Carmel Wedding

My first beach wedding! Gorgeous cloudy day. No not sarcasm clouds= even lighting. I started by wandering the beach (I know my job is so awful=0) and took landscape photos to be used later in the album. I found the groom and took photos of the rings on a white feather in the sand. The wedding was gorgeous and the couple was incredibly brave letting me lead them through the sand and over boulders (barefoot) for their couple's shots. Thank you so much Stephanie and Ken. I think you will agree the Carmel coast made all of the stumbling worth it!

Monica Michelle

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

San Jose Engagement Portraits

I LOVE engagement portraits. I always know I will have fun. It is a wonderful time for me to get to know the couple. Flo and Kristin made it even more fun. I was laughing so hard I had trouble keeping my camera still. We started in the Japanese Tea Garden in San Jose and finished with some serious soccer shots. I love the way these turned out! Enjoy the video.

Monica Michelle

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

Alexandra and Jason

So much fun. Allie is amazingly gorgeous. Just look at the video. She is such a live wire and it always a pleasure to photograph two people so in love.

Mason

I have to thank Lisa Ayoob for introducing me to the Yee's. Less then 24 hours after Lisa received her animoto video of her portrait session she sent it to all of her friends and I got to meet the Yee's. It was wonderful photographing them at the Japanese Tea Gardens. I always have a rule to try something totally new at each session and Mason was so agreeable he made it a blast!

Monica MIchelle

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

Amerika and Ruben's Wedding

I first met Amerika and Ruben over cupcakes, I took it as sign. Nothing but the best can come from a meeting over cupcakes. I did their engagement session in San Francisco. We started at Pier 39 on the Carousel  to Chinatown to the bluffs. Did I mention the sword fight in the Japanese Tea Gardens? I have been looking forward to their wedding since February. 

For so many reasons I know their Napa Wedding would be an event to remember. One of the biggest reasons for my confidence was they had hired Janet Lash, one of the best wedding planners in the Bay Area, owner of Avso Events. She and I met many times to discuss lighting plans and details. We even drove up to Napa to check how the light would be at Beltane Ranch.

Right when I saw Amerika I felt like I was seeing an old friend. She is always beautiful but on her day she glowed. Just look at her bridal portraits on my website. I decided to do something completely different for Ruben's groom portraits. I knew he would be up for something different and fun, remember the sword fight?

I brought some cards and started a poker game for him and his grooms men. The portraits were amazing. 

The wedding went beautifully. The grounds at Beltane Ranch lended to one of the most gorgeous weddings I could have hoped to photograph. They jumped the broom, their was a mariachi band, fantastic cake, and of course world class pictures. It was an honer to be a part of two people who were so grateful and joyful to be making this commitment.

Monica Michelle

White Rabbit Portrait Studios

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

Maternity Session at Japanese Tea Garden in San Mateo

Minet us one of those people that just makes me smile. First she could be Penelope Cruz's double and second she just has the kindest presence.  I began photographing Dr. Minet Sepuleveda , a very skilled chiropractor who has assured me my spine will survive carrying my 12 lbs camera, last month in studio. The portraits were amazing but we both agreed that now that her belly is bigger (pregnant so it is a good thing) we needed to bring some nature to her portraits. She also wanted to include her fiance' and her step daughter to create the first family portraits. 

As with most maternity sessions it is best to do them between 7-8 months. Depending on shyness or what kind of maternity session it is sometimes best to divide the session in two. Doing the less clothed or the body wraps in studio and doing a later session outdoors. This is why consultations are so important to me. It is always best for me to really get to know the person I am photographing to help pick destinations or studios. I can and often do many maternity sessions on the beach and in the forest. I have been day dreaming about doing a super urban session or one at Monterey Aquarium, maybe even an art gallery.

Monica Michelle

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

JP Ayoob Photo Shoot

First can I just say LOOK AT THESE CHEEKS! Edible! We photographed at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Mateo using available light and reflector. JP was fantastic. The ABC song got a huge smile every time. JP has just joined the White Rabbit one year program and I can not wait to photograph him again!

Monica Michelle

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

Ladies Who Launch San Francisco Live

All I have to say is wow! I am still spinning from being around so many wonderful women. I was so happy to run into old friends and put faces to internet friends. I was not able to chat as much as I would have liked since I was hiding behind my camera most of the day. Ladies Who Launch is an amazing organization and I would not have been able to get my business out of a rut and into a new wonderful place without all of the organization or the wonderful cheerleaders who push me on.

Monica Michelle

www.ilovewhiterabbit.com

White Rabbit Portrait Studios