Leif Brandt Photography

Test shoot

2012-01-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

Playing around with a different camera...here's one from yesterday...

2011 was good...2012 will be even better...

2012-01-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

2011 was good. I have amazing clients that are also friends. I'm so grateful for being allowed to be a part of your lives. Each year I feel I continue to improve on my art so I'm super excited for what 2012 will hold. Here's some of the images I enjoyed creating this year...

Weddings, Engagements, Couples in love...

...and dinosaurs!

Portraits

Duddy Family ~ Poway, CA

2012-01-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Aside from having a sweet last name, the Duddy family is just a sweet family. I had the joy of meeting this family when I shot Tara's wedding back in 2010 and was thrilled when all the kids decided to gift their parents with a family shoot to honor their 30th wedding anniversary. Tom & Sioux, congratulations on 30 years of marriage, 5 awesome children, & 2 beautiful grand babies!

Sneak Peek ~ Poway Family Photography

2011-12-30T22:48:00.001-08:00

One from today...

The Reids ~ Irvine Family Photography

2011-12-29T22:36:00.000-08:00

To quote Arrested Development...
Michael Bluth: What have we always said is the most important thing?
George Michael Bluth: Breakfast
Michael Bluth: Family
George Michael Bluth: Oh, right. Family. I thought you meant of the things you eat.

This adorable family is just that...family. Here are a few pix from our 5 minute session on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & hope everyone is enjoying time with their families this holiday season. We've been so blessed this year with the long awaited addition of Harper as well as all our amazing clients which we can truly call friends now. Thank you!

Chad & Jacinda ~ Sunset Cliffs Estate Wedding ~ San Diego, California

2011-12-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

Chad & Jacinda are such an awesome & sweet couple & I was so stoked to shoot their wedding. I met Jacinda when I went in to Clearview to have laser beams installed in my eyes. I was so excited when they booked me because a) They are super sweet b) Jacinda was always styled super cute which translates to a pretty wedding c) They only needed me for 4 hours and d) they fully trusted me with their pictures. Congrats to you two!!! Marriage is awesome!

See their mini engagement pictures ==>> Engagement Pictures <<==

Venue - Sunset Cliffs Estate - Point Loma - San Diego, California
Cakes - The Incredible Cheesecake Company
Florist - Working on getting her name because the flowers looked great!

Happy Harper Holidays

2011-12-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

8 months in and we're loving parenthood. I used to wonder why my parents dressed me in some of the things they did...now I know. Their parents dressed them in silly looking things and their only form of revenge is to do the same to their kids. My mom had my sisters and I all in red short overalls for a Christmas picture. It was hideous...but we're going easy on Harper. Erica found a ridiculous Christmas headband to bring holiday cheer to all. It's pretty mild but it's just the beginning of many silly outfits we will use to embarrass her when she starts dating.

Cole's First Christmas Shoot ~ Carlsbad Baby Photographer

2011-12-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is Cole. Cole is bred from good genes. Tall and solid build. He has eyes as blue as the sky. He enjoys fine dining, drooling, & being naked. This is his first Christmas shoot...and he was very comfortable in front of the camera.

Sneak Peek ~ Sunset Cliffs Estate Wedding

2011-12-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

One from yesterday's wedding. Congrats to Chad & Jacinda!

Jake & Alli ~ San Diego Wedding

2011-12-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

The night before this wedding I was in the ER because a dog bit my face. It was also looking like it was going to rain during the ceremony...which it did. Did any of that stop this awesome couple from having an amazing day? Nope! I was so stoked to be able to be a part of their wedding. I was blessed with being able to shoot Alli's sisters wedding last year so when Jake & Alli wanted me to shoot their wedding I was honored. They are such as sweet, fun couple and their wedding was a blast. Now I can check shooting a wedding in the rain and in the dark off my checklist. haha!

Jake & Alli...Thank you for letting me be a part of your big day!

My favorite from the day. Dark, raining & magical!!!

Father/Daughter dance...one of my favorite parts of weddings.

Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel - Mission Valley
Florist - Artistic Florals
Cake - Cute Cakes
Hair & Makeup - Lorretta Bivens
DJ - DJ Don Juan
2nd Shooter - Dylan Mayer

And...a few photo booth pictures too...

And...the parents of the bride...summing it up.

Jared + Katie = Twins!

2011-12-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

I was honored to shoot Jared & Katie's wedding back in November 2010. Super honored I got to take some pictures of them as they get ready to welcome in Sam & Caroline! Can't wait to meet the little ones.

Harper is bringing the holiday cheer!

2011-12-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Someone is ready for her first Christmas! Yes we know the hat is ridiculous. Yes we will dress her in hilarious things in the future. Yes we will show these ridiculous photos during her wedding slideshow. Here's one from today's Christmas Cheer shoot. More to come later

The Bows ~ San Diego Family Photographer

2011-11-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

I know the Bows from church. They are such an awesome family. They made a cute kid.

Harper ~ 7+ months

2011-11-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

She's growing so stinkin' fast. Today she's already getting herself up and standing. I can't get enough of this little sweetness. Still can't believe I get to be her daddy...

And one from last month...

Kekoa - Escondido Family Photographer

2011-11-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

My middle name is Kekoa. This little guy's name is Kekoa. Rad.

We're somehow related...I still don't exactly know what we are...maybe 2nd cousins...3rd cousins??? Anyways, he'll most likely grow up to be a stud baseball player. His parents are grooming him from an early age. :)

I stopped by for a few quick pictures the other day...

Willard Family - Escondido Family Photographer

2011-11-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

These are the Willards. They make a strong case for wanting to raise my child in Texas as all the Texans I know seem to be super well mannered and polite...and they are no exception. Such a sweet family. I shot them in Escondido while they were out from Austin, Texas visiting family and friends.

Sneak Peek ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-11-21T11:40:00.001-08:00

Here's a little sneak peek from Jake & Alli's wedding last night...in the dark...in the rain. It was my first time shooting a ceremony in near darkness, which would be one thing...but add the rain and...

Del Mar Family Photographer

2011-11-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

Triplet boys + one more. I can't imagine raising 4 boys...but Kevin & Tyra are doing an amazing job.

Last year when I shot them, none of the boys wanted to look at the camera. This year they were all fighting to be the one in front of the camera...about 5 inches from the camera. I wonder what next year will be like. :)

Here are a few of my favorites after chasing them around Seagrove Park in Del Mar.

San Diego Family Photographer

2011-10-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of shots of my good friends, the Groths. Katelyn and I have worked together on a few shoots that she's styled...and she always does an amazing job. She doesn't care for the normal family shots so last year we did a Mad Men themed shoot...this year started as sort of a traveling family band which sort of morphed into this...

Here they are in color without the antiquing texture...

Dre & Megan {Then comes a baby...} San Diego Maternity Photographer

2011-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

About 7 years ago we were scared. We knew God was calling us to move to Simi Valley to help out as the pastor Erica worked for had just been hired as the lead pastor at a church in Chatsworth. All our family and friends were down here. We had a comfortable life, steady jobs, a decent house & we were leaving it all behind...

It's fun to look back at that time. We were so scared of that move and all that change. It turned out those two years we were up in Simi Valley were two of the best years of our marriage. God grew us spiritually, got me excited about worship ministry again, and we made some incredible friends.

Dre & Megan are two of those awesome people God brought into our lives. Dre is on staff at the Church at Rocky Peak where we worked together in the youth staff. I was floored by the work God was doing through Dre in the Jr High ministry. Jr High students worshipping more deeply and passionately than any adult ministry I had been a part of...I was so honored to be a part of that ministry and so thankful for the friendship we had in Dre & Megan.

