California Photography- Folks Photography

I loved this

2010-11-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I read this on a blog recently, and it really made my day. I'm a sucker for memories-- enjoy!

Why Take Pictures

And because no blog post is complete without a photo, here's what we've been up to here lately. We've been learning more about our house that we purchased last year. It was built in 1890, and we found out this week that it was built and lived in by the MAYOR (1932-1934) of Lompoc. Here is a photo of Mr. Amos C. Whittemore and also our house back in 1925 during the day of the Great Jubilee in Lompoc celebrating the signing of the peace pact between Germany and the Allies, the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the town of Lompoc and the opening of the new modern paved highway (Harris Grade; which by the way, is the road that overlooks Lompoc, its quite amazing!! And old ;)

Amos C. Whittemore-- Builder of our home and Mayor of Lompoc

Our home now and then; on the top photo, you can see our house just to the left of the horse and buggy. On the bottom photo, that's the roof of our house just above the horses' backs.

samuel

2010-10-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

This little guy was born 7 weeks after Aaron-- but they're already BFFS

Some cute things about him:

he LOVES food. It doesn't matter how you present it to him, as long as he gets it;
he does NOT like his fingers chewed on (Aaron tried that);
he just learned how to giggle non-stop :);
he can roll over!;
he has a quivering chin and watery eyes that could melt anyone's heart;
he takes LONG naps! (2-3 hours?! I'm still in shock. A good nap for Aaron is 30 minutes);
and he has some of the sweetest parents on the face of the planet

Now lets get to the good stuff!

sealin' the deal in LA

2010-10-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I had the incredible opportunity to [again!] shoot with the amazing Amanda Abel.

This time, she flew alllll the way from Utah to my turf in LA and we got to reunite and shoot like the good ol days. It was fabulous-- and so, so hot. And when I say 'hot' I'm not just referring to the temperature people...

THAT'S RIGHT. This newly wedded couple was smokin'!

Exhibit A:

bizz-ay!

2010-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wow we've been REALLY busy around here lately! Weddings, families, newborns-- add a baby of our own and personal home renovations on top and we're swamped!

But since we've got so much going on, I'm not going to waste anymore time. Feast your eyes on this FABULOUS family we got to photograph. The Porters are such a sweet little family, they were so laid back, and their little Isaac is such a ham ;) Photographing them was, seriously, so fun.

SIDE NOTE: This poor family came to us mentioning that they attempted to get family photos taken at a professional studio [i won't name which one...grrrr!] and they HATED the turn out [Ok, I can't remember if they said 'hated' but I know they definitely didn't like them!]. They really weren't trying to complain, but just stated to us that they felt very rushed at the studio and the photographers seemed very impatient. They ended up simply purchasing the photos because they felt obligated to do so [ugh terrible! I boil at the thought].

I can't even tell you how often I hear that REALLY sad story. Remember, if you hire a photographer, they are there for YOU. And know that when you hire Folks Photography, we're working for YOU and we will do absolutely everything in our power to make your photos the absolute best!

Ok, enough of our soapbox...lets dive into what makes blogs awesome-- the photos!!

Behold...Isaac...aka ADORABLE!

Those baby blues are going to get him in some trouble someday ;)

I would like to dub this his "pout" face. All kids got'em. His tops all charts ;) He also might have been making "pig" noises. Its hard to tell haha

Isaac is VERY good at sharing

Tip: How to make a toddler smile? Blow in their face. Suh-weet!

Um no, I did not edit their eyes here. Do you hate them as much as I do? ;) I need to get some of those beauties.

Nothing like father and son...so priceless.

A HUGE congrats to this family, also! They found out this week that they're having a BABY GIRL this next year. Betcha didn't know that gorgeous momma above was preggo...yeah, its just not fair how amazing she looks :)

Congrats again you guys! Your family is absolutely perfect!

weee'rrrreee baaaaacccckkk {britany & richard}

2010-08-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

DID they meet us on some beat-up, back road at dusk? Yes...yes they did.

DID they "crawl" into overgrown areas containing thorns and dirt? Why, most certainly.

DID they sit and stand on things crawling with bugs? Absolutely.

DID they walk 4 miles in the middle of nowhere just to get to the perfect spots?? HECK YES, THEY DID!!!

and you wonder why we say we have the best clients around??

[enter] Britany and Richard :)

We met this amazing couple this last year when we lived on Vandenberg Air Force Base. They became next door neighbors to our next door neighbors (hi amanda!) and we just instantly clicked.

Here are the photos from their amazing couple shoot. For the record Britany and Richard, you two are FABULOUS to photograph. Many, many thank you's for being fantastic!

Looky What We've Been Up To!

2010-07-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to go out there and say it...I MISS PHOTOGRAPHY TERRIBLY! The brides, the grooms, the couples, the bouquets, the seniors, the families. Every single bit of it. But I am so grateful for the little bundle of joy we have been blessed with. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. We're both learning so much about each other (I think he got his mommy's OCD...he's quite picky! Its a real adventure!) and its taking a little longer than I thought it would.

This little man needs a bit more attention than originally planned, so I won't be able to shoot any weddings until January of 2011. However, we are still booking shorter sessions such as Senior Portraits, Families, Engagements, and Self-Portraits.

If you would like to book a session, please click here to contact us.

And I thought you might like to see a little bit of what we've been doing over the past 8 weeks. I can't believe its already been 8 weeks! Oh how the time flies. See you guys again so soon!!

Aaron the day he was born. Our first family photo

Aaron Matthew

Aaron and daddy

Finally home getting love from mommy

all bundled up

Aaron & Aunt Sally

Aaron Matthew 2 weeks

2 weeks

Chillin in the swing

Tummy Time

Chillin with daddy

First smile caught on camera...smiling at the fridge

hangin out at the pool

playin with toys!

noticed his mobile for the first time

giggling at his stuffed animals

noticing the toys on his tray...8 weeks ;)

Watching Baby Signing Time

Aaron playing with his gym mat for the first time

Trying to roll over

Talking to his stuffed animals

Love, Folks Photography

introducing...

2010-06-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

we love him so much!! and he's keeping us veeerrryyy busy! more on that later ;)

-love folks photography

happy 3 years, baby bump, and out of the office

2010-05-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

first and foremost, i want to give a quick shout out to my amazing hubby! on May 2nd, we celebrated our 3 year anniversary together and it was amazing!! i home on friday evening to a surprise-- Matthew whisked me off to LA for an incredible weekend together. We stayed in a 4-star hotel, went to the LA temple with his mission president and his wife, spent some quality time at the Getty Art Museum (AMAZING btw!! Original Da Vinci there right now...just awesome) and then on Sunday after church before we came back home we made a quick stop at the Santa Monica Pier/Beach. It was so fabulous!

Thank you so much Matthew Donald Folks. You are my absolute everything and I am so incredibly blessed to have you in my life. You have made these 3 years unforgettable, and I can't wait to experience eternity with you...

here are some of the pics from our special getaway

Matthew & the Trasks. We LOVE them!!

me at the Getty standing next to my female pal. I've been trying to convince her to gain weight, like me. She's workin on it.

me and the hubs at the Getty gardens. I could have spent all day there-- seriously. Gorgeous.

MDF standing in front of the trees in the Getty gardens that i loved. love love loved. i can get these in my yard, right?

the beach. so nice.

yeah i could have sat at the beach all day. i hate how cold cali water is, but the sand. oh so very nice.

this pic is funny to me bc its of a COMPACT car in a compact spot and an extended cab pickup truck ALSO in a compact spot. Every time I look at this pic the rap from The Office ("Lazy Scranton") pops into my head-- "The compact cars go in the compact spot...spot, spot, spot..." Ok yes I'm an Office nerd. Next topic...

now onward to more news--

our little man is due this Saturday (May 15th!). Here's to hoping he's on time...or early ;) But I know we're going to be SUPER busy whenever he finally gets here, so I thought I'd hurry and get this post in!

heres a little slide show of the bump week-by-week-- well, when i remembered to take pictures :) Don't ask me how I'm a photographer-- I never take photos at home. Probably something i should work on...

and here's the latest on the bump-- my very own maternity pics taken by the amazing Gena! Hm, that kind of makes her sound like a magician. Well, she got ME to look FAB in front of a camera, WITH the tons of extra weight I'm packin around. So she pretty much is. Gena, thank you a ton. Seriously. Love these!

So I guess this leads us onto our last item of business-- I'm going to be MIA for a couple of months due to the new addition. We'll be back by July though, so if you have any shoots you would like to schedule, please feel free to contact us! We're still going to be taking any print orders, album orders, or scheduling any sessions that you may need! So if you need to contact us, feel free! We are really going to miss all of our amazing clients, but we'll be back so soon! See you in July!!

-Love M&M (and baby Folks!)

rachel & adam [4.17.10]

2010-04-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

i love to see the temple

i'll go inside someday

i'll covenant with my father

i'll promise to obey

for the temple is a holy place

where we are sealed together

as a child of God i've learned this truth

a family is forever

Rachel & Adam were sealed together for time and eternity at the Los Angeles temple, and I feel so honored to be a part of this incredible occasion.

First of all, this couple was incredibly in love and it showed.

Secondly, they had a family that loved and supported them both very much, and it showed as well.

I cannot thank everyone who was involved with this unbelievable day enough for being so willing to work with us for photos and for being so kind and generous.

If we haven't said it before, we have the BEST CLIENTS around. And Rachel and Adam continued to make that statement true for us.

A huge congrats to this beautiful couple! Stay happy. Keep each other laughing. Always say 'I love you.'

Thank you so much for allowing Folks Photography to capture such a momentous time in your lives together as a couple. You're both gorgeous ;)

For more photos from Rachel & Adam's big day, click here.

wow isn't Rachel absolutely FABULOUS?! What a gorgeous bride....

Before I close, I'd like to give a couple shout outs.

First to CRISTINA & TREVOR for referring this amazing couple to us! We are so blessed to have such amazing friends. You rock our world.

