November 26, 2009
I got the most wonderful email yesterday from a past bride of mine, Michele, and I wanted to pass along a little excerpt to all of you…. that take the time to tune in to see what’s going on in my world. I appreciate the support and although I don’t know a lot of you…. I hope we get to meet someday.
Here’s how it went…
“If you woke up this morning and were able to hear the birds sing, use your vocal cords to utter human sounds, walk to the breakfast table on two good legs, and read the newspaper with two good eyes . . . you are more blessed than millions of those who could not do these simple things.
“If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation . . . you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
“If you can attend a church, synagogue or mosque meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death . . . you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
“If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep . . . you are richer than 75% of this world.
‘If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish some place . . . you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
‘If you are over thirty and either of your parents is still alive you are very rare. Over a billion people are orphans by then.
‘If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful . . . you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.”
The way I see it, giving thanks reminds us how blessed we are. This is not to say that you and I do not have problems. We do, but for us, our blessings far outweigh our burdens.”
With humble thanks to God, my mom, my husband, brother, my family and Ross’s family and all of my friends (you know who you are)…. for going on this ride of life with me. A huge special THANKS…to my clients, whom without, I would not be able to do what I love! You are ALL blessings in my life and I’m better to have known you 
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!
OH….and because everyone loves pictures
June 5, 2009
…from the desk of Ross
Hello all,
Lisa and I recently had the opportunity to photograph an exciting day for a good friend of ours, Tatiana.
As you might be able to tell from Tati’s bronzed skin, she is from Brazil. She has worked and lived in San Diego for over 10 years and last Friday was her big day…. she is now officially a U.S. Citizen! Go USA!
The other applicants were quite puzzled over the sight of 2 photographers running around the room like ravenous, crazed paparazzi trying to get the money shot.
She was all smiles at her Citizenship ceremony. She couldn’t contain her excitement!
She definitely appreciated the extra attention!
We continued the festivities with a BBQ in her honor and had many toasts to her U.S. Citizenship.
CONGRATULATIONS Tati! We are so happy for you!
April 23, 2009
Hi!!! Thanks for tuning in again for the newest episode of the adventures of elle g photography!!!
This time I had to start the post off with pictures because Jack was just SO stinkin’ cute getting ready for his FIRST birthday party!
Jack turned one last Sunday. His mom Beckie, is another friend of mine from SeaWorld. She invited me to Jack’s little pool party and it was so cute to see him turn one! I arrived right after he woke up so I immediately threw his birthday hat on for a snapshot.
My wonderful friend Karey was at the party too. Izzy is growing up so fast!
This amazingly detailed cake was made by a graphic designer friend of Beckie’s. I think she needs to change careers and become a cake designer. Life is short…follow your dreams, I say!!!
She even made a little cake so Jack could smash it in his face!
I wonder what Jack might have done
HAPPY BIRTHDAY little guy!
January 23, 2009
Ok Ok OK I just had to post about my New Years adventures!!! I know it was 3 weeks ago but I have to tell you about the Fordem Family and their New Years Party.
My husband and I traveled out to Borrego Spring, Ca for an adventure! The Fordem’s have an all out bash every new years! There are 4 couples that went to high school together, then all had babies together, and now their kids have grown and are having babies of their own. Anyway, ALL of the families get together and put on little talent shows Dec 31st. Last year was a mexican fiesta…this year…..well I think you can guess the theme.
Here is a sample of the hilarious mayhem that I got to be a part of….ENJOY!
They even had miniature COWBOYS
…and miniature COWs
Seriously, are they not the cutest ever?
Thanks for having me…..I can’t wait for the wedding in April!!!
December 27, 2008
This wasn’t just ANY engagement session! Not only was it on a sailboat but it was the engagement session of my good friends Lindy and Mike!!! I met Lindy back in my SeaWorld days where she and I became great friends. Lindy and Mike are getting married in April in Borrego Spings, Ca and if you know Lindy or her family…you know the party is going to be off the hook! I seriously cannot wait!!!!!!!
If there is ONE piece of advice I can give a bride-to-be….it’s to be YOURSELF in front of the camera. Look to the photographer for a few pointers here and there but for the most part…….just be yourself!!!
