Nathaniel Thompson's Photography Blog

Ciao Baby! (italy wedding take two)

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:07:00 +0000

last year jenny and i had the privilege of shooting cory and regina's wedding in positano, this year we are thrilled to shoot jorge and melissa's wedding in rome! we will have limited phone and email access, but will do our best to get back to you as soon as we can!

vera and kenta's wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:59:00 +0000

vera is a true renaissance gal from everywhere and kenta is from japan where they both live and work. vera is fluent in japanese so it was fun communicating through her a bit. they chose santa barbara as the destination for their wedding because of its beauty, and their ceremony at sunset didn't disappoint!

lindsey and mike's wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:50:00 +0000

transplanted from the east coast, lindsey and mike brought their families out to gorgeous santa barbara for their beautiful wedding. i love lindsey and mike, their are so down to earth and easy to talk to - and i was stoked for them that the fog didn't roll in so they could show off s.b from the top of the canary hotel. the whole day ran perfectly thanks to melissa lee and zohe felici from events of santa barbara.

melyssa and rob's wedding at the santa barbara historical museum

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:29:00 +0000

melyssa and rob's wedding was so much fun to shoot! their love for each other was so obvious through out the day, plus everything about the wedding was exquisite. from the gorgeous santa barbara weather, to the unique succulents in the floral arrangements, to the rustic santa barbara historical museum. but, i am most thankful to have been a part of melyssa and rob's wedding because of who they are. they are kind, patient, and fun! how can you not enjoy being around folks like that!

back online with a new website!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:50:00 +0000

okay, so i'm getting emails again - and even better, my new site has just launched! check it out and give me your thoughts.

thanks!

no email.... :(

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:26:00 +0000

i'm in the process of launching my new website...but one of the casualties of this seems to be email. i can't receive any emails for the time being. so if you've sent one to me recently, please resend it when all's well - hopefully very soon. i'll post here when email is working again. if you urgently need to contact me, call 805.259.7955 or send a text to that same number. thanks!

-n

thalia and brett's wedding at rose story farm

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

i was so honored to shoot thalia and brett's wedding at rose story farm. not just because they are both great folks that are easy to get along with, but also because they are both world class athletes that represented the united states at the 2004 olympic games in athens. they met at ucla where they both played water polo, and the rest as they say is history - inlcuding thalia winning a bronze medal at the games. did i say "wow!" yet? once you get past the whole "olympian" thing, you realize that thalia and brett are nice, genuine, kind, fun people and everyone at the wedding was having a blast! rose story farm arranged all the flowers, and i was thrilled to shoot at this beautiful venue. rose story farm is the top local grower of garden roses, so if you are having garden roses in your bouquet and you're getting married in the santa barbara area, then you'll like have some of their roses in your arrangement. the farm house was gorgeous, and obviously the grounds were beautiful.

karleanne and collin's wedding at the los angeles river center

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:21:00 +0000

it's always fun for me to shoot weddings at new locations, and karleanne and collin's wedding at the los angeles river center was a beautiful new experience for me. with lush gardens everywhere, it provided excellent background for this gorgeous couple. karleanne is a professional dancer and collin is in the air force and it was a joy to watch them during their first dance as they looked like prince and princess. they are both the easiest people to be around too.

also, thanks to my buddy geordie speake for shooting with me.

melissa and jorge's engagement session at demetria estate winery

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:02:00 +0000

i had a blast shooting melissa and jorge's engagement session. they are such down to earth and easy going people. and, they are going to have a dream wedding in rome this fall, so they wanted to shoot at a winery with an italian feel. the perfect location was demetria estate winery in los olivos. a boutique winery that offers tastings by appointment only, demetria was so kind to allow us to shoot all around their lavender covered grounds. melissa and jorge know wine, and were thrilled to take home a bottle of their 2006 Cuvee Sandra Pinot Noir. after shooting at the winery, we actually headed over to my house. well, not really my house...my parents place. but its still mine because i grew up there! yes, i actually grew up on a farm! and we decided to shoot there because it is located int he gorgeous santa rita hills and has a vineyard, golden fields of oats, and right now a beautiful field of marigolds. all of which provided great back drops for melissa and jorge's e-session.