Second, AMANDA!!! A big big big big big thank you for spending the whole day in LA with me, making sure I didn't go into labor (whew, sidestepped that landmine, eh?) and for putting up with me bad mouthing cars in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours ;) I'll blame it on the hormones haha We should have gotten Blizzards afterall!

Love you all!

Love, Folks Photography

pins and needles...

2010-04-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

More to come! Here's a sneaky peak of Rachel and Adam's wedding we shot this weekend...can you say GORGEOUS?

Trust me, you're gonna wanna see the rest ;)

Soon, my dear friends, soon...

pizza pizza!

2010-04-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

VS.

So my husband is adorable. Betcha knew that already tho, eh? ;)

For family home evening one night, we had some friends over and picked up a few pizzas for dinner. But not just any pizza....

Little Caesars AND Dominos. Two kinds. Yes. You heard me.

And he decided we had to judge the two types of pizzas, because I personally love Little Caesar's Hot N Ready, but Matthew thinks its worth it to spend more money and wait longer for Dominos. Sooooo we had a taste test!

Here are the results:

Appearance/Presentation: Little Caesars
"Pepperocity" (Matt's word for the pizza with the most/best pepperoni): Dominos
Sauce: Dominos
Crust: Dominos
Cheese: Little Caesars
Overall Flavor: Dominos

So I guess the stars weren't aligned, and not everyone agrees with me on the Little Caesars thing. But that's ok. I will never betray my Hot N Readys...

And thats the news today folks.

2010-03-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

So for the record, I'm supposed to be painting our bathroom right now. We have been renovating our bathroom for 4 months now. FOUR MONTHS...and yet I decided that blogging for my fave people in the whole wide world is way more important. You are welcome :)

This last Saturday, we did a senior shoot with Bryan. And...he...rocked...it. I think that's about all we'll say. His rockin' pics say the rest.

A huge thanks to Bryan for putting up with my crazy photo spots...AND the extremely bright sun. And a few high fives go out to my fave helpers, Sarah & Randy Merrill. Couldn't have done it without you guys ;) Thanks for holding the bouncer!!!

Check out his sick El Camino. My husband really wants it. Bryan, if you get a call from somebody panting and drooling on the other end, it's probably Matthew--he's mega jealous :)

sweet samantha

2010-03-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

A huge thanks to the amazingly talented Gena for allowing me to tag along with her to this newborn shoot! Samantha was the sweetest little baby girl-- she was so happy and so timid. I can't wait to have my own little one soon! :)

Meet Samantha...

And of course, a photo of the lovely Gena workin' her magic ;)

i wasn't this beautiful as a child...

2010-03-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this incredible family yet! This gorgeous family won our basket giveaway at the Operation: Kid's Christmas back in October of '09, and since I was out of town for a wedding at that time, I had not yet met our winners! The only thing I heard from my husband was "Wow. They're good lookin' people Melissa. Get ready."

Um, wow. Understatement of the year for sure.

We met up with mom, dad, Brianna & Sirsedrick the day before Valentine's Day and these kids were READY! Mom told me that they had some Coke right before the shoot [ahhhh perfect!]

I could not stop laughing the whole time. Never before have I photographed kids that have made me laugh so hard. Get ready, these kids are a riot!

Me: "Ok kids, how about we start out by this tree?"

Brianna: "By a TREE? Its kind of dirty."

Me: "Oh yeah? You don't think this is a good spot?"

Brianna: "No, lets try another place."

Thanks for putting up with my dirty spots kids ;)

Look at this boy's sly smile. Oh I love it.

This was us trying to make Sirsedrick give us a real smile. I made a funny face at him. Turns out, he DID think it was funny. But instead of just laughing, he copied me. [DOH!] I should have known. Bad Melissa. Bad.

Brianna is a model. Can ya tell? GORGEOUS little lady!

Behold: The MANY hilarious faces of Sirsedrick. Don't ask me how I got this clear shots. I was laughing so hard...

A HUGE thanks to this amazing family for making this photoshoot so fun AND entertaining ;) We might be giving you a call again when we are needing a good laugh :)

-lets dont wait til the water runs dry-

2010-03-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

Alright, so for those of you who follow us on facebook, this is old news to you. But I am not about to leave our blog followers high and dry-- SOOO here's a little update on what we've been up to!

Valentine's Day seems like just yesterday. For Valentine's Day, I got my hubby tickets to a Boyz II Men concert here where we live. They were heading down to LA for a "real" concert, so they took a pit stop here in Santa Ynez and hit up the Chumash Casino. Needless to say, as soon as I found out I decided we HAD to go. It wasn't a question.

Thanks to my parents (and Matt's siblings apparently-- you guys know who you are ;) we have been Boyz II Men fans since back in the day-- the early 90s. When I left for college in '04, I swiped my mom's Boyz II Men self-titled album (thanks mom!) and gotta admit, I know all those songs by heart. So this concert was just off the chains. We had such a great time. They've still got it ;)

And Boyz II Men, if you guys are reading this (crossing fingers!), we would like you to know you are awesome and you should hook us up with some tickets for your all-inclusive Boyz II Men Bahamas cruise next February. I'm just sayin....

ok ok now for some photos to top this post off!

This is me and Matt hitchin a ride from the parking garage. I was so pumped at this point, that even THIS excited me. Isn't Matt a hotty?

Ok these are probably way funnier to me than anyone else, but the hubs makes me laugh. This is Matt impersonating...that...thing. Gotta say, he NAILED IT.

HELLOOOOOO Wanya! Loved that we got so close!

haha This pic is my FAVE! This is a photo of Matt WITH Boyz II Men...um yes.

haha ok we couldn't resist. We walked past this dude like 4 times and so finally Matt came up with something awesome to do. He's pinching his bottom :)

Good times!

Me and all my largeness.

the time is approaching...

2010-03-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

Soooo just a friendly reminder to everyone, our prices will be changing soon due to the ever-changing Cali economy. But have no fear, even with altered pricing, we still guarantee the most affordable photography in California (and other states!) as well as the best quality for our incredible clients.

We absolutely love all of you and wouldn't be here without you! Our hats off to those who keep us motivated and inspired...

If you would like to lock in our current pricing, please reserve your next event with us before midnight (Pacific Coast Time) Friday, March 12th!

Again, we love you guys. Thanks for sticking with us through it all! ;)

OH and PS. Our newest family edition is due in only 9 more weeks! I know, unreal. We apologize to all of those who we had to turn down due to our little man coming, but we want you to know that we'll be back in action shortly thereafter, so please stay posted! And we're booking events thru May 1st so reserve your event now! Those dates are booking quickly!

[kadie] Senior Portraits

2010-02-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

Remember Brian? Welllll, meet Kadie, Brian's girlfriend :) Back when we did Brian's photo session, Kadie tagged along with Brian's mom (and was SUPER helpful by the way) and thus our awesome relationship with Kadie began.

Kadie could not have picked a better day for her session. I can't even describe how flattered I was when she sheepishly admitted to me that she was a little nervous about her shoot-- NERVOUS? Man, I thought I was the only one with nerves flying everywhere before a photo shoot. Needless to say, the chemistry was totally there and Kadie ROCKED THIS SESSION (despite those pesky non-stop watery eyes!) Go ahead, see for yourself. You know you wanna....

A HUGE thanks to Brian, Amanda, Mom & Dad! You guys made it super fun-- and you all make lovely assistants :) Oh, and to mom and dad: you guys totally rocked that convertible. I couldn't have pulled that off nearly as well as you two ;)

To see more of Kadie's photos, click here.

work it girl...

totally edgy. LOVE it!

haha we caught Brian and Amanda (Kadie's sister) having their own little photo shoot behind us. I'm tellin ya, the fun just never stopped on this shoot.

Kadie & Brian goofin around after the shoot. This is there "couple shot". Awww how precious :)

[kadie] senior portraits, sneak peek!!

2010-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

dear kadie,

you are fabulous

love, Folks Photography

ps. more photos to come ;)

time is running out!

2010-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

So you're thinking of booking us for your upcoming wedding, eh? (no, we're not Canadian...I just really like that word!) We are so excited for you! Congratulations! We can't wait to capture those incredible memories that will be cherished for years to come!

We wanted to let everyone know, however, that due to the upcoming wedding season, our dates are filling up VERY quickly. So act fast to reserve any sessions that you will need within the next few months (engagements, bridals, wedding, etc.) because it's gonna be slim-pickins for a while! Reserve your date here.

We would also like to cover some commonly asked questions in this post to help all of you when deciding on which date to reserve for your engagements or bridals/groomals. So take a few minutes and feast your eyes upon these pearls of wisdom (fyi- cliches all intended...it's just one of those days...):

How long does it take to get our engagement or bridal/groomal photos back after we take them?

I've got to admit, I love when clients ask this question. The answer reveals so much about who I am, personally. What many of you may not know about me is that I am so incredibly impatient-- not ALL the time, but very much so when I'm excited about something. For example, since I've been married, I don't think we've ever actually waited for Christmas to open our presents. Seriously. We usually make it to about 4 days before. Also, I've decided 9 months is FAR too long to be pregnant. Just my opinion though. In addition, I feel that clients should never, ever have to wait more than 2 weeks to receive their finished photos. I understand how much you have to do if you're planning a wedding, and I understand even MORE how excited you must be to finally see your finished photos! As a result, Folks Photography GUARANTEES your photos back in at LEAST 2 WEEKS. Although I'm proud to announce that Folks Photography typically has your photos back to you in 5 DAYS (on average). We don't currently have any awards for this amazing feat quite yet, but please feel free to design one for us anytime ;)

How many photos can we expect to receive from our engagement or bridal/groomal session?

This is a toughy, but I'll do my best to be as specific as possible. Each engagement, bridal or groomal session varies based on the session length, the willingness of the clients, the location, the time, the weather, the lighting, etc. Your total number of photos will depend on a combination of all of these factors. Unfortunately, some of those factors are uncontrollable, but Folks Photography tries very hard to make everything perfect for your photo session. And remember, great photos can be taken...even in the rain. Ok, not in the POURING rain, but I'm sure you've heard that cloudy weather is the best lighting-- and it's TRUE. I'd love to bore you with the facts on why, but I'm sure you would just rather Google it. So instead, I'll hurry and throw out some numbers for you to answer this question more thoroughly. On average, Folks Photography has provided clients with about 180 FINISHED engagement photos, and about 167 FINISHED bridal/groomal photos. However, please realize that Folks Photography does not guarantee any final number amount. We love taking photos, and we will provide you with the absolute best service we can.

