The Magdaleno's

The focus was off, but that smile was right on point!!!

What can we say? These two were a dream for us to photograph! They found us on Wedding-wire, and after a delicious Panera dinner, going through our contract, and learning that we had a mutual connection, we booked their wedding. Getting to know them and their family was a joy, but watching their families becomes one together, and the happiness that exuded from their faces was breathtaking. This day was full of smiles, jokes, tears, and just straight up LOVE!!! Also… they had donuts, so what more is there to say?

Mario and Rachelle, your wedding day will always be one of our favorites! Your smiles are so genuine and contagious. We wish you a lifetime of happiness, love, and more smiles!!!

Mario, opening a gift from his bride to be.

There is nothing better than hearing that our clients are happy with our work!!! Thank you both for such beautiful feedback, and for the gorgeous thank you card.

Leandra and Joseph

There’s nothing better than the rush of “Hi! are you available this Friday?” Lol! Leandra contacted us a few days before the wedding, but we were more than willing and ready! The wedding and reception both took place at Mountain Meadows in Pomona, a gorgeous golf course on Fairplex Drive. We arrived at 4pm, Just before the sun set, Leandra and Joseph said “I do”, tying the knot in front of their family and friends. The most excited guest was their oldest baby girl, Sophia.

We were both so happy to photograph this wedding, since we had known Leandra since high school (Sam actually carpooled with her until he was old enough to drive himself). We later learned that Sam and Joe had actually gone to the same Junior High together, and hung out with the same circle of friends. Neither of them remembered each other though (how that happens is beyond me!). It was wonderful to hear all of the beautiful speeches, watch them share their first kiss as husband and wife, to their first dance as a married couple. The reception was decorated gorgeously in black and gold, but best of all was the Pan Dulce! (insert heart eye emoji). We could not be more happy for this wonderful couple! Congratulations to you both…To many many years!

Mr. & Mrs. Francis

This gorgeous couple is Ashley and Matt! Months ago, we were tagged in Ashley’s facebook post where she had been looking for a wedding photographer. My (Hillary) cousin Megan referred us to them and although there were TONS of other photographers listed, they chose us! We were beyond thrilled, seeing that we were up against other amazing photographers! So first of all, to Ashley and Matt - THANK YOU for choosing us!

Getting to know them has been a thrill. We drove out to Hemet to meet them (that day we also had 3 photoshoots in riverside, so you bet we were exhausted by the end of the night). We think it’s important to meet in person! We talked a little bit about our personal lives, got to meet their little boy, we reviewed our wedding contract, and listened to all of Matt’s jokes. We signed our contract on the spot and started engagement photos a couple weeks later. Throughout all of this we learned that Ashley is the most organized person on the planet! She followed up with every email and phone call, returned every wedding related sheet to us early, and made sure we knew every detail we could possibly need to know for her big day. As Matt said in his wedding vows “She did all of this!!!”.

The wedding was stunning! We felt so welcomed by all of their guests - and lets not forget how welcomed we felt by those fried macaroni and cheese balls (YUM!).

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Francis, for allowing us to be a part of your beautiful day! Hopefully we have another reason to photograph you in the future!

Thirteen Weddings

This year we experienced something that we never thought we’d experience as people, let alone photographers. We photographed a wedding featuring 17 brides and grooms! Yes, you read that right! Although we were only responsible for photographing 13 of those couples, we can still officially say that witnessed 17 couples get married that day! If you think a double wedding is cool, multiply that by 8.5!

D.E.E.P Church in Santa Ana hosted this wedding for these couples and it was one of the most awesome experiences ever. If there was ever a time where we needed to act fast, think on our toes, and NOT mess up; this was it! Many of these couples spoke Spanish only, and although we thought it would make the day a little more difficult, we only learned that photography needs no language… Okay, that’s not true! We had a designated translator and she was amazing!

