Belly Bump Bar in Aliso Viejo

I live in Aliso Viejo, and I am seeing some exciting growth in my city. We have a fantastic new hotel, Renaissance ClubSport, a gorgeous new Country Club and now a fun place for families to hangout, the Belly Bump Bar. Which opens it doors this Saturday, August 2nd. It is a non alcoholic bar for parties, celebrations, networking, shopping, great organic foods and more. It is located at 125 Columbia in Aliso Viejo. They’re having a Grand Opening Party this Friday @ 7:00 pm. To learn more about this fun place please click on Belly Bump Bar under my links to the right.

Belly Bump Bar in Aliso Viejo

Michelle & Jason's Wedding

If you read my blog entry “A Day at the Beach”, you will get the 411 on this lovely couple and Jason’s beautiful daughters.This past Saturday, Ben and I photographed Michelle and Jason’s wedding @ The Villa in San Juan Capistrano.

When we got there, Jason was in the courtyard, not dressed yet (still had two hours before he said “I do!”). Michelle was still getting her hair & make-up done @ her sister’s salon. We had time to set-up for her arrival. Michelle’s dress was already in the dressing room. Exquisite, as you can see in these photographs. Ben immediately started taking photographs of the dress. Then Michelle arrived with her Bridesmaids and Madison, Angelina & Danielle.The rest of the afternoon and evening were a whirlwind for Ben and me. Shooting a wedding is fast paced. Before I knew it we were done. I know Michelle and Jason will have some wonderful memories through the photographs Ben and I took for them.

Michelle & Jason's Wedding

A Guest, a Hero and a Wedding

I was a guest at a wedding!! You can imagine it is very strange for me since I normally work weddings. This time I had the night off, a young man that I have known since he was a kid got married to a lovely young lady. Their story of their first date is like something you would read in a storybook. They were having dinner with mutual friends when a loud sound of car collisions interrrupted dinner. Greg ran out to the scene of the accident which was very severe and with the help of his friend they pulled the drivers and passengers out of their cars minutes before one of the cars exploded. Greg was a hero who risked his life, how could any woman not help but fall in love at that moment. Plus Greg is a fantastic, sweet young man.

So here I was at this stunning wedding at Arroyo Trabuco Country Club. I maybe a guest at the wedding but I took my camera with me. Discreetly, I took photographs before and during the ceremony. Trying my best to stay out of the way of the hired guns a.k.a. photographers and two videographers. Once the ceremony was over, I put the camera away and helped to celebrate with family and friends the marriage of these two special people.

A Guest, a Hero and a Wedding

How Christian the lion became a YouTube sensation

Back in the 1960's two young men bought a lion cub from Harrods Department Store in London. They named him Christian. After 30 years, Christian is a YouTube sensation Internet video of a lion joyously reuniting with the two men who raised him, taken long after he'd been integrated into the Kenyan wild. It made me cry, and the story behind the grainy old footage is just as affecting - and surprising. To read about the story and see the video please click on
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25797678/from/ET/

How Christian the lion became a YouTube sensation

A Day at the Beach

This past Tuesday, Ben and I had the pleasure of going to Table Rock Beach (in South Laguna) for an engagement shoot. What is so unique about this engagement shoot is that Michelle and Jason included his children. The girls are just lovely, there is Madison the oldest and Angelina & Danielle who are twins!! Michelle is a twin, too!! It was a gorgeous day for the beach and they were bathed in this golden light. This is the type of light that us photographers just live for and love!!

The wedding is on July 26th (we normally do an engagement shoot months in advance but we just got hired last week), it is going to be at a very cool venue, The Villa at San Juan Capistrano an antique showroom with a Spanish style courtyard where Jason & Michelle will have the ceremony and reception. Stay tune for photographs from the wedding….

A Day at the Beach

The Bump – The Ultimate Guide for Pregnant Living in Orange County

This is my latest ad for The Bump Guide that Andrea @ AMH Creative designed for me. If your looking for a creative web designer or fantastic graphic artist, then search no further. I enthusiastically recommend Andrea, the owner of AMH Creative.

I have been advertising in The Bump since their first guide. It is a highly valuable resource guide for expectant and new moms. It offers helpful information on health & wellness, home organizing & safety, hot spots to shop in OC, registry tips, fun ideas and tips to enhance pregnancy and new motherhood and much more. If anybody would like a guide please let me know.

The Bump – The Ultimate Guide for Pregnant Living in Orange County

Baby Wyatt

Wyatt is the sweetest little baby who is four months old. This is the parent’s first baby, and they were so happy about having professional photographs taken of their little one.

When I arrived for the photo session, Wyatt’s Mom was giving him bath, and he was all smiles in water. While he finished bathing, I started setting up my equipment with the help of Wyatt’s Dad. My equipment consist of two Stobist lights (flashes off the camera) with stands, umbrellas to defuse the light, background and my Nikon D-300!! Then it was lights, camera and action. We listened to classic rock during the shoot as Wyatt is already a big fan per his Dad!!! Also Wyatt’s Great-Grandmother was there and I got some lovely photographs of the two together. That is what I like about my job is creating photo memories forever.

Baby Wyatt

Renaissance ClubSport in Aliso Viejo

A lot of great things have been happening at my end. I am most excited about my wedding photography business, Studio 656 Photography, which I started with my business partner, Ben Craig. We are lucky enough to be one of the preferred vendors for the fabulous new Renaissance ClubSport, a 174-room boutique hotel, sports club, and day spa that opened up in Aliso Viejo this past weekend.

















Ben and I have been taking before and after photographs of the Renaissance for months. Here are three images of the Lobby in different stages.
















I live in Aliso Viejo and this is a wonderful addition to our city. For more information go to http://www.renaissanceclubsport.com/aliso-viejo/home.do. or better yet go see it in person. They're located at 50 Enterprise in Aliso Viejo.

Renaissance ClubSport in Aliso Viejo

Twins!!!

Last weekend, I received the sweetest e-mail from a Mommy-to-be,

“When I saw your website, I fell in love with the
pictures and how natural and crisp they look. It made
me really excited that I even woke my husband from his
slumber ( He works as a night shift nurse!) to tell
him that I wanted to have maternity pictures taken.”

We talked on the phone and she loves the outdoors, the greenery, etc. She got married in the Philippines on the beach at sunset and wanted her maternity photographs to be outside, too! I immediately thought of Laguna Niguel Recreation Park for its ideal setting of trees, a creek and a lovely wooden bridge. I was thrilled because the last time I had made arrangements to do an outdoor maternity shoot at the beach, the baby came early!! I had bought a white parasol for the shoot, too! Now, I could finally use it.

I met them outside the park at a nearby Starbucks (there is one on every corner in OC), and we drove in to the park together. The Mommy-to-be had come prepared with props, a picnic basket and a lovely blanket to sit on. We had to work fast because it was nine o’clock in the morning and the light would be too harsh by 10:00.

I'm very pleased with how the photographs look from this shoot, romantic and dreamy! I have more on my website. Stay tune for the newborn photos because they’re expecting twins!!! My first time to photograph twins, and I can’t wait.

Twins!!!