Should we bring anything to our photo session?

Yes, yes, and more yes. Ok, you don't HAVE to, but Folks Photography encourages all couples to bring any props that may represent you as a couple (skateboards, tshirts, hats, glasses, flowers, balloons, special shoes, signs etc.). These props always make for even more incredible photos full of personality, and typically, the couple seems more relaxed during the shoot when they have things that remind them of who they are together.

Are we allowed to select our own photo session location?

Absolutely. Folks Photography would like the couple to select a location that they are familiar with or that has special meaning to them. Of course, we are also willing to help if you cannot think of any decent photo locations. It all depends a lot on your style and what you're looking for in your photos. Some people like nature, some people like rugged downtown areas. It's all up to you. Folks Photography does not currently offer a studio for sessions, but we personally prefer the natural backgrounds and lighting outdoors anyway. Please remember that if your location requires traveling, Folks Photography charges an hourly travel rate, so plan your budget accordingly. To view more of our prices, click here.

What tips do you have for people who do not like having their photos taken?

Oh, these are my all-time favorite. Clients who know they should be getting photos taken, but absolutely dread the entire process. Well, I'm here to tell you my friends, with Folks Photography you will look FABULOUS! Why? Because it's our job-- we have years of experience on how to make you look incredible. Yes, you too! We love to make our clients feel comfortable in their own skin. It's what we do. It's why we're here.

Second, before you come to your shoot, make sure you're looking your best. If this means getting your hair or makeup done, DO IT. Or purchasing a new outfit, or some new shoes, or new jewelry. Anything that will make you feel like you're on your A-Game. Because I'm here to tell you my friends, if you show up to a photo session feeling self-concious, it might show. We try to have as much FUN as possible during the photo shoot, but laughter can only go so far when you don't really feel attractive.

When you come to your session, be ready to just laugh and have a great time. We're very laid back photographers and love to laugh--even at ourselves sometimes ;) So be prepared for a session that feels more like you went and hung out with some new friends rather than you getting harassed by a camera. We absolutely love to have a good time, and even though we take what we do very seriously, we want you to feel comfortable in front of the camera. So be yourself. We won't judge.

Last, TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER! We love photography. We love our clients. We love making you smile and taking photos we hope you will always cherish. As photographers, we here at Folks Photography are hoping you hired us not only because we have the best prices, but also because you love our style and you trust what we do. Photographers, just like artists, view their photography as individual expressions of who we are. Each photographer has their own style, and their own way of getting their ideas portrayed through photos. Select the photographer you want based on their style of photos. For example, Folks Photography likes contrasting something so beautiful (that's YOU!!) with something a little more rough around the edges (ie. downtown building). We also love clean, vibrant photos. We love our photos to pop, to stand out. To view more of our photos, visit us.

Why should we hire a professional photographer for our engagements, bridals/groomals, or wedding? What if we just have a friend that likes to take photos?

This is one of my favorite questions of all time. And I probably have a better answer for it than most people, because I learned from personal experience...We'll touch more on that very soon.

But for right now, why SHOULD you hire a professional photographer when your mom's best friend's aunt's cousin absolutely loves taking photos and would do it for you as a wedding gift?!? Or at a killer price? Well, I'll tell you why my dear friends...Just because someone has a camera, does not mean they know how to use it. Ok, they may know how to use it well enough to take a photo, but if they are not a professional photographer, they do not have the HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS of hours of experience we have when it comes to taking photos. They probably have never attending a photography workshop on lighting or placement or anything related to photography. They've probably never taken their camera out of the "automatic" position, which means they do not know how to use their equipment to its full potential (which is VERY important to you in the long run) and honestly, I know they haven't edited NEARLY as many photos as professional photographers, meaning they're probably not very familiar with their editing software and don't know how to make each photo as unique and captivating as it could be (if they even edit at all?). Just to name a few.

So back to my personal experience. Once upon a time, I was a poor, stupid engaged girl that thought, "Meh, I don't need a professional photographer for my engagement photos. I'll just have my roommate take them (love you Jules!) and they'll be awesome." Ok, so what did we learn? We had no idea how to pose ourselves so we looked ridiculous! The lighting was...ok...wow...more spotty and uneven and bright than any photo I've ever seen (not my lovely roommate Julia's fault!! She did great for what I gave her to work with :)

And now after 3 years of marriage, I still look back on them and cringe. What was I thinking???? Why oh why didn't I just spend the extra $100 and get some gorgeous, professional shots taken? Trust me, everyone, it's WORTH THE MONEY.

Need I say more?

Love,

Folks Photography

Melissa & Matthew Folks

FolksPhoto.com

805.245.9193

Stay tuned for more tips for your upcoming wedding or senior portrait session!!

reynaldo [senior portraits]

2010-01-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

Meet Reynaldo! For his senior portraits, Reynaldo selected a warm and incredibly sunny day in Santa Maria-- and I loved every minute of it!

A huge thanks to Reynaldo and his sister, Vanessa, for walking ALL over Waller Park with me. I had never photographed anyone there before, so this was an adventure I couldn't pass up! We definitely got our workouts in that day ;) Thanks for introducing me to my new favorite photo location you two!

Reynaldo, you looked great! We hope you have a very productive and FUN senior year. Good luck to you with all of your post-graduation plans!

All friends of Reynaldo, mention you heard it from him and receive $50 off your senior portrait session.

To view more photos of Reynaldo, click here.

brian [senior portraits]

2010-01-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

What can we say Brian? You rocked this session! Thank you SO MUCH for being so flexible and for putting up with our crazy ideas. You were awesome to work with! Happy senior year! Live it up-- life after high school flies all too fast :)

All friends of Brian, mention you heard it from him and save $50 off your senior portrait session!

To view more portraits of Brian, click here.

dianna & eric wedding [12.12.09]

2010-01-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

Wedding are always an incredibly special occasion for all, including photographers. What do I love about my job so much? I love being able to capture those cherished moments on the most important day of a couple's life together. I love being able to see things through my lens that otherwise may go unnoticed throughout the day. I love the reactions of the bride and groom after they see their wedding photos for the first time after their wedding, and they give to relive the day they spent so long preparing for.

But what do I love about this wedding, in particular? Oh, so many things...

Dianna & Eric were officially wedded on one chilly day in December in Owensboro, Kentucky. Dianna & I went to high school together and have more than just a few stories shared between us ;) Also, these two were married at St. Alphonses in West Louisville, and had their reception at the Mount-- both of these locations are about .5 miles away from the house I grew up in. The house where all of my middle and high school memories were made. This wedding was extra special for me... <3

The lovely ladies of the wedding party began getting ready bright and early that morning, while the men decided they had a little bit more time on their hands and spent most of the morning eying the UK football game. If I'm not mistaken, UK won!

Here are some of the photos from throughout the day from this incredible wedding. Please forgive me...there were SO many fun photos to choose from but I couldn't include them all in this post. For more photos from Dianna & Eric's wedding, click here.

A HUGE thanks to my partner in crime for the day, Mr. Henry May. Couldn't have done it without you man!!

The lovely bride getting ready for her big unveiling

I love this photo. The little girl is their flower girl, and she was being coaxed into changing her earrings for the wedding. She had just had her ears pierced not too long ago and had never had her original studs out. She was SO brave and, by the looks of things, rather enjoyed her new look ;)

The studs of the day

Now this is my kind of wedding party...!

This shot of the dress was taken by Henry. Seriously, he rocked this one. This is probably one of my fave detail shots!

Get down girl, get down....

One of the many friends demonstrating to the groom how to bust a move. One of the highlights of the night!

Congrats again you two! You deserve nothing but the best, and we wish you a long, incredible life together!

Let's Find Steven Koecher!

2010-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to keep you in the loop on the stories I've been following. This one in particular. I didn't know Steven, I don't know his family, I don't know anything about them other than what I've read. But I think it is absolutely heartbreaking when somebody goes missing. They have no idea where this young man is. I think the best thing I can do on my end right now is get the word out-- make some noise about the story. So if any of you have seen him or heard anything, contact the police immediately!

Here's the story, and you can join the "Help Us Find Steven Koecher" group on facebook for more details:

HENDERSON, Nevada (ABC 4 News) - Susan Powell is not the only missing Utahn. 30-year-old Steven Koecher has been missing about as long as Susan under circumstances that detectives are saying "just don't line up." ABC 4 spoke exclusively with Koecher's parents at their home in Bountiful.

Steven was last seen in the town of Henderson, just outside Las Vegas. What's troubling, his parents say, is there are no indicators that say he would've just abandoned those close to him. After almost a month of tracing dead-ends, his parents are beginning to fear he might have disappeared without a trace.

Koecher’s mom, DeAnne, says, “When we have something that we're working toward we have a little bit of hope, but the nights are very, very long.” His Dad, Rolf, adds, “When they're no longer kids, you don't worry so much, when they grow up, you know...I guess you always have to worry.” In fact, worry is all they've done since Steven, a St. George resident, first disappeared on December 13th.

His white 2003 Chevy Cavalier had been sitting in the cul de sac of a upscale Hendersen, Nevada retirement community for four days. A nearby resident who is a retired US Marshal, has a video surveillance system he keeps running at his home. The video shows Steven walking away from his car the morning he disappeared. His mom says, “He looks very purposeful, doesn't look disoriented, looks like he has a reason to be there.”

As for any other signs showing Steven might have felt troubled, his mom says they had spoken to him recently and they had a typical conversation. She says, “Nothing in my heart says he would stay away from us on purpose….Thirty years old, and probably wasn't exactly where he wanted to be in life, but handling it.”

