Hassas Photography Blog

Going going.......

2012-01-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

....almost gone.

Gensesis 3, AKA G3 will be taking play in Vegas in just under 60 days now. Guess what, it will be the LAST ONE!! Why? Because good things end on a high. The last 2 years have been an awesome ride and this last go around is certain to be one for the ages. Feel free to check out our site for more info. We have lots of HONEST reviews from past students who are now friends.

What will you be teaching ?

The word most synonymous with my work has always been "creative". My desire early on was to create imagery that provokes the viewer to respond with, "man, that's neat". Lots of trail and error. Later it became more success then error and then finally to what I call "auto pilot". Fast forward 5 years and I feel I've been able to bottle the formula and present it in teaching form at Genesis 1 and 2. My teaching rotation is 4 hours of how to think, see and finally execute creative photography. The response has been awesome! It's been a JOY watching the results of this teaching regiment come to fruition in the students the days, weeks and following months after Genesis. In short, it works and I only show my secrets to those who will be at Genesis 3. When you're in my rotation, no question goes unanswered.

"Sam, what were you're settings for so and so shot?"

"Sam, how much money did you make your first, 3rd, 6th year in photography?"

"Sam, what's in the camera bag?"

"Sam, where is Jimmy Hoffa?"

Need more?

Here's some links to find out what the other teachers will also be teaching:

Spencer Boerup
Mel & Jeff Mansfield
Tony Hoffer

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any additional questions in regards to Genesis being right for you: samhassas@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

~Sam

Elisha and Girls

2011-12-29T11:44:00.001-08:00

So first off, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2012. WOW WOW WOW.

Lots of exciting things planned for the year and looking forward to showing you all our happenings. I've talked about our website/blog revamp for AGES now but I promise THIS YEAR it will happen. :) Lots of set backs but I think we're finally past them.

First up are 3 lovely ladies not unfamiliar to ther pages of my blog. You'll remember Elisha and her beauties from a fashion/branding shoot we did for Evy's Tree the past several months. We all felt it was time they had a session of their own. Sadly for the rest of us, there are just people on this earth who just can't take a bad photo. These three are among that group. Always a pleasure ladies.

Note: All the sugar goodies and a few of the hair accessories were made by my wife Monica who accompanied the shoot along with my boys. Think I have a pretty good reason as to why the boys decided to come to THIS particular shoot. Elisha....I'm preparing the dowry now.....

~Sam

My boys crashed the party. Say hi Jon-Paul, (left) and Ethan, (right)

Cindy and Brian Engagement

2011-12-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

Wine & Napa Vally go together like...well Cindy and Brian.

Loved shooting for this awesome couple. HUGE thank you to Regusci Winery along with Hope & Grace in Yountville for the use of their awesome facility. Random fact: That pig is 600lbs!!

Have a theme you'd like to run with for YOUR engagement session. Hit me up. Lets talk about it. Taking it special is making it yours. Love it guys. Thanks for providing the awesome and letting me document it.

U.K. Bury St. Edmunds :: Laura & Oliver

2011-12-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

The United Kingdom.

I'm going to be short on words and long on images this post. I just have too much to say and I'm going to spoil it. I'd rather use my images this go around.

Laura & Oliver.....wow.

I came to your part of the world and came back to mine with so many stories. Thank you for the invite. Thank you for the epic backdrop. Thank you for trusting me.

A massive MASSIVE thank you to Brian of BK Photo for help as second shooter. This guy flew in from Glasgow Scotland to help out. Who knew 2 dudes from opposite sides of the world had so much in common. You're forever a friend BK. Thanks for being such a stud. A solid 1/2 dozen images below are from him.

Merry Christmas everyone. It's a wonderful life.

~Sam

Fin.

Savannah Georgia :: Melanie & Arnel

2011-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Silicon Vally,

Why can't you be nice like folks from the South?

This shoot took place in Savannah Georgia. Melanie is from California. So is Arnel. So is Sam. WHY were we there? Because Savannah is awesome that's why! Truthfully though, it also has to do with the fact that Arnel proposed to Melanie while on a trip to Savannah a year before! :) This is one GEM of a city! There no place like it and shooting there was just plain cheating. I'll be forever in love.

Attention current and soon-to-be couples!

Why would a couple fly me and themselves out across the world JUST to have an engagement session? Because it's special folks. You only get one go at this, (well, it's supposed to be that way at least). Why not do it in style? One day Arnel and Mel will be married 50+ yrs and their grand kids will be looking through these pics. My only thought would be how cool my GP's are! It's your day guys, lets make it uber awesome. Thank you M&A for the trusting me with shooting your engagement session. It was an honor and I think we did awesome! :)

While I was there my darling couple suggested I try Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House as a place to have breakfast. Dear God Almighty. It did NOT disappoint.

"But...but but.. but Paula Dean?"

Barf. Paula Dean didn't stack up in the least bit. As the locals. MWBH WINS!!!
Okay I'm hungry. Bye!

~Sam

The Philippines!

love bir....yeah, you get it.

Forest Gump anyone? Yes, it was filmed mostly in Savannah. THE bench was seconds from this walkway.
Shot amongst garage cans in San Jose....no. Shot amonst garbage cans in Savannah? Yes! I don't know why it works. It just does.

So Savannah has many legends one of which is that it's haunted. Thought this was a great homage to this enchanted towns reputation.

Big thanks to the Avia Hotel for allowing us to take this shot behind their front desk.

Hawaii Wedding Photographer :: Hillary and Don's Wedding

2011-12-13T19:39:00.001-08:00

What a Wonderful World.......

I went to HAWAII!!!

:D

Many moons ago, Don & Hillary asked yours truly to be their wedding. Originally the knot was to be tied in Nashville where they both are from and run successful wedding industry businesses. Don is a photographer and Hillary is the brilliance behind Brocade Design. (Should also note that Don and Hillary we're BOTH students at Genesis 1, Durum addition). No wonder theirs so awesome! ;)

Where do I begin? Gosh, this wedding was just beyond anything I can describe. Don, Hillary I can't thank you enough for the invite to shoot your grand affair. Everything came off in such high style and I expected nothing less. I can't tell you how HONORED I felt when asked to not only sit during dinner with the bride and broom but to also be right next to Don while I had the greatest Mahi Mahi I've ever eaten in my life. REAL TALK. I won't speak much more.

To top it all off, their wedding was even featured in Style Me Pretty :: Destination Weddings just this past week. Brides and blog followers will know that SMP ranks among the very best in all-things-wedding, and it's truly a privilege to be showcased there.

