Isabel Lawrence Photographers

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2010-04-30T11:09:00.001-07:00

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Downtown, Los Angeles

2010-04-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

I don’t think YaPing realizes how beautiful she is. When she picked up these proofs, she seemed astounded at how gorgeous she looked in them. To bring to light what sometimes gets buried is one of the biggest rewards of this job.

Honestly, I could photograph engagement sessions for the rest of my career and be perfectly happy. It’s not that I don’t love shooting weddings, I really do! But having the luxury of spending lots of uninterrupted time getting to know our couples and collaborating with them on the mood and feel of the shoot is really special. Plus it’s pretty great when a new-found confidence comes out of it too.

Charity Engagement Shootout!

2010-04-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Get in on this once in a lifetime chance to get some great photography of you and your fiance from multiple wedding photographers! Absolutely Free!

When: Thursday, April 22nd from 2:30-7:30pm (2 sessions: 2:30 to 5 and 5 to 7:30)
Where: The Sunset Restaurant www.thesunsetrestaurant.com in Malibu
What: Get photographed at no cost with some extraordinary photographers (up to 6 shooters will work with you for 15 minutes each.)
You Get: All your files from each photographer at no cost! A donation of any size to LETMESAIL will be encouraged.www.letmesail.org
The Catch: There is none! You get to test drive some really great shooters BEFORE you hire one with no strings attached.

Rules:
Please RSVP to Jen soon as there are only a few spots left!
You must be engaged to be married with an actual date set.
You cannot have a photographer already booked for your wedding.
There is limited space so please get your RSVP in soon to jen@jenosullivan.com

The link to the site: jenosullivan.com/2010/04/charity-engagement-shootout
We hope to see you there!

Becky & Shane in Ojai

2010-04-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

It’s not too often that one of our grooms has an adamant photo request. Most of the time they are content with going with the flow and letting their bride-to-be steal the show. While the latter was certainly the case here, Shane did have one wish for his engagement sitting – he wanted it to take place in a citrus grove.

Becky and Shane will be married at the gorgeous Ojai Valley Inn this summer so we thought it would be fun to photograph them around town. Larry and I know Ojai really well so finding lots of out of the way, cool spots for the photos would be no problem, but that citrus grove had me scratching my head…until I called on our good friend Cathi Nye.

Cathi is part of one of the oldest families in Ojai, in fact they have a street named after them. They are also one of the nicest, coolest families we know. When I mentioned I was looking for a grove to photograph in, Cathi immediately knew of the perfect place. She made some calls on our behalf and voila the stage was set!
After exploring this wonderful property, we headed back to the inn to do our last shot under the oak tree where they will soon be married.

We had an absolute blast doing this sitting. Becky and Shane, besides being adorable, were really collaborative and good sports. (There was some tree climbing and sitting in a bug’s nest, not to mention daredevil stunt bike riding!) We spent a really delightful afternoon getting to know them, created what we hope are lovely images, but mostly we felt really good that at the end of the day, Shane got what he wanted.

Larry and I are really looking forward to photographing this wedding. It will take place at one of our favorite venues, The Ojai Valley Inn and the fabulous Julie Pryor of Pryor Events will ensure it will be utterly magical!
www.pryorevents.com
www.ojairesort.com

WPPI 2010 Award of Excellence

2010-03-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a scene unfolds right before your very eyes that has such whimsy and humor, that as a photographer you just have to thank the photo gods and shoot away.

I often hear brides say that they sometimes feel engulfed by the whole wedding planning process. To me, this photograph, in which the bride appears to be in the process of being swallowed by her gown, serves as metaphor for that feeling. It was one of my favorite photographs from this past wedding season.

Luckily, the judges at the WPPI 16x20 Print Competition liked it too! We were awarded a 2010 Award of Excellence for this image.

The competition was comprised of 3,388 prints in 18 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have won!

Belinda, Greg and Dillon at the L.A. Arboretum

2010-02-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

Belinda and her family were visiting from Nashville and while here, decided to have us photograph their outing to the L.A. Arboretum.
Little Dillon was so excited by all of the new sights around her. Her joy was absolutely infectious!
Larry and I have been having lots of fun incorporating video into our photography coverage. We hope you like the slide show!

Joshua Tree National Park, iphone portfolio

2010-02-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

On a visit this past weekend to Palm Springs, Larry and I decided to take an impromptu detour to Joshua Tree National Park. The only problem – we only brought one camera. If any of you reading this has a spouse who’s also a photographer, you know this situation can become pretty hairy pretty quickly. Luckily I remembered I had my iphone and spent the afternoon “clicking” away contentedly. Marriage crisis averted.

