Tammie and Frankie met in the hallowed learning halls of UCLA a few years ago, so it made sense that when it came around for their engagement pics they'd want it done there.  Little did they know that I'd be dragging them around to weird spots and alleys, but they were good sports about it. :)













It's definitely a different experience walking around campus with former Bruins, and they told me all sorts of new, interesting things about UCLA (which I find really sad since I lived within walking distance to UCLA for a whole year).

















Rivalry is no joke at UCLA.  Apparently the bear "hibernating" is really special speak for "protect our mascot" from certain Trojans.  The image on the right is the building where they first met.  Cute.



Looking forward to their wedding in December. :)

Whenever I photograph Aaron and Serene, we seem to have a knack for shooting on what feels like the hottest day of the week (though it's definitely much better than the howling wind I hear outside my window today).  But they toughed it out, and we had a great time at the Huntington Library.

Often my life is so dictated by traffic that I forget how amazing Los Angeles can be.  Aaron and Serene reminded me of this when they told me that they wanted their engagement session at Griffith Observatory.  Though I did have to navigate through the parking lot that is Los Angeles' traffic system, once you get to Griffith Park everything fades away and slows down.  Griffith Observatory affords amazing views of the LA basin, and best of all, it's free.  I think that the quality of a city is shown by the public spaces that it affords its residents, which is why I love to visit libraries when I travel.  It always tells me a lot about that city (plus it's an excellent place to nap in when you're tired from all the walking).

Right upfront Aaron and Serene told me that they were self conscious, and to be honest, I can't blame them.  Here's a little secret: I hold the camera so that I don't have to be in front of the camera.  A little ironic, yes?  But I do love taking pictures of people.  Despite what they said, they were really cute in front of the camera, and may I say, very elegantly dressed?













Aaron and Serene sneakily do cute things as soon as I put my camera down, so sometimes it felt like I was trotting to keep up with them. :)







I really like this shot because the two spotlights behind them form a shape similar to a heart.  Cheesy?  Yes.  Fitting?  Definitely.







I suggested this shot, which was supposed to be natural/casual, except for the fact that Aaron is so much taller than Serene.



... so I had to even the odds.  :) 






















I guess this entry should've been tagged as both engagement and wedding since Aaron and Serene decided on a very cool thing.  They bypassed the stress that can often come with wedding planning, and have opted to take their close family on a trip to the Galapagos instead.  Don't get me wrong, I love weddings, but there is something very cool about a getaway to an exotic locale.

And soon they'll have this gorgeousness to escape to:

This entry is long overdue! :)

I shot Paul and Lan's first engagement in Orange County, which you can find here.  For their second shoot, we headed up to downtown Los Angeles.  Union Station is a gorgeous, moody space with a lot of architectural details.



By the second time around, I barely had to tell them anything, they did everything all on their own.