The Las Vegas, Henderson and Saint George police agencies are all working the case. Just last week, police searched with helicopter, ATVs, even door to door canvassing. Much like Susan Powell, the search for Steven Koecher has also gone viral. His family has started the “Help find Steven Koecher” facebook page.

Steven is described at 5'10, 180 pounds, blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. He was last seen wearing white tennis shoes and a dress shirt.

If you have any information, the Koechers are asking you to please call the Henderson Police Department at 702-267-5000.

i just can't help myself....

2009-12-28T10:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we're back! We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

I've been editing like a MANIAC over the break and I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel-- which means, if you don't have your photos posted here yet, you should VERY soon! :)

While editing Dianna & Eric's wedding, I came across this gem....

Seriously, is she not GORGEOUS? Dianna, take it from me, you made an amazing bride! :) You looked fabulous!

Stay tuned for more from Dianna & Eric's wedding, as well as Brian's Senior Portraits!

Davis Family [12.19.09]

2009-12-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

Being a photographer is hard work. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I love every single minute of it-- editing and all. But man, there is a LOT of pressure when you do what I do. I want every photo to be perfect, I want my clients to feel comfortable around me, I want my clients to look back at their photos and think "Wow. I still love these pictures. And I had such a great time taking them." I want all of those things. I pray that that's what I can bring to the table. That's who I want to be. That's what I want Folks Photography to stand for. Oh...the never-ending pressure!

But then when I go on my shoots, all that pressure melts away. Our clients are the best clients around. And I mean that. They make my job so worth it in every way. I can't describe to you the feeling of looking into the lens and knowing that during that "click" I got the perfect shot. Or that feeling when I see who are clients really are-- their true selves. Those candid shots that are taken when they feel that nobody is watching. My camera is always watching. Those shots make my heart melt. Those shots make my job the best job in the entire world.

Being a photographer is a hard job. And I wouldn't give it up for anything....

On that note, I would like you to meet some of these amazing clients I was hinting about above. This month, we did a family shoot with the Davis Family -aka- the family that rocks our world. Their personalities are so individual and yet, when you get them all together, they just blend so perfectly. I can't put it into words. I'm not a writer. Instead, let me show you in photos-- I hope these photos speak to you the words that I cannot describe. We love you Davis Family! Each and every one of you! Never ever change-- you're too fabulous <3

I love these guys....!

Innocence at it's finest

Sorry Krystal, I couldn't help myself :) It's just too dang good!

more BIG news!

2009-12-15T23:53:00.000-08:00

this is another personal post-- I super dooper promise that I have some amazing wedding and family pics coming your way :)

But as for today...you get to hear about our little one! Today we found out what "it" is....and it's a... (drum roll please)...

B.O.Y!

Oddly enough, I already knew that-- don't ask me how. It's felt like a boy from day 1, so today wasn't too much of a surprise. I just got to actually see it! Here are some pics from the eventful ultrasound. We even got a DVD of the whole ultrasound session but me learning how to convert that into a little nice and neat uploadable file may take a bit of time :) There's a reason I do "still photography" and not motion pictures-- I'm just sayin...

Anywho here are some pics from our session today. AND I'll be posting new belly pics on here (as well as on facebook) because apparently my preggo tummy exploded this week (18 weeks, 4 days). Or so I hear from the hubster.

Meet our little Folks man:

Profile view, with brain and all :) I can already tell he's got my nose and chin. Ah shucks.

As if you doubted me, voila. Proof of our little boy. Imagine the camera from below, right side is the buttox. You get the idea :)

Unmistakably a foot with 5 little toes!

and the winner is...

2009-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

after a LOT of voting (THANKS GUYS!!!) and much intense discussion and debate, we've decided on a logo winner. Millions of -thank you's- to all of you who helped us out with this! We love you <3

i love presents!

2009-12-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

I just can't help it. As soon as December hits, I just want to spread a whole lota cheer in the form of PRESENTS!

Well...discounts in this case :)

So here's a new one for all you younger clientele out there that we love just as much (if not more :)

For a limited time, Folks Photography would like to offer 5 absolutely FREE Senior Portrait Sessions. Seriously. Free. Why are we doing this you ask?

Well, we know how expensive these things can cost, and we want to be able to help a few families out in the area.

So what's the catch? Well, here's what we're asking for:

1. We ask that all FREE sessions are taken in Santa Maria or Lompoc. Either city is fine, we just can't afford to drive down to LA on our dollar.
2. We would like the lucky high school seniors who are selected by Folks Photography to act as our "High School Reps." This consists of just getting the word out about our business, our work, and our REALLY cheap pricing.
3. We're only accepting 5 high school seniors for this LIMITED TIME offer. The offer expires FEBRUARY 1, 2010. So if you would like your Senior Portrait Session, RESERVE YOUR DATE FAST! These slots will be filled quickly!

And that's it! Pinky swear :) Visit FolksPhoto.com to learn more about us!

To sign up for your FREE Senior Portrait Session, please email MelissaFolks@FolksPhoto.com
Please include your:
Name
Age
High School
City
Phone Number

And that's it! The first 5 emails I get will receive a free session INCLUDING a high-resolution CD of all the edited photos with copyright releases!

Let the emailing begin!!

And just a reminder, for all other clients out there, we got somethin' hot n' spicy for you too! Reserve your next event with us by January 1, 2010 and you'll receive a FREE high-resolution CD of all your edited photos, complete with copyright release! All you have to do is RESERVE by January 1st-- your event can be later :)

Click here to reserve your date!

Logos, Take 2!

2009-12-09T15:13:00.002-08:00

Ok, so the preliminaries are over. As a result of your amazing votes, we've narrowed it down to 6 (ok, give me a break, that's about half of what I posted yesterday...6 is a good number, right?!) AND I got a great suggestion to put those logos on a photo so that you guys can see the final product easier.

You guys are brilliant. What can I say ? :)

Anyway, so here are the final 6! If you've already voted, feel free to vote again. Now that it's on the photo, you might change your mind. Ya never know!

Due to our extremely busy schedule over the next week, I'm going to leave the voting open until we get finished with all of our shoots and get transitioned from one house to another. So we'll probably decide on our brand new logo by the end of next week (with your help, of course...). Spread the word until then! We would love all the input we can get!

PS. Just so we stay consistent, I've numbered the logos the same as from our last logo post :)

VOTE AWAY!

#1:

#3:

#5:

#6:

#8:

#11:

...and a Happy New Year!

2009-12-08T14:03:00.003-08:00

Ok, no, I'm not just skipping over Christmas. Don't you worry. I'll be Christmas-ing it up just dandy this year! :)

However, I would like to give all of our blog followers a little heads up about some of the changes we will be making with Folks Photography come 2010! This will include our colors, our blog, our website, AND last but definitely not least, our LOGO! Awwwwww YEAH, that's right! You heard me!

Since we're going to be super, mega busy over the next few weeks with all of our last minute shoots as well as our moving to our new house, I thought I would get a head start on what I deemed our "Logo Vote-a-Thon". Kind of has a ring to it, don't you think ? :)

Anyway, here's how it works. I've posted all of our new, possible logo options below. And we are allowing you, to honor your for being such amazing blog followers and committed clients, (and because we just love ya so dang much!) to VOTE on your fave logo!

And please do vote! Seriously...I'm so indecisive. I NEED you! Please only vote on your very very favorite, but if you HAVE to have 2 favorites, go right ahead :) But no 3-zies. If you vote on 3, I'll just never be able to make up my mind :)

We love you guys a ton! Don't forget about our AMAZING discount going on right now! For more info, visit FolksPhoto.com or contact me!

So here we go! Time to get your vote on! (Just leave your fave # in the comment section, pretty please!! :)

#1:

#2:

#3:

#4:

#5:

#6:

#7:

#8:

#9:

#10:

#11:

And there you have it! Do your worst! Voice your opinion! Let your voice be heard! Make your vote count! Ok, you get the idea...Thanks again everybody! You're really helping us out a ton!

'tis the season...yet again!

2009-12-07T21:42:00.002-08:00

i L.O.V.E. December.

Everybody is happier (despite all of the stressful things they have to get done), the weather reminds me of those past holidays all locked up nice and warm in the house with the fam, all the houses are glowing for as far as the eye can see...

but what makes December ESPECIALLY awesome for any photographer are all of the last minute shoots and specials we get to offer all of our past, present and future clients :)nothing warms my heart more than that last wedding shoot of the year, or that last family portrait squeezed in JUST in time for Christmas cards. OR the last minute discounts!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that this December is no different! We have so many incredible shoots booked for this month as well as an incredible offer that's just too hard to refuse!

For anyone who needs a photographer for their wedding, family, senior pictures, etc., if your reserve your event with us BEFORE JANUARY 2010, you will receive a FREE High Resolution CD of all your edited photos WITH copyrights. Did I mention that it would be FREE?? That's a $250 value! All you have to do is reserve your event with us before the New Year (you shoot doesn't have to be by then...just reserved) and you'll automatically get a free high resolution CD of your photos. Now that is a good deal....

Click here to reserve your your event or contact me!!

Melissa Folks

805.245.9193

Email: MelissaFolks@FolksPhoto.com

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

my confession...

2009-12-05T08:06:00.006-08:00

that's it. I'm the WORST blogger in the whole entire world! WORST! I haven't blogged for 4 weeks.

My many apologies go out to those who follow our blog. Please don't give up on us! Keep on reading! We have so many amazing things coming up for you!

So why have I put off blogging for so long, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you my dear friends...

Once upon a time, a perfectionist named Melissa was born. And one day, the beforementioned Melissa, realized that her next blog post was her 100th post!!! That's right! 100! Thus, she knew it had to be big. It had to be spectacular. It had to be off the chains! So what did I do?!

I just didn't do it! I couldn't think of anything that deemed itself worthy for my 100th blog post, so I just kept putting it off, week after week. And now the guilt has finally caught up to me and I know I just have to DO IT! Nothing will ever reach my perfectionist expectations for such a monumental post.