So...I was so stoked when Dre texted me about taking some pictures for them as they get ready to welcome the heir to his thrown. They are going to be amazing parents & I'm really excited to find out what name they end up going with...

A Weekend with Stoners...

2011-10-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Stoners, came out to visit from Colorado. Three girls 3 and under made it interesting trying to coordinate nap schedules. It also confirmed that we IF we have another child, we will stop as we don't want to be outnumbered. I'm so excited for our girls to grow up together and hopefully have annual trips to see each other.

Another Masterpiece - San Diego Product Photography

2011-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest from Josh Williams Guitars. It's freakin' amazing! It's pretty much what he's going to be building me & I can't wait! I played this guitar and then went back to my expensive Larrivee...which kills ever Taylor I've ever owned...and now my Larrivee sounds dead compared to this guitar from Josh. If you need a guitar, contact Josh NOW before he gets too busy with his custom orders.

Sweetest thing ever?

2011-10-12T18:00:00.001-07:00

Happy First Anniversary to Austin & Michele! Southern California Wedding Photography

2011-10-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Such a fun wedding on 10-10-10! Congrats to you two!

More from their wedding HERE.

Happy 1st Anniversary to Chris & Katie! San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-10-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today is Chris & Katie's 1st Anniversary! Congrats you two!

Autism Awareness & Mikeython 2011

2011-10-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

If you listen to morning radio shows in San Diego, there's a good chance you listen to the Mikey Show on FM 94.9. It's one of the, if not THE, highest rated radio shows in San Diego. Mikey is constantly made fun of for his fictitious love for all things tropical and Tommy Bahama. I had the pleasure of shooting some family pictures for Mike & Rebecca a little while ago and so I pitched this idea that I wanted to do in hopes that we could auction off a print for charity. Mike was hesitant but I'm stoked he agreed to do it.

Aside from being a great radio personality, Mike is totally sold out for God & does all he can to use his voice on the radio to do good. One of the best things he and his crew does is known as Mikeython. Instead of the usual 4 hour broadcast, on October 6th they will go 28 straight hours on the radio...all for one purpose...to raise as much awareness and money for autism and Rady Children's Hospital's Autism Discovery Institute. Mike & Rebecca's oldest son is autistic. He's such a rad, sweet kid...and a lot of that is because of the help they received from Rady's Autism Discovery Institute. Once a year they do Mikeython and it's so awesome to see all these people donating money to this cause.

I'm stoked to have this first print as part of that auction. It's the only print so we're hoping some hardcore fans of the Mikey Show will bid on it. I'm also excited that they allowed me to auction off a portrait session...SO...if you've been wanting to get some family pictures, or senior pictures, or pictures of your kids...here's a win win situation. You bid on the portrait session, you get sweet pictures and get the warm feeling knowing you just helped out a great cause!

Here are a couple of the shots from the shoot. I kinda wanted a slightly over processed look to them & really like how they turned out.

Here's a link to the auction for the 16x20 portrait ==> Tommy Bahama Portrait <==

Here's a link to the auction for the portrait session ==> Portrait Session <==

Here's a video Rebecca did...

Please go here to see all the items up for auction or just to donate. Thanks!!!

Also, a very special thanks to Catherine who made these shirts for this shoot! Check out her facebook page!

First Solids

2011-10-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday we gave Harper a little bit of avocado as her first taste of real food. We figure that if she's going to live in southern California she better get used to eating avocados. We're hoping it fattens her up a little since she was only 12lbs at the 5 month mark. Not much of it made it or stayed in her mouth.

Tips for your family photos...

2011-09-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again where you start to get that crazy idea of trying get all the kids to behave (not to mention getting your husband to behave) and trying to get everyone to smile at the same time so you have some cute pictures to put on the Christmas card. You spend hours shopping for the perfect outfits for each of your family members. You get your hair and make up done. You show up to your shoot...and you're kids start acting...well...like kids. Just like that your vision of a happy family on the front of a card is gone. One kid is crying, the other one is drawing on the kid that is crying, your husband is checking his fantasy team score on his phone, and you're stressed and yelling at your kids to behave.

Sound like last year? Here are just a couple of tips for you when you schedule your family photo session...

Bribe your kids - Yep...normally bribery is a bad thing landing you in jail...but it never hurts to bribe your kids a little for the shoot. Candy, slurpees, money, iPads...whatever you want. (Smarties are good because they are small, plenty of them in one pack, and not messy.)

Scheduling time is important - Simple enough...if you know your kids usually nap at 2pm and get grumpy around that time...don't schedule your shoot for that time. Equally important, if your husband's favorite sports team is playing...don't schedule it during the game... :) (husbands, you're welcome for that one)

Relax & Have Fun - Your kids will pick up on your mood. If you're stressing all about the shoot...kids tend to pick up on your tenseness. If your mood is light, relaxed and fun, it's more likely they will do the same.

Hope for the best... If everything goes perfectly, great! BUT...if your kid that always cries starts to cry...embrace it. Family photos are all about capturing your family in it's current state. When you look back it will give you something to laugh about. Below is a shoot I did for my friends, Jordan & Katelyn. We had this Mad Men themed shoot in mind. Katelyn styled the family & the set, I got the lighting all set, fired off a couple of pictures, and then Riggins starts crying like crazy. However, it turns out that this is one of the favorites from the session...

This picture was taken as Georgia was having a melt down...comforted by mom...

Georgia was tired & cranky...but Kurt & Cheyenne kept things light and relaxed and we got this sweet picture...

So...in summary...Have fun with your family photos. Family is such a blessing...even if the kids are crying...

Jason & Esther {Then Comes Marriage} San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-09-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Jason & Esther are dream clients. They are nice, sweet, laid back, warm, fun, and with Jason around you don't have to worry about anyone messing with you. It's like having a personal body guard. I LOVED being around them and their awesome family and friends. Here's a peek into their awesome day!

Kudos to awesome vendors...such a pleasure to work with!
Coordinator ~ Joanna at J.Soiree killed it! Such an awesome coordinator to work with!
Hair - Bethany at the Lotus Den Hair Studio did an awesome job as usual.
Makeup - Anne with Flirt Makeup did flawless work!

And...just because I find it funny...

Babies everywhere...

2011-09-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our friend's daughter had her first birthday party. It was more of a reunion for the adults as there were a ton of people we don't get to see super often. Now that we have Harper, it's extra exciting seeing all these young families with babies all over the place. I don't normally carry my camera around when I'm not on a "shoot", but I had it yesterday and snapped a few.

Here's the birthday girl getting into her cake...

Our friends son Matthew...who is 5 days older than Harper and currently 7lbs heavier and counting...

Harper likes her tongue right now...

Hard to believe these two are only 5 days apart...

Busy weekend...

2011-09-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

So far here's my holiday weekend...

Saturday...wake up...get gear ready...get myself ready...drive down to San Diego and shoot an awesome couple...drive home...in bed around midnight...Harper cries some waking us up around 2 but falls back asleep...Harper wakes us up around 4 am...I fall back asleep...I wake up at 6:30 and drive 45 minutes to Fallbrook to help out with the praise music at North Coast Church Fallbrook...Then we have lunch with family...drive 45 minutes home...download cards from last nights wedding...shoot some video of Harper attempting to crawl...leave again for a birthday party...come home & edit some more...Tomorrow morning wake up and shoot a sweet guitar my buddy Josh Williams built...then come home and BBQ with our growth group...then edit some more. All this equals a tired me. If you actually read this...here's a picture from last night's wedding as a reward. :)

Chad + Jacinda {First Comes Love} Southern California Engagement Photography

2011-08-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

I met Jacinda through Clear View Eye & Medical Center where she works. I shot Oriana's wedding last year in Laguna Beach, Oriana works with Jacinda, and when I came in to get my eyes fixed, I met Jacinda. I'm stoked to shoot Chad & Jacinda's wedding in December in La Jolla!

