Gayla Elizabeth Photography

Go to the new blog!

gayla — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:56:50 +0000

This week I will start to share some of the changes with Gayla Elizabeth Photography. YAY… happy dance My blog just moved to it’s own home with a new address of www.gaylaelizabethblog.com so, please be sure to update your bookmarks and feeds. This will be my last post here, so be sure to visit www.gaylaelizabethblog.com for all future posts. You can access it by clicking here. See you at the new digs!

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Happy February!

gayla — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:08:15 +0000

Yes, one month has passed us by and here we are in February, the month of change and love. For me at least, LOL. Good change and lots of love. The biggest change comes with my chinese heritage, as our new calendar year starts on Feb. 4th. WOOT. While this years festivities don’t officially kick off until the 14th (yes, Valentine’s Day is this year’s Chinese New Year!), I’m excited for the new year and all that it will bring. VERY excited. . On a personal note, I have had some rough experiences over the last year that have been somewhat challenging. However, I have since taken leaps forward in the world of positivity and happiness. I’m back baby!!! I now look forward to the start of a new year with a positive outlook and happiness that was somehow buried. I’m thrilled to bring in the new year with new luck, new life, new hope and to have my life filled with LOVE and happiness again. [i'm clicking my heels and smiling from ear to ear]. Lots of changes will be happening with Gayla Elizabeth Photography too and they will all be posted soon. I promise.

Happy February all! xoxo

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Details that will blow your mind!

gayla — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:40:19 +0000

When planning a wedding, there is so much that goes into making it a perfect day. It can start off by choosing colors or maybe a theme for the wedding. Regardless, once the planning goes into full gear, it’s all about details, details, details. Many brides will spend countless hours in finding the right theme, often working closely with an wedding planner to ensure everything is just perfect. The type of flowers, table settings, chairs, invitations, name cards, food and beverage, accessories, and so on and so on. While many brides and grooms look at wedding photography primarily to capture them on their special day, it’s also important for us photographers to capture those beautiful details that made the wedding come to life. The flowers will die, the settings will be soiled, the food eaten and the night will be over. Capturing all those details are crucial to keep those memories alive. Those photos and images will last a lifetime. As I mentioned a few months back, I said I would be “networking” and “learning” even more this year. My goal is to attend as many workshops and get togethers as I can. Yes, I know, the word networking is so formal, which is why it’s in quotes. Maybe we should call it people meet-ups? LOL. I signed up for Jessica Claire’s Workshop in OC. A small group of us gathered at her home for a few hours to discuss business, branding, marketing ideas, etc. Then, she planned an AMAZING setup with the help of many incredible wedding vendors. This workshop was last Wed, which was the first day for So. Cal rain! Go figure. Jessica had planned this workshop months back and who knew it would be the ONLY day to have heavy showers in the forecast… She was a bit stressed in the morning as her original location for our shooting venture had to be changed due to the rain. She moved us to a 3rd location and by the time we all got around to shooting in the afternoon, the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the sun decided to pop out for the couple hours or so that we got to shoot. It was great. And, the setup was purely magical. All I can say is thank God it was last week and NOT this week, when So Cal is having the biggest storm in history. I mean we had tornado yesterday, TWO airplanes got struck by lighting at Burbank airport! Really? Everyone did an outstanding job, the models (Troy and Aimee Grover) were gorgeous, Jessica was great and I met another handful of great and talented people. Totally awesome! Oh, and we ended the night with some dinner made by Jessica’s husband with the help of her dad. He put out quite the spread and it was delicious. Thanks Jeff! My 2010 is off to great start. Here is the vendors that participated, be sure to check them out, they are so legit!

