Alyssa Armstrong Photography

Southern California Wedding/Portrait Photographer

3.21.13

Cassidy & Nick || Ventura Engagement Session

Meet Cassidy & Nick. These two have been together since high school and they are FINALLY tying the knot in September!

Cassidy really wanted to start their session at her family’s GORGEOUS beach house. She and her family have spent Thanksgiving there ever since she can remember…so obviously it is very special to them! I LOVE when my clients incorporate meaningful, personal things like this…and I mean, come on. Who can say “no” to shooting at a beach house?

He proposed to her last Christmas Eve. And as you’ll notice, he did an amazing job with her ring! Not only is it beautiful, but it was her great-grandmother’s stone! How thoughtful is that?!

For the second half of this session, Cassidy really wanted to go somewhere green. As soon as I took a trip to the Carpinteria Bluffs, I knew it was the perfect location for them! We had so much fun, and these two are so crazy in love. I never had to remind them to stay close to each other, or ask them to kiss…they did it all on their own! It was so sweet to see them interact. Even after all this time, they still can’t keep their hands off each other! <3

Cassidy’s maid of honor (and super talented makeup artist) Whitney Willison was such a great help, too! Not only did she help with the styling and do Cassidy’s hair & makeup, but she was also my light stand! Haha…it was so great having her along…and the train shots would NOT have been possible without her! THANK YOU, WHITNEY!

I posted some sneak peeks on my Facebook, and I was COMPLETELY FLOORED at the reactions I have gotten from their friends and family. Cassidy & Nick, you guys are SO LOVED! Someone made a comment saying, “Beautiful people, inside and out” and I couldn’t agree more. I know I said it before, but thank you both so much for hiring me to photograph your love. I loved every minute of this session and I CANNOT WAIT for your wedding!

WORK IT, girl! Isn’t she gorgeous?

One of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken! We got pretty lucky.

+ - 2 comments

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March 21, 2013 - 3:29 pm

JC Guzman - Love love love this! Really digging your branding and style. Great Job Alyssa!

May 4, 2013 - 12:55 am

emily - LOVING these, my dear! So good!!

3.11.13

Cassie & Kevin || Santa Barbara Engagement Session

I am just so stoked on this session. Maybe it’s because of the coffee, but my heart is pounding just looking through them!

I’ve photographed Cassie for about two years now, but she and I actually go way back! So you can imagine how excited I am to be a part of such a special time in her life.

Whenever I post any of my sessions with Cassie, most people comment on how delicate and petite she is. But don’t let her small size fool you! This girl is a bad ass! She does not take any crap from anybody and it’s a quality I have always respected and admired about her. Some men may find her feisty nature intimidating, but not Kevin! Not only does he ADORE Cassie’s fiery personality, but he says she is exactly what he needed. Any guy who loves and respects a strong woman is a winner in my book! These two are PERFECT for each other!

We headed to beautiful Santa Barbara for their session. As soon as I told Cassie about the carousel, we knew it would be the perfect setting and I’m so glad we did! I mean, between their good looks and killer fashion sense, I had it pretty easy, right? Right.

Thank you sooooo much Cassie & Kevin! I am so happy with the way these turned out and I had such a blast with you two. I can’t wait for your wedding next year!<3

FAVORITE shot of the day!!!

Second favorite. I love how even though her hair is in her face, she’s still working it. GET IT, GIRL!

P.S. Whatcha guys think of the new blog design?

+ - 3 comments

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March 11, 2013 - 5:39 pm

janet - lovely. great job alyssa!

March 11, 2013 - 5:51 pm

Rachel - This is so romantic! What a gorgeous couple.

P.s. I LOVE the new blog design.

May 4, 2013 - 12:53 am

emily - Yep. LOVE. So, so good, lady!!

2.1.13

A little bit of life + a February special

Between photos, client meetings, a photographer get-together, family visiting, and the usual day-to-day schedule, we have been pretty booked up this month. And February/March is filling up pretty quickly as well!

As far as my goals go, I am doing okay. Better than I expected, but still not as good as I would like. I’m still not blogging as much as I want to, but part of that is due to the fact that my blog is also my website. Once I’ve separated the two (hopefully sometime soon!), I think I’ll feel more comfortable with it. I’ve booked more weddings this year than I did last year, and the inquiries are still coming! So that is pretty awesome. I am eating SUPER healthy and running at least twice a week as well as training at a local studio. AND, I’ve been trying new things! Ian’s dad and brother visited us a few weeks ago and we went hiking and had a BLAST. What the heck? Who am I? I’ve also started nesting. Small things here and there, but our little apartment is coming along nicely!

I still haven’t started working on my album, though. In fact, I kind of neglected music for the majority of this month, but I am starting to get back into it…February will be different! And who knows, maybe it was good for me to take a break from it for a bit.

Well, enough about me! Here’s a little giveaway to start this new month!

Through the month of February, all couples who book their 2013-2014 weddings with me will receive a complimentary engagement session!

THE DETAILS:
- Must book between now and February 28th, 2013
- Applicable to all 2013-2014 weddings
- Travel fees may apply
- If the wedding collection you choose already includes an engagement session, the amount of the session ($300) will be deducted from total amount

That’s it! Please contact me for booking information or if you have any questions. I can’t wait to hear from you!

And just because I can’t help myself, here’s a photo of my little girl.

Leia and her Bapa. Go ahead and try to tell me that this doesn’t brighten up your day a bit!

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1.17.13

Cassie || Los Angeles Boudoir Session

Have I mentioned how much fun boudoir sessions are? Because they’re seriously a blast.

It’s pretty much like playing dress-up with your favorite girls. I’m lucky enough to call this lovely lady not only my client, but my friend, too! She’s one of my favorite people to photograph and I was thrilled that she hired me for this session.

I try to take a different approach to boudoir. I try to get an editorial look so it’s more than just being sexy. It’s about being glamorous and classy…which is exactly what Cassie is!

I want to try to do more boudoir sessions this year. Add that to my list of goals for 2013! If you’d like to book a boudoir session, let’s talk!

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1.17.13

and in with the good

I started this year off with a meltdown.

It had built up for some time…probably since October. Between Halloween costumes, traveling for the holidays, and Christmas shopping…ALONG WITH running a business and running my household, I seemed to lose control of my sanity a bit.

One of my goals for 2013 is to create a blog that I’m proud of. And yes, I love writing about my children and I love writing about my fantastic clients…but I also want my blog to be more than that. I want it to be about me. My life. And obviously, my life isn’t always pretty and perfect. Sometimes, my children are monsters. Sometimes, I feel like the a failure. Sometimes, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing and I just want to rip all of my hair out and scream forever.

That’s what this post is for. I want to purge all of my self-doubt and all the bad, and bring the GOOD back in.

I have an amazing life. I have two amazingly wonderful and healthy children. I have a husband who loves me so much and who does everything in his power to help me..even if it means that he has to come home and watch the kids and make dinner after working for 10 hours all day, just so I can go to my Pilates class. We live in a great town that I adore, and even though I don’t have the cutest apartment and the nicest furniture, we always have everything we need. And finally, I have an amazing job. I may not be this super awesome rockstar photographer (yet), but I have worked really hard to get where I am…and this year, I have already received more wedding inquiries/bookings than I ever have, thanks to my wonderful friends/family and colleagues.

So Alyssa, when you’re feeling like the biggest loser/failure/jerkface, remember everything that you DO have and focus on that. And if that doesn’t work, then maybe this will.

and of course, these little faces help, too!