So alas, here we go!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!! We FINALLY got all of our Christmas cards out, and just in time too! We're moving next week! Not too far though, just about 10 minutes away. Why you may ask? Because we bought a HOUSE! :) Yes, yes we're all grown up now. The house is just perfect for us right now, PLUS we're going to be building a studio in it. So get ready world! Folks Photography is taking over Central Cali! :)

So I guess that goes without saying, we're going to be pretty MIA over these next few weeks. On top of our moving, we have multiple weddings to shoot (some requring plane trips :) AND we're finding out the sex of little baby Folks. So we're gonna be pretty jam packed.

But you guys know how much I love you, so no worries. Now that I have that whole "100th post" pressure off my back, I'll be able to post some off-the-heezy wedding photos :)

And because blog posts aren't nearly as cool without pics, here's our Christmas card for 2009! Happy Holidays everyone!

OH and PS. I know I've reminded you all a million times, but if you are reading this and haven't yet reserved your next event with us (family, wedding, engagements, etc.) scurry on over to FolksPhoto.com and reserve your date NOW! Seriously, I'm telling you, we're booking fast! :) Ok, you guys get it. The end....

farewell teddy....helloooooo cletus!

2009-11-04T19:10:00.004-08:00

so you know it's a bad sign when you walk into your hallway, and you see this....

poor little guy didn't even stand a chance....

And THEN you walk into your living room, and see the REST of the masterpiece...

Lucy, looking triumphantly over her work...

By the way, mucho mucho apologies for the poor quality photos above. Turns out, my point and shoot just doesn't cut it like the good ol' Canon. Hence, my logo is not on any of them....feel free to steal as you feel necessary. Although you stealing pictures of my dogs and their messes is kind of weird....but whatever......

in HAPPIER news! Those of you who are already friends with me on Facebook probably already know a thing or two about our new surprise (by the way, if you're not friends with me on facebook yet, you really should be. I'm a hoot of a buddy. At least I'd like to think so....Melissa Jennifer Folks-- add me today!). But I thought I should officially announce this on our blog now that we have PHOTOS! That's right. You know where I'm going with this one...

We've got a bun in the oven!!!

Say hello to Cletus the Fetus (artistically "named" by our dear friend, Sally Van Orden....)

This is the little one waving to the world. In this lovely photo, we see a foot and hand.

I'm not sure what the doc said he/she was doing here, but I think if you look VEEEERRRRRY closely, you can see he (or she) is sticking his (or her....man that could get old) tongue out at us. ANNND it kind of has a big nose. He or she got that from me if that's the case. Sorry little one!

And this is the last pic of the feet kicked up and just relaxin...we got the hearbeat here-- 170 bpm.

So for the record, I'm just now getting out of the first trimester. I'm about 13 weeks this Friday (WOO HOO!). And to answer some questions-- YES I am deathly ill with morning sickness. Hence, the lack of blogging lately. Very sorry about that. Turns out getting sick 6 times a day just doesn't lend me much time to do anything. And NO we're not actually planning on calling the baby Cletus. Although Matthew still kind of thinks Rocky is in the running. After the infamous Rocky Balboa. I thought it was cute and clever at first....I'm not so sure anymore. We'll update you more on that later...

BUT YES WE ARE STILL DOING SESSIONS! Please do not hesitate to book a session with us as soon as possible. Our dates are filling up very quickly due to the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and we would absolutely love to come and capture whatever event you feel needed. Click here to reserve your date or to see some of our past work!

Oh, and we'll probably know the sex of the little one in about 6 weeks, so we'll keep ya posted! Hooray for good news!

Have a good rest of the week everyone!

chili's baby back ribs....BBQ SAUCE!!!

2009-11-02T13:45:00.002-08:00

Man, that song just never gets old, right? :)

Anyway, onto bigger and better news. On November 10th, you have the opportunity of a lifetime to help a local charity! What do you have to do? EAT!!! Now that's my kind of charity...

In Our Own Quiet Way (Quiet Way), is a global non-profit organization dedicated to helping impoverished or underdeveloped regions around the world develop practical, long-term solutions. Quiet Way accomplishes its mission by investigating and responding to the greatest needs of suffering communities, as defined by these communities, and then organizing a cooperative effort with other non-profit organizations, businesses, governments and community groups, consolidating funds and resources, and directing them to serve the greatest good. Quiet Way is committed to ensuring its efforts are resulting in positive change, and thus maintains close contact and accountability to those in need, as well as to social investors.

On November 10, 2009 you can go to any Chili's in Utah and eat their delicious food – and Quiet Way will get a donation from Chili’s! Bring the flyer (attached) with you and ask your server to staple it to your bill. When that happens, 10% of your bill will be donated to Quiet Way! There is no extra cost put onto your bill, it all comes from the Chili’s restaurant. It doesn’t get any easier than this!
The Quiet Way flyers will be accepted at ANY Utah Chili’s location.

We want every Chili's to be packed with our friends, fans and supporters! Bring a date, bring your mom, bring your neighbor and bring all of your friends!

Now, we know our photography business is no longer located in Utah, but we've still got our Utah pride! In Our Own Quiet Way has always been a very special charity to us, and we think Ron Hatfield and his crew are just the absolute most caring people anybody could ever meet. They've done amazing things for other people/countries, and yet they still continue to give. We can't thank them enough for being so incredible.

So you heard 'em Utah-- get out there and eat! November 10th is the big day! Don't forget to invite all your friends too! Let's show this charity what we're made of :)

This is the flier that you will need Chili's to attach to your bill when you go to eat on NOVEMBER 10th! For more information on this charity, click here.

Happy chowing everyone!!

'tis the season!

2009-10-31T11:57:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone! Just a friendly reminder to get your sessions booked early for your holiday family photos! Our dates are going fast! In addition, our prints will be going on super-mega sale before you know it, so get your photos taken before that huge discount hits!

To reserve your date, click here.

Oh, and Happy Halloween everyone!

Love, Us

i don't cry at weddings...

2009-10-21T15:26:00.002-07:00

Usually when I attend weddings, I don't cry. Why, you may ask? Is it because I'm totally void of sentiment? Man, I hope not! Usually it's just because I have so much to think about as the photographer, I just don't have a lot of time to think about what an incredible moment in time I am witnessing. Now this doesn't mean I don't get a little tiny bit misty-eyed at almost every single wedding I go to, but that's really another subject :)

But recently, I went to a wedding I bawled at. I seriously couldn't stop crying. I was just so happy. My little brother, Matt, got married! And to such an amazing woman! I'm just so happy for the both of them! Without rambling on for too long, I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. Ficker!

Congrats again you guys! We love you both so much!

Those two diamonds on the side of her ring were from earrings given to her from her grandma. My brother got them put into her ring, and then added that huge sapphire stone. Man, does he know how to pick 'em!

My all-time fave photo of these two! It was raining/snowing a little and I LOVE that added detail in this pic!!

fall in KY [Dianna & Eric]

2009-10-17T13:20:00.005-07:00

I recently got to travel back to Kentucky for what I can only describe as THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ENGAGEMENT SHOOT EVER! :) Ahhhh the crisp fall air, the changing leaves, the southern accents-- I miss it all! But what made it even more special was the two people I got to see while I was there-- enter: Dianna and Eric....

Dianna and Eric are very near and dear to me. For one, Dianna and I went to school together in Kentucky and she's just a great, sweet girl. Secondly, they're just such a great couple and pose oh-so-well for photos :) And three, I get to travel back to Kentucky for their wedding in December which I could not be more excited about!

I hope they love their engagement photos as much I loved taking them! They were such a blast to hang out with during my short visit, but I can't wait to see them again for their big day! Congrats again to Dianna and Eric!

i know i have the same pic listed above, but seriously, doesn't sepia ROCK?

another huge thanks to Dianna and Eric for putting up with my crazy antics and ideas for those couple of hours :) I hope you love your engagements!

shots of the head [Garr Van Orden]

2009-10-06T15:56:00.005-07:00

Got your attention now? I'm proud to announce that I finally did my first ever HEADSHOTS! Now I gotta say, these aren't your traditional headshots. Number 1, they're not taken in a studio. Number 2, Garr isn't your average head-shot kind of guy.

Garr is my very, very good friend's husband and he's pretty much the best actor I know. While I was in Utah for a wedding shoot, we decided we had better get some headshots in for him so that he could get some printed up for all of his near-future auditions!

Good luck to Garr on those by the way :) Without further ado, Garr's headshots ...

PS. Please prepare yourself, these are freakishly hilarious and we all had way too much fun taking them. Oh, and if you're wondering about Garr's hair, he likes to keep it that way so directors can mold him into any character they want. Oooooor he's trying to be like Jesus. Either way, we think it's awesome.

Ok, ok so now onto the headshots...

I'm not sure what the direction for this one was. It probably went a little something like this: "Garr, show them your face of pure, unable-to-control-yourself, excitement."

Next, anger.

Apparently this is seduction, although I don't remember asking him to do this--but I guess I could have. We were all rolling at the time--why not?

Maybe anger or hate again? I don't remember. My eyes were definitely filled with tears by this point in the shoot.

Let me remember correctly what Garr said about this on his facebook page: "I need ta' spit this tabaccee out!"

A huge thanks to Sal and Garr for giving me the chance to laugh and cry all at once during this photo shoot. It was oh-so worth it! I hope you guys like the pictures! I had a blast taking them.

trish & jarom [8.22.09]

2009-09-21T14:12:00.004-07:00

Awwww, love :) Say hello to Trish & Jarom, one of the absolute cutest couples on the face of the planet! Seriously, I didn't put my camera down the whole time on their wedding day! I couldn't risk missing those irreplaceable, quiet moments between this new married couple :)

Trish and Jarom got married in Utah in the Draper Temple. That was my first wedding shoot at that temple and I don't think ecstatic quite covers the glee I had pulsing through me! I was so happy these two chose us to join in their special day. Their reception was held at the Cedar Hills Golf Club--who knew a golf club could be so elegant? The lighting, the decor, everything was fabulous! Including this newly married couple. A photographer couldn't have wished for a better family to follow around for an entire day :) A huge thanks to Trish, Jarom and their family and friends for being so accommodating! We had a great time and we hope you enjoy the photos!