The vendors and details below:

The Wedding Tree at Four Seasons Hualalai
Event Design: Hillary Yeager (the bride) of Brocade Designs
Wedding Coordinator: Shea Cochran of Four Seasons Hualalai
Floral Design: Flowers by Heidi + The Bride (design)
Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet found at the Bride Room
Sash: Gray Satin embellished by Tru Lu Couture
Bracelet: Honora “Kona” Cufflinks + Pendant: The Green Daisy Shop
Shoe Clips: Finkshop
Invitations + Menu: Seaside Invitations
Programs: Amber Housley
Compass Favors + Table Sign: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
Wedding Cake: Four Seasons Hualalai
Linens: Premier Linens
Chargers: Bride’s Own / Napkins: Vintage, Bride’s Own

Current brides. This wedding is the result of lots of planning and solid communication between client and photographer. We also did a "next day shoot" where we went BONKERS with the dress that included jumping in the pool. All in all it was EPIC. Have a look my friends.

I have over 80 images below that will do the talking for me.

Happy Wednesday!!

I should note here that our bride went through a MASSIVE life style change and dropped some significant weight in the months leading up to this grand day. I'll remain the gentlemen and not talk numbers, but you'd be AMAZED!!!!!!!! Hillary, you looked incredible. Wow wow wow!

I fought back some serious tears here. We all did.

This was taken about 6 minutes after saying I do!

I love this so so so so much. Photographers, I waited a good 4-5 minutes for this expression.

Thriller, I believe. ;)
Day 2

HOT!....errr, cold... but still HOT!
Have the best-est life guys. You deserve it!

~Sam

Bonus behind the scenes shot. Okay, we were supposed to do a practice, synchronized jump except we weren't supposed to jump. Everyone got the memo expect for DON. LOOK at those reactions. Hahahahahahaha. I love it.

The Mansfields

2011-12-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

2 blog posts in one day? Yeah, I know. I'm crazy like that.

Most followers of my blog know the large role that The Genesis Workshop has played in my life. With complete honesty I can say that I recommend any photographer to go when wanting to climb the ladder and get to that next level in their work. It's simply a superb workshop. I'm honored and humbled to be a part. This year after the workshop our founding members asked the ever humbling request of having me shoot their family. EEk! I don't know what caused more butterflies, teaching at the workshop or this shoot.

For all the students that were at G2 this year.......here they are!

Blog family, say hello to the Mansfields...

Jeff, Melanie, Peyton, Parker, Mabry and Fin

I should note that BOTH Mel and Jeff have done something extraordinary in that they BOTH have drop 50lb in the last several months!! These are good Southern folks with huge hearts and tons of sass. Now just thinner. :)

I'd be remiss for not mentioning the HUGE amount of help I had on this shoot as well. We were a large army locked and loaded with gear and glass.

Lisa, thank you.
Shane, thank you.
Jon-Mark, thank you.
Amy-Dale, thank you.

I can't mean it enough. Check out the last few pics and links to all these talented photographers websites towards the end of this post. All students of Genesis and we couldn't be prouder.

~Sam

Music plays a huge role in their lives. It also palyed a large role in our shoot. This is Fin. YES he's very squeezable.

Rockwell inspired.

Peyton. One of my faves.

The Mansfields...Behind the scenes!!

The entourage. New record I think.
Shane..you're a prince of a human being. Thanks for the help, (and modeling the light)
Amy Dale!
Shane and Jon-Mark. Well, part of Jon-Mark.
Thank you Jon-Mark, Shane, Lisa and Amy-Dale.

Evy's Tree 3 - We Went Equestrian!

2011-12-08T06:53:00.001-08:00

My 3rd shoot for these awesome folks. Round 3 was Equestrian themed, (that means with horses and stuff). The hoodies from Evy's Tree have become a sensation. We've been so thrilled to be on for the ride. Thank you Amy!

Could this blog post have come at a more opportune time? GUYS! If you want to wow the girl with this year's Christmas gift from you? Buy a hoodie. While you're there, buy one for yourself.

Evy's Tree - the official site

Pics from shoot 1

Pics from shoot 2

~Sam

\

Annnnd AMY!! Round 4? You bet there will be a round 4.

Andrea & Rusty

2011-12-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

My name is Sam Hassas.......I cry at weddings.

I shed a tear at most all the weddings I go to at some point. Weddings are special. The atmosphere is so charged it's hard not to feel.........something even when you barely know the participants. It was doubly the case here. Andrea and Rusty, your wedding was just so cool. The ceremony, reception, speeches and that awesome tent were just superb.

Thanks for the invite and having us document. More blog posts soon to come this week!

~Sam

JohannesTawniRoriLincoln

2011-12-06T14:46:00.001-08:00

Some of my most favorite people on the planet right here.

I've know Johannes, (dad here) for close to 20 years. Met as really young teenagers and watched as we grew into young men, adults and then family men. Joe - the friendship has been much appreciated through the years. **brofist*
Love all 4 of you guys.

I give you, Johannes, Tawni, Rori Lane, Lincoln Brave.

Cameo appearance from Ethan my son! Whole family came out to say hello while shooting this session.

The Genesis Workshop 3 :: Vegas Style

2011-12-06T01:06:00.000-08:00

**Drum roll please***

Good things come in threes. Every year for the past 2 years I've been extremely fortunate to be a part of an awesome teaching workshop comprised of some huge talent. The question I get asked on a monthly basis, "Sam do you ever teach photography? Why yes, yes I do.

Behold, The Genesis workshop (this link will be LIVE at 1:00pm EST, 10:00 Cali time)

Year one was in Durham NC.
Just last month we had it in the home of the King, Memphis TN.

Round 3? Time to bring it to the East Coast, no? VEGAS Y'ALL!!

When: March 20-22, 2012 Where: Vegas!
Accommodations: Three RIDICULOUSLY over-the-top Mansions – One Property Food: Private Chef for ALL meals
Schedule: 3 PACKED days, 4 rotations and goodies in between.

Listen up - REGISTRATION STARTS THIS MORNING at 1:00PM EST, (that's 10AM for you Cali folks!!)

Click here when registration begins. It's all online this year! No more waiting on the phone.

In the meantime, read up on all our reviews from past students. Part of what has made Genesis so over the top every year is the sense of family and comradary between us over the coarse of the week. There are always tears. :) Happy, wonderful tears. That's when you know you've walked away from something awesome.

Added this year to the list of teachers is Spencer Boerup of Tucson Arizona. I can't think of a more qualified individual ot round us of during our teaching rotations. Back in the saddle we also have Mel & Jeff Mansfield and Tony Hoffer of Hoffer Photography.

