Pearson Photography Blog

A Sunbounce and a Sister-in-law

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:38:43 GMT

Scott and I are always researching new gear to buy. We both have several wish lists, broken down into several categories. They range from 'really should have and will buy this year' to 'want to have and will buy in the next few years' to 'will buy when I have a million dollars'. Our list of things we need to own has dwindled to just a lens each, so we're starting to purchase off of our want lists.

A few months back I bought a Sunbounce off of this list, and quickly realized I had it in the wrong category. This thing is amazing. The light it produces can be used in almost any scenario. It allows us to isolate the subject from the surroundings, take advantage of a backlit situation, and remove harsh shadows on faces during the midday sun. I don't know how we survived without it. The only downfall is that it requires a dedicated person to hold and aim it, and it gets even trickier in windy weather (it turns into quite the sail at 4'x6').

Enough of me telling you how amazing it is, I'll let the photos speak for themselves. I took Kathleen out as the Sunbounce operator and her sister Kendra was nice enough to model for us.

This is one reason why I love weddings

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:33:54 GMT

There are a million things about weddings that I love. They're the reason that I choose to spend my Saturdays photographing them instead of playing video games or sleeping in. Photos like this one that Scott took are one of the reasons. Carly has the happiest, most anxious smile on her face, and her dad Dave has the proudest half-smile-half-smirk I've seen in a while (I'm finishing up editing their photos and came across this and just had to share it).

We shot our last wedding of the year this last Sunday and are looking forward to getting caught up on all of the administrative tasks we've been neglecting. The weddings and casual section of the website are embarrassingly out of date, and there are some behind the scenes updates I need to make so things are easier for Scott and I come tax season. Don't worry though, we have been busy taking photos outside of weddings that will be posted in the coming months. If either of us go for more than a few days without taking photos we get restless; expect those random moments to populate the blog.

Rodger and Amy Wedding [Fresno, CA]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:30:49 GMT

We shot Rodger and Amy's wedding a few months ago and had a great time doing it. Amy's sister is also a photographer, but due to her obligations as the matron of honor she couldn't photograph the wedding. This worked out beautifully for us because she helped Amy leave enough time for us to take photos. We had a solid 2-3 hours before the ceremony to take all of the bridal party and family photos, and another 45 minutes after the ceremony to get photos of just the happy couple. It was amazing and we loved every minute of it.

We rarely have that much time to take photos and not being rushed works out quite well. Everyone is much more relaxed and the photos really show it. We also have the time to capture the intimate moments when they happen rather than forcing them and then rushing off to the next group photo or the reception.

The wedding was pretty amazing too. The ceremony was in a beautiful church in Fresno lined with blue stained glass. After the ceremony Rodger and Amy left in an old woody that was owned by a family friend. Scott and I gave chase and got some photos of it on the road, then had some time alone with the newlyweds before the reception.

Their entrance to the reception was unforgettable; the entire bridal party was doing a line dance to 'She thinks my tractors sexy' only to be interrupted by Rodger and Amy driving in on a red tractor. The reception ended just as uniquely as it began when Rodger and Amy tried to drive off but instead found out the groomsmen had filled their truck with popcorn. I'm not talking a few bags of the microwave stuff sitting on the seats either. Think solid wall of popcorn reaching the windows. Rodger's brother spent a whole afternoon with an army of air poppers filling his living room floor with popcorn, then loaded it into trash bags and brought it to the wedding. I'm pretty sure there were some happy birds the next morning in that parking lot.

The ring bearer modeling on the tractor Rodger and Amy will use a few hours later.

If they knew about the 98,436 presents he left in their car, they would object to this a little bit more.

Patrick and Kim Engagement [Danville, CA]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:54:21 GMT

We met up with Patrick and Kim at Heather Farms a few months back to take some engagement photos. Scott and I had been to Heather Farms many times before, but always to the pool for swimming (well Scott swam... I just watched... I enjoyed the land sports more). We walked around the gardens and took photos while we heard how they met, how he proposed, and the details of the wedding. The weather was very cooperative too; some high clouds giving us soft light. It was a nice afternoon. Then I went and tried to find a trailhead I had been to a few months back. As I'm sure you can guess based on my subtle foreshadowing, I failed.

There was a really cool entrance to the north side of Mt. Diablo through a residential neighborhood Kathleen and I hiked at with Scott and Carly months ago. I had scrawled down some directions on a piece of paper to get us there from Heather Farms. Things looked different on the way in, but I attributed this to coming in from a different direction. We got into the park and it still looked wrong. After about 5 minutes of driving I was certain I had never been here before. Failure achieved. It wasn't a loss at all though; we were on the north side of Mt. Diablo with the sun about to set behind the green hills, surrounded by a single lane road and the occasional tree. There was nobody around and it was a beautiful location. We pulled off the road and got as many shots as we could before the sun disappeared. It ended up being a great end to a fun day.

Here are a few shots from the day.

Nevermind the shoes in the bottom of the frame. Shooting with a fisheye on the full frame 5D Mark2 can be dangerous if you're not watching where you are.

Their wedding is just under 3 weeks away. We can't wait.

Brian and Jen Wedding [San Ramon, CA]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:50:30 GMT

Here's another wedding Scott and I shot a few months back. Kathleen and I first met Jen while we were all helping out at a high school youth group. We got to know Jen quite well. Then she started dating Brian, so we got to know him quite well. Before I met him, everyone told me he and I would get along great, based solely on the fact that we both have engineering degrees. I wanted to prove them wrong for stereotyping me, but it would have been impossible; we had more in common than I realized and things just clicked between us. Less than two years later they were engaged, and shortly after they were married.

Scott and I had a great time spending the day with them and their bridal party taking photos. Due to time and lighting constraints, Brian and Jen met up before the ceremony and got all of the group photos taken care of. As a photographer, this usually works out nicely because we're not rushing through things to get the bride and groom to the reception. It takes a lot of pressure out of the day and gives us more time to get great shots of the couple and bridal party. Brian and Jen started their day early and scheduled several hours for us to take photos, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Here are some of our favorites, and by our I mean Kathleen. She's been a huge help by picking out the photos and leaving me a blank blog entry to write in when I have the time. I owe her.