This was a mini-session. I only shot for about a half an hour...but Chad & Jacinda rocked it and I got a ton of beautiful shots! Feast your eyes on this cute couple!!!

Quick one from today's mini engagement session...

2011-08-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

one from today...

Carlsbad Flower Fields

2011-08-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

A little while back I was asked to shoot some pictures at the Carlsbad Flower Fields. They are starting to do weddings there, but there is only about a couple of months where the flowers are in bloom so they wanted to show what could be done off season. Nellie of The Occasion Events & Stems Design Studio asked if I'd be up for shooting some pix and I jumped at the offer. I'm always stoked to work with her, as well as the other gals that were helping out, because everything they do looks AMAZING! Anyways, here are some of the pictures...

But first...here are the AMAZING gals that worked their magic...

Nellie ~ The Occasion Events & Stems Design Studio
Katelyn ~ Bessant Designs
Chelsea ~ The Dainty Woods
Channing ~ Makeup
Venue ~ Carlsbad Flower Fields

Operation Website Re-do...

2011-08-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

I redid my main website. Still changing some things and it takes longer to load than I'd like...but check it out.

www.leifbrandtphotography.com

Not your usual family pictures...

2011-08-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Usually when I shoot family pictures they usually look like these...or like some of these. However, when Rebecca mentioned to my friend & super talented stylist, Katelyn, that she would be up for something different...we did just that. Last year Rebecca had family pictures outdoors, but was a little worried about what the kids (three boys under the age of five) might get into. We decided to keep it clean and simple.

The thing I love about family pictures is that it captures the stage your family is in at this moment in time. Right now, with Jake & two year old twins, life is a little chaotic most of the time for Mike & Rebecca. On Saturday Jake was super sweet...Lukey was always ready to run off...& Rye-Rye is affectionately known as Cry-Cry. I had to do a little photoshop magic to get all the kiddos in there since Luke was always running off & Ryan was...well...crying...but when you have a cute family...no matter what you have cute pictures. Here are a few of my favs...

Special thanks again to Katelyn of Bessant Designs for helping out with the concept as well as helping Rebecca find those fabulous outfits. I'm a straight male, but I absolutely LOVED Rebecca's dress and belt. Katelyn is freakin' amazing at interior design & styling...so if you need any of that...check out her site.

Every day it gets better!

2011-08-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

Every day I fall more and more in love with this cute little thing. She's such a sweet, happy baby. We should probably stop while we're ahead because no matter what, the next child would seem difficult in comparison.

Dan & Aimee = knot tied! Southern California Wedding Photographer

2011-07-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

Dan & Aimee amazing! Sometimes you can tell how perfect a couple is for each other based on how excited their families are to gain a new member. The entire day just felt like I was hanging out with family. These two are so sweet & so perfect for each other! I LOVED watching these two commit their lives to each other & it will be fun to see how God blesses their life together. Congrats!

cake cutting...

Cake smashing!!!

The dancing was crazy...and there wasn't even an open bar!!!

Feel free to check out their engagement pictures ==>> here <<==

Special thanks to my good bud & second shooter, Dylan! Rocked it as usual!

Harper ~ 16 weeks

2011-07-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

In case you're not friends with me on Facebook...here are a few pictures from today. Harper learned to roll over this past week and now pretty much only sleeps on her belly. She's extra cute when she wakes up, however, as you can see in the second picture, she drools a lot more now while she sleeps. Hopefully she doesn't dehydrate herself.

She also is developing the Justin Bieber hair-do...hopefully she grows out of that phase. :)

Eric & Alisa ~ Levyland ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-07-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

The venue is called Levyland. The name makes me think there should be some sweet mini-golf going on there. Instead, a super nice couple committed to each other. From a friend who made the cupcakes to the mother of the groom doing the flowers...so much of this day was put together by the couple and those that love them. It had such a nice, warm, & casual feel & I loved being a part of it!

I love jumping shots...

Lots of competition for the garter...

Happy Birthday Lily & Taylor!

2011-07-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

Fact: My nieces are super cute
Fact: My nieces are unsure of me

Saturday we had their joint birthday party...#3 for Lily, #1 for Taylor. Taylor is too young to form an opinion of me. Lily, however, doesn't care much for me...

Lily walks over to Grandma Sherry & says, "I don't like those people"
Grandma: "Who?"
Lily: Points to me and Erica.

Not sure why she feels that way, but at least they still look super cute for me when I'm taking pictures!

Harper is patriotic...and 3 months old...

2011-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Yep...another dad post. Here are some pictures in her silly, but patriotic, 4th of July outfit that Grandma Sherry bought her.

sometimes her headband falls down and then she becomes a very feminine pirate...

What are you staring at?

And...at three months she's already working the poses for the camera...

Who loves cake?

2011-07-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

My niece Taylor does...

Adams Family ~ Carlsbad Family Photography

2011-07-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

Trespassing is ok if it's for a photoshoot...at least that's what I say. It was very minor trespassing. :)

Kurt & Cheyenne both work at our church. They are RAD peeps with an adorable daughter. I shot some pics of Georgia when she was little and when I had no idea what to do with a baby. Now she's a super cute, super sweet 1 year old. Special shout out to Kurt's beard. I'm very jealous of it. Now to the pix...

Kurt & Cheyenne are taking advantage of my referral program. If someone books a shoot because of a direct referral from you...you will get something free. Could be prints, could be money, could be a shoot...but who doesn't like free stuff??? Just make sure when you tell someone about me...they know to specifically mention you. Easy peasy.

Coleman

2011-07-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a few of Coleman...or as we call him...our future son in law. He wasn't in the picture mood but I took some anyways. He'll have to get used to it. Feel free to check out some maternity pix I took...here.

I don't do a ton of baby photography...but if you'd like to book a shoot feel free to contact me!

Adams Family Sneak Peek...

2011-07-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

One from yesterdays session with an awesome family. This was my last frame before the melt down...possibly my favorite!

More to come soon.

It's picture time!!! Seniors, Families, Musicians, whatever...bring it!

2011-06-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! That's perfect time to get some sweet imagery taken. It doesn't matter if you need family pictures, senior pictures, band pictures, headshots, maternity pictures, or pictures of you and your hubby just because...I'll rock it! Here's the details...

Hour-ish session for up to 5 people, somewhere in north county San Diego, on a weekday

Sweet pictures!

A promise that I will not let you and your family dress in matching outfits. I don't take pictures of cults. :)

An online gallery for viewing, sharing & ordering your photos

Facebook-sized versions of your pictures
(who doesn't love a beautiful, updated profile pic?)

Hostage free images!
Yep, I'll include the final, edited images on CD that you can pretty much do as you like with. You could even have them printed on a shirt! Warning, you might get laughed at if you do that!

A fancy schmancy custom CD case

$100 of free money towards prints!

All this can be your for $500. Normally it's around a million!!! Ok, not really but it's a really sweet deal!

Email me to set up your session...but make sure you add me to your email list. Spam folders LOVE my email address!
leif@leifbrandtphotography.com

Here are some misc pictures from the past year...