Professional Photographers of America, Website Award

2010-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

We had a student of ours ask us once if we were worried about not being relevant in today's digital world. Winning the Professional Photographers of America AN-NE Award for Best Website is validation (to us at least) that classic, elegant imagery will always be relevant.

If you would like to see more photos from the PPA Imaging USA conference please find us on Facebook. Search for Isabel Gomes, you'll see the photo of me and the bird. While you're there, become a Friend!

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa

2010-01-05T20:36:00.001-08:00

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is one of those places that gets under your skin. It’s nestled at the base of the Topa Topa Mountains, which have an amazing way of turning pink at dusk. The grounds of the inn are a lush and rambling green and the air is often redolent of lavender and wood smoke.

Amy and Sam’s wedding was elegant and homey at the same time. They chose to be wed under a glorious oak tree and even though the sky turned gray just before the ceremony, no one seemed to notice. All eyes were on the radiant bride and beaming groom.

Guests were treated to cocktails and nibbles by the herb garden and a bright and cheery tent housed the evening’s festivities

www.jpryorevents.com
www.ojairesort.com
www.hiddengardenflowers.com

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

Larry and I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a joyful, prosperous New Year.

Clever Ways to Use Your Engagement Photos

2009-12-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Ronit and Ari were so clever in the way they used their engagement photos. One image served as the graphic on a CD of favorite love songs and framed images dressed up the guest book table. Not only did their guests love receiving the CD as a memento of the evening but they also had a great time browsing through the photos in the guest book.

Luxe Hotel

2009-12-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Ronit and Ari’s wedding was filled with whimsical touches. Besides being a savvy businesswoman, Ronit is a talented artist with great taste. I loved that she brought all of these light-hearted, fairy tale like elements to her event. With the Luxe Hotel being such a modern space, Ronit was able to soften it by incorporating butterflies, branches and moss to her centerpieces and guest book table. The chocolate brown bride’s maid dresses were the perfect foil for the purple toned bouquets. I also loved Ari’s boutonnière. The fiddlehead fern was such a darling touch. If I were giving out awards for cutest flower girl bouquet, this would definitely win. Ronit’s little niece looked so adorable clutching her bouquet of butterflies.

With all that being said, if you’ve been reading our blog you know that while I think the “stuff” is really fun to photograph, what makes a wedding really great in my opinion is the love and good will of the families and guests and this wedding had an abundance of both.

Rideau Winery, Los Olivos

2009-11-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

We love any excuse to visit Central California’s wine country so when Anita and Gabriel suggested we shoot their engagement session at a friend’s winery there, we were all for it.

The day of the shoot was warm with bright golden light spilling everywhere. The folks at Rideau winery were really gracious and allowed us photograph all over the property. The beautiful location along with an adorable, so in love couple, made for a really fun, creative day. The icing on the cake was the vintage car that Gabriel rented for the shoot.

Larry and I are so looking forward to getting to know Anita and Gabriel more in the months to come and of course to photographing their wedding in May!

Jamie & Randy's Bridal Tintype Portrait

2009-11-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

The pressure was on. Jamie and Randy chose to forgo a professional photographer at their wedding so they could invest in something more unusual. Randy had his heart set on having a tintype wedding portrait made and after poking around on the Internet, he found us. (Yes, the irony of looking for tintype photography on the Internet was not lost on me).

Luckily we had a beautiful warm day in which to make our plates. Jamie and Randy looked adorable in their wedding clothes and embraced the methodical process of wet plate photography whole-heartedly.

We made several plates, but this one is my favorite. The pose came from the newlyweds' themselves. They wanted to juxtapose, Jamie's cuddliness with Randy's more stoic side.

I think this image captures their relationship beautifully

The Smog Shoppe, Culver City

2009-11-04T17:31:00.000-08:00

Who would ever think that an old Smog Shoppe in Culver City could be the perfect venue for a romantic, whimsical wedding? Luckily, Rebecca Stone of Duet Weddings did, and her clients Peggy and Chris readily agreed.

The stage was set with an eclectic mix of décor. Everything from the mismatched chairs to the assortment of vintage vases sitting atop moss runners on the long family style dining tables served to charm. Instead of a traditional cake, a “buffet” of cookies was on hand for guests to enjoy. Yeah, okay the photographers may have enjoyed them as well.

I especially loved the escort card display and menu board. They stood over 6 feet tall and had a chalk board like appearance.

With Peggy being in the Reality TV. biz, a video confessional was set up for guests to tape their advice and good wishes to the newlyweds.

