Merced bridal session photography | Jeanny and Phil

Jeanny and Phil have been with me ever since the beginning. And by “beginning,” I really do mean beginning. Many years back, when social blogging site Xanga was alive and kicking, Jeanny and I knew each other because we were among a group of what some have coined “Xanga celebrities.” She was still in nursing school in Texas at that time, while I was in college seemingly spending my time transferring from major to major.

After several years, I eventually graduated (yay!), landed a job with a biotech instrumentation company, and somehow found myself being mentored by The Scott Robert! Jeanny then one day asked me if I could do a (fake) engagement session for her and her boyfriend Phil while she was in town. Let’s see. I had just bought my first SLR, had no idea how to use it, never shot an engagement session before, was barely starting to learn the basics of photography from Scott, so I said … “Sure! Why not?”

Interesting would be an apt word to describe what happened next, because nothing went as planned! We never made it to the locations she had picked, the weather decided to get all thunder-stormy on us, and my equipment got wet from the rain. (Here is what my photography looked like back in December 2006, in case you’re interested.)

But then a funny thing happened. One of the shots from that session actually came out pretty well, and almost a year later, I decided on a whim to submit that now semi-famous picture to a contest that Jesh de Rox–one of America’s hottest wedding photographers–was throwing. And … I actually won! It was a watershed moment for me, a major affirmation of my photography, because at that time, I was still working two jobs, staying up late nights editing photos or reading up on photography, going to bed for 4-5 hours, waking up to go to work for a full day, and then coming home and repeating the cycle over again.

That was two years ago, and so much has changed since then. Phil and Jeanny are now engaged, there is enough work coming in that I have several part-time freelance creatives working under my studio, and in a month, I will have the utmost pleasure of being their wedding photographer … this time, for reals. =P

Here is their pre-wedding/bridal session that we recently shot in Merced. Be sure to check out their slideshow!

This is classic Phil. =P

The road was not as empty as it seems in this picture. How far are you willing to taunt death for the sake of one good picture? =D

Love the purple! Jen dyed it herself.

Don’t forget to check out their slideshow!