Fits and Stops Photography

So here's the next round of photos from our styled shoot out at Lakeview Estates--thought you might want to take a peek!

Looks like I made the cover of Real Weddings Magazine digital edition this summer with this image from a springtime styled wedding shoot. And believe me, I'm eager to share more from this shoot when the magazine hits the stands...

We’re super excited that our Summer/Fall 2024 issue arrives to us this week and with it, we crown new cover model winners! We have FOUR – two for the print edition and two for the digital edition. So without further ado…we present Jenna, who graces our Summer 2024-Digital Edition Cover!
On Jenna:  Headpiece and Earrings by Adora by Simona // Gown from Sparkle Bridal Couture // Hair and Makeup by All Dolled Up Beauty + Bridal // Bouquet by Strelitzia Flower Company with wholesale flowers by J&D Wholesale Flowers
From our "Spring into Love" styled shoot designed by Events by Nicki // Set Floral Design by Strelitzia Flower Company with wholesale flowers from J&D Wholesale Flowers // Photography by Fits & Stops Photography on location at Lakeview Estates & Winery
The amazing creatives on this shoot:
Venue:
Photographer:
Videographer:
Content Creator:
Design, Styling + Coordinator:
Styling + Floral Designer:
Wholesale Flowers:
Italian Macarons:
Mobile Bar + Signature Cocktails:
Hair + Makeup Artist:
Gowns:
Shoes:
Jewelry + Accessories:
Rentals:
Linens:
Paperie + Flat Lay Designer:
Custom Signage + Calligraphy:
Real Bride Model:
Publication:
 

How about a few sneak peeks from Maggie and Brandon's Apple Hill wedding, eh?

Powered by grumpy geese, apple orchards, tweedy green jackets and a love story that started way back at Trader Joe's!

Huge congratulations to you, Maggie and Brandon, and I can't wait to share more images of wedding day laughter and goose-capades soon!

Stellar Service Provided By:
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Venue: High Hill Ranch
Catering: Bella Familia Wood Fired Pizza
DJ: Dynamik Wedding DJ + Lighting
Videography: InFocus Love Studio
Photography: Fits and Stops Photography + Courtland

Once upon a sunset with Samantha and John.

Would you believe that all of these photos were taken in the same field in less than 20 minutes?

Sneak away from your reception for a few minutes of golden hour light, dish up a bit of your wedding day joy, and maybe—just maybe—we can create something that makes you smile/laugh/sigh/remember...
..And then we'll get you right back to your guests!

An exit fueled by bubbles, velvet green jackets, and absolute triumph. It feels pretty great to begin this marriage adventure, doesn't it Sabrina and Nick?

Congratulations to the two of you on a wonderful wedding celebration! And I'm stoked to know that the two of you will get to make your way through life and raising your menagerie of creatures together.

All the best! (And more photos to come soon...)

Got your texture right here!

After I've photographed a healthy amount of wedding dancing (thanks to Abba, the Killers, Bruno Mars and Whitney Houston), I like to sneak off with the couples' rings to see what fresh artistry I can create. It's a great chance to pull out my macro lens: a specialized tool that lets me zoom worlds beyond what other lenses (and human eyes) can accomplish. And I'm always surprised at the textures and details that burst into life when I take the time to look closely.

This shot places the rings against an outdoor picture frame and a red leather chair. I like contrasting the newness and clarity of the rings against a weathered and cracked backdrop. And hey, it's moody too!

What sort of textures do you suspect would play well against wedding rings? Tell me in the comments!

Doesn't matter if I'm photographing a family, a senior portrait session, a med student's headshots or a wedding day. I'm pretty much guaranteed to say, "Kids these days".

It's mainly because I like to sound like I'm way more curmudgeonly than I am. But it's also because I'm always in awe of the unique, never-met-someone-quite-like-this spark of life I see in people in our time together. It's a "eureka" type of expression, rather than a complaint.

And hey, no matter our age we're all someones' kids, right?

Congratulations to this family on the excitement ahead of them, especially as the little lady graduates to "big sister" status!

This post is entitled:

"Been editing buckets of photos and I'm coming up for air long enough to share this downright elegant, textured moment from Nataly and Gerardo's wedding day"

You know, something short and sweet. 😉

Know what I love?
Seeing you fully alive in the spaces and places you love.

When the time came for their engagement photos, Leilani and Mitchell chose to head out to Ruhstaller Farm. It's an old favorite of theirs, so it made perfect sense for them to grab a drink, wander around this old hops farm/brewery and enjoy the sights.

Picture a table reserved for a mother hen sitting atop her eggs, the warmth and sooty smell of the fireplace, the peeling paint and grit of old machinery, or the green of the orchard making more sense even as the rain began to fall.

Oh, and Mitchell had suspenders on.

So basically, it was perfect. And it was them.