Wedding @ The Carlsbad Crossings ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-06-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I second shot with my bud Dylan. It's pretty much magic when we work together...and I mean that in a very non-gay way...and when you add a sweet venue and a really good looking couple...good things happen. Here are just a few of my favs...

Jake & Alli {First Comes Love} ~ Balboa Park Engagement Session

2011-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Jake & Alli are rad. I really don't need to say much more than the fact that they are huge Arrested Development fans...but they are also fun, sweet, & easy going...my kind of couple! I was honored to shoot Alli's sister's wedding last July & can't wait to shoot Jake & Alli's wedding in November! We strolled around Balboa Park with their awesome dog, Buster, and made this...

Eric & Alisa ~ {First Comes Love} mini session

2011-06-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes if a couple can't afford a full blown wedding package...I still like to throw in a mini engagement session. That way the couple can get a little more comfortable in front of the camera so they are pros when their wedding day comes. It's not as sweet as a full blown {First Comes Love} session, but it definitely helps the wedding day photos look more relaxed and natural. Here's a few pix from their mini session...

First Smiles on camera & Her name is HARPER!!!

2011-06-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

This morning my mom came over to spend some time with her first, favorite, and only grandchild. It's fun watching how giddy my mom gets when she holds Harper. I was finally able to catch a few pictures of Harper while she cracked a few small smiles. She normally smiles bigger...but she didn't want to for the pictures.

We've also been realizing that maybe we didn't think enough about what people would misinterpret her name to be. So far we've gotten Harbor, Hamper, Hammer & Harmony. We didn't think that Harper would be so difficult of a name. I think our favorite is probably Hamper. It will be interesting to see what else people think her name is...but for those reading this...it's HARPER! :)

Congrats to John & Ashley!!!

2011-06-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'm soooo excited for our good friends John & Ashley. After 20 hours of labor Coleman Miles is finally here! It's been such a blessing having such amazing friends and we couldn't be more excited for them. Today after church we made a quick visit to meet Cole. We've pretty much already arranged the marriage between Cole & Harper so I guess I can just refer to him as my son in law. Congrats again! We're stoked for you!

You can see the pre-Coleman picture here. I'm looking forward to Cole's "official" newborn shoot so keep an eye out for those...

Randy & Samantha - San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-06-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Randy & Sam are awesome. So relaxed. So fun. So perfect to work with.

Due to the dry cleaner being really slow...we only had a couple minutes with details. My bud, & awesome photog, Dylan snagged this sweet shot of the dress...

Venue: The North Chapel - Liberty Station
Flowers: Stems Design Studio
Reception: Phil's BBQ

Such a blessing...

2011-06-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

I freakin' LOVE being a dad! Since I don't handle the breast feeding...I get to give Harper her bath.

And...all clean and cute ready to go somewhere...

Sorry my pictures don't line up today...Harper's cuteness makes up for it.

Sneak Peek: Randy & Samantha

2011-06-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

quick one from todays wedding in San Diego.

12 years and it's only getting better!!!

2011-05-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

I think that one of the reasons I love shooting weddings is because I love being married. Today marks 12 wonderful years of marriage to my wife, Erica. It's crazy how time flies. Here's us 12 years ago at age 18 & 19. It's also one of my favorite shots that I get to take at weddings...the happy couple walking down the aisle as a brand new married couple!

We recently welcomed our beautiful daughter, Harper, to the world so it's not looking like we're going anywhere this anniversary. So, here are a few pictures from last years little get away...

my smoking hot wife...

Here's to the rest of our life together! I'm so grateful for having you by my side. I'm so thankful for your friendship, wisdom, and love...and you made a really cute baby! Happy 12th Anniversary!!!

Kevin & Joan: La Jolla Wedding Photography

2011-05-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Kevin & Joan share my love for the TV show Arrested Development so you know they are awesome! Here's to naming their first son George Michael!!!

I LOVE how happy and proud her dad is. Someday that will be me walking Harper down the aisle!

Just a funny shot of Kevin that my second shooter, Kelsey, captured...

I love how dresses are being made with pockets now!!!

Kevin & Joan tied the knot last weekend in La Jolla, CA. They were the ultimate laid back couple which worked out awesome. Light was super bright during the first portrait time but since the day was laid back...we snuck in two mini portrait sessions throughout the day.

Venue: Mary, Star of the Sea & La Jolla Cove Bridge Club.

One from today's wedding...

2011-05-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick edit from Joan & Kevin's La Jolla Wedding...

how can something so cute...

2011-05-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

...do something so gross? (but also kinda cool)

I present to you the gross. Since some couldn't tell...thats poop.

Harper had a projectile poo the day before. It traveled maybe 8". Erica was changing her and we were joking about it and then...her new record happened. Lucky for us we just moved the changing table closer to the wall otherwise this may have traveled a good six feet before hitting the floor. So, as a father I'm both disgusted and proud.

Now for the cute...

We still can't believe how cute she is despite looking so much like me! She's been such a blessing and it really is amazing how the joys of parenthood can cause you to laugh while cleaning poop off the wall.

Tyler & Stefanie...then comes love! San Diego Wedding Photographer

2011-05-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope you have time because this is my longest post to date. Tyler & Stefanie...thanks for being such a sweet, laid back, awesome couple with sweet, laidback, rad friends and family. I could write something witty...but I know you just want to see pictures...

How many bridesmaids does it take to help Stefanie into her dress? Pretty much all of them! Definitely the funniest getting in to the dress time I've witnessed!

Tyler & Stefanie opted to do a "First Look" session. I absolutely LOVE when couples do this and theirs was extra amazing. Check out Tyler's expression!

These were from our first portrait session...

And since our first portrait session was at noon when light is nasty...Tyler & Stefanie let me sneak them away for another mini session. I freakin' LOVE how these turned out!!!

Congratulations! You made it to the end! Special thanks to the sweet vendors!

Photography - Leif Brandt Photography (duh)
Flowers - Stems Design Studio (our absolute favorite!)
Bride's Hair - Cydney Hernandez
Cupcakes - Little Cakes Cupcake Kitchen (Really bummed I didn't get to try one. They looked SOOO good!)
Signage/invites - Tyler Paulson (Yep, the groom himself created some sweet art for the invites and signage!)
Venue - Rancho Guajome Adobe
Second Shooter - Kelsey Brewer

John & Ashley - Harper's future In-Laws...

2011-05-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

John & Ashley are freakin' amazing. We are in Growth Group (Bible study group) with them and they are the radest, kindest, sweetest peeps! They took such good care of us when Harper was born we can't wait to repay them when Cole comes. We've pretty much already decided that Cole & Harper are destined to get married. Taking some pictures of them was part of our modern day dowry.

John & Ashley...thanks for being rad!

Jason & Esther: First Comes Love... San Diego Engagement Photographer

2011-05-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Esther was the first bride that I had never met. Since they live out on the east coast, all our communication was through email. Thankfully, Jason & Esther are two of the sweetest people ever! They even brought a gift for Harper!

Here's a little bit about them...
They are SUPER sweet!
They are SUPER kind!
One college degree wasn't good enough, so Esther is studying to become a nurse. Soon she could advise you on your finances while suturing a wound that was caused by fainting when you see how much California taxes your paycheck.
Jason is a gentle giant...a gentle giant that could kill you! Don't mess!

I had such a great time hanging with them and cant wait for their September wedding!

Special Thanks to:

Bethany @ the Lotus Den Hair Studio
Ann @ Flirt Makeup

They both KILLED it! Esther's hair & makeup looked ridiculously amazing! Thanks girls!

Stefanie & Tyler: Sneak Peek

2011-05-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick edit of one from today's wedding. Congrats to Tyler & Stefanie!!!