Scott captured one of my favorites of the day. The sun was about to set, so we got a few last shots of the newlyweds.

This was one of those shots that shouldn't have worked, but it amazingly did. The sparklers were lit earlier than expected, so I had to shoot without a flash. f1.2, 1/80 of a second, iso4000. The depth of field on a photo like this is just a couple of inches, and with them walking towards me in the near dark focus is hard to achieve. I love when things just work out.

Rodger and Amy Engagement [Fresno, CA]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:17:57 GMT

Here are some of the photos that Scott and I took of Rodger and Amy a few months back. I'm trying to get all caught up on blog posts as a break from editing photos (we have a backlog of 4 weddings to edit from the last several weeks). Kathleen has been a huge help in picking out the photos, but since she wasn't at the engagement shoot or wedding she can't really write anything (she could certainly try, and it would probably be entertaining to watch).

We met Rodger and Amy in Fresno and spent some time at Amy's parents farm, then headed into downtown Fresno. It was a lot of fun to meet these two, they're great people. I can't wait to post their wedding photos either (they'll be up in another 3 posts). One would think that spending 6 hours driving just for 2 hours of taking photos would be frustrating, but it isn't at all, mainly due to the awesome clients we have. Rodger and Amy were a blast to get to know and quite easy to photograph. Here are a few of the favorites from the day.

Scott and Carly [Fremont, CA]

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:55:08 GMT

OMG. Can I say that again. OMG. I did, even without your permission. That's because Scott and Carly are scrumtrelescent and so was their wedding. Maybe because it was because there were 350 plus people there...maybe it was because the location was totally legit...maybe it was because their families were stoked on their union...maybe it was because I worked it as a bridesmaid...maybe it was because the dancing was off the hook. Or maybe it was because Scott and Carly are so amazingly in love with each other and so committed to each other that celebrating their marriage was the most natural and relationally invigorating experience for all of us in attendance.

Their ceremony started with the pastor telling the story of their relationship. Scott and Carly were on the same baseball team in second grade and a few years later when Scott moved to Carly's elementary school Carly saved Scott from playing tetherball all by himself by asking him to play with her. Scott returned the favor last year when he got down on his knees and asked Carly to marry him.

Scott and Carly, we love you and we love watching your relationship grow. Here's to the years to come!

Told you. Bridesmaid. Hot-dog!

OK, these were the wedding favors. And if you are trying to come up with a show-stopping wedding favor of your own...may I suggest temporary tattoos? It was so fun watching more and more wedding guests sport them through the night.

The groom and his best man brother. Matt chose to censor this one. Thanks honey!

Wedding emergency. Scott lost a button minutes before the ceremony but all was fixed thanks to a good friend with a sewing kit. Oops!

One of my all time favorite pictures. Like I'm talking Top 10 people.

Scott's (the photographer...not the groom) sweet daughter Olivia made it to the wedding and even wore an awesome tattoo for a few hours.

Oh and Scott is a way talented musician and is part of the also way talented Pat Little Band. The whole group came and sang 2 songs. One sweet song during the ceremony that brought most of us to tears. The second one was Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" sung during the reception. This one also brought many to tears, but that's probably because the lyrics had all been changed to "Since You've Been Hitched." Apparently the guys were falling asleep the night before the wedding and Pat woke up around 1 am (so technically THE day of the wedding) and they wrote the song then. So as you can imagine, it was downright epic. Below you can see the guys rocking it and the crowd eating it up!

You guys know how to throw a wedding. Want to have an equally awesome first year anniversary vow renewal? The Pearsons will be there.

Ross and Lindsay Wedding [Ferndale, CA]

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:38:08 GMT

Matt and I headed up to Northern California earlier this month to hang out with Ross and Lindsay on their beautiful wedding day. I was so excited to be up in the area since I had been hearing wonderful things about their wedding location. And I was not let down. They got married on the grounds of Fern Cottage, a 19th century home and it was gorgeous. It was really fun having both the bride and groom get ready at the same place. Bridesmaids and groomsmen were busy running around the property making sure that Ross and Lindsay would not cross paths until she came down the aisle.

The bridal party was not the only group of people who were excited. Ross and Lindsay's whole families were there to celebrate, and it was so apparent to us that this was a celebration of two families joining together. The whole night was filled with loving sentiments shared by both sides.

Matt was totally stoked to get the chance to take the bridal party to the beach immediately following the ceremony. And I don't need to tell you that Ross and Lindsay are mega-babes and make picture taking a piece of cake! Here is part of their day.

Matt asked the guys to do tough guy faces and immediately after asked for their best 6 year old face. This is what he got.

I told you. Mega-babe.

A few details of the day.

The little ring bearer was a cute little heart breaker. But definitely did not feel like being in this shot. I love how it turned out though.

Yosemite rafting with Dave and Linds

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:51:45 GMT

A few weeks ago we went on a crazy much needed 36 hour trip to Yosemite with our college roommates from Cal Poly. Lindsay and David got married 2 years ago and they just arrived in Baltimore, MD for Lindsay to attend grad school. The 4 of us were planning an intense hike with tons of elevation gain. Let's just say that our plan drastically changed when we saw these babies floating down the river. And no, I would not qualify that afternoon as river "rafting." We did some intense river "floating" including such activities as sun-bathing, dabbling toesies in the water, and the occasional nap.

Lindsay and David. You just met them in those pictures. And if you don't speak nerd, let me help you with the first picture. Half Dome. Get it? Still no? Sorry. Good luck in Baltimore guys!

Brian and Laura Wedding [San Luis Obispo, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:52:51 GMT

Scott and I headed back down to SLO last month to photograph the wedding of Brian and Laura. It was a beautiful sunny July 11 (yes, they got married on 7-11... remember that as you go through the photos and they'll seem less out of place). The ceremony and reception took place at the Jack House hidden right in downtown. I spent 5 years down there for school and only noticed it when I was looking for a place to get married. The hiding goes both ways too; despite being right on Marsh St, you really don't notice the traffic just beyond the hedges.

