As photographers, we get to meet so many people in our line of work, interacting with different personality types. Interestingly enough, people can be fun and natural face-to-face, but stick them in front of a camera, and they could freeze. We get it—our love for the camera is also mostly behind it, and having some guy or gal pointing a big, long lens and “shooting” at you can be intimidating. So what do we do for camera-shy folks desiring some decent engagement photos before their special day? In the case of Tom, an SJPD officer, a serious and rigid look is pretty much built into his system from years of training to uphold the law. No problem, we just play up this bad-ass look! We even enhanced his naturally-serious expression with very subtle lighting, creating a darker look to his studio shoot with the help of some “toys” and as he’s decked out in full uniform.

It’s easy to see what Tom’s sweet and beautiful fiancée, Jamie sees in this intense, focused man. We decided to enlist her help to gradually coax out his soft and playful side.

Is that a hint of a smile? Love’s miracles truly know no bounds. As the day wears on, Tom exchanges police uniform for a comfortable suit and starts to have fun goofing around with his bride-to-be.

We even catch him with a sly and sexy smile in an intimate and romantic picnic shot:

Our own Makeup Artist / Hair Stylist Tiffany Chiang did her magic with Katie’s hair and makeup. Katie’s blond tresses were given a soft curl to create a natural, wavy-tousled look, and her beautiful smile was enhanced by lipstick in a warm peach color, as well as a brighter, more passionate red. Tiffany can be booked to come along for the entire full-day engagement photo session. Her touch-ups are invaluable on windy days to keep the curl in hair and so makeup stays continually fresh. She can also change the bride’s look throughout the day, and with a change in outfits, this is a great way for couples to get the most out of a same-day engagement session.

We are also proud to be one of the very few wedding photographers that has a studio for closeup photoshoot that showcase the youthful charm of a glowing bride.

Despite Tom’s qualms in front of a camera, this couple’s love and passion for each other shine through in their photos, allowing for timeless pictures they could pass down as keepsakes.

From the Japanese Samurai to the French Musketeers, civilians have looked to those in the line of duty for aid, protection, and justice. Police officers—enforcers of the law, keepers of the peace—are the modern-day heroes. And, like in the fairytales of old, the hero always gets the girl.

When you think about it, a Mac computer, iPhone, or tablet has many competitors on the market that boast similar products. What draws loyal fans back as soon as the latest product is launched? The answer is, arguably, the marketing. The sleek and simple Apple logo has become much beloved and recognized around the world.

A few years ago, we did a photo shoot for Hyper on their HyperMac line: batteries compatible on Apple devices such as an iPhone or iPad. Hyper definitely knows its stuff when it comes to marketing—they combine eye-catching models and bold colors to turn a product photography session into a fashion shoot.

With the launch of Hyper’s new product line, HyperJuice—a USB-compatible device that sends photos from a professional camera to a portable storage and viewing device such as an iPad—we found ourselves at the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) trade show in Las Vegas. Hyper kicks it off big this year with scantily-clad, hand-painted models, their pronounced muscles and defined curves accentuating all that is beautiful about the human body.

As a nod to the electronics industry, recognizable symbols are painted over the models’ eyes and on their bodies: A Wifi symbol, a battery icon, a music note, the Hyper cross logo.

To add to this already amazing display of art, the models also molded their bodies together, sometimes forming shapes such as the HyperJuice iUSB Port device.

We are used to being behind-the scenes with our cameras and equipment, and our subjects are the stars and focal point. At WPPI, however, we found ourselves at center stage with more than 20,000 photographers and filmmakers passing by to watch us do the professional shoot. Talk about an audience! Many people found it hard to give just a passing glance to such decked-out models.

As they played and posed, entwining their bodies together to become one, it hearkens to the relationship between humans and technology in the current day and age: we admire our devices, we couldn’t keep our hands off them, we count on them to stay connected, we love them.

Thus is art so simply expressed and conveyed, powerfully marketing a product by catching the eyes of thousands of passersby.

Jordan and Alex both graduated from San Jose State University, sharing a love for drama. Naturally, they wanted to reenact one of their happiest moments—when Alex proposed—in the SJSU theater where they had spent so much of their college lives.

But fun-loving Jordan and Alex have more than just a theatrical flair; they also have superhero alter-egos!

Many, actually, as in their engagement photo session, we played up Alex’s love for comic books by bringing to life some of DC’s and Marvel’s most beloved icons. Like the Gotham bat signal projected against a dreary sky and Green Lantern’s power ring, Jordan and Alex are each others’ light through dark times, their mutual symbols of hope and strength.

The fun does not stop with a mere studio shoot, however. Since Alex grew up around the redwood trees and beaches of Santa Cruz, we also photographed them spending a day out in nature and enjoying each others’ company (this is what superheroes do on their days off).

