Engagement sessions are more than just photo shoots, they’re like dates.  A date night for the bride and groom as they celebrate their engagement.  A date between me and the couple as we get to know each other.  Hanging out with Aleessa and Jason showed me what a great couple they were.  We shared stories, laughed, and talked about everything.  I know for sure we’ll have fun on our second date.  I get to meet their families, party it up, have some cake, and capture their most beautiful moment together…. their wedding day.  I can’t wait!

For the first half of their E-Session they wanted to have their daughter, Nika come along and make it like of a family session.  Nika, who will probably make a great photog one day, brought a lot of energy and fun to the session. She was a great little assistant who knew how to make Eugene and Doreen laugh.  I took them to Cal Poly Pomona which has great textures and diverse backdrops.  It also happens to be where Eugene and I went to college. It was actually kind of fitting. We both went there as naive teens, left as naive men, and were back…. as naive family men. Well, less naive.  For the second half of their shoot we hung out at old town Pasadena. I love the feel of their back alley and buildings. Colorful, rustic, and intimate.

Seeing Eugene again brought back a whole lot of fun memories. Meeting his family, Doreen and Nika,  it was a pleasure to see their great future.

We shot their engagement session on a Friday afternoon. I had never seen Griffith Observatory so packed. But, I never really worry when there are a lot of people around anymore.  Generally, people know when a couple is engaged. They see it instantly. Sure they see the big camera, but they also see a happy couple; holding each other, looking into each others eyes, and showing lots of PDA. They smile, say congrats, and get out of the way.  LOL.

Yes, there were lots of people around and they all got to witness Vince and Garnette’s moment as a happily engaged couple. Everyone should have a moment like that.

Congrats guys!!! Can’t wait for the wedding day!

For their engagement session the two wanted to hit Downtown LA and have some fun. We hung out, went exploring, and oh yeah we took pictures too.  The funnest part was recreating some LOST, caged Kate and Sawyer scenes! Good times!

I can’t wait for the wedding day, it’ll be a huge reunion for a lot of our college friends. Although I’ll be working, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I promise I’ll only have one drink ; )

Engaged couples, besides sharing your engagement session images you can post wedding information vital to your guests. After the wedding day the site will be revamped with wedding day images.  Guests can relive the wonderful day and even  purchase prints directly from the site if they wish.

Booked a Infant Portrait session? Then share the precious images with a custom website worthy of the good news.

Senior Portraits? Family Portraits? Events?…. the list goes on and on.

You’ve invested in great images why waste them on social media sites which limit their quality and resolution? I have a number of styles to choose from to fit your needs. Contact me to find out how to get your own site, jason@jasonZphotography.com .

Below are some examples of engagement and wedding sites.

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I am so grateful for meeting these two.  From the first minute we met we got along instantly.  A fun loving couple, easy to work with, and up for an adventure. These two have found a permanent place in my contact book.  Below are images from Kim and Jon’s E-Session…. my new friends.  Congrats guys!  Your engagement is almost over and the real fun is about to begin. See ya in a few months ; ).

We spent a good part of the afternoon getting lost, talking, and just having fun.  With their shoot I wanted to do less formal posing and capture more emotion.  I gave them as little direction as I could, *snicker snicker*. I told them to be themselves, think about this special time in their lives, and really reflect on their relationship. Then I let them loose…. They were a bit timid at first, but after a while I could see them starting to relax. They laughed, they hugged, and they kissed… a lot = ).  I only heard some of their jokes, some of their conversations, but I didn’t need to. I saw their happiness.  I saw a couple…. about to get married in a few months…. scared, excited, joyous, silly.  It was a great day in LA.

That evening was actually very cold and windy. In my head I was expecting to practice a lot with my off camera flash setup but the frigid wind and Vegas foot traffic did not make it easy.  Twenty minutes into the shoot I was not happy with my results and more importantly our couple, Jen and Rudy were freezing.  As a group we decided to switch things up and began walking.  We found some cool spots, got inspired again, and warmed up. Once I let go of my preconceived ideas of what equipment I was going to use and went with the flow I started to have a lot more fun.  The creative juices were flowing. Jen and Rudy were such troopers for toughing out the cold and being patient.  They kept each other warm, began to relax, and started to be in the moment.  Once we all started talking and got to know each other we discovered what a cool couple they were. We talked about the many years they’ve been together, their city, and lots of tattoo talk.  When it came down to it, it wasn’t about my flash compensation, exposure, or ISO settings, it was about Jen and Rudy…. and of course Vegas baby!

I planned on practicing technique but got a lesson on adaptability.  Lesson learned.

Special thanks to awesome Makeup Artist and overall great person Rose Anne Towers for driving all the way to Vegas to be our MUA.

Thanks again to Alfred B. for sharing and teaching.

And special shout out to Tiffany Dela Cruz Libiran for being one of my three blog readers!! woohoo Tiff! I was supposed to give you a shout out on Angie’s post but I got too excited to post it ; ). Better late than never!

It was a fast paced day from start to finish.  Luckily, every minutes was accounted for in Angie’s detailed schedule spreadsheet. If only all couples were as organized as these two! The ceremony was held at St Joseph Husband of Mary Church a few minutes west of the strip and the reception at the Mirage Hotel.  Thanks to their awesome planning everything went off without a hitch.  A traditional wedding in a non  traditional city. A traditional love accented with modern fun.

For me the best shots came after the reception began to wind down.  I took the newlyweds outside the reception room and sat them down to relax.  The look of accomplishment and relief was priceless. The two had pulled off their wedding and all the weight had finally lifted from their shoulders.  Happiness is the only word to describe the emotions. Those were my favorite photos of the day.

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03/18/10 Update: Had to add this to the set…. Garter toss winner?? LOL Classic!

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Thanks again to the Shootout leaders for all your hard work and proving that sharing is caring.

Vendors

Coordinator:Amanda Auer of In the Now Weddings www.inthenowweddings.com

Venue: Ron at the Romanesque Room www.castlecaterers.com

Florist:Honey and Poppies www.honeyandpoppies.com

DJ: Marcel Gonzalez FirstChoice Entertainment http://www.firstchoicedjs.com

Videographer: Nick Bowser, crafthouse productions http://www.crafthouseproductions.com

Stationary:  Alison Howell  http://www.inkinvitations.com

Rentals: Town & Country www.townandcountryeventrentals.com

Catering: Jay’s Catering www.jayscatering.com

Venue Concierge: Mary Lallande www.venueconcierge.com

Bakery: Colette at Fancy That! Cupcakes 909.524.1864

Linens: Wildflower www.wildflowerlinens.com

Styling: Michelle Cunningham www.milaphotography.com

Hair/Makeup: Kacee Geoffroy & Becca www.kaceegeoffroy.com

Hair/Makeup: Alisha Baijournas www.vanitykillstudio.com

Specialty: Classic Party Rentals www.classicpartyrentals.com