Brought to you by lavender, lace, and the color purple, here's a quick snap from Andrea and Brad's wedding day.

Congratulations to the both of you—and thank you for inviting me into the joy of your celebration.

May this new chapter in your story be the best one yet!

Groom:
Venue: La Provence Restaurant & Terrace
Dress: Bride To Be Couture
Tux: THE BLACK TUX
Hair and Makeup: Salon Bravissimo
Rings: Brilliant Earth and Costco
Florals: Judy's Blossom Shop
Dessert: Icing on the Cupcake

A girl and her horse. Or should that be a horse and his girl?

Whatever the case, congratulations to Angie on wrapping up her high school career with the help of one extraordinary, behoofed friend!

Social media as a whole seems to be thriving even without many photos of me, but I figure I'll show my face around here every once in awhile.

This is me, P.J., pretending not to look totally beat at the end of a day filled with hiking along the NorCal coast. (Thanks to my wife for the photo, and for thinking I still look handsome!)

If it's true that we're all constantly changing, growing, and shifting, here's what I've become in recent years:

-Convinced that I need to invest more time in friendships
-Posted at my kids' soccer games and swim meets
-Connected to older and younger generations in faith
-Inspired by working with other local photographers
-Shocked at how often I have to re-learn my kids' brains
-Stunned by the outdoor wonders of California
-Surprised at how much I have to grow as a husband
-Stoked to travel places I've never been
-Crippled by inability to tell anything other than dad jokes
-Jaded by waves of advertising that promise the world
-Held by a God that promises a more abundant life

Does all that have anything to do with the way I capture photos of the people and moments that matter to you?

I can't see how it couldn't.

That's a bit of my journey—and I wish you blessings on your own!

"Is springtime a good time for family photos?"

Well, as long as you like mild temperatures, blooming flowers, foliage, and longer days, then yes--your photos will turn out just fine!

This cozy crew opted to capture their photos at a sprawling Equestrian center that doubles as their family business. It also happens to be where they plan to build their new home in a few years' time. They're laying roots down deep in this beautiful slice of Sacramento.

If you need help selecting a location for your photos this spring, I've got plenty of ideas for you. But if you're like this family and have a special and sentimental place in mind for your photos, I'm game!

Book your session here:
https://calendly.com/fitsandstopsphotography/portrait-session

There was no shortage of greenery, and no shortage of joy at Taylor and John's wedding day a few weeks back.

Check out a few details from the big day and remind yourself just how beautiful spring can be here in Sacramento. I mean, I even had to put on sunscreen again!

Congratulations to the two of you guys and I'm honored to have been a part of your big day!

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Venue: Vizcaya Sacramento
Planner: Sarah Paris Events
Florals: The Bloom Room
Second photographer: Courtland W.

Hanging on for dear life. Sometimes you do it when your photographer asks you to give an awkward full-family hug beneath a bridge.

Or if you're my family, sometimes it happens on a rainy day when you've all been cooped up inside for hours with nothing to do, and then you pivot to play a board game that gets everybody's competitive juices flowing and you have to cook up diversionary tactics to avoid seeing any punches thrown, before watching a British TV show that sneaks in a subtle reminder that family means so very much--enough that your family forgets any sense of coolness or propriety a gives each other an awkward, full family hug right there on the couch.

That's a moment I revisit mentally as I look back at this photo of friends, whose family of five bursts with joy and energy just like mine.

Whoever you are and whoever makes up your family, may there be many hugs in your future!

Queen takes king.
Check and mate.

Sneak a peek at Amy and Daniel's engagement session in the heart of my city.

Travel back through time today with me . . . and swipe through the milestones.

My wife and I met Barbie when she coached our kids through their early days of gymnastics. Full of contagious kindness, hope and optimism, she poured into the lives of ours and so many other children, while also doing her best to make her way through college.

Even after hanging up her coaching hat she continued to show up in my world, as friends often do. My wife and I caught glimpses of who she was becoming, making us smile each time. She turned her love for kids into the reason for pursuing a career in education. Lucky kids.

One day, we got the news that she had not only met someone special, but that the wedding day was scheduled. And we were invited to photograph her wedding day overlooking the Pacific coast in Santa Cruz, CA. (My wife even came out of photography retirement for this special day!) How gratifying to meet a man who brought just as much tenderness and humor to the relationship as Barbie did! I won't forget the joy of that evening—or the salt in the breeze.

The following year, I got a call from Barbie with the news that a little one was on the way. A woman who has given so much to so many children would soon have a child of her own to nurture. So when it came time for maternity photos, it was a chance to catch up on married life, careers, hopes and fears. I left that session encouraged, which has been how I've felt each time I've talked with Barbie over the years.

And then came their little lady.