We all can relate to the appeal of superheroes, those larger-than-life legends who live in a fantasy world not too different from our own reality. At some point, we have felt like cast-out freaks, different from the rest, harboring a dark side no one else could possibly understand. Like Venom, this side of us threatens to take over, drown and incapacitate us.

It takes a pure and true force of nature to allow us to see the “freakish” as “unique,” to accept us for who we are, to help us conquer our dark sides. Believing in superheroes is a way for us to cope with the mundane and to bring out the best in ourselves through impossible and trying times. Not much different from the power of love.

Most of us could recall something specific in youth that fueled our passions and inspired what we love today. Maybe it was a future mechanic picking up a toy tool set, a programmer absentmindedly tapping at the keyboard like a piano, or an artist doodling with crayons on paper.

For Julie Dorst, it all started with a lambswool jacket, the comforting look and feel of which gave her joy and comfort when she wore it. Since she was young, Julie knew she had a knack for fashion. Like any artist, things that people don’t normally give a second glance at would call out to her. She loved the feel of soft textures. Bold prints inspired her to piece together different colors and see how they complemented each other. Before long, she developed an affinity to the chic and stylish. Fueled with a desire to share her sense of fashion with modern women, Julie became a designer and launched her clothing line on the internet, recently introducing her Fall 2013 collection.

Julie’s brand is captured in classic silhouettes, timeless colors, and modern prints. Best of all, it’s made in the USA. Whether women are at work or around town, Julie wants to inspire comfort and confidence with her clothing line.

We love the opportunity to shoot all the photographs for her website, www.juliedorst.com. Julie’s Fall line boasts the rich, earthy, and bold colors of an autumn harvest, and we had fun contrasting this against a canvas of nature’s own colors. Here’s what Julie has to say about her passion and how it all started:

“The Julie Dorst brand is a culmination of my lifelong love for fashion
and the entrepreneurial bug I caught while counseling start-up companies
as a lawyer in the Silicon Valley. As a child I had an affinity for anything
soft or blue, and my adoration for texture and color along with my favorite
lambswool jacket (an updated version of which I still wear today!) became
the foundation for what has now become my brand. Based in California,
where a woman’s busy day can require her to look stylish in a variety of
circumstances, my clothing line is inspired by the idea that wherever she is,
a woman should look fabulous and feel great. If any of you women are like
me, I know I have a much better day when I’m wearing the right outfit!”

To browse Julie’s collection or for information on how to purchase any of the outfits that may catch your eye, head on over to Julie’s website!

Christina and Andrew met in UC Santa Cruz and lived in that city for many years, so naturally, they asked for an engagement session along its historical and picturesque shores.

Home of the Banana Slugs and famous Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz boasts a rich history of redwood trees, sand, surf, and good times. Many couples have fallen in love under the warm California sun that shines on this jewel of a city, their bare feet kissed by the sea-foam waters, their hair tousled by salty breezes banked off rocky bluffs.

Adding to the joy of shooting an engagement session for such a romantic couple, it always comes as a pleasant surprise when I am able to connect with a fellow photographer on the job. Having taught photography for big classes (over 150+ students/class) and small (less than 10 students/class), it’s a poignant feeling to run into a fellow photography enthusiast who offered his helping hand.

A photography session in Santa Cruz does not come without its challenges. It’s part of what makes the job so interesting—even in a familiar location where I’ve shot before, the weather, tide, and subtly-changing landscape make every session unique.

At Natural Bridges State Beach, there is a rock formation that makes a wonderful arch—great for photography, but also great natural air conditioning as it forms a strong wind tunnel. All you other photographers out there can relate to how heavy your equipment and lenses can get after you have to hold them up for a while. Having upper-body strength is practically part of our job description. Add to that your other must-haves such as flashes and reflectors and you’ve got a job fit for two people. I was in the middle of figuring out this balancing act so that I could get the proper amount of light and give Christina and Andrew the perfect shot when a landscape photographer came running up to relieve me of my load.

He left soon after I scored some great shots with his help, but I was met with another surprise from the kind Lance Miller. Unbeknownst to us, he saw me photographing the couple and started taking behind-the-scenes footage for us.

When people look at the focus subjects in a photo, they often don’t think about the bigger picture: what it takes to have captured these people, places, lights, and colors in this way. Taking just a little step back, Lance was able to capture these candid moments of me at work, all the while taking in the incredible landscape of Natural Bridges. What a memorable way to preserve the moment. I am honored to have shared nature’s canvas and a sense of camaraderie with this fellow photographer on this day.