Time to take your work to the next level? G3 is destined to be the best one yet.
Some images from this past years Genesis Workshops.

Images from our students. SO PROUD!

Image by Keith Lee Studios

Image by Kieth Lee Studios
Image by Keith Lee Studios

Image by Keith Lee StudiosImage by Jon Mold Photography
Image by Annabelle Dando Photography
Image by Wilson Images Photography

Image by 5th Street Photography

Image by Fresh Photography

Image by 5th Street Photography
And images by yours truly during the coarse of the week. Images from the INSTRUCTOR shoot out, (oh yes,m you get to watch your teachers battle it out on DAY ONE for the crown of best shooter). Then images from the "virtual reception" we created and how to shoot it, complete with strobes and smoke machines.

Just come will ya?

Where's Sam!?

2011-11-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Been a month since I've blogged ANYTHING! That's the longest we've gone since our start 4 years ago. We've been steady with 2, 3 and some times 5 or 6 times a week for many months, Are you slowing down Sam? Heavens no. Quite the opposite. We're extremely busy and sadly, for the first time ever, the blog has had to take a back seat while we catch up on things.

My blog!! My precious blog. She barely speaks to me anymore. I'm sorry my dear. I'm be back soon.

What you might not know is an engagement blog post takes about 3 hours to arrange, and prepare for. A wedding blog post takes a little less then double that. Multiple that by 100 posts a year and you get the picture. We've made the decision temporarily to cut our blog posts down and finish our current session edits for an number of waiting clients. There are a lot of you and your patience has been VERY appreciated. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Mark my word, we WILL blog every one of our sessions! Hang with us. :)

Meanwhile here's a picture we took of the most photographed icon in the United States. Yes I took this. Yes I was kinda scared.

BONUS TREAT. A HUGE downloadable version you can use as wallpaper. Our treat!!

Thanks for the love folks. We'll be back soon.

~Sam

Carly & Lucas :: X & O

2011-10-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

In grade school I got a love note from a girl named Marla, my first ever I think. After smelling the note that was undoubtedly sprayed with her moms perfume I opened the origami package it came in, (raise your hand if you know what I'm talking about) I read it red cheeks. Not only did this Marly have a "DEEP" affection for yours truly, she also had the coolest last name a 3rd grader was allowed to have. Signed directly after "Marly" was "XOXOXOXOX". It was a few days later in an attempt to find out what Country one had to be from to have such a cool last name that I also learned X's & O's weren't just the 15th and 24th letters in the alphabet.

Carly & Lucas, may the wedding be awesome and many X's and O's fill your lives. Thank you for having me shoot the upcoming wedding. I ask that your balance with me be paid in helium filled gold balloons with letters spelling H-A-S-S-A-S for all the fans of our photography to have. We will then do a simultaneous send off on my birthday.

Deal?

Happy Friday Blogger followers.

XO

San Jose Engagement Photographer :: Sarah & Mike

2011-09-21T15:58:00.001-07:00

Batman - Batgirl
Peanut butter - Jelly
Sarah - Mike

Another awesome couple in San Jose. You thought all the cool spots were in SF. NOT SO I SAY!! These guys plan their I-do's at he Palm Event Center in Pleasanton. The Palm Event actually decided to use one of our images to start their portfolio slide on their website! How cool are we. :)
More pics to be uploaded. More images to be edited. If you're waiting it will be really soon. YAY for weddings!!

Happy Wednesday.

~Sam

Bay Area Engagement Photographer :: Elena & Brian

2011-09-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

When talking to a couple about a potential backdrop for their engagement session, I REALLY do try and listen. Things that were important to these guys was that it had some urban decayed and graff, (part of Brian's youth). This session had attitude. I loved it. Grats to Elena & Brian on the engagement. Wedding coming pretty quick. Lets do this.

Think I'll be blogging everyday this week. :)

~Sam

Wedding in NYC :: Catherine & Ariel

2011-09-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Catherine & Ariel sitting in a tree.......

Few months back I had the pleasure of shooting in NYC. Their engagement session pics were so fun to shoot. Can't explain how cool this city is. I describe it as non-hippie-San-Fran. So much charm. Wonderful group of family members were there to help celebrate and the bridal party was up for anything as always. Thanks for having me guys. Was a real pleasure.

Had the company of 2 really awesome gentlemen while I was there. Jeff Mosier was second shooter for this one, (about 5 of his images can be viewed below) and as assistance I had the help of Allan, (whose engagement session I had the pleasure of shooting while I was down here). You guys are a class act. Made a great team.

Thanks for the look folks. Happy Tuesday.

~Sam

San Fransisco Trash the Dress Session :: Felicia & Rich

2011-08-26T03:37:00.000-07:00

Trashing the dress seems like such a wasteful, American thing to do. You'd be shocked to hear these guys are Canadian.

You may remember Felicia and Rich from a blog post I did a bit over a year ago when I was in Vancouver for there engagement session. Sadly, (and I do me I was VERY sad), I wasn't able to shoot for them on their wedding day. No worries however as we've made up for it here!! They came to SF for their one year anni and decided "The Sauce" needed to come in and shoot a round 2 for them. I was happy to oblige.

I love these images so much. The color, the fun, the LIFE. Look at me, I'm gushing over my own stuff. Is that bad? I'm sorry if it is. If EVER a dress was trashed it was here. And can I say both of these guys deserve a medal for getting into thee absolutely FRIGDE waters. This is SF folks. It's always cold all the time. Ask these Canadian's, they know what real cold is. F&R...I love you guys. Real talk.

Big thanks once again for my girl Bess Friday for helping as assistant on this one. If I've ever needed a second set of hands it was here. THANK YOU BESS!!! So proud of all that you're accomplishing in the photo world.

Most post to come folks. I've obviously been blog-shy recently and my only excuse is the metric-ton of editing, shooting, traveling and otherstuff-ing that goes into running a photo biz. Wedding season has us in a frezy. Bare with us as we get through your images. Today was spent, editing for about 7 hours, shooting an engagement session for about 3 hours, coming back and editing for another 4 hours and preparing this blog post which took about 2 hours. It's 4am and I'm making a blog post. Is that an indication of how busy and backed up things are? Some of you have been VERY VERY patient and I can't thank you enough. It's ALL coming. Promise.

I'm tired but I love this more then you know. Thanks for stopping by!!

~Sam

The Wedding in Tasmania :: Sam & Ian

2011-08-23T01:10:00.000-07:00

I went to Australia. I came back with these pics as souvenirs.

So this set has been a long time coming. Sam & Ian thought enough of our work to have us for their fantastic Australian wedding. I can't say enough. It was epic. The week before the wedding I had the privilege of shooting their engagement session in Sydney.

