Amanda Patrice Blog

Amanda Patrice Blog - RSS http://amandapatrice.com/ en Copyright 2012 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:49:22 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Make it happen... Teamwork!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/02/make-it-happen.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/02/make-it-happen.html Married! Random! Amanda Patrice orange county wedding photography Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:49:22 -0700 Kevin + Bethany My first engagement session of 2012 was awesome! If this is any indication of how this year in photos is going to go, I'm super excited!

Bethany and Kevin really wanted something unique and fun, but had a hard time coming up with an idea... until Kevin thought of the Salton Sea. LOVED IT! It was definitely a looooong drive, but hey, it's my slow season :)

Here are a few of my favorites of the day...

Salvation Hill is such an amazing place. I highly recommend making the trip out there asap because since it's fate is uncertain right now.

Gorgeous light, fun colors, and a sweet couple :)

Seriously, there were so many awesome places to shoot :)

Thanks Kayla (Bethany's sister) for being my lighting tech for the day :)

One of my favorites of the day:

Quick costume change and a new spot...

The train was an awesome touch. We got lucky with timing!

The lighting was perfect!

Bethany... you're so pretty!

I hope you had an awesome Sunday! Thanks for looking :)

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/02/kevin-bethany.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/02/kevin-bethany.html Engaged! Amanda Patrice Salton Sea Engagement Photography Salton Sea Engagement Session Salvation Mountain Engagement Session Salvation Mountain Photography Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:10:16 -0700 Logan is 10 months old! Hello! Just thought I'd put a quickie little post together for the weekend :) I can't believe Logan is already 10 months old... and walking! I always think babies grow too fast, but it seems especially so with him. Sigh.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from our super rainy day at Disneyland. Have a great weekend!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/02/logan-is-10-months-old-1.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/02/logan-is-10-months-old-1.html Babies! Kids+Family! Amanda Patrice Disneyland Family Portraits Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:37:37 -0700 Baby Devyn Hey, remember Adi and Todd? Look what they made:

Isn't she just so cute?!

Todd is such loving dad :)

I love little baby fingers...

Thick, beautiful hair and big, full lips... lucky girl!

Cuddle time on the bed :)

Thanks for looking, Happy Monday!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/baby-devyn.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/baby-devyn.html Amanda Patrice Los Angeles Newborn photography Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:20:44 -0700 70's Inspired Shoot This is my all time favorite photo shoot.... ever.

From the looks of my website, you can probably already guess I love funky, old style and retro colors.... I also like pretty things and taking photos of people. This shoot combines all that :)

I've had this idea in my head for years now, but I just didn't have anywhere to do it (there aren't too many untouched houses from the 70's around these days). When my friend and amazing makeup artist, Jamie Michele, told me about her Grandma's house I nearly died. It was perfect. Once we had a spot we just needed models and wardrobe... no problemo! My awesome assistant Chelsea and my buddy Chris volunteered and brought along some great outfits. Then I raided my mom's closet and found some gems... thankfully she's a bit of a packrat :) Everything just fell into place from there.

Enough of my rambling... here it is. I hope you like it. I freaking love it :)

Isn't the wallpaper just awesome?

It was fun playing with off camera light... I hope I get a chance to do that more often this year...

Chris was such a good sport :)

Chelsea is so gorgeous! Her hair and makeup were just perfect :)

One of my favorites:

Wood paneling gets such a bad wrap, but I LOVE it!

This next one is my favorite of the day...

We had to venture outside too! I found Chelsea's coat in my mom's closet... isn't it awesome?

Chelsea's grandma lent us a great coat too...

Another costume change... this blouse was my mom's too :)

I swear Chelsea could wear anything and it would look perfect on her...

And that's it! If anyone knows of a great location like this please let me know! Better yet, if anyone wants to do a shoot like this call me right now... I'm dying to do it again :)

Photo shoot recipe:

Photography: Amanda Patrice

Makeup: Jamie Michele

Hair: Stephanie Fiduk

Chris' suit: Express Men

Chelsea's wardrobe: Vintage, Forever 21

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/70s-inspired-shoot.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/70s-inspired-shoot.html Random! 70's photo shoot Amanda Patrice Retro Photo shoot Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:54:08 -0700 Featured! Hello! I hope everyone is having an awesome week!

