A Film Noir Photoshoot

Since living in LA I've always wanted to create a Film Noir-inspired photoshoot.
You know....the dangerously sexy dame flirting with the whisky-swilling gumshoe. All moodily lit of course : )
As luck would have it I was recently house-sitting at THE perfect location....a fabulous 1930's house in the Los Feliz Hills. One terrace even had a backdrop of downtown LA.
I managed to persuade Vickey and Tom to discover their acting chops for their engagement shoot.....take a look at how they did here in the slideshow.....with some very sexy music...

Engagement Shoots....and why they make sense!

Some of you might know that my signature Engagement sessions are like Fashion/Lifestyle shoots, tailor-made for my clients.
When Theresa and Wyeth told me that they would be getting married on a yacht, images of Nautica and J.Crew ads came to mind when I envisioned their engagement shoot.
I am very lucky that I get to live right by the ocean.....luckier still that a very good friend of mine has a beautiful sailboat docked in the marina......what a prop!
Theresa and Wyeth were such good sports when I explained the nautical theme.....Theresa joined me for a wardrobe/styling consultation ( she even put on a bikini! )......and even Wyeth got into it after the couple of tequila shots I gave him before we started shooting.
This is why engagement sessions are so important. You see, Wyeth hated the thought of having his photograph taken. But after the engagement shoot ( and the tequila...) he really loosened up, realised that it wasn't so bad after all and even started to have fun.
They are a great way of helping to put the bride and groom at ease before their big day....to build a rapport with my clients so that they have complete and utter trust in my vision and ability.
I think Wyeth might have even started to ham it up for the camera on his wedding day!
Here is their Engagement Slideshow and their Wedding at Fantasea Yachts.

Trash The Dress

I ususally call these after-the -wedding sessions my " Vogue Bride" shoots....but Kristen's photoshoot certainly does deserve the Trash the Dress moniker ( even though the bride does look like a fashion model ).....did you see that first image?? The dress isn't exactly ruined but it's certainly one adventurous lady who is going to be up for this Bond-girl pose in the ocean!!!
If you would like to see the slideshow of her complete shoot it's right here : Kristen's Slideshow

Vintage Chic

Old-Hollywood Glamour.......that was the theme throughout Angela and Mike's beautiful, sophisticated wedding in downtown Los Angeles.
The day began with getting ready at the historic 1920's Checker's hotel.......the bride wearing a stunning Jenny Packham gown and glossy red lipstick....shots of the boys at the Art Deco library....and the ceremony and reception at one of my favorite locations....Marvimon,which was once the home of a 1930's Italian race-car driver.
Taking shots of the newlyweds on an historic bridge with downtown in the background simply added to the feeling of being in a movie from the Hollywood Studio days......and two-generations of family wedding dresses on display was a very unique nod to nostalgia.
Their stunning wedding can be seen in this slideshow....

Just another day in the neighborhood....

After her wedding..... and before she dry-cleaned her dress.... Stephanie chose to have one of my Vogue Bride ( Trash the Dress ) photoshoots.
I live next to a beautiful lagoon and some lovely architecture, so we were within 2 minutes walking distance to all of the outside locations and fortunately Stephanie had two wedding dresses to work with. Lucky me!
Stephanie is fast becoming a pro in front of the camera.....climbing into an old abandoned boat, wading into the lagoon in her dress, lying on the ground.....nothing was too much to ask of my "model".
Here is her sexy slideshow....

Vogue Bride

With Trash the Dress sessions becoming very popular with today's modern bride, I thought it was time I stepped up to the plate, and indulged my "Passion for Fashion" Photography.
These post-wedding fashion shoots really are wonderful for the new bride. It's not often a girl gets to wear such a beautiful, couture dress......and now she can stop worrying about her guests, she let her hair down, put on some killer heels....be more sexy and playful. The dress certainly doesn't have to get damaged in any way.
The day after her wedding, Lisa even arrived late to a post-wedding brunch because she just had to have one of my Vogue Bride ( much nicer, don't you think?! ) shoots while I was still in Connecticut.
So I had an extra cup of coffee that morning, forgot all about my aching body and throbbing feet ( all you wedding photographers know what I'm talking about! ) and got ready to bring out Lisa's inner Diva, before catching my flight back to Los Angeles.
I give a lot of guidance and direction during these shoots to show my ladies at their most beautiful....every girl deserves to feel that she's fabulous enough to grace the cover of a magazine.
I think I might well be on Lisa's Christmas-card list forever when she sees her shoot. Ha!
She looks very sultry.....it almost feels as though we shot it in some balmy, Southern bayou rather than Connecticut : )
Take a look...

Knockout

Sometimes I shoot editorial pieces for the Beverly Hills Times Magazine. Usually, they feature businessmen or doctors so it became a lot more interesting when they told me that the subject of the shoot were the Knockout Girls.
These sexy girls are all boxers.....even though they could have a second career as models...and they raise a lot of money from their events for underpriveliged girls. One of the Knockout Girls is Pavarti Shallow, who some of you may know won Survivor: Micronesia.
Shooting at Crunch gym was a little challenging ( having only 20 minutes to work with and trying to make sure that none of the gym-goers tripped over the lighting cords! )
The girls were thrilled with the results and I love the fact that they have used one of the shots for their website and poster : )