24Apr

The Best Times of Day to Capture Stunning Wedding Photos in San Diego

By, April 24, 2023

At True Photography, we understand that every wedding is unique and capturing those special moments is crucial. One of the key factors in achieving stunning wedding photos is choosing the right time of day for your shoot. As one of the most picturesque cities in the world, San Diego offers a variety of beautiful locations for wedding photography. However, the timing of your shoot can significantly impact the final outcome. In this post, we’ll discuss the best times of day to capture stunning wedding photos in San Diego.

Early Morning

Morning is a great time to capture outdoor shots. Early morning light is bright but not harsh and the sun position provides plenty of warmth. Additionally, the early morning hours are often quiet and peaceful. The lack of crowds also allows you and your partner to relax and enjoy the moment.   Early morning photo shoot in Balboa Park captured by True Photography

Golden Hour

The Golden Hour, also known as the Magic Hour, is the hour before sunset when the light is warm and golden. This is the perfect time for outdoor shots, as the light is soft and flattering. The sky during Golden Hour is often a beautiful mix of oranges, pinks, and purples, providing a stunning backdrop for your photos.Golden hour wedding photo captured by True Photography

Sunset

San Diego is famous for its stunning sunsets, and for good reason. The sky turns into a canvas of colors, and the light during sunset is warm and soft. Sunset provides an ideal time for romantic and dramatic shots. The colors of the sky provide a unique and stunning backdrop. Check out our sunset gallery for more inspiration!Sunset beach photo captured by True Photography

At True Photography, we believe that timing is everything when it comes to capturing beautiful wedding photos. Additionally, by choosing the right time of day for your shoot, you can create stunning images that you’ll treasure for a lifetime. If you’re planning a wedding in San Diego, consider these times of day for your photo shoot. Contact us today to learn more about our wedding photography services and how we can help you capture your special day.

14Aug

Stress-Free Family Wedding Portraits

By, August 14, 2020

During your wedding planning, you may likely wonder how to successfully prepare for family photos. With the right formula, family photos can be a smooth process, no matter how big your family is!

Here are the steps we take on our end to ensure your family portraits are a success:

  1. Your photographer sets up a call, typically a month before your wedding day to learn more about your family. We understand that every family is different, so your lead photographer will do their best to understand all of the dynamics before the big day.
  2. On the wedding day itself, there is a systematic and organized process. The process often starts with taking a large group photo of one side of the family (typically the bride’s side first). The photographer will then say something like, “please raise your hand if you are cousins. :)” Once hands are raised the photographer will tell those folks to go enjoy cocktail hour and will ask everyone else to stay. Another picture will be taken. The next announcement may be “Aunts and Uncles, you’re all set and can head to cocktail hour.” What is left at this point is your immediate family, their spouses and any grandparents.  As the crowd is narrowed down, we are able to capture more intimate groupings, such as grandparents, parents and siblings. This method ensures that everyone is photographed.  This same process will be repeated with the groom’s side of the family.

Here are the steps you can take on your end to ensure success: VERY IMPORTANT!

  1. Please talk to your parents or your closest family members! They have often waited their entire lives for your big day and may have a very different agenda for which picture combinations they are after. It is important to make sure everyone is on the same page.  It ensures happiness for all :)
  2. Before your wedding day, the key is to make sure the family knows exactly when they are needed, and where they need to be after the ceremony. You can have a perfect list, but if we are trying to find Uncle Joe, this causes a delay. As long as everyone is ready to go, we will be very fast and efficient, and make sure everyone is captured looking great! The smoother the family photos, the more time you have for romantic couples photos, and fun memorable shots with your bridal party. 
  3. To be efficient, we suggest designating one family member on each side of the family that knows everyone in your family that is to be in the portraits. They should be at the end of the aisle after the ceremony to make sure all the family stays. During the portrait shoot, the photographers will be focused on lighting, composition, backgrounds and giving direct for nice clean shots. If you can have one or two family members dedicated to checking off your photo list, that will ensure everything is captured for you. 
  4. Let your photographer know all of the unique combinations you want captured. Make sure to put that on a list for your dedicated family members to check off. Example: “I want a picture of my third cousin and my Aunt together in a picture with me.” These are shots we wouldn’t know to capture unless specified.
Both the groom and bride's side of the family come together for a full family photo
A groom and his bride pose with the groom's family.
Parents and siblings of the bride pose with the groom.
Mother and father take a photo with their daughter and her groom.
A young bride poses with her mom.
A bride's sisters play her bridesmaids for a day
 
