We’ve been photographing Lincoln and his parents on a regular basis since he was born four years ago. The location of each sitting has always had special meaning to the family. For example, the first time we photographed Lincoln was at Greystone Mansion, the place where his parents, Erica and Moksha were wed, other spots have included some of their favorite places to hang out like: Griffith Observatory and UCLA.

This time we went way back into their history… to Eric and Moksha’s first date!

On that fateful day many years ago, the young couple enjoyed their first date at the Long Beach Aquarium. As they were leaving, Eric spied the Queen Mary sitting majestically across the harbor. He was determined to bring Moksha back. Long story short, it became one of their favorite places to visit.

Given their history with the place, Eric and Moksha were especially excited to bring Lincoln here and we were equally excited to be given the opportunity to document the outing.

Needless to say, Lincoln’s excitement was infectious. It was so much fun seeing the Queen Mary through his eyes! He was up for exploring every inch of the place. Only the promise of a “cherry drink” from the gorgeous art deco bar slowed him down. (It also gave the adults a much needed martini break) After that, it was back to scampering on the decks with his parents happily playing along.

If you’d like to see more of Lincoln, here are links to some of his sessions we’ve photographed over the years. It’s amazing how quickly four years have gone by!

Griffith Observatory

Lincoln’s First Birthday

UCLA

Disneyland

Beverly Hills

Disney Concert Hall

Hi everyone. Larry here again. I’m so excited to show you more of Jennifer and Jake’s special day that I photographed with our associate photographer, Maya Myers.

Jake takes a practice run at carrying Jennifer over the threshold before the ceremony.

There were so many charming touches. The feather festooned bottles held soap bubbles.

Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church was a new venue for us. We were delighted to discover how photogenic it is.

Jennifer makes her grand entrance.

This church has both opulence and an airy quality. It was wonderful to photograph here.

The rings were successfully delivered!

Greek Orthodox ceremonies are truly beautiful. The crowns the bride and groom wear have origins in ancient Greece. Back then, the headpieces were woven of plants honoring Aphrodite. It was believed they would bring beauty and fertility to the newly married couple.

Love those bubbles! They always make for a fun, festive exit.

Jennifer and Jake had the fabulous idea of making a quick detour to this old fashioned train depot.

Rusted metal always makes for a great backdrop.

Alas, our play time soon came to an end and we headed back to the church for the reception.

We did however, go back in style…

Jake’s uncle lent them this vintage truck for the occasion.

Not only does Saint Babara have beautiful grounds and a gorgeous church, it’s also built to party. Jennifer and Jake arranged for their guests to sit family style at these long tables.

The happy couple made a dramatic entrance.

I personally love this type of seating. It creates such a relaxed, convivial atmosphere.

Amidst all the revelry, the newlyweds made time for a few stolen kisses.

As you can see, it was a lively crowd! There was lots of energetic Greek dancing.

The money dance always makes for great photographs.

Montecito Confections baked this charming cake.

The end of the night came all too quickly…

But it ended like it began, with lots of love!

Venue: Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church
Photography: Isabel Lawrence Photographers
Florals: S.R. Hogue & Company
Cake: Montecito Confections
Caterer: Pure Joy Catering
Dress: Nicole Miller
Shoes: Sergio Rossi
Suit: J. Crew
D.J. & lighting: In The Mix Events

Hi everyone, Larry here. It’s my pleasure to tell you all about Jennifer and Jake’s beautiful wedding that I photographed with our associate photographer, Maya Myers.
We had so much fun photographing this wedding and want to share lots of images with you. So with that being said, it will appear in our blog in two parts.

It’s so nice seeing a bride relaxed and enjoying her wedding day!

Jennifer clearly loves elegant, beautiful things as is evident from her jewelry…

to her Sergio Rossi heels.

Don’t let Jake’s look of serious concentration fool you…

There was plenty of merriment in the men’s dressing room.

Not to mention a fair amount of game watching on TV.

While it proved too warm for Jennifer to wear this shearling shrug, it added a lovely texture to this photo.

A few last minute primps in the mirror…

The bride’s friends lend a hand. The Bacara Resort and Spa is such a beautiful place to prepare for the big day.

At times like these, it’s great to have your father by your side.

Jennifer had these lace gloves custom made.

Jake packs up and gets ready to leave for the church.

Jennifer gets VIP transportation through the grounds of the Bacara.

This Nicole Miller gown fit Jennifer perfectly.