While all of this was really fun to photograph, what really made the day lovely and special was Peggy and Chris’ graciousness and warmth. They are the kind of people that upon meeting, you feel like you’ve been friends forever. It’s been truly a pleasure getting to know them

Adamson House

2009-09-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect the flowers were in bloom and the Adamson House never looked better. Gil and Andrea got the beautiful wedding day they so deserved. It was a day of lots of merriment. It was hard to tell the adults from the children, every one was in such high spirits.

Since Gil and Andrea are into body art, vintage tattoos were featured on the place cards and on their hand made guest book. Guests were also given temporary tattoos, which were sported in all sorts of interesting places!

The highlight of the day however, was when the bride and groom decided to fake out their guests by turning what began as a sedate waltz for their first dance into a hilarious, funky dance routine that had every one of their feet and cheering.

Rebecca of Washington Place really outdid herself. Architectural branches were draped with orchids for the centerpieces and strings of exotic flowers were strung from the branches of the large oak tree at the ceremony site. Pink orchids were also configured into a gigantic heart and it was within this heart that Gil and Andrea pledged their love for each other in front of their family and friends.

Julie Pryor of Pryor Events brought her usual grace and great taste to the event and made certain that every detail was just perfect.

www.pryorevents.com
www.washingtonplaceflorals.com

Mariah Nicole

2009-09-02T09:45:00.001-07:00

Larry and I have worked with Mariah at some pretty fabulous weddings. She is a very popular makeup artist and all around sweetheart.

We'll frequently run into each other at various industry social events and Mariah is always decked out in some adorable outfit and super cute hat.

I've wanted to photograph her for quite a while now so I was thrilled when she agreed to come to our tintype studio in Ventura.

I love any excuse to shop for great accessories and the shots I had in mind were portraits of Mariah sporting flowers and feathers in her hair, so I was off to the mall (with a legitimate excuse this time). On the way, I made a quick stop at Pier One for a single curtain panel and voila, the perfect backdrop was found.

Our shoot day was overcast but bright which is perfect tintype weather. We were able to keep our exposures to a "speedy" 5 seconds!

Thank you Mariah for your patience and for doing such great hair and makeup. Don't be surprised if you see me sporting one of these hairpins at the next cocktail party although you can be sure they won't look nearly as gorgeous on me as they did on you!

To see more of Mariah's makeup artistry, take a look at her website.
www.mariahnicole.com

Malibu Creek

2009-08-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Amy and Sam and have been in love for over 10 years - pretty unusual by today's standards but what is more extraordinary is that they still positively glow when together. To see them cuddle and kiss (and believe me they do a lot of that!) you would think they are in the beginning stages of their courtship. Amy's already radiant smile becomes even more so when Sam comes into view and when Sam puts his arms around her, a proud, protective look comes to his face. They are such an accomplished, talented couple and have such a charming playful side too. Larry and I had so much fun traipsing through the woods with them.

Sam is the creator of the smart, fabulous new hit show, "Lie to Me". Be sure to check it out when it returns to Fox in the fall.

A Man's Kiss is His Signature ~ Mae West

2009-08-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

We met Ronit and Ari at the gorgeous Ojai Valley Inn & Spa for drinks before we began our engagement photo session. While there, we couldn't resist taking a few snaps on the grounds.

Ronit had her heart set on having a vintage car for the shoot and after a fair amount of pleading and bribing, we were able to come through for her. Our friend Kurt agreed to let us borrow his "baby", a mint 1967 Renault Caravelle.

We turned quite a few heads as we drove it through the back roads of Ojai. Once we reached our primo shooting spot, Ronit and Ari quickly got into character. Ronit and I had discussed the mood we wanted to convey prior to the shoot- sort of a young, hip "European" couple out for a drive through the countryside - with a slight vintage twist of course!

We love going the extra mile for our clients. It's always so much fun when we get to collaborate on ideas and create something really special and meaningful.

Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara

2009-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

You've got to love a wedding that revolves around cocktails! Let me explain, Dave and Ali own a really amazing bar in New York City named Death and Company. I don't usually get too excited about hard liquor, (I'm more of a glass of Cabernet kind of girl) but the drinks served at this super cool watering hole can only be described as spectacular. Pre-prohibition style drinks are made with fresh juice and served on large blocks of ice. The flavors are so unique and absolutely out of this world! Whether at work or in planning their wedding, Dave and Ali are all about hand crafted quality, which really resonates with us. Needless to say, their special day was filled with lovely elegant touches with a nod to the cocktail.

