Wedding Photography at Barona Resort - San Diego, California
Barona Resort in San Diego County (California) is probably one of the few wedding venues tucked away and off the beaten path; this makes for a nice, romantic venue to have a wedding. I was fortunate enough to make my trek from Riverside to Barona Resort to photograph this awesome wedding. I immediately saw that great potential for photos once I drove up to the front of the resort. The only thing I wish I had was lots of time to work with the couple, however, despite the short timeline, capturing stunning wedding photos here was no problem.
Southern California Wedding Photography in San Diego
Getting ready shots can be the most interesting to capture at a wedding. It's a time when the bride, gorrm, bridal party, and parents show their real characters. You can have celebration, or chaos just moments before the "show" is put on. For me, I enjoy capturing the human side of things as they unfold prior to the wedding. In this black and white, getting ready photo, the brides brother is helping her with her shoes as her bridesmaid holds her in balance.
Wedding dress details are a must. Most brides, and I would say almost all brides (there are a few exceptions) love to have detail photos of their wedding dress. Natural lighting allowed for this classic shot of the back of this brides wedding dress and veil.
Love bridal portraits. When I have the opportunity to use natural light indoors for bridal portraits, I try and seize the opportunity. Turning off the room light and only using natural light from the large sliding glass door allowed for this pleasant portrait of this radiant bride.
Barona does have a chapel where you can get married at. However, this particular wedding was photographed outdoors, with the lake as it's backdrop. One of the challenges was the setting sun behind the hotel. However, I used it to my advantage to create a little sparkle and realism in the photo of the bride being walked down the path by her brother. Check out the stunning landscape. Everything was well maintained.
I like exploring different angles when photographing weddings. Here, I've got my Nikon on the aisle floor shooting down at the couple. I think the bride and groom do appreciate the details as I'm certain they didn't pay much attention to the rose peddles in the aisle during the ceremony. On another note, the weather was perfect. Notice the blue sky, you wouldn't have thought there was a fire in San Diego earlier that day. But there was, however, luckily the wind blew the smoke out just in time for the wedding ceremony.
More detail shots. It's the "little things" that brides like. Here, I'm standing at a distance with a 200mm lens just watching the bride as she sits on the grass, waiting to be called in by the DJ. I caught her fidgeting with her rings. I don't think I would have got a candid shot as nice as this if I would have asked her to pose. It's always fun to hide amongst the crowed and just "find" those "little things" thank make a bride smile when she sees her wedding day photos.
What would wedding photos be without a few romantic shots. Here, the bride and groom engage in a kiss on the crest of a hill at the resort. Just behind them, the lake and the San Diego rolling hills. As a photographer, just pointing the camera and hoping to capture a good shot is not enough. I like working in post production as much as I do shooting the wedding. Here, I created a selenium toned image to give it a cool, romantic feel.
The reception, where the part just gets started. Here. teh bride gazes in to the eyes of her new husband. During the first dance and most of the evening, reception venues tend to dim the lights. I like this as it adds to the overall mood. Using my assistant, we strategically place wireless lighting behind the couple to "pop" them out of the background and create a warm, inviting, romantic first dance photo.
