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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Tea for Ten | A Royal-Inspired Tea Party

It’s been exactly one month since the Royal Wedding. Yup, that’s right, I was one of THOSE girls who got up at 2am Pacific time to watch the live coverage of Will + Kate tie the royal knot. And to justify that, all I have to say is that weddings are my business, and it’s in the best interest of my business to stay on top of wedding trends. True, it’s not likely I’ll be photographing high profile royals, but just as Diana’s monstrosity of a dress influenced scores of poofball knockoffs throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, so will Kate’s (but more likely Pippa’s) inspire dresses to come. And quite frankly, I’d thought I’d like to know what’s coming and what I’ll be shooting. Thankfully I liked BOTH dresses and sighed with relief when I saw just how flattering and gorgeous they were.

Business aside, I’m just plain old fascinated by the Royals. Always have been. Growing up in Canada, we sung God Save the Queen at the end of every day in my rural public elementary school and I guess it started there. Prime Ministers and Presidents have come and gone, but the Queen has remained and I quite like her. How much she costs our country, well that’s another matter entirely. Her children don’t interest me much, but I do find the lives of her grandchildren to be fascinating for whatever reason.

I’m also a huge fan of hats, tea, and DEVONSHIRE CLOTTED CREAM. Now that deserves full caps. Thankfully I wasn’t alone on that score, and so my friend Annie and I hosted an afternoon tea inspired by the royal wedding. Annie made scones, I made fussy sandwiches, tea was served, and guests hung out chatting, eating, and making fascinators. It was divine.

Here are a couple before and after shots from our party (Annie before, and me after…thanks Annie for the photos of me!).

Don’t you LOVE Annie’s fascinator??? (Mine was already flung off and probably lying in a corner by this time).

And if you’re wondering where to purchase Devonshire Clotted Cream in the Bay area, Lovejoy’s Tea Room in San Francisco sells small jars for $7.50 a piece. More than enough for 10 girls eating scones topped with preserves! It’s not quite the same as the real, bonefide Devonshire clotted cream (and I’ve eaten my share IN Devon) but it’s pretty darn close. True Devonshire clotted cream is unpasteurized and that’s not easy to find this side of the Pond. Either way, I’ve had it at breakfast a few times since, and it puts me in a fabulous mood every time!

Happy One-Month Anniversary Will + Kate!

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annie

you and your dress look AMAZING!!!! even eliot could have captured your radiance. loved your caption of the whole event – you’re not only a brilliant photographer but a great blogger/writer!ReplyCancel
missy

how fun Jaime! I had no idea what a “fascinator” was…glad you posted a picture. I have to say, I can see why it is thus named!

I still remember the shower you threw for Mandee and your search for clotted cream!ReplyCancel
Jacqui

Great blog Jaime!! Tea parties are not really my thing, but you made it all sound so interesting, hehe:)ReplyCancel

Friday, May 27, 2011

Liz + Nathan | Alameda Engagement Photography

A sunset engagement photography shoot for Liz + Nathan at the Alameda Naval Base in Alameda, California

When Liz and Nathan suggested the (mostly) abandoned naval base in Alameda as their location for an engagement shoot, I was ridiculously intrigued. From what little I knew, this I could decipher:

1) I would be guaranteed peeling paint in my backgrounds. I’m not too proud a photographer to get all giddy over naturally textured backdrops, and the word ‘abandoned’ had me envisioning facades just crying out to be featured in one of my shoots.

2) The place would be overflowing with military references. Vintage barracks, hulking black ships, old runways, long-abandoned airplane hangars…I suspected it would be like wandering onto a movie set that had been left to crumble, and that it would be mine to explore.

3) I’d be afforded top-notch views across the water of the San Francisco skyline. Yes, please, sign me up.

When I took a morning to scout the location out (it’s now called Alameda Point) I was stunned that I could just drive on-site and ramble around as much as I liked. Some of the old warehouses have been turned into businesses, and the USS Hornet, (CV-12…because that will mean something to someone) remains permanently docked on the waterfront as a museum. Aside from all that, I had the base to myself!

Yesterday I went back with Liz and Nathan at sunset and we returned to some of my favourite spots on the base for an engagement photo shoot. The lighting was a DREAM and cast such a perfect golden hue upon everything that I couldn’t bear to turn these particular shots into Black & White. Of course, I’ll feature B&W images within Liz and Nathan’s final collection, but for the sake of this blog post, I just had to share these in colour!

I really should also mention the fact that the naval base and the golden light are just props in a sense…we could have done this shoot anywhere in any kind of lighting. The real stars of this shoot were Liz and Nathan who offered up this great location and the opportunity to photograph them together. And I’d also like to give props to Liz for that dress. The moment I saw her in it I couldn’t believe how perfectly it would suit the location both in style and in colour. Wouldn’t you agree?

