A New Face

Big changes over here at Hazelnut Photography and I am giddy with excitement! There's a new logo and a new blog and a new face on my little fledgling company.

Anne over at The Paper Stylist was beyond amazing at getting the image dancing around in my head into something visible to the rest of the world. She took tidbits like "The text should look like Charlotte York-Goldenblatt wrote a lovely thank you note to a fundraiser guests" and "The logo should look like a fluffy cloud of warmth, but not too girly or frilly, with some structure... but not too much structure" and formed an image that I am falling in love with!

Then Sarah at Viz 1 Designs took Anne's work and made it reality on the internet. She walked me through all the pieces and helped me make every decisions that was so far above my head.

Thank you thank you thank you! I am THRILLED with our little collaboration!

And finally, to my dearest husband, who sits alone on the couch while I spend hours upon hours at my computer. Who does the laundry and takes out the trash and keeps our home running while I'm putting my heart and soul into building something that will make me truly happy. For the amazing support system that you are, thank you. I adore you.

So, go check out the new blog ... and don't forget to update your feeds!

Early Morning

I've been crazy talk busy recently... like, really really ridiculously busy. So, to add hours to my day, I wake up earlier. Usually around 5 am. I'm attached to my computer for a few hours in the morning before my regular day starts.

But yesterday, I walked outside around quarter to seven. I looked up into the sky and saw the most beautiful fluffy clouds I've ever seen. The rising sun tinged them with the most amazing golden hue. As I was running around in a tizzy I stopped. And looked. And stared.

It was a nice reminder for me to stop and take in the day.

Pumpkins!

I don't think that there's anything I love more than pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin scone, pumpkin latte, yummy. It just screams warmth and comfort and sitting in front of the fireplace after an enormous turkey dinner. It's fall ya'll!

And Saturday felt it. I walked out of the house for the first time and realized sweater weather had arrived. The season (as much as we get in California) had changed! After Janice & JD's ceremony, we had to take a short drive to the reception location. As we're bumping along, Chris takes a HARD right and onto another road... I was bewildered. Until I saw the glint in his eye. The happy silly grin danced across his face... his real estate grin. Chris loves an open house like no other. I gently reminded him that we'd just bought a house, that we did not need, nor could we afford another house, that... But then I saw it. The bright orange field. The ridiculous petting zoo. The handpainted signs. PUMPKIN PATCH!

So in our Sundays finest and my 4" stilettos, we picked a pumpkin.


Pumpkin picking in stilettos with near gale force winds was not so easy. My feet were sinking, my dress was blowing, my hair was a hot mess and my eyes were tearing from the intensity of the sun.


And Chris thought I was beyond ridiculous. But we found the one! Gorgeous, isn't she?


Happy Fall!

Magical

Janice & JD: The Wedding

The Knot was the single most beneficial wedding resource I came across in my own wedding planning. I was obsessed with it. But more than vendors, ideas & numerous DIY projects, it gave me some absolutely beautiful friendships with women that were going through exactly what I was going through. And now the last of us has tied the knot!

Janice was actually the first of our little circle that I'd met. She's a super talented costume designer and was considering dabbling in wedding gown alterations. I was thrilled to be her first client! Her house was right across the street from my office at the time. So I would skip out during lunch, get fitted, chat for too long, and then head back to the office grind. It worked out perfectly! She introduced me to Wendy, who went to the same gym with me, where we bumped into Paola, who connected us ... well, I forget where it goes from there, but I am so excited have moved our little online community into real life!

On Saturday we all journey up to Solvang to toast the last of us to join the club. They were married at the Old Mission Santa Ines and we celebrated at Firestone Vineyards. Absolutely stunning affair.

I didn't take too many shots, because I really wanted to focus on the reason we were all gathered there. Janice, JD and the wine :-)

(Yeppers, 8 girls in a tiny booth! Stolen from Anne.)

Congratulations Janice & JD. I wish the two of you all the love & happiness in the world!

Brett & Tracy: The Engagment

My absolutely lovely friend Janice introduced me to Brett & Tracy. She said that they were having an absolutely amazing wedding at the Bacara Resort & Spa in October and needed a photographer. I was giddy when she sent them my way and I am so amazingly thrilled to be shooting their wedding in just two weeks!

They really wanted to shoot engagement pictures, but the countdown to wedding day was clicking away and they were busy busy busy every weekend. Then, I realized that I know Janice, and they know Janice and we were probably all super busy one weekend because we were both going to be attending Janice & JDs wedding. Genius thought... we'd shoot after the wedding! It worked out perfectly and Chris & I followed them down to Thousand Oaks on Sunday morning.

They wanted to spend the morning doing all of their regular Sunday morning activities. The plan was to follow them around and shoot their everyday. No posing, no placing, just pure photojournalism.

Wish I could spend every Sunday lolling around like these guys :-)

Brett & Tracy, thank you for having so much fun with Chris & I! You two are amazing and I am giggly with excitement for your wedding. See you soon!

Ellie: Sexy Time

I love meeting people who have followed paths similar to my own. And Ellie is one of them! She's a sorority girl after my own heart, having worked for hers after graduation. I seriously considered doing the exact same thing and have always wondered how amazing it would have been to travel the country, being a super sorority girl. Ellie did it and loved every minute of it. I decided to follow a fantastic man to Los Angeles and I'm so thrilled that it worked out :-)

And it's such a tiny tiny world. Ellie's wedding coordinator is Gabby, Ruthie is Gabby's sister and I shot Ruthie's wedding just the day before! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to find these connections in such a big city.

Anywho, Ellie is getting married in November and wanted to wow her soon-to-be-husband Chris with her hotness. I think she did a beyond fantastic job! Thank You Ellie, for being amazing.

Elizabeth Anne Designs

LeeAnn & Geoff's Rehearsal Dinner is being featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs today! They're featuring her STUNNING wedding all week and today we're talking about rehearsal dinner photography, with a piece written by yours truly! Go check it out here.

Ruthie & Daniel: The Wedding

Ruthie now has the most blog entries of any single person on this blog... congratulations Ruthie!

Ruthie married Daniel on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Clarke Estate and I felt honored to be invited along to document the day. They are such an amazing couple... together since high school and making it official after years of commitment to each other. Ruthie's sister is Gabby of Weddings by Shaheen and she had everything ready to put into place. Thanks to Charlotte-Ann of Big Day Your Way, the day went off without a hitch!

It's a LONG post guys... grab a cup of coffee and settle in :-)


Ruthie was so calm the entire day. There's nothing better than a relaxed bride who stops to breathe in the day!




I think this is the moment that it finally feels "real"










The Groom!



Ruthie and Daniel had a First Look. I love love love when couples decide to do this. There's so much more time to grab some amazing images. And I promise, the walk down the aisle no less emotional!






Ruthie had a book of her boudoir images delivered to Daniel just a few minutes before he walked down the aisle. I think he liked it!


Two flautists provided all of the ceremony music, and it was so simply beautiful.











Chris and I arrived together as he was running the photobooth for me. But then I started running around with the girls and has no clue where he was. He was up here... taking amazing photos.



Married! Chris' view...


... and my view.


I seriously fell in love with this tree.







On to the celebration!






Chris' take on the toasts.


Ruthie danced with her mother to "I Loved Her First" and it brought me to tears. Little tear drops all over the back of my camera. It was one of the most touching moments I've ever seen.


I snatched the newlyweds away for a few moments before we lost all of the light.



Congratulations Ruthie & Daniel! I wish you all the best that life can provide for the two of you.