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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Top 10 Manhattan Beach Family Portraits of 2010

We opened up this year beyond weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs with headshots and Manhattan Beach family portraits. We're having a ball, and wanted to share ten of our favorite portrait images (in no particular order) from 2010.

Paul and Lynne had us over in July, and wanted to capture the entire family on their beautiful deck, which overlooks the Pacific ocean and the Manhattan Beach Pier. We pulled out our big Alien Bees lights to make sure we'd also bring in the blue skies in the background.

We left Manhattan Beach for the park in Beverly Hills for this great family shot of the Weisfeld family. Luckily, they were real troupers and agreed to get on the ground for us.

Victoria met us under the Manhattan Beach Pier right before sunset for a shoot for her sign-in board at the Manhattan Beach Quinceanera. The timing turned out perfectly, with that amazing glow behind her.

We photographed Scott and Yanna during their son's Long Beach Bar Mitzvah, while Blake was inside, practicing with the cantor. We pulled the newlyweds into an alley, which is where we were able to make use of the little green tree.

It was year 3 for our annual visit with the Krantz family, and their Christmas card photo. We met in Pacific Palisades at the amazing Temescal Canyon hiking facility.

Another Xmas card in Manhattan Beach with the Pola family.

After our holiday card session with the Stewart family in Manhattan Beach, we asked Maddy and Brett to run with the birds--and everything worded out just as we had hoped. Love this shot!

The Harris family of Hermosa Beach wanted a non-traditional family portrait--and so we put together the Harris family band--complete with our stand-up bass, Fender Telecaster and microphone. (They supplied the piano and acoustic guitar.)


The Harris family of Hermosa Beach did want a traditional family photo, for the grandparents. We met on a rainy Sunday afternoon, hauled in our lights and backdrop, and got amazing results.

Top 10 Wedding Photos of 2010 by Graham and Graham

Ten of my favorite wedding images from 2010.

We begin with Karen and Joel on the sands of Hermosa Beach, post their spring wedding. The couple, who live in Denver, rented a house on the Hermosa Beach Strand for their ceremony, and Skyped it back home to their friends.

Brandi and Kyran got married at the Victorian Jones Estate in Orange, California, a wonderful historic facility with a spacious courtyard for the bride and groom and guests. A perk for the couple--they get to pose inside the estate after the wedding. >

Casey and Adam brought Sam Graham to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for their destination wedding. The couple had a ball mugging for the camera by the slots and the Palace gang.

Yvonne and Kevin got married at American Martyrs church in Manhattan Beach, with reception at Verandas. We brought the couple down to the El Porto area of Manhattan Beach for a portrait after their wedding.

Our arrangement with Lisa and Matt for their Redondo Beach wedding--we would leave the historic Redondo Beach library right after the toasts for sunset shots on the beach. As we walked out the door, the sun was just setting into the water--we had that little time. Love those summer sunset colors!



Krystie and Ernie had a beach wedding in Torrance. We met Krystie early at her Redondo Beach home, for this iconic mother/daughter portrait, and couldn't be more thrilled with this "walking down the aisle," shot. The sunset from the Los Verdes Golf Course isn't too bad either!

Here's Erin and Chris at the Portofino in Redondo Beach, post wedding, inside the Portofino for this classic wedding portrait.

From the dance floor at Michelle and Andre's wedding reception in Downey.
Thanks to our brides and grooms for another awesome year!

Top 10 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Photos of 2010

It's time for our annual look back at our Top 10 Bar/Bat Mitzvah photos of the year, a best of from nearly 50 shoots in 2010, starting with CTJ in Manhattan Beach and ending in Long Beach at Temple Israel.

So, in no particular order, we begin in Manhattan Beach at Congregation Tikvat Jacob, and Joey's Bar Mitzvah portrait from January. What makes it different? This is a unique angle we hadn't seen before.

Then it's off to the Jewish Community Center, Redondo Beach, and this portrait of Jacob reading from the siddur. There's nothing new about it, just classic portraiture, in that amazing afternoon natural light at the JCC.

