Engagement Shoot Love: The Fun

In addition to the romantic photos we took with our fab photographer Kelty, we also took a bunch of fun, crazy pics. I had brought along a few 'props' (if you can call them that), which you can see below: mustache glasses and party blowers. You're pretty much guaranteed super classy engagement photos when you buy your props at a party supply store. Oh well, that's how we do it around here (well, around my house it is).

We also utilized some other 'props' that we had lying around. They're called: the awesome sky. And flocks of seagulls (the birds, not the haircuts [though that would have made for really interesting photos . . .]). Oh. And sand. Can't forget the sand.

We had wandered down to the beach, and Kelty instructed the mister and I to run up behind a bunch of birds. I felt like a kid, trying to scare all the seagulls and get them to fly away. And I was reminded of how hard it was to run in the sand! My thighs would be like steel if I did that every day (alas, I do not, and thus, my thighs are nowhere near steel-state [but perhaps a softer metal, like gold {oh! gold thighs!}]).

We also took a bunch of photos on a huge concrete wall above the beach. It was a foggy day (welcome to San Francisco), but Kelty made it look magical.

Check it out-here's that cool "sky prop" I was telling ya'll about! Looks pretty good, doesn't it!? And free, to boot.

Fake running is scary when there is a 20 foot drop on one side of you.

Here are the noise makers. The mister hated them because they were so loud and obnoxious, but I love them (probably because I can be loud and obnoxious-we're kindred spirits, noise makers and I).

That's us in the mirror at a snack stand by Stow Lake. I used to come here with my family as a kid and get blocks of pink popcorn (did anyone else used to eat that stuff? I think it might actually be dyed styrofoam).

Mr. Pin Cushion got reprimanded by his mom (a ballet dancer and teacher) because of his flexed feet during the leaps! On the other hand, nobody mentioned my awesome jazz hands!


A little belly action . . .


For this shot, Kelty asked some teenagers skating by to do some tricks behind us. She captured it perfectly! Props (I don't think I'm cool enough to say that) and thanks to those skaters.

And I think these pictures below are my favorite. They are just totally ridiculous.

It looks like my nostrils are about a mile wide-that's hot.

The mister and I think we're going to bring back the glasses for some wedding shots. We've already gotten some extra use out of them for my grandma's 92nd birthday:

Doesn't she manage to look graceful in those glasses? I don't know how she does that.

What crazy props are other people using in their engagement shoots? The crazier the better, in my books! I'd love to hear some wacky ideas, and perhaps steal them for our photo booth!

Photographer Crush

Last summer I developed a crush. In fact, it was a bit more than a crush. It was a semi-obsession. But don't worry, it was a love affair that happened online. And Mr. Pin Cushion knew about it. This obsession was (okay, still is) with our photographer. I stumbled across her photography blog one day (after clicking from link to link and not remembering how I got to where I was) and fell in love. I had hardly looked for a wedding photographer, but when I saw this blog, I felt that I didn't need to look any further. (I don't normally 'believe' in love at first sight . . . but perhaps love at first blog-site?)

The blog that I speak of is http://www.steepstreet.blogspot.com/. And my crush is on the fabulous photographer behind the blog, Kelty Luber of Steep Street Photography. Kelty is creative (how I would love to have a few strands of her artsy-craftsy DNA) and has a unique eye. Indulge me by checking out some of her photos (the kind that helped kindle my crush):

All photos from Steep Street Photography
(the second photo is an underwater engagement session-groovy!!)

After oggling her site for quite a while, I contacted Kelty. She was as fabulous as I had anticipated, and we arranged an engagement shoot for a time when I would be home in the Bay Area. After meeting with her for the shoot, my crush only grew deeper (don't tell the mister, he might get jealous). Kelty is a stunning 6 foot tall redhead, she's super-fly and has creativity seeping out of her pores. I want to be her when I grow up (wait, she's only a year older than me? Dag nabbit!).

As a teaser, here are two photos from the engagement session we had with Kelty:

What wedding crushes have you developed throughout your planning (that you have or haven't told your significant other about)?