The Needhams - Santa Clarita Family Session

My favorite kind of portrait sessions are the ones where there's zero stress and it's just a good time of documenting a moment in time. That's exactly the kind of shoot I had recently with the Needham family. 




As someone who's been married a relatively short time, it's always encouraging to see couples who've been married for years and still have obvious joy about each other. 



Fun fact: Alison is an awesome gluten-free baker who's even made a believer out of a gluten fan like me. 






Ready for a no-stress, awesome-packed portrait session? Let's talk.
www.joshpremako.com

The Keiths - Tenth Anniversary Session

It was a decade ago when Nathan and Christine exchanged vows on a sunny, Orange County day. It was a day spent capturing a lot of great emotions and celebration. Ten years and three kids later, to celebrate their anniversary we hopped in the truck and drove up into the mountains north of Los Angeles, where I had the opportunity to create some new portraits for them.







Friendship. That's what the two of them talked about when I asked about the past 10 years, and what has been prevalent in their marriage. They talked about how important it is to really build a strong and genuine friendship with your spouse. 




And then the hailstorm rolled in. And after 10 years of marriage and three kids, Christine, rocking her wedding dress like the day she tied the knot, was game to do some portraits as the hail came down.




It has been a pleasure to document the day these kids said "I do", to see them build a strong marriage and family, and to spend time commemorating a decade with some fun portraits. Happy anniversary you two!


Celebrating an anniversary or just ready for some awesome new portraits? Let's talk.
www.joshpremako.com

The Bargas Wedding - Santa Clarita, CA

"...my heart is so full of joy, I think it might burst."


Every opportunity to document someone's wedding is special. To know they trust you to be part of the day and capture its moments is a heartwarming thing. And when it's someone you've known for years, and you can share in their joy — well, that's something extra special.

































There's something really special about when the father of the bride sees her in her dress. Probably one of my favorite moments to capture during the wedding day.

















Pete and Lauren, thanks for letting me be part of your day. Here's to a life of joy together!


Getting married? Let's talk.
www.joshpremako.com

The Wild Places

"In God's wildness lies the hope of the world — the great fresh unblighted, unredeemed wilderness. The galling harness of civilization drops off, and wounds heal ere we are aware." — John Muir

The Eastern Sierras are one of my absolute favorite places. It does the mind, body, and soul to escape now and then to escape, if only for a weekend, to wild, rugged, and beautiful corners of the world. There's nothing like driving through the black of night, sleeping under the stars in the bed of a pickup truck, and in the cold chill of an October morning sipping hot, black coffee and watching as the sun paints the mountains.



I headed to the mountains with my good friend Matt, a talented landscape photographer, for a weekend of drinking in the glory of nature, starting at the Alabama Hills and making our way north along Highway 395.



I primarily shoot digital, but every so often it's fun to pull out analog gear, like this medium format beast that was used by my late grandfather.




Don't miss the small beauties in life. We often get so enamored by the big things we miss the little, beautiful details at our feet.












Thanks to Maine-based landscaper photographer Howie Motenko for being kind enough to stop for a portrait.



Our trip home included a stop at Red Rock Canyon at the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada range, where I joined a family of Joshua Trees in watching one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in a while.

Country Love

A few weeks back, I hit the road early in the morning and headed north to central California's farm country, and spent a fantastic day and night photographing Manny and Patty's wedding and the charming Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch. 



I loved Patty's combo of something borrowed and something blue: her sister's socks.








This was also one of those weddings where I certainly needed to rely on being able to read a scene, because while the entire ceremony was in Spanish, my Spanish skills are, how you say, not so bueno.







Big kudos to the folks at Seven Sycamores for creating a great place to celebrate.
















Manny and Patty, it was a pleasure getting to document your wedding. Here's wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!


Getting married? Let's talk. 
www.joshpremako.com

Beauty is in the Simple Things

The wedding is a day; the marriage is every day. The temptation can be to make the wedding day the high point, the grand spectacle, the ultimate celebration. That is why there is something so very refreshing about documenting a wedding that is beautiful and precious in its simplicity.


Earlier this year... ok, much earlier this year, like day-before-Valentine's-Day earlier — I had the opportunity to document Nicole and Eric's gorgeous Santa Barbara wedding. It was one of the more simple weddings I've had the pleasure of photographing. It was a fairly relaxed morning of the two of them getting ready, sharing a first look and a few moments exchanging heartfelt words atop the clock tower of the beautiful Santa Barbara courthouse, then filling out paperwork and being married by a clerk, with just close family watching. Then, you know, we hung out for a while and took some portraits.









If there's one thing I've found true as a photographer, it's that you can't fake genuine emotions. I couldn't set up that shot of Eric's dad looking on with such happiness. This is why you need to learn as a photographer to be present in the moment and capture emotion as it unfolds.



I love me some handwritten vows.






I could have spent all day, literally all day, shooting at the courthouse. 






There's something really wonderful about being part of a small wedding ceremony. The grandeur of large venue and a crowd of well-dressed onlookers is removed (don't get me wrong, I love those weddings, too) and you're left with just the looks of love amid the writing of a new chapter in life.