Temple Beth El in San Pedro has a wonderful tile backdrop--we love this shot of Jordan. We added the dreamy effect in Photoshop.

Now it's back to CTJ in Manhattan Beach, and this terrific, unguarded father/son shot from the bima of Max and his dad, shot by Sam Graham. This is what it's all about folks.

Here's Julian from behind the bima, at Knesset Israel in Los Angeles. Again, a unique angle, and lighting brings it to our end of the year list.

We spent a lot of time at Congregation Ner Tamid in Rancho Palos Verdes, where you photograph portraits on Friday, and then meet up the next day at the Saturday party. We staged this photo during Zachary's portrait session and love how authentic it looks.

Rabbi Moskowitz of Temple Israel in Long Beach is one of the singiest (is that a word?) Rabbi's we know. He hits the high notes while Cantor Finley sings bass. Here they are, singing with Maddy at her Long Beach Bat Mitzvah.

For drama, you can't beat the layout at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Irams campus, as we did with Liam for his October Bar Mitzvah.


Speaking of Temple Israel, here's a wonderful photo from the brother/sister Cooper Bnai Mitzvah, of the siblings sharing the torah.

And we close with this iconic image from Carly's Long Beach Bat Mitzvah bash at the Virginia Country Club. Celebrate!
Thanks everyone for another awesome year!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Hermosa Beach Family Photographer | Manhattan Beach Photographer

We spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon with the Harris family on a wet, rainy day for a Hermosa Beach family photo session. We had hoped to step outside, but with the downpour, we made do with an instant studio set-up in the family living room instead.
We're thrilled with the results, and better yet, so is the family.
This is an amazing look group!


Saturday, December 18, 2010

Congregation Ner Tamid Bar Mitzvah | Palos Verdes Photographer

We spent a fabulous recent Friday afternoon at Congregation Ner Tamid in Rancho Palos Verdes with Matthew and his family. CNT welcomes the family for rehearsal and portrait photos on Friday--then we meet up with everyone the next night at the reception. For Matthew, it was a return to the Los Verdes Golf Course, where his sister had her party two years earlier. We will follow up with photos from the Los Verdes Golf Course reception in our next post.



Friday, December 17, 2010

Los Angeles Bat Mitzvah | Adat Ari El

Back in 2008, it was our pleasure to meet Rachel at Valley Village's Los Angeles temple, Adat Ari El, for her Bat Mitzvah portrait session. We reunited in December 2010 for sister Ilana's turn, and it was a thrill to see everyone again.



The sisters are a great pair, and we love our shots of the girls on the bima, back to back, and having a ball.


Ilana had a rocking party Sunday at the fabulous Luxe Hotel off Sunset, with DJ services by Mark Ray of Ray Entertainment.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Long Beach Bar Mitzvah | Long Beach Photographer | Temple Israel

If it's Saturday, we're in Long Beach--or at least that's the way it's been this fall, photographing Bar and Bat Mitzvahs at Long Beach's Temple Israel.

This Saturday we spent the morning and afternoon with Blake and his fun family, doing family pictures in the morning before photographing the Bar Mitzvah, and then going back to the family house, where dad hauled in snow for the kids to play in.
How big is a fan of Blake to his dad? Just look at the priceless expression from the bima here!

We look forward to returning next weekend for Isaac's big day!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Los Verdes Golf Course Wedding | Palos Verdes Wedding

Here's a fun slideshow we put together from Krystie and Ernie's fabulous wedding reception at the beautiful Los Verdes Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The facility is up "on the hill," with an amazing, sweeping panorama view from Catalina to Malibu.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Long Beach Bat Mitzvah | Temple Israel | Long Beach Photographer

It was a pleasure to return to Long Beach's Temple Israel recently for Carly's Bat Mitzvah.


Carly's theme for the big part at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach was "Carly Couture," so we specially liked getting shots of her walking down the runaway--before entering the temple--and making her grand entrance at the party.



DJ services provided by You Should Be Dancing.