Los Angeles Wedding Photographer | Chelsea Elizabeth Photography | Westlake Village, Santa Barbara

I had the extreme honor of photographing the birth of Kelly and Phil’s son today.  I love the fact that I was at both of their beginnings!  I shot their wedding in 2007 and now I’m photographing a another milestone.  I got to Los Robles about 15 minutes before Kelly delivered and man did she make it look easy!  I think maybe I can handle it now ;)  Nicholas came to us about 10 minutes later.  I got to see him get measured, weighed, and bathed.  He’d just the cutest little thing ever.  I loved watching Kelly and Phil with their new son! Congratulations!!!!!  I’m really looking forward to watching Nicholas grow up!

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Here they are so happy on their wedding day!

 

I’m back from my annual WPPI convention (Wedding and Portrait Professionals International).  I love going to this conference not just because it’s in Vegas… although that rocks!  I get so inspired from the classes, tradeshow and networking.  It started off great with the print judging.  I sat in and watched some amazing prints get judged.  It was so eye opening to see how the prints were scored and why.  I saw some great platform classes from David Beckstead, Tamera Lackey, Joe Photo, Dane Sanders and more.  With so many classes I hardley had the energy to go out .. but there were so many fun times to be had at all the vendor parties.  

I can’t wait to implement all the ideas and products that I saw at WPPI this year!

Here’s some fun times in the Foto Cabina at the GO|Bee party!

As I was pulling together all my favorites from 2008 to update my website, I was amazed by how many portraits I did last year.  Did 2008 just fly by or what?   I have to say that I have amazing clients!!!!  I love doing these lifestyle portrait sessions.  They are all so unique to each client.  They keep me so inspired and driven in my love for photography.  As you can see there is such a variety of sessions from family, baby, headshots, day after, boudoir and senior portraits.  I love shooting on location, I get so inspired from natural light!  Here are some of my favorites from 2008!

Krystal | Day after sessions | Tampa, Florida

Rosemary | Trash the Dress | Tampa, Florida

Roz | Trash the Dress Session | Tampa, Florida

Shelly | Maternity Portrait | Simi Valley, California

Tina’s Family | Baby Portrait | Moorpark, California

Melodie’s Family | Family and Baby Portrait | Simi Valley, California

Kirsten’s Family | Family Portrait | Simi Valley, California

Carisa | Model Headshots | Las Vegas, Nevada

Kayla and Shayna | Senior Portraits | Santa Monica, California

Jessica’s Family | Family Portrait | Lake Sherwood, California

Ivy | 6 month baby portrait | Simi Valley, California

Zachary | Baby Portrait | Thousand Oaks, California

Roanna’s Family | Baby Album | Baby 6 month portrait | Simi Valley, California

Sarah’s family | Family Portrait | Malibu, California

Nathan | Senior Portrait | Ventura, California

The Rosen’s | Family Portrait | Agoura, California

Alisa | Boudoir Portrait | Santa Barbara, California

The LaSala’s | Family Portrait | Simi Valley, California

The Westfall’s | Family Portrait | Ventura, California

The Wisk’s | Family Portrait | Ventura, California

The Fransen’s | Family Portrait | Agoura, California

The Mattivi’s | Family Portrait | Agoura, California

Kim and Stetson | Day After Session | Agoura, California

Gayle Paul | Realtor Headshots | Agoura, California

The McElrath’s | Family Portrait | Santa Monica, California

The Brokke’s | Family Portrait | Thousand Oaks, California

Kelli and Jimi’s Family | Family Portrait | Agoura, California

The McDougald’s | Family Portrait | Oxnard, California

The Lowen’s | Family Portrait | Ojai, California

The Redden’s | Family Portrait | Ojai, California

The DeLeo’s | Family Portrait | Camarillo, California

Jolanta | Just Because | Agoura, California

My good friends Bill and Becky decided to elope!  I thoght it was such a romantic idea!  it was just the two of them and we met up at the Adamson House in Malibu.  We just took some portraits of them before the officiant came to marry them.  Just some fun portraits to reflect the day of the ceremony.  We were watching the weather so closely.  We spontaneously headed down a little early because there was a break in the rain. Man was it windy!  But the weather was georgous!  What a beautiful day for new beginnings!  The Adamson house has the most beautiful grounds.  It’s an old spanish house on prime Malibu real estate over looking the ocean.  Who could ask for more?  I’m so glad I could be there for the two of you! It was amazing!

