maternity | shadi+rob | san francisco, ca

When I first met Shadi, she greeted me with the biggest smile and hug! Love that!  We started their session in their neighborhood which is near AT&T Park, home of the SF Giants. And of course there was a game that day. The energy of the day was not lost on Shadi and Rob. We weaved, chatted, laughed and photographed our way around the crowds down the Embarcadero. I loved that I got to photograph them in the neighbor where they met. :) Shadi and Rob belonged to the same gym and one day when they both--coincidently--were walking home from the gym, Rob asked Shadi out and Rob knew almost immediately that he wanted to marry Shadi.  He even bought a ring shortly thereafter and patiently waited several months before he proposed and were married in July 2010. :)  They're now expecting their new edition this September. :) Thanks Shadi and Rob, for a day full of happiness, smiles, and cheer!  You were a breeze to photograph.  I can't wait for your newborn session. :) xo, Stacey

wedding | joanna + steven | historic cedarwood | nashville, tn

So my little sis-in-law got married! I watched her grow up from a shy, skirt-twirling 4-year-old to a beautiful bride. :) What a day!!! The wedding took place at the charming historic Cedarwood in Nashville, TN. And a dream to photograph--a wedding with SO many charming details. There were some seriously gorgeous inspiration for an intimate country celebration to photograph. I was DYING over the darling details, the vintage truck and the bicycle built for two, the red barn with lighting and frames--so many artistic little touches. Love it!!! And nothing like crisp cool cucumber water to refresh yourself on a warm, VERY humid summer wedding night in the south. But enough about the venue, as you will see from the photos, this wedding totally embraces the colorful glow of a couple in love. Do you see how the groom, Steven, smiles at Joanna and how the dimple on Joanna's upper right cheek appears when she looks at Steven. :) Love you guys! xoxo, Stacey 

P.S. Did I mention that my boys were 2 of the 3 ring-barers and my hubby, Joanna's brother Erik, was my second shooter. :) I have never worn so many hats at one time--wedding photographer, mom, wife, sister and daughter-in-law. Crazy fun! (Thanks Cousin Ashley for helping out with the boys!) At one point during the ceremony, I hear, "MOM? MOM? We're hot!" Followed by, "Mom? Mom? We're bored. When is this going to be over?" Love my boys! By the way, aren't they handsome in the tuxes?! Ok...so I am a little bias. :)

Joanna and Steven elected to do a "First Look" where they see each other before the wedding. :)  I LOVE Steven's expressions on his face in anticipation of seeing his bride for the first time.

 

Erik captured this photo of Joanna and Steven's first kiss. I love the angle he got! :)

 

I LOVE this photo of my boys!

engagement | mo + patrick | san francisco, ca

Beauty and brains!  Mo is literally, this very moment, in the middle of taking the bar exam while Patrick is a busy doctor.  And somehow they made time to escape their very busy schedules to come have some fun on their engagement session. :)  Mo and Patrick chose their spots:  San Francisco City Hall and Treasure Island.  Mo and Patrick were a breath of fresh air and so in love.  I could write an essay on how much they love each other--from Patrick cooking gourmet dinners (after a long day at work mind you) for Mo while she studied for the bar exam to the way Mo sneaks those sweet glances at Patrick. But enough already--you're here to see photos!  Enjoy! xo, Stacey  P.S. One word Legs!  Check them out in some of the photos. I SO want a pair!!! :)

I love this pic on the left!  They were practicing their first dance. :) Mo and Patrick had no clue I was taking the pic.  They were waiting for me and I sneaked around to the other side to snag some candids.  Patrick said he looked up and thought, "Who is that person taking our picture?" And then realized it was me. :)

This photo was taken in front of the chapel where Patrick's parents got married on Treasure Island.

engagement | amy + ryan | newport beach, ca

I have to be perfectly honest with you. I often get the case of the blues after shooting a wedding.  I spend so much time with my bride and groom that well....I miss them.  So when I got to go to Newport Beach for Amy and Ryan's engagement session, my spirits were lifted. Our first meeting at my favorite cafe in Danville lasted 2+ hours.  And I couldn't wait to hang with them again for their engagement session. They were up for anything, and not to mention easy on the eyes. :) I even got to meet the mother-of-the-bride and Molly their precious little "girl." Molly with the help of Mom even met up with us at the beach.  (See photos below.)  Amy and Ryan chose the venues to shoot their engagement session--Balboa Island, a cool bar/restaurant, and the beach--of course!  Ryan, the "DD," had us driving up and down Newport Coast--even at one point stopping to get fuel where I made them stand in front of a mural.   Thanks, Amy and Ryan, for a terrific, fun day.  I can't wait to see you September. Enjoy your extended "sneak peak" of your engagement photos! xo, Stacey

Then we took the fairy over to Balboa Island.

