For amusement, carnival, and a fair time.

The grease of deep fried food, candied apples that stick to everything and smelly goats at the petting zoos is the essence of the fair. It is bigger, brighter and more magical on a date, of course. It is all romantic and sweet to have your love win you a goldfish, or a HUGE stuffy that you have to cuddle later that night when it is all over. Ah... the memories of the fair.

Really, I hadn't been to fair since I was small, I mean small enough to ride around on my Dad's shoulders and see all the sights from above knee level. At that time I wanted to eat everything I saw, feed and talk to all animals in the zoo, and conquer all the amusement rides until I was sick. My sister and I would play, giggle the whole time we were there at the fair. Which made for a pretty quiet ride home in the car for my folks.

It was pretty much the same for me this time. I was gleeful at all the colors and bigger than expected public amusements. I just wanted to dive into every cotton candy vat, scream my lungs out on the roller coaster and play with the hopping baby goats.

I refrained myself, because today I was a photographer. I was here to shoot Misty and Ben, and their adventures at fair.

Aww. We snuck on the bouncy for a quick smooch. So cute.

I am smitten with Misty. Her gorgeous laugh, her love of New Kids On The Block, and of course her sense of style is chic and fantastic, (think Anthropologie and Jimmy Choo had a love child.) She had told me casually that when they got married they didn't have enough money to hire an offical photographer. So they didn't have "real wedding" photos of their most special day. It is sad and I know that most folks that get married out of college this is true for. Misty and Ben absolutely deserve at least some mushy cute photos of each other.

Absolutely my favorite photo of the bunch. I think that when it comes down to it, this was exactly what I see in my head when I think of romance, fair, and sun flare.

I was over the moon when Misty and Ben agreed to have portraits at the fair. (Really, and I am not just saying this because they are reading this.) I have wanted to shoot in a different location other than the beach for so long, and do some cuteness to the max. They were so great to play and the idea to use a carnival as a backdrop for their portrait session.

I can't help it. I just love the kisses shots. I think that Ben was more than happy to help me out in my quest for the picture perfect kissing fair shot.


Yay! It almost looks like the fair is emptied out just for them, (never mind those people under the umbrella).

Awwwww.. I love this one. I still want to do some fancy retouching on it, but what is the timing like when I get a passerby with a HUGE teddy bear that is just on the edge of the photo. Joy!

Really so cute. Cute cute cute!
I had so much fun and great shots we decided to go to the petting zoo and pet the animals. It was so amazing how brave and adorable the animals were. They were so accepting of me and my camera. I couldn't believe it. He/She looked right into my Fish Eye lens.

Oh wait these alpaca were so friendly and beautiful. This one was an albino and just a little baby.


Petting zoo and baby goat cuteness. Aww. Really I couldn't think of a better way to end a date, and I didn't even need to win a big stuffed teddy bear.

This isn't Misty and Ben, but it is one of my Favorite FAVORITE images taken on the carousel on Balboa Island. I had to share it. The best part about this photo is that there is no Photoshop at all. This was how it looked right when I clicked it. YAY.


Same with this one. The couple and the location is the same. It was at Balboa Island, and the beautiful Ferris Wheel just made the mood so playful and fun.
Plus the couple was absolutely great for making it look so passionate. Thanks Ryan and Brianna.


For the Love of Fair and Kisses!