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  • About your photographer…

    I love what I do! If there's a camera in my hand, there's probably a smile on my face. More so than just shooting photography, I love capturing moments in life. Moments that are authentic and real. Moments that when looked at years later, are relived with all the emotion and feeling that was there when it first happened.

    I am a professional photographer living in San Diego, California. My mornings include a healthy dose of coffee, a good book, and a comfy chair. My afternoons are filled with surfing, skateboarding, motorcycle riding, shooting photography, and a continual drive to find new adventures and experiences! Evenings are most appreciated cooking dinner for friends, opening a bottle of red wine, and spending time living and loving on the people around me. I would say that I am a man that has learned many lessons in life, and am continually learning them as I go…

AARON AND LEANNA | SAN DIEGO, CA

Some adorable cuteness on the blog today!  Aaron and Leanna have the most sincere connection and seeing them together is so incredibly sweet!  It’s the type of connection that comes from two people that are perfectly on the same page as they walk together through this life.  On that sentiment, the images capture many of those moments with them doing just that.  I think that every couple has a “thing” that they do during a session, and holding hands and walking together is definitely theirs!

We shot at San Dieguito Park in Rancho Santa Fe and the place could not be more beautiful!  Rolling hills of grass right next to little paths through the brush.  Super cute!  Okay, let’s get to some images!



I know it’s early in the shoot and I always think the images get better and better as we shoot, but this image below is one of my favorites from the day!



Leanna absolutely lights up when she looks at Aaron!







Amazing trails through the area!








I was so happy when Leanna told me that they were bringing Aaron’s family pooch, Mr. Poppers!  Animals are such a cool part of a shoot and the connection is really cute.  When the two of them first met and started dating, taking Mr. Poppers for a walk was this really great time for the two of them to hangout, walk, and gave them opportunities to talk and get to know each other!  So of course we had to bring him along!


Look at that face!!!  That is one cute pooch!




 

I’m so excited for their wedding in September!  Seeing the two of them on that day will be proof again that true love is so real and beautiful!

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April 24, 2012 - 4:41 pm

Nick Lamb - Wonderful images David! So happy they found a photographer in you! I’ve known LJ for 3 years now. I’m so happy for the both of them! Love the shots on the trails!

STEVE AND KRISTIN | TUCSON, AZ

Oh flipping cuteness in Arizona!  I flew out to Tucson for Steve and Kristin’s engagement session and it was such an amazing time!  Kristin picked out Tohono Chul Park for our shoot and I could not have been happier!  Tohono Chul Park is home to what’s considered one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world.  Sprawled out through the property are different gardens that represent a cross section of the natural desert landscape.  Definitely one of those places that no matter where you look there’s another beautiful spot around the corner!

The best part of the shoot though, was the chemistry between Steve and Kristin!  To give you a feel of these two, when meeting online, Steve’s opening line was, “Aren’t all accountants boring?!”  She loved his sense of humor and personality, and the rest is the beginning of a great love story.  I’m not sure that the two of them, or me for that matter, stopped smiling through the whole shoot!  Every moment they were together, Steve was whispering in her ear or making some sort of comment to keep her beaming the entire time!  The best part of all for me, was seeing Steve with Kristin.  Steve is my second cousin and I can remember climbing through the barns on my uncle’s farm during the huge Perrino Family picnic year after year.  The stories that we have, along with my brother, his sister, and the rest of the kids in our generation (there’s a bunch of us!), are endless and have kept us going many nights over a good beer.  Seeing Stevie, what we called him back then, grow up into a man and meet such an incredible woman that cares about him and pushes him to be his best, kept bringing tears to my eyes behind the lens.  I blamed it on the desert wind of course…

Let’s dive into some images of this adorable couple!

 



I love the Kristin’s playfulness in this shot!



This is pretty much the entire day in these two images.  One of them smiling together, then the next into total laughter and giggles!




LOVE when women go up on their tip toes to kiss their man!  Super cute!


After walking through the gardens casually, we decided to dress it up and get fancy!




No matter where we went, or what we were doing, these two were just looking awesome!  Finishing the day off with a little sunset stroll through the paths, these two really turned it on and their incredible vibe together pops in this next set!




I’m really pulling for this shot to be blown up on canvas!  Backlit goodness with whimsical tree branches?!  Yes please!  Kristin rocks for picking this place!!!




Suuuuuper cute shoes!