The fairy back to Newport.

To the beach for sunset with their sweetie pie, Molly! :)

I think Molly is a little jealous. :)

Personal | Erik's Swim in the Bay at Aquatic Park | San Francisco, CA

The boys and I headed into San Francisco yesterday to watch Erik swim in the bay at Aquatic Park. Erik is training for an Ironman next year and will also be participating in several triathlons prior.  What is CRAZY, is that he just learned how to swim 6 weeks ago (thanks to our good friend Heidi) and he is now swimming a mile, in COLD (very COLD) water in the bay about once a week.  Charlie and Max thought it was the coolest, but I think they enjoyed rolling (literally) around in the sand and playing in the water more. xo, Stacey

YES they did anyway! :)

child fine art photography | one-year-old girl "M" | moraga, ca

I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July weekend!!! :)

Meet this one-year-old cutie who had me running, squatting, crawling, moving everywhere. :)  What a fun age! Don't you just want to take a bite out of her apple thighs?!  At one point, she had a minor melt-down, and I just had to grab a photo of her--head down, brow furrowed, kneeling on her knees. How many times do these moments get caught on "tape"? :)  Enjoy!!! xo, Stacey

wedding | terra + erich | pebble beach resorts | pebble beach, ca

Once again, I've done it.  I have fallen head over heels for the bride and groom.  What a beautiful couple and their wedding day was just as stunning. :)  Ok...so the wedding was at Pebble Beach Resorts, specifically at the Lodge with reception to follow at the Beach and Tennis Club.  But it was the little moments, the shared glances and kisses throughout the day that made this day extra beautiful.  At one point during the ceremony, right after Erich placed the ring on Terra's finger, Terra practically leaped into Erich's arms to steal a kiss in excited jubilation. Erich smiled at her response and held position because it wasn't time to kiss.  It was so sweet that Terra giggled at her embarrassment. So cute!  They even shared a moment after the ceremony not only sipping champagne but snacking on Peanut m&ms. :)  The simple things, the stolen moments made this couple happy amongst such an elegant elaborate wedding.  Erich and Terra, I will miss our "photo sessions" together and crazy fun telephone consults in preparation for you wedding. Erich, I will miss your innate sense of creativity. And Terra your sweet smiles and encouraging and supportive words. I hope you enjoy the pics I selected to give you as a peak into your wedding day. :) xo, Stacey

 

Terra and Erich elected to have a "First Look" which I like to call a "First Peak." :)  This is where the bride and groom share a private moment prior to the wedding ceremony and where the groom sees his bride for the first time in her wedding gown. :)  And Erich was ELATED to see Terra--greeting her with SMILES. :) We decided to do the first peak at Casa Palmero, a private estate-like setting on the Pebble Beach Resort grounds.

It takes a WHOLE lot of people to make a wedding this BEAUTILFUL!!! Thanks to the following:

staceyPentland photography team of Jessica Cole and Erik Pentland | The AMAZING wedding coordinators Casey & Courtney Reed owners and operators of  Help Me Get Hitched  | the entire staff at Pebble Beach Resorts especially  Daryl Griffith- Director of Caterering | Mariel Thompson- Makeup | Jessica- Hair | the fabulous band Notorious | Quartet - Monterey String Trio | Florist | Bakery

engagement | kc + sid | san francisco, ca

Her favorite movie is Knotting Hill. His is Smokey and the Bandit.  She describes her celebrity relationship as Ben Afleck and Jennifer Garner.  He describes their relationship as Peter and Peg Griffin (Family Guy).  Yet, KC and Sid couldn't be more PERFECT for each other. :)  He is the ying to her yang. :) KC and Sid flew in from Las Vegas, where they live and work, for their engagement session. KC and Sid stayed with her sister (and maid of honor) in the Marina in San Francisco which is where we ended up doing the shoot. I love it when my bride and groom are up for anything. :)  On a side note it was VERY windy!!!  As a photographer, I love the wind it provides "movement" and interest in a photo.  But as a girl, I hate how it messes up my hair and how my hair gets stuck in my lip gloss. :)  Yet, KC didn't complain, she made it work for her.  Did I mention, I had her sitting in a crowded bar windows, walking EVERYWHERE in heels and not to mention getting a little bit of good luck on her--WINK, WINK! KC :). And Sid, on the other hand, just played along with my crazy ideas. :)   Enjoy!!! xo, Stacey

The following photo was inspired by the final scene in Knotting Hill.