Conor: Poway Senior Portrait Photographer

2011-05-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Like most high school guys...Conor didn't really care about his senior pictures. Thankfully, mom has power. We met up in Pacific Beach. Lighting was less than ideal but I trumped it with my flash skills. Congrats to Conor, Poway Class of 2011!

I actually shot Conor's sisters wedding back in November. Such a rad family!

Dan & Aimee: First Comes Love... San Diego Engagement Photographer

2011-05-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Fact: Dan & Aimee are sweet. Dan & Aimee are cute. Dan & Aimee take sweet, cute pictures. Plus Aimee's eyes are ridiculously awesome!

Proof to back up fact...

I know Dan & Aimee from our church. They are such a sweet couple, rooted in God's word. I couldn't be more excited to be a part of their wedding!

One from Thursday's Engagement Session...

2011-04-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

True Meaning of Easter...

2011-04-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ok...So we fully know Easter has nothing to do with egg hunts and bunnies. Easter is recognizing what our Savior, Jesus Christ, did for us on the cross, raising from the dead, and freeing us from the bondage of our sins. It's the greatest gift we could ever receive. However, the second greatest gift could quite possibly be the gift of our daughter, Harper. While Easter has nothing to do with bunnies, how could we resist after seeing this outfit on Etsy???

I couldn't decide if I liked color or B&W better...

And one of Harper winking...or most likely farting...

Next week I promise to post something other than Harper pictures. I've got an engagement shoot I can't wait to shoot and wedding season starts for me in May!!!

Featured! On to Baby

2011-04-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hey...we were featured on the awesome site On To Baby. It was from our amazing baby shower thrown by our good friends. You can see us on their site... On To Baby

Here's a screen shot...

And here's my write up of our shower...

Blog post

One week in...

2011-04-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

So it's been a week since our daughter, Harper, was born. Although exhausting, it's so stinkin' amazing! Special props to our family and our awesome friends who have made it so much easier by helping out whenever we needed it. THANK YOU!

So...my goals for this year were to...

1. Not drop Harper
2. Not seriously injure Harper

So far, so good. I have, however, dropped my phone on her while taking a picture of her as well as dropped a lens cap on her. No harm, no foul as she's usually wrapped in her bullet proof, pink straight jacket called a swaddler.

My goal for this week, adding to the previous two, is this...

*there have been diaper changes where mid wipe she starts shooting stuff at me. In my former high school football glory days I was taught to move out of the way of things coming at you at high speeds. INSTEAD, I need to just block those with a diaper and contain the damage.

AND, since I didn't take any weddings in April because I didn't know when she would come, my blog has been a little slow. So here's a couple of pictures because blogs are more fun with pictures...

Harper "Milk Drunk" as the nurse called it...

Life is changing...

2011-04-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

So life is a little different today than it was last week. Last week we were living in Fallbrook. Now we're in Carlsbad. Last week we had satellite internet that was super slow. Today I have super fast internet via ATT. Last week our baby was nameless and still inside Erica. While I knew we were having a baby soon (14th was the due date), it was still hard to fully grasp the concept. Well, Friday we moved and then Saturday night we checked into the hospital. At 1:36 AM on Sunday, April 10th, we welcomed the best thing I've ever been a part of. I'm trying to write something clever...but I just keep tearing up. I realize I'm more emotional than the average male, but c'mon, how could something this amazing be summed up in words by a photographer? So, here are a few pictures I took while we were at the hospital. I'll post more on facebook so make sure you're my friend. The awesome thing about being a photographer is that we have some awesome photographer friends. Check out some pix our friend Bobby shot of us while at the hospital.

I present to you Harper Grace Brandt. Born April 10th, 2011 @ 1:36am. 6 pounds, 15 ounces & 19 inches long and so amazingly beautiful!

Here's an older post with a little bit about the journey we took to get here...
A Good Solid Offense vs. Zero Defense Equals a Mushy Blog Post

Second Shooting

2011-03-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I had the pleasure of second shooting for my good bud, Dylan Mayer. I don't second shoot much...not sure why though as it's a ton of fun and really no pressure. When you're THE photographer, it's really on you to get the shots. When you're second shooting, your shots are really just the icing on the cake. The only bummer of the day was that I got home late and had to wake up early for worship team practice. Other than that...it was a Great Day! Here are a few of my shots from the Stephanie & Rod's wedding...make sure you check out Dylan's blog for his awesomeness...

Super awesome & talented friends + baby shower

2011-03-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get a little nervous & stressed. We only have about 4 weeks left (unless she comes early)! To make things more stressful, we found a place to move to so we'll try move and get settled in before our little girl comes. (fingers crossed she waits until after the move). Aside from stress...we're SUPER excited! It's crazy that a year ago we decided to put our house up for sale so we could save in case God put adoption in hearts. To catch you up in case you missed it...we had not been playing defense for over 7 years. After inconclusive testing, we figured we couldn't have a baby. We weren't sure we were going to adopt, but we didn't want money to be a huge factor so we were going to sell our place and just save and see what happens...

Anyways...back on track...We have some AWESOME friends! A few months ago Erica wasn't sure if she was going to have a baby shower. Well, three showers later our apartment is filled with diapers and gift bags! I can barely walk with all the gifts. It's almost like we're on the show Hoarders. :)

Not to discredit the other showers, as we definitely appreciate them...but this one from Saturday almost made us cry because it was so AMAZING! Our super talented friend Casie offered to throw Erica a shower. Erica thought an Alice in Wonderland theme would be really cute and Casie absolutely nailed it! Casie, along with the help from the other growth group girls(Aryn, Ashley, Ashley's mom), threw such a perfect shower. I can't even begin to describe how well done it was and can't thank you gals enough for making my lady friend feel so special and loved. It was so good I don't feel my pictures even come close to doing it justice...but here they are anyways. Thanks again friends!!! We're so blessed to have you in our lives!

(special shout out to Will & John as they were the muscles behind the set up)

And of course I had to shoot a few of my hot wife afterwards. We just went up to the vacant lot two doors down...

WPPI & Maeby

2011-02-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

So last week was the big photography convention, WPPI, out in Las Vegas. Vegas is absolutely disgusting but I did meet a ton of super rad photographers I'm stoked to now call friends. I'm not really a "typical" photographer in the sense that I rarely carry my camera around if I'm not on a shoot. So...I don't have many pictures to share. However, Dylan, Montana, and I did go out and shoot for a bit. We ended up missing the awesome light, but still had some fun with Montana's awesome horse head. Here's a few pix...

Montana...

Dylan...too cool to sport the horse head...

A rare capture of a photographer in his prime photography stances...

And to make this post cuter...here are a few pictures of our new dog, Maeby. I have a friend from high school that works at one of the local shelters and she said she had a dog that would be great for us. Maeby is an awesome dog that just loves to please. We're so stoked to have a dog again.

Military MakeOver

2011-02-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

Our military families sacrifice so much. I have so much respect for those that serve and and risk their lives to protect our country. I can't imagine going through what they do!

So it's only fitting that the two winners from the makeover contest Lotus Den Hair Studio put on were two military wives. They had their hair done, make up done, styled, and even got some free jewelry...and of course...got some pix taken by me. Here are a few of the favs. Make sure you check out the awesome vendors that participated. We're all so stoked we can do a little something to give back.

First Up was Alicia & Michael

Some awesome necklaces courtesy of CC's Closet.

Laura & Ryan...

Need some awesomeness? Check these peeps out.