Seriously…BE IN THE MOMENT…tickle each other, wrestle…whatever it is that you NORMALLY do! (okay maybe pump up the ooey gooey lovey dovey stuff a little)
That’s exactly what Lindy and Mike did. I asked him to kiss her on the neck and he BIT her instead!!! I LOVED it! They were naturals…………
Lindy and Mike….I CANNOT wait for the wedding. Its an honor to be there
December 22, 2008
I normally wouldn’t consider myself a hiker. Our friends Liz and Greg invited us along on a hike, here in San Diego. Now, I figure…if I’m going to go ahead and make the effort to hike, it better be a darn good view OR at least good company. I knew we had a guarantee with the good company so Ross (my husband) and I joined them on a hike. WOW was I surprised! Who knew there were amazing views atop mountains here in San Diego??? I never really even gave it a second thought before. Now I find myself searching on the web for new hiking spots. I’m sure to read reviews, I can tell you that!
ANYWAY, here’s some fun pics from out trip.
Aren’t Liz and Greg adorable?
Some fall leaves! ! ! !
I’m sure many of you in the rest of the country are saying…”yeah, big deal”
BUT it is a big deal to me….you don’t get to see too much of that here in southern California!
MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND!
Adorableness up-close!
Everywhere we went it looked like someone had spray painted the plants and tree trunks. God’s artwork……
This is Ross and I…on top of the world!
AND one more picture of this amazing couple (love you guys)
We timed the hike perfectly. The sun was setting as we were walking back down the mountain….
October 21, 2008
Yes…..you heard that right, after MUCH anticipation…my wedding pictures are in my hands!
I thought I would share with all of you since some of you have checked in periodically to bust my chops (just kidding!!!). I’ve been very excited to see them as well!! Thanks for all of the support (janey especially)
I want to start off with my new family. I just ADORE Darnell and Jim (my mother and father-in-law on the righthand side of the picture).
They are everything you could hope for and MORE when marrying into a family.
Now I’d like to fill you in on a little history…the number 26 has always been a very special number for me. My address growing up was 26….I moved to San Diego (my favorite place on earth) when I was 26….26 has always popped up ( in a good way!) in some way or another. Well, it turns out, the beach house where we had our wedding reception was none other than……..
Nathan Petty and Nic Dragomire were our photographers…check out what they came up with. The ceremony was at Cuvier Park in La Jolla and the reception took place in Mission Beach. Nathan, our main photographer, EVEN did a trash the dress session with us at the end so be sure to check out all 26! images!!!!!!!
Me and my beautiful mother
Ross (my husband…I just LOVE saying that!) and his dad having a laugh before the ceremony
My parents are divorced and have been since I was 5. So…I decided to have them BOTH walk me down the isle….I am so glad I did. It is the only time I have had a picture of my parents together.
The photo above is Cuvier park. My good friend, Mike, married us. I have known him for 11 years and I always knew he would be the one to perform my wedding ceremony. He did an AMAZING job!
Me and my best friend…Sue
Thank you to all of you who check in to see what my life is all about!!!! I really would love to put some names and/or faces to the people who regularly check my blog. Please feel free to say hi.
Thanks for tuning in…I appreciate YOU!
July 23, 2008
Hi everyone!!!! I know I’ve been MIA lately. It’s for a very good reason….we are getting married on Friday!!!! I have so many weddings, portraits and senior portraits to blog about but for now I’m going to leave you with images of Ross and I. Jeanette Paredes took these images and I just LOVE them!
Please stay tuned for images from the wedding and all of the other sessions I’ve done recently.
Oh! and THANKS for listening, I really appreciate YOU!
June 30, 2008
The Beckman’s are friends of mine from my animal training days at Sea World. Joel has since started his own dog training business. If you are in the need of a dog trainer, Joel is your guy. He has extensive experience working with many animals and is an expert in his field! Check out their site and give them some blog love
There are just those times when everything just seems to click at a wedding…the bride and groom can’t keep their hands off each other, the DJ was rockin, the venue was perfect, the bride and groom were stunning, EVERYONE was happy, beautiful sunset, smiles were everywhere, puffy clouds in the sky…it just “clicked”.
Lets start with Liz.
Yes…beautiful, yes…sweet, yes…she does come standard as a duplicate. Liz is a twin! Can you believe there are two of these “stunners” running around? Sorry gentleman, they’re now BOTH taken.
…and see how happy that makes Joel!
The party ended with a sweet sparkler send off!!!
Liz and Joel, it was an HONOR to photograph your wedding. Thanks for inviting me along…it was quite the party!