This shot was taken by the ever-so-amazing Sally Van Orden. She got this angle of the temple and I just fell in love :)

I was talking about moments like this :) Aren't these two absolutely adorable together? Their smiles were timeless.

See? Seriously fabulous golf club! Loved it!

ah i love her dress! absolutely breathtaking. Everybody couldn't stop complimenting it. We understand :)

Loved the dancers at the reception. This guy was a pro. He was great at showing the girls how to move :) haha

This party guest knew how to bust a move. The wedding planner was a little embarrassed when he came over to dance with her. Ahhh priceless!

A HUGE thanks to my volunteers for the evening. I've been wanting to get this shot for a while now! SUCCESS!

I never got the full story on the ring, but I think it kind of speaks for itself :) I noticed this engraving when I was photographing the rings. Love it!

Another big thanks to Sally Van Orden for being my lovely assistant for the day and capturing some amazing shots as well. You rock Sal Dog!

a fabulous sneaky peek!

2009-08-27T21:47:00.003-07:00

This past weekend we traveled allll the way back to Utah (which we desperately miss already by the way!) for Trish and Jarom's amazing wedding. And we know how intense it is to wait for wedding pics to be finished, so we thought we would give a little taste as a little gift to the new Mr. and Mrs. and to all of our incredible blog followers :)

All of Trish and Jarom's photos should be finished by the end of this week, so keep your eyes peeled for them here!

Congrats again to this amazing couple!!

annnnnd we're back!

2009-08-24T04:18:00.002-07:00

a huge thanks to everyone for putting up with us while our website was down--dang technology! We were able to get it back up this weekend though, so we apologize for any inconvenience :)

And mucho apologies for the lack of blog-age lately, but never fear! We just got back from two awesome photo shoots in Utah this weekend and can't wait to share them with you! If you're lucky, I might give you a little sneaky peak of both of them today :) Stay posted!!!

website down

2009-08-20T08:46:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that our website is currently down due to updates and overall construction. Trust me, it's a mess in there :) We hope to have it back up by this weekend, but until then, please feel free to call me or email me! For those of you who may have misplaced any of our information, here it is for you again :) Sorry again for all the confusion! Thanks for putting up with our mayhem!

Melissa Folks

805.245.9193

FolksPhoto@gmail.com

my juicy life details

2009-07-29T18:00:00.010-07:00

This is for those who would like to know me more personally. I wanted to share with everybody a recent trip I had that meant so much to me...Read on if you dare :) This is kind of a long one!...

I love my life. I want to get that out there first. I want to let everyone know that every hardship in my life has made me more determined, more thick-skinned, and more able to love. Every happy moment in my life has been stored in my brain as memory that plays in my head over and over like my favorite song on repeat.

Fortunately for me, my life has not been perfect. I've been able to learn from my mistakes. I've been able to learn from others' mistakes. I've been able to laugh, love, and develop virtues that I wouldn't give up for the world.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I recently had a life-changing experience that I just don't think anybody else would understand. Not even my husband. And my life leading up to this amazing event has been hard without a large part of my family, but I've never felt lost. I don't feel any feelings of anger. I'm not bitter. I'm just so glad to be loved.

There's a part of my life that really IS like that favorite song on i-tunes that just keeps playing over and over. It's like a dream that I have every single night--that mystic, undescribable feeling you have when you wake up from a dream that you only remember bits and pieces of, and you try to describe that dream to someone, but they just don't understand the feelings you felt during that dream. And they never will.

I was born in Sacramento, California to Brenda and Jeff Ficker. My dad was in the Army at the time and we moved A LOT! California, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho. Those were all my homes. When I was 9, our parents got divorced. I don't remember being sad. I don't remember being shocked. I remember knowing it was going to happen. I remember thinking I was so glad to have my brother by my side. I remember thinking "Ok, cool. I get to move again! yay!" What 9-year-old thinks that when she finds out her parents are separating???? Seriously....

Anyway, at the time, my mom drove semi-trucks (i know, she rocks...) and just stopped by in Salem, Oregon, picked up me and my brother, and we left. We left everything we owned behind. We left our toys. We left our friends. We left our family. We moved to Kentucky.

Since that time, I've constantly had those memories playing back in my head. Over and over again. Just bits and pieces. Memories of when my family was together.

I remember our FIRST computer we got there in that blue house with the big tree in the front yard. I remember the computer had the green screen.

I remember trying to make a "milkshake" at that house by putting ice cream in a plastic cup and putting it on the stove. Needless to say, I learned that things like that melted.

I remember the huge attic that I LOVED.

I remember the freezer in the garage always stocked with popscicles, and I also remember bribbing my friends with those popscicles--I would give them one if they would teach me how to do a cartwheel.

I remember "The Ditch" out back where, believe it or not, me and my friends used to play...for HOURS!

I remember grape vines in my best friend's back yard.

I remember the horrific smell of the mushroom plant down the road.

I remember that's where I got my first dry-erase board at a garage sale, and that we wrote "At the feild" on it one day and left it at Jessica's house to let our friends know where we were. I also remember that I got made fun of for spelling "field" incorrectly. I never did that again.

I remember that being the first place I played tether ball at school--and by the way, nobody could beat me. I mean that in the humblest way possible :)

I remember living next to a house that had fruit trees. I'm pretty sure we ate most of their fruit. We were bad.

I remember learning about cuss words for the first time. And thinking it was really cool to use them for about a day.

I remember I would find really cool rocks. And I would sell them. I told my dad I was going to do it, and he just smiled and said "ok". Needless to say, I was the one who brought home the bacon that night :) People loved my rocks. I also tried to hold a "bee" museum out of my friend's garage. I went around collecting bees, propped up an encyclopedia and held my museum for the public. It wasn't free. And people paid to come :) I'm telling you, I've been a business woman from day 1.

All of these memories have been floating around in my head for 14 years. Since then, I had talked to my dad a handful of times, but after 14 years, people tend to just get lost due to moves and changed phone numbers.

But then something amazing happened....

Some people suggested to my dad that his kids could probably be found on Facebook--and they found us. I finally got to talk to my dad again after so many years! He didn't even know I was married. He didn't even know I had finished college. He didn't know so many things about me--I wasn't at all bitter though. I was just so happy to finally be re-connecting with family that I hadn't been with in 14 years.

Needless to say, after Matthew and I moved to Cali, we planned a trip to go up to Oregon. We took that trip about 2 weeks ago. As we were driving up the road to my dad's house, I was bawling. I couldn't stop crying. I don't know if it was because I was happy or excited or nervous. Probably all 3. I also felt like I was going to be sick. I couldn't believe I was going to see my dad again after 14 years...14 years!!!. But when I saw him, it was like we had never been apart. I guess that's just how it is with family :)

Here are some pictures from that incredible trip.

The morning after we got there, my dad took us fishing!

Matt and my dad

This is me dancing because...well, what else was I supposed to do? It's not like I was catchin any fish!

I LOVE Matt's faces in the next few pictures. This was fish #3 for him--well, supposedly. I found it quite "fishy" that all 3 of Matt's fish that he caught, as well as the next 2 my dad caught all looked exactly the same...

These next few pictures are from the family BBQ later that day

This is a photo of my Aunt and my new second cousin, both of which I had never met before!

Isn't she the cutest? Needless to say, I followed her around all day with my camera. Many of these pictures are of her :)

Me, Matthew and Jordan

My new uncle, Mike, and Jordan hangin in the pool

My pup, Lucy, tryin to cool off

the whole family, including Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Dad and grandparents, all of which I haven't seen for 14 years! Plus some new additions!

Seriously, my family rocks at silly faces...

This is the house. The house I grew up in. The house that all the before-mentioned "foggy memories" occured at. This is where I learned how to do cartwheels. This is where I had some of my fondest memories. 447 49th Ave SE was my home. Here's a picture of me and my dad in front of the old casa

This is evidence that I have white-trash pumpin' through my veins. This was "The Ditch" that all of us kids would play at...there wasn't a grate over the pipe like there is now, so you can imagine all the fun us 9-year-olds came up with :) Good times, good times!

A HUGE thanks to everyone for checking out this post that is so near-and-dear to me. I really appreciate this chance to share with you who I am...and where I came from :)

Me! And a little catchin up...

2009-07-24T15:36:00.005-07:00

A HUGE thank you to all that participated in our blog special on albums! We totally rocked that, and some of you got some incredible album deals :)

Just to let you all know what's been going on in my insane life...

1. We recently moved to Cali (as many of you know) and we're OFFICIALLY, as of last night, all moved in. We've even ridded the cars of all of our garbage from the roadtrips :) hooray!

2. I visited my family up in Salem, Oregon for the first time in 14 years. I haven't seen them since I was 9! That was an amazing experience that I can't wait to tell you more about...but I'll save that for another blog that will have pictures from the trip :)

3. My dogs are finally microchipped and up-to-date on their shots. Ahhhhhhh I love knowing I have paperwork for them. C'mon hotels...ask me for it now. I'm ready!

4. On top of my photography that I love OH SO MUCH! I've acquired two new jobs-- one as a gas station clerk person at the base gas station right up the road, AND one as a Behavioral Therapist, which will give me experience for my degrees. Love it! Love it!

5. I've decided despite my hesitations about going to Grad School, I'm just going to do it! It turns out, Air Force spouses get $$ from the government to go to school--so by golly I'm gonna use it! So needless to say, I've been studying relentlessly for the GRE ever since last week (I know...forever, huh?!) and I'll be taking it in October of this year. PRAY FOR ME!!!

6. And last but not least, I HAD SELF PORTRAITS TAKEN! AND I LOVE THEM! Before I left Utah, I begged and pleaded with the amazing and ever-so-adorable Amanda Abel to take some pictures of me for my website. Amanda was my wedding photographer back in May 2007 and she's just been a great friend ever since. I don't know where I would be without this girl! Thank you SO much for Amanda for taking these for me. I owe you a ton.

I can't believe I'm doing this! HUGE album discount!

