OK, we have to confess…the balloons weren’t exactly for us.  Officially, the colorful helium-filled bubbles were on hand to help the cute little guy, Nate, in the photo below, celebrate his 5th birthday.

You see, our business officially started five years ago when we found ourselves in Nate’s nursery, photographing him at just four weeks old.  It was his first time in front of the lens, and our first time behind it.  We got a couple cute shots.  Nate was a great guinea pig model and his expressions made the afternoon fun for all of us.  But boy, did we have so much to learn!  Aperature?  What’s that?  Shutter speed?  How does that work?  ISO? How do you adjust that?

But over the past five years our expertise for photography has grown by leaps and bounds, just like Nate!  Thanks so much to our good friends, Greta and Chris, for letting us borrow their son for portrait practice numerous times since that very first session.

We’d also like to thank all our fabulous clients for supporting us as well.  Your trust in letting us record your memories and special events means the world to us.  Thanks so much for an awesome five years!  We can’t wait to see what the next five years has in store for us!

This cute couple met at the 2005 Anime Expo, one of the largest Japanese animation and video game conventions which happens to be held right here in southern California. It’s like a Star Trek convention for gamers, to which many attendees come dressed as a favorite character. Jennifer came dressed as Yuna and Scott assembled his best Seifer. For fun, why not take the engagement pictures with a similar idea in mind?

Gamers will appreciate all the detail that went into the outfits: her gold sash, his grey suit, the nearly-to-scale weapons, and even small accents like a “Believe” bracelet that harkens to Jennifer’s favorite game moment.

But even without the fun outfits you can see how comfortable they are together.

We enjoyed our afternoon with Jennifer and Scott—they have great personalities make such a sweet couple. We look forward to helping them celebrate their wedding later this June at the Sea Cliff Resort in Huntington Beach. Here’s two last shots, our favorites from the session:

And we’re not the only ones who are in love with Jennifer and Scott’s creativity.  This engagement session caught the eye of Rock N’ Roll Bride, one of the top UK wedding blogs, who just featured the photos on their site.  Be sure to head across the Pond to check it out!

Last night, Keith and I thought it would be fun to take a look at all the photos we’d taken the past 12 months.  Our hard drives are full of 40+ family sessions, engagements, weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries that we had the awesome opportunity to photograph.

But it’s always better to show, not tell, right?  So to visually recap the year, we’ve put together this nifty collage featuring ALL of our fabulous 2011 clients.

So to all our our families and bridal couples, we’d liked to say THANK YOU.  Thank you for trekking through the tall grass, across the sand, or up the hill to find the perfect photo spot.  Thank you for dazzling us with your cute outfits, adorable hair ribbons, and stylish shoes. Thank you for your smiles, giggles, and the little dances in front of our lenses. But most of all, thanks SO MUCH for trusting us with capturing your celebrations, memories, and special moments.

Ben is a high school senior; we met his mom during a shoot for the band Instigator. I guess when your mom is the bluesy lead singer of a rock band you have cool in your blood, and Ben is a cool guy in the best sense—intelligent, thoughtful and easygoing. We met up with him in Orange County to take some senior portraits at one of our favorite spots, Irvine Regional Park.

Among other things, Ben is known for his yo-yo skills. Frankly, we’re impressed by anyone who can send the toy down and get it to come back at will. Fun fact: yo-yos, or something like them, date back at least to 400BC in Greece.

Ben is a great guy and we wish him all the best as he closes out his final year of high school and moves on to college. Congrats, Ben!

A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to reflect a little more on our school days when we met this cute collegiate couple, Zenna and Cruz.  Just like Keith and I, they met as students.  And now, to celebrate their third anniversary, they booked a mini-session with us at one of our favorite Orange County locations.

The relaxed atmosphere of our Irvine secret spot—tall grasses, a dry rock bed, and a charming tunnel—worked as a great backdrop for this young duo. Here’s proof:

Thanks so much to Zenna and Cruz!  Working with you both brought back great memories for me and Keith when we first started dating.  Stay adorable!

And if any of you, our loyal readers, are looking for a unique anniversary gift to surprise your spouse with, a photo session is a great way to go.  Just send us a note and we’ll help plan the details.

The start of fall also means the start of our annual mini-session and holiday portrait season. Once a year we offer a discounted rate for portraits at some of our favorite Orange County spots.  Last Saturday morning we headed south to Los Rios Street in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano. This locale never disappoints.  And neither do our adorable subjects.  Meet the D. Family.  Baby Chloe and her mom met us near the train depot to start the session, where the green ivy is just starting to turn brown.  Fall has definitely arrived.

Chloe was a good sport for most of the session.  She let us sit her near noisy trains, on wood steps, and next to grass that was taller than her.

But then our adorable model got a little unsure and hungry.  Here’s proof that she’s cute even when she tears up.

But after a few cereal puffs and cuddles with mom, she was back to rockin’ the camera.

Thanks so much to the D. Family for making the trek all the way from the Bay Area to meet with us and kick off our fall portrait season! If your session is any indication for how the rest of our season will go, we’re in for an awesome couple of months.

But could it be that her fluffy-headed poodle Buster is the magnet that attracted Joe, her Mr. Right and soon-to-be husband? Inquiring minds needed to know, so we met them for engagement pictures at the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach, the site of their first date.

Buster was kind enough to join us for a bit.

Buster doesn’t do Ferris Wheels. And neither do I—at least not the kind that swings wildly at every turn—but Becky and Joe do, so Keith was happy to climb on board while I watched from below.

A quick stop at the local candy shop brought out the kid in all of us.

After a quick wardrobe change, the four of us walked across to the pier and dipped our toes in the sand.

As the light fell deeper into the horizon and out of view, we wandered back to the Fun Zone for a last shot in front of the Ferris wheel before bidding them goodbye for the night. We can’t wait to see these two again this weekend when they exchange their vows. Congratulations Becky and Joe!

All we needed was a family to give this spot a go.  We lucked out with one of our regular clients, the Y. Family, who were up for the adventure.  In fact, the whole extended family was ready to explore this 1.6 acre sculpture garden.  We started with a few groups shots.

Then we focused on smaller groupings.

We couldn’t get the kiddos in the same shot, but how adorable are these sisters?

Thanks so much to the Y. Family for another great session!

Last spring we met the Y. Family at the mission. In tow was two-year-old Emily.  Her brown dress with pink accents was the perfect choice for the rustic setting.

If you’ve never been to the mission, it has a limitless number of backgrounds. Lots of textures, cute windows, and great landscaping (especially in late spring or early summer) dot the pathways at every corner. There are even a couple of fountains with koi fish lurking just under the surface—a perfect distraction for energetic toddlers.

And let’s not forget about mom and dad.  The benches at the mission are perfect for a snuggle.

If you are interested in a session at the mission, be sure to let us know. The mission is a premium location, as the venue charges a special fee for photo sessions, but that fee includes your entrance which you would owe regardless. But don’t fret…we can make all the arrangements for you.  And even if you don’t want photos there, we recommend you visit at least once to enjoy the architecture and learn a little something about California’s unique history.