shannon renee photography

New Blog!

2010-01-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I'm sure you've probably noticed that I haven't updated this blog in quite some time... well I've been busy working on my new blog! Come check us out and also be sure to become a fan of us on Facebook! Lot's of LOVE to you all! xoxo Shannon Renee

the anniversary ...peter + shannon:

2009-05-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some of MY wedding pictures today since today is Peter and my sixth anniversary... I found this illustration when we were moving and it just brought me back. I had illustrated this for my dressmaker.... and then I brought it for my hairdresser to follow too. I just LOVED that day... so many little things went wrong... wrong color linens, shoes dyed purple (no joke), things missing.... Yet, it was perfect. I can't even tell you how amazing marriage is. Putting two crazy people in one house and living every moment together has been a bumpy road... so many things that can go wrong... do. Yet, it is perfect. I love Peter for all his imperfections that he has now and that he will have... and he loves me for all of mine. Marriage is a true partnership that I've learned that what ever I want to receive I must first be willing to give. Thank you Peter for always giving so unselfishly to me... I hope that I will always give unselfishly to you. xoxo Shani (All images by: Myrtle and Marjoram ... thank you Ing> kisses!)

the baby to be... jesse + najwa:

2009-05-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Born 3 weeks early on Monday, May 4th, at 10:21am Alexis Jasmin Culver has now arrived! Man... good thing we got these done when we did! I just love Jesse and Najwa! I photographed their wedding a couple of years ago and I just adore them to the fullest. Najwa is just one of those extremely intelligent girls who happens to also be amazingly sweet. Jesse is so incredibly great too! He has the most wonderful laugh and is always smiling and the way he looks at Najwa will just make you melt. I am so thankful at how much they have trusted me with their memories over these years. It was so cute hearing their choices for names for the baby... at one point I asked them both to just think of the first name that popped into their heads... and they both said "Alexis!" Thank you both for allowing me to capture this very special time and thank you so much for taking me around the beautiful Hummingbird Nest Ranch. I can't wait to get to photograph beautiful little Alexis Jasmin. xoxo Shannon Renee

unique little car show!!! ... CARS!

2009-05-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

So when I was asked if I photograph other things than just people I said SURE! I love to photograph people... love love love... SO much character and joy and all the simple little expressions that I feel privileged to see and capture. Well guess what... cars have personality too! I had so much fun getting to see all these amazing... and... well ... UNIQUE LITTLE CARS! I don't know if you can tell... but my absolute favorite of the day was the Fiat... LOVED those little guys! They made me smile just looking at their little parts! Which one is YOUR favorite? Enjoy! xoxo Shannon Renee

the vintage birthday... dj + areni:

2009-05-05T13:10:00.001-07:00

My great friend Areni put on this wonderful 20's style birthday party for my friend and her fiancé Daniel Jacob Horine. DJ is an extremely talented artist in many ways and I had the privilege of working with him back when I was a full-time graphic artist. This was such a lovely party! We had so much fun dressing up and learning words and phrases that were popular back in the 20's and we even roasted marsh mellows! ...my kind of party! What a great pair and what a GREAT night! Thank you so much for the swell time! xoxo Shannon

Happy Anniversary MONTH Honey!!!

2009-05-04T13:53:00.001-07:00

My Hubby and I will have been married 6 years on May 24th of 2009. This year I feel blessed. I can't even describe how much. I adore my husband... we are by no means perfect... but I love him.

Peter... I can't live without you... no matter how many times I yell "I'm so mad at you!" No one else can make me happier than you. You are my partner for life and I wouldn't go back and choose anyone but you. Thank you for always remaining patient with me and for always saying sorry even if it was my fault. I can't wait to see you be a daddy someday... you will just absolutely be the best. I'm sorry in advance for ever being unreasonable in the next six years... hehehe... I love you! xoxo Shani

Up and Coming BLOG Posts!!! YAY!

2009-04-20T21:33:00.001-07:00

the baby to be... jesse + najwa:

stay tuned....

Up and Coming BLOG Posts!!! YAY!

