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Drew Zavala Photo

Capturing Your Moments, Your Life

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Asilomar Beach - Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Vargas Family

In mid-July, I had the immense pleasure of photographing the Vargas family for their annual family photos!

It’s always a little nerve-wracking to try out a new photographer, but as first-time clients, I was so impressed with the amount of trust they put in me!

Liz told me that one of the biggest struggles she has with family photos is keeping them fun and easy-going. Luckily, that’s my specialty! If family photos aren’t a blast, you’re doing it wrong, even with toddlers!

Toddlers will be toddlers, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make your photos magical. With a little kindness and patience, creating whimsical moments of your little ones isn’t difficult at all.

In fact, the toddler stage is one of the most energetic! I like to use that to our advantage to create movement and depth in your photos. The key to this is going with the flow and capturing them as they explore the beautiful world around them.

The Vargas Family were stunning in semi-formal fashion. Although you can never go wrong with dressing too fancy for photos, this family hit the nail on the head by choosing wardrobe that suits them and their styles.

As always, Asilomar Beach was gorgeous, and the family ended up loving the location so much that they wished they’d had more time!

After the shoot, Liz sent me an email to let me know how much she loved the photos. She was amazed by how well we captured her boys’ personalities, and wrote that it was by far “One of the best photography experiences we’ve had as a family.”

She went on to say that, “You captured some very sweet moments between each of us that we can now treasure for a lifetime. Thank you just isn’t enough. You are a master at your craft.”

Nothing makes me happier, Liz! Thanks for choosing me, and I look forward to taking your holiday photos later this year!

tags: Drew Zavala Photography, asilomar state beach, asilomar beach, pacific grove, Pacific Grove Photography, california, Photography, Family photography, california family photographer, photography
categories: Family
Tuesday 08.30.22
Posted by Sarah Joseph
 

Mission San Juan Bautista - San Juan Bautista, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Nick + Sonia

Nestled in the gorgeous San Benito county lies the Mission San Juan Bautista, which was the perfect venue for Nick + Sonia’s wedding! It was an amazing day, and I’m so happy that we got to photograph it!

The day began at Hacienda De Leal, where the bride and groom prepared for their upcoming nuptials. This pretty spot did the bride justice as she and her bridesmaids prepared for the day! A makeup artist from Nelas Studio and Academy made sure that the bride looked stunning.

As always, I made sure to capture amazing detail shots to help the couple remember the little things. We had some harsh light during this part of the day, but we easily solved that by adjusting our positioning in a way that took advantage of the harsh lighting. That way, we still achieved dreamy photos!

The ceremony was breathtaking! The Mission San Juan Bautista really was the perfect place for Nick + Sonia’s wedding. It was so meaningful for the couple and everyone in attendance!

No one could keep smiles off of their faces! The ceremony went so smoothly, and the happy couple looked straight out of a fairy tale.

After the ceremony, we headed to Casa Maria for the reception, where Oscar By Oscar did a fantastic job conjuring Sonia’s decoration dreams into reality. With soft pinks and whites, the reception table sang of refined luxury.

Central Coast Entertainment kept everyone dancing. This shot is one of my favorites! I placed my camera on a tripod and used a long exposure to create an intentional blur. This dance is called “Vibora Del La Mar,” which is a traditional Mexican dance where the people try to knock down the bride and groom while holding hands and dancing in a line. The dance is super fast-paced, and this photo is worth a thousand words!

The guys in particular had a blast! This is why I love my job. I also love it when my clients are open to creative shots like this one! For a fresh angle, I got on the ground and told the guys to pretend to be in a music video. They nailed it!

Nick + Sonia, your wedding was a day to remember! All of your hard work and planning definitely paid off. Since you gave us a timeline of what was to happen two weeks before the wedding, we were able to squeeze out every last drop of fun!

Thanks for being such great clients. You two are an amazing couple and I wish you both the best in your new future together. Congratulations!

tags: wedding photographer, wedding photography, san juan bautista, california photographer, california, california photography, Drew Zavala Photography, Mission San Juan Bautista
categories: Wedding
Tuesday 08.23.22
Posted by Sarah Joseph
 

Colton Hall Museum + 17 Mile Drive + Asilomar State Beach - Monterey, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Noe + Maria

It was a joyful adventure to photograph Maria + Noe for their engagement session! I brought them to Colton Hall Museum, 17 Mile Drive, and Asilomar State Beach for a variety of fun photos that will last a lifetime.

Maria + Noe met when they were invited to Maria’s cousin’s house to help film a video for a Spanish class. Later, Noe found her on Facebook and messaged her! Eventually, they exchanged numbers and started dating.

For their first date, Noe picked Maria up and they went to the park. Right away, they understood each other’s sense of humor and all of Maria’s nerves vanished!

On Maria’s birthday, Noe told her that he wanted a future with her and that he was taking their relationship very seriously. A month after that, he asked her to be his girlfriend, and they have been together for ten and a half years!

He proposed to her on her cousin’s birthday! After a party at a winery, her cousin said that she had gotten a photographer to take pictures of everyone at the beach. They all stopped at a Starbucks before the beach to use the restroom, but little did Maria know, a videographer was waiting to sneak a microphone onto Noe!

As they approached the beach, Noe began telling her all of the things he loves about her, like the way she is caring, family-oriented, and smart! It all hit her very slowly, and by the time he knelt and popped the question in front of all of her family, she was in shock!

The videographer who filmed their engagement referred Maria + Noe to us for their engagement session! I was so flattered to learn that she had chosen us over a bunch of other options.

One of the places I brought them to was Asilomar State Beach, which is this neat rocky area. Then, we headed to a sandy part of the beach about a quarter mile away. Even though the weather was a bit muggy, that didn’t stop us from getting these stunning shots!

I’ve said it a bunch of times, and I’ll say it again! Wearing solid-colors and flowing dresses to your session like Maria + Noe adds so much movement and depth! One of my favorite shots of the session was when I had them do the “Titanic” pose! This always gets my clients giggling. A good mix of poses and actions brings out the best photos!

This engagement session was so much fun! Thanks so much for choosing me, and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding in September!

tags: Drew Zavala Photography, a to z photography, asilomar state beach, 17 mile drive, colton hall museum, california photographer, california, photography, engagement session, engagement, monterey, monterey photographer, couples session, couples shoot, photographers in monterey
categories: Engagement
Tuesday 08.16.22
Posted by Sarah Joseph
 
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