A painter and a musician, Christine and Ricky are a creative and playful couple who are always gracious hosts! After years his mother's complaints about not having pictures of the pair, they asked if I could help them out with mom's 2013 Christmas present: a tasteful, authentic portrait that would satisfy persistent parents. The location was their backyard on a sunny Sunnyvale afternoon.

It took a bit of time to get Christine comfortable in front of the camera (as a fellow artist, I understand the preference for producing rather than posing). A very silly Ricky helped her out with some tickling, and we ran with that jovial atmosphere to get the genuine smiles you see here.

I harkened back to more conventional engagement photos for this composition early in the shoot. While it isn't as evocative of their special connection as the other pictures, they look good and it made Ricky's mom happy!

Christine just radiates in this photo, despite having to crouch for 15 minutes (to get the right lighting and background). I was very pleased with the results of this short, casual shoot, as was Ricky's mom. But most importantly, both Christine and Ricky were happy with how they looked in the images. While some of the poses were physically uncomfortable, they both felt at ease in the intimate setting, and with each other. I think that makes for the best couple photos.

These are my good friends Dana and Franco, who have been married for a little over a year. This was an impromptu shot on New Years Eve 2013 by their home in Newport Beach. I love the subtle heart in the rock, it adds to the magic and beauty I have always experienced with this wonderfully whimsical pair!