And the last shot of the day, almost always being my favorite, Steve and Kristin rocked it in the gardens!  Their wedding on the beaches of the Gulf Coast is going to be incredible!  I cannot wait to see the look on Steve’s face when he sees Kristin walking down the isle!  These two are so perfectly made for each other, it’s ridiculous!  I’ll admit it, I’m pulling for a few tears our of Steve ;)

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March 12, 2012 - 7:40 pm

Kathy - Great pictures beautiful I know Kristin is going to Love them

CHALON AND TYLIA | CARLSBAD, CA

This engagement session was awesome!!!  Seriously, I feel like I should just stop there… But I’m not going to!  Chalon and Tylia are such a fun, active, outdoorsy, and all around adventurous couple; we wanted to captured that in their home town of Carlsbad.  Starting off at the famous Carrillo Ranch, we had a blast cruising the property together.  These two are so natural together, right from the beginning, we were getting awesome images.  I actually ended up shooting 1,758 images on this shoot!  It’s hard to keep that trigger finger under control when everything is so good looking!  Let’s get to some images!

 



I love that both of them are so calm and confident in their own skin.  They are definitely a couple that is made of two strong individuals that make each other better!


Love the benches on property and this one under the tree was a perfect place for Chalon and Tylia to have some time just hanging out while we stepped back with the long lenses.










 

Ending down at the beach was really cool because we went to a spot that they call “theirs”.  Every couple in San Diego should have a beach they can call “theirs”…




After a quick wave snuck up on them, Tylia didn’t know what to do, so she just naturally jumped into Chalon’s arms!  Definitely one of my favorite moments of the day!


 

Chalon and Tylia,

You two are incredible together!  Seeing the two of you together brings such a big smile to my face and I cannot wait for your gorgeous wedding!

- David

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JERRY AND NATALIE | RIVERSIDE, CA

Love is amazing sometimes.  Which makes love stories even better!  Jerry and Natalie have an incredible love story and I’m so happy to be able to tell it through photos!  These two love birds will be getting married next month at The Mission Inn in Riverside.  The Mission Inn is a jewel tucked up in Riverside that I was blown away to see!  Everywhere you look is something new and historic!  Shooting with them was so much fun, because we’ve done it before… Huh?  Yep, we’ve shot an engagement session before.  About three years ago, I met Natalie in a Starbucks in Poway to talk about her wedding to Jerry.  During the process, they realized that the timing was not right and went their separate ways.  Then, I received a phone call, “Hi David, not sure if you remember me, but this is Natalie.  I’m getting married!”  I was floored and so excited to reconnect with her to find out all about what she’s been up to and who this man was.  Then I found out it was Jerry and I was so happy I was nearly shouting!  Love really is amazing and their story only proves how the strength of love can endure even through tough times.  I can’t wait to celebrate with them next month, but for now, let’s check out some images!!!

 


The best part about these two is how often they smile together!  You can’t put them anywhere without laughter and giggling!


To all of you out there about to have an engagement session:  CUTE SHOES!

This is the chapel that these two love birds will be getting married!  The inside is… wow.





I may have yelled, “Kick a leg!”… Jerry may have listened.

I love this next set of images because it’s so reminiscent of a couple that’s just meeting.  He’s shy and trying to make his move, while she stands back and smiles!

Hi, my name is Jerry…

Umm, did I mention that they’re a bit goofy?  They are!



And my personal favorite, saved for last!

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March 3, 2012 - 3:41 pm

Violet Presley - These photos are so beautiful! They truly paint a picture worth more than thousand words each. I love Natalie. I met her during a mission from her church, Harvest in Riverside. She is so beautiful inside and out. During a trip to California I met her then Fiance Jerry. What a wonderful man. God is awesome in how he puts the two best people for each other together. And you could not be there, can clearly see it in these photos. Very well done!!!!!

TALGO FAMILY | LA JOLLA, CA

There’s a hundred amazing things about living in San Diego!  What’s the big one though?  We have the BEACH!  For anyone with family back East, taking holiday photos at the beach is so much fun!  We can say things like, “Oh, it’s snowing there?  Crazy, I just got out of the water from surfing!  And it’s December!!!”  We’re pretty lucky out here and when you add in a great looking family to that beach, you’re sure to have some great holiday images!

This shoot was especially fun with John assisting!  It’s the beach, but all I had with me was my roller camera bag… So John carried it up and down the beach!  Don’t worry if you’re having a tough time imagining the hilarity, there’s photo evidence ;)

Onto the Talgo family!

 



Down at Wind and Sea on a gorgeous San Diego day!  These three were rocking it out!

One of my favorite shots from any family shoot is the parents together.  Seeing a family together is so amazing, but shots like this are so fun because you can imagine them years back, just meeting each other for the first time and maybe going on a beach-side walk just like this one.















Told you you wouldn’t have to imagine!  Here’s John at the end of the shoot and still smiling!  Love this guy!

I’m not sure what it is about the end of a shoot.  Whether it’s that everyone is relaxed or just really good at being in front of a camera all of a sudden, but the last shot of the day always turns out amazing!  This is the Talgo’s last shot, and it’s by far my favorite from the shoot!

Couldn’t help, but throw in a little San Diego holiday sunset…

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