the better!

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!!

Stacey and Chase

2009-03-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

This cute couple will be getting married on May 12th at the Provo Temple. I'm sooooo excited to photograph their wedding!

Little L

2009-03-22T01:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Ok, so I'm really excited about these pictures because they are from my first official baby session. I was so nervous about this shoot because I had no idea if L was going to love or hate the camera. It turns out that he neither loved nor hated it, he simply didn't care which was nice because he was himself the whole time and that allowed me to capture his cute little personality. I want to give a special thanks to Jordan Marshall and Jennifer Quackenbush from The Giving Tree wellness tea house for allowing us to use their place for the photo shoot. If you haven't been to the Giving Tree already you should check it out. They also offer massage services and a section in the house where you can check out some sweet handmade items that are for sale.

Fiona

2009-03-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures I took of Fiona about a month ago, she is Marisa's cat and boy is she a crazy one! She attacked me multiple times during the shoot and I ended up with a scratch on my face, but nothing too serious =). Apparently she also has a thing for water...

I forgot how much I love the natural light look =)

Sky, Lisa and Fawn

2009-03-16T00:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my three friends and I had a little photo shoot just for fun. I love these types of shoots because they are a lot less stressful than weddings and other big, important events where if you miss a moment it's GONE! I had so much fun and I look forward to doing more of these types of shoots. Here are a few of my favorite shots, thanks girls =).

LISA

SKYLA

FAWN

Mom and Junior

2009-03-12T01:17:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to take pictures of my mom for a while, but she hates taking pictures so it's taken me a looooong time to get her to sit down for a photo shoot. I thought I'd bring our dog Junior to help her feel more at ease, but it only made things worse because he really wasn't in the mood for sitting down and staying still. Thanks to Junior, the shoot only lasted about 20 minutes, but thankfully I was still able to get in a few good shots.

Saturdays

2009-03-06T00:20:00.000-08:00

About every other Saturday I dedicate some time specifically to scouting out potential photo shoot locations. It gives Matt and I something to do when we're bored and it allows me more creative freedom in that I don't have to shoot at the same old places all the time. I find great excitement in the idea that one of these days I'll discover a really cool, picturesque location that nobody knows about. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but I have found some cool locations that EVERYBODY knows about. Hey, at least they're new to me! Here is the product of one of my explorations:

Our dear A-Young

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

My close friend A-Young turned 26 last month and a group of us got together to celebrate her birthday at a cute little lounge in Provo. We had drinks, appetizers and a lot of fun. As always, I had my camera handy...

The birthday girl requesting a song and signing her note with a kiss =)

That's my hand. I didn't take this one.

enjoying the music

my mango mojito

dueling edamame, yum...

Camila and Anthony

2009-03-02T13:04:00.001-08:00

Camila and Anthony's wedding was the very first full wedding I had the opportunity to photograph! They were married at the Salt Lake City Temple on a very hot, but beautiful summer day in 2008. Camila's older sister Cristina is a good friend of mine and I've been close to their family for many years now so I was very excited when they asked if I would be their photographer.

Taking pictures at this particular temple was quite the ordeal as we had to wait for wedding party after wedding party to finish taking pictures at the various locations around the temple grounds. Everyone had to wait for their turn which can really put you behind schedule because you are at the mercy of the other photographers' ability to take pictures quickly. I learned SO much that day about my ability to work under pressure and about ways in which I could better prepare for my next wedding. The reception was held in the comfort of their own back yard which provided for a very comfortable setting and the food was amazing (their mom is an awesome cook!). I also have to mention the fact that I had THE most delicious cupcakes I have EVER tasted at their reception. I still have to ask them where they got them...

Camila

2009-03-02T12:32:00.001-08:00

Molly

2009-02-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some of Molly's bridal pictures. I love looking at these, she has amazing eyes! More to come, enjoy!

For some reason the colors don't show up as
vibrant when I post them to the blog...I have to
figure this out...

Happy Valentine's Day to Me

2009-02-26T00:22:00.000-08:00

This year for Valentine's day my boyfriend decided to take charge and plan the whole evening. He cooked a delicious shrimp scampi, homemade bread and rice pudding for dessert, all complete with a generous amount of red food coloring. You know, red for love. Well, little did he know that I have a strong aversion to food that is heavily colored with food coloring! The food was delicious, but I had to force myself to not be thrown off by it's super saturated red hue. Luckily for me I had something else to distract me...

Marisa

2009-02-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

Marisa was nice enough to let me take pictures of her in her wedding dress even though these are not her official bridals. I will be minimal in the pictures I post so as not to spoil the official bridal pictures which will be taken later this year. This was a very casual shoot with a single window as my light source for the first set, which I absolutely loved because it helped to create some good contrast.

more to come...

Marisa.E

2009-02-24T00:12:00.001-08:00

Meet my very first model, Marisa. She let me practice on her when I first picked up my digital SLR last summer. We always have lovely chats and catch up on the latest when we get together for photo shoots. She is also the proud owner of Fiona, the quirkiest cat on the planet. Look for pictures of Fi under the "Pets" label.

Dec. 2008

Cristina.G

2009-02-19T02:42:00.000-08:00

Nov. 2008

This is my beautiful Latina friend, Cristina. We have been friends for a LONG time and I count myself blessed to be able to say that we are still very close. She has an amazing sense of style which is most definitely a PLUS for any photographer's portfolio. We had a lot of fun doing this shoot and I hope to be able to photograph her again! A special thanks to Matt McDonald for holding the reflector =)

Our favorite friends...

2009-02-18T13:43:00.001-08:00

Junior and Fiona

This is a section of my portfolio that I look forward to expanding very soon! I am what you call an "animal lover." I cry when I think about Junior dying even though he is perfectly healthy and I treat and talk to animals like they are people, sometimes better than people. Stray dogs follow me home ALL the time and I want to keep all of them! So you see, I am very excited to photograph your pets and to experience first hand all the reasons for why you love them!

Matt.M

2009-02-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is my boyfriend, Matt. Isn't he cute? He always lets me take pictures of him even though I know he feels awkward doing it. What can I say, I need the practice! Anyway, while I prefer natural light photography, some pictures are just fun to mess around with. Which one do you like best?

Nov. 2008

Variations on Clark

2009-01-26T23:55:00.000-08:00

Did I mention these were taken with a shutter speed of 1/20
and an ISO of 1600? We got a late start...

My good friend Melis asked if I could take some pictures of sweet baby Clark. He was such a good little model! The crying moment came when he was getting his diaper changed--so young and such a good sense of propriety! Hahaha.... Anyway, I decided to use some of his pictures to experiment with different effects. We'll see what I come up with...!

Molly and Andrew

2009-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Bridals & Groomals

I had the very fortunate opportunity to photograph Molly and Andrew for my very first photo shoot! Could I get any luckier? They were extremely patient with my inexperience (it took about 3 hours) and it definitely helped that Molly is also a burgeoning photographer. It was a strangely humid day in...I don't remember what month it was...but boy do I remember how hot it was. It was fantastic working with a couple who are so in love and so photogenic. Thanks guys!

Meghan and Cole

2009-01-15T01:13:00.000-08:00

Engagement Session

Taking pictures of this couple was every photographer's dream come true. They are not only a beautiful couple with great chemistry between them, but they are exceptionally natural in their expressions even with the camera in their face trying to capture "the moment." Meghan is a family friend of my boyfriend's family so that's how we met. I was so excited when she contacted me and asked if I could do their engagement pictures because I just knew they would be great to photograph. I was invited to their reception and I must say, she made a beautiful bride!

2008-01-19T13:23:00.000-08:00