The people, the culture and the food. The experiance was amazing and the wedding was over the top. Ian is from Houbart, a town just on the other side of Launceston Tasmania where our wedding took place. Sam our bride is actually British and many of her family members made the trek from England to be a part. Matter of fact, there
were family member from all over the world. I was even trumped as most distant traveler. Sam, you were a radiant bride. Ian, you're a crazy du....bloke. Grats on the bond. Do me a favor and live happily ever after.

Big thanks to Chris Fawkes for helping me here as second shooter. He came in from Melbourne did awesome as a partner. His images are listed below. Thanks again my friend and a HUGE thank you to Bob and Helen for housing me during my stay in Sydney. Your hospitality was amazing!

I saw this trip as a once in a lifetime chance to go the world down under. Australia, you did not disappoint. Happy Tuesday blog world.

~Sam

London's Grace, American Eyes

2011-07-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

London

What seemed to hit me the hardest was how aged everything was. The oldest of man-made architecture here in the States is only roughly 200 years old. London boasts a very rich history. Amazing really.

While there I saw, Water Lilies by Monet, a Banksy piece, the original Burberry store, red cars, red buses, red shoes, red lips and at the end caught a red-eye home.

London's Graces, American Eyes.

won't lie. when I heard I cried. I was a fan.

The gentleman on the right allowed me to shoot him and his Leica M9. Thanks for the portrait Dick. :) I hope to one day have this much swagger.

red. You won't need to be there more then 4 minutes to realize what color Brits love to accent with.

Perhaps my most favorite image of the trip. Saw the opportunity within 3 seconds of taking the shot. The gentleman in the rear of the bus flipped me off soon after.

The Family Session in Wisconsin :: The Cauffmans

2011-07-19T21:09:00.001-07:00

The Cauffmans are photographers. When a photographer needs a photographer for photography, things get crazy.

Folks always ask, "you mean they flew you to them just to have their photos taken?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it's important."

When it means the documenting of your loved ones and finally being IN the photos instead of behind the camera, yes it's that important. I know this feeling all too well. Having recently had my families photos taken, I understand how precious it is. Again, I count it the highest of honors to be shooting for other photographers.

Now....LOOK at this session. I love love LOVE it. When you shoot for photographers the backdrop is important. How amazing is the light and locations here. I don't get this look too often being in the City. Wisconsin is some beautiful country. We drove for a solid hour and couldn't believe how lush and green everything was. So different from the concrete-jungles of the S.F. Bay Area.

**Warning, ignorant city boy talking here**

SILOS! SILOS WERE EVERYWHERE and they are huuuuuuuge. I know, some of you are laughing at me. I was so fascinated by them. THOSE things are full of corn? HOW? So cool. So random to mention. So what.

Lastly, look at those babies. I swear I almost stole one and brought em' home. Aubrey, (big sissy) referred to me as Sam "the-Sauce" the days leading up and after our session. SO STINKIN CUTE. Ella, (lil sissy) was an angel and cooperated as well as I've ever seen a baby do. Nicole, (mom) has a very inspiring story as shes lost 50+ lbs the months and weeks leading up to our shoot. You looked fab Nicole. Lastly Mike, (daddy) will be joining us a student for this years Genesis workshop. Can't wait. :)

Cauffman's,.....your an amazing family. Thank you for having me in your home and allowing me to meet your family. We killed this one.

Happy Tuesday evening folks!!

P.S. - (I'm in-route to the U.K.!!!)

Love this so much.

Oh yeah. This was in Wisconsin.
One of my faves.

awwwwww.

Awwwww again!

Kids were sent with Grandma and we had some hubby wifey time. :)

This would be MY new FB profile anyway. ;)

YES.

I love this family........

The Michigan Wedding :: Jennifer and John

2011-07-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

I know what your thinkin...

I've also always wonder why they call them jumbo shrimp. They're SHRIMP......but their jumbo? Nah man, nah.

So yeah, a winter wedding and we're in July. Jennifer and John's wedding took place in Michigan, (my third wedding there) and I got snow to play with in the country. HUGE for me as I'm a city-boy in the Golden State. Jennifer is also a photographer which is a big honor. Thanks for the trust Jenn. You were a beautiful bride. Big thanks to the bridle party for putting up with the pic/snow shenanigans. It was cold to say the least.

Also want to thank Adam Sparkes for help as assistant on this wedding. Adam is a local yokel and was a big help as we treked through all the white stuff. You the man Adam. Thanks for helping and for shawarmas after.

Happy Monday blog world.

~Sam

image on right inspired by Tony Hoffer.

Have the greatest life guys....

Behind the scenes. The things we go through. Whats worse is, we had to do this shot twice.

San Jose Engagement Photos :: Dawn & Vincent

2011-07-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

Dawn - "We want something different"

Sam - "I got just the place"

First off Dawn is a photographer! Go check out her work here: Yellow Barn
Secondly they are Canadian. :) As a present to themselves for their anniversary, they flew in, (Toronto I believe) and booked a session with me. Not just any session though. Below are images produced during my "Rockstar" portrait session. We shot for over 4 hours. Amazing what you can accomplish when time isn't an issue. If you're a client with a session on the horizon and you want something like this email me. :)

The Backdrop

Dawn works for GM. What better place to shoot our session then a salvage yard for old vehicle. BIG thank you to Steve from GM Sports for the use of there restoration/salvage yard. You're a class act my friend. I still owe you that photo session sir.

This session banged on all 8 cylinders. No pun int....okay fine, it was intended.

I feel VERY rivileged when a photographer trust me to shoot for them. Honor above honors in my opinion. That said, MY family was photographed recently as well. Candice K was flown in recently to help me shoot not just one but TWO weddings a few weekends ago. While she was here, we had her take some shots of the entire family as I'm rarely on the other side of the lens. I LOVE THEM CANDICE. Thank you. Have a look everyone and if you're in the need for a fab photographer in the North Florida area, call Candice! :)

The Hassas Family

Happy Tuesday, (again)!!

~Sam

Love.

A little backstory here. Dawn works for GM, (engineer I believe) She actually played a role in helping with newest model Camero. While in the yard we came up on this bad boy. A Camero years before any of us were born, (help me with the year all you car nuts).

Happy!
A Behind the scenes shot. Dawn EARED ME!!! Well played girl.

San Jose Engagment Session :: Julia & Jos

2011-07-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

In search for Mr. Right she found Mr. Derecho, (right in Spanish)

Ole'!