If you want to see some oldie but goodie photos today pop on over to the Project Wedding blog and HiFi Weddings to see a couple of my favorite photos :)

Thanks for looking!

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]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/featured-2.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/featured-2.html Engaged! Married! Amanda Patrice Project Wedding Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:12:05 -0700 2011 Best of Wedding Moments This year I got to see some pretty amazing wedding moments... lots of tears, laughing, surprises, dancing, hugging, and even some things that didn't quite go as planned but turned out awesome any way. I tried my best to pick just one moment from each of my weddings this year... it was tough, but here goes:

Colleen and Nate decided to have a private picnic for dinner. I loved looking back and seeing them enjoy each other's company so much. Lots of couples don't get a lot of time to themselves on their wedding day...

This photo from Nicole and Kevin's wedding speaks for itself... it's my all time favorite photo of a groom seeing his bride for the first time.

Michelle and her daughter, Bella had a special dance all their own at the reception... it was the sweetest moment!

Adi and Todd's ceremony was full of surprises. It was so fun catching all the hilarious expressions on everyone's faces. In this particular moment the officiant (their quirky friend) was comparing Todd to God... not something anyone expected to hear based on the awesome looks on their faces :)

I'll be honest... this next one was a lucky shot. I only had a split second to spin around and see that Michelle's father had just opened the door and laid eyes on her for the first time. I quickly spun the dials on my camera and just hoped I got the settings right. I'm so glad it worked out... just look at his face!

I love it when clients surprise me... and in the next photo the groom did just that. The Wendall I was used to dealing with was pretty mellow and reserved. I never NEVER would have expected him to grab the mic at his reception and serenade his wife... in Spanish, no less! It was awesome!

Sand ceremonies are a pretty traditional way to symbolize the joining of two people... I see them all the time. This one, however, was hilarious. Jenny, knowing that she'd have to look at this jar full of sand for the rest of her life, was VERY particular about the pattern the different colors made. First she poured, then Michael, then her, then Michael... it went on forever. I loved it :)

Omigosh, Keri and Jon's little flower girl was adorable! She took her job of the day very seriously, but apparently couldn't resist having a little fun, too :)

Anna and Alex are surrounded by amazing, supportive, hilarious family and friends... I was constantly in danger of crying throughout the whole day (I may have even let a tear escape once or twice). It was extremely difficult picking just one favorite moment of the day, but I think I've got it: The look on Hilary's face as she watched her sister come up the aisle with their dad was just beautiful... it made me happy :)

Jessica and her sister Kristy are damned hilarious! They had me laughing all day. Just look at this photo... it says it all :)

Eugene and his daughters had a special dance at the reception that made my heart so happy. He loves them to pieces and Shawna is the best step-mom they could ever ask for. I love how the girls were not only considered, but included in all the wedding traditions.

How funny is this next photo from Mike and Kristen's wedding? I love these two people to a ridiculous degree. They make me smile, inspire me, and are so fun to hang out with. This is just one of my many favorite moments from their day taken minutes after their first look...

This is another wedding that had me blinking back tears all day. JV and Char'lee had so many amazing, supportive, loving people at their wedding you could almost feel it in the air. The vows, the toasts, the parent dances... everything was beautiful and heartfelt. I love this next photo because it reminds me of how excited everyone was to celebrate the wedding... just look at all those smiles...

Haley and John had one of the most memorable ceremonies I've ever heard. Their officiant was the father of Jon's childhood best friend and he had so many beautiful things to say about life and marriage. I wish honestly wish I could have recorded it with sound...

I don't even think I need to explain why this moment was awesome... just look at Cassie and Kevin's flower girl rocking out! She was the best!

I love me a good dance party, and Michelle and Michael didn't disappoint!

A sparkler exit with a tandem bike? Yes please!!!! Chuck and Emily are some awesomely fun people...

I love first looks... they're the best. Especially when there's an adorable personality like Amanda's involved. She was SO excited for Trent to see her... I love it!

