an engagement shoot in beverly hills. On a rooftop. Of the raddest hotel ever. Fri. July 31, 2009 will you
I remember my life by milestones, and by before and after's. Before I moved to California....before I was a photographer...after I discovered the 50 1.2. I am currently living in "before I knew about the incredible-ness that is the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills".
I got an email from Jay that went something like this:
"Jessica, we need to set up our engagement session with you. We want to do a dawn shoot for our E session with you snapping at us on the roof deck pool area of the SLS hotel in LA... very renegade. Please let me know your thoughts, but this could be the coolest event since mr and mrs pacman back in 84."
I find it impossible to express my joy at receiving an email like this for several reasons, which I will now list out:
1. I love shooting at new, amazing locations, and I love when someone else drops them into my lap.
2. I immediately wanted to go break out an Atari and play Pacman
3. My clients are awesome
4. I got to spend the night at a rad hotel. (**sidenote--I left my car in drive at the Valet when I got there and my car drove into another car without me in it. oops!)
So we went to LA and shot at dawn. The whole scene at the hotel was very cool, modern, offbeat, eclectic, and surreal, so I gave some of the photos processing to match. I used my trusty totally rad actions and dirty pictures textures, and shot the whole session RAW to be able to change the white balance to throw the color off more easily.
Enjoy and happy friday!
** I should warn you, that if you are going to shoot at dawn, you might want to have a makeup artist handy--it's tough to look like perfection that early! Carrie's makeup was done by Stacey Craven, who did an incredible job!
The patio of the hotel was so cool and softly lit at dawn that I wanted to shoot everything all at once! So I started with these silver chairs, which I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to include on the patio of my house:
A slightly different angle:
Aren't the chairs (and Carrie's dress) cool?
I had to incorporate this yellow chair. Luckily, Carrie brought outfits to match most of the furniture :) :
I just adored the lines and oversized frames and mirrors behind them:
Carrie doesn't like being photographed alone, but she's so beautiful I couldn't help myself. Also, yet another chair I would kill for:
Jay thinks Carrie is too beautiful to stay away from though, so the solo shoot was short lived :)
They're hot. And cool. Life's just not fair sometimes:
Something about this shot makes me happy:
I want this whole scene in my house NOW. I found the couch, bought it, then immediately cancelled my order because it's so expensive I felt sick about it. Now I feel sick about not getting it. What should I do?!
Maybe just shoot at the SLS every day:
Yeah, yeah, they're cute...
Went downstairs to shoot in the lobby. I almost liked it even better:
The colors and style here look and feel so retro in the coolest possible way:
A more serious portrait, but it works:
Look at that lucite buck in the background--GENIUS!
One of my faves:
My fave:
Jay and Carrie, you are superstars. Your wedding will be phenomenal and I can't wait!!
My first ever workshop all by myself like a big girl :) Wed. July 29, 2009 photographers
Last night, I did something I don't do often--I stood up in front of a room full of people, and I talked about my mistakes.
When my friend Jasmine asked me to speak at the OC Smug Mug meeting, for some reason I didn't hesitate to say yes immediately. Whereas I'm normally hesitant to speak in front of large groups, I feel that this past year, something in me has changed and I'm actually really enjoying it! I love being able to share with people, and hopefully save someone else from making the mistakes that I did. I think everyone at the SMUG meeting last night will attest to the gravity of these mistakes (shown to everyone in mounted 16X24 format) :)
I've been thinking for a long time about giving a workshop of my own here in Orange County. I got an overwhelming response when I opened up the private consulting a few months back, so much so that I was hundreds of emails deep and never quite dug out. So I FINALLY have decided to do something about it!
The LOCATION: My place here in Ladera Ranch, in Orange County
The DEAL: It's not going to be a "sit here and listen to me all day" workshop. I want a dynamic, fun, engaged group of people to really get into a good conversation with. The best part--I have Summer from Grey Likes Weddings arranging a mock ceremony and reception complete with a gorgeous couple and tons of DETAILS to shoot! I always want to share how I do things on a wedding day, but on a real wedding day, it's just not possible to bring 20 photographers along. But on September 22, I can!!
I'll be honest with you--I don't consider myself a public speaker, or even a naturally gifted teacher. But I do have a desire to help photographers grow and share what I've learned in a small-group setting where we speak frankly and honestly about the challenges presented to us every day.
If this sounds like you, **REGISTER HERE**. Once you submit that form, you are officially on the list to take the class--if you are given a seat, you must accept and agree to pay for it. You'll hear back in two days or less if you are in the class, and you'll get all kinds of good info like where to stay, who else will be there, and you can start telling me what you need to help your business or your photography to GROW!!
**space is VERY limited, so you'll want to register quickly**
Thanks so much to Jasmine for these photos from last night (and for her help with the workshop site and details!):
The Bestest Kickball Party Anyone Has Ever Had Sat. July 25, 2009 my life
This is my fiancee, Jeff:
Isn't he cute when he's all aggressive at kickball?