Enter Julia
Julia is a local yokel here in the Bay Area While Traveling and studying in Europe, her travels brought her to Spain.
Enter Jos
Julia met josh at a bull fight. Were they both spectators? NO Jos was the bull fighter. After narrowingly dodging death-by-bull for the 800th time Jos spots Julia in the crowd and approc........okay none of that happened but come on!! How awesome would that have been!!?

YES, Jos IS from Spain and YES they did meet there. That much I do know. ;)
Just that bit alone is directly out of a romance novel guys. HUGE congrats on the engagement. You two were seriously fun to shoot for. They will be getting married at The Westin St. Francis San Francisco in just a couple months. Seriously becoming one of my most favorite places to shoot. The Westin is amongst the very best the Bay Area has to offer in my opinion. So incredibly awesome!
Look for at least 2-3 other blog posts this week everyone. As always, your patience is MUCH appreciated.

Happy Tuesday Folks!

Mission Santa Clara Wedding :: Ann & Will

2011-07-10T04:47:00.001-07:00

Ann & Will in the Casa y'all!

Witness some pretty awesome stuff at this wedding. MSC, A bulldog, fishy crackers and a dragon!! Probably the chillest bridal party I've had to the pleasure of being around. Ann & Will tied the knot at Mission Santa Clara. Beautiful Church with equally beautiful grounds to photograph in as well. Had an awesome time as always.

Would like to say a big thank you to Julie Cahill for help as second shooter on this wedding. Always a pleasure Julie! Thank you! :)

Happy Sunday!!

~Sam

(such a dope dog)

the tea ceremony.

Go Ann.... :)

Love both these shots.

The Bridal party!

Image by Julie

Fin......enjoy the rest of your lives together guys.

San Jose Engagement Photographer :: Emily & Simon

2011-07-01T16:18:00.001-07:00

Emily & Simon y'all.....

These 2 will be hitching at a wonderful in Lodi called Wine & Roses, (was JUST there over the weekend shooting a wedding alongside photography extraordinaire - Candice K. peeeeast, she shot family pics for us while she was here. Coming soon!). These guys were fun, spunky and up for anything. Be prepared for similar during their wedding coming soon. :)

BIG thank you to Bess Friday for coming out and helping as assistant. You might remember Bess as a bride on my blog many months ago. She's following her dream. SO PROUD! Hop over to her blog when you get a chance. THANKS BESS!

Happy Friday guys!

~Sam

Corinthian Grand Ballroom Wedding :: Meghan & Craig

2011-06-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

A new years wedding!?

Yup...

And it June!?

Yup...

Enter Meghan & Craig. Meghan & Craig threw the baddest, craziest MOST HYPE New Year Wedding anyone will ever go to. Yes, that good.....
It all went down at the Corinthian Grand Ballroom in San Jose. Wedding ceremony itself was at the St. Joesph Cathedral in Downtown San Jose as well. If you ask me both were the perfect backdrop for this incredible black-tie wedding.
Meghan & Craig were brought my way via Jessica & Cory who's wedding I shot back in 2009 (peeeeaast! ***whispers*** Jessica is preggers.....blog pics of their maternity session soon to come). Saw lots of friends that were made from our last party with this crazy group of people. This wedding had EVERYTHING. Should note that Meghan is an event planner by day so if things look too perfect, you understand why. Just about everything you see is her vision. So good.

Want to say THANK YOU to Jared Alvarez for coming out as second shooter on this wedding. My man kills it every time. BIG grats again you two. Everything was just marvelous. On with the show.....

Happy Wednesday folks!

~Sam

just enough smile, love this.Baha!! Love.
the dudes....
the dudettes...

air guitar.
dad see's his girl the first time...... WHAT a special picture.

Wow, girl.

:D

Okay, here we goooooooo!

you can feel it....

Okay, some background. Craig sings Sweet Caroline at just about every wedding, party, GTG, karaoke night, shower he is given the opportunity. Just before take stage, he announced he'd be hanging it up and THIS would be his final performance. This one was for Meghan.

BUP BUP BUP!

A tribute shot. ;)
SAY HI JESSICA!!
Singing "We are a family"

:)

BOOM! confetti. ...should old acquaintance be forgot and na ba tam mah nann, (admit it, you don't know the words either)
it was epic......

Vegas Mini Session :: Jessie & Tommy

2011-06-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

Zero.

That's the number of things Jessie & Tommy take very seriously . :D

Her first trip to Vegas EVER and after being there 20 minutes, we jumped right into a shoot together. :)
Meet Tommy and Jessie. Some of the nicest peeps you'll ever see grace my blog. Jessie is a photographer and wanted a special treat for her first trip out to Vegas. We talked and they decided we should fly "The Sauce" out as well and shoot right there. I literally flew in and out within 3 hours. How cool is that!? Hope you won big guys.

(Special internetz points for those that can identify what hotel we're at.)

Anyone else want a mini session? Call me!!

Happy Tuesday!

~Sam

Houston Wedding Photographer :: Rebekah & Brad

2011-06-16T03:37:00.001-07:00

If you're a current client and we have a session planned soon, please please PLEASE consider this session for inspiration. HOLY WOW. THIS session is bananas. Absolute BANANAS!!! Wardrobe, location, theme... I loved it ALL.

Houston TEXAS

Your truly took a flight once again to the Big state of Texas to shoot another engagement session for this FAB couple. Rebekah and Brad walked out of a J-Crew catalog and somehow landed in front of my camera. This is just too easy. If that wasn't enough, every cloud in Texas decide not to come to the sky that day giving me the most EPIC sunset lighting to work with. We had 8 cylinders....... we banged on all of them.

Our session went down in Houston, but more specifically in a place called "Sugarland". Lots of culture, greenery and life. This location fit the couple hand in glove. Gawwwh!! I just can't say enough. I'll be back real soon to document the wedding! The Wedding will go down at this really sweet looking venue called Las Velas in Houston. Photographers playground. Thank you for having me guys. I think we did alright here. :)

MRS. HASSAS!!!!! AKA Mrs. DARCY

My wife Monica is amazing. When I'm at a wedding and a groom is giving his vows
I think about my wife Monica. I get teary eye EVERY SINGLE TIME. I love love love her. BABE, you're my partner in crime. No one believes in me more then you do. FACT!!! (and I don't tell you that enough sweetheart. **sniff sniff*).