Here is a very general list of potential family portrait combos:
 
○ Bride & Groom All family (both sides)
○ Bride & Groom, Bride’s immediate family :
○ Bride and immediate family :
○ Bride & Groom with Grandparents :
○ Bride with siblings :
○ Bride with Parents :
○ Bride & Groom with Bride’s Parents
○ Bride & Groom with both of their parents :
○ Bride & Groom, Groom’s immediate family :
○ Groom and immediate family :
○ Bride & Groom with Groom’s Grandparents :
○ Groom with siblings :
○ Groom with Parents :
○ Bride & Groom, with Groom’s Parents :
 
*Please let us know about any special family dynamics, including any step parents or siblings that should be accounted for, or people that may not be present
*Please feel free to add in any cousins, aunts, uncles or any other guests of importance that you’d like a formal portrait with, keeping in mind that each group typically takes 2-3 minutes to photograph

Here is a link to check out more family wedding portraits photographed by our studio!
Check this out : Portrait Photography San Diego

27Dec

La Valencia

By, December 27, 2017

Highlights of La Valencia Hotel

La Valencia Hotel is the definition of vintage luxury in beautiful La Jolla, California. Also known as “The Pink Lady,” this Mediterranean style, oceanfront resort is romantic, playful and always enchanting. With it’s marble tiled hallways, hidden fire escapes, iconic pink walls and prime location above La Jolla Cove, La Valencia is one of our favorite wedding destinations to photograph, and we know its every nook and cranny.

Directly adjacent to the hotel is Cafe la Rue; a great spot for some fun photos with your wedding party.
We love to have fun with our couples before heading onto the lobby.
Shooting the same location at different times of the day results in drastically different images.
The marble floor lining the ground floor of the Cabrillo building make for some spectacular shots.
The hallway on the 9th floor of the Tower ends with a fire escape and incredible view of the Pacific.
This place is a gold mine of reflections and dramatic lighting.
The staircase leading to the upper floors of The Tower are adorned with ornate mirrors and lined with original wooden bannisters.
As soon as you step into the central courtyard you will be surrounded by lush vegetation, Spanish tiled stairwells and bright pink walls.
Following the main path adjacent to the pool you'll arrive at a cozy landing that is lined with blue Spanish tile and signature pink walls. If you follow the stairs down you'll pass thru a gate that leads directly to La Jolla Cove.
There are several fire escapes on the outside of the hotel that offer sweeping views of La Jolla and the surrounding areas.
We love to make use of the beautiful window light.
Some couples choose to get ready in one of the hotel's beautiful guest rooms.
The Boardroom is located on the 4th floor and has enough space for you and your bridal party.
You can also choose to get ready in one of La Valencia's Villa Suites.
The Ceremony at La Valencia is located on a cozy landing directly above the swimming pool, and is backdropped by the Pacific.
While one photographer focuses on the close-up intimate moments, the 2nd photographer can get step away to grab an over-all shot of the ceremony.
The walkway directly behind and above the ceremony site is another great spot to capture the festivities while showing off the spectacular view.
The Pacific Ocean makes for a spectacular backdrop for your family photos.
One of La Valencia's biggest draws is definitely its location, just a short walk away from La Jolla Cove and the Pacific Ocean.
The green covered rocks become accessible during low tide, and make for a dramatic backdrop for our subjects.
A bride and groom always grab all the attention.
After the sun goes down and the lights come on, La Valencia takes on a more dramatic and romantic mood.
These photos were taken just outside the ballroom, meaning the bride and groom won't have to be away from their reception for long to get some memorable images.
The fire escape above Cafe laRue is great for backlit night time photos.

La Valencia Hotel Wedding Photography

As preferred photographers of La Valencia, we photograph weddings here frequently :) If you are considering a wedding at this venue, we are happy to talk over specific photography questions. We also suggest checking out more of our La Valencia wedding photos.