Inside Edition

I had to take a break just now from editing the photos from Tony and Meagan's wedding. Having just gotten through most of the "getting ready" shots and the formal/posed shots, I stopped near the beginning of the "pre-wedding" shots. Those are the shots where the bride, groom, wedding party and immediate family are all a mix of relaxed and a bit anxious as they are all ready to go and just waiting to start the walk down the aisle.

Over the past month in particular, one thought has stuck with me. And that thought is this: I love not only capturing memories, but am also touched and honored to be "on the inside" of things. Can it be stressful to be sure I get all the shots I feel I'm expected to get? Sure, a bit. But honestly, I find that I'm so caught up in the fact that I'm involved in some of peoples' most precious moments that I rarely actually feel stressed.

I think the way I feel about photographing people is something that really adds to the quality (and quantity, for that matter :P) of the moments I catch. Constantly, I'm thinking about how much what is on the other side of the lens could mean to people. Some of the photos will wind up in albums; others on walls and mantles; still others on thank you cards, invitations, and save the dates; one might be someone's Facebook profile photo or the shot they use for their 'record' album cover.

But not only did I get to shoot and see so much, I get to be a part of so much. I get to talk and laugh with the stars of the day, their "supporting cast" and everyone else special to them.

And now, going through the photos from my latest gig, I keep finding myself smiling or laughing.

I'm sure all of this sounds sappy, but I so very much enjoy getting to hand over a little bit of a time machine where people can relive some of their happiest days. :)

Melanie & Jimmy's Engagement Shoot

My husband and I met up with Mel & Jimmy at Cal Lutheran University weekend before last and spent nearly 2 hours walking around campus taking some engagement photos. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them and they are seriously a cute couple - both have a great sense of humor and aren't afraid to be a bit silly (my favorite type, as is obvious to anyone who knows my husband, Mike, haha).

The campus is a great place to shoot as it has a lot of different areas and is very aesthetically pleasing (I like to take my dog for a walk around there several times a week, in fact!). I also got to make them my guinea pigs with my new heart chalkboards I made that week (which turned out well, if I do say so myself).

Here are a few of my favorites:

As you can see, I had a lot of favorites! :)

The Art Box, Atelier, First Annual Art Show

The Art Box, Atelier, had its first annual art show and boy, are were some talented artists on display! Check out the full gallery here, and keep scrolling to see some of my favorites from the show.

 

Okay, so I sneaked in a photo of Emma, the owners' daughter, but is she not a little cutie? ;)

The Grizwalds

And, because they are deserving of their own blog post, here are some photos of the live band that played 80s covers all night - The Grizwalds!
(check out their website here.)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Event 2011

Thrivent Financial had their annual company party in Newport Beach, CA on February 1st and 2nd and CrazyStars Photography was there to document it all from start to finish! The theme for the event was "My Big, Fat REO Wedding" and the guests were strongly encouraged to dress up in costume. To say there were some creative and fantastic costumes would be an understatement!

Here are a few of my favorites from the event. Many, many more can be seen (and purchased) here.

My Sister-in-Law's Baby Shower

I'm going to be an aunt! My sister-in-law, Beth, is due in January and had her 'hometown' baby shower last week (she lives in Austin, TX, but grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA). It was a great shower with a fun crafty brunch theme hosted by my mother-in-law, 'aunt'/godmother-in-law, and one of Beth's best friends.

For more photos, check out the gallery. Also, any Austinites out there, for a crafty fun baby shower (or bridal shower) of your own, contact Beth & her partners at The Wondercraft. And, of course, I am available to capture your showers. :)

Grandma-to-be, Sally, and 'Aunt' Patric (Sally's best friend from high school)

Hand-designed organic onesies!

The mommy-to-be!

The Art Box, Atelier, Grand Opening!

I had the pleasure of attending and shooting the grand opening of a fantastic new art studio in Dos Vientos, Newbury Park, CA. It's run by some dear friends of mine who are not only crazy talented, but really sweet!

See more photos in the gallery here and check out The Art Box, Atelier on facebook.