The ceremony was beautiful and a lot of fun to capture. It was obvious how much Brian and Laura love each other and how happy they are together. I never get tired of going to weddings; they keep me appreciating my marriage and remind me of the vows Kathleen and I said to each other.

The reception was like no other. Brian and Laura were probably the most vicious couple yet during the cake cutting. He even managed to get some of it on her back, I'm still not sure how. There was also a pi�ata (awesome) that the kids took turns swinging at. The night ended long after the older crowd had gone. There was quite the contingent of college aged guests holding down the dance floor until the venue closed, forced them to head home. We finished off the evening with a quick stop by 7-Eleven to get a free slurpee, but they were all out (Brian and Laura were good sports and drank air for the sake of the photo).

Brian likes the Lakers. Laura likes Brian. A lot. So she wore a Lakers garter to the wedding.

They mixed sands from a beach near where Laura grew up and a lake near where Brian grew up.

We had a great time with you guys, thanks for allowing us to be a part of the wedding.

Scott and Carly Engagement [San Ramon, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:37:50 GMT

I had to fight Kathleen to write this blog entry, and she didn't even take part in the engagement shoot; Scott and Carly are just that close a couple to us. To help you understand how well we know these two, I have to go back to my first Tigercubs meeting (prequel to Cub Scouts) when I was 5. Carly's mom was the leader, and Carly was there with her. Everything our group of kindergarten boys did, Carly wanted to do too. We were friends for life after that.

I met Scott in late elementary school on the Aquabears, which Carly (and Kathleen, and Scott, the other half of Pearson Photography) swam on too. Fast forward 10 years and we're roommates at Cal Poly, and I'm on the phone with his mom explaining to her that I need his insurance information so we can get him stitches because I took him paintballing and he slipped.

These two are amazing people and I can't wait to post their wedding photos (we shot it last weekend). The engagement shoot happened on a Monday, just 5 days before their wedding. We ran around the hills of San Ramon and took a walk in the Bishop Ranch Regional Preserve. I love shooting local couples because there is so much land in the East Bay set aside for hiking, and all of it works great for engagement photos. We saw plenty of sass from Carly and Scott played his part well during the shoot. We kept things short since they had all of the last minute planning and organizing to do for their wedding, but we got plenty of keepers of these two. Here are a few of the favorites.

Chris and Patty [San Francisco, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:15:10 GMT

Oh man, where do I begin with these two. Chris and Patty both went to High School with me, and Patty was subjected to 9 years of me during our weekly Odyssey of the Mind meetings. Yes, we were huge nerds, and yes, we probably still are. I should mention that Kathleen was on the team too, but she does a good job of keeping her past under wraps (there are several things I could write here, but any one of them would ensure I get to spend the night on the couch with our dog Waffle).

Patty and Chris invited us down to Santa Cruz to take some photos on the beach and at their boat they live on (insert your favorite "I'm on a boat" line here). The weather was less than cooperative, so we didn't get as much time between the spotty showers as we'd like. So, we simply scheduled another shoot for a few months later up in San Francisco.

We met up at the Exploratorium and walked around the nearby lake. Patty and Chris are entirely too much fun, and it took all of our photographic skills to capture the calm and quiet moments between the fun and crazy ones. I'll leave you with one fact to summarize how cool these two are: their wedding is going to be on April 1. Simply stunning.

They have been dating since high school, so they re-enacted a typical high school dance for us.

The sign says 'keep off', but all we read was 'step here'.

Ross and Lindsay Engagement [Pleasanton, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:41:52 GMT

Ross and Lindsay are two good looking people. Add in some sweet late afternoon sunlight and stick it all in the middle of Pleasanton and it turns into an awesome Eshoot. If you've been following our blog, Ross may look really familiar, and that's because he is the brother of Brandon (Brandon and Janne) who got married last July. Brandon was also my roommate at Cal Poly, and he married Janne, my wife Kathleen's roommate from Cal Poly. Lots of connections there, and it always makes things that much more fun and meaningful.

The engagement shoot is very important because it allows the couple to get comfortable having us take photos of them, teaches them how to smile and hold the same pose for a few minutes without it being awkward, and gives them some positive feedback when they get the images. These two were pros right from the start and didn't need any help with it. Ross was unsure at first like us guys usually are, but he never backed down or said no. The result was some great photos and a fun afternoon.

Ross got destroyed in an arm wrestling match. I think it's because his muscles are so puny (said in my best Hans and Frans voice).

Brian and Laura Engagement [San Luis Obispo, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:51:17 GMT

Scott and I made the trip down to SLO a few months back to photograph Brian and Laura. I had only spoken to them on the phone, but as soon as we met we clicked right away. We headed up my favorite road to drive in SLO, Perfumo Canyon. The views from the top are amazing looking back towards San Luis Obispo, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Cal Poly and the P. Despite having injured his ankle earlier in the week, Brian was up for anything, including giving Laura a piggy back from a running start.

We finished up at Avila Beach as the sun was setting. We didn't have as much time there as I would have liked, but they had to get to a High School prom to chaperone. We finished up as quick as we could and headed back into SLO.

Oh, and before heading back to San Ramon we made the obligatory trip to Firestone for a dinner of tri-tip sandwiches and a basket of fries. A great dinner after a great day. Here are a few of the favorite shots.

Laura works at Lifewater trying to get clean drinking water to the whole world. It's a worthy cause, check it out if you're looking to donate somewhere.

Mission to Mexico

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:12:28 GMT

Some of you may recall Matt and I traveling to Tijuana last Spring Break with the church youth group, and we were stoked to do it again. Our church partners with Amor Ministries who ROCK (this year more than ever in light of H1N1 and recent border violence). Our church sent 73 high schoolers and adult volunteers and we built 4 houses with minimal experience but a ton of enthusiasm.

One of my favorite stories about the testament of what this organization does is a contractor's response to hearing about the home's building plans from an Amor rep for the first time...

Amor guy: ...So, that's how we build the house in 3 1/2 days

Contractor: Oh yeah. Give me a few good guys and some power tools and we can have it done. Totally.

Amor guy: Yeah, except with no power tools, and the people will have no experience.

Contractor: *Speechless*

But it was done. And it was done well. Here are some favorite from the trip...

