I’m looking forward to a beautiful wedding day!

I have known Kyle for years. We took trips with our families to Shaver Lake as kids, attended the same high school and even both graduated as Fresno State alumni! When I heard he was engaged, I of course jumped at the opportunity to capture this special moment for him.  Michael is spontaneous (the fountain photos were his idea!) and constantly spreading laughter. Kyle has always been one of those people with a truly kind heart. After spending the afternoon with Kyle and Michael, there is no question they have such a happy life ahead of them.

This was one such a personal and unique engagement sessions. Matteo was only here visiting for a few days and after their wedding they plan to move back to Florence. Katherine explained to me she really wanted photos that represented where she is from, to take back with her to Italy after the wedding. I really love Katherine’s pride in her hometown. I’m sure it’s obvious, but downtown is one of my favorite settings. I could shoot their every day and still find it fresh and inspiring. Originally, we planned to stop downtown just for a few iconic shots, then move on to a natural setting. Yet, we changed our plans when we realized it was the night of the Downtown Street Fair. How perfect is that for your very own hometown inspired photo shoot? We walked the streets taking photos along the way.

There were also a few personal touches that made this shoot so special. Katherine and Matteo brought flags to represent their countries. We made a spontaneous stop at Dagny’s because the two of them love coffee. The very talented Don Ambriz, of Hand Lettered Envelopes, made some beautiful calligraphy pieces for us with personal notes for the couple. Beautiful hand lettering is an art, and having it done right makes a huge difference when you want something to have a personal touch yet still keep it elegant and classy. Calligraphy was never an art I learned and it makes me happy to know that artist like him are keeping calligraphy alive and strong. “My Love” is how Katherine and Matteo refer to each other – so sweet! We should also give a big thanks to the Bellmore, which is a an amazing new gallery on 20th and Chester. They allowed us to pop in ans take some shots in there which turned out to be some of my favorites of the shoot. The Bellmore has such a cool vibe and it also has some great art. Their grand opening will be on the 24th so visit their website for more info!

Now… for the photos

After my first conversation with Kassee I knew it was going to be great. Aaron and Kassee had dressed as a magician and assistant for Halloween last year. Kassee suggested the movie the Prestige as inspiration – one of my favorites! With so much visual imagery to work with, we began creating this shoot. It truly blossomed into a simple portrait to a full story about this “magic couple.”

I am so excited to finally share it with you but first a few shout outs. This shoot was truly a collaboration, and was made possible by a lot of talented people. Kassee brought along her collection of fabulous vintage clothing which made for some amazing details. Although they technically are the “winners” I owe a big thanks to Kassee and Aaron for being such amazing people to work with. I also couldn’t ask for more perfect locations, made possible by the Kern County Museum and The Fox Theater. I should also add, when I was searching for a theater to use I had some wonderful friends who are active in the theater community really step up and offer me a stage. I am always so touched when people come together to help create art! Chelsea Edge is responsible for Kassee’s fabulous hair and make-up. Last but not least, Coy Townson shot along side me and captured all the beautiful details while I was setting up the main scenes.

And now…

Here are some of Coy Townson’s beautiful detail shots:

Originally I wanted to make a promo video and try to make myself look as cool as possible. Then in all my planning for the shoot, planning for a video didn’t really happen. Instead, Brad just filmed the shoot from his point of view. So this is me, and this is what it looks like while I work. Now, to rave about Brad some more…when I saw how he so beautifully pieced together the music, the photos and captured such a feel for what I do… oh… *tear.* I love it! If you like it it too, leave Brad some comment love. I hope I will get to feature much more work from him in the future!

Jen Will Photo shoot from Brad Cordova on Vimeo.

As I was sitting here blogging Brad and I decided to dub the location “the neon graveyard of the central valley.” Seriously, where else can you find this much beautiful eclectic junk all in one place? Of course, since I was heading out to my absolute favorite location, I also brought my entourage of talent. Mary-Ann once again did a fabulous job with make-up. Alan Urquhart shot along with me and I was super excited to have Brad there filming. He is making a little video of the day I hope to share with you soon. I should also say a big thanks to all three of them for watching my back. They only let me wander into mud puddles twice and saved me a few times from tripping or falling while I was super focused on shooting. AND – a big thanks to Debbie and Jim for being so fabulous and stylish!

It was a beautiful day at a beautiful location. The valley fog welcomed me as it sat atop the fields, and was soon on it’s way to make room for the sunshine. Kelsey and Nic were full of laughter and made the shoot a lot of fun. We chatted about how they met, chased some birds and even did a little off roading through some orchards.

It seems like it’s been forever since Kelsey booked her wedding with me. She based her decision from a referral of her cousin, who is one of my closest friends and we handled everything over email. So, after all this time we still had yet to meet. I must say Monday’s shoot was way past due and after finally meeting them I am even more exciting about their wedding! I think you can see why in the photos…