STARBUCK WEDDING
Ben & Rachel are about the most unassuming, gentle souls you'll find.
Their Portland, Oregon wedding was filled with friends and simple beauty, accenting the spring weather that was just beginning at the end of May. These are the weddings that photographers remember when they need a pick-me-up, a reminder of what weddings are really about (or at least should be about).



Rachel's attendants were all about encouragement and support. Often, I would hear one say to another how much they loved being together again and how beautiful they looked in their dresses. Just a lot of positive vibe throughout the day.
On the worker side, I had Sabrina Consolacio-Garcia of Present Photography helping me by being more than just a second photographer, but also a guide through Portland's downtown area. Sabrina moved to Portland a year ago and lives and works in the AMAZING Pearl District just north of the City Center.




You know what happens when you put a hat like this on a cute little boy? He gets even cuter and steals the show from the bride. Luckily, Rachel had no problem with this.



Best Man Michael Lynn came up from Fresno to do more than just tie adjustment!


Ben has one of the most welcoming smiles ever.



Prayer covered everything during the day.











We hopped the Max (Portland's SWEET light rail system) and Sabrina showed us around the awesome town that is Portland. All the way along, Portlanders were so friendly, complimenting the newlyweds, saying hi, and wishing them luck.







This is one of those images that is not my favorite to make, but wedding parties LOVE to do, they asked, I obliged... you know, some of those people can get some air.

This gorgeous girl is Lauren who graduates this year from Clovis West. Her dad called to set up a Senior session, which I expected would be something quite standard.
Not at all. The exceedingly sweet soon-to-be graduate brought out the works with two awesome outfits and attitude to match!

The late afternoon temps were PERFECT, we started at Fresno's Roeding Park, a virtually forgotten jewel by many Fresnans. Roeding Park, with it's old-growth glory, roaring twenties bandstands and vine-covered arbors gave a great start to our shoot. As I got to know Lauren and her dad, I found out they had a deep appreciation for Fresno's history and wanted to incorporate that into her session. PERFECT.

We worked our way downtown, to the Trade Center on Fulton and the Arts District which gave us the best of both worlds, old architecture and the colorful avante garde murals.









I liked the simple white dress she wore and the green bracelet that just set it off.



Lauren's dad suggested the back of the old Fresno Ice House near the Amtrak Station. Good eye, Ted.



I'll shoot at any time of day if the client is willing. Sure enough, Lauren was.



We were going to try to capture the freeway traffic in a long exposure, headlights and taillights bleeding into long lines on the roadway, but the ambient street lights on the overpass prevented that. So, being frustrated with that idea shot down, I suggested Lauren stand on the railing next to the chain link fence. She obliged, which drew attention in the form of catcalls and offers from almost every car that passed by, including police who "just wanted to be sure she wasn't suicidal or anything"!

BRYAN & KIM
If how a wedding day goes is any indication of how a marriage will go-- Bryan and Kim should have a great life ahead of them. Just a few days before the ceremony, bad weather was forecasted, pushing the couple to relocate their wedding from the beautiful (but damp) outdoor venue of Harlan Ranch, t0 the elegantly decorated Well Church in North Fresno.

Moving things on such short notice meant contacting EVERYONE from guests to vendors to inform them of the decision. It all came together.

Both bride and groom were none the worse for wear on their wedding day, everyone seemed happy as if nothing had changed. And it didn't, really. Bryan and Kim are like that.







It's been a few years since I had a bride with a net veil like this one. This one totally worked for Kim, I think.


This location is about two blocks from where Bryan and Kim's house.





Brownies were the wedding treat.