View Slideshow

Here’s another wedding album!  I always call January and February album season.  The holidays are crazy for everyone and couples get a chance to sit down and make their album decisions.  Here’s one from Ashley and Mar’s amazing wedding in Solvang. The wedding was held at the The Royal Scandanavian and the pictures were taken at the Santa Ines Mission.  I loved Ashley’s details!  She has such great taste.  Also, check out the amazing photobooth they had. I begged Steve to make me one for our reception but no luck.  If anyone is thinking of a photobooth I say get one! They are the life of the party!

View more of the wedding!

Ashley + Mark | The Royal Scandanavian | Solvang, California

Cover Design: Swiss Chocolate leather with a 3 in square image

{ inside spreads }

The wedding album has been designed! Exciting stuff!  Kim and Bill’s wedding album has been designed as a 10×8 horizontal thick coffee table album. This album will match their engagement album perfectly!  They had the most beautiful wedding and I hope this album does it justice.  It was so held at Firestone Crossroads Estate in Los Olivos.  I love photographing weddings in the Santa Ynez wine country.  The is nothing like a vineyard wedding with the warm Santa Ynez sun.

view matching engagement album

View Wedding Blog | Firestone Vineyard Crossroads Estate |Los Olivos, California

After designing Kim and Bill’s wedding album I couldn’t believe that I had never blogged their engagement album.  Better late then never!  Here it is in all it’s glory.  Kim and Bill had an amazing engagement session starting at Union Station in Los Angeles.  I love Union Station, it’s such a step back in time.  We got some fun stuff in the station.  Bill is a USC alumni so going to campus was just a must. I love what we got there. The lighting was amazing and the architecture is beautiful.  We designed this engagement album as a sign-in book.  All their guests signed it as they entered the wedding!

View the matching wedding album!

View more of the engagement session!

Kim + Bill | Union Station & USC | Los Angeles, California

This wedding album is designed as a 12×9 thick coffee table album.  I designed this one in particular to match their engagement album.  The two go perfectly together!  Alisa and Kelly got married at the Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara.  The groomsmen did some portraits at the Santa Barbara Mission and the girls went to the Santa Barbara Court House, Sunken Gardens.  The ceremony was on the rooftop of the Canary hotel and the view was amazing!  You could see all of downtown Santa Barbara and the artistic spanish tile roofs.  It was breathtaking!  We headed back over to the Sunken Gardens for family, bridal party and Alisa and Kelly’s portraits.  The Santa Barbara Court House is one of my favorite places to photograph.

Click here to view matching engagement album.

{ Artistic Cover }

{ Inside Pages }

I’m so excited about the sample engagement album that I’m about to order.  This engagement album is designed to be a sign-in book for the wedding. As you can see this album has tons of white space for fun and loving notes from all of your guests.  The album is going to be printed up as a coffee table album with really thick fine art matte paper.  The colors just pop out on this paper and the black and whites look so rich and warm.  I’m so in love with these albums.  And the best thing is you have a book to  remember your engagement pictures with lots of nice words from your family and friends.  This album will sit on your coffee table for years to come.

Check out the matching wedding album!

Here’s the fun cover!

the inside pages

Before the wedding is the engagement session.  I love these sessions!  After looking back on 2008 and reflecting on the weddings that did have engagement sessions and those that I didn’t, I do have to say that I think they make such a huge difference and have such value.  Engagement sessions are a great way to capture who you are as a couple everyday.  You get to wear street clothes and pick a location that really fits who you two are together.  It’s just the three of us and no one is waiting for you… we have all the time in the world to play around. It’s these fun relaxed shots that your grandchildren will love to see 40 years from now.  I can just see them saying “Grandma & Grandpa.. you were so hip!” or whatever the cool word of the generation is ;)  There are just some poses you can’t do in your fancy clothes.  We can jump, sit, and run.. roll in the sand or jump in the waves!  I love getting the chance to bond with couples before the wedding. We get to know each other and I feel like a certain wall is taken down before the wedding that really allows me to get those close intimate shots on the wedding day.  You already know the drill so couple shots on the day of are a breeze and just a good time.

View the Best of 2008 Engagement Slideshow