-Michael Soo, Capture the Love Photography

When we think of destination weddings, most of us picture a golden sunset on a beach with the bride and groom wreathed in flowers as a romantic stringed instrument is played in the background. But for Sarah and Greg of Sheffield, United Kingdom, the ideal wedding destination is none other than the city of San Francisco, with its red cable cars, iconic Golden Gate Bridge, and classic storefronts decorated just in time for the holiday season.

Sarah and Greg researched and interviewed 20-30 photographers before asking us to photograph them, and we are glad to have had the chance to share in their special day.

Looking elegant and refined, the bride and groom are complemented against similarly silvery and sepia-infused images of the city’s sleek inner architecture. Since the couple loves vintage and antiques, we employed colors and backgrounds that play up this look.

What is one thing that impresses this English couple about America? Since Europe’s vehicles are built small for energy efficiency and ease of travel, Greg is intrigued by the stretch limo, a car on a grand scale. Greg and Sarah, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to preserve such loving moments between two adventurous souls who have come from so far away.

Standing 50 miles south of San Francisco is California Historical Landmark #930, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. What does this have to do with love? Named after the Carrier Pigeon ship that wrecked on its shores in 1853, this operative lighthouse, since built, has lit the way for ships with its reassuring and steadfast beam of light. It boasts the reputation of being one of the tallest lighthouses on the United States’ west coast and is undeniably situated in a picturesque location, sitting atop tide pools and rocky cliffs, backed by an azure sky and swirls of white clouds in the summer, speckled by purple wildflowers in the spring.

Capture the Love is proud to be the first-place recipient of a photography award for a picture taken at Pigeon Point seven years ago. So when Manuel and Amanda asked us to photograph their engagement shots at the same place, we were happy to revisit this memorable place. Symbolic to them since Manuel had proposed to Amanda close to here, we think it’s the perfect backdrop to highlight their love.

Love leads the way in the dark for those who are lost and seeking the light. Standing tall and steady is the lighthouse, a lover beckoning for a ship to come home as it is tossed amidst a silent and unrelenting sea.

The lighthouse lens go round and round with its reliable flash of light. So too does life come full circle as it sometimes does in it serendipitous way.

Zihong and Gavan met at work and fell in love. Check out their love story and their wedding cinema where they announce their love and vows at the Stanford Memorial Church in Palo Alto

Zihong & Gavan’s love story
password = love

Wedding Cinema

We recently had the privilege of shooting a wedding at the lovely and rustic Heather Farm Community Center. Having known the bride through a photography class led by us and having them point friends our way for wedding photography, we felt our relationship was better defined from the time we shared together up to their wedding. That is why we were taken aback and saddened when we received word that they were dissatisfied with the last few hours of their wedding photography coverage, as is evident through their Yelp reviews. We understand it takes both time and effort to construct meaningful reviews so that future clients can be better informed about a business. Constructive criticism also gives us the chance to learn, grow, and improve our skills, so we thank them for their candid insights.

What we would like to look back upon—as we encourage every couple—are not those little moments that bring up feelings of hurt, resentment, or lowered expectations. We at Capture the Love Photography understand the immense amount of work leading up to a wedding and the incredible amount of stress that couples endure to make it through their special day. This is why we urge them to reflect back on their wedding day with feelings of love, joy, and happiness—kernels essential to creating positive memories and nurturing relationships.

Sometimes, photographers and clients don’t see eye-to-eye; these things happened, and we could only hope to learn by discovering where this lack of synergy arose. But when we shot their wedding, these were the things we wanted to capture; if they could look with our eyes, we hope they feel the resonance of all the good intentions and well-wishes we have for them. We see. . .

A beautiful and confident bride:

An image reflected like facets on a diamond:

The eternal longevity of jewelry—as enduring as love—wrapped around ephemeral
blooms with their fleeting beauty:

Family ties captured on a momentous day in time as people continue to age:

A play of sunshine and shadows on a warm afternoon:

The warm glow from a captured kiss amidst loved ones celebrating:

Love floating as light as air around a new bride and groom:

Ceremonious balloons at the ceremony:

Balloons in the air:

Moments captured:

Silhouette in a cool sunset:

Under a flowering tree:

The party in low moon:

In photography as well as in life, everyone experiences the good alongside the bad, those distorted, unflattering, and painful images or moments that you would rather filter out and lock away. But inevitably intermingled with those experiences are also the ones that you would cherish forever and never forget, those that shape the integrity of your character and bring out the best in you.

Which memories do you choose to take with you?

What does Personal Training mean to you? For some, it’s about building muscles
and competing, while others, it’s the simple pleasure of keeping fit and staying healthy in a lifestyle that is protected against illnesses. Your body is your temple and here, Matt Chmelka showcase his knowledge and is raved by his clients as the to-go personal trainer for San Jose and surrounding San Francisco Bay Area.