VALLENTYNE WEDDINGS

I’m so excited today to have written an article for Breezy Mama, an online hub for modern, smart, and sassy mom’s looking for article’s and tips on motherhood. The site itself is the project of my friend (and first boss!) Alex and her friend Chelsea. These girls are truly inspirational and are the kind of people who really make things happen. They recently launched Breezy Mama and already it’s success has well exceeded expectations and has become regularly featured on People.com! The article I wrote was “The Professional Portrait–How to Get Your Money’s Worth” and is a few important tips on choosing a professional photographer for your baby or family photos.Check out the article if you have a chance and if you are a mom, be sure to subscribe!

Jenny is the sister of my friend Joy, who I love, and do not get to see nearly as often as I would like. When Jenny and Chris got engaged, I was so excited that they hired me as their photographer, because it would mean I would get to hang out with them in San Francisco! Jenny and Joy are the cutest sisters, they are hilarious and Chris is a perfect addition to the family. When I got to San Fransisco Jenny and I decided to go have some fun taking pictures in her wedding dress before the big day. I always thought Jenny was shy, but no, I was wrong:) We had an awesome time shooting under the Golden Gate Bridge before it actually started raining. Jenny had her dress made especially for the wedding by a Flamenco dress and costume designer. It was totally one of a kind, and perfect. Here are a few of my faves from the shoot.

The New Year of 2009 is here and I can feel that it is going to be an exciting one! There are so many new beginnings on the horizon and I just love the anticipation of great things. I have so many wonderful new wedding clients who I can’t wait to work with. The same goes for all the talented Coordinators, DJ’s, Caterers, Officiants, and Venues, they make up amazing work teams whenever we do weddings together. I am also happy to announce that Vallentyne Photography is truly becoming a family business this year! My husband (and best friend:) is joining me in the capacity of a full time graphic and album designer. We have lots of great things in store for all out clients and I can’t thank you all enough for making our dreams in this business come true.

Speaking of new beginnings…. I am so excited to announce the launch of this new blog design, THE NEW VALLENTYNE WEDDINGS BLOG! Please browse around, check it out, and leave me a comment or two! I would love to hear what you think of the new look and feel.

I had such a great time visiting San Francisco and shooting Jennifer and Chris’s wedding. On that trip I also decided to rent a tilt-shift lens for an artistic personal project, you will see some of these photos below. Tilt-Shift Photography is also called Miniature Faking. The lens is frequently used in architectural photography to correct distortion, which rather than create sweet spots of focus keeps an entire frame in focus but minimizes the effects of convergence. I loved the effect and can’t wait to practice with it more. I think that when art becomes a career, as it has in my life, it is important to do projects that make me happy for the sake of doing them. Hopefully you will also enjoy some of the architectural details I feel compliment this wedding so well!

Last week The Lodge at Torrey Pines hosted one of the most prestigious and entertaining sports events, The US Open. While thousands of fans gathered to watch the show in Southern California, there was also plenty of fun and excitement going on behind the scenes. Before the big event started, I photographed The TaylorMade US Open party at Bernard Gardens in Rancho Santa Fe. It was an amazing event with golfers and golf industry pros from around the world.

Bernard Gardens is such an amazing location for parties and even weddings!

Sergio Garcia, one of TaylorMade’s top pros, had a great time and I was very impressed by what a nice and easy going guy he was.

Grey Goose Vodka was one of the sponsors of the event and martinis were in abundance.

One of my favorite parts of the entertainment was magician Kevin Viner, his magic tricks were so entertaining and perfect for a party like this.

Josh Kelley performed and the music and show were perfect for the summer evening party!

And what night would be complete without a little fire dancing!?!

Surfboards signed by Kelly Slater decorated the event. Surprisingly, when I arrived I actually recognized the boards since they were glassed by my husband! small world…