amy and maxwell's engagement session in santa barbara

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:30:00 +0000

ok, so if you know me well - you know i LOVE fish tacos! that's right fish tacos. what in the world do fish tacos have to do with amy and maxwell's engagement session? well, we'll have to go all the way back to 2008 and remember pete and krista. last year, after pete and krista's engagement session we came up off the beach and pete and krista had me over for fish tacos and krista's mom's house. my heart was melted and i fell in love with pete and krista - so cool to be around - my kind of people! well krista works with amy down in orange county, and they've become fast friends. so, when amy got engaged krista passed along my name to her. amy and i hit it off over the phone, and now i'm stoked to shoot their gorgeous wedding in san clemente. "wait what about the fish tacos?" ok, ok i'm getting there. well when amy and maxwell were looking to schedule their engagment session up here in santa barbara, amy said that krista might be coming up too, and that we could have the fish taco experience all over again! so, we had so much fun shooting at the santa barbara mission, and then headed back to krista's mom's house for the best fish tacos ever! and yes, i fell in love with amy and maxwell. their fun, kind, and wow you should hear maxwell play guitar and sing! unbelievable. can't wait for the wedding!

alex and amanda's wedding at fess parker's doubletree in santa barbara

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:54:00 +0000

this was an absolutely beautiful wedding from start to finish! a gorgeous couple, a perfect santa barbara day, and the perfect setting at fess parker's doubletree resort. and alex and amanda are just as beautiful inside as they are out. jenny and i loved being around both of them! and any bride who is willing to sit in the sand in her wedding dress on her wedding day scores HUGE points in my book. amanda was ready to go all out for photos. ever since the first time i talked with amanda on the phone, i started looking forward to this wedding. and after the e-session, and i was able to meet both alex and amanda i knew their wedding would be awesome! i can't thank alex and amanda enough for allowing me to be their photographer. ann johnson coordinated the whole day beautifully for all 300 guests, the flowers were designed by kaleidoscope, ams entertainment made sure everyone was dancing the whole night.

dara and avi's engagment session in santa barbara

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:57:00 +0000

had a great time shooting dara and avi's engagement session here in santa barbara! they were so much fun to be with, and it was easy to tell they're meant for each other. avi has a great sense of humor and was keeping the 3 of us laughing the whole time. and i learned that avi is a palm tree expert - i never knew we had so many varieties of palms in santa barbara. so, avi led us to his favorite type of palm tree - don't miss the photo of it below taken in the sunken gardens at the courthouse. dara and avi are going to have an amazing destination wedding on the big island of hawaii in april.

dana and bryan's trash the dress session on grand bahama island and old bahama bay

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:51:00 +0000

as promised...conch shells! and once again the rain let up just in time for us to shoot. dana and bryan were so great on this shoot - no matter what we asked them to do, they were up for it! scouting the island, norm and i spotted this wrecked and rusty old barge sitting on the shore, and we knew it would be perfect for dana and bryan's trash the dress shoot. what we didn't realize, was how sketchy it all was. when we really got out on the barge we saw areas in the floor that had rusted all the way through. but dana and bryan were fearless - they never hesitated - they just charged on. i think i may have made them a bit nervous when i balanced myself out there on top of a wobbly old freezer to get a few of the shots posted here. anything for a shot right?!? after the session was done, dana and bryan had a big bonfire for all their guests on the beach - norm and i were stoked to be invited as we enjoyed chilling with everyone and getting wrapped up in conversation. the real treat came when the jonkonnu musicians came parading and dancing, surrounding everyone with some sweet sounds.

dana and bryan's destination wedding at old bahama bay resort on grand bahama island

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:55:00 +0000

dana and bryan's wedding at the fabulous old bahama bay resort on grand bahama island was crazy good! crazy because it rained and rained and rained! good because it always seemed to let up at just the right time, and when it did the sky was awesome for photos. norm and i had so much fun over the 5 days we were there with dana and bryan. we felt so welcomed by them, as well as by their friends and family. it was fun to shoot a destination wedding in the bahamas too. most of my destination weddings have been in mexico - which i love! i've been to mexico so many times, that i almost feel like i grew up there. and i'm always looking forward to my next fish taco or huevos rancheros. so, being in the bahamas was a very unique experience for me. i loved learning about the conch! its a way of life there. they take boats out and free dive for it, and there is so much of it everywhere. they serve it at every meal in every way possible. from conch salad (delicious! kind of like ceviche) to conch chowder to conch and chips i loved it all. and the conch shells are everywhere - they line the shoreline, there are jetty's of conch shells (pics coming with the trash the dress post). i asked if they're worried about the conch becoming "fished out." but, the locals assured me that they are careful to only harvest the large conch and let the young ones grow - and that they don't use S.C.U.B.A. gear, to cut down on the number they're able to collect - and that they've been doing it this way for as long as they can remember. ok, probably more information than you wanted. now, on to the pictures. the first two are of the wet rehearsal dinner...