My cute and very smart husband was a house leader this year which meant he had little time to run around to the various sites to take pictures. However, his house was finished early, so he got to take some shots of the other homes being finished up.

One of my all time favorite pictures. These sisters are ROCKSTARS!

New pastime: stamping your friends with stucco hawks to make beautiful designs. Brad is showing off his new Mickey Mouse shirt.

These little girls were darling and loved our bilingual dad who came on the trip with us.

Matt's hair was awesomely bad by the end. 4 days of dirt, cement, and sunscreen meant it would hold any position he gave it.

So this may need some explanation... To give the stuccoed walls a nice looking coat (instead of gobs of stucco clumped on the wall) it is common Mexico practice to wear work gloves, dip your hand in water, and spread the stucco around in a circular motion. Apparently not all gloves are made equally. Amanda was dyed orange for a few days...right before her Senior Ball. Didn't she take it well?

End of the week group shot on one of the completed houses. I'm the one with the crazy banana yellow bandana on her head. Matt is the one with the camera in his hands. You know, the one taking the picture.

We Got a Puppy!

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:35:22 GMT

Hooray! Talk about accomplishing a lifelong dream. Matt and I can retire happy now. Oh, wait. Not quite, but we are happy!

Meet Waffle...

We love her. But sometimes she gets in trouble.

Junior Prom

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:06:54 GMT

Hop into your time machine with me and let's go back to March to hang out at Junior Prom with my little brother and his cute date. The rest of the group they went with were busy taking all those totally necessary pictures inside while we stole Kyle and Lauren away to the backyard for a few minutes. I think I remember Matt telling Kyle to find a prop, and after he ran into the side shed and made a ton of noise, this happened...

Mind you, there were plenty of pictures that looked more like this before we could calm them down enough to get a serious picture.

My little bro is a babe, right?

It's not a family trait though. Oops.

Greece

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:55:45 GMT

So when Matt said that we had been busy for a few months, don't feel too bad for us. Because in the middle of all the crazy, we somehow found time to scurry off to GREECE for 2 weeks back in March. Yeah, you heard us. Greece. We went with our close friends Brad and Sara and visited Athens, surrounding ancient countryside, and Santorini. Matt took hundreds of pictures each day, and everything was remarkable, so give me a break for showing you an hours worth of blog reading. I couldn't help myself.

And yes, you might expect to find great pictures of the Parthenon or forgotten Grecian islands (which do come later...promise) BUT not yet. Our first sight in Greece that both of us got excited about was this...

Caterpillars in a train! And I will answer your question right away. Yes, if you knock one out of line the other 57 WILL wait until it recouples to start the forward motion. And yes, that means we did count.

Brad was excited about other things.

Ta da! The Parthenon. See, we were good tourists. This was why going in the off season rocked. How many crazy tourists do you see in this picture. That's right, one. And he is my cute husband.

Mars Hill where Paul gave his famous speech in Acts 17. I'm excited.

Oh this was bad. A box of cute puppies just waiting for us to scoop up and try to get through Customs with. That was a load of fun that we passed on.

Temple of Hephaestus. Best preserved ancient temple. Awesome.

Ancient pottery or excavated T-Rex egg? You decide. Sara and I did.

Is it possible that I am a descendant of Poseidon? Because the resemblance is striking.

After lying down for a quick cat nap and waking up 4 hours later, we threw caution to the wind and hiked around Athens after dark. After several dead ends and a scary group of guys later, we made it to the top of a hill and stared at the Acropolis.

I love this picture that Matt took. We woke up early and walked through Athens to catch a bus. I love remembering the cool air and the bustle of markets and pastry shops that we passed. Ooh, and the juice box that I drank while walking.

Delphi! I am so glad that we got to experience Delphi on a cool foggy day. It's up in the mountains and the city is built into the mountainside. As you walk up, the sights get more and more impressive. You hit the Treasury, then the Temple of Apollos, then the Amphitheater, and finally the stadium. How cool is that? And the Oracle that Hercules received his 12 labors from was down below. Supposedly.

Can you see the teeny tiny writing? Whose job was that?

So next time I play Two Truths and a Lie, I am totally saying that I have crawled through tunnels under Ancient Delphi. And it would be the truth! We found a staircase leading into the ground which gave way to a small system of tunnels that we scrambled through. Thank goodness for cell phone light.

This is what we get for taking a 4-H man to Ancient Delphi. And yes we all gave it a good pig slap. Because apparently that's what you do when you grow up in 4-H. Thanks Brad.

Matt wanted to take engagement pictures here. With the ghost of Hercules lurking nearby.

As you critique this picture and begin to doubt Matt's amazing talent as a photographer, please let me defend him. It is the ONLY picture of the 4 of us together. (What were we thinking?) We asked a cranky guard to take it and this is what we got. But we were nervous to ask for another since it seemed like he wanted to delete the photos. Don't ask me why, we just all got the feeling. So here we are. Enjoy.

Old Olive tree.

We rented a car. How lucky are we?

This may need some explanation. Suddenly the phrase "It's all Greek to me" made perfect sense to all of us. We stayed at a friend's apartment and tried to use his washer and dryer. But ran into a problem, it was this fancy schmancy machine with tons of washing options, but all in Greek. And it was one of those front loading washers that lock your clothes in to avoid water spilling out. So after many failed attempts at hitting the correct grouping of buttons, I figured out how to read Greek and saved the day. Just kidding! But it would have been cool. No, we just got lucky. But man, we were confused for quite some time there.

Might I add that Matt hung the camera strap off the doorknob to get this shot? What a mega pro.

I loved these. Especially in the rain. So quiet.

Look closely, Matt is spitting down a deep hole to see how far away the bottom is. Answer: far.

Epidavros. Ginormous amphitheater. And can I mention again how great touring on the off season was? And the trained eye will notice that these are not duplicate photos, but a representation of each couple's mutual enjoyment of the other. And not to brag or anything, but both of these were the first take. Sorry that we rock.

Do I have something on me? Thanks for capturing this one Matt. But I had to put it up since it is proof that I climbed the 999 stairs up to the top of the castle in Nafplio. My favorite place EVER. More to come soon.

