Styled Shoot: Anastasia and Rebekah

A huge part of why I photograph people is to give back, to show them what their love looks like through my lens, to give them a way to remember the important things in life that pass on too quickly. 

But sometimes I need to take a step back from my clients and photograph something just for me. No strings attached, no end goal, nothing. To photograph just for the sake of photographing. There's a sense of freedom in this, creating artwork for the sake of creating and filling my heart.  I would push any of you out there reading this: to create and do something just for YOU. You don't even need to show anyone your end result. Just create. Make something out of nothing, trust that creative voice inside you, just run with it. I promise there's freedom in this. 

When I contacted my gorgeous friends Anastasia and Rebekah they were totally down for doing just this: running around barefoot through nature just for the sake of feeling free. Here's a few shots I captured that evening, with the sun setting, wind blowing softly above the city with no one around to make noise or to distract. When I shoot things like this it reminds me why I choose this medium to create artwork: it allows me to fall in love with photography all over again.  

Andrew and Erica- Los Angeles Photos

Erica and Andrew moved away from their Maryland home a few years ago to live in sunny southern California. They have been married for a few years and, get this, they're highschool sweathearts. (Cue collective "Awwww..."). They love to travel and knew they wouldn't live in Los Angeles forever. After recently deciding to move back to the east coast so Andrew can pursue further education, (but first they're spending this summer in Paris. How cool is that?!), Erica contacted me to take photos to capture their time living here. They wanted photos of them in their favorite places around Los Angeles. A local Los Angeles girl myself, my creative mind was bouncing off the walls in excitement over capturing the love this husband and wife have for each other in a city I hold dear to my heart. We started in Pasadena, working our way through Old Town, the city hall, their favorite frozen yogurt place, and even the pool at their villa they loved laying by during their summers living here. Then we headed to an amazing bridge that overlooks the Los Angeles skyline. From there we ended our journey in Santa Monica, walking along the boardwalk, renting bikes, and watching the sun set on the beach. 

At the beginning of the shoot Erica told me that they wanted the photos to be more about the environments they were in and the feel of the city, as opposed to engagement shoots that more focused on the love the couple has for one another. Of course, as we started shooting, the love they had for one another touched my heart so dearly I couldn't help but shoot a couple tender moments between the two of them. We had such a blast driving around the whole city, and the more time I spent with Erica and Andrew the more I saw how beautiful their marriage is. They were totally down to do just about anything to get "that perfect shot." All in all they were a photographers DREAM to work with. Honestly, it didn't even feel like working, it felt like I was with a couple of friends sightseeing for the day. Complete creative freedom combined with some amazing locations and even more so a couple that is so madly in love proved to be one of my favorite sessions yet. Erica and Andrew, I wish you all the best in all of your travels, and if you ever find yourself in Los Angeles again hit me up, I'd love to hear about where your adventurous life together has taken you next :)