All I will say is those EYES!!!! Yes they are that blue and BEAUTIFUL!!!! :)

HELLO....Romantic!!!!  I love how they have a special smile for each other.

engagement | terra + erich | san francisco, ca

So I have another engagement session to post.  We had quite an exciting and adventurous trek throughout the city.  And since I had such GREAT feedback on my previous guest blogger, I decided to do it again. :) However, before we go there, I have to mention how COLD and WINDY it was that evening in San Francisco which actually played to my...our advantage. The chilly air created a perfect excuse for Terra and Erich to cuddle up with one another. :) And here is Terra, the bide-to be. :)

"What else can I say other than when we met Stacey it was sort of like love at first sight?  When I say we, I mean both my fiancé, Erich and I…all three of us were laughing our heads off by the end of our coffee meeting. We knew almost immediately Stacey was the perfect person to photograph the most important day of our lives.

The level of fun we had while shooting our engagement photos should clearly reflect in the pictures. We bopped around the city for hours trying to capture the next ‘perfect’ shot. I found myself in places I would never think to go! In the kitchen at Slanted Door among the dishwashing crew and chefs, being dipped by Erich in front of city hall at night, in a colorful Mission Street alley…and the list goes on.  As we toured the city scouting for new backdrops and props, I was impressed by Stacey's energy, openness and creativity. The photo shoot was an experience I am so glad Erich and I had...!

We are so happy we found Stacey and can’t wait for her to be one of the most important parts of our wedding day in June – looking forward to so many more laughs!"--Terra, the bride-to-be

The feeling is mutual, Terra and Erich!!!!  xo, Stacey

child & family fine art photography | alamo family | alamo, ca

About 2 weeks ago, I received a call from the hubby of one of my clients.  And let me say I NEVER get calls from the husbands to do a photo session. :)  He wanted to surprise his wife for Mother's Day with updated photos of their 3 kids as well as a couple with daddy and the kids.  :)  WHAT A FANTASTIC AND SUPER THOUGHTFUL GIFT!!!  We secretly met at their home on an early Friday morning after mommy left to work and before daddy dropped the kiddos off at school and went to work himself.  The kids were dressed and ready and we captured some awesome shots.  Now the challenge was having the 3 kids (all under the age of 5) to keep daddy's secret.  :)  Well...the kids kept mum and mommy was VERY surprised and LOVED her gift. The funny part of the story is that on my way home from the daddy photo session, she scheduled a full session for the following Tuesday for the kids.  Good thing she wanted individual pix of them. :)  You will see that post within the next week too! :)  Here are a couple of the photos daddy selected for mommy! HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY!!!! xo, Stacey

engagement | penny + drew | hotel vitale | japanese tea garden | san francisco, ca

When Penny and I first met, we chatted for almost 2 hours and basically "planned" out her entire wedding photo timeline, and she hadn't even hired me yet. :) Details, details, details--Penny is all about the details. :)  Penny even describes herself as "organized and hardworking."  But she is a lot more than that--"Penny is sweet, smart and beautiful," to quote Drew. :) Then there is Drew, who is OHH SOO in-love with Penny.  Look how he looks at her!!! This couple was too cute for words and I hated to see the session end. I can't wait for their wedding in September. :)  xo, Stacey

P.S. Penny and Drew have two goldfish named Marty and Pinkerton, and one day, they would like to get a dachshund and enter him in the wiener dog races at UC Davis' annual Picnic Day--their alma mater. :)

A shout out to Hotel Vitale--an amazing, beautiful hotel with the most friendly, accomodating staff!!!  By the way, if you are looking for a chic place to get married with incredible views and a great local, HotelVitale might just be the venue for you. :)  Check it out!  And thanks to Jill for hooking me up to shoot part of Penny and Drew's engagement session here. :) 

HELLO!  Can you believe the views from one of the 2 terraces?!?! :)

The staff even opened up the bar and restaurant for us! :)

Then off across town we went to the Japanese Tea Garden where the cherry blossoms were still in bloom--perfect for Penny, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen almost 10 years ago. :)  We had the garden ALL to ourselves after it closed.  What a treat!!! I could have shot here rest of the evening.

When exiting the garden, we happened upon a woman carrying balloons.  Just our luck, she gave them to use to use. :)  Poor Drew!  I kept making him jump up with them over and over again.  I did get some AWESOME shots of him jumping but I loved this one the most because he appears he is happily running to his bride bearing gifts. :)

Penny and Drew's favorite movie to watch together is Slumdog Millionaire.  So this is our version of one of the movie stills. :)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this pic!

