Category Archives: Engagements

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Cie & Chris :: La Jolla, CA :: The Engagement

February 24, 2010 – 7:06 pm

So Cie & Chris were really hoping for sunny weather for their engagement shoot, and usually you can count on it in San Diego, but as it turned out we ended up embracing the vibe of the overcast weather and absolutely love the unique look that came out of it. It got dark fast so we shot most everything at around 1600-3200 ISO wide open at f2.0 or more. I believe the B&W shot of Chris kneeling was shot at 6400 ISO; I kind of like the grainy look that came out of it.

99% of our processing is done in Lightroom with a bunch of custom settings that I’ve built up over the years. A lot of my favorite presets were ones that I found free online and then tweaked to my liking. I find that you just have to identify which ones will work with a particular shot’s tones. And often times most presets don’t look good at all unless you know what to tweak in the blacks, temp slider, etc. You kind of have to see the end product in your mind ahead of time. This is why it’s so important to shoot in manual mode as much as you can so that your exposures are near perfect at capture so that you have more data and options later to work with in RAW.

These two had all sorts of ideas so we ran with it and just made small adjustments here and there to keep from disrupting their element. Couples seem to do their own thing just fine and it comes out looking so much more natural. I think it’s a matter of them being comfortable around you as a photographer initially, then encouraging them along the way so that they never second guess anything. Way to rock this e-shoot you two, can’t wait for the wedding later this year!

*Cie, Chris, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Irina & Andrei :: Carlsbad, CA

February 23, 2010 – 9:15 pm

This was a really cool scenario for us because Irina & Andrei were actually referred to us by their daughter & son-in-law of whom we had already shot their engagement and wedding. They’ve already been married for years and years but decided it was time to get some romantic shots together. Irina & Andrei were one of the most fun-loving couples we’ve ever shot; these two were incredible examples of how the flame can remain strong no matter how long you’ve been married. In our society today, marriage doesn’t seem to be valued or taken as seriously as it once was, which is why it was so refreshing to see these two!

*Irina, Andrei, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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An & Matt :: Seaport Village, San Diego, CA :: Engagement

February 23, 2010 – 9:03 pm

An & Matt brought their little ones along for their engagement shoot at Seaport Village and it was such a crack up because they absolutely HATED birds, with a passion. Despite the passionate despising of the seagulls, we got what we came for! ;P

*An, Matt, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Vanessa & George &…Bentley :: Engagement @ Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

September 25, 2009 – 5:47 pm

Well we immediately hit if off with Vanessa & George. Not only did we have spot-on chemistry with them but they’re also fellow boston terrier owners. We’re bummed they don’t live closer as I think we could have some fun double dates and even bring our Bostons along. Wait, maybe not the more I think about that statement haha…bummer is our Boston’s are brother and sister and they basically tear any dog apart that threatens their disturbing brother-sister relationship haha. We literally are the couple who would send one of those reels of footage of our dogs acting like complete maniacs. Anyway, getting back on track…this was another one of those shoots where you just say “I love my job”. Vanessa and George really should be proud of how photogenic and complimentary they are to each other. Bentley, their Boston, was ridiculously cute and so well-behaved. Often times when clients bring their dogs it can be difficult but this little guy was putting our Bostons to shame in the behavior department lol. Keep in touch you guys, otherwise we’ll see you at the wedding!

*Vanessa, George, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to make use of the “share” button at the bottom of this post or right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Christine & Brian :: Engagement @ La Jolla Cove, San Diego, CA

September 25, 2009 – 5:05 pm

It’s cool when you get the opportunity to work with people from your hometown. Marissa and I both went to school with Christine and still get to hang out amongst the same circle of friends out of Ramona, CA. We LOVE the way the shots came out as we tried a couple new spots around La Jolla Cove and they made for some cool shots. 

*Christine, Brian, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to make use of the “share” button at the bottom of this post or right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Lauren & Alden :: Beach Engagement @ Del Mar, CA

September 25, 2009 – 4:42 pm

Lauren & Alden were really cool to shoot with as their mellow vibe put us at ease during the entire shoot. These two make such a good couple- I wish I could’ve had time to post more from this session. I can’t wait to post the wedding shots soon. We just shot it recently and got a ton of images that I’m absolutely nuts over.

