Brett & Kelly: A Maternity Shoot

Every so often I get asked if I photograph anything besides weddings and engagements. The answer is always 'yes, but I rarely advertise'. See there's a school of thought that aligns itself with the theory that if you project yourself as a generalist, you'll never get taken seriously as a specialist in any given field. I've found that since I stopped promoting myself as a photographic jack (jill?) of all trades and started focusing in on weddings and engagements, I've been able to work on my craft, hone very specific skills, and settle into a niche (a very LARGE niche, but a niche nonetheless). And guess what? I haven't lost business as a result.

On those occasions when I'm asked if I do more than weddings, the follow-up question is usually one that includes a request for maternity/baby/family/corporate/promotional photographs. And if there's room in my schedule, then of course, I'm always on board. I enjoy the opportunity to branch out of my comfort zone, test other waters, and of course, build relationships with others through photography. As of recently, I've been getting quite a few requests for maternity & baby sessions, and since winter is a tad slower as far as weddings go, I've made room to honor a few of these requests.

Some of these shoots will be featured here on the blog, and since I wanted to put some space between featured engagement sessions, I thought I'd go back to an end of summer shoot that took place with our friends Brett & Kelly here in Livermore, California. Enjoy!

Isn't she a total rock star??? Kelly was a natural in front of the camera and is easily one of the most photogenic pregnant women I've ever photographed.

Don't they look great together?! Brett was pretty relaxed in front of the lens as well. They made my job ridiculously easy!

One word about Kelly's dresses: 'ruching' . All that lovely gathered fabric can do wonders for any figure, whether one needs it or not, but what I find myself swooning over in these two B&W shots is how beautifully the ruching leads the eye around Kelly's maternal curves. And both the rings and her necklace punctuate the flowing lines quite nicely. GOR-GEOUS.

(And they're just as fun as they look...we love having them as friends!)

Of course the shoot wouldn't have been the same without a glimpse of their little guy.

And since Brett & Kelly are major baseball fans, we headed to a nearby ball field for a few shots.

This last photo on the right was the result of an idea I had the night before the shoot. Love how it turned out with the white T's! Thanks guys for the awesome shoot. So glad that the little guy is doing well and growing like a weed!

I realise that these photos were all done 'on-site' and would love to hear feedback from viewers/readers as to whether they prefer maternity shoots on-site or in the studio. Which do you favour?

Jenny& Kevin's Wedding!

Well, I finally had the chance to shoot my first wedding in California. It feels like it's been a long time coming, since prior to moving here last November I'd been visiting close friends in southern California for ten years. My dear friend Jenny was married to my new friend Kevin a couple of weeks ago in a gorgeous outdoor setting in Lake Elsinore, California and I had the pleasure of being there to document it all.

I had the chance to meet Kevin in January when he and Jenny came to visit Will & I for a few days over New Year's. The four of us had a blast and Kevin and I even worked out a trade: haircuts for engagement photos! Actually, I've worked out a couple similar trades with another hairdresser friend of mine in British Columbia...I love swapping skills! Head on over to the blog posting featuring Jenny & Kevin's engagement photo shoot in Napa if you'd like.

Jenny & Kevin were also interested in having a custom guestbook done up, so I designed a hardcover guestbook that would be used at their wedding for guests to sign. They requested something that had an old-world style to coordinate with their wedding, so I integrated backgrounds that featured old maps, paper, even muted Persian carpets (as a nod to Kevin's Iranian heritage). The book has gone over so well with other clients who've seen it, that I'm getting more requests for these unique guestbooks that feature a couple's engagement photos and therefore (hopefully) won't be destined to find their way into a box or dusty corner!

Jenny and Kevin, I was so blessed to be there photographing you on your wedding day and hope that these photographs always serve as a reminder of the love you two share and of the greater love that surrounds you.

PS Feedback from readers is always welcome...I'd love to hear your thoughts on various posts. Feel free to leave your comments below!