Gotta love them. Honestly, if you can travel with a couple for 2 whole weeks and still want to hang out with them, you know they are quite the catch. And Brad is hilarious. And Sara loves him.

Like I said, hilarious. Sara and I are about peeing or pants just about now. But the lighting is beautiful, right? If only a bride hiked up the 999 stairs too.

Ha! Then we locked them in the castle dungeon...

...and hung out in our matching Patagonia gear.

Lion's Gate, Mycenae. Best place to find Cyclopean ruins. Apparently these walls are so old that ancient people discovered them and thought that Cyclops himself built the walls since the stones were too big for any group of men to move. Our interpretation...

Tippy top of Korinthos.

Ferry ride through Grecian islands to Santorini. And yes, it really exists just like in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Mamma Mia. I was speechless.

This picture reminds me of the BEST DAY EVER. Renting 4 wheelers and driving them ALL OVER Santorini with the 3 best people ever. And this picture was taken at my favorite place. If I had different talents, I could write a poem that would make you cry it was so perfect and human and beautiful there.

And stupendously AWESOME.

Oh, and octopus is a delicacy there. Hmmm, that or another way for locals to laugh at stupid tourists. Either way, we tried it. Except for Sara who gave us the death stare if we remotely suggested it to her.

The trip was super great, but at the end of 2 weeks, we were ready to go home. Why you ask? This had plenty to do with it...

Brian and Jen Engagement [Danville, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:21:12 GMT

Brian and Jen got engaged a while ago. A little while later we shot this engagement session. A little while after that they got married, and we photographed their wedding too. I thought it would make the most sense if I got their engagement photos up before the wedding photos, so here they are. We took them to the Hap Magee Ranch Park in Danville and spent some time walking around there. Scott and I have only been there once before, so it was fun to explore the area and take photos as we walked around.

Brian and Jen were great to photograph, and even though I know them both quite well already there are always new details of a relationship that come out on an engagement shoot that are fun to hear. Asking about how the proposal happened is always interesting because you get both sides of the story all at once, usually with some conflicting details and opinions, and this always makes for great photos and a light atmosphere.

Here are a few of our favorite shots from the day.

We're Alive

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:01:28 GMT

Saying that I've been bad at updating the blog would be a understatement of epic proportions. But that doesn't mean that we're not busy; quite the opposite. Between the weekly grind, real life, and photography, we've been busier than we have time for. It's a great problem to have, but unfortunately the blog suffers as a result of it. It's the first thing to get dropped when we have a lot on our plates. We've been all over California shooting weddings recently and have lots more to come, so I'm going to try and get caught up so I can post weddings as they happen instead of 4 months later. There will be a sprinkling of non-photography entries too which should help explain our lack of time. We even have photos from a family vacation last summer (yes, 1 year ago) that will look current since it's summer again, so I may try to pass them off as being from this year (the snow photos from Tahoe this winter may be a harder sell). Regardless, I'm going to be writing as furiously as I can, and if you see me letting too much time pass between entries shoot me an e-mail and I'll get back on it.

Happy Easter

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:27:12 GMT

Jj and Natalie Wedding [Buffalo, Ny]

kathleen@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Kathleen Pearson) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:19:55 GMT

This is a difficult blog entry to write since:
1. I have not done this before and
2. Words cannot begin to express the joy I find in this couple's presence.

Natalie and I were best friends for the short time her family lived in California. The whole family supported me during my early adolescent (read MAJORLY awkward) years, and though years pass, I still feel a strong connection between us. So, Matt and I were honored when we were invited to photograph JJ and Natalie's wedding in Buffalo, NY. Not only did the couple make us feel welcome, they and their families made us feel loved and at home during our stay.

From the multiple homecooked meals, to the search for the brightest fall foliage, to the friendly yet competitive family volleyball game the night before the wedding, to the wedding morning breakfast with everyone packed into one room...thank you. Thank you for letting your love be so transparent, so alive, and so ready to be shared with others.

Here is part of their wedding story...

The bride's youngest brother was the proudest Groomsman I had ever seen. And rightfully so...what an honor!

Matt captured this moments before Natalie walked down the aisle. I love how the time before the ceremony is a beautful mix of seriousness and finger-tingling excitement.

I think these are the official "YES! I got married!" faces.

Natalie and JJ took us to this amazing park after the ceremony. We got to run around with them before anyone else from the bridal party showed up, so we were able to capture some of their intimate moments. They were such great sports as we tromped around in search of the perfect rays of light.

Alan and Jessica Wedding [Danville, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:07:13 GMT

Alan and Jessica got married last August and were a fun Saturday for Scott and I. The ceremony was in the backyard of her parents house. We hadn't shot a wedding in a small backyard like this before, and it had its challenges (I moved about 5 feet during the entire ceremony), but the intimate feeling of it all was really neat. It felt like everyone there was very important in the lives of Alan and Jessica. As I mentioned in the post for their engagement shoot, their dog Daphne was the flower girl. She said hi to everyone as she walked down the aisle, then sat there quiet for the whole ceremony with the mother of the bride (I believe some tranquilizers helped with the calmness).

After the ceremony we were off to the park for some photos of Alan and Jessica. Just like their engagement shoot, they were up for anything and gave us full control to shoot whatever we wanted. They never said no to anything; it was a photographers dream.

We got them to the reception with a few minutes to spare and documented the rest of the night. It was a very unique wedding, but in the awesomely-classy-and-unique kind of way, not any of the bad ways. Here are a few of the favorites from the day.

Dan and April Wedding [Fremont, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:30:34 GMT

Dan and April had an awesome wedding back in August. Yeah, I'm only 3 months late getting a blog post up about it, but it's better late than never, right?

The ceremony and reception were at Palmdale Estates, and it was beautiful. I had no idea it existed, hiding next to 680 and the San Jose Mission. The ceremony was in a secluded garden, and the trees surrounding the area made the big space seem small and intimate (the 250 guests felt more like 100).

Dan and April were cute throughout the whole evening. It was obvious how happy they were to tie the knot and how solid their marriage is going to be. Scott and I had a great time photographing them and being a part of the wedding.

