Little Man, Big Headshots

So, a few weeks ago, a sweet mom contacted me wanting headshots of her sweet little boy for his agent.  I assumed he was a cute kid, but it wasn't until I checked out her Facebook and saw for myself that he is, indeed, BEAUTIFUL!  I was immediately excited for this upcoming shoot!  She said that she also wanted to throw in some of her little girl, as well.  So, of course, with one beauty in the family, I thought to myself, poor little girl, she has to live in the shadow of her amazing little brother.  But, once again, I looked at the pictures online and was amazed.  The girl was also BEAUTIFUL!  We then picked a quiet, Los Osos setting and I began planning out my shoot with these two beautiful children.
Here are the headshots of Little Mr. Beautiful:  (sorry, I know that beautiful is not usually a masculine term, but I think you'll agree that it is so fitting for that skin, eyes, and of course hair)

Little Mr. Beautiful was shy, so it took a quick game of peek-a-boo to warm him up! (quite possibly followed by some of my delicious cookies-but you'll just have to book your own session to see more about that!)

 I just fell in love with every little side-glance, smirk, and crooked-smile he gave!

 Then, there was his beautiful older sister!  (who, by the way, needed no gimmicks to

warm up- she's just a happy-go-lucky & outgoing kind of girl!)

Starting off with some tree climbing and a red parasol didn't hurt!  

Little Ms Beautiful was full of spunk and enjoyed finding her own spots and own poses- which I think turned out SO cute!  I love a girl who knows what she wants! ;)

All-in-all it was a fabulous way to spend an afternoon!  Good luck to Little Mr Beautiful in all of his endeavors- who wouldn't love that face?!

I hope you enjoyed this trip through my Los Osos photoshoot!  Let me know what you think!  Thanks a ton!  And, as my three-year-old would say, "Say Cheese!"
xoxo LooWho

Looky Tip: Clothing Crisis

Since my blog post over on MessyDirtyHair was so popular, I decided to post it over here, too.  I've been asked by the lovely Kelly, of MessyDirtyHair to be a weekly blogger, so I will post the popular ones over here, so that all my fans can enjoy them as well.
Now, back to what to wear for a shoot:

Question #1 after we've established date/time of a shoot is: WHAT DO I WEAR?!  Here are 5 tips to answer that question:

 
1.  Wear something you're comfortable in.  While I can work miracles on love handles and arm fat- I cannot wipe that uncomfortable look off your face!

2.  DO NOT hide from color!  Bright and vibrant are much more appealing to look at than a family in jean suits.  Look at the location of the shoot and pick colors that go with and stand out against it.  DO NOT wear the same colors as your background- unless your intention is to blend in.  And, while I'm on the topic of color, let's address matching.  Coordinating color scheme= cute.  Same exact outfit on each person= creepy.  When choosing colors, don't forget the colors that look best on you.  Specifically: colors that bring out your eyes.  One of the biggest factors in how focused, intense, and beautiful a picture looks is the eyes.  I am good at enhancing eyes- but that's just it, I just enhance.  I only work with the color that's already there- so do us a favor and give the best color possible to work with.

3.  Don't shy away from pattern and texture- it adds so much life and excitement to a photo!

4.  Don't worry about being "too trendy."  I hear so many people say, "I don't want to look back in 20 years and wonder what I was wearing!"  So, you want to look back and realize you had zero fashion sense?  The best part about looking back at my HILARIOUS fashion statements of the 90's is knowing all my friends were rockin the same sweat suits and scrunchis.  Be trendy- embrace the times!

 
5.  Be you- your clothing is your chance to portray who you are.  Wear what you love- Be Confident, Be Beautiful, Be You.  But, most importantly, wear your smile!  I love the "sexy serious face" as much as the next girl.  But, don't forget to shed a smile here & there- if for nothing, to show that you were indeed happy that day! :)

Most of all- HAVE FUN!  It shows in your body language, your eyes, and in your smile.  So, sit back, enjoy the ride, and let your photographer worry about what you look like.

**I offer styling with all of my packages and will consult with you on clothing/accessories for the day-working with what is already in your closet.  If you are looking for a totally different look, I can also put a pin board together with a whole theme, giving you direction in your shopping.  Email me for more details on how we can work together to style your next shoot! :)

[Beth+Dennis] Winery Wedding

Last month, Jeff and I were able to photograph a lovely wedding!  It was intimate, sweet, and full of love!  I started out with the girls.. totally glammin it up! :)

We then headed to the beautiful Eberle Winery- one of the greatest things about Paso are these BEAUTIFULLY landscaped wineries!!

Then it was down into the caves, away from the rest of the world as Beth and Dennis vowed to love each other forever! :)  The beautiful ceremony had not one, but two "kiss the bride" moments, laughter, love and, of course, tender tears.

 

Beth allowed me about 15 minutes of post-ceremony shooting before we were rushed off to the reception!  To be honest, I could have shot these beautiful people with this delicious lighting and gorgeous setting for HOURS!

 **Above is an example of the different views Jeff & I get- the left is mine and the right is his.. LOVE them both and am SO happy we have a 2 photographer team for weddings- can't imagine it any other way!

 THE MEN:

I can't complain too much about being wisked away to the reception, since it was held at the most beautiful hotel in Paso: The Bellasera!  Here we had a BLAST!  Good music, EXCELLENT food, dancing and just fun people!

Here's to you, Beth & Dennis: I wish you a wonderful life filled with love, laughter, and family!  Thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of your amazing day!  I absolutely loved every minute!
This wedding was especially tender to me for a couple of reasons:
1. I have known Beth since high school and have always loved her sweet nature and was SO excited to see her SO happy!

2.  Dennis is being deployed to Iraq for a year.  I cannot express how much respect and love I have for those who serve our country.  Thank you so much for leaving behind your beautiful wife and sweet family to protect mine.  What an honorable and courageous man you are!

I Thee Wed | Los Angeles Temple Photographer

In early December, we had the opportunity to shoot another BEAUTIFUL wedding!  As we approached the Los Angeles Temple, late the night before, I was awe-struck as I beheld the beauty of the Christmas display.  It wasn't until the next morning, while walking the grounds and getting some ideas, that the panic set in.  With every tree and ever bush and pretty much every inch of the grounds covered in lights and Christmas-y decor, how was I going to capture the beauty of a newly wedded couple????  Well, through many different angles, MANY hours of meticulous editing of lights, and a little creativity, I think I pulled it off.. let me know what you think!!  Here are the newly married Holkers, for your viewing pleasure:

 Shoes can change a girls life, just ask Cinderella! ;)

The beautiful bride!!  I have known her FOREVER, and was SO happy to see her SO happy!! :)

Did I mention it was horribly windy and sunny... not the best combo, but luckily my subjects were ADORABLE, so it all turned out amazingly! :)

 Okay, I must insert a line about the bouquet- which I helped make!  That's right, when it comes to weddings, I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve!  I was DYING to photograph a brooch bouquet (and maybe just trying to live vicariously through another bride, since I had no idea of this possibility when I was planning mine), what better way to ensure this, than to offer to make it myself.  And so, with the help of a super amazing and oh-so-talented friend, we conquered the beast.. and, it didn't turn out half bad! :)

Although the temple itself was breath-taking, there was something about the city scape that also spoke to me!

The next day they held a beautiful reception!  Every last detail was beautiful!!  All-in-all, a delight and honor to photograph this special day!

Pretty as a Peacock | Central Coast Newborn Photographer

This precious beauty was a delight to photograph!  I had be wanting to do a peacock-themed picture for quite some time and was thrilled when the opportunity presented itself!  Thank you for stopping by!