I debated finding somewhere other than the Lakes Basin to do last week’s engagement session with Sam and Ann after shooting Jesus and Jillian at Lake Mary the weekend prior, but it’s too good a time of year there to pass up.

There’s still a fair amount of snow in the high country but the weather is fantastic and the crowds are non-existent. If we shot this session later in the spring or into the summer, there would be straggling fisherman in the backgrounds of each location. Back to the the Lakes it was, and I’m stoked on the result.

We met up at Pokonobe Marina at Lake Mary, and then went up to Lake Mamie. I scoped out some cool spots up there earlier in the day, and we ended up coming across a few more on our leisurely stroll around the north end of the lake. The old fishing cabins and docks there are vacant for a few more weeks so we acted like we owned the place. Like all engagement sessions we do, it was a great opportunity to meet Sam and Ann and gauge how best to photograph them before their Mammoth Mountain wedding this summer.

That’s all for this week. In case you missed it, Josh posted some great shots from a children’s birthday party in Reno on Wednesday. Check back next week for more.

-Brandon

Maren’s birthday was a bubble filled afternoon. Her friends showed up dressed to-the-t parents in tow. There were a gazillion bubbles, a dance performance, amazing food, bubbly drinks, a zany photographer and of course cake.

I (zany photographer) had a great time chasing the little ones around working to capture the fleeting moments. I have to say Maren is one of most difficult children I’ve photographed, she is so quick and rarely stays in one area.  She’s quite impressive and challenging.

I hope I captured the spirit of the festivities.  It was a great party, amazingly planned by adoring parents.

- Josh

John and Jane’s wedding at Mammoth Mountain was a blast and in such a great location. Mammoth is an ideal location for any sort of celebration, but it seems to be the perfect place for mountain enthusiasts to celebrate their love.

You can see our photos from their day Here and Here.

These are a few of my favorites from their photo booth.

- Josh

Here are some shots from Saturday night’s engagement session with Jesus and Jillian at Lake Mary in the Mammoth Lakes Basin.

The road to the lakes just opened for the summer so I figured it would be a cool place to shoot this awesome couple. A few weeks ago, you could only ski, snowshoe or hike up that far. Now, it’s been warm for a few weeks and most of the snow if gone. A few places, such as most north-facing slopes and the lakes, still have a bit of snow and ice left over.

The remaining ice on Lake Mary made for a unique portrait opportunity. There is only a short time of year while the road is open and the lake is still frozen over. The dock at the Lake Mary Marina on the west side of the lake was clear and accessible, but surrounded in ice. It was definitely sketchy getting out there, but the owner of the marina said it was good to go so we went for it and it was worth the risk. Jillian, in heels and a dress, hopped right out there and posed like a champ as I ran back around to the other side of the lake for some long-distance shots. The reflections from the crimson southwest side of the Sherwins were amazing and we came up with cool images there.

From there we wandered over to the north end of the lake and watched some fisherman yank trout out of the outlet. The fish all gather at that part of the lake so fishing didn’t appear to be too challenging, but it was entertaining to watch. We walked out to the point on that end of the lake and got a few more wide angle shots with the Crest and Duck Pass in the background, the trudged out in the snow to Lake Mamie to finish up. It was an incredible night with great light and mild temps.

We’re stoked to be shooting their wedding at Forest Chapel this August. Our friends at CJ’s Grill are going to be cooking that night so we know the food will be top-notch as well.

That’s all for today, Josh will have another family portrait session coming up Thursday, and I’ll be back next week with another engagement session I’ll be shooting on Saturday night. Thanks for reading and happy Ocho de Mayo.

-Brandon

I met up with Will and Kathy a few weekends ago to do a quick engagement session at Sierra Star Golf Course.

They were on their way back to the Bay Area after a weekend of wedding planning, so we looked for somewhere accessible and dramatic and Sierra Star fit the bill. With some snow on the first fairway and Mammoth Rock in the background, it was an ideal spot for some shots before their upcoming Forest Chapel wedding.

It was a great chance to get to know Will and Kathy and once again it looks like we’re going to have an awesome couple to work with this summer.

On another note, just before the session, a fighter jet ( maybe an F-18?) flew over town and I grabbed a quick shot of it on my phone. Check it out below. We saw a few of them circling around the area that weekend–pretty impressive to say the least.

That’s it for the week. Josh has another family session coming up, and we’ve both got engagement sessions planned for the coming week so there’s lots more on the way. Have a great weekend and enjoy the spring weather. Mammoth closes for skiing in less than a month so you know where to find me.

Brandon

After a bit of rescheduling due to spring storms I was able to meet up with Justin, Anne, Maren & Violet to make some photos of these four lovely people. Justin and Anne are sisters and their daughters are only nine months apart.