Here are a few of our favorite shots from the day.

Oh, and the mashed potatoes at Palmdale are amazing. If you're ever there for a wedding, take an extra spoonful so you don't have to make a trip for seconds.

Brandon and Janne Wedding [Arcata, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 07:20:56 GMT

This is the first update in a long list that I should be getting around to writing this week. Yeah, Brandon and Janne got married over a month ago, but that doesn't change the fact that their wedding was ridiculously fun.

A little background on these two... Janne was Kathleen's roommate and Brandon was my roommate during college. They've been a couple since before we met them 3 years ago. They were also the first couple I ever took out to do a fake engagement shoot with, so it's extra fun to get to finally get to photograph their wedding.

The weather and location were a dream for me as a photographer. It was a natural setting with wild grass, an old red barn, and Brandon and Janne. To top it all off the cloud cover gave awesome light to photograph with.

The whole day was one fun event after another. Group shots, the ceremony, family shots, dinner, toasts, and the garter and bouquet toss. Oh, and did I forget to mention the clog dancing? Because there was clog dancing at this wedding, compliments of the Dutch relatives in Janne's family. If someone asked me how their wedding was, I'd just say "there was clog dancing" and leave it at that. It's a rather self explanatory sentence that lets you know how crazy fun yet very meaningful their wedding was. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Dan and April Engagement [Half Moon Bay, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:16:19 GMT

Dan and April... wow. I've said before that a couple is up for anything, but these two were up for anything and then some. They're crazy and I love it. We left San Ramon, which was around 105 degrees, and headed to downtown Half Moon Bay. We were shocked when we stepped out of the car and it was under 70 degrees out. Dan and April did a quick wardrobe change to deal with the weather and put on their best smiles as we walked around. It was here that I first started to understand how out of control crazy fun these two could be. I started scheming, trying to come up with things to do before the sun set. We finished up downtown and headed to the beach at the Ritz Carlton to get some photos where Dan proposed to April.

We spent quite a while at the beach doing everything that any of us could think of. Dan even found a jellyfish while they were walking around (we think; none of us had ever seen one out of water). I got to see the place where Dan proposed and hear the story. He gets bonus points for being creative with the proposal, and April gets at least 1 more point than Dan got because she guessed he was going to propose (I don't know how you women always seem to know it's coming. Are us guys that obvious?).

I always love engagement sessions because they're so laid back and don't have the pressure or time constraints of a wedding. And because I get to take pictures of crazy, fun, good looking people who will run through the ocean if I ask them to. Thanks for a great afternoon guys.

Brian and Brandy Wedding [Monterey, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:15:58 GMT

Brian and Brandy had a beautiful wedding out in Monterey right along the coast. We started the day out by taking the bridal parties out to Lovers Point and getting group shots. Both of the bridal parties were crazy in a good way. We got plenty of shots of them goofing around and just relaxing before the real festivities began. The guys even managed to hop into one of the covered bike-cart-wagon contraptions that you can rent and pretended to pedal Brian around while he sat on the front.

After that we raced over to the Memory Gardens just in time for the ceremony to begin (we beat the bride there and that's all that matters, right?). It was an awesome place for a wedding with trees overhead and the sun shining just behind where Brian and Brandy stood. They were a great couple and let us keep stealing them away for pictures as the sun got lower until it finally dropped behind the nearby buildings. It was a day full of fun people, good food, cake, and the ocean, and I got to photograph it all. I love my weekends.

Alan and Jessica Engagement [Sunol, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:38:24 GMT

Kathleen and I had a great time meeting up with Alan and Jessica a couple of weekends ago. Yeah, I'm posting this over a week after the event occurred... that seems to be the trend with me and this blog. I swear I'll get on top of things and post within a day of the event sometime. Hopefully during the flurry of weddings during the upcoming weeks.

Alan and Jessica were awesome to take photos of. As you can tell, they're quite photogenic and have no fear of the camera. They got over the awkward "someone's taking pictures of me what do I do with myself" phase pretty quick and the next couple of hours were a breeze. I had only planned to spend a little time in wilderness of Sunol and to not venture too far in, but they were up for a hike through the woods and water so we went all out. These two aren't afraid to roll up their pants and jump right in. I didn't even have to ask them to; I hopped in the water to get some pictures of them and the creek, and they followed me right in before I could say anything. We finished things off with a trip to the city of Sunol as the sun started to disappear behind the hills.

It was a fun day guys, thanks. I can't wait for your wedding (their dog will be the ring bearer... it's going to be awesome).

Jude and Mari Wedding [San Ramon, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:15:35 GMT

Jude and Mari had their ceremony at Canyon Creek Church in San Ramon. Everyone was at the church an hour early, so we had plenty of time to relax and talk to the bridal parties as we got photos of the final preparations before the ceremony. The bridal parties were awesome to spend time with as the day went on. When we made it to the reception, they never left the dance floor empty; there was always at least one bridesmaid and groomsmen dancing, if not the entire group, and Jude and Mari were no strangers to the dance floor either.

When it came time to cut the cake, the slightly evil side of Mari came out when she fed Jude his piece. She made him work for it, but in the end he got most of the cake in his mouth. Then Jude, being the great host and entertainer he is, was ready to cut the wedding cake for all the guests since he didn't see the catering staff around (he eventually gave up the cake knife after some coaxing). The night slowly wound down with Jude and Mari being some of the last people to leave (in their sparkling clean car; I'll have to ask the bridesmaids why nothing was written on or tied to it) when the reception hall finally closed for the night. We had a great time, thanks Jude and Mari.

Here's a split shot with a photo from the engagement shoot and one from the wedding. It may look like Jude is just getting Mari back at the wedding, but the photo from the engagement shoot was her taking the stick away from him. Jude just couldn't resist, and I wasn't going to miss taking a picture of it so I could put these two up side by side.

Mari and Jude are already back from their honeymoon to somewhere south of Cancun, and it sounds like they had a blast. From what I heard about the resort they went to, I need to find an excuse to go there. Ancient ruins, jungles, a secluded waterfront, and underwater cave diving. Sign me up.