Why am I talking about her? Monica my wife has an alias. That alias is Mrs. Darcy. Jane Austin fans will get the reference. The beautiful hair accessories worn by Rebekah, (green & champagne headbands ) here were HANDMADE and created with love by Moni. She has an Etsy store that is robust all things pretty. She LOVES doing this. We have no need at all financially for her to do this and it is purely out of passion for her. She gets this cute sparkle and glow when she see's someone at our church or a friend who is wearing something she made.In my 250 posts to this blog I've yet to mention her little endeavor here. I'm just proud of her and decided to break silence. Go see her stuff and fill her page with comments about how awesome she is.......... for me? :)

I love you Hon.

Did I just blog 2 session in one morning!? I did. I did

:D

Happy Thursday folks!

LOVE these two shots. The angel. The stud.

Real men hold red balloons.

Hand-band by Mrs Darcy. :)
Loves.
I could hardly pick a fav in this set but if I absolutely had to........THIS. A fresh young couple TOTALLY in love ready to take on the world. Go get em' Rebekah and Brad.

East Bay Wedding Photographer :: Genesista & Vicente

2011-06-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

The officiant affectionately referred to the groom as monkey......

The officiant is also his new Father-in-Law....

:)

Enter Genista & Vicente. Shot for these guys some months for there e-session. Have a look here. Lots of love and a rowdy group of friends always makes for some good picture taking.

Genista father is a minster and filled the roll of F.O.B. as well as officiant. Did a great job and had the place in stitches when it was all said and done.
Note to all the men out there. If the girl you're going to marry that has a father that is comfortable with a microphone in his hand and equally as comfortable slicing you to bits in front of everyone you've ever known, you might want to save some bribery money before hand to keep your secrets locked away. You've been warned....You just had to be there. Pretty hilarious.

Congrats on the marriage guys. Hope life brings you Infinite amounts of joy in the coming years.

Happy Thursday!!!

~Sam

OH!!!! Don't you just want to squeeze her. This little darling stole the show. Such a cutie
Paparazzi....

New York City Engagement Photographer :: Raeshell & Allan

2011-06-14T21:06:00.001-07:00

New York yall.....

Couple months ago while in the Big Apple shooting a wedding for these guys. I was privileged enough to get to do ANOTHER engagement session for another NYC couple who's wedding I will be shooting there in August. Raeshell & Allan tie the Knot in just 10 short weeks. Hassas will be there to document.

I LOVE NEW YORK.

Your streets are cool. Your buildings are cool. Your trash is cool. LOVE me some Bay Area but New York is just as awesome. These guys "glided" on it's streets while I shot. Such style, (my wife walked into my office while I was editing these and said both of you look, "high society". :) I'm counting the days that I come back!

Up next on my edit list:

Genista & Vicenti - wedding
Mehgan & Craig - wedding
Jessie & Tommy - engagement
Ann & Will - wedding
Emily & Simon - engagement

THANK YOU FOR THE PATIENCE GUYS!!

~Sam

Just the groom........

2011-06-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

diamonds...
radium.....
touchdown by the Detroit Lions....
Sam Hassas second shooting.........

"What are things that are rare!?"

CORRECT!, select again."

"I'll take, why is Sam Blogging at at 5:53am"

Shot this wedding with my good buddy Jared a while back. I can count on one hand how many times I had the privileged to second shoot in 2010. I REALLY playing second fiddle at time. Able to take more risks, creative juices flow in a different way. Just all around fun. All went down at The Clement Monterey. Such a dope place.
If you're a photographer and you get the opportunity to second shoot for someone, TAKE IT. Study the first shooters style and do your best to mesh you're style with theirs. If you're lucky enough to have a cool set of groomsmen that are up for anything like I did, you'll be double lucky.

Thanks for the opportunity bud. Had an awesome time.....always.

Happy Wednesday blog stalkers.

~Sam

a shot with his bride just to prove she was real...
groom is in a band. Really he is, (fantastic singing and guitar ability). This shot felt band-ish.

San Fransisco Engagement :: Kristen & Mike

2011-06-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

I've shot in San Fransisco 4 dozen times. Hard to believe I'd never once considererd shooting at Haight/Ashbury. Saw lots of graffiti, dreadlocks and was even propositioned to purchase some medical marijuana, (true story). WHY HAVE I WAITED SO LONG!?
Kristen & Mike will be marring in San Fransisco so it seemed the correct backdrop for their engagement session. Really fun peeps here. Wedding is in just a couple months!
Team Hassas will be shooting there as well.
I will be turning 33 in just 2 days!! When I do I'll be on the beaches of ....wait for it...HAWAII!!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

~Sam

Lake Merrit Wedding Photographer :: Johanna & Ryan

2011-06-04T03:35:00.000-07:00

During Johanna & Ryan's engagement session we used a boat. Awesome session and their wedding was no different. Lots of friends at this wedding. Felt right at home and followers of the blog will see some familiar faces from other weddings and portrait shoots I've had in the past.
Johanna & Ryan, HUGE grats on the union. Wedding was superb and I'm humbled to be asked to shoot for you. Much love guys. (chest pound to all my "Rock" homies and homettes).
Big thanks to my best bud and shooting partner Jared Alvarez for help as second shooter here. He killed it. Folks, if you're looking for a wedding photographer for your upcoming wedding....HIRE ME. If I'm booked, hire Jared. You'll love him. :)
Lots of the detailed shots below are by him. Also wanted to say thank you to Dolores for help as assistant for this one. She was there to help with lights and bags but ended up with several AWESOME shots during the wedding. I added a couple by her below.
THANKS GUYS!!

~Sam

If you look closely, you'll notice there is an Oreo in the grooms hand....also, is that a Pepsi logo on the top left?

Stud.
Image by Dolores. WOW!! Perfect comp.

This image was inspired by a favorite photographer of mine. THANK YOU SERGIO!

The crew. Good lookin bunch eh?
dude....these guys.
Love this.

Epic throw.

I loled for 5 minutes after taking this. Grooms sister.

Ladies and gentlemen.....Jared Alvarez.

San Jose Engagement Photographer :: Jillaian & Adrian

2011-06-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

If you have a session planned with me and mother nature decides rain will be falling that day.........BUY THIS UMBRELLA and bring it to the shoot!

:)

Jillian and Adrian have been friends of my wife and I for many many years. Many years has also been the amount of time they have been a couple. On Oct 23rd of this year, knots will be tied and celebrations will be had. I'll be there to witness it. :D
And I tell ya, they couldn't have chosen a better place to marry at. Clos La Chance is rivaled amoung the BEST of venues I've ever been to. What a super place. I had the privelege of shooting Jessica & Cory's wedding there in 2009 and talk about coinsidences I shot their maternity session TODAY!! It's a girl!! Look out for their images in the coming weeks.

BIG grats guys. Such a pleasure to shoot for you. :) Wedding will be no different I'm sure of it!