We met at Crystal Park in Verdi, on the Truckee River.  It’s a lovely park with plenty of room for a variety of photographic opportunities. We took time to make a couple of more traditional portraits as well as letting the kiddos run around and play. Last fall I made some portraits with Mike Justin and Maren, check those out here.

The Union Pacific Railway tracks are right near the park, the girls loved hearing the choo-choo, curiosity and excitement bubbled up every time it came through.

Maren turned three on Saturday and I was there to cover the party, so stay tuned for some 3 year-old bubble-party fun.

Have a great day.

- Josh

Here is the second set of photos from last week’s Mammoth Mountain wedding with John and Jane.

It was a fantastic photography weekend with two weddings, one on Saturday and this one on Monday. The break in between gave Josh and I some time to discuss strategy over powder turns in the Sherwins, as well as shoot an engagement session for an upcoming Forest Chapel wedding.

John and Jane were an awesome couple to work with. They came from the Bay Area, and their family came from across the world. Literally, we had people in from Pennsylvania, Florida, France, Bali, and several points beyond. Most came from semi-tropical areas, so the comparatively frigid temps were a shock but everybody seemed to have a great time.

Josh covered it well with his post here so I won’t go into too much detail. The vendors we worked this weekend (Mammoth Mountain Weddings, Hair By Carrie G, Green Fox Events and Guest Services) were all fantastic, as usual. That was the first wedding we’ve shot in the top gondola building, AKA the Top of the Sierra, and we loved the backdrop for the ceremony. The clouds moved in just as we wrapped up there, but the views were stunning as a small storm moved in.

Unfortunately we’ve got a wedding hiatus now for a little while but the summer rush will soon be in full force, including seven weddings over a 14-day stretch in July. During that time, we’ll be in Mammoth, Reno, Tahoe and the Bay Area, so it should be a blast.

Thanks again for reading and keep checking in.

-Brandon

Brandon posted his awesome work and take from the day here, if you haven’t already seen his post, check it out.

We had a great time with Brian, Jennifer and their families. Their wedding was an obvious celebration of love.

It was great working with you guys, thank you for everything.

- Josh

We were lucky enough this weekend to have two amazing couples to work with at one of our favorite places to shoot. The views from the top of Mammoth Mountain are unparalleled with easy access and amazing amenities.

Jane, aka J-lo, prepared for the day with hair and makeup by Carrie then put her dress on at a beautiful home near the village.  Her amazingly talented cousin made her dress by hand, awesome! John, J-ko, suited up at the Mammoth Mountain inn with his Mom and Dad nervously watching.

The weather was nice enough to have their ceremony at the top, just above 11,000 feet, which is quite fitting for this adventurous couple.  Check out our snowy engagement session.

After their touching ceremony overlooking the Eastern Sierra we scrambled outside just in time for the clouds to roll in and obscure the views, we made the most of white backgrounds then headed down to McCoy station for more photos and the reception. Sandra with Green Fox Events had everything running smooth and looking lovely every step along the way.

John and Jane’s families were amazingly kind and intelligent people whose love for them showed through the entire day.

If you can’t tell I had a really hard time narrowing down my image selection so I just went ahead and posted a bunch.

J-ko and J-lo you guys were awesome, thanks so much for having us and being willing to stand out in the cold!

- Josh

The weather was just about right for Saturday’s Mammoth Mountain wedding with Brian and Jennifer.

As photographers, we’d prefer a cloudy day with snowfall over a cloudless, bluebird day nine times out of ten. The caveat being the wind. With wind, all bets are off.

But for this skiing and snowboarding wedding at McCoy Station, the snow fell straight down and the sun occasionally popped out so we had the best of both worlds.

This schedule was one of the more entertaining for us. We shot the ceremony at McCoy Station’s Glass Room in the morning and did many of the family portraits right outside, facing Chair 3.

We had most of the day after the ceremony to shoot action shots of the bride and groom and the wedding party around the mountain on their skis and boards. Chair 12 and the lower half of the mountain were great, but our trip into the malaise at the top turned out to be our undoing. It was full-on whiteout conditions up there. You couldn’t see the tips of your skis, much less a bride and grooms shredding down 25 feet above. It was a great morning and both Brian and Jen were super good on the hill, but it became about survival more than art so we headed home to prepare for the evening’s reception at Parallax.

We grabbed some photos of Jennifer’s prep and makeup, done by the talented Missy Lowe, then headed up the gondola to Parallax for the second half of the wedding. It was, as we expected, a fantastic party at the recently renovated Parallax, which is Mammoth Mountain’s high-end, super plush restaurant and their most popular wedding reception venue.

Brian and Jennifer were one of the coolest, most relaxed couples we’ve worked with. Josh and I both mentioned that, but it was verified by several other wedding professionals throughout the day. We’ve never had a tough couple, but these guys made the day easy on us.

That’s it for this post. Josh will be back with more on Thursday. We’re also the photographers for Jane and John’s Mammoth wedding today, so look for some from that in the following week. Thanks.

Brandon