The website has also been getting some of the tender loving care it's been begging for. Since the clients area will be getting quite a bit more traffic with the upcoming weddings, I was forced to finish what I started so many months ago (and I think it turned out pretty well). The blog is next on the list since there are finally more posts than I allow to be printed on the main page. Expect to see an index into the archives along the right side of this page sometime in the not too distant future.

Brian and Brandy Engagement [Lemoore, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:47:12 GMT

Kathleen and I started Saturday morning with a drive down Interstate 5 out to Lemoore. I didn't think I had ever been near Lemoore, but was proven wrong by Harris Ranch and the familiar stop signs in the middle of Highway 198 (this is the same path we take every summer to go backpacking in Sequoia Park).

We met up in town and followed Brian and Brandy into Jack Stone's Barn where we were going to take pictures. If the wedding wasn't going to be out in Monterey, Brandy said they would have wanted to get married at Jack Stone's, and I could easily see why. It was a beautiful property with a pond, lots of trees, lots of green grass, and a barn (who would have guessed). Usually I like to go to a couple different places for engagement pictures just to get varied backgrounds and scenery, but there were so many different things at this one location we didn't have to.

After we spent some time shooting in the barn, outside the barn, in the grass, around the pond, and almost in the pond (I'm glad Brian saw it so I wasn't the only one laughing at me) we got to sit down with Brian and Brandy in the shade under the trees and talk about their wedding. I've got to say, I'm excited to photograph it; it sounds like it's going to be beautiful. I love seeing couples talk about their wedding plans and get really happy about their big day. It always reminds me why like to photograph weddings so much.

Marsh Family [San Ramon]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:57:52 GMT

I picked out the pictures for this blog entry almost 3 weeks ago and have been procrastinating with writing what goes along with them. This blogging stuff is more work than I initially thought it would be when I decided to add a blog into the website. I've always prided myself in being able to communicate with others quite easily (despite being an engineer at heart), but I keep drawing a blank when it comes to updating the blog. It has gotten easier each entry I write, so I'll just have to keep updating until this is an effortless process.

With the Marsh family I really don't know where to begin. It was one of the craziest mornings I've had in a while, and it was a huge eye-opener into what having kids is actually like. With the boys being in their two's (and also being boys) it was just about impossible to get them in a picture with Travis and Adriane. Walking up the hill with the wagon was a popular activity, followed in a close second by throwing anything light enough to pick up into the stream. There were plenty of fun pictures of the boys just being boys (playing with tractors, wielding sticks... the usual) as well as a couple of family shots (and by a couple I mean 2. These boys don't hold still).

After a small meltdown (1 wagon + 2 boys = trouble) it was snack time, so we headed to the nearby park while they ate. As expected the fountain was too much fun to stay out of, so we all ditched the shoes and socks and joined the boys in the water. I haven't walked around Central Park like I was a kid in at least 10 years, so it was fun to run around in the water like I was 6 again and not get too many strange looks (you can get away with almost anything if you're holding a big enough camera). I also found out that jellybean and marshmallow are the most entertaining words in the English language according to either of the boys. They couldn't not laugh if you said the word just right. It was a great way to start off my Saturday. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day (narrowed down from 79 favorites to 36 favorites to the 18 below).

Spring break [Tijuana, Mexico]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:38:10 GMT

Kathleen and I left for Tijuana, Mexico not-so-bright but very early on Easter Sunday with the youth group from Canyon Creek to build houses for five different families. Neither of us had been down to Mexico to build houses before so we didn't quite know what to expect. All we were really told was don't pet the dogs, don't drink the water, and be ready to get cement all over everything.

We traveled down from San Ramon with 98 other people spread out among twelve cars, two RV's, and one medium sized Budget moving truck. We were quite the caravan driving down Highway 5 at 4am on a Sunday. Over the next four days we leveled the 12' x 23' piece of land, mixed and poured a foundation, built and assembled the seven wall components, and put on the roof, walls, door, windows, and stucco. At just under twenty people per house we had our work cut out for us, but we managed to build all five homes without any major problems or injuries.

While we worked there was always a group of small children hanging around trying to help, so I took advantage of the situation and tried out my spanish whenever I could. The results were quite comical as I realized the deficiencies in my vocabulary and my complete inability to conjugate verbs. It was still fun to try and I managed to communicate what I was trying to say and could understand their responses. My high school spanish teachers would either be proud at what I remembered or embarrassed that they had anything to do with teaching me.

This was the first time I've taken more than a week of vacation from work and it was well worth it. I was expecting it to be a fun trip, but at the same time eye opening towards how poor many other countries are and how fortunate I am. Now that I'm back I can safely say it was everything I thought it would be and more, and I hope to go again next year.

Below are the various stages the houses went through from beginning to completion. One of the later pictures is the 14" gap that Kathleen and a couple other people had to squeeze between to put stucco on the wall.

After we leave Mexico, it's tradition to stop at Disneyland to celebrate the completion of the houses and to let the high schoolers have fun during their spring break. Some of us adult leaders were lucky enough to get to have lunch at Club 33 inside Disneyland. I ordered the chicken, which was nothing out of the ordinary, but the rest of the meal was amazing. The appetizers were fresh fruit, bread, soup (possibly my favorite part of the meal), lobster, crab, crackers and cheese, and lots of leafy green things I stay away from. For a drink I went with the house special, the fruit punch, which is a blend of five different fruit juices and syrups. It was delicious. I can't even begin to describe the dessert bar so I'll let the picture below do the talking. I knew I'd never get another chance to go to Club 33 so I enjoyed every bite of dessert and made Kathleen drag me out of there.

Wedding Video

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:19:21 GMT

Kathleen and I got married last April and had Ben of Cana Video Productions video our wedding for us. We took our time selecting the music we wanted in the edited DVD, but once we finally told him what we wanted he got the video to us a few weeks later. Kathleen has watched it almost a dozen times so far, and it usually gets the best of her emotions.

We got to know Ben while at Cal Poly and have seen quite a few different videos he's made and could tell how talented he is. He does a great job capturing the shots he wants and edits everything together perfectly. At first we didn't think we wanted to have our wedding videoed because we thought that pictures would be good enough. Now that we have our wedding video it wouldn't feel right without it. When we watch it we feel like we're back in Paso Robles watching ourselves get married; it brings back so many happy feelings and emotions.