Before I met Jeff and after I realized I might not ever get married, I had this idea that for my 30th birthday, I was going to throw myself this huge fancy party at a hotel down in Laguna Beach like the Ritz or the St. Regis, and I was going to buy a fancy dress and register for kitchen things and other cool stuff you get when you get married.
As things turned out, this will be the year that I get married, and there are so many festivities that go along with that (not to mention expenses that go along as well), that I decided just to skip my 30th birthday and have another one next year :)
Jeff wouldn't have any of it.
He and Victor threw the idea of a kickball party out to me, and I thought it was a fabulous idea! I love anything offbeat, quirky and fun, and this fit the bill on all three counts.
Jeff decided it would only work if everyone went all out, so he got us all uniforms, sweatbands, and eye black so we would look like a professional kickball team. At least four of the guys wore their cleats. Dane Sanders spiked his into my ankle rounding third base. I have a nasty bruise.
Anyway, here is Jeff helping his brother, Michael get his game face on:
Of course I needed to get mine on as well:
As you can see, I can be either nice, or quite intimidating:
Victor was the captain of the other team, the Pink Fluffy Monsters. Here he is reading out the lineup and prepping his starters. Jeff was the captain of our team, and he is rearranging the lineup to stack the top of the order, which gave us the early lead:
The competition between them was fierce, Michael shot this one:
Here's our official scorekeepers, Lindsay & Jana:
The third pregnant one, Candice, decided to go for the win and played:
Here's me about to knock the ball out of the park:
The catch of the day--Jasmine played catcher and more or less just chitchatted with our team through most of the game :) Tom kicked this ball foul, and in a burst of unexpected commitment, Jasmine went running. She actually caught it!! As you can see, everyone was equally surprised:
In the last photo, can't you just hear a stream of Becker's smack talking comments?
After the game, I got to run through the tunnel, since it was my birthday :) Jasmine shot this photo:
The teams. Our team obviously looks more professional. We only didn't win because 4 or 5 guys showed up a bit late and all somehow ended up on the other team.
The other team didn't seem to all get the message that the team photo should be serious:
Seriously, they couldn't even hold their pyramid, how did they win??
A few photos of some of the couples:
We had a great bonfire & cookout after:
This was the best kickball/birthday party ever! We are now practicing twice a week and having monthly rematches :)
It's already July 22 on the East coast where I was born, so I'm considering it my birthday now :)
Today I turn 30.
The truth is, I had a much harder time turning 29, and I've been quite looking forward to my 30th for some time now! I felt like I was just hanging onto the 20's by a string, and now I'm one of the youngest 30's possible, which I feel is a nicer spot to be in.
It is not the only nicer spot I am in.
Last year on my birthday, I NEVER NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS would have thought that I'd be where I am exactly one year later. In the past year, I feel that I've grown up so much as an individual, which oddly does not conflict with my having found the person I'm going to join my life with. Where last year I felt discouraged, out of place, and disrupted, this year I feel so much calmer, more positive, and as content as I'll ever be. I think there will always be a part of me that feels restless, which is the reason I'm always taking on a new project and finding ways to grow my businesses. Getting too content just makes me feel tired and lazy. But I digress.
It seems so strange to me that one year ago I could have felt so differently about life in general. It just goes to show that you never really know what's ahead of you, even when things seem kind of bleak. I wish I'd known that such good things were in store for me--I could have saved myself so much time and frustration if I'd known that things were only temporary. Funny that I couldn't realize that at the time. I guess I'm just much smarter now that I'm 30 :)
I was twittering yesterday (click **HERE** to follow my twitter), about how the eve of my birthday felt like the night before Christmas and needed a snack and a story (and some presents). My mom follows my twitter (so does my dad--they twitter themselves once in awhile and it's really weird), and she wrote out and sent me the story of my birth. I figured that today would be a good day to post it, so here it is--thanks mom!
JESSICA'S BIRTH STORY (as told by her mother, Wendy)
It was the hottest day of the year, July 22, 1979. At that time, we had alternate days to fill up our cars with gas because of the shortage of fuel. Jess' Dad and I always had one car filled with gas so we could get to the hospital on time. And so, on a very hot summer morning, the signs came that it was time to leave for the hospital. Now, for those of you who don't know NYC very well, parking is a challenge. We were able to fine a good parking spot, however it was 3 blocks away from the hospital. Her Dad said I could tough it out because the car would be good there for at least 2 days! Inching my way to the front door of hospital and holding on to parking meters, I finally made it.
Jessica was born at 6:00 in the evening. I remember so well her big blue eys and red hair as she laid in my arms. While the wars somewhere were raging, gas was impossible to get, Jimmy Carter was President and Pac-Man was all the rage, I was busy planning her wedding! Jessica was every mother's dream. She slept when she was supposed to sleep, ate when she was hungry and had the most adorable dimples. People would stop me on the street to admire her beauty. Born with both a stubbon streak and a zest for life, she has given me such joy in my life that words cannot possibly express. Intelligent, creative, emotional, head-strong, tenacious and loving are the key words that describe her. I love her more now than ever before and so excited she will share her life with Jeff.