Happy Wednesday!

~Sam

San Jose Wedding Photographer :: Jeanine & Neal

2011-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

From the 150+ weddings I've shot, if you were to ask me WHO was the easiest going couple, it would be HAVE to be Jeanine and Neal. Their engagement session was amounst my most favorite of last year. We car washed, we swam, we LICKED! This time we licked and wedding bells rang.

BIG thanks to Scott Mosher for helping out on this gig. You're help is appreciated. Always. Also wanted to say thank you to Diane & Robert for refereeing these guys to me in the first place. OH, guest who has a new baby. :)

Congrats guys. Wedding was a blast. Lets do a post wedding session! We can continue the tradition and end with a lick. CHEERS!

Happy Saturday bloggies!

~Sam

love this layout.

Yeah, this is something the do. :)
annnnnd again. :D

Sacramento Senior Photographer :: Whitney

2011-05-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

" Hey Sam!"

Hey Whitney!"

Can we shoot my session at a petting zoo?"

"Like, YEAH!"

She didn't want an ordinary backdrop. She's not an ordinary girl. Whitney, you were a pleasure to shoot for. Thank you for the AWESOME suggestion for our backdrop. I can't take credit here folks. This is all Whitney. :) Hope you love em. Your family seemed extremely proud of you and any parent would be blessed to have a daughter with such a creative, honest and wonderful soul. Loved shooting for you.

If you're a soon to be grad, hit me up for a senior shoot. We can do your session HERE

Book early for next year if you'd like prime shoot dates.

Cheer folks! Happy Wednesday!

~Sam

S.F. Engagement Session :: Carlee & Stan

2011-05-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

White guys!!! Dude, all the Asians are takin your chicks!

Carlee and Stan met in the military. Stan was her boss, (commander/ambassador/chief or something). Dating was prohibited if you commend over or are being commanded over in the military. She asked to be moved, they began dating. :D

YES, they are as carefree as the images showcase. LOVED shooting for them and will be BACK to do it again towards the end of the year. Must thank my buddy Jared Alvarez for the referral. Not only a fellow photographer but a fellow solider on the battle fields of Call of Duty, (who wants some!!? Xboxlive username :: Samsauce). I count Jared as among my best of friends.

Shot all this in the City. Will be going there twice this week. Woooohooo!!

Happy Monday erbody.

~Sam

"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Genesis"...

2011-05-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

...but were afraid to ask!

First and foremost, if you're not following us on Twitter and Facebook, that needs to change NOW! We want to share all the great things we have going on!

Sometimes we get calls or emails asking “who is Genesis for, anyway?” That's a great question! Genesis is for any photographer wanting to “up their game”. It's for any photographer who is ready to take their work to the next level... whatever that level might be. The beauty of how we designed Genesis, is that there are four groups of students, placed together so as to maximize the individual learning experience. Those just starting out will be with others in the same position. Those who have been shooting for years and have honed their work more closely to what they want from themselves, will be with those who are also nearing the top of their goals. This way, the instructors engineer each rotation to meet the needs of those who are in front of them at that moment, instead of mushing it all together for people to pick out what information is for them, and what is under or over their heads.

The Genesis after-care is something in which we have taken great pride. Last year, we had thirty students from all over the country (plus two from Canada!). And even though we ran the full gamut of experience levels, each student left feeling as though they had made 29 new friends that they could call on and receive encouragement from. What better way to support that new family than to create a private forum where they can come together to post their images, share their thoughts, and ask their questions. The instructors strive to stay active in the forum so that any questions that are thought of can be asked, even though we're not still sitting in a classroom calling on raised hands. Your $1600 goes so much further than just the week of the workshop... the education and help continues after you return home, which is quite possibly the time you need it most! The forum has even been used numerous times to hire second shooters and/or assistants! Everyone wants the help of someone who was Genesis trained! ;)

When we were planning Genesis, the number one thing we wanted to ensure was the integrity of the topics being taught. With that in mind, each instructor chose their courses based on their personal strengths, not based on the subjects that we thought people would pay money to hear. There are too many workshops out there where one or two people act like they can teach it all. The truth of the matter is, so few can excel in every area (well, Tony comes close). So it's best to have several teachers who simply teach what they know... what they've been through... and what they have success in pulling off within their own business. So when you have Ed teaching you lighting, it's because he's awesome at it. When you have Tony teaching you workflow, it's because he's perfected it. When you have Sam teaching you group posing and client interaction, it's because he can nail it. And when you have Jeff and Mel teaching you how to balance family and business, it's because they screwed it up for so long and want to make certain you don't fall into the same holes they did.

Each instructor was asked to give a brief synopsis of their specific rotation & elective. Here's what was delivered!

Sam

Posing Group Shots/Drawing Inspiration: Famous last words from photographers JUST BEFORE completing a rotation with Sam Hassas include...... "I suck at posing"... "I suck at group shots"... "I suck at being creative". You'll understand not just the mechanics of a good group shot but the execution as well. "How the heck does he come up with all those creative images!?" No secrets! Everything is given and no question is denied. Skills will be built upon in a classroom setting along with a hands on real time group shot with YOU as a participant. A lot can be learned when your on the other side of the lens. Feel what a heavy person feels. Or a skinny, tall, short, white, black, GREEN... whatever! Everyone and anyone can be posed and feel like a rock-star. Come sucking. Leave not sucking.

Reception Lighting: Couples were hiring me because my images didn't look like everyone else's. They saw a difference even when they couldn't put their finger on what it was. The difference was off camera lighting techniques. During my reception lighting elective we will simulate an ACTUAL reception complete with music, strobes and dancers on a dance floor, (guess who the dancers will be). The EXACT lighting set up that I use EVERY TIME I shoot a wedding reception will be employed. We'll take photos and then reverse engineer exactly how I did it! A complete gear list will be provided and you'll hit the ground running your next wedding reception. Don't forget your dancing shoes!

Jeff & Mel

Better than Reality: You scroll through pages and pages of wedding galleries from the top photographers and think, "If I had THAT venue, I'd hit it out of the park, too!" Not all of us are lucky enough to end up shooting a reception in a glamorous five-star hotel. Our ceremonies aren't in cathedrals built in 1780. More times than not, we're in a dark church with wood panels walls and a bride getting ready in the nursery. The receptions are at the local Hampton Inn or the church fellowship hall with cinder block walls and a drop ceiling. Can beautiful images come out of locations that limiting? In the same regard, can you capture the best side of the bride who hates her profile? Or the one who worries about her double chin? How about the girl wearing a strapless dress even though she hates her arms? As professionals, we're sometimes given difficult people and places to shoot... but this is why they come to us. To make certain that even though they aren't the cover model, or their locations aren't the Ritz, we can still make them feel like Cinderella at the ball.