Event Design, Production, Vendor Coordination, Bride & Bridesmaid Styling, Graphic Design: Lollipop Events & Designs (www.ilovelollipops.com and www.ilovelolliblog.com)

Floral Design & Groom Styling: Isari Flower Studio

Hair & Makeup: Vivian Tran, All Made Up: http://www.allmadeupteam.com

Rentals: Fete Accompli (www.feteaccomplievents.com)

Dinnerware, Flatware, Flutes & China: Bloomingdales (www.bloomingdales.com)

Gowns: Joan Shum Bridal (www.joanshum.com)

Groom Suits: Bloomingdales (www.bloomingdales.com)

Cake Designer: Erica O’Brien Cake Desgin (www.ericaobrien.com)

Upcycled Vintage Bridal Jewelry, Accessories & Heirloom Jeweled Bouquet: Noaki Jewelry (www.noakijewelry.com and www.noaki.etsy.com)

Bridesmaid Dress: Swoon (www.swoondress.com)

Bridal Headpieces & Bridesmaid Bolero Jacket: Alisa Benay (www.alisabenay.com)

Message Box Favors: Lucky Bug Handmade Paper Delights (http://www.etsy.com/shop/HBeliveaux)

Order thanks to Be Inspired Public Relations: (http://www.beinspiredpr.com)

Laura Hooper: (http://www.lhcalligraphy.com)

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Have fun!

gayla — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:34:08 +0000

I get lots of emails from those asking me what to expect during the photo shoot and how do I get those “REAL” smiles. Here’s the answer. Have FUN! Yes, it’s really that simple. I am just a girl with the camera that captures real emotions, real smiles and great images. All you have to do is be yourself, relax and enjoy. It’s not complicated, there is no magic or tricks. I have met some incredible people over the last few months and I have many posts to get up on the blog. Don’t worry, I’m in the middle of hiring someone, so I should be able to play catchup and get back on track. Any hoo hoo, here is an image that I chose that shows what my shoots are all about. F*U*N! More from this session later…

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A boy and his BUSA on the beach…

gayla — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:33:31 +0000

Okay, so maybe it’s not “his” busa. And, maybe it IS his dad’s HAYABUSA motorcycle. But, for the purpose of this post and for the sheer fact that he was the one photographing next to it during this photo shoot, let’s just say it was his! .His father; my brother, has been the proud owner of this fierce bike for a few years now and my nephew Kenny-Boy was in need for some new pics, hence my title to this post. While I was visiting Honolulu last month for the holidays, my brother asked if I could take some pics of his youngest son. I thought it would be cool to do some shots with the motorcycle, since both of them are bike junkies. AND, I do mean junkies, (my brother also owns a drag-bike and another motorcycle in addition to this Busa). So, I thought the busa was only appropriate. My brother actually took me for a “spin” on his Hayabusa bike while I was back home and it is FFASSSSSSSSST. Crazy fast. Kinda cool though.

Now, Kenny Boy was my baby since he was the youngest of my nieces and nephews until recently, when my oldest brother had 2 little beautiful baby girls, kicking Kenny Boy out of the “baby” slot. LOL. Anyway, you can see a baby picture of Kenny boy by clicking here. Yeah, maybe it’s not a “baby” picture, but you get the point. You can see how little he WAS. Yes, was. Even though he is all grown up, bigger and taller than his father, he will always be my little Kenny Boy.

We started taking a few pics in front of the house, just to get some shots, but I thought it would be cool to go down to the beach and get some night shots with the bike. We decided to take a spin to the west side of the island to see if we could also get some city lights in the background. After driving around for a while, the city lights weren’t going to happen since the clouds were hovering over us. Instead, we found a beach park and decided to make a go of it. You can see the palm trees though! LOL. By the time we started shooting, it was midnight, so we didn’t spend a whole lot of time shooting. We just got a few shots and then headed home. Because it was so dark, I needed some extra assistance with lights to get the shots. So, here is a thank you to my assistants: my niece Gaylynn ( side lighting tech), my brother Hap ( primary lighting engineer) and my sister-in-law Darling (focusing light assistant). It was quite funny setting up these shots. I love my family! Here are the pics of my little BIG Kenny Boy. Love you!!! xoxo

This picture below is my absolute fav. This is how I always see my Kenny Boy, with that adorable baby smile…