2009-04-20T21:32:00.001-07:00

the unique little car show:

stay tuned....

Up and Coming BLOG Posts!!! YAY!

2009-04-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

the vintage birthday... dj + areni:

stay tuned....

the fun shoot... toby + anika:

2009-03-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

I can't even tell you how happy being a photographer makes me! Today is my birthday and I couldn't wait to show you this new shoot! And although Toby and Anika are absolutely adorable... no, they are not models. It was such a joy for me to be able to put together this shoot. Although I am currently a 100% digital shooter, my heart has always been with film. My love for photography began with film and I have always longed for the day when I would shoot film for my business. After spending years mastering my digital photography I have also created a huge space in my heart for digital as well.... and yes it has become a huge part of who I am as a photographer and what my clients fall in love with. So my goal is to start off shooting 10% film and moving closer and closer to shooting more and more film... will I ever give up digital... no way. Do I think digital is less great than film... nope it's just different, but film is my heart... and I want my heart to be happy. When I see a film image my heart skips a beat. So here's to living for my heart! See if you can figure out which images are film (*hint: there is about 10%... some 35mm, some medium format) Thank you SOOOOOO much Toby and Anika for being my guinea pigs and letting me play dress up! You were AMAZING!!! xoxo Shannon

the reception... adam + megan

2009-03-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! This was such a wonderful celebration of cultures and full of love and joy and so kick back! Megan grew up in Bangladesh because her parents are involved in relief work there, and Adam has had a passion for foreign aid his whole life going to places like India, Samoa, Germany, China... the list of countries that they both have been to is at least a dozen and many in common! Adam came to Pennsylvania to have some meetings with Megan's dad and that's where he met the lovely Megan. They had their ceremony at a family friend's resort in Thailand and came back to the states to share their reception with friends and family. By the way, this was only reception number 1... they'll be celebrating again next Saturday at a reception on the east coast for the rest of the family. Boy... do these two know how to celebrate! xoxo Shannon

TEACHING... ME... INDESIGN... COOLNESS BEYOND...

2009-03-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!!! I'm going to be teaching an InDesign Class to help you photogs (and any other creative soul) how to conquer the terrifying yet so very easy InDesign. You all have mastered Photoshop so no need to fear... Those Adobe folks are geniuses. And well I'm a huge fan of making my life easy and definitely want to share how to make yours easy as well. Check out the details here. And you can sign up here. SHARING the LOVE!!! xoxo Shannon

Up and Coming BLOG Posts!!! YAY!

2009-03-13T11:55:00.001-07:00

the fun shoot... toby + anika:

stay tuned....

Up and Coming BLOG Posts!!! YAY!

2009-03-13T11:52:00.001-07:00

the wedding... adam + meagan:

stay tuned....

Headshots... Whitestone Media

2009-03-01T22:02:00.001-08:00

I had the privilege of photographing headshots for this amazing company that actually has three family members of mine. My dad, my brother and his wife... and of course Daniel - who is like a brother to me too. You might actually see a little family resemblance in a few of the shots... Here is what Whitestone Media is all about:

"Whitestone Media is a Christ-centered, full-service production company, providing services in Pre-production (script, recording, character design, and storyboards), Production, and Post-production (digital video editing, DVD authoring, music recording, and graphic design). Our goal is to produce quality DVDs, promotional videos, cartoon animation (2D and 3D), documentary and short-subject films for churches, schools, and businesses, helping them to penetrate their individual communities, mission fields, and marketplaces with the latest in multi-media concepts."

Their newest project is Theo Cartoons go HERE to check out the site!