June 29, 2008
Okay I know I said I was posting the BIG DAY today but I’m going to have to withhold images of the bride and groom for now (please don’t kill me Lizzie)…I have SO many images from this wedding that I love!!!
It’s all REALLY because I want to start off with the AMAZING venue! This blog post is dedicated to the amazing and talented Steve. Steve is the man responsible for the Beckman wedding venue. The wedding took place on the Mainwaring farm in rural Pennsylvania. When Liz and Joel got engaged in June of 07, Liz told her dad, Steve, they wanted to get married on the farm where she grew up. Steve’s parents, Frederick and Dorothy bought the Mainwaring farm in 1952 when he was just a year old.
Steve bought the farm from his parents and that is where his twin daughters were raised. He grew up taking care of the farm and has been restoring and improving it for as long as anyone can remember. Liz thought the farm was perfect for the wedding and the only thing needed for the big event would be cutting the grass, which is a task in itself.
Well, that’s not what Steve had in mind. He spent everyday for a whole year improving the farm. He dug extra ponds, leveled an entire field for a tent, and built a beautiful brick patio around the waterfall for the ceremony with a wheelchair accessible entrance. He constructed a lotus garden, poured hundreds of yards of concrete, seeded numerous acres for grass, built an entire new façade of windows on the barn, made a separate entryway for the catering staff, brought electricity and running water to the middle of a pasture, built a cabin in the woods for the men and women’s restroom and built it’s own septic system. He raised fish called golden orbs specifically for the wedding so they would be visible in the moonlight, and he raised lotus plants and lily pads for his lotus garden over the winter. He literally put in 15 hour days and apparently had a blast doing it. He worked each day with the words of his mother in his head, “Take it a day at a time.” He continues to enjoy the farm as the place that has been special to his family for over 55 years. His daughter was married on his parents wedding anniversary, June 21st, so Lizzie has a 70 year legacy to look forward to!
Now lets not forget about the bride and groom….some details from the day
As if the place wasn’t beautiful enough….just check out the view at night!!!
Steve, A million congratulations!!! You have the most beautiful daughters inside and out! You are incredibly talented and its time for the world to realize it! Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home…the entire experience was just SO special!
June 28, 2008
Well yippie for me! I grew up in Pennsylvania so I love the green trees and puffy clouds!! I was looking forward to it. This wedding was THE most important wedding I’ve shot to date! The bride and groom are my good friends Lizzie and Joel. I wanted to STAY good friends with them… thats why I was SOOO nervous the day of the wedding. Not nervous in a bad way, nervous like I’m about to compete in a swim meet and there’s a good chance I can come in first place!!!
Here is the gorgeous couple. You may notice them from some of my other portfolio work. What can I say, they are stunning….and so was everyone else at the wedding!!! Today I’m posting the Rehearsal/Dinner only. You’ll have to wait for the next post to see the real goods
Lets start off with the wedding rehearsal…just a sneak peek of what the next day has in store
The rehearsal dinner was hosted by Lizzie’s gymnastics coach from when she was little. They have remained close even after all of these years. It really says a lot about the type of people they are. They really value friendships. I think its a wonderful quality.
Check out the volunteer security staff
Here are some of the well thought out details….the apple martini was to die for! Taylor Weldon was the chef for the day and as you can see, the food and presentation were impeccable!
This was my favorite (right behind the apple-tini)
Liz and Joel…may your marriage be as happy as you were on this weekend.
Stay tuned for the big wedding…..
June 7, 2008
My good friend Karey had a baby shower on Monday and although I wasn’t commissioned to shoot it, I was asked to attend. Of course, I always bring my camera. Its a really easy and fun way for me to give back to my friends and I just love it. I’m the type of person that is happy by making others happy.
Our friend Becky put the whole thing together and I just loved all of the little details.
Here’s Karey. How beautiful is she?!!!! They’re going to name the little baby Izzy. Its a GIRL!
I’ve mentioned before that I love to swim. Well, I also love to surf and Karey and I have been surfing together before and I told her if she didn’t make a water baby out of Izzy, I would. So… my friend Lori and I got her these cute rash guards (shirt-like tops that you wear surfing) with matching bottoms. I LOVE it!
Karey getting a little practice in.
You’re going to make a great mom Karey!
Thank you Lisa. I am truely thankful that God gave me you and your brother. I also want to thank you both for bringing me our extended family. I feel so blessed to have all of my friends and family in my life. I love you. Mom