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The romantic vintage engagement shoot

gayla — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:03:59 +0000

These are photos from a session I did with my friends from SoCal Shootout last month. Yes, I am sooo behind on blogging, but thought I would start catching up now. This vintage engagement photo session took place in Claremont, CA. Supplied with a great location, great props (like the classic oldsmobile) and great couple, I was able to capture some amazing romantic photographs of this adorable couple, Tristen and Kevin, who will be getting married this summer. Rain was in the forecast…BOO. However, as a Photographer, I know that mother nature doesn’t have a schedule and if it rains, the show must go on. This meant I was prepared to shoot in the rain if need be. I mean this shoot was scheduled a good couple months in advance. Luckily, the sun starting to peak out and we were blessed with sunshine and no rain. Yay…… :-) Hair and makeup done by Kacee Geoffroy, Alisha Baijounas, Heather Molina. I love the theme and think it’s such a classic romantic vibe. Enjoy!!!

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Happy New Year….14 days later :-)

gayla — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:05:05 +0000

Sorry for the delayed well wishes, but so much has been going on. Since returning from vacationing in Hawaii, I have been in turbo speed playing catchup and trying to resume my “normal” busy schedule. Here is what’s happened over the last 14 days in a nutshell. Hosted a family dinner with my San Diego family (brother and family), placed an ad, screened applicants for 2 positions I have available, handled a rush order for Paris Hilton, finished 3 album designs, restored a 20 year old poster with Michael Jackson, repaired one of my Fuji Frontier printers, fulfilled a bunch of orders, installed 2 new macs , bought a new BBQ and had a cookout and attended a JC workshop in OC. So, needless to say, it’s been somewhat of a whirlwind…. The next couple weeks seem just as busy… which is a good thing, right?

I would like to wish EVERYONE a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2010. May this year be great for all. Here is a pic I shot on New Year’s Eve in Hawaii. I rang the new year in with my mom right next to me, which was the best! Happy 2010 all.

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Honolulu, Hawaii…Justin and Kelsey

gayla — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:58:24 +0000

Here is the 2nd couple photography session I had scheduled while vacationing in Honolulu, Hawaii. This is just a quick post to end the year with some great shots of Justin and Kelsey. Honolulu, Hawaii is home to

great weather
beautiful beaches
incredible palm trees
tons of greenery
white sand that feels amazing when walking in it
lovely sunsets and more….

This photography session captured all of those. I would love to write more, but I must get back to my vacay and pop some fireworks since it’s New Year’s Eve. I will let the photographs do all the talking. Happy New Year everyone! WOOT

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North Shore, Hawaii…Ashley & Abe

gayla — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:36:50 +0000

While vacationing back home in Honolulu, I managed to schedule in 2 shoots during my visit. This photography session was done a couple days ago on a GORGEOUS day in Haleiwa, Hawaii. The weather was perfect and the drive was breathtaking. It’s wonderful to know I can call it HOME.

We got there about an hour before sunset and made a quick go of it. Here are some adorable pics of Ashley and Abe, who are the cutest couple. I’m still here, so this is just a quick post so everyone can catch a sneek peek and to make all of you Mainlanders JEALOUS! LOL. Gotta head back to my vacation! Woo Hoo……

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Shootout at Split Rock Ranch

gayla — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:50:21 +0000

It was quite the drive, but upon arriving on this beautiful ranch in Ramona, CA, I realized it was gonna be an great day of shooting since this ranch was so AWESOME. Thanks to Yvonne and Stephen for the incredible shootout… it was fabulous. As I walked up the loooooooong driveway, I met our beautiful model Amanda Rojas at this amazing barn, filled with all the details you would expect on a ranch.

• saddles

• bull skulls

* lasso rope

• wagons

• hooks, chains, rakes and more…

Credit our makeup artist: Robyn Mason 909-684-3445

Model: Amanda Rojas

Stay tuned for more shots from this great, great location…I will post more soon….

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