The Perfect Interview: It's the constant topic on all the forums for photography... "our market is over-saturated!" How can you make the most of the time you have with the couple? How can you stand out from the crowd? How can you make your studio be the one they trust the most? The one they feel will best cover their day? We'll go through steps that help strengthen your inter-personal communication AND give your potential clients the much needed boost in confidence they need to make the decision to hire you over others in your market.

Balancing Family & Business: You spend so much energy getting your studio off the ground... and just when you're ready to celebrate the success, you realize everyone around you is frustrated because you haven't given them the time of day in months! It's tough to put the effort into both sides of your life, but it's critical to remaining grounded and plugged in. Let us share our personal struggles and the concepts we've developed to ensure that all of our friends and family show up when we want to throw a party. ;)

Tony

From Brain to Photograph: Every photographer I know struggles with one thing. They spend so much of their time looking at photographs they admire, practicing how they'd like to shoot, conceptualizing ideas, purchasing things to help them process better and just generally freaking out about everything that they want to do. Then they get out on a shoot and promptly fall back into the same patterns that they're always in. Photographers always have ideas of what they want to produce, but often don't have the time/skills/equipment/guts to make it happen. In this portion of Genesis, I'm going to be addressing how we change that. We'll be talking about how the decisions that we make about how we shoot directly affect our work and how we can use the personalities we already have to mold a style. Then, we'll go from concept to production where you'll be able to come up with the ideas, then we'll execute them step-by-step and walk through how we decide what to do. It promises to be challenging and eye-opening.

Workflow: If there's one thing that I think needs to be integral to a business, it's a solid and consistent workflow. An inconsistent (or just plain bad) workflow can do irreparable harm to a business and a reputation. In the second part of my presentation, we'll use the images we created and talk about how we process them quickly and how we make our workflow an important part of creating our style without having it overwhelm our lives. This is a critical presentation that your sleep-deprived body will thank you for!

Ed

Comprehensive Lighting: Photography is light. There's simply no other way of looking at it. But the truth is that many photographers jump into their business without a knowledge of what that means. And often it's not just a matter of if we know what a Rembrandt pattern is (which we all should), it's if we know when to use it, how it's going to affect our subject and if it's appropriate for what we're shooting. My goal with lighting is to make it accessible to everyone. There's a lot of information out there, but light properties are always the same. At Genesis, we'll be diving into just that. We'll be defining light, refining light and showing down to earth demonstrations of how to control light like you never have before!

Gear and DIY: When most of us start in photography, we don't have big budgets or fancy tools. So most of us improvise. As we grow, we start to pick up on these things, but it's important not to lose the ability to create. Making gear that works for me has been a passion of mine since I started and I'll be showing just how I create tools that make me better and save tons of money in the process.

Need more convincing? Why don't you let Sam's Crib do it for you...

Are you sold on the Genesis Workshop? Please give us a call and let us get your spot secured! Once you've registered with us, you'll gain access to the Facebook group for all of the 2011 attendees. It's a great place to hang out and get to know each other before you all end up in the same room for three days straight! We're already having fun in there, just waiting for the rest of you to join us! Call 252-525-3535 to reserve your slot today!

The Hassas Mini Sessions :: from Sydney to S.F.

2011-05-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

Mini sessions with BIG heart. Love doing these when all we need is a touch of magic. 1 hr. Me. You. Camera. Komondor.

Wait, forget that last thing.

S.F. California

We start with Nassim and Ben here in SF. Love the accents they chose in way of color and outfits. Persian wedding!! Ben, get ready to dance your life away to endless amonts of synthesized keyboards and deep tabla beats. ;)

Sydney, Australia

While I was in Australia shooting for Samantha & Ian I had this cute couple contact me about a mini session. You locals recognize the area? 100,000,000 internet points to the one who can rightly name our location cross streets. :) LOVED AUSTRALIA!! Almost smuggled back a koala and a didgeridoo but customs stopped me. **shakes fist at customs**

Doing a boat load of traveling this year. Good chance I'll be in your area. Who else wants a mini session? :)

Happy Monday y'all!!

~Sam

San Jose Photographer :: Victoria & Amil

2011-05-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

Victoria & Amil yall!

Do they not look genuinely happy and in love!? Such a fun couple who wedding is just around the corner. We laughed the entire session. As we begun the session, it dawned on Victoria that she had forgotten her SHOES!! No worries, my wife Monica rivals the likes of FootLocker with her own personal set. Thanks babe!

I had the pleasure of shooting for Victoria's cousin Marius a couple years back now. Matter of fact, he'll be helping out on THIS wedding as second shooter. Howe cool is that? All the action will go down in Sacramento. Gonna be fun!

Wanna thank everyone for being so patient and we tread through getting all your engagement/wedding/senior/andeverythingelse images back to do. WEDDING SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Sam

San Jose Engagement Photos :: Jayme & Kenny

2011-05-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

Color........

Enter Jayme & Kenny. Isn't the color on this set crazy. I love it. I wish I could say I was smart enough to plan it all this way. It just worked out. :)
These two were a barrel of laughs. During the shoot I wanted to do a shot I was reminded of another couple while setting up. Bout 10 minutes later, we run into Andrea & Rusty, the VERY couple we were talking about!! :D

They will be marring at the ever awesome Casa Real in Pleasanton. Been there many times and always impressed by the stellar job they do handling weddings. Can't wait!!

Plan on doing a fair bit of blogging this week. Plan for a post almost every day this week. :D Happy Monday folks!

I love you all........

~Sam

Wedding at The Brazilian Room :: Sai & Doug

2011-04-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Kate's Dress < Sai's Dress

Royal Shomyal. Who needs Royal wedding photos when you have THESE to look at!
Shoot this grand wedding at the Brazilian Room at Berkeley during the tail end of last year for Sai & Doug. We did their awesome engagement session in Redwood City. Their son, (dog) Gizmo kinda stole the show. He kinda did the same thing again.

Really beautiful wedding here folks. You guys did an amazing job with planning. Colors, decor were all flawless. Sai you made a radiant bride. Just stunning, (airight?)
Lots of love goes into these to have results like what you see. I get questions often from planning brides about dress, cakes, flowers MUA's they see on my blog. This one will hold a record I suspect. Congrats guys!! Best wishes towards the new life together.

Big thanks to Ben for coming along as assistant on this wedding. Your help was much appreciated my friend. Always. Happy Friday, (today is Ethans 6th B-Day!!!)

~Sam