Commercial | Nicole Ruh Eyebrow Artist | Walnut Creek & San Ramon, CA

Meet Nicole Ruh--the BEST eyebrow artist! :) She is amazing! I think what makes Nicole an amazing eyebrw artist, is that she takes the time to get to know her clients--both personally and professionally. She will work with you on giving you a look that not only works with your type of brow but also your style. And did I mention she ALWAYS has a smile on her face! :) Currently, Nicole works out of The Bar Method in Walnut Creek and San Ramon. Go to Nicole's Facebook page to get the most current news and schedule. xo, Stacey

WEDDING | MISTY + JOSH | VINTNERS INN | SANTA ROSA

Misty and Josh's wedding was a simple and intimate affair, full of love and laughter, friends and family. :)  When Erik and I arrived, Misty and her cute self was anxiously pacing, happy to have her favorite snack of Wheat Thins to help calm her nerves--OK so the champagne helped too. :)  Why the nerves?  Outside of the obvious, the forecast for their California winery wedding was a rare snow storm.  GREAT!!!  My heart broke for her knowing the disappointment she must be feeling coming all the way to California from Oklahoma. But weather miracles do happen and the weather was GORGGGG-EOUS!   As the weather lightened so did the mood--lots and lots of giggles among Misty and her peeps.  Who can forget the handsome groom and his charming dimples and tender spirit.  Nervous as can be, bending his knees to keep them from buckling, Josh couldn't wait to see Misty.  You can see the joy and elation on his face when Misty walked down the aisle. :) Their chemistry was so sweet, so endearing!  A special thanks to Kimberlyn Hall of Blueberry Hill Events and Vintners Inn for creating a magical day.  xo, Stacey

When I saw her dress, I nearly flipped!!!  The dress was even the muse for the cake designer.  

I never cry at weddings, especially at weddings I am photographing.  However, when Misty's sister, Aimee, pulled me aside to tell me that she was secretly going to pin a special locket of their mom into Misty's dress, I got all teary eyed.  Misty's mom had passed away which made the jester all the more touching.

 

Since Misty's wedding ceremony "had" to be moved inside because of the inclement weather, I decided to take her photos in the area where she was originally planning on having her ceremony.

I love this pic of Misty.  I had asked her to grab her dress to swoosh it and grabbed this candid.  I love how the bend in her body mirrors the bend in the vines in the background.

Doesn't she belong in a bridal magazine!  Beautiful!

My gentleman of a husband and my second shooter, Erik, offered Misty his coat.  I love how his coat swims on her tiny frame. :)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Josh's reaction to seeing his bride for the first time.  His eyes popped open at seeing her. :)

The lantern was in honor of her mom.

Love this pic that Erik captured.  One of my faves. :)

I wish I had more time to photograph Misty and Josh.  They were so much fun to photograph! But is was time to get the party started.  For the short time that the fab and amazing wedding planner Kimberlyn Hill owner of Blueberry Hills Events had in switching the venue from outside to inside, the ceremony and reception rooms were beautiful.  I especially loved the lanterns she hung in the ceremony room.

See how the cake matched the dress! :)  LOVE IT!

A moment right before their grand entrance.

Her sister gave a heart felt toast and announced the secret "package" pinned inside the lining of Misty's dress.

Josh reacting to the HYSTERICAL toast by his best man Ryan.  

Love the sweet chemistry!

Another fun pic by Erik!

ENGAGEMENT | JESSICA + BRET | SAN FRANCISCO, CA

I've been dying to share these photos with you all!  Jessica and I met last year at a photography workshop and hit it off.  We've kept in touch ever since and I was super flattered when she asked me to photograph her wedding in September.  She is a HUGE Jasmine Star fan so I have some pretty big shoes to fill. :)  The engagement session had amazing energy!  We scouted the city for more edgey backdrops and found some cool graffiti, alleyways, brick walls, a construction site, etc.  Check out the lobby of their hotel--super chic and colorful.  So the location of the shoot obviously cool--both in style and in weather--but my subjects were HOT!!!! Jessica and Bret have AMAZING chemistry and were super easy to work with! Enjoy! xo, Stacey

                                                     

PERSONAL | MOUNT DIABLO | LAFAYETTE, CA

Heading home from a shoot today, I decided to take a detour to view Mount Diablo from my favorite bluff.  And a what a view it was (pic 1)!  Coincidently, I got a text from Erik at the same time with pic #2. He had taken the boys up to play in the snow. :)  Then coming home I saw this cool old truck parked on our street (pic 3).  Funny thing is, if you look close enough, the owner of the vehicle was in the vehicle the whole time I was taking pics, and I didn't realize it until I got home. LOL :)  xo, Stacey

Erik's text photo from his i-phone at Mt. Diablo.