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A little bit about Erin...

Hi there! I'm Erin and I am a Lifestyle Natural-light Wedding, Engagement, and Portrait Photographer based in Fresno, California. As your photographer, I make a commitment to treat you as if you were my only client. I look forward to getting to know you and your fiance, and capturing every moment of your love. I promise to share your love through fresh eyes, purely, freely, and with great care. With light, emotion, and love, your memories will come alive for years to come! I love being a part of the special moment's in people's lives, and am so honored to be allowed to photograph them! I'm a relaxed, easy-going person and I love to have fun with my clients. After all, photography is fun! If you're not in the market for a photographer right now, stick around anyway! I don't always talk about nerdy photography stuff, or how fabulous I am, and hopefully we'll have some good laughs along the way! Thank you for your interest in my work!


Kacie and Malachi: May Wedding in Monterey

Last weekend we had the pleasure of photographing Kacie and Malachi’s beautiful wedding in Monterey, California at La Mirada. It was a spectacularly gorgeous day in Monterey (so not typical for the area…), and a wonderful day for a wedding! Kacie was absolutely stunning, and it seems that everyone had a wonderful time! Here are some of the highlights of their special day. Enjoy!

Venue: Monterey Museum of Art at La Mirada
Cater: Good Time Catering
Cupcakes: Layers Sensational Cakes
Flowers: Pacific Grove Floral Co.
Dress: Amy Kuschel
DJ: Darion from DNA Entertainment
Rentals: A to Z Rental Center
Hair: NIcole Eldridge from Hair 506
Make-Up: Anathea Brenner
Photobooth: Green Cheeze

For friends and family, go to http://www.pictage.com/848830 to register to view all of the images from this wedding!

Enjoy the slideshow here, or scroll down for more images!

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The Ultimate Question: How to choose a Wedding Photographer

Well, I guess it’s not really the ultimate question… There are far more important things in life, but I can’t think of any right now! :) A bunch of Photographers all over the internet post these articles about “choosing the photographer for your wedding,” or “what to look for in a wedding photographer,” and to tell the truth, they are usually only written to drum up business for themselves! (I hate to be the one to tell you, but it’s true…) And while I’m being completely honest, I would love to shoot each and every wedding in the world, but I simple cannot. There are only 52 Saturdays a year, so I know in my heart of hearts that I will have to let most of your weddings go. This article is meant for those couples that I will not be photographing on their wedding day. There is an endless sea of amateur, semi-pro, and professional Photographers out there, some are utter crap, and others are really wonderful! In the end, I want you to have photographs from your wedding that you are happy with, and a good experience on your wedding day. Period. Simple as that!

So many couples underestimate the importance of the Photographer to their wedding experience. There is no other vendor with whom you will spend more time before, during, and after the wedding! It is the Photographer who often tends to make or break the entire wedding day. Every single one of us has been to a wedding where the Photographer was pushy, rude, annoying, or otherwise completely unpleasant! And then the pictures weren’t even that good! :( None of us want to have our special day ruined by such a Photographer… So how do we safeguard against it???

Start EARLY! The Photographer should be one of the first vendors, if not the first, that you book for your wedding! Good Photographers are booked up anywhere between 6 months to 2 years in advance, so that means you will be down to second or third tier talent if you don’t start early.

Start with websites. Every Photographer worth his or her salt has one, so get crackin! Google everything wedding photography related that you can, and get a good idea of the talent in your area. Weed out any photographer that doesn’t take pictures in the style you like. I don’t care if you sister raves about her Photographer and fully expects you to book them if you don’t like their style. It’s your wedding, so stick to your guns! Try to narrow it down to your top three choices based on their website work. Rate them from first choice, to third choice.

Meet with your favorite Photographer first. If they are as freakin’ awesome in person as their photography, Book them! Be ready to book when you meet with them because there will most likely be a bunch of other Brides looking for that same Photographer on the same date! If you don’t mesh with the Photographer, move on! Remember you are likely to spend all day with them!