2009-07-12T14:30:00.005-07:00

Just as a "Thank You" to all my dedicated bloggers during our move, I wanted to post a very special LIMITED TIME album discount!

Contact me today and tell me you "Saw It On The Blog" and you'll automatically get $50 off ANY 5x7 or 8x0 black leather flush mount album!

Seriously. $50. Just for being a fellow blogger :) Because we love you guys!! This offer applies to ANY past or future client.

Not enough for you? Alright, get ready for this! Not only will you get $50 off the total album price, but I'll go ahead and throw in 12 extra photos in the album as well!! So instead of the basic 20 photos, you can now get 32 photos. Yep, I know, sweetness.

So email me today to get your 5x7 or 8x10 albums before the offer ends!

FolksPhoto@gmail.com

805.245.9193

FolksPhoto.com

8x10 album price WITH $50 discount- $190

5x7 album price WITH $50 discount- $140

Friends, Clients, Future Clients-- Lend Me Your Ears

2009-07-07T07:48:00.003-07:00

The phone number for Folks Photography has changed! Due to the fact that my husband and I moved to the only dead zone for AT&T in California, we had to run out and get new phones so we're able to make phone calls in our house without having to walk around the street trying to find a signal (I know, we're picky...what can i say?)

If you need to contact me, my new phone number is (805).245.9193

Also, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TEXT ME since that's totally free. But if you can't text and need to call, I'm more than willing to accept that as well :)

I'm sorry I've been such a slacker on the blog and everything these past couple of weeks. Turns out, MOVING IS HECK-A HARD! We're STILL unpacking and setting stuff up, and this weekend we get to go camping with family as well-- so it may be yet another week. But I promise I'll make it up to all of you dedicated blog readers out there :) Just keep checking back and we'll get you a little somethin' somethin' :)

Going Out With A Bang-- Cassidy & Joe's Engagements

2009-06-27T21:12:00.005-07:00

Alas, my time has come. I have finished my last Utah shoot before I move to California this weekend. I'm having mixed feelings right now. Utah has become my home. But I'll follow my hubby wherever he goes, and since he's chosen to be in the Air Force, we're officially moving to California MONDAY!

So here's my last blog post for a couple of weeks. We're going to be really busy with the move, but I hope to get pics of our new home up soon :)

Thanks to all of our Utah clients! We love you guys so much! You have made Folks Photography what it is today. We have met some of the most amazing people within this past year, and we're so grateful to have met all of you. We're so grateful to have captured so many special moments. We're just all around grateful. We love you guys :) We have a few photo shoots scheduled out for later in the year here in Utah, so keep your eyes open-- we'll be back! :)

We'll miss all of you so much! Keep in touch!

Now on to Cassidy and Joe. I met Cassidy this year in one of my classes at BYU. I was sitting in my awful Phonology class one bleak day, and then the professor announced that she would be pairing us up with other people from the class for our upcoming projects. Enter, Cassidy. Talk about such an amazing girl! Cassidy and I became such great friends, we CHOSE to work with each other on our last project for that class. She was really smart too. That's not really why I chose her though, I promise :)

Listen up Joe, this is for you. I chose Cassidy because she was so easy to work with. Because even though I was going through my severe "senioritis", she always kept a smile on her face and kept me pushing through to complete our assignments. I chose her because she's a great friend. Joe, I hope you see how seriously incredible Cassidy is. And I'm sure she thinks the same of you :) Actually, I know she does. You two were so amazingly cute together during the photo shoot. I hope you two nothing but the best in the future. Please keep in touch!!

So here we go...Cassidy and Joe...their official engagements!

Ahhhh blue eyes. Have you caught on that I love blue eyes???

I hope Cassidy doesn't get mad at me for posting this. I just couldn't resist!

Cristina's Bridals

2009-06-27T20:13:00.003-07:00

Remember the oh-so-gorgeous Cristina & Trevor? Alas, Cristina's bridals! What do I love most about these bridals?? We did them AFTER her wedding!

Perks?

1. She's not so stressed out after her wedding, so we just had some good fun!

2. Her dress was already a little dirty from the wedding day, and she didn't have to worry about it getting dirty before the wedding day. Absolutely every photographer's dream.

3. I got to see this amazing couple again. And I love them!

Here ya go! Cristina's bridals!

Aren't these little bows all over her dress ADORABLE!?!? These beaded bows adorned each of the pick-ups on her dress-- to DIE for!

Man she is so gorgeous. How lucky am I to have hot clients like this?!?! Work that veil C!

At this point, it was POURING rain outside, and I was attempting to get some fun ring shots. Thank goodness for reliable Cannon equipment.

Cristina had Trevor's ring engraved. I've never had a bride do this before! She said she calls him "Sweet Pea". I love it. I also love the "ruggedness" of this photo. I just love it all.

Ma Famille-- The Pembertons!

2009-06-27T19:11:00.002-07:00

I practically grew up with Jen. Jennifer is my cousin on my mom's side, and I just adore her! Plus, she's a freakin hottie! She used to model a little :) I'm so proud to say I'm related to her. Now I just wish I looked like her-- man, I would kill for her hottness.

Jen is now married to Jared and has two adorable kids, Soren and Charlie. Soren is growing up SO fast. And Charlie, well I just finally met him in April, but he is a ball full of joy. I'm so attached to that little man. He's just so happy all of the time and so giggly. What cute little boys.

Here are some pics I snapped of them a week or so ago at Layton Park. I didn't even know this park existed, and it was GORGEOUS! Hooray for new spots!

Without further ado, meet Jen, Jared, Soren and Charlie!

Charlie probably would have been smiling, except he REALLY wanted to watch the birds. We understand.

I love his giggly smiles

Brothers!

haha Soren pulled this shot off very well! I told him to act grossed out by mom and dad kissing. He nailed it. I like to think Charlie got the memo too since he was looking away and not just fascinated with the grass.

Holyoak Family

2009-06-27T18:18:00.003-07:00

A long time ago in a city not so far away (Orem/Provo), I worked at a place that, believe it or not, I hated. Hated Hated Hated. I think I only worked there because, well, I needed the money. AND my best friend and roommate at the time was also working there. So I thought, what the heck? This'll be great!

And thus fate introduced me to Ryan and Rebekah. Bekah worked with Sally and I at Harris Interactive-- the dreaded place where we randomly called people and begged them to take a survey. We weren't even trying to sell them anything, seriously. Yet people still hated us. Sally and Bekah's boss at the time was Ryan Holyoak. Everybody loved Ryan. He was the cool boss that let us goof off a little when our jobs really started wearing on us.

A little while after Sally and I cut out of there, we heard that Bekah and Ryan were engaged! Yay! We were so happy! We loved them both! Then we heard they were married. And then we heard they had a baby!

I'm so happy for these two and their new little family. I'm so grateful to know these two and now, to have met their little Bronson. I photographed them in Provo about a week ago and I'm so happy with the results-- even though that little Bronson wasn't old enough to sit up, he was GREAT at making eye contact and just so sweet during the entire shoot. And as soon as he started crying, we knew we were finished :)

As an added bonus, I would like to take the liberty of posting a few pictures from a long long time ago when I worked with Bekah, Ryan and Sally at Harris Interactive. Ahhhh the memories :) Thanks for making my life awesome you guys!

Sally and Bekah, obvisouly working very hard.

I know Ryan isn't in this picture, but for the record, he DID tape this random sign up to the ceiling to attempt to keep us motivated. That's Sally on the far left, Bekah in the middle and me on the far right. Awwwwww the good ol' days.

I made these so that we could get a "high 5" every time we got a completed survey. As you can tell, this job flirted with my insanity.

Again, although Ryan is not in this picture, this is the "crown" he made me on my last day. We deemed it the "Quitters Crown". Yes, that IS Dumbo on the top.

Ok, ok enough of the goofy old pictures. Meet The Holyoak Family....

These blue eyes are going to get him in trouble someday :)

Workin' it with the Heiners!

2009-06-27T09:22:00.004-07:00

Matt and I met this amazing family at BYU. Michael was also in the ROTC program (DET 855 holla!!) and they commissioned into the Air Force together in April. So before we all left Utah forever, we decided we had better get some photos taken of this adorable family!

Please forgive me...there are SO MANY of their little Lily--she's so incredibly cute. Seriously. This girl kept yelling out "picture, picture!". Now that's my kind of friend!!!

Thanks for letting me take your pictures you guys! We had a blast, and I hope we cross paths again sometime during our Air Force careers! I wish we would have hung out more :( We'll see you again soon!!

Meet the Heiners!

We couldn't get Lily to focus once we got near the water. She loved trying to look under that bridge.

Here's Lily in her little tu-tu! She's bustin a move. Get it girl!

Probably my all time fave. Isn't she a natural??

Valgardson Family

2009-06-26T22:48:00.004-07:00

I met this cute little family back at Katie and Brandon's wedding and they pretty much booked us there for their family session. We waited about another month to do their pictures, but I think the wait was well worth it! The non-stop Utah rain made the scenery soooo green, which made their cute matching blue outfits pop. I love the vibrant colors from this session!

Little Gavin was only 4 months old during this family session, but he was such a good little man. Up until we got near the very intriguing water, little Gavin was so attentive and so well-behaved. And then as soon as we got to the water, he absolutely did not want to make eye contact. You'll see what a mean in a second :)

Thanks so much to Chantille, Coby and Gavin for letting me capture this moment in your little adorable family! I had such a great time with you guys, and I'm so grateful for clients like you three. You made the session so relaxed and so fun, and a photographer couldn't wish for anything more! You guys rocked!

this is them laughing....pretty much at me haha I moved because Gavin was mesmerized by the water so I thought I could move into his line of sight. And then, as soon as I moved, he decided to look where I moved from. Go figure. He ain't no fool.

Love his big beautiful eyes

Alice May [Seniors]

2009-06-26T22:25:00.004-07:00

Meet Alice. Alice is the first person who has ever made me feel old! I met Alice and her family about 6 years ago in Owensboro, Kentucky. During this time, Alice was the little, shy girl in our branch. After I graduated high school, I rushed off to BYU and roomed with Alice's older sister, Sally.