All right folks, that’s it from me! This has been a whirlwind 24 hours; this time yesterday we hadn’t yet begun our shoot and now here it is (in part) for you to view. The magic of digital + the internet hey? Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!! 3 whole days off….yippeee!!!!!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Livermore Wedding Photography | Hilary + Jeff’s Winery Wedding

Livermore, California Fine Art Wedding Photography | Jaime Lauren Photography

A pre-ceremony photo shoot at Sycamore Grove followed by a ceremony and reception at Las Positas Vineyards in Livermore, California.

There were so many things about Hilary + Jeff’s wedding that made photographing it a dream, and all week I’ve been excited to share a few of my favourites with you. But before I get down to the details, let me just say how much I appreciated working with Hilary and Jeff; from Hilary’s vivaciousness and excitement to Jeff’s patience and willingness to go with the flow, each one in their own way enabled me to work with as much creative latitude as I needed. That takes a LOT of trust on the part of the bride and groom and I just wanted to take a moment to express how privileged and honoured that makes me feel. Is it possible to beam with both pride and humility at the same time? Because I think I am.

Okay, now onto the details! We started off the day (photographically speaking) with a pre-ceremony shoot at Sycamore Grove Regional Park. None of us were sure what the weather was going to do that day, but as it turned out that we had a bit of thin cloud cover for about three quarters of our shoot. Considering there isn’t a lot of shade in that part of the park right now, and Livermore afternoons can get hotter than most in the Bay area, we were grateful for the light breeze and the semi-diffused lighting. Actually, the lighting was one of the highlights of the day for me. A lot of brides pray for clear blue skies on their wedding days, (which have their perks, for sure) but don’t realise that a bit of cloud or an overcast day can really work to their advantage. Diffused sunlight is quite flattering on the face and helps to prevent harsh shadows as well as perspiration. If you plan on holding an outdoor wedding ceremony in a location known for bright, cloudless skies, it helps to time the ceremony with the sun’s position. Finding shaded areas for portraits is a must on a wedding day when the sun is high and clouds are nowhere to be seen. Aside from not being too disappointed if the skies are cloudy on your big day, I always suggest talking through the day’s itinerary before it’s set in stone. While a good photographer should be able to work well and produce lovely work under any lighting conditions, consulting the photographer can provide some insight into what to expect when you receive your photo collection.

On that note I should mention that the lighting during the ceremony and ensuing photo shoot was beautiful, with dark skies in the background offering a note of drama and elegance. Once indoors at Las Positas Vineyards, I was quite pleased with the lighting as well. The white walls and ceiling cast no glow of colour back onto everyone’s skin while I was using the flash, but the pink and purple uplighting providing great ambience and warmth when I turned my flash off to get more atmospheric shots. Overall, a great day for lighting indeed!

While the lighting was an overarching ‘favourite’ from the day, other aspects were more isolated. There were some pretty fantastic moments throughout the ceremony for instance, but the one that topped them all for me was when a bug landed on Jeff’s suit and Hilary stopped dead in the middle of her vows to shoo the thing away. The reactions and the laughter that followed were priceless! I also thoroughly enjoyed the special touches that Hilary and her mom used to bring more meaning to various traditions. My personal favourite was the locket Hilary had pinned to her bouquet. It featured her Grandma and Grandpa and was then given to her Grandma to wear throughout the remainder of the wedding. LOVED IT.

Can I have just one more favourite? I’ll make it quick. That DRESS. Oh my word. I mean, it’s gorgeous from where I sit now, staring at the computer screen, but if you got to see Hilary in that dress in person…my goodness the thing just oozed romance. It was a stunning Rivini gown that blended old world romance with vintage stylings in a modern form. My eyes got a wee bit misty when I saw Hilary step out of the car in that dress for the first time…and while I’ll admit that I tear up a bit at every wedding, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a bride suit a dress and a dress suit a bride so perfectly!

All right, that’s it! Oh, except for the part where I kick of the Grand Opening of the new blog by revealing the first giveaway. Scroll through the photos and you’ll find the details below…

All right, your turn! I want to know your favourites…whether you were at the wedding a guest and have a moment you’d like to share or whether you’re seeing these images online for the first time and have spotted one (or five) that just do it for you.

Thanks to Hilary, Jeff and their families, as well as all the amazing vendors who helped celebrate Hilary + Jeff’s wedding at Las Positas Vineyards last Saturday. For local brides or for couples just wanting inspiration, here’s a list of vendors used at Hilary + Jeff’s Wedding. I’m sure none of them would mind hearing from you!

Thank you to the amazing vendors who produced such beautiful work and provided such great services!

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Cathy Dyck

ah – alas – I won’t be able to qualify for the book… because I’m not a facebook member. (Is that the right descriptor??) at any rate I will tell you that I loved all the photo’s… BUT my 2 favorites were the inside shots.. of the wine goblets… loved the mix of in focus/out of focus and color. I also loved the pic with the candles and the boquet. Great job. No doubt Hillary and Jeff will be thrilled with your work. And I often tell people what a talented and gifted niece I have. have a great day Jaime.ReplyCancel

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