Jennifer and Jake’s first look was magical. Their great chemistry made it a pleasure for us to photograph them.

Stealing a kiss in Saint Barbara’s stunning gardens.

This gown was just as gorgeous from the back as from the front.

Yup, this is pretty much what Jake looked like every time he glanced at Jennifer.

Jennifer is such a natural in front of the camera. She made even the “in between moments” like when she’s smoothing down her hair, photographable.

Maya found this lacy spider web irresistible.

S.R. Hogue & Company created this beautiful bouquet.

Please check back tomorrow when we’ll share photos of Jennifer and Jake’s ceremony. The inside of this church is stunning! Plus lots of fun party shots and a detour to a charming old fashioned train depot.

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With this being a day to ponder all that we are thankful for, I’d like to extend my gratitude to all of you who support and encourage us in our business and personal endeavors.

Larry and I have been so blessed to have met such interesting and lovely people over the years. You have made our job so much more than a means to pay our bills. You have enriched our lives in ways I can’t begin to describe.

So, with that being said, thank you and Happy Thanksgiving, from our table to yours.

I’m so excited to share Anita and Mark’s special day planned by Julie Pryor of Pryor Events! This was so much more than a wedding, it was a whole family affair including Mark’s three children.

The day started at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel where Anita spent a quiet, calm morning getting ready.

Anita wanted her hair to have a slightly undone, casual vibe for her beach wedding.

Such prettiness… I am seriously considering adding these Jimmy Choo sequined wedges to my own shoe collection. The gorgeous gown is by Claire Pettibone.

Mark’s daughters and maids of honor wore these colorful Lela Rose dresses.

As we were leaving the hotel, I couldn’t help but keep asking Anita to stop for pictures. She not only graciously complied, she turned up the glam factor!

The Hidden Garden always creates such stunning bouquets and arrangements. I love that they deliver their flowers in these wicker baskets.

Lauren and Maddie strike a pose. These girls are just as charming, bright and talented as they are gorgeous.

Our handsome groom, Mark takes a turn in front of the camera.

We were going for an architectural, symmetrical look with this photo.

The girls share a hug before the ceremony. It’s being privy to touching moments like these that make being a wedding photographer so rewarding.

I couldn’t get enough of those Jimmy Choos!

Anita and Mark had arranged for their guests to take tours of the interior of Adamson House. This afforded us the rare opportunity to photograph on the roof.

Isn’t this the cutest family portrait ever? We can’t take credit for it. They came up with this pose all on their own! Can’t promise I won’t be appropriating it in the future though.

Mark’s three children are so adorable together. They make their own fun wherever they go.

The ceremony took place under a massive tree. Julie Pryor of Pryor Events came up with the unique concept of hanging Hawaiian leis from its branches.

Each family member took a turn pouring colored sand into this vessel.

There was lots of laugher and a few tears shed during the ceremony.

All the kids got into our impromptu photo session at the pool house.

I just adored these purple tumblers.

At twilight, this was the beautiful view Anita and Mark’s guests had. You can’t have a Malibu wedding without surfers, right?

A special thanks to the wedding specialists who contributed to the success of this day:
Adamson House
Pryor Events
The Hidden Garden
Dave Rubell Catering
DJ Richard Blade
Blue Cat International Video
The Butter End Cakery

If you’d like to see more of Anita and Mark, click here.

A walk through the woods proved to be the perfect setting for this mother and son photo session featuring Sunni and Tristan.

We have had the pleasure of working with Sunni at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa for quite some time. She is always the picture of grace, and composure while on the job so it was nice to see her let her hair down figuratively (and in this case, literally) on our photo session.

Tristan, who is as funny and charming as he is handsome, took to this woodsy scene like a fish to water. He was the perfect photo subject – climbing on trees, balancing on logs, even demonstrating a karate chop or two. But in the midst of all this, he was always willing to stop to cuddle with Sunni or give her a kiss. It truly was very heart-warming and sweet.

Sunni, I hope you like this sneak peek, there is lots more to come and Tristan, I’ve been brushing up on some knock knock jokes. Next time, I’ll be cracking you up!

Larry and I had such a wonderful time photographing Marissa and Louis’ wedding a few weeks ago. It was one of those days photographers dream about. We were blessed with a gorgeous couple with great chemistry and a venue that was ridiculously easy to photograph. Usually, I would write about the particulars of the day but I thought this time it might be interesting for me to give you a little insight into the nuts and bolts of how Larry and I photograph a wedding story. So here goes…

We always like to start our day photographing the bride and groom in their dressing rooms. Not only does this usually yield lovely images, but most importantly, it breaks the ice. I like to joke with my brides that once I’ve seen them in their underwear, any photo jitters are sure to melt away.