You will always be my little girl in the green sweater! Happy Birthday!
(thanks mom)
My good friend Chenin Boutwell shot some photos of me this past week for shootsac, and I think it's nice to have a record of what I look like on my birthdays. Thanks Chenin!
As you can see, you can never be too old to have balloons and bubbles :)
These are all looks that people who know me well see from me often:
I just think these are cute. Also, possible hairstyle for the wedding?
Last one:
I am seriously so blessed and lucky to have the life that I have. I don't take it for granted for a single second.
Now I must go get ready for my birthday and the killer KICKBALL party I'll be having on Thursday. 30 is no reason to act old!
When I was 24 I had a tough year. I was just out of college, and suddenly in my first year of having my photography business all on my own instead of working for someone else as I'd done for the previous four years. I was in the midst of heartbreak, shuffling ambitions, and friends getting married only to move away, and I felt, for the most part, completely without any kind of stability in my life.
I remember having a particularly bad week, and realizing that I needed to make some kind of change in my life, meet new people, or just find some kind of way to be happy in general! That was the week I met Lee.
Lee was also in a transitional year. Although she was from Chicago, she was living in North Carolina where she'd gotten a job a year earlier that while lucrative, was a soul-sucking abyss. She ended up working for my dad, and loved the job, but needed a roommate to cover the extra expenses of her town home. My dad had the idea to introduce us to one another, and it was instantly like we'd been friends for years.
I found out that Lee had a boyfriend, Derek, and that they were dating long distance (and had been doing so for several years already). Derek got a job in Tampa that year, so the long distance relationship had no end in sight. Lee was reluctant to leave the life she was building in North Carolina until they were certain that Derek would be staying in Tampa. It was not an easy time for either of them.
Lee thought a lot about Derek and their future. While she never questioned that he was the person for her, she had an almost infuriating desire to do things the right way and make absolutely sure that their relationship was one that would be forever. They traveled back and forth, from Chicago, to Raleigh, to Tampa, and many other places, making sure that while they were always a primary part of one anothers' lives, that they really took the time to grow themselves as individuals and live fully instead of just killing time until they were together again.
Lee and I would talk a lot about relationships and where our lives might go. She said one day, "I just feel that I am always happy when I'm with Derek. No matter where we are, I'm just always happy when I'm with him". It wasn't long after that she moved to Tampa. I would tell her, "You're crazy! You're moving to Tampa just to DATE??" But Lee always knew what she was doing.
By that time, they'd already been together for about 5 years, but it had been three years since they lived in the same city. Lee wanted to spend at least a year making absolutely sure that their lives still matched up and worked together on a day to day basis. They took separate apartments and worked hard on their relationship for the next year (or was it two years?), dating like a regular couple, instead of rushing. Lee developed her own life and friendships, and Derek excelled in his career. They realized that not only had nothing changed in their years of living apart, but that they were truly a team of two, complete individuals who were meant to be together always. They are best friends.
A few months later, Lee and Derek got engaged, and here is their wedding:
This photo is first, because it was so heavily influenced by me. I told Lee that red and blue was a perfectly acceptable and FABULOUS color combination. Obviously I was right:
The dress:
Lee on her way to go have her first look with Derek:
My beautiful friend:
Yup, gorgeous:
Derek is such a funny, nice, happy guy:
Here we go...
This series is to die for! Such a great moment:
Yay!
I love this one:
The day I met Lee and came to see her place (which I eventually shared with her), I asked if she had a boyfriend. She said, "Yes, would you like to meet him?" She said, "This is Ryan, he's four." Four year old Ryan has grown up quite a bit, but I see why she was so smitten with him!
Another little ring bearer--I adore these shots of him:
They were married in this gorgeous old theater--isn't it incredible?
Walking down the aisle with dad:
These two might be my favorites of the day:
Such an unusual place for a wedding!
FINALLY!! Many of the people here did not believe that this day would ever come (myself and Lee included)
We were wrong:
I'm still playing with the new beta textures from Totally Rad. They're not available yet, but I will let you know as soon as they are!
Veil + Windy day = Awesome:
Yummy light:
Yeah, they're cute:
They had a big wedding and knew that unless they had dinner on their own, there would be no dinner at all. So during cocktail hour, they had a private dinner in the theater so they could spend the entire reception mingling and talking with their guests:
First dance:
One more:
Here they are with Caleb, Lee's nephew. So sweet!
Note to brides and grooms: The best way to get the party started is to get out there on the dance floor yourselves and have a good time!
And to keep it going, have late night snacks of White Castle and cotton candy:
Last one:
Lee & Derek, I am SO SO happy for you. You are such an amazing example of what love can overcome, and your relationship is so awesome to watch. Thanks for letting me be a part of your day!!
Thanks to Matt Paddack for this photo, and for shooting with me!
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will you
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