Hair: Lotus Den Hair Studio
Makeup: Flirt Makeup
Stylist: Katelyn Groth of Bessant Designs
Jewelry: CC's Closet

Stefanie & Tyler: Engaged!!!

2011-02-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

We met Stefanie a few years ago when we were working up at The Church at Rocky Peak. She was a normal high school student that also served up some awesome burritos at Qdoba. Little did we know, at age 16 she was already way smarter than we were. She graduated early and is on her way to becoming a modern day Doogie Howser.

We met Tyler on Saturday. While we don't have history with Tyler, he is equally awesome. He's a graphic designer ninja. Ok, I added the ninja part. From our two hours of knowing Tyler we can tell he's...Super nice...Super friendly...Super fun...Super smart...super talented...and is going to be a super husband.

I love that so far, all our wedding "clients" all have at least one thing in common...they all feel more like friends than clients. We're so stoked to be a part of Stefanie and Tyler's wedding and it's so obvious that they are going to have an amazing marriage.

Tyler's family are from Pittsburgh and are huge Penguins fans...hence the obligatory Penguins T-Shirts...and Iceburgh had to make an appearance in the photos.

Stefanie and Tyler are self proclaimed nerds and dorks...which I love. I love when couples can just be a little silly together. Here's them nerding out with Stefanie's kissing disease pillow and Tyler's Adobe Flash pillow.

Again, we're sooo stoked for your wedding! (well, I am...Erica will be busy with a newborn) Thank you for letting us shoot you.

And check out their sweet website that Tyler made with his bare hands! www.stefanieandtyler.com

Kelsey ~ San Diego Senior Portrait Photographer

2011-01-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

This is Kelsey. I met Kelsey through church while I was doing worship for the high school ministry. Here's a little bit about Kelsey...

Kelsey rocks out on the piano
Kelsey drives a truck that is probably bigger and cooler than yours
Kelsey says "poop" a lot. Not sure why
Kelsey knows how to rock off camera lighting
Kelsey is a talented photographer in case you didn't get the previous line
Kelsey, despite what she thinks, is beautiful. (the whole shoot my wife and I were wow'd by her natural smizing...and yes that is an America's Next Top Model reference)

Thanks for taking time to check out my blog. To schedule your shoot send me an email!

To see a few more senior pictures click HERE

A couple of mini-e:sessions...

2011-01-05T21:16:00.001-08:00

So last week we shot a couple of mini engagement sessions. Samantha and Randy found us through The Knott and we're super stoked to be shooting their wedding this summer. Well, I am...not sure Erica will be back in action by then. Anyways, Samantha and Randy are super sweet and a lot of fun and were so natural in front of the camera. Can't wait to shoot them again...

The next morning Joan & Kevin braved the chilly Fallbrook morning and we took a few pix with them as well. They are getting married in May in La Jolla. Again, I'm super stoked to be shooting their wedding. We really do get such awesome, kind, fun clients. Kevin & Joan share our love for the show Arrested Development. Secretly I was hoping they showed up in a stair car or wearing cut off jean shorts. They did neither but we still had a great time getting to know them a little. Kudos to them to rocking some mustaches! I love it when couples don't take themselves too serious.

Catching up...Family photos...

2011-01-05T18:03:00.001-08:00

Ok...making progress...

Here are a couple of pix we did from friends from church. These were used to ooh and ahh friends and family members on Christmas cards.

Way behind...Lotus Den Hair Studio

2011-01-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

So I've fallen behind in blogging. My bad. It's nothing personal. To make up for it I will cram a condensed version of many blog posts into one...

Here's a couple of pix I took of our friends over at the Lotus Den Hair Studio in Oceanside. If you ever look in the mirror and are sad...Bethany, Nancy, and Camy can help change that with some awesomeness.

Ode to my doggie...

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I LOVE dogs. I REALLY love our dog Roxy. I love how regardless of circumstances, as soon as she heard us come home she was as excited as can be. So this week was a sad week. Our dog Roxy went from fine to gone in just a few days. We thought she had a bladder infection, but it turned out that she had bladder cancer and a had a large tumor. She's been our baby for last 9.5 years. We knew she was getting older but we thought we had a few more years with her. We were looking forward to our daughter draping herself all over Roxy and pulling Roxy's ears and tale. Roxy was awesome at taking that sort of abuse from kids. We miss her like crazy. She wasn't really a photogenic dog, but here are some pictures we have of her from over the years...

she never sat very lady like...

she shed like crazy twice a year...

back when we first got her...

one of her last happy car rides...

and luckily we had a couple of pictures taken a couple of weeks ago...my three girls together...

Bobby & Oriana: Married! ~ Laguna Beach Wedding

2010-12-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Last wedding of the year...it was a quick one...

ta-da!

First Look...

Rad Shoes...

Rad Sunset...

A few of my favorite girls + our $5 chair

2010-12-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

here's a few quick pix of my 3 favorite girls and our $5 chair we found at a local antique shop.

Erica's at 21 weeks here. Barely looks pregnant in pictures but the belly is growing!

San Diego Senior & Family Photography + Updates

2010-12-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of recent shoots. Along with pix I figured I'd update you a little on us. Erica is about 21 weeks now. In case you missed it on Facebook, we're having a GIRL!!! I can't begin to express how incredibly excited we are! It's funny how much more excited we are now that know the gender and can start planning accordingly. I find myself day dreaming about her...dressing her in cute outfits...the first time she says daddy...imagining daddy daughter dates...skipping over the teenage "Dad, You're so lame" stage...and naturally, being a wedding photographer...imagining the father/daughter dance at her wedding. (and of course wondering who will be her wedding photographer)

Of course, along with those day dreams come the fears...will I be a good dad, how to provide for our family, how will I make it through the teenage years, etc.

Anyways, Erica has the cutest little belly now. I always loved her petite-ness but she's never looked hotter than she does with her prego belly. Too bad my belly doesn't make me look cuter...

OK...on to the pix. First up, Erica's cousin Jordan.

Jordan is...A Senior
Jordan is...RAD
Jordan is...Beautiful inside & out
Jordan is...the kind of gal I hope our daughter is like
Jordan is...A Volleyball Studette. She could probably spike a volleyball through your face...beware!
Jordan is...Actually a TEXAS Senior...McKinney North HS
Jordan is...blogged...

Next up...what do you get when you have a cute kid and then you multiply that? This...

Tim & Tara ~ Married!!! San Diego Wedding Photographer

2010-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

What to say about Tim & Tara...how about they are freakin' RAD! ALL our brides have been amazing...but Tara will always have a special place in our hearts because when we met up to go over their wedding details she gave us our very first baby present!

Ok, so aside from the adorable gift...here are some other rad things about Tim & Tara...

- Tim graduated from Yale. That would be a huge feat for most but it wasn't enough so he conquered UCLA too.
- Tara has an addiction...it is lamps. It sounded odd when she mentioned it but then they all showed up to the reception and looked awesome!!!
- Tim & Tara met while helping out at church (just like me and Erica)
- Tim has a cool yellow truck...just like on Baywatch
- Tim & Tara have AWESOME families and friends.
- Tim & Tara are the perfect Bride & Groom ~ Kind, Stylish, Fun, Attractive, Smart, Sweet, Appreciative, Patient, Easy Going and they get extra bonus points for working a Switchfoot song into the ceremony!

It was a GREAT DAY! We absolutely loved being a part of their wedding!

Ceremony: Saint Michaels Catholic Church
Reception: Del Mar Turf Club
Florist: Stems Design Studio FREAKISHLY AMAZING! I almost took a bite out of the flowers because they looked so good.