Do not shop on price alone! Every Photographer understands we all have budgetary constraints and may work with you a bit, but you should never skimp on the photography as it is the only thing that will last longer than the wedding day! Make your budget cuts somewhere else if you absolutely must. Most Photographers (I know I do…) offer discounts for off-season, middle of the week, etc. weddings which are basically dates that we would otherwise not be regularly filling. Wednesdays come to mind… Remember there are only 52 Saturdays every year from which we must make a living. If you consider having your wedding on a “non-traditional” day of the week, you could rack up some truly amazing savings across the board! Think about it! Otherwise be prepared to pay the awesome Photographer for their time, talent, and awesomeness! :)

I’m not going to bother with what to ask for in a wedding package, because places like The Knot cover these topics extensively. Just ask yourself what you need, and go from there. Are you really going to need twenty 8X10’s??? Most people don’t. I’d go with Images on Disc with printing rights, a nice album, and maybe a couple (like 2…) 8X10’s for the parents and grandparents. If you really want more “stuff” as well, order it after the wedding!

I hope that’s given you a lot to think about… now Good Luck! :)

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I’ve been going through my wedding photos from 2009, and this one is one of my favorites. The utter joy and happiness is visible on their faces as they enter their reception! Such a great day! Wedding in Aptos, Reception in Soquel at Michael’s on Main back in October.

An utterly unhealthy obsession with the color: Blue!

Having a favorite color is sometimes a good thing. It makes it easy to choose between different colors of clothes in the morning, or what color to paint your nails. Sometimes, however, it becomes an unhealthy obsession with all things of that color: in my case Blue. Notice the blog, logo, and website are all blue. I just got these glasses from Cost Plus (such a cool store…) and am utterly smitten! Please forgive the photographic indulgence in my coolly colorful goblets now adorning my kitchen counter as I attempt to find a place to put them…

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Slideshow: Leanne and Ben’s Paradise Springs Wedding

Please enjoy this quick slideshow from Leanne and Ben’s Paradise Springs Wedding!



Carmel weekend with my sister… and The Cheese Shop!

After living in the Monterey are for about two years, there are definitely some things that I miss. One: The crisp cool and clean coastal air, and beautiful scenery practically everywhere you look. Two: The Cheese Shop. Three: Crystal Fish Sushi. Four: The Cheese Shop… ;)

Last weekend, my sister Kara, her boyfriend Josh, my Richard, and I took a quick trip over to Carmel mostly for the food. Kara and Josh are both in college in Boston, and are going back to school in a little over a week, so we had to make the best of the time we have now. The Cheese Shop is a bit hard to explain, but they have this magnificent collection of international cheeses that is just amazing! You can try as many (or in Josh’s case: all) of the cheeses as you would like, and just sit out in the Carmel Plaza courtyard and enjoy your wine and cheese. It’s one of those wonderful relaxing moments in time that is always enjoyable to remember. The Carmel Plaza courtyard is also a beautifully relaxed garden setting with delicate flowers and foliage everywhere you look. While Josh was busy selecting his hundred pounds of cheese to take home with him, I took a lovely stroll around the courtyard and practiced a little bit of Flower Photography. I have a feeling some of these images are going to end up framed and in the office, or at home because of how they remind me of peace and serenity! Hopefully they will inspire the same for you!

The sun was just setting as Kara and Josh headed out onto the beach as the clouds were rolling in.
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Kara was insistent on doing “jumping pictures” and these turned out to be some of my favorites!
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Richard and I!
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My sister Kara and I!
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Kara and Josh being cute…
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Richard enjoying the Carmel sea breeze overlooking the beach.
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All the pretty flowers from the Carmel Plaza courtyard.
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Yummy Cheesy cheese from The Cheese Shop!
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The sunset through the coming storm clouds.
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