This favorite wedding moment may surprise Jamie and Mark because it was a moment that didn't exactly go as planned. You see, their first dance song was no where to be found when they needed it. Everyone tried their best to find it and get it into the proper format, but it just didn't work out. But they improvised. Someone pulled it up on their ipad, made it as loud as they could, and Jamie and Mark had their moment. It wasn't the way they imagined it, but that didn't matter. What was important was that they danced as husband and wife and that they were surrounded by all their smiling friends and family. I love the look on Jamie's face in this photo... you'd never know they were dancing to a quietly playing iPad :)

This is another photo that I think speaks for itself... just look at Destiny's face as she looks at Chris during their ceremony. They were so insanely happy to be marrying each other... it was amazing to see it happen :) Even the officiant later mentioned how rare and special the ceremony was because of them...

I just love the smile on Jeff's face during his first dance with Christi... he looks SO happy! I remember taking a second to look around at all the friends and family watching them dance and seeing lots of smiles and happy tears :)

Jeni was one of the sweetest brides I've ever worked with! She was just so excited to get married and was all smiles. I love this photo of their grand entrance... everyone was so happy and ready to celebrate!

Jennifer is very close with her dad and planned an awesome surprise for their guests during the father/daughter dance. They started out traditionally and then... suddenly... busted out a crazy dance routine to a rap song. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much!

One of my favorite things to photograph on a wedding day is when couples exchange notes before the ceremony. I always wish I could read the card and see what was said to prompt the tears... but that would be weird LOL. This is a photo of Megan reading her sweet little note from Matt...

This photo makes me smile because it reminds me of how much fun riding in the limo with the wedding party is... especially after the ceremony when everyone is super excited and ready to party :) Yvette and Efrain's limo ride was especially awesome because they had to make a pit stop for twinkies... yes, twinkies :)

Diego and Amy had one of the most intimate ceremonies I've ever had the honor of photographing... including me there were only 4 guests in attendance. It was such a special day...

What's not to love about this moment?!

I've never seen a rig like this work at a garter toss... until Deanna and Patrick's wedding. It was truly amazing :)

Well, that's all for now! I'm so excited to see what amazing moments I'll get to photograph this year. Thanks for reading!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/best-of-wedding-moments.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/best-of-wedding-moments.html Married! 2011 favorite wedding moments Amanda Patrice Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:14:17 -0700 Best of 2011 - Weddings! Hello, happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine went by way too fast, but it was definitely fun :)

Today I'm continuing the 'best of' series with my favorite wedding photos of the year. 2011 brought in some absolutely amazing clients... I'm really super lucky to have worked with each and every one of them. It was a crazy, busy year, but I wouldn't have had it any other way... I LOVE my job!

Take a peak at the photos that make me smile:

These next two of Chuck + Emily might just be my all time favorites...

Being in the bridal room before the wedding is so much fun... all the hustle and bustle really makes for some great photo moments... this might be one of my favorite photos of Christi.

The Mission Inn is such a stunning place to shoot... especially with amazing clients like Jon + Keri :)

Another favorite wedding venue: The Hotel Maya!

This was actually a super quick, last minute photo that I ended up being my favorite from Mark + Jamie's wedding.

The cold weather at Trent + Amanda's wedding just made cuddly photos that much easier :)

I just love all the colors and layers of texture in this photo :)

The light was absolutely perfect for Ian + Diana's portraits...

Diego + Amy were great sports about playing around in the sand on their wedding day :)

JV + Char'lee... something about this photos just speaks volumes about their personalities to me.

Michael + Jenny + Barley :)

My favorite dress shot of the year :) This Monique Lluillier looked amazing on, too!

This might have been THE BEST ceremony light I've ever been lucky enough to work with... isn't it so pretty behind Michael + Jenny?

John + Haley... jeez I loved this wedding!

Little Devyn got to be a part of Mommy and Daddy's wedding too :)

The way Jeni is beaming at Clint here is priceless!

Pretty Michelle...

It was sooooooo cold outside, but Diego + Amy were such great sports!

Yosemite is such a GORGEOUS place to get married! I was so excited that Nate + Colleen were up for hiking around a little bit for photos.

I love reception photos... everyone is having so much fun, the music is cranked up, and everywhere I look people are smiling :)

Would you believe this photo of Ian + Diana was taken in a bustling restaurant lobby on a Saturday night? I love shooting with flash photography :)

Jeff + Christi's first dance... that smile on Jeff's face is the best.

Kevin + Nicole at the altar.

LOVED Christi's Betsy Johnson shoes!

This guy was workin' it!