*Lauren, Alden, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to make use of the “share” button at the bottom of this post or right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Rhea & Djem :: Engagement shoot @ Seaport Village

July 1, 2009 – 7:39 pm

We came across a really interesting piece of art at Seaport Village made up of curved iron beams and just had to shoot with it. Marissa and I were pretty excited about the shots and have to commend Rhea and Djem for doing such a great job interacting with such a funky backdrop. Seaport Village actually doesn’t allow professional photography of any kind but we somehow manage to shoot there time and again unscathed! ;) Oh now I’ve gone and said it, what a dope…I just realized we have an another engagement shoot tonight at Seaport Village!!! Knock on wood.

*Rhea, Djem, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Kurstin & Nick :: The Engagement Session :: Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

July 1, 2009 – 6:35 pm

Although we shoot at Balboa Park quite often, we were stoked to find a couple new spots while exploring with Kurstin & Nick. The sun went down rather quick so we also had more time for night shots with our video light. We did some backlighting with it and were pretty excited with the outcome of the rim-lit effect combined with Balboa Park’s street lamps. Kurstin and Nick ended up going with one of our Engagement Guestbooks which features about 20 pages of custom layouts that include shots from the engagement session with layout space available for wedding guests to leave a personal message for the bride and groom with a sharpie. We actually just shot Kurstin & Nick’s wedding last Saturday and countless people went out of their way to tell us how much they loved the guestbook album idea; even the caterers. They’re always a hit! ;p

*Kurstin, Nick, Family, Friends, and Vendors feel free to right click and save images for online use such as myspace, facebook, etc. NOTE: Copyright terms state that “Bouchér” watermark must remain on image. Images are low-res, not for print use, and are electronically embedded with copyright law protection.

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Ellyn & Matt :: Engagement Shoot @ Scripps Pier

May 29, 2009 – 9:02 pm

Wow…Marissa and I seriously had such a good time with this shoot. I remember being waist deep in the ocean with dress pants on and all my gear thinking…these shots will be worth possibly soaking our gear in saltwater…so just keep shooting! Marissa and I were just looking over the images a minute ago before posting and we were wishing we had a shot of us in the ocean like this first image. For those of you who don’t know, the ocean is her first love in life, I’m a close second ;)

Ellyn & Matt are actually from out of state but we were lucky enough to cross paths with them when Matt decided to follow up on an article about pro surfer Sunny Garcia’s recent wedding. After some googling, Matt came across our engagement shoot with Sunny & Colleen, loved the look of the shoot, and gave us a call. We’re so stoked that Ellyn & Matt made it out to San Diego for the shoot as we couldn’t be happier with the turnout. Ellyn & Matt were a true pleasure to work with as they went with anything and everything we threw at them and really stepped up to just enjoy the whole experience.

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Paris Workshop Demo with Corneli & Mark

April 16, 2009 – 5:12 pm

Back in the US of A! Woo hoo! So we just got in last night from our big Europe trip and since I finally have an internet connection and some time, I wanted to get some shots of the demo engagement session up on a post. These shots were taken on the final day of The Boudoir Divas Photography workshop in Paris where I lead an engagement shoot demo with a couple from Holland named Corneli & Mark. The demo covered how we shoot at Bouchér when on location, how we look for light, interact with our clients and nail our exposures.

Mark & Corneli couldn’t have been easier to work with. We shot super early in the morning to ensure that the streets wouldn’t be too busy so it was freezing. Poor Corneli was looking like she was about to go into hyperthermia when the camera wasn’t on her and she still looks stunning in the shots. What a trooper! Thanks again guys. And thank you to the workshop attendees for getting up so darn early.

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My life, ladder, my hubby….

April 10, 2009 – 6:28 am

Isn’t he cute. He knows my fav shot of a couple is when they are looking up at me. I am not tall enough to get this on my own, so my sweetie pie lets me do this at almost every photo sesh. Thanks babe! And thank you Courtney for snagging us in action!

Ps. This is from the Eng Sesh that Weston led at the workshop. More to come soon!

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Megan & Rodrigo :: Downtown with escalators, bridges, and parking meters?