As you can see, my whole family just LOVES art... and we have found technology as an amazing tool to express it! Lot's of LOVE to you fam.... xoxo Shannon

the wedding... amy + michael: Part II

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

the wedding... amy + michael: Part I

2009-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I had an absolute blast at this wedding! This family was just SUCH a joy to be around all day... everyone was smiling and laughing and just really enjoying each other. I had the pleasure of second shooting this fun filled wedding with Michael Rueter a friend of mine and a photographer in Southern Ca. I met Michael when I was working for and being mentored by Robert Evans. Here are some of the images I took from the day (I took WAY too many pictures but there were just so many beautiful details and lovely people!). I'm going to show you a part II of the wedding later on this week. Thanks Rueter for asking me to be apart of this beautiful wedding!

the wurm family: part III

2009-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

the wurm family: part II

2009-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

the wurm family: part I

2009-01-07T00:09:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things in the world is getting to meet and experience new families and see the interactions between them. This family had SO much love to give and share with each other. It was such a joy getting to capture every moment! These little girls had personality to spare... SO incredibly cute! I felt so honored to photograph this time in their lives and what an easy time I had with all the love and giggles that were shared. I've decided to share this session with you in three parts because there were just too many I wanted you to see... xoxo Shannon

ShannonRenee.com LAUNCHES!

2009-01-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

ShannonRenee.com is finally here! I'm so excited that my new site is up and my time will not be monopolized by countless hours of graphic manipulation and image preparation anymore... a one big resounding.... YAAAAAAYYYYY!!! Okay... so I'm a perfectionist... there I said it, and well - I started as a graphic designer before I discovered my passion for photography..sooooooo... Of course I decided that I wanted to design my own site - in hindsight I might have been a little crazy. The hard part was going to be finding the right Flash designer to animate my design with all my insane requests. Can I just tell you how lucky I was to find Ryan Malmberg from Finch Design??? I heard of him from Jose Villa and from my buddy Danielle Biel and I love both of their sites so I really felt that I couldn't go wrong. After I had spoken to Ryan on the phone for two minutes I knew this was going to be a really cool collaboration. 8 months later ...and.. wha LAH! New site and truly new friend. (by the way Ryan is SUPER fast... it was my fault it took so long... perfectionist remember?) Thank you so much Ryan... I couldn't have asked for a better partner on this...you really made everything I designed just so much better.

happy holidays!

2008-12-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

Okay... so clearly I missed saying Merry Christmas but Happy New Years is still in order... so a generic Happy Holidays should fit the bill... HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Here are some SUPER cute vintage reindeer that I bought at the Pink Plum in Pasadena... and oh did I get a great deal! If you are ever in my neck of the woods you should check this place out. I'm still trying to think of names for these little guys besides the obvious... any thoughts? I took these fun images as a project for a wonderful group that I'm apart of called Ambient LA. It is a group of LA photographers that get together and inspire and encourage each other - our project title was "A Black and White Christmas"... well in my case it's "A Sepia Christmas" ... lot's of love to them! Oh yes... and Lot's of LOVE to you! xoxo Shannon

the siberians

2008-12-31T00:59:00.000-08:00

According to www.iorphan.org: "There are over 4 million orphans and homeless children in Russia and Ukraine. Officially, there are 730,000 orphans living in Russia alone. That means that Russia has more orphans today than after World War II! Statistics show that only one out of ten Russian orphans becomes a functional member of society. The others are lost to drugs, crime and suicide. Millions of Russian children are on the run living on the streets or in underground sewers desperately needing basic food, medicine and clothes."

Okay, so those are the statistics... now that I've given a little background you'll understand when I tell you how much I completely admire my brother-in-law and his wife. In June 2005 they began their journey to adopt... Through many trials and tribulations they struggled not knowing when they would be sent a referral for their new child... then in December 2007 they got a call asking if they would consider 3 children... a boy and his two sisters... yeah, I know... from 2 people to 5... what a change. But Chrystal felt a strong tug on her heart and Scott did too, so they decided to visit the children in Krasnoyarsk, Russia in January 2008. Chrystal has this amazing blog that documents their every step from beginning to now so I'll let her tell you in her own words... here is just ONE of my favorite blog posts: http://mocabeefamily.blogspot.com/2008/02/peace.html