We started out with the ceremony! Sam had the 70-200 from the altar, while I had the 50mm at the entrance. Alternating between three positions 51 times! (17 couples, 17 bridesmaids/groomsmen, and 17 flower girls/ring bearers) Needless to say, it was a WORKOUT!

Then we moved outside. There was a “Mr. and Mrs.” backdrop - Sam took over that area. When the couples were done, they walked to the other side of the field to have photos taken with me on the grass. The hardest part was making sure we got all thirteen couples.

Then, there was a group photo. All 17 couples with the minister! we tried about 5 different positions, regrouped everyone a few times, and tried avoiding patchy light - hey, we did our best and it was good!

Finally, the reception. We photographed each couple cutting the cake, making a toast, and laughing together. i cant fail to mention that they let us take a food break, and OMG those chicken fajitas were some of the best id ever had… “the food alone was worth the trip”.

This was certainly one for the books! After doing photography together for the past three years, we have finally gotten to a place where we balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy working with my team mate! We especially enjoyed this day together because it was new territory for the both of us, yet some how we knew that together as a team, we were more than capable!

Disneyland Photoshoots

Our Disneyland Photoshoot

Over the past year, I have seen so many people post their Disneyland photoshoots. They looked like so much fun, and there were even a few photos that had us saying “where in the park was this taken?”. I had been eager to get myself down there and experience the park from a photographers view. I decided to take a whole day and dedicate it to finding those secret spots! I looked at a few instagram pages and tried finding them for myself. I didn’t want to copy someone else’s work, but i definitely needed some creative inspiration. In the process, i loosened up a little but and started to get comfortable with trying new things on my own. Although I had been a pass-holder for several years, it felt like I was at Disneyland for the first time ever! check out each image below and read my experiences in capturing them. To see more, view the Disneyland tab under “Galleries” on our home page!

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The Dumbo Ride

Ah! This photo created memories for us… This was fun to take for so many reasons, one being I finally had a reason to lower that shutter speed (see also the teacup photo in the Disneyland gallery), two being that this was one of the angles it took us a while to figure out! we wanted to get the matterhorn and the carousel in the photo (which we had seen from another photographer) but couldn’t figure out where on earth they were standing. After looking around like lost tourists, we finally figured it out. I got down on one knee and everyone though I was about to propose!!! Just kidding… I took the picture and i got stuck on the floor. That is not a joke! Mind you, I still had my baby strapped to me, so I didn’t want to try to get up again without help. I finally got up and over a week later my knee was hurting. It was worth the shot though!

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Toon Town

While taking this picture, I had my 2 month old infant strapped into a baby carrier while my toddler (Allie) decided she wanted to dance. I asked her to hold still so I could get her name in focus. Seeing that she is just a toddler, she did not hold still at all. I guess this gives me an upper hand for my next photoshoot with children.

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Frontier Land

Growing up in Southern California, freezing cold means 55 degrees outside. Well, on this day it was 54 and we were getting ready to head out! We were stopped by a cast member who noticed we had been taking photos. He gave us a bunch of pointers on where to go! Here is one photo that he had suggested we take. When we were done, he had disappeared from his post. We call him the Disney’s California Adventure Angel!

Wedding Season!

Weddings are an absolute blast to photograph.

Yes, they are hard work, but when you’re a husband and wife team - let’s face it, this is the easy stuff! We LOVE meeting new couples, sharing stories, and getting to know them a bit before the big day. We want you to be comfortable with us. We want you to tell us your biggest photo fears, which photos you are not comfortable with, or even whether you want yourself doctored in post (photoshopped). When I look back at our wedding, one thing i am happy about is that I was comfortable with my photographer and I was able to say “Hey, can you try not to get my double chin?”… We laugh now, but that really happened! :) Read more below about couples, weddings, and experiences or visit our gallery for more photos!

