urban Archives -

16Mar

La Valencia | Classic Venue with a Modern Twist

By True Photography, March 16, 2016 Venues

La Valencia is a vintage Spanish-stye San Diego hotel overlooking La Jolla Cove. With a colorful history dating back to 1926, this old-school gem has color flourishes throughout, and stunning panoramic ocean views. The venue’s tropical garden is tranquil and breathtaking, and is an undeniably gorgeous place to exchange wedding vows.

As photographers, we love finding new, creative ways to put a fresh spin on this old-world venue.

We have our favorite spots also, such as the hotel’s vibrant pink exterior, gorgeous tiled walls, and hand-painted murals.

The surrounding La Jolla neighborhood is a treasure trove of photo opportunities. There are colorful buildings, city backdrops, and the famous La Jolla Cove, all within a four minute walk.

After the ceremony, the nearby beach is an inviting place for couples to relax, have a quick photo session, and refresh before rejoining friends and family. The vivid hues, natural surroundings, and soft light create a sense of timeless intimacy, resulting in beautiful portraits. It is an amazing way to spend the first few moments as a newly married couple :)

As the day crosses over into evening, it’s time to celebrate at La Valencia’s Verandah Ballroom and Terrace. Sitting high above the property, this room provides magnificent views, and is furnished with crystal chandeliers and stylish checkered floors. This elegant setting is perfect for a dramatic grand entrance, and will enchant guests as they party the night away.

For more of our favorite weddings photographed at La Valencia Hotel, please visit this link.

08Dec

Chic Hard Rock Hotel Wedding: Jessica & Gregory

By True Photography, December 08, 2015 Weddings

Gregory is a recent import from London, England, and a resident of Los Angeles. So it made perfect sense that he and Jessica hold their wedding in San Diego :) In fact, this destination was chosen because San Diego is a favorite travel location for the couple. The pair was thrilled for their guests to experience this beautiful city as well.

Jessica has an infectious smile, and was a natural in front of the camera. She got ready in the Multi-Platinum Suite at The Hard Rock Hotel, an impeccably styled room with sweeping views of the city. With its rockin’ décor, enviable location, and sleek ambiance, The Hard Rock was the perfect choice for this ultra modern couple.

Jessica and Gregory’s romantic ceremony took place in the Imagine Room, which was well lit and intimately presented. Gregory was dressed immaculately, with a tuxedo suited for James Bond himself. The room was stylishly decorated by Blush Botanicals, who embellished their staging area with an astounding floral wall. This wall was later resurrected behind the sweetheart table for maximum effect.

Because the Hard Rock Hotel is in the heart of San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, we had a variety of urban-chic backdrops only steps away. So after the ceremony, we took to the streets with the jubilent wedding party, and captured some epic photos :) We also took full shooting advantage of the hotel itself, which has countless stunning photo locales.

The grand finale of the event, the reception, took place in the Hard Rock’s renowned event space, ‘The Edge.’ This loft-style room overlooks downtown San Diego, and feeds off of the energy of 5^th Street (the Gaslamp Quarter sign is so close you can practically touch it!) The room was perfectly decorated, and provided unbeatable photo opportunities.

Along with their guests, Gregory and Jessica danced the night away and reveled in all the festivities. Congrats to this sweet couple!!

Successfully creating the image above involved finding the perfect balance of ambient (natural light) and artificial light (flash). We achieved this using slower shutter speeds and off-camera flash, which enabled the sign to be visible and the couple to be well lit.

To ensure the photos are visually engaging and dramatic, we are always scouting for unique textures and color to use in our backgrounds.

We love to think outside of the box and showcase a variety of angles. In this image we had Jessica and Greg become more of a graphic element in the existing scene. This created a nice juxtaposition of tropical palm trees and and downtown cityscape.

Venue: Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
Coordinator: First Comes Love Weddings & Events
Cupcakes: Cute Cakes
Florals: Blush Botanicals

To see more of Jessica & Gregory’s wedding, please click here.

26Mar

Urban Wedding Photos that Stop Traffic

By True Photography, March 26, 2015 Be Inspired

Instinctively, many urbanite couples flock to the city center to celebrate their big day. This makes sense, because metropolitan city centers have an abundance of wonderful wedding locations. These venues boast first-class hospitality professionals, the region’s culinary masters, and pristine cityscapes from every window.

In addition to the breathtaking views inside, the surrounding skyscrapers, busy cross-sections, and graffiti are ideal for wedding photos with an edge. So whenever we photograph a downtown wedding, we love taking it to the streets! If time (and weather) allows, we borrow the wedding party, and venture outdoors for memorable urban-chic photos.

Take a trip downtown as we look back at some of our favorite municipal moments.