Cicelee + Dwayne's Green Wedding Ceremony

Cicelee and Dwaye truly made their simple, elegant, gorgeous wedding their own. They chose Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach for the ceremony. No flowers to take away from the beautiful natural surroundings and to not be wasteful of the environment. No frills. No wedding planner. Flip flops. An intimate 25 guests. Nature, trails, and the ocean all made for the perfect ambience for their wedding. Cicelee's dress by: Nicole Miller Dwayne's suit by: Original Penguin I'm pretty sure he was wearing Rainbow flip flops. :) ~Stunning, unique rings by Laguna Beach Jewelry Designer Catherine Reade For more images from the wedding, visit www.joanallenweddings.com under "Laguna Beach"

Erin + David Engagement Photo Shoot

Thinking outside the box for engagement photos is a hobby. So, why not a multi-million dollar house, mid-design, for our photo shoot?! Fun shoot on a hot day. Erin and David were up for trying anything. Looking forward to their wedding in Palm Springs in November! Beautiful beautiful couple! Thank-you!

Italy Part 2: An evening at Endrizzi Winery

We were invited by winemaker Dr. Paolo Endrici to visit his winery and vineyards and enjoy an exclusive dinner prepared at the winery. Endrizzi History of Endrizzi We were picked up at Vinitaly in Verona with some other guests and taken on the beautiful hour + drive to Masetto. The views of the mountains and tiny villages were breathtaking. Upon arrival, we were escorted to the vineyards where a wine and cheese presentation awaited us. I'm not really sure I understood what we were doing that night, as, I wore heels (not really the best thing to wear walking through soil) and a dress on the coldest night of our trip. I was thinking to myself, "Who brought the girl from California"? Shivering, I excused myself and wandered from the group, finding my way to the winery/store front where our dinner table was being set. Warmer was good. I took a few photos as the servers prepared the table. They had the best little gift shop with very original items such as different flavored wine sea salts. Amazing food and wine. Gracious host! Italians definitely know how to entertain. They have weddings there and I'd love to return and photograph a wedding sometime!

Italy Part 1: Laura. Verona.

I was in Verona, Italy in April with three women in the Italian Wine Import business in San Francisco. We had arrived for Vinitaly , one of the largest wine conventions in the World.
One evening at an event, we were tasting wine outside of a restaurant when I noticed a stunningly beautiful woman leaning against a wall, lighting a cigarette. The lighting, the streets, her beauty... there was this magical moment where it felt like an old black & white movie had come to life. I asked her if I could photograph her. Thankfully, my friend could translate my wishes. Naturally relaxed in front of the camera. Laura is a reporter and was in Verona covering the wine convention. Another new friend.

A dream assignment: Mugshot-inspired Masquerade Ball Wedding Reception Portraits

What to do when an extremely creative couple gets married? Los Angeles Art Director Terry Lin and Artist Joseph Lu hosted a Black and White only-attire Masquerade Ball for their wedding reception. Save for the bride, who wore a blood-red gown. The party extravaganza took place at The Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Exquisitely decorated with all-white furniture and masks were mandatory. Inspired by my mugshot series here: Joan Allen Photo, the couple asked me to take edgy/artsy/fun portraits at the ball. We rented our amazing backdrop from Schmidli Backdrops in Culver City. Our crew was one of my favorites in a long time, thanks to talented photographer John Sanossian and my new favorite person to work with, Peter Lopez! A very fun and memorable evening. I love when work doesn't feel like work. To see the series of portraits, visit... Joan Allen Weddings and choose "Masquerade Ball" under "Portfolios"

Tehachapi, California

Just a short drive from where I was born & raised in Lancaster, CA is the quaint and beautiful town of Tehachapi. Wind farms, Oak trees, snow capped mountains, green valleys, farms... rural beauty, virtually untouched. I was invited by Cary Johnson, the Principal of Tehachapi High School to speak to their art/digital photography class. He and Mrs. Horst, the Art and digital photography teacher, were wonderful! Upon arriving in Tehachapi, I had a perfect breakfast at The Village Grille Family Restaurant and then arrived at the High School. The students welcomed me with smiles and had lots of questions. We chatted about "Photography as a Profession" and I shared photos and stories. Afterwards I encountered the best drive-through coffee kiosk called Java Loop Express and explored the area, with camera in tow. Thank-you so much to everyone for the hospitality and I look forward to returning soon! I DO hope you can see the beauty in your own backyard. Until next time... ♡