Saral, the officiant (who by the way is the best officiant ever and I ought to know, she married Larry and me) joked that in all the years she had been presiding over weddings she had never blessed a cocktail.

Before dinner guests were led to their seats by place cards resting on cocktail strainers and once there, they were treated to cocktail spoons and letter pressed booklets instructing guests on how to set up their home cocktail bar. This gorgeous keepsake was written by Dave and Ali and designed by Tim, the best man. Mindy Rice created gorgeous floral arrangements for the tables and again Tim, along with his wife designed all of the table signs, which were of course named after classic cocktails.

To satisfy the late night sweet craving, jars of old fashioned candy were arranged on a large table and the white on white wedding cake featured cut outs of all of Dave and Ali's favorite things.

At the helm of this gorgeous wedding was Jill LaFleur who made sure every detail was perfect.

Here are links to the websites of every one who made this such a great event and by the way, Dave and Ali are planning on opening a bar here in Los Angeles so I will keep you posted!

www.lafleurweddings.com
www.bacararesort.com
www.mindyrice.com
www.deathandcompany.com
Email Saral

Ojai on a Summer Afternoon

2009-07-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe this is my job. Imagine spending an afternoon with a really lovely, photogenic couple that is up for any thing in a location as gorgeous as Ojai. To make things even better, Bruce and Cherie love that we employ so many old cameras so we really got to play around with lots of different formats.

Bruce brought us to the barn where he and his band, Shades of Day rehearse. Larry and I were literally tripping over all kinds of cool props. We were like two kids in a photographic candy store!

We'll be photographing Bruce and Cherie's wedding next May in Coral Gables. We can't wait!

By the way, be sure to check out Bruce's very cool website at www.shadesofday.net.

The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena

2009-07-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena is one of our favorite venues. When you add a great location and a really adorable couple, there is bound to be some magic.

Stephanie and Vadim are truly an adorable couple and they are as lovely on the inside too!

We were treated to an Egyptian Orthodox ceremony, which is hauntingly beautiful and reverent and the reception was an elegant affair in pink. Carolyn Chen of The Special Day, made sure every thing went off without a hitch and Luna Gardens perfumed the air with stunning floral arrangements. All in all, it was a really wonderful day.

The Last Camellia

2009-06-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

We are really lucky to have several mature camellia trees in our garden. They really liven up the place in the middle of winter when the rest of the flowers and trees are taking a rest. While pruning the other day, I was utterly amazed to see one lone camellia flower still in bloom. I couldn't help but preserve this persistent beauty in a tintype.

Please check out my lifestyle photography website here: Isabel Gomes Lifestyle Photography to see more of my garden, food and travel images.

The Historic Castle Green in Pasadena

2009-06-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Janet and Nishad were married at the historic Castle Green in Pasadena. Their intimate wedding was attended by friends and family from all over the globe. By blending a little from Nishad's Indian culture and adding a dash of Janet's Iranian heritage they were able to treat their guests to an elegant, colorful evening. And I don't mind telling you that dinner was pretty amazing!

We try to keep the 'self horn-tooting' to a minimum but when we received this glowing endorsement from Janet and Nishad, we couldn't help but want to share it.

"Our search for a photographer ended the minute we saw Isabel and Larry's work. We knew that we wanted to hire photographers who were artists and whom we could trust completely. Choosing the right photographer was a key component in our wedding planning, as this was the first time our entire families, from across the world, were going to be together. We wanted those memories represented in film so that we could share them with family members that could not make it, and future generations. What we appreciated most about their work was its authenticity—through their photographs they capture genuine emotion and fleeting moments that mean so much. We saw a timeless emotional quality that was free of the artificiality we found in other wedding photography.

Meeting and working with Isabel and Larry was a true pleasure and we were fortunate to have them as part of our wedding. They are genuine and caring people who are passionate and exceptionally gifted at their work. We trusted them completely and are thrilled with the result. Every time we look at our photographs, we realize we have a piece of art that reflects the joy and excitement of our families coming together."

~ Janet & Nishad

Ventura Vignette

2009-06-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

I love hearing about our clients' love stories. Gil and Andrea have a great one. Like many great love affairs theirs happened completely by chance. Gil, on a whim, thought he would look up an old friend named Andrea on Facebook. He never found his friend but instead became completely captivated when he saw a photo of another Andrea. A few months later, they were engaged to be married.

It's been such a treat getting to know them. Gil and Andrea are a really creative, interesting couple. Larry and I can't believe that they actually seem to enjoy hanging out with a couple of squares like us.

By the way, if you know of any one wanting really great entertainment at a kid's party, check out Gil's website: www.goofygil.com