Jared & Katie ~ San Diego Wedding Photography

2010-11-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Many years ago I was leading worship for our high school youth group. One of our keyboard players was named Heather. 10 years later Heather was working doing smart people things and I was just starting into photography. Heather had a co-worker who was getting married. Heather also had a long lost friend who was doing wedding photography. If you're not following me, then I'm afraid I can't make it any more simple.

We've done very little advertisement. Most of our weddings have been from word of mouth, and we LOVE that! We also love our couples as well as the people who referred us to them. (Thanks Heather!!!)

Jared & Katie are two amazingly kind people. So warm and friendly and you could tell by the friends that showed up to witness their big day. Everyone we met were incredibly nice and the party was rockin. Day = Good.

Ceremony: Church of the Immaculate Conception
Reception: The Prado at Balboa Park
Florist: Rainbow Flowers
Cake: European Cake Gallery
DJ: Mike Farmer

PS...this was also my first wedding wearing my "dress" Vibram Fivefingers. I LOVE how much better my feet, knees, and back feel after wearing those instead of normal shoes.

Jared & Katie Sneak Peek...

2010-11-12T00:29:00.000-08:00

Here's one from Jared & Katie's wedding last weekend...

I'm in Love...

2010-10-19T23:25:00.000-07:00

Yes...I am in love with my wife and our child that's brewing in her belly and yes I know it's not really in her stomach. However, this isn't about them. I'm in love with Vibram FiveFinger shoes. Yes, I too laughed at a friend who got them and I refused to even consider thinking about a possibility of ever wearing some. However, a few months ago I sprained my ankle pretty bad. After looking into things...I found out these shoes have been known to offer better stability then normal shoes as well as help with soar knees and back. So, I found myself heading on down to REI to try on some. And while I agree, they look very odd, they are super comfy. I forget I'm even wearing shoes. A couple of weekends ago we had back to back weddings. I wore normal shoes...and my feet and knees were killing me afterwards. I've worn these FiveFingers for long periods of time and my feet, knees, and back feel much better than they would in normal shoes. SOOOOO...I plan on getting some plain black ones for weddings. You actually don't really notice the black ones unless you stare at peoples feet. Sure they look a little odd, but wouldn't you rather your wedding photographer be comfy and fresh while shooting the most important day of your life instead of in pain with normal looking shoes?

Here are my current ones...which are much more noticeable than the black ones my friend has...Odd looking...yes...Comfy...YES!

Ok...other cool things about them. They do have a rubber sole to them. Different models have different thicknesses to them. They seem like they would be uncomfortable, but you get used to the separated toe thing pretty quickly and they actually help keep my feet feeling cooler than they do in normal shoes. (I hate when my feet are hot). They are also able to be put in the washing machine! Very cool! They are also almost always backordered in the common sizes...but if you get a chance...check them out.

Austin & Michele ~ San Diego Wedding photographer

2010-10-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

So Austin & Michele were day two of our double header weekend. They were an awesome couple and Austin will have no excuse if he ever forgets their anniversary since it was on 10.10.10. We met Austin and Michele through a mutual friend and had such a great time at their wedding. I love it when couples don't take themselves too seriously and can just relax and have fun. Their wedding was definitely fun. It was super hot and crazy bright but they still rocked it. The wedding was held at Michele's parents house. When we met up with them initially the backyard was mostly dirt. Michele's dad was trying to share his vision with us as to how the yard would look at the time of the wedding. I've got to admit...I was having a hard time seeing it...but they did a wonderful job with the landscaping and the wedding seemed to go off without any problems...although the cake did melt a little. :)

Austin & Michele...thank you for allowing us to shoot your big day. We could definitely see how much you love each other and there is no doubt your marriage will rock!

Austin's groomsmen/brothers were hilarious. They posed themselves...I just shot it...there may or may not have been alcohol consumed at this point...

Photographer: Us...Leif Brandt Photography
Florist: Fiore Wedding Company
DJ: Scientific

We are in Tahoe!

2010-10-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hey! We're in Tahoe! My awesome sister and bro-in-law have timeshares...we get the sweet benefit of that! SO...we're hanging out here for the week...just relaxing. If you know us, we're not the kind of photographers that always have our camera with us. However, we feel we should take more pictures of ourselves. Here's random pictures from our first day out here...we really didn't do much. Just slept in, looked around at the shops, and ATE! That's really the purpose of vacation, right? Eat and sleep? haha.

It's not all vacation...I'll be posting some pix from Austin & Michele's wedding sometime this week...

Chris & Katie ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer

2010-10-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

So this was my first time with two weddings on the same weekend. Wow...was I exhausted after the weekend was done. Even though it was draining, I can't complain. We have awesome couples and Chris and Katie kicked the weekend off right. It was a beautiful San Diego day despite having rain earlier in the week. The thing that we loved so much about this wedding was how sweet Chris and Katie are. They were all smiles, all day long. We LOVED being a part of their day.

Props to my wife too...this was her first wedding shooting as a pregnant lady...

Venue: ZLAC Rowing Club
Photographer: Us
Coordinator/Catering: Epic Catering
Flowers: Elegant Touch Floral Designs
DJ: Aaron Simon aka NOMIS

How beautiful is this dress!!! (notice that was not a question)

LOVE this picture of Katie sneaking a peek of Chris. Such a double standard. :)

people do silly things on the dance floor...especially with some liquid courage...but the camera still sees you...

And...the rings...

Chris & Katie...Thank you SOOOOO much for letting us be a part of your life and your wedding. We loved every minute of it!

Leif & Erica

Austin & Michele Sneak Peek...

2010-10-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

So I've been 30 for 7 months. Haven't really felt it. Tonight completed a double wedding weekend and I'm pooped! I'm definitely feeling 30 now! Anyways, we had an awesome time today with Austin & Michele. What a sweet couple! It was a beautiful backyard wedding and here's a quick one before I pass out from exhaustion.

Will post more after I edit our two weddings. Even thought I'm wiped out, I still can't wait to do it full time. We'll see...

Chris & Katie: Sneak Peek...

2010-10-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick one from tonight's wedding. Chris & Katie are definitely one the nicest couples we've worked with and we had an awesome time with them today. We also came to the conclusion that every wedding should have a mashed potato bar.

Austin & Michele's wedding tomorrow...then more to come...

An hour with two pretty girls...

2010-10-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

So Friday I got to spend an hour with two pretty girls...my beautiful knocked up wife and the uber talented Lauren O'Brien. If you're cool...you probably listen to the Mikey Show on 94.9. Lauren is responsible for a ton of the laughter you experience as well as 90% of the "that's what she said" jokes. Aside from being hilarious and beautiful, Lauren is incredibly nice...which is way more important than the other stuff.

We had been emailing back and forth about shooting some pix for a few months but couldn't get it scheduled. We finally had some time that matched up on Friday. However, google sent her to the wrong side of town so while we waited we had a few minutes to shoot Erica's first few maternity pictures. (If you can't tell I'm super excited. I get a big smile on my face whenever I think about our child growing inside Erica. Even though it's a creepy alien looking thing right now I'm already in love with it.)

Ok...back to post...So by the time LOB got to where Google should have brought her light was fading fast. We spent about an hour shooting and while I'm definitely more used to shooting couples, my last few shoots with models have been fun.

And now I present to you...LOB...

blurry but I like it...

Can you find her Mikey, Woods & Sienna faces?

A Good Solid Offense vs. Zero Defense equals a mushy blog post

2010-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

No...I haven't been playing Madden on Playstation nor have I been reminiscing over the glory days of high school football. I'm referring to our life and it being changed in an incredible way. This post may be longer than normal...but I make no apologies.