Unpacking & Repacking

After a busy week of weddings, meetings, visits and travel from the Bay area to San Diego to Vancouver and back, I devoted yesterday to unpacking, uploading, and unwinding! Today is much the opposite as Will and I are taking the Memorial Day long weekend to travel along Highway 1 down the Pacific Coast. We plan on taking it slow, relaxing on beaches, shooting lots of film (yes, FILM) and eating some great seafood.

The plan is to rip through Monterey and Carmel as we've been there, done that, and then slowly wind our way through Big Sur's rugged terrain, stopping off at remote (and not-so remote) beaches along the way before ending up in Cambria where we'll check into our hotel. Amazingly enough we were able to book last minute stays at two places, one in Cambria and one in Pismo Beach, which was extremely tough to do. First of all, it's the long weekend, secondly most places are EXORBITANTLY priced, and third (and most frustrating) is that almost all places require a 2-night stay at minimum. Grrr. I spent most of May looking for a place and last night wound up finding two great spots at decent rates. What an answer to prayer that was!!!

On the (relaxed) agenda is Hearst Castle, Morro Bay, and the Dunes at Pismo Beach. And did I mention copious amounts of seafood??? We'll stay our second night in Pismo Beach and then on Monday head inland up Highway 101--not as scenic, but rich with literary history as this is where Steinbeck's Pulitzer and Nobel-prize winning work was set. I'm actually pretty excited to see this agricultural region and hope to meander through it lazily on the drive home.

Next week I'll get teasers up from Jenny & Kevin's wedding in California and Daniel & Elisia's wedding in British Columbia...I know some of you are anxious to see 'em!

Hope you all have an awesome weekend, and Happy Memorial Day to all of the US Veterans, those currently serving, and their families.

Jaime

The Simple Life

Over the last while, I've had several friends post blog articles celebrating simplicity. The authors are in various stages of life and yet each has expressed a yearning to return to roots, tradition, and simplicity through a variety of creative, familial, and natural expressions. As I live not far from an ever-buzzing Interstate freeway, I am constantly reminded of my desire to seek that which is peaceful and pure. I've been inspired by my fellow bloggers to take note of the things which have brought simple beauty and rest into my own life recently and felt the urge to share those things with my own readers.

Will and I have absolutely relished in what we hope are the last of the major spring rains in the Bay area, and are trying to take in as much of what nature has to offer as we can--both in vistas and in vino! Only an hour from the southern end of the Napa Valley and not even ten minutes from the 40 wineries that dot the hillsides surrounding our small city, we have thoroughly enjoyed partaking of the region's wines (often accompanied by fruit from the local farmers and the occasional international treat courtesy of Trader Joe's). Long walks and hikes that allow us to spend time in nature with our cameras provide the much-needed reprieve from long weeks of work and offer the chance to reflect upon creation in peace. Hopefully these images bring you the same sense of peace and beauty they bring to me. Salut!

Jenny & Kevin's Engagement Photos: Napa, California

I'm trying to think of an intro here, but all that comes screaming to mind is, "I LOVE THESE PHOTOS!!!" I usually try to avoid large, general statements like that on my blog because, let's be honest, there's a good chance you'll quit visiting my blog if I allow the content to become full of generic proclamations. Also, I'm one of those people who tends to use words like 'love', 'favourite', 'best', and 'always' wayyy too much, so this blog challenges me to stretch my vocab muscles. Today, however, I'm not being lazy, I'm just expressing the first thing that comes to mind when I look at these shots!

My friend Jenny and her fiance Kevin came to stay with Will and I over New Years, and while they were here we drove up to Napa for an engagement shoot. Kevin is a high-end hairdresser so we swapped hair cuts for a portrait session, and as many of you know, I love a good trade!

The Napa Valley is a gold mine when it comes to prime settings for romantic photos. For a few of our shots we pulled off the road whenever I saw a possible photo op, and for others we just happened upon them while wandering. While photographing Jenny & Kevin with the old train car, my mind conjured up images filed away from movies, history, and my own rail adventures. For me the romance of travel is summed up in the train as a mode transport, and this train car seemed like the perfect setting for photos of a couple about to embark on a new adventure!

Bon Voyage Jenny & Kevin!