If you're at all considering getting someone to video your wedding, I'd encourage you to check out Ben's site or ask him for a promo DVD. Once you see the amazing work he does you'll want to book him for your wedding.

Paul and Becky Engagement [San Luis Obispo, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:50:30 GMT

My wife Kathleen and I finally made it back down to SLO a few weeks ago and had the pleasure of taking engagement pictures of Paul and Becky. We met up and Becky's place, which was on the same street Kathleen lived on for two years, and it turns out the apartment was hiding across the street and just two houses down from hers. Despite having driven by hundreds of times and parked right outside just as many, we never once noticed the apartment or the long driveway leading to it.

We first headed to Laguna Lake at the request of Paul and Becky after a quick detour by the local farmers market. They spend a lot of time at the lake feeding the ducks, and today was no exception. They told us how they met while the ducks, seagulls, and really scary giant geese made the loaf of bread disappear. If you've ever been to Laguna Lake you know what geese I'm talking about; they have really ugly heads, make an awful honking noise, will hiss at you, and have been known to charge and bite. Despite all of this Becky was fearless and would let them take the bread right out of her hand.

Then we went for a walk to find some shady places to get away from the afternoon sun. We stopped at an innocent looking wooden rail that they sat on, but when they got up we realized it had sapped the bottom of their pants (I hope it washed out). Paul and Becky are just such happy, easy going people that it didn't even phase their mood or the rest of the afternoon.

We drove to downtown SLO to head to the creek by the mission. I seem to always park in the same parking lot downtown because directly between us and our destination was bubblegum alley, and this is the second time we've taken a couple down it. Regardless, the reactions and comments always make for great pictures.

It was surprisingly crowded down at the creek, but we found a quiet area to finish the shoot while Paul and Becky took turns telling their engagement story. I never get tired of hearing couples tell how they got engaged because it's such a happy memory for them. That's probably why I was drawn to wedding photography; it's the best day in the world for the bride and groom, and everyone else involved and invited can't help but be happy. Who wouldn't want to be photographing such a wonderful occasion?

Thanks for spending your afternoon with us guys. We can't wait for your wedding!

Dave and Kim Engagement [San Ramon, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:54:59 GMT

Kathleen and I have gotten to know Dave and Kim over the last several months, and when they asked if I could take their engagement pictures I knew it would be a fun shoot. Dave and Kim had an hour free in their schedule on Sunday so we got together and headed to the nearby Central Park. It seems to be a favorite place among San Ramon residents because it keeps popping up as a requested location for the engagement shoot.

Dave and Kim flirted around at Central Park and retold the engagement story to us, yielding plenty of cute smiles and loving stares. I always love when the sun starts to set in the evening over the hills... it makes a great backdrop and gives soft lighting as it ducks behind the fog.

Once we ran out of ideas at Central Park we headed over to the Bishop Ranch Open Space off of Morgan Dr. and hiked up the hill a little bit. Dave and Kim were great about everything and didn't mind walking in the mud and getting a little dirty. We went off trail and found a cool oak tree to sit on. Kim had a little difficulty getting up to the branch, so Dave played the fiance role quite well and helped her up. The sun was finally setting at this point so we packed up and called it a day.

Some of their pictures have been up in the casual section for almost a month now, but I'm finally getting around to updating the blog and posting a few pictures that I liked. I had a blast hanging out with them (I don't get to see Kim too often since she works in San Francisco) and witnessing their love for each other. Taking engagement photos is so easy when the couple can't stop smiling and and looking at each other.

Josh and Sarah got Married!

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:45:47 GMT

Kathleen and I were guests this last Saturday at the beautiful wedding of Josh and Sarah. The ceremony was set in a dimly lit room with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and candles lining the walls. We thought it was mood lighting (because it looked so good) but it turns out all of the rain northern California got knocked out the power to the wedding site Friday evening. They were able to hold the ceremony there, but the reception had to be moved. Sarah and her mom booked a nearby hotel at 11:00am on Saturday, just 6 hours before the ceremony started. Keep in mind this wasn't a relaxing Saturday... they had to be ready for the group pictures their photographer took before the ceremony. The transition to the new reception site was so smooth I would have thought they planned it weeks in advance, or at least not the day of.

The reception was a joyous occasion with eating, drinking, and toasting, much like any other wedding reception, but unlike other weddings I've been to the dance floor was packed. Everyone danced pretty much all night, and most people didn't stop unless they needed water. Sarah and her dad even showed their hardcore side during Soulja Boy, led by her brother Mike.

Kathleen and I are very glad we got to be there for the wedding and wish Josh and Sarah the best as they start their new lives together.

Jude and Mari Engagement [San Ramon, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 05:14:13 GMT

Jude and Mari are one of those couples that you know are going to be fun to take pictures of as soon as you meet them and see how they interact with each other. There's enough playful back and forth between them to keep the shoot fun and energetic. Jude started the day off by grabbing a stick and poking Mari with it, and Mari in turn put on her best teacher face and took the stick away. The rest of the afternoon was spent at some beautiful fountains, the nearby park, and the monkey bars at the nearby park.

Scott and I were lucky to get a couple of free hours with them right before Christmas while they were up in the Bay Area. It was a busy time for everyone and we're glad we got to meet up with them since they might not be around again until the wedding in June.

Brandon and Janne Engagement [San Luis Obispo, Ca]

matt@pearsonweddingphotography.com (Matt Pearson) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:10:00 GMT

Last time I was in San Luis Obispo I got the chance to go walking downtown with Brandon and Janne and had a great time taking pictures of them. Brandon was my roommate while at Cal Poly and Janne was my wife Kathleen's roommate, so it's fun for us to see them getting married and to be a part of it.

They felt a little awkward at the beginning of the shoot since we were in such a public place, but by the end of our walk they had no problem posing in bubblegum alley just off Higuera St. They're both so happy and in love it wasn't hard to get a smile out of them. We're really looking forward to shooting their wedding in July and seeing another great couple tie the knot.