California "Street Session" - Santa Barbara Style!

With my recent time spent this summer in California I had the opportunity to do a Street Session up in Santa Barbara. Not only was it great to meet Carrie and Hank and see if we could round up some killer images for them before their wedding this October, but it was also extra special since my oldest daughter helped assist for the very first time! All in all it was a great evening and we managed to get in quite a variety of shots!

Typically a Street Session will last about 4 hours...(I always tell my couples that they will tire out before I do!)...I try to keep things relaxed but still moving, looking for "cool light" and killer backdrops. Of course with Santa Barbara it's kind of hard to go wrong! Thinking back, not only did we manage to get a huge variety of shots and styles in, I think we actually did it in just under 4 hours. Definitely a record given the amount that we pulled out of this session....

Just a reminder...Street Sessions are available for anyone...even if I am not shooting your wedding. Of course, I do travel to any and all destinations, so don't hesitate to book both!

So...with that huge variety from Carrie and Hank's night out....I'm going to offer up another monster blog of images that shows you the many styles that can come out of one session! Here we go...

I always like to start out really relaxed and easy...just kind of getting used to how each couple is in front of the camera, and how they move and interact with each other. With Carrie and Hank we started out in the middle of State Street and decided to make use of one of the many little sidewalk cafes.

With Santa Barbara it isn't so much about finding great little places to shoot at - it's more about how to squeeze them all in! The next few shots made use of this incredible hallway and overlook area. Three incredible set-ups literally just a few feet apart.

With the late day sunlight really hitting it's peak, I was trying to work fast but still effective so we could make it down to the beach for the sunset. I just loved the feel of what we were getting though!

At the end of that hallway we found the "perfect studio" for something a little more formal but still relaxed!

Naturally, part of the idea of the Street Sessions is to be out among people...and plenty of people there were...sometimes working around them...other times incorporating them. Not everyone is comfortable being so affectionate in public, but Carrie and Hank were totally relaxed being the center of attention throughout the night....

Plenty of great opportunities around the outdoor mall....

Sunset light was at a premium really quick, and I forgot about the sun setting behind the mountains instead of over the ocean - so by the time we got to the beach it took on an entirely different look and feel than I was originally intending.....but, the advantage was we didn't get "the usual" beach shots and I was able to really experiment.....

Here's a quick shot showing Kayleigh assisting with the remote flash...she did an incredible job following Carrie and Hank along the beach and getting the flash directed where I needed it!

As soon as the sunlight really faded we started to go alternative and "roll with it"...personally I love capturing motion and letting the viewer get a feel for what was going on - I think it also helps to really "capture" those moments.

Carrie and Hank didn't mind getting wet...but at one point, with their dancing around, Carrie almost went all the way!

All of us got fairly wet....I was trying to shoot close to the water...the key is just keep repeating to yourself "don't drop the camera" and watch the level of the waves!

Part of the whole Street Session concept is the After Dark time...after getting cleaned up we headed back up to State Street to finish out the night looking for "cool light". First up was a stop at Starbucks...of course I love shooting through windows and looking for the little imperfections that it creates in an image, not to mention how interior light come across too.

I've always got to incorporate some car lights too...

Every now and then I do get funny looks when you see a guy poking his camera in through the window at some supposedly unsuspecting couple...people on the street never know what to think!

On our way back up from the beach I saw how cool the entrance to the Hotel Santa Barbara looked...it screamed to be used as a backdrop....unfortunately by the time we got there - the Hotel's doorman had reappeared...so we rolled with that too....I had a plan though....

My plan: "Please Mr. Doorman, can we come inside and kiss in front of the windows so our photographer across the street can take some killer photos of us?"...I told Carrie and Hank to just "do their thing" for a 3-4 minutes in front of the hotel, then when I gave them the signal, go ahead and ask to come inside...it took a minute of talking, but he said yes.....

...and we got stuff like this.....it wasn't until I started editing the photos that I noticed the nice little touch of the "Rooms Available" sign.....PERFECT!

Did I say I love including the car lights?

I also love stores with large, well lit windows.....

Perfect opportunity for something a little edgier....

...and the only thing better than shooting through a window is shooting through two of them!

So there you go! We really did squeeze in quite a bit! A reminder that with most all of my wedding coverage packages a "Street Session" is included...or you can order one seperately. We had an incredible time shooting this one....Best wishes to Carrie and Hank on their wedding this fall - we wish you all the best! Special thanks to Kayleigh too for all the great video work and assisting with the remote flash! I know it was a long night but you hung in there the entire time!