In July of 2008 they were finally able to bring the children home and complete their family. Needless to say... I also fell in love with these three precious little people and they can tug at my heart like nothing else can. I'm amazed at how fast they took to calling me Auntie Shannon and how quickly they let themselves love me... with how much they have had taken from them... they have so much still to give. I was completely impressed by Scott and Chrystal and the awesome schedule that they created for their new family... and Peter and I have been feverishly writing down notes on their amazing parenting skills. These shots are from the first time I witnessed the bedtime preparation... There are just so many times that I just stop and think... "Who could have given up these three amazing and beautiful little children"... and as strange as it may sound... I am so thankful that they did.

lots of love...david and celia

2008-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE this couple... I have known them for quite sometime now and was super blessed to shoot their wedding and thrilled that they allowed me to shoot them again a few years later...just for kicks! Thank you so much for an amazingly fun shoot! xoxo Shannon

little, little bits...jonathan

2008-11-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

Okay so... all I have to say Jonathan is that your Daddy made me do it. Years down the line when you see these pictures and you think, "What kind of horrible photographer would shove me in a Tuba???"... again... not my idea. But I will say little man... you put up quite a fight. Peeing twice and throwing up roughly 6 or 7 times... but alas, I still put you in the Tuba. You are so so adorable Jonathan... thank you Katie and Steve for letting me photograph your beautiful baby boy... xoxo Shannon

Operation Smile

2008-11-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

Okay so I just found out that October is Family Portrait month... but seeing as how I've obviously missed that boat... I'm making November my honorary Family Portrait month. And in honor of my honorary Family Portrait month I will be offering a $100 discount to those special families that book a portrait session in the month of November. In addition to the $100 off I will be donating $100 to Operation Smile. I can't even express how much my heart goes out to what these beautiful people are doing so I'm glad they've created a video... xoxo Shannon

The Wedding... Mike + Meredith

2008-11-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE this couple. Meredith is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet and Mike is SO talented! Here is their story in her words:

"We met in the summer of 2004 on a humanitarian trip to Hitachinaka, Japan, a small town outside of Tokyo. We were in Japan building churches in the inner city among urban poor, and teaching Japanese children the English language. After developing a deep friendship and both realizing our shared passion for traveling, God, and helping the urban poor, we began dating a couple of years later. Another year after that, Michael proposed to me at Carpinteria State Beach on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This beach held many special memories to us because it was the first place we expressed our love to one another. Once engaged, Michael, a fashion designer by trade, expressed to me his desire to design my wedding gown. After nearly twenty five fittings, several hundred beads, and hours of labor by Sok Tea, my dress was completely breathtaking. The dress, mixed with the overwhelming love shared by family and friends from all over the world, made the wedding day picture perfect."

I also wanted to add that I've had the pleasure of getting to do two weddings with these wonderful bridesmaids and they are so incredibly fun!!! I love these girls!!! Congratulations Mike and Meredith! Enjoy each other always... xoxo Shannon

Wedding Gown: Designed by Michael Abe, the groom, and made by Sok Tea in Hacienda Heights
Shoes: Made and bought from a street vendor in Brazil, South America
Grooms Suit: Custom designed and made
Location: Ambassador West Campus in Pasadena, CA
Wedding Planner: Meredith Abe, the bride
Floral: Sara Marroquin of Los Angeles
Cupcakes: Dots Bakery of Pasadena
Cinematography: Steve Opperman
Linens: Unique Party Rentals of Glendale
Lighting: Unique Party Rentals of Glendale
Invitations and Programs: Kristi Wolford of KW Designs in Glendora, CA
Wedding Coordinator: Kristina Schwartz in Covina, CA
Event Design: Meredith Abe, the bride
Catering: Johnny Carinos of West Covina, CA
Hair: Marcos Garcia of Tu La Diva Salon in Glendora, CA
Makeup: Michelle Kelley in Los Angeles

little bits...emma and audrey

2008-10-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

oh to be a little girl again. enjoy the throwback...

Welcome!

2008-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here it is in all it's glory... I'm not even sure how you're supposed to start one of these things... I guess what's most appropriate is just to say welcome... stop by anytime and enjoy browsing while you're here... please please please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Thanks!

Shannon Renee