March 26, 2009 – 2:37 am

Megan & Rodrigo only had one request for the shoot…which was to get a shot of them on an escalator. Why you might ask? Because they actually first met after passing by each other on none other than…an escalator! We loved the idea, so once it was dark enough we entered the Omni Hotel and started planning out how to pull off some of the shots. Shooting your clients on an escalator is actually pretty involved when you’re trying to time both of them on individual escalator tracks. Then you have to figure out the positioning of your light source, and then still try to pull off a very shallow depth of field with a correctly focused area of the frame.

The shot included in the post has Megan & Rodrigo on a single track but I actually liked this simpler shot the best because of how their reflection appeared on both sides of them; creating a mirrored effect. We used a video light for the escalator shot as well as the shots on the bridge. Most of the other shots were captured with available light at 1600-3200 ISO. I love the grit that the extra noise creates from those ISO ranges when processing in B&W tones. Some of my favorite shots included the shot that has Megan & Rodrigo mimicking the image of the man and woman behind them and then the B&W shot that was backlit on the bridge (you two look so sick in this shot, love the attitude of your posture/stance).

Whenever we came across random things like chairs or parking meters or whatever, we just gave things a try. Not everything works out but it really helps to stumble across something you maybe haven’t shot yet. Rodrigo was cracking us up with some of the faces he was making; I think he had a good time and that always makes us happy since most guys dread taking photos ;p. Marissa actually met Megan at Fit 2 Wed; a boot camp style program that promotes a healthy transition for your body before your big wedding day by means of exercise and nutrition. Oh and great clothing choices you two…Megan your blue shirt was a seriously cool contrast to the look of the downtown backdrops.

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Val & Rob :: Pacific Beach Engagement

March 26, 2009 – 1:48 am

Val & Rob cracked us up from the start. They had a fun dynamic and made Marissa and I feel more normal for having all sorts of cute inside jokes and names for each other. They did an awesome job during the shoot too; I know that water was freezing so thanks for being so game!

We used natural/available light for for the entire shoot and spent most of our time underneath the pier due to the sun being brighter than expected at the time. It worked out well since the light coming in from the side of the pier was very directional; like a huge softbox. The textures on the supports combined with the vanishing point of the pier into the ocean itself made for some sweet shots. I’m still finding that the 5D has a tough time autofocusing in bright, back-lit scenes. Especially with our wide aperture lenses. Hopefully our new 5D Mark II will improve on the auto-focus as claimed by Canon. We’ll be using at a wedding this weekend for the first time; fingers crossed!

Here’s a little clip with some video footage the engagement shoot:

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Denica & Andrew :: Gettin’ urban in “America’s finest city”

February 26, 2009 – 9:10 pm

Denica & Andrew specifically wanted some urban-style engagement photos so we knew downtown had more than enough to offer in that area. We first met up for a drink at the new, hip Australian restaurant “Bondi”. Marissa and I decided to take a walk into uncharted territory and just pull over and shoot whatever jumped out at us. Since Denica & Andrew were total gamers, it seriously couldn’t of went better. While walking around the city a Coke Zero truck was giving out free cans of soda so we grabbed a few, pounded ‘em and put a jolt of caffeine behind our next sequence of shots.

So we’re getting ready to shoot in this graffiti-laden parking lot when suddenly an elderly man pulls up in his powered wheelchair and says….”OKAY, GET YOUR CAMERAS READY…YOU GUYS REPEAT AFTER ME…READY? “YEAH WE’RE READY”……….”TESTICLES!”.

True story, check out the reaction on Denica & Andrew’s faces. Hilarious. Then he just simply powered on out of there and disappeared into the urban sunset. What a character; you gotta love downtown’s melting pot of interesting people from all walks of life. 

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Stephanie & Devon…& Mabel the beagle :: Fiesta Island Getaway

February 26, 2009 – 8:29 pm

So we had two firsts for this shoot, this was not only our first shoot on Fiesta Island but also our first shoot at a dog park. Who would’ve thought a dog park was so pretty to shoot?! An expanse of flowing green fields with a coastal backdrop and 50 dogs frolicking? Sign me up. Stephanie & Devon brought their little beagle Mabel, who is adorable by the way. However Mabel had her own idea of how the shoot should go. Basically take 5 photos with these dumb photographers and then bail. lol. How can you blame a sweet little dog though when they are placed in an environment that is equivalent to Doggie Disneyland? Marissa and I are super happy with the shots and we think Mabel will be too. :)

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