Gorgeous locations all the live long day.







Nicole and Eric, thank you for letting me be part of this day and document the start of your story as a married couple.


Ready to have your wedding documented with zero stress and extra awesomesauce?
www.joshpremako.com

Memories of Wild Rose Country

It's a sunny July afternoon in Alberta and we're driving the Icefields Parkway, cutting through the beautifully rugged landscape of Alberta. We pull off at a parking area above Peyto Lake, and make our way along a narrow trail through the woods to a rocky outcropping, where we survey the expanse far below us. The sun is hitting the glacier-fed lake, that stands out like a shard of turquoise. A storm is rolling in over the mountains. It is just me and my love alone here in the wild. This is a highlight to a trip defined by highlights.

It has taken me more than a year to get to this post. In July 2014, my wife and I took a bit of a belated honeymoon, spending more than a week adventuring in Alberta and British Columbia. We quickly fell deeply in love with Canada. The rugged beauty of its landscape. Its friendly people. Its gorgeous late-night sunsets. And the food. Oh, the food. 

There is something inspiring and invigorating about going new, unseen places and seeing new beauty, sharing time with the one you love and coming home recharged and refreshed.

So settle in, there's a few photos ahead.





The trail through Johnston Canyon outside Banff is in itself a delight, laced with the heavy fragrance of fresh mountain air and pine trees, every turn in the trail presenting new vistas.



Then there is the matter of the upper falls in Johnston Canyon. Standing at the end of the catwalk, the cool, misty spray in your face is like shot of adrenaline.



When it comes to long summer days of driving mountain roads and exploring new places, it's crucial to start the day with the proper fuel, and the folks at Kicking Horse Coffee in Invermere, British Columbia, roast and serve fantastic coffee and baked goods. 






The water. Can we talk about the water in Alberta? Nothing really prepares you for seeing the glacial lakes of Alberta, shining bright like turquoise in the sun. Lake Louise is a splendid place to simply walk along the shore, soak in the summer sun, and breathe crisp mountain air. 



A hike up the mountain from Lake Louise is Lake Agnes. Beautiful in its own right, it also includes a tea house built in 1905, a great place to sip fresh, hot coffee and have a snack while enjoying the mountain views.











Whether you're heading up to Lake Agnes, or making your descent to head back to Lake Louise, Mirror Lake is a nice, calm stopping point to take a rest.


I might be biased, but the gorgeous views in Canada still pale in comparison to this beauty.



In addition to seeing Lake Louise up close, taking a ski lift ride up a mountainside inhabited by grizzly bears also provides a great view.


Was it just the thrill of the entire trip, or was this 9 p.m. pizza in Invermere really that delicious?








More than a year later, I still think longingly about this trip. Alberta is one of the most beautiful places I've spent time, where the handiwork of the Creator is on full and vibrant display. These are the kind of adventures that are so good for the mind, body, and soul. The time to explore new places and be rejuvenated is priceless. 


Signing off with a photo of my cutie wife in the trusty Nissan Versa that zipped us all over the place. 


The Immensity of It All

"The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself." — John Wesley Powell

It is difficult to adequately put into words the sense of awe one feels when seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. The mind feels prepared to be amazed, but nothing compares to seeing this ...grandeur, like a neverending matte painting on display. The feeling of absolute smallness in the midst of a great world, standing on a rocky outcropping as the storm clouds clear and the wind whips around you is enlivening.




A few weeks ago, I headed out to the desert with two good friends, to ramble around the desert and, most notably for me, see the Grand Canyon with my own eyes for the first time. The few hours we spent driving through the heart of thunderstorm and walking along the edge of the South Rim were an amazing taste of its beauty, and a much-needed, invigorating break from the day-to-day busyness of life.

The Walls - Santa Clarita Family Session

"There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human, are created, strengthened and maintained."
— Winston Churchill


My favorite kind of family sessions to shoot are the ones that are laid-back and simply capture the joy in a family, especially when they have a six-month-old bundle of cuteness like Zoey here.






The best time for photos of your family is now. Let's get together.
www.joshpremako.com

At Long Last


As a photographer, I deeply value every opportunity someone gives me to document their lives at a certain point. It is deeply meaningful to be entrusted with creating images that will stand the test of time.
Let me tell you, this engagement session was particularly exciting to shoot. I've known Pete for nearly 15 years, when we were in college together. Before I got married, we lived together in a house and shared many laughs and conversations. Pete is a hilarious dude, but he is also a focused, responsible, godly man and is going to make a great husband. I don't Lauren very well, but I could instantly tell that they're a great match.






Marriage is a crazy, exciting, awesome, challenging chapter of life, and I can't wait to document their wedding day this fall.



Oh yeah, I can make you look this good, too.

A Moment in Time

Here in Southern California, once summer hits, it's rare to see anything resembling a cloud. Which is why when some unseasonable weather rolls in, you need to seize the moment. I had a great time creating some new portraits for Jonathan last week. He was a talented staff photographer at the paper where I used to work, who now keeps his cool as a CHP dispatcher.










Interested in an awesome, no-stress just-because portrait session? Check out my work, and send me an email.