Another perk to photographing the couple while getting ready, is getting to know and document the bridal party. Marissa had her girls in colorful matching robes which were really fun to shoot.

The benefit of having two photographers is that while I’m with the girls, Larry is with the groom and his groom’s men. In this case, Louis got ready in one of the ballrooms so Larry made use of the interesting elements in the room like this mirror and ornate light fixtures.

A photograph of the wedding gown is a must. This window was not only a pretty spot for it to hang, but it’s retrieval made for a lovely image too.

Marissa’s gown was utter perfection! It fit her to a tee.

Even though this photo looks spontaneous, there was a little art direction on my part. I had Marissa’s maid of honor put her shoes on near the window so that I could take advantage of the pretty light coming through. I love how the light highlights her beautiful arms and lashes.

Still utilizing this spot, I changed my angle to make this image of Marissa opening her gift from Louis.

Marissa’s mother affixed an heirloom wedding band to her bodice. It’s little touches and traditions like this that make wedding’s so special.

A bride’s wedding day can go by in a blur. We’ve often had couples tell us, after the fact, that they barely remember what happened much less how they looked. For that reason, we make sure to document every little thing, like the intricate swirls of this particularly pretty up do.

Larry and I photograph a couple’s wedding day as if we are shooting a movie. We are always looking for ways to introduce the next scene of the story.
In this case, these images set the stage for Marissa and Louis to meet. When we have our album consultation with them, we will suggest they frame these two photographs together. I think the elegant, classic nature of these images will look great as art in their home.

We put a lot of thought into where our couples will experience their “first look”. A quiet, out of the way place where the bride and groom can spend a few moments together is crucial. Equally crucial, is co-ordinating our spots so that Larry and I get beautiful images but don’t appear in each other’s shots. This photo shows my point of view…

…and this is Larry’s.

Capturing a couple’s first look is one of our favorite photo-ops. Especially when we are rewarded with a jubilant reaction like this one.

Even though most of what we shoot is digital these days, we still love the look of film, particularly black and white film.

We are not above subjecting our couples to goofy jokes to get reactions like these!

A photographer’s job is to always be on the alert for a lovely moment. Even when walking from one part of the property to another, we are on the look-out for a potentially beautiful shot.

Here we are at the family and bridal party portrait sessions. If any of you reading this are planning your wedding at this time, I would advise that you try to keep these to 10 groupings or less. This can easily morph into the never-ending rotation of family members. Trust me, keep these to just the essential personnel (immediate family, grandparents and bridal party). Your exhausted, sore, smiley-cheeks will thank me for this little peace of wisdom.

I just loved the bridesmaids’ dresses. The girls looked so elegant and “Old Hollywood”.

By keeping the family shots to the essential players, we had time to let natural moments like this unfold.

While I was photographing the bridal party, Larry made this cute image of Marissa’s father. It looks like Dad got a pretty good shot too!

The Four Season’s is such a beautiful place to be married. Because we have photographed here many times, we are conscious to not create the same images in the same places. This time around, a tapestry and sofa in the hallway called out to me as the perfect setting to create a nice portrait of Marissa and Louis.

The moments before the ceremony are another of my favorite photo-ops. While Larry is at the ceremony site photographing the guests arriving, I have the luxury of hanging out with the bridal party before the main event.

When this particular image appeared in my viewfinder, it took my breath away. Everything came together, the soft light, the texture of the veil…It may be my favorite photo of the whole day.

I had been eyeing this archway all day and was really excited to see that the ceremony was set up at the end of it. My hunch that it would make for a dramatic shot of Marissa and her parents paid off.

During the ceremony, Larry becomes the lead shooter and I hang back. It’s important for us to not be obtrusive during this part of the day. While at the end of the aisle, I’ll look for little details like this…

While Larry focuses on emotional moments like this.

It is important to have shots that lead into the next part of the story. Sometimes showing a little movement can set up the next scene.

Another beautiful thing about the Four Seasons is its proximity to the beach. Just before the sun set, Marissa and Louis took a little time away from their cocktail party for a few snaps.

These signs are just too cute! Perfect for Thank You cards.

The perfect ending to a beautiful day.

Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore Santa Barbara

Delicate Details

Butterfly Floral Design

Carrie Purser Makeup & Hair Artistry