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Friday, August 30, 2013

Channel Islands Wild Life Cruise

A couple of weeks ago we took the little munchkin to the Channel Islands Wild Life Cruise.  It is basically a round-trip boat ride taking off from Oxnard to Anacapa Island.

Vivienne, safe on her mommy's lap, is ready to put out to ocean...

On the way towards the island, we witnessed the beautiful bottlenose dolphins racing and playing around the boat. Their speed, their agility and their immediately apparent intelligence were striking. 
A bottleose dolphin racing the boat around the Channel Islands

My favorite moments observing them were when they would actually look at us... While we were observing them, they were also observing us...

You know when you go to a concert and you are lucky enough to be in the front rows... You are attentively watching your favorite artist and all of a sudden, boom!  You are absolutely, positively sure that he/she made eye-contact with you!  That split-second is so meaninglessly important to you, it's just too much!!! Of course, deep inside you know he/she is playing to the crowd and that ths is his/her way of giving back a bit of extra something, while he/she has no idea who you would be and he /she doesn't particularly care either.....

Well, I had that moment with a bottlenose dolphin.

Here is the proof:

The bottlenose dolphin was checking me out...

 That dolphin does not care about me as much as I care about him/her.

Anyways...

After the dolphins got really bored of traveling faster than the boat carrying people they do not particularly care much about and decided it was not worth racing, we continued toward Anacapa Island and on the way there I saw a sea lion having his breakfast.

The sea lion having his breakfast

Surely he is a bit pissed off that he got kicked off of the popular hang out place due to the fact that he had a few too many the night before...  Here are the other sea lions who know how to behave in public having Sunday brunch at the said locale.

A popular hangout place of the sea lions at the Anacapa Island.

Vivienne mainly hung out with mommy and gram.  Her friend David and his father Michael were also there as well as Gram, Uncle Joey and Aunt Jen...



It was a pleasure to observe Vivienne and her mom in the natural habitat of other species.  




 On the way back, after watching this guy loop around our boat about 4 times, and like the dolphins, after seeing him getting bored of our slow boat, I laid down the camera for a while...


 Well, not before I grabbed a reflection shot!  Shooting from the waist, I was able to capture Jen, Michael, David, Vivienne and Me in the same frame with the help of Jen's sunglasses.


The moment I put the camera down, Jen grabbed it and she took a few pictures too...


 Next week, we'll get back to the weddings.  Until then, stay well my lovelies!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Time is of essence



It's almost midnight on Friday and the last couple of weeks have been an incredible journey for me.  So much change and so many developments.

I will share all of this with you in time...

See you next week.

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Most Creative Engagement Session Ever

I could have titled this post "Burçin & Shai's Engagement Session Part II" but it wouldn't be fair to Part III that belongs here as well....

I had the pleasure to work with a lovely couple on several occasions throughout last year.

When they booked me for their wedding and their engagement session, all I knew was the wedding date.

Than we met to discuss the engagement session and I got super excited:  this was a couple who were not afraid of going the distance in the name of creativity...

You met them... Twice actually...

On their regular engagement session pictures (and I made sure I finished that blog post with a cliffhanger as I knew this day would come!)  Also, I shared their wedding day story on this blog post.

Here is where we left off....


The story was pitched to me as their last night as an engaged couple where they party with their closest friends following their romantic time (depicted in the regular engagement session).  Of course, things would take a surreal left-turn and they would barely make to their wedding...

I was sold...

We had a very detailed and elaborate discussion followed by a meticulous planning.

Before I share some of my favorite photographs from the 3-day shoot, I would love for you to watch this video edited by my wonderful videographer friend Trey...



The above video was shown before their official first dance (where they appeared in front of the screen similar to the pose they have at the end of the video), which was a beautifully choreographed tango that they performed to Muse's Undisclosed Desires.  I told you they were creative!

So, here are my faves from the shoots...
Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiii!!!!

The couple that jump together stay together

One of the down moments of the morning after partying...

Burçin gets violent (it's all pretend folks)

Burçin kikcs Shai's butt

I should mention that no one was hurt during these photography sessions... 

Well, at least not intentionally.

In case you are wondering, everything you see is pretend (on this day and age, I felt obligated to make such a statement, isn't it sad?).
See you next week my lovelies.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Mary & Ryan's Greek Wedding

Mary and Ryan got married last May and I had tremendous fun mingling with my "neighbors" while I was photographing them dancing sirtaki and breaking plates during the reception.  It started in Mary's parents' home...
 
 Mary helped her bridesmaids to get ready, then the bridesmaids helped her to get ready.  Then Mary left home in between her mom and dad.

The ceremony took place in the beautiful Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church...
Mary & Ryan's Wedding Ceremony

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

The kiss at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Following some classic and fun portrait pictures, it was time for the reception and fun to start...  The money shower continued the entire night.

In front of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

 

I wish them a happy and prosperous life together! Congratulations again!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Kimberly & Adrian's Wedding

Kimberly and Adrian tied the knot in a nice ceremony that was full of religious and spiritual symbolism including, continuous and never-ending love symbolized by the rings...



...the oneness symbolized by the unity candle...


...and fun symbolized by laughter!


The beautiful couple wanted to take a few pictures at the woderful campus of CalPoly Pomona...





On our way back to the parking lot, I asked Kimberly to stop for a second, than I laid on the floor and snapped this picture in front of the CalPoly's famous building.  The famous Pomona Tower was threatened by demolition in 2010, but 3 years later, it is still standing.  I am not sure what its fate would be and whether or not if the University still considering to raze it.

Kimberly posing in front of the CalPoly Pomona's famous landmark Pomona Tower.

Let's finish this week's short and sweet blog with a few photographs from the reception...





Kimberly and Adrian, I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous life!