Jesus! How great is this mural at Biola University? Phillip and Michelle had to be photographed by it :)

It's so funny how many girls a bride needs to get dressed! I love this photo of Jenny and her sister :)

Chris + Destiny... I love these two!

The lines and the symmetry in this photo make my heart sing!

John + Haley's first look was especially awesome :)

Thanks for looking! One more favorites post tomorrow!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/best-of-2011---weddings.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/best-of-2011---weddings.html Married! Amanda Patrice Orange County Wedding Photograpy Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:22:28 -0700 Favorite photos of 2011 - Rings! How about something shiny to start your weekend with?

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE ring shots! It's so fun to walk around at a wedding and find funky little nooks and crannies and textures to play with... it's definitely one of my favorite things to shoot at a wedding :)

Thanks for looking! Have an awesome weekend!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/favorite-photos-of-2011---rings.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/favorite-photos-of-2011---rings.html Married! Amanda Patrice Fullerton Wedding Photography Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:11:15 -0700 2011 Favorites! Yay, it's Friday! This is one of my last weekends off for a while and I'm determined to make the most of it! So far on the to-do list: grab lunch with the girls, watch Harold and Maude with friends, maybe go to the roller derby, go out to breakfast, then happy hour at a historical bar in Los Angeles, and finish with the Griffith Observatory with Josh... do you think I can fit it all in?

Anyway, if you haven't noticed by all the previous posts, I'm rounding up all my favorite photos from 2011... and today it's all about engagement sessions. I loooooove shooting engagements! It's such a fun way to get to know my clients and it really makes the wedding day go a lot smoother because we're all comfortable with each other. Of course, it's also just a great excuse to make fun photos.

Everyone did an awesome job thinking up great locations/themes for their shoots this year. I always encourage my clients to think of places or themes that really represent them as a couple and will remind them of who they were at this point in their lives... that way the photos are still valuable and fun to look at even after the wedding photos are done. Ya dig?

Well, here we go... my favorite engagement photos from 2011:

Kevin + Nicole wanted to incorporate Kevin's new guitar because he was just learning how to play it

Rob + Lauren love the movie "Up" so they had to incorporate that into the shoot.

Shane + Charity loved all the colors and fun atmosphere of the OC Fair

Chuck + Emily love the vintage shops in Long Beach so that's where we shot :)

Jeff + Christi wanted a romantic, rustic location so we headed over to San Juan Capistrano to take advantage of the pretty light and the warm colors.

Michael + Jenny had just moved to Vegas so we had to pay Fremont Street a visit to capture the quintessential lights.

One more from Chuck + Emily.

Ian + Diana love the charm of the Orange Circle...

Jon + Keri met while studying abroad in Italy and then coincidentally ran into each other in California years later. Crazy, huh? I love the travel theme they came up with to remind them of how they met.

More from Charity + Shane's OC Fair shoot... all the colors make me happy :)

One more from Jon + Keri's shoot... I love the washed out background!

Jeff + Missy love going to Disneyland so of course we had to shoot there... this spot is right outside the park. Missy always imagined having her engagement session in the midst off all the trees... I was more than happy to oblige :)

Jeff + Christi again :)

Patrick + Deanna in San Juan Capistrano

Eugene + Shawna love the outdoors so what better place to shoot than the Fullerton Arboretum?

Steve + Tiffany wanted a photo booth engagement shoot to mimic a photo strip they made on one of their first dates... I LOVED that idea!

Alex + Anna's session took place at the same park they got engaged in... and of course they had to incorporate their adorable little puppy, Lila :)

Todd + Adi's session in Venice Beach was very urban and fun... just like them.

And yet another from Charity + Shane's shoot... I really loved this session :)

I love the bold light and bright colors here :)

Efrain + Yvette love vintage glamour style so that's what we went with...

Mike + Kristen had their first date in Laguna Beach and really wanted their engagement shoot to pay tribute to that part of their lives. Especially because they'll be moving to New York for work soon... I'm gonna miss them :(

Thanks again for looking!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/2011-favorites.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/2011-favorites.html Engaged! Amanda Patrice Orange County Engagement photography Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:50:45 -0700 Best of 2011 Hello! Happy Thursday!

Guess what. It's time for more of my favorite photos of 2011! This time I'll be posting all my favorite portraits of kids and families :) Thanks for looking!