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Jonathan and Lorena

We always love a good “how the couple met” story, but for these two, we love the story of how WE met! Jonathan and Lorena were shopping for wedding photographers when a mutual friend suggested our services to them. We got together at a local Panera bread, expecting only to review business matters. We ended up talking for over 2 hours, and practically became friends on the spot! We signed the contracts and moved forward with the wedding and engagement photos. We were so happy to be their photographers, because by then, we felt invested in their relationship and would have been so sad to miss their wedding. Not only did we attend it, but we were honored to photograph it for them! it was a beautiful ceremony, topped with a stunning bride, a dashing groom, and LOVE right smack dab in the middle. it came time to deliver their photos, we got together at our favorite spot (that local Panera!). We spent another 2 hours laughing and catching up, and almost forgot to deliver their photos to them! It’s not every day you meet people whose company you enjoy so much! We are so glad to have met this couple through our photography work, and look forward to future photos with you two!

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Kenny and Annelise

Their story is a beautiful testament of God's goodness and His mercies... Without giving away their personal details, we’ve been given permission to share a bit of their story!

Kenny and Annelise had been married for just over one year, when they decided to get a divorce…They really believed that their marriage was over, but God stepped in, changed their circumstances, and gave them a BRAND NEW love for one another. You can only imagine the joy in our hearts and on our faces when they decided to renew their vows, and take new photos to represent their new found love…
This a what a miracle looks like, everyone... I know that their testimony will touch many lives and marriages. Hopefully you all get to sit down and listen to it some day. God has made something beautiful out of their disaster.

We were so honored to be able to take photos of the living proof of God’s works!!!

These photos were taken early in 2018, and now Kenny and Annelise are expecting their first child, this December 2018! We can not wait for the arrival of their bundle of joy!

Congrats Kenny and Annie!!!

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Luke and Samantha

I (Hillary) actually did Samantha’s hair this day (the real reason we participated LOL) I did the brides hair, and her bridesmaids hair! It was a miracle that the wedding started on time. I was 8 months pregnant and by the end of the day my feet looked like loaves of bread, but HEY! I felt like wonder woman knowing how much I accomplished. What do I love most these photos that I took? … Aside from the beautiful prayer; The beautiful hair! haha!

Where should we go for great photos?

Are you trying to find a beautiful location for your family photoshoot? Are you local to Southern California? Then we’ve got some great spots to check out!

Over the past three years we have done a lot of research and have visited many places in hopes of finding beautiful locations for our family photoshoots. With the right gear and attitude, you can shoot anywhere and truly get beautiful photos. However, clients generally feel more comfortable when you have a few spots to offer! Sometimes our clients have a location in mind, but when they dont, it’s not to have our top 3 favorites in out pockets. Those spots include Snow Creek Park in Walnut, Horse-Thief Canyon in San Dimas, and the Claremont Colleges.

Snow Creek Park, Walnut, CA

We found this park while looking at a photo a high school friend posted. I asked him where it was taken, and when we visited this park we fell IN LOVE! We have done over 75% of our family photoshoots here, because no matter what time of day - The scene is jaw dropping gorgeous! There is also a baseball field for our sports fan clients

LEARN MORE ABOUT SNOWCREEK PARK

Horse-Thief Canyon, San Dimas, CA

We really can’t remember how we found this park, but we’ve been shooting here for about 2 years now. The drive to the park is beautiful, as you pass the horses and the pretty trail. This is definitely one of our favorite “rustic feels” spots!

LEARN MORE ABOUT HORSE-THIEF CANYON

Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA

We live just down the street, and always recognized the colleges as a great place for photos. We tend to do a lot of graduation portraits here, but have also done many family portraits in front of those gorgeous buildings. What I love most about this location, is how diverse it is. You want a semi- City feel? Claremont college! You want flowers? Claremont college! You want old buildings? I know a place! Keep in mind, a permit is required to shoot at the buildings. They also frown upon elaborate photoshoots (if they see you in a wedding gown, you may get a slap on the wrist). Otherwise, it is safe to photograph here, and it sure is beautiful!