Whenever I photograph a lifestyle newborn session for friends, I'm so curious to see who my friends have become in the presence of their own little human. Will they be all about the baby talk, or masters of swaddling, or anxious child-proofing police, or quiet processors, or humbled by the shortcomings they've discovered in themselves?

Unsurprisingly, this tiny girl was quickly transforming her sleepless mother into an even more grounded and joyful version of herself. Barbie's joy was already deep, and her husband Michael understood that better than anyone. But now, a child would know this joy and love from her very first day of life. She'll learn about life in her mother's glow. Lucky little lady.

But really, it isn't luck, is it? God places people like Barbie in our world to lift up the rest of us.

Congratulations to this family on becoming even more special.

Katie and Caleb are not at all afraid of the dark . . .
. . so I suspect they'll know just what to do when facing any power outages.

Well met, you two, and I truly hope your first month of marriage has been nothing less than spectacular!

Kids these days . . . know well enough to bring all the best boots and hats to their engagement sessions. Makes me feel underdressed.

Fortunately for them, I don't make an appearance in their photos.

Nothing runs like a Deere . . . except maybe your heart, on your wedding day, at sunset, as you pull in close and meet the lips of the one you love.

And yes, I'll bet she thinks his tractor's sexy.

Who says that cake smashes are only for one-year-olds?
Her big bros were more than happy to get in on all that cake.

And if I hadn't been so busy behind the camera, I might have grabbed some too. Well, I suppose professionalism, dignity, decorum, maturity held me back. . .

Nah, next time I'm getting cake.

Happy Friday, friends!

We all need a little help sometimes. Especially when pinning one of those classic, non-magnetic clip boutonnieres to your chest.

I'll admit that guys have it easy when getting dressed in wedding day finery—until it comes time to wrestle with these near lethal needles. Fortunately, there's usually someone special nearby to help make it all happen with minimal loss of blood.

The force was strong with these two . . .

Just a few sneak peeks from Katie and Caleb's wedding day. Prepare yourself!

And congratulations to you both on making one of life's boldest moves together. May God bless you two!

It's easy to give a little of yourself, your time or your money to a stranger. Who knows if you'll ever see them again?

It's harder to give more of yourself to a true friend. Think of all the ways you'll need to be there for venting sessions, birthday margaritas, vacations together, loading moving trucks, or being a shoulder to cry on. Friendship takes presence, work and sacrifice.

So just stop and think for a second about what that might mean for what you give to the people your own roof. From honeymoons, to lost jobs, to OBGYN appointments, to scraped knees, to 25th anniversary parties, to college application essays, to fighting and making up.

Loving those people closest to you will be one of the most challenging things you can do. It'll mean giving more freely of yourself than you ever imagined--so much that you're elevating their needs above your own each day. For all the toll it takes on you, you'll understand that much better what it is to love well. And you'll feel just how crazy it is to be loved like that, too.

If you're like me, I'll bet you've got someone in your world who needs some of that sort of love today . . . Get moving!

So it's ring inside a ring, sitting underneath a ring on top of a ring.

I like building things with rings at weddings.

"Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married. . ."
. . In like, a couple of hours, specifically.

Let's do this thing, Katie and Caleb!

X O X O

Somehow, my favorite kiss and favorite hug images of 2023 both came from the same wedding.

The kiss was a product of 100% commitment just after the pastor invited Richard to kiss his bride. Evidently, an upright kiss simply wouldn't have been enough! And fortunately, this guy's a master dipper.

The hug, however, was a more secret affair; it happened just after capturing some family portraits. I suspect these two walked a few paces away to catch their breath and rest those jaw muscles that ache after all that wedding day smiling. It was perhaps the first quiet moment they had together in hours. And when nobody other than me was looking, they gave the sort of full body hug that whispered wordlessly, "We really did it."

So grateful for these two!

It was one of those days where the overcast clouds had me concerned about how the photos would turn out.

Fortunately, it was one of those families who brought all the light we needed to make some little treasures.

That joy/playfulness/affection is just the sort of glue you need to help a family stick together through good times and bad. And I got to soak it all up!

It's Valentine's Day and I've got an exceedingly romantic ramen date with my favorite girl right about now. Which means I didn't have time to write you this poem:

In love’s embrace, hearts intertwine,
A dance of souls, forever entwined.
Through whispered words and stolen glances,
Our love blooms like springtime romances. 💕🌹

A hearty thanks to Copilot AI for generating this captivating take on love. 😉

You know, my Ibanez Guitars axe made it into my own years ago -- but Emily carries hers way more convincingly. Rock on, sister!

Emily knew she wanted to make her images downtown, only she hoped to get some of the nighttime look mixed in with the golden hour look. Take a look through and see what we were able to make together over the course of a wintry evening running around the city I love.

Congratulations to you on wrapping up your last year of high school, Emily. May your next steps in studies, music, and adventuring take you places you've never been!