Little Ryan looks so sweet on this big couch :)

Flippin' love this family!

Cutest sisters ever :)

Roman!

I luuuuuuuuv this simple background and how the boys' personalities are the focus :)

Andie and Zane are some awesome huggers :)

Kiera and Josh of Jakfoto

Little Emma before she was born :)

Seriously, Sophia is so adorable! I don't even think I asked her to do that...

The Lincolns (love them!)

Little Alden is in there!

Krystle and Johnny... pre-parents :)

It's Logan!

Serenity, Hayden, and Keoni... love these kids!

These little ladies are so cute they could be on a post card!

One more of the Lincolns :)

Olivia loves climbing :)

Thanks for looking! Best of weddings start tomorrow! Whoohoo!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/best-of-2011.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/best-of-2011.html Kids+Family! Amanda Patrice Orange County Family photography Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:02:37 -0700 Favorite photos of 2011 Hello!

I'm finally getting to my 2011 round-ups! It's so much fun to look at all the photos I've taken throughout the year... it's amazing how well photographs can bring back memories :)

When I first started my business I wanted to focus on portrait photography because I LOVE (love!) working with kids. Little bit of trivia: I was a nanny for 6 years and thought I wanted to own a daycare once upon a time... dodged that bullet! I don't have the energy for that!

Anyway, these days weddings make up the bulk of my business, but I'm so so glad for my portrait clients... especially when there's a chubby cheeked little baby involved! Here are my favorite baby photos of 2011. Just try not to say, 'awwwwwwwwww' when you see these cuties:

Little Halliday was such an amazing sleeper!

Logan looks so ridiculously happy here! Truth is, he wasn't very smiley that day... stinker!

Love this little moment :)

Baby details are my favorite!

How fun is this hat? Kane's mom found it on Etsy :)

Emma was so excited she fell over ;)

Baby toes + grass = pretty darn cute

I love seeing the dynamics of new families... it warms my heart and makes me excited to start a family some day.

Mommy cuddles :)

Thanks for looking! Keep an eye out for more 'best of' posts this week!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/favorite-photos-of-2011.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/favorite-photos-of-2011.html Babies! Amanda Patrice Orange County Newborn Photography Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:45:36 -0700 Diego + Amy Diego and Amy had one of the most unique ceremonies I've ever had the honor of photographing. Wanting to keep things intimate, they had their best friend officiate and only had 3 witnesses. Their vows were sweet and so heartfelt... it really was amazing to see. Here are a few of my favorites of the day. Thanks for looking!

Here is Diego as he waits for Amy to tap on his shoulder for the 'first look'

Their expressions are priceless!

They're just SO happy!

I loved the gold details on the bouquet...

She is so beautiful!

Aren't these rings awesome?! I love how different they are... they truly represent their personalities.

The ceremony was short and sweet, but absolutely beautiful.

A few more photos after the ceremony...

The fog came in so quickly and suddenly, but we made the most of it. I love how moody everything looks...

Her ring is stunning!

One final photo... I love how easily they can laugh with each other :)

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/diego-amy.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/diego-amy.html Married! Amanda Patrice Laguna Beach Wedding Photography Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:22:46 -0700 Featured! Happy Friday!

Today you should hop on over to the EVER OURS blog to see a sweet little wedding I shot in Big Bear a while back.

Have a great weekend :)

xoxoxo

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/featured-1.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/featured-1.html Married! Amanda Patrice Big Bear Wedding Ever Ours Wedding Blog Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:50:47 -0700 The Christiansen Family Hello! This little family session was in an awesome (and unexpected) little place called Downtown Claremont... yup, Downtown Claremont. Doesn't sound all the special, but it may be one of my favorite new places to shoot. I just love all the textures and colors around every corner. I was lucky to have such a fun family photograph there :)

Awe, brothers gotta hug!

Seriously, could these two be any cuter together? When I was their age if my brother was that close to me I'd have socked him...

Hello, rusty tin wall! And hello, adorable little kids!

And I'll finish with my favorites of the day :) Thanks for looking!

]]> http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/the-christiansen-family.html http://amandapatrice.com/2012/01/the-christiansen-family.html Kids+Family! Amanda Patrice Downtown Claremont Family Portraits Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:53:01 -0700