So...as some of you may know...Erica and I have been married for over 11 years now. We met at church in the high school group. She likes to tell about how I dated all her friends...even though there were plenty I didn't date. haha. Anyways, we both helped out in the office...started hanging out and the rest is history.

April 3rd 1998 we went on our first date. She had mentioned how she LOVED the movie Grease. It had just been re-released in theaters so I thought it'd be perfect to take her to that. The night was great even though for a split second she was unsure about me. As we left dinner and walked to the car she stood by the car door...a little surprised that I wasn't opening the door for her. As she stood there in the split second she probably wondered if she made a mistake on me. Maybe I wasn't as sweet as she thought I was. I mean...I opened the door for her before and now an hour into our first date and already he's dropping the polite gentlemen act. Before you get all mad at me...you must also realize she was standing at the wrong car. After she realized that we were on good terms again...and a little less than 14 months later we were married.

When we were engaged we had always planned on getting married young...waiting about 5 years...and then having a couple of kids and be done around the age of 26. Well...plans are nice...but plans aren't always guaranteed. We stopped playing Defense, if you know what I mean, after 4 years of marriage. We just figured we'd get pregnant eventually. A couple of years went by but we never really thought too much about it. God had us moving and growing...changes we wouldn't have made if we had kids. So all was good.

Fast forward a few years. Now we were starting to wonder. Good offense vs. no defense but still nothing. After testing we really didn't have any answers. There were a few things that weren't perfect, but no solid reason why we couldn't get pregnant. After a year or so of frustrations, depressions and getting used to the idea of not being able to have children of our own, God really started changing our hearts as far as adoption goes. We weren't positive that was the direction we were going to go, but we could definitely tell God was changing our hearts on the matter.

About 8 months ago we decided to sell our house for the purpose of possibly being able to do photography full time as well as to save towards adoption. Adoption is expensive and we didn't want the cost of it to hold us back if that's what God wanted us to do. We figured we'd save for a year and see where we were at.

There are definitely times where I don't get what God is doing. However, looking back I can see times where we would have clearly missed God's prompting if we had kids when we thought we wanted them. We would have missed out on an incredible time at a new church, missed out on getting excited about ministry again, missed out on meeting some amazing people. I can also look back and see how much Erica and I have grown, both spiritually as well as in our marriage. So while at times we were frustrated, depressed, or maybe even angry...being able to look back and see how God knows what's best for us has been amazing and I think it makes this even sweeter.

Ok...if you haven't figured it out...ERICA IS PREGNANT!!! Wow it feels good to say that. We've been holding it in for about six weeks and it's been torture! I can't begin to express how insanely excited I am. Today we had our 12 week check up and finally got to hear our baby's heartbeat. I can neither confirm nor deny that I may or may not have started to tear up a little.

Anyways, we're sooooooooo excited and feel soooooo blessed. Thank you to those who have known and who have kept it a secret for us. We'll keep the blog updated as things progress and as Erica's belly grows. Today we met up with Lauren from the Mikey Show to shoot some pix for her. Google sent Lauren to the opposite side of town so we had a few minutes to spare for Erica's first of many maternity shoots. Even though she's beautiful...she absolutely hates having her picture taken...but too bad for her. She shouldn't have let me buy a camera. Anyways...here's a couple.

So at 12 weeks my belly is still bigger than hers...but we're looking forward to that changing. Sorry for the long post and the bad grammar...but it's way later than I normally am up at but I was too excited to wait until the morning to write this.

Fashion is Danger

2010-09-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

If you are Flight of the Conchord fans maybe you can relate. Now every time I hear the word "Fashion" I think of this...

So last week we had the privilege of working with some awesome peeps. Bethany, Nancy, and Leya from Lotus Den Hair Studio, Melissa Rae of Melissa Rae & Co, and the stylish mind of Katelyn Groth all came together for a fun project. We had a great time working with everyone and look forward to the next one! All the gals were great to work with...and it's crazy but none of these girls are actually models...just really pretty. They all rocked it!

Here a couple that I really liked. Feel free to see the rest here =====>>> MORE PIX <<<=====

Chad & Carrie...Soon to be Parents ~ Rad, Anthropologie-ish Fallbrook Photography

2010-09-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

You like my SEO friendly title? I get bored just with the usual titles...I usually try be creative. Not so much today. But Chad & Carrie ARE rad and Carrie, as are most women, LOVE Anthropologie so the title fits.

Anyways...as stated above Chad & Carrie are rad people. Extremely nice. Extremely sweet. Oh...and they are an extremely cute couple. As you can tell by the photos...she is either hiding a basketball or life as they know it is about to change in a crazy, amazing, awesome, no sleep kind of way. Their baby boy is due in just about a week and a half. Here are some pix we snapped for them last weekend to help celebrate the upcoming arrival of the heir to their inheritance.

I know I've done the name tag shot before...but I still LOVE it and just love how it looks hanging on the wall. I WILL take this same picture when our baby is about to make it's debut...

Chad & Carrie...thank you for letting us capture this special moment in your lives...a day before your hair was gray from stress. haha. You guys will be wonderful parents. We're looking forward to meeting your little boy!

Fashion Shoot Sneak Peek...

2010-09-21T16:27:00.001-07:00

Here's one of my favorites from Friday's shoot. More to come soon.

Hair : Lotus Den Hair Studio
Makeup : Melissa Rae & Co
Stylist : Katelyn Groth

Family of Stoners that say no to drugs ~ Colorado Family Photography

2010-09-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

6 or so years ago we led a Bible study group at our house. We were a little nervous because as we looked at the roster of who signed up we saw that we had a couple of Stoners on our list. Well, little did we know these Stoners were really cool, had a great sense of humor and did not smell of any illegal substances...although Jefferson always seems to have the munchies. We clicked right away as we share a brain when it comes to humorous shows such as Arrested Development and Flight of the Conchords.

A few years ago they moved to Montana and shortly after that they had Eliana. On our long road trip we got to visit them and do my first attempts at portraits. I barely knew anything about photography or cameras...here's one of the shots from then...

So last weekend we got to visit them in Colorado. It's crazy how big Eliana is now at two...and after glaring at us for the drive from the airport, she warmed up to us and really is the sweetest little girl. We had such a great time catching up with our friends and doing what all great friends should do...eat lots of good food. Our last day there we did a quick little picture sesh so they could update their pictures.

And one of my favorites...not because it's a well composed picture...I just love how stunned Eliana is while she's in an ice cream daze...

Stoners...thanks for letting us visit you as well as being such great friends. We really enjoyed catching up and seeing what God is doing in your lives. You guys are amazing parents and we can't wait to see you when you have two beautiful daughters...

Krista ~ Orange Glen 2011 ~ Escondido Senior Portraits

2010-08-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we got the opportunity to shoot some senior portraits for Krista. Krista is a senior at Orange Glen. Krista freakin' rocks in front of the camera. We had a blast shooting her...even though it was a little dangerous. First I totally tripped over a log while backing up and shooting. Then Krista, I'm sure in attempt to make me feel better, decided to fall over too...although she was just standing still. :)

I still can't get over how amazing she looks in these photos. She needs to be in a magazine. Most wont know this...but 11+ years ago Krista also made a special photography appearance...as our flower girl in our wedding...

Then...

and now...

Her good friend Chris made an appearance in a few pictures too...

And...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

This series of pictures will blow your mind! She rocked it like nobody's business.

And of course a few representing her school...

Thanks for letting us shoot you Krista! You were amazing!