It's been YEARS since I've seen Alice again. And just look at her. She's all grown up. She's such a gorgeous woman, inside and out. And she has got a personality to match! No more shy little Alice. I absolutely couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was taking her senior pictures during the shoot a couple weeks ago. Alice flew out to Utah to visit her sisters, so while we were here, we decided we had better get some professional photos done for her. I still just can't believe how adult she is. She's beautiful. Always smiling. I loved this session :)

A big thanks to Sally for telling jokes throughout the session, thus making Alice laugh. I loved the sisterly love!

Without further ado, meet the all grown up and freaking hot Alice May!

How does she look this gorgeous, even when the wind is blowing her hair in her face? I would kill for this look.

Brittany & Bronson [6.6.09]

2009-06-26T21:22:00.005-07:00

Oh where to begin. I guess I'll start out saying a little something nice about the lovely bride and groom...

I LOOOOOOOOVED THIS COUPLE! Seriously, talk about energy. These two never quit! They were so pumped the entire night and so happy when they were around each other. Brittany couldn't stop running her fingers through her new husband's hair...and Bronson couldn't stop staring at her. Can you blame him? She looked amazing on her wedding day!

Both Brittany and Bronson are from Vegas and had their wedding here in Utah at Rose Sachs Gardens in Parley's Canyon. And I loved it! If any other photographers can convince their brides and grooms to have their wedding/reception at this locale, you should! It was so private and unbelievably gorgeous with waterfalls and all. Great choice Brittany and Bronson! You two have amazing taste :)

Here are a few photos from their big day. Please feel free to comment, I love comments! And that includes you too, Brittany and Bronson! :) Thanks so much to Brittany, Bronson AND Staci (Brittany's mom). You all made your special day so fun for us! You were so amazing to work with! We're so happy for you all!

This is Brittany and Bronson's "First Glance" that they both agreed to do. Mom was a little weary about Bronson seeing Brittany before the wedding, but due to our need to take photos before the ceremony, Brittany mentioned the "First Glance" idea to her mom, and she loved it :) I love when Bride's and Groom's agree to do this! It's such a special moment!

haha hilarious. These two just kept me laughing.

So funny. Loved their guests.

Check out that bling!

And here's a closer look

The King

2009-06-25T19:28:00.002-07:00

The King of Pop. The MJ. The man behind the nose.

We love Michael Jackson!!!!

I can't believe 2 celebrities died today. Two amazing people in the public eye. I didn't even realize MJ was that sick!! I couldn't believe the news. Here's a toast to The Thriller, the man who could sing and dance and set the stage for all future music and entertainment. Keep Farrah company up there in the big sky! We'll miss you, you musical genius!

Farewell Farrah Fawcett

2009-06-25T12:01:00.003-07:00

So, I'm probably a dork. But finding out that Farrah Fawcett passed away today from cancer really hit me. I didn't grow up during that time period or anything, but it really just got me thinking about how blessed I am. All of the women on my mom's side of the family have suffered through various types of cancer, but I am so proud to say that none have passed away yet-- not even my mom.

My mom called me a few weeks ago, crying. She was watching a documentary on Farrah Fawcett and knowing that my mom LOVED Farrah when she was younger and could also personally relate to what Farrah was going through, it just melted my heart. Maybe because my mom never cries. She's a tough lady :)

All and all, I just wanted to give a shout out to Farrah Fawcett and her family. She was an icon, loved by so many. She touched so many lives (including my mom!) and she'll be missed dearly by millions around the world, I'm sure.

Ride those clouds Farrah. Hooray for no more cancer!

Katie & Nick [6.12.09]

2009-06-25T09:53:00.004-07:00

Wow! I just noticed that Katie's bridal post was the last post I had on here. And without any time wasted, here's their official wedding post! That NEVER happens! Yay for being on top of the blog!

So FINALLY there was a one day break from the 2-week Utah downpour! Katie and Nick got married on June 12th at the Timpanogos Temple. I was so incredibly excited to shoot their wedding and the same place my husband and I got married-- awwww the memories. Needless to say, Katie & Nick worked their shoot so much better than we did back in the day. These two knew how to work it out. Plus they were just so darn cute together :)

After the temple, we headed over the to Provo Library for their breathtaking reception!

Thanks a ton to Katie & Nick for allowing us to share your special day with you! We had such a fun time capturing your incredible smiles and untouchable love for one another! Another thanks to my two lovely assistants for the day-- Ellen & Emily! Your company and help was GREATLY appreciated :)

LOVE this close-up Ellen Lindsay took while I was busy lying on the ground attempting to get the perfect temple shot! These candids are priceless

This might be my fave. The colors were breathtaking!

Ahhhh nothing like a wet willy to liven up a temple shoot. I'm telling you, these two were so fun together!!

I -heart- sunflares!

Another gorgeous close-up taken by the lovely Ellen Lindsay! I love the depth-of-field and lighting in this one. Basically, it rocks!

Katie Rich [bridals]

2009-06-22T10:40:00.002-07:00

The Utah weather tried to stop us from taking Katie's gorgeous bridals, but alas, it did not prevail! A few clouds and sprinkles didn't worry Katie-- she was getting married soon, and was ready to take her bridals!

We took Katie's bridals at the Mount Timpanogos Temple, where she and Nick would soon be married. I felt so excited to do her bridals here since this is where me and my hubby were married two years ago! And I hadn't been back since :)

Katie had the most gorgeous form-fitting, ruched dress I had ever seen! The corset ties in the back topped it all off. She looked absolutely sensational! Not to mention she had the bluest eyes!!

Thanks so much to Katie for allowing me to photograph you! You were phenominal!

Stay tuned for photos from Katie & Nick's wedding!

See? I told you...the bluest of blue eyes!

Trevor & Cristina [6.5.09]

2009-06-19T14:50:00.005-07:00

Once upon a time, my husband and I traveled to Orlando, Florida so that he could sell alarms and I could push paperwork in the office. It all started off like any other alarm-selling summer until we met two of the best people we could ever meet....Trevor & Cristina.

Trevor sold alarms with Matt. Cristina worked with me in the office. We all hung out together on the weekends. Trevor and Cristina were just dating at the time, but we all knew engagement was just knocking on the door.

And only 1 year later Cristina & Trevor are married!!!

Trevor & Cristina tied the knot at the Bountiful temple on June 5, 2009. They had their luncheon at the Spaghetti Factory in Orem and later held their reception at the Sun River Gardens.

It's the most incredible feeling to photograph a wedding for some of your best friends. Not only do you just feel so comfortable, but you feel so proud of the life-long commitment your friends have made to one another-- and so proud that you are the one to capture that moment in time for them.

Congrats to Trevor and Cristina! We seriously couldn't ask for better friends and we're so so happy for you two! We need to hang out again soon...now as married couples :)

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Sanford!!

this show was taken by my good friend, Eric Schott. He's so very talented!

These are the cutest sisters ever!!

Some of the bridal party...prettying up the car :) They did a great job! It was the cutest decor I've ever seen

Farewell to the Mr. & Mrs.! They're still all smiles, even after a long day. Ahhh love.

Tomeka & Lance [5.29.09]

2009-06-17T12:41:00.003-07:00

after spending endless hours in my dark little office, editing thousands of photos, I thought I would take a break and share yet another fabulous blog post with you!

Remember Lance & Tomeka? They're finally married! And we were there for all the lovely details.

Tomeka & Lance were married in the Jordan River Temple on May 29, 2009. They couldn't stop smiling and looking at each other the entire session-- and I'm just fine with that :)

Despite a few set-backs such as a broken bouquet and unbelievably bright noon-day sun, Tomeka and Lance kept on smiling and showed everybody was it's like to truly be happy and in love.

After the temple session, we headed over to The Gathering Place for their amazing luncheon and ended their incredible day at Union Station in Ogden for their reception.

A big congratulations goes out to Tomeka & Lance. You two are so cute together-- keep those smiles alive! :)

Here are a few of the photos from their big day:

loved the lighting in this venue...i couldn't get enough of it.

and to finish off...my favorite photo of the evening. They didn't even see it coming :)

California Photography- Folks Photography

I loved this

samuel

sealin' the deal in LA

bizz-ay!

weee'rrrreee baaaaacccckkk {britany & richard}

Looky What We've Been Up To!

introducing...

happy 3 years, baby bump, and out of the office

rachel & adam [4.17.10]

pins and needles...

pizza pizza!

sweet samantha

i wasn't this beautiful as a child...

-lets dont wait til the water runs dry-

the time is approaching...

[kadie] Senior Portraits

[kadie] senior portraits, sneak peek!!

time is running out!

reynaldo [senior portraits]

brian [senior portraits]

dianna & eric wedding [12.12.09]

Let's Find Steven Koecher!

i just can't help myself....

Davis Family [12.19.09]

more BIG news!

and the winner is...

i love presents!

Logos, Take 2!

...and a Happy New Year!

'tis the season...yet again!

my confession...

farewell teddy....helloooooo cletus!

chili's baby back ribs....BBQ SAUCE!!!

'tis the season!

i don't cry at weddings...

fall in KY [Dianna & Eric]

shots of the head [Garr Van Orden]

trish & jarom [8.22.09]

a fabulous sneaky peek!

annnnnd we're back!

website down

my juicy life details

Me! And a little catchin up...

I can't believe I'm doing this! *HUGE album discount!*

Friends, Clients, Future Clients-- Lend Me Your Ears

Going Out With A *Bang*-- Cassidy & Joe's Engagements

Cristina's Bridals

Ma Famille-- The Pembertons!

Holyoak Family

Workin' it with the Heiners!

Valgardson Family

Alice May [Seniors]

Brittany & Bronson [6.6.09]

The King

Farewell Farrah Fawcett

Katie & Nick [6.12.09]

Katie Rich [bridals]

Trevor & Cristina [6.5.09]

Tomeka & Lance [5.29.09]

I can't believe I'm doing this! HUGE album discount!

Going Out With A Bang-- Cassidy & Joe's Engagements