on the day of the wedding, it rained all day - right up until 15 minutes before the wedding started. and, it held off long enough for us to take pictures. then when the reception started, it began to rain cats and dogs again. talk about amazing timing!

this is what it looked like the day we left...

don't forget to check back soon for an insane trash the dress shoot!

nate and lindsay's engagement session at hollister ranch

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:12:00 +0000

what an enagement session this was! i met nate and lindsay up at hollister ranch for their e-session where we had a blast chasing the setting sun. the location was special in every way as this is where nate's family lives and where he grew up (yes, i'm a bit jealous - some of you know why), its where nate proposed to lindsay, and its where they will have their wedding this fall. after four wheelin' around the property in search of the next shot, nate's family invited me to stay for an awesome chicken dinner - and you know i couldn't refuse an offer like that. i'm one happy photographer!

yael and john's day after session

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:40:00 +0000

as promised...yael and john's day after session. this was especially fun for me as it was my first day after session in santa barbara. up to this point, all my day after sessions had taken place outside the usa. it took one of the awesome bdw gals to make it happen in my hometown. and if you're planning a destination wedding and don't know what bdw is, you owe it to yourself to check it out!

yael and john's wedding at the four seasons biltmore

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:25:00 +0000

out of sadness comes joy, out of tragedy comes triumph, out of despair comes hope...

ok, i might be taking it a bit far - but let me tell you about yael and john's wedding at the incomparable four seasons biltmore. yael and john had been planning to have their dream destination wedding in mexico on may 8th - at the exact time the swine flu scare was in full force. and unfortunately, many of their closest friends and family were not being allowed to attend the wedding. so, yael and john changed everying. i'm sure there are many brides reading this who can imagine how devastating it would be for them. they changed their date, and even the country they were going to be married in. but then, things started looking up as their first great decision was to choose the biltmore as the new venue for their wedding. the next great decision was of course to choose me as their photographer ;) and they also chose all the right vendors: rebecca from imagine did an amazing job running the show, and camille from modern day design arranged the gorgeous flowers. put it all together and the whole day was perfect!

and i can't thank yael and john enough for having me be a part of their day. they were so much fun to be with, as were all their friends and family.

we also shot a "day after session" - so look for that blog post coming soon!

chris and jessica's wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:00:00 +0000

what do you get when chris, a set designer for the tv show number3s, and jessica, a costume designer get hitched? a country wedding at taft ranch (a great new venue) in atascadero topped off by an incredible attention to detail of course...from the brides cowboy boots to the french country florals, from the gourmet olive oil bar to the whimsical one of a kind cake - and you can't forget the vintage pedestal bathtub filled with ice to keep the keg cold - this was a special wedding to be a part of. not only that, but chris and jessica are awesome! at the engagement session, they treated me to chips, salsa, guacamole, and margaritas - so you know they hold a special place in my heart. the gorgeous flowers were designed by jennifer hocker and she was also the "day of" coordinator.

melyssa, rob, and abby's engagement session

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:56:00 +0000

i have more photos from the road trip coming soon, but i've been dying to get melyssa and rob's e-session photos up on the blog. so here they are...

when i first talked with melyssa on the phone, we hit it off right away - so it was great to meet in person when she and rob came up to santa barbara for their engagement session. one thing that gets me fired up for their wedding, is that they consider photography an extremely important part of their wedding day. my kind of couple. plus, melyssa and rob love their dog. abby is like their child, so it was only right that abby be included in their e-session as one of the family. we had a great time up on the douglas family preserve and then down on hendry's beach for sunset. i can't wait for their awesome wedding at the santa barbara historical museum!

photos from the road

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:13:00 +0000

been "roughing" it up here in oregon, and thought i'd share a few pics with y'all

before we made it to oregon, we stopped in auburn for a couple of nights and visited family. the kids don't have much experience with rivers and lakes, so it was fun to watch them float down the bear river...

the next stop was camping at trinity lake. all the kids "helped" us SO much. here is noah pounding in tent stake.

