SLIDER

Rancho Las Lomas Wedding Inspiration | Orange County Wedding Photographer

Monday, August 17, 2015

Rancho Las Lomas Wedding Inspiration | Orange County Wedding PhotographerThis shoot was a special one for me. I had taken a long break from photography after finding out I was pregnant with twins back in 2012. During my time off, I didn't shoot anything so when I ended up deciding that I wanted to get back into wedding photography, I knew it was going to be quite a journey as I didn't have anything recent or up to date with my current style in my portfolio. I wanted to create a shoot that was reflective of the style of weddings I wanted to photograph -- classic, elegant, and romantic -- so I teamed up with Amy of All In The Detail design who helped me plan this shoot. We were very fortunate to be able to shoot at the stunning Rancho Las Lomas in Orange County which hosts some of the most beautiful weddings in the OC. Together with Amy, we were able to put together an amazingly talented team of weddings professionals who helped bring my vision to life! I wanted to go with a soft color palette that included the colors white/ivory, green, and hints of peach. I also wanted touches of gold with lots of candles. All in all, this shoot turned out just beautifully and I'm so proud of my entire team! Now if only I could shoot a real wedding at Rancho Las Lomas -- I would die!

When your best isn't the best... for some.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Southern California Wedding Photographer | Damaris Mia PhotographyIn addition to being a wedding photographer, I am also a wedding blog editor for the popular Southern California Bride blog. I go through a lot of submissions monthly and reject a lot of them because I like to feature fresh, new, and beautiful content to my readers. I haven't had that sense of being on the other side of things for over 5 years and with this recent shoot I did, I finally felt (again) what it's like to be rejected.

It sucks big time. 

It's no fun being told that "your work isn't quite what they're looking for" or they were expecting more "unexpected details" or they simply reject you without even giving a reason as to why (guilty of these three responses myself). When you're already in a rut and doubting yourself -- wondering if you are good enough despite the encouragement and praises you get from friends, family, and clients -- getting rejected makes it a little worse. I remember just being really bummed when the shoot I felt was one of my best ever got rejected not once, but twice within a couple of days.

After chatting with a good friend of mine, Heather of The Editor's Touch, (and after much thought), I found a home for my shoot -- on Southern California Bride, my wedding blog. It's going to be featured tomorrow and I cannot wait to share all of my favorites from this shoot -- it truly is one of my favorite shoots I've ever participated in and I'm really proud of how everything turned out. Stay tuned!

But in the meantime... dealing with rejection sucks but from what I've learned, it's not the end of the road. There are so many options out there -- people who will appreciate and be excited to share your work. It's not always the biggest or most well-known blogs... you just have to look and find the right one. But don't give up. ever.


The reason why my heart is so full right now

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The last full styled wedding shoot I did happened over 5 years ago so I was pretty nervous going into this shoot that happened last night. I don't know why but up until this shoot, I've been really tough on myself when judging my photo taking skills. At times, I feel stuck and like I just cannot get it right. The images turn out great but I always feel like I could do better and even better. So with last night's shoot, I just felt an immense amount of pressure riding on my back because I was working with over 15 wedding professionals from Southern California and I just couldn't screw up. I had to do my best to photograph what they contributed to the shoot in the best way possible and being that it's been over 5 years since I did my last big shoot as a photographer, I was simply nervous. 

But here is the thing when you work with such amazing wedding pros who are so good at what they do -- who go above and beyond what they're supposed to do -- just so they can help bring your vision to life... it's amazing. 


My heart is so full right now because the whole shoot felt like a dream. All the vendors who contributed to the shoot were just so wonderful and did an amazing job. I got to meet and make new friends and become even closer with vendors I already knew. I got to meet a truly wonderful couple who drove from Arizona just to participate in this shoot -- like, WOW! And they were so incredibly sweet. This shoot went above and beyond what I had envisioned. Looking through the images I took, I'm just so proud. Proud of myself and proud of my team. Without them, this shoot wouldn't have turned out the way it did and I am so thankful for each and every one of their contribution to this shoot. I can't wait to be able to share the images!!

Until then, here is a sneak peek :)


Jonathan & Sarah | A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session

Saturday, August 1, 2015

A few days ago, I had the privilege of photographing Jonathan & Sarah's engagement session in beautiful San Juan Capistrano. This engagement session was extra special because they happen to be they are the first couple to hire me to be their wedding photographer since my special announcement in the fall of last year (where I announced that I was getting back into shooting weddings again). 

I simply adored this San Juan Capistrano engagement session. I had photographed here before but never walked around and explored SJC like we did during this session. We walked around the Los Rios Historic District and found many nooks and crannies to shoot it which makes it such a great spot for an engagement session. We laughed and just had so much fun!

I am really looking forward for their January wedding at The Summit House in Fullerton! It is going to be so beautiful!

A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
A San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
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