Annie McElwain Photography

Sneak Peek: A Non-White Dress

How classic are the colors of this bride's attire? And yet also not-so-classic? Love this wedding and can't wait to share more images. 

Heather Heron at the Workstead

Bash Please hosted the lovely Heather Heron in a pop-up shop at our workstead recently.  Heather showcased her collections right here at our shop, and I have to say I wanted all of it to be in my closet!

Her line features botanically dyed hemp, chain mail and leather to start out. 

I certainly did not leave empty handed, but lucked out with this leather bag (that I love!)

These clutches are pretty fanastic...

The company was pretty great too :)

For more info, check out Heather's website. 

Cute Kids Halloween Costumes!

So during a family shoot with one of my favorite families, the Gershons, Jenny asked me if I would take a few in their halloween costumes. 

Holy cuteness, I almost died. 

Daphne, the elephant and little Owen, the peanut. 

Stop please before I DIE of cuteness. 

I bet those two will be a big hit next week!

 

Pregnancy Photos: The Beginning

I was so excited to be able to capture Rachel's beautiful pregnant belly along with her husband in these fun pregnancy photos. I've known Michael and Rachel for... wow... almost 14 years? So it was a joy to be able to celebrate with these photos.

These were taken at their home in Los Angeles. Rachel is a green goddess and holistic nutrition councelor (maybe that's why she is so naturally beautiful)-- check out her website  and Michael is my former acting coach with two successful books under his belt!

Congrats to Michael and Rachel both! I can't wait to meet your little boy this November!

 

Sunsets Are Always Pretty

Seriously. I hate sounding cliche, but sunsets have the best color palettes. This was taken from a car (while Raya was driving) home from the family shoot. 

 

The Value in A Family Shoot

I am so excited to share some images from a recent family session with friend and fellow photographer Raya Carlisle.   Last year, if you remember, we did some just-for-fun portraits of each other (she took my profile shots on my website). 

Now, with a new little addition to her family (are you kidding me with cuteness?), we decided to do a family session. We had so much fun and her family is beyond beautiful.

A couple before we really started...Baker keeping an eye on little Evie (Genevieve)

 Evie's cheeks are to die for.Baker knows how to make her laugh too. 

Leave it to another photographer to suggest a family session near sunset on a field near the beach. 

Love the moment above of Baker with his Dad.  There is something so fun, so timeless in this kind of moment.  I think I have a similar photo with my dad going into the ocean.  It implies some sort of playful adventure mixed with absolute trust. 

serious cuteness happening.

I'm infatuated with these images, with this family.  Whatever they would want to sell, I would buy it. The love is there and it oozes into all the photos until it is almost tangible. 

I titled this The Value in a Family Shoot because as Raya and I were chatting about photography, business and such, we talked a bit about the value of a family shoot.  Sometimes clients want a family shoot, but one parent may have a harder time seeing it as an investment.  A lot of us own some really nice cameras and take plenty of photos of our family ourselves-- which of course you absolutely can and should.  However, I will say that allowing a professional photographer to see your family can be really special. We see it differentley than how you see it.  He or she (I) can capture moments that you didn't know happened or highlight real authentic relationships between all members of the family (which can't be done if mom or dad are pushing the shutter). 

I know family photos are an investment, but if I may be perfectly honest, I have never heard of a client of mine (or anyone else's) say "gosh, I wish we didn't have those pictures" or "gee, I wish we had waited until the kids were older". 

Your family is beautiful as it is and it will change and grow very quickly.  Not to run too much with this idea, but your family is contsantly growing, constantly evolving and will never be the way it is right at this moment.

Raya's family is stunning, and next year it will be completely different.  If you love your life and your family, you'll want to remember these moments. 

Thank you Raya for sharing your family with me for an afternoon and for being a beautiful photographer and friend. 

 

 

Sneak Peek: Michael + Rachel

So excited to share some images of Rachel + Michael and their almost +1.  Check back in later this week to see photos from this session!

Daily Candy Fall Wedding Guide

I am thrilled to be featured in Daily Candy's Fall Wedding Guide this year!  Thank you so much-- it's quite an honor.  And Congrats to my fellow friends who are in the guide as well DJ Smiles Davis, Woah Nelly + Yeah Rentals.

Natural History Museum: Jessica + Adam

Jessica and Adam's wedding at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles was gorgeous and alternative, a great combination!  It was recently featured on Ruffled Blog, but I wanted to share a few more photos and details from the day. 

Katie, my associate shot this wedding and I couldn't be more proud to have her on my team.  As some of you know, Katie is now officially a part of the Annie McElwain Photography team and for more information on her packages, please email me! I featured another wedding of hers not to long ago here.

I love the candid moments that seem to convey a certain feeling. 

Here is what Katie said about the wedding:

Jessica and Adam got married at the LA Natural History museum, which is a fun, quirky venue, not unlike Jessica and Adam themselves. They had a touching ceremony where they wrote a list of expectations and promises for each other instead of traditional vows. Adam and Jessica are both in the architectural field and they created a map of the museum as well as a seating chart that looked like professional blueprints so their guests would know where to go. They had the Paella Project cater with family-style paella. Since they love coffee, they provided French presses full of coffee to their guests as the party went late into the night with the most rambunctious hora I’ve ever witnessed! They took care of the children at their wedding by providing the Discovery center with learning stations for the kids to play in during the reception, so the parents could enjoy themselves downstairs.

I love how this venue lends intself to fun and quirky photos of the couple.  And still really beautiful moments. 

    Love how the tables are arranged next to the exhibits. Congrats to Jessica and Adam!  

And thank you Katie for beautifully capturing the day.