"we made it!"

gotta have smores when you camp. kaitlyn knows how they're done.

this is how kaitlyn does "camo" when she camps.

the next day was spent on the lake with friends. a completely new experience for the kids. almost better than disneyland.

a couple days later we were in beaverton to shoot my cousins wedding. it was the first time i'd ever shot a family member's wedding, and it was a blast. it was great for the kids to see what daddy does when he goes to weddings. they knew i took pictures, but they were always convinced i was in it for the cake. and, after having some cake at this wedding, i'm pretty sure they still think that's why i take pictures at so many weddings. jenny decked the boys out in linen shirts and pants, kaitlyn in a linen dress - they were irresistible - so i snapped away. they're gonna be heartbreakers all of 'em.

we hiked a gruelling 2.2 miles with the kids to the top of multnomah falls. they did great! we were out of trail mix, so the got peanut m&m's to tide them over.

brought a little tripod along and we were able to get a few rare family portraits.

we'll be camping again in the next couple of days, so i may be out of phone and email contact for a bit. we'll see how at&t does...they failed at trinity lake (folks with verizon we fine though).

the oregon trail...

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:12:00 +0000

ok, so not the official trail - but we're road tripping it family style. which means an overloaded minivan and frquent potty stops. we're shooting a wedding on saturday, but we'll be camping for a couple of days before then. so, no phone or email until friday.

happy 4th of july!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:35:00 +0000

we're off to the beach to celebrate the 4th with friends! just had to post a couple of patriotic shots of my kids!

cody and aynsley's wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:37:00 +0000

cody and aynsley are two of the busiest folks in all of arizona, and as a result their wedding day was the first time i'd had the chance to meet them face to face. we of course had chatted on the phone and a had a conference call or two. but, it was an absolute joy to discover how down to earth and easy going they are - and even sweeter to see how much they are madly in love with each other. it was a bit of a gray santa barbara day, but everyone was stoked when a touch of blue sky poked through just in time for the ceremony. here are some of my favorite shots from the day. thanks to alex morgan for a couple of these shots as well.

jaymie and ales' destination wedding at dreams cancun resort

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:44:00 +0000

i can't even begin to tell you how awesome jaymie and ales' dreams cancun wedding was. and to think it almost didn't happen because of the swine flu! i'm fired up jaymie and ales went through with it. dreams is a beautiful resort with the best location in cancun at the end of the peninsula.

ok, so norm and i have never been made to feel more welcome at a wedding than we did on this trip. from the moment we arrived, we felt like guests...not the hired help. from the rehearsal to the wedding day to the trash the dress shoot we had a blast! norm and i even got to play beach volleyball against ales and his brother the day we left (i won't mention who won...it wouldn't be good for business). jaymie and ales are the kind of people that everyone wants to be around, and they make everyone they are talking to feel important. they're just great people. plus...they have twin boys. the 2nd cutest twin boys around (of course THE cutest if you ask them). how can you not love a couple with twin boys?

the trash the dress shoot was amazing! we went across to isla mujeres and cruised through town on a golf cart and then ended up in the water in time to catch that golden light. then, after jaymie and ales changed into some dry clothes - all four of us had some chips and guacamole with margaritas before heading back to dreams.

i had trouble narrowing down my favorite shots, so i just posted a bunch. thanks to norm for some of these as well!

jaymie and ales - dreams cancun wedding coming soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathaniel Thompson) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:06:00 +0000

i'm so excited to share jaymie and ales' wedding photos with you - they had a gorgeous wedding at dreams cancun that was pure fun from beginning to end. details and photos to come very very soon...

...in the meantime, i have to tell a quick story. norm and i had a great flight on alaska airlines, and on our flight was a couple (not jaymie and ales) that was flying to cancun to get married. well ava the flight attendant was in a great mood and decided to have a contest. she passed out slips of paper to all the passengers and asked them to give the newlyweds some marriage advice. she then read them all and chose her favorites and read them over the loudspeaker. norm went the comedy route and earned a very repectable honorable mention. but, the grand prize went to yours truly. so, now i'm considering entering the marriage counseling biz as well - because i'm sure ava really know good advice when she hears it. here is a picture of me with ava and my grand prize (a glass of red wine):

also, flying over these islands - norm and i decided we'd buy this little island chain when when we're big 'n rich:

we were stoked with this view when we checked in to the resort: