There are times as a photographer that we try to control as much as we can, but we still need some real luck to make for some beautiful photos. For instance one of my favorite locations is sunset cliffs in San Diego. I think that is a favorite spot for many other residents just by seeing the sheer volume of people there almost every evening. Most bringing food and blankets (and of course their cell phones) to take in some of the more gorgeous sunsets that our beautiful state

It's that time of year again! Time to celebrate and kick off the wedding season right! One of my favorite things to do is celebrate with you and give a special couple the chance to win a FREE engagement session! Here is how it works: 1) Go to my instagram and make sure you follow me! @ClaritybyNicole 2) Comment on any of the posts for the contest with your handle or even a friends handle! On January 15th I will announce the winning couple who will be chosen at random! Here

It isn't everyday that I get to hop on a plane and go to an amazing city to take engagement pictures, so when I get the chance I make the most of it! Chicago is absolutely incredible. From a photographers perspective it offers endless opportunities to take pictures with dramatic and engaging backdrops. You can literally spend an entire day in a session and still only get to half of the spots you had intended to get to. So, first stop.... BUCKTOWN! Leslie and Brad are such a

I got the pleasure of getting a chance to work with Tamara and Cody on a very special day! When Tamara had contacted me about their wedding I was so excited because it was a completely new location for me. Given that the wedding was taking place on a military base I don't always get this opportunity so I knew this would be a fun adventure! The wedding was actually at Casa Del Mar and literally everything was right there on the beach! The girls were literally getting ready in

It is always so fun and rewarding getting the opportunity to work with couples especially with an engagements session! As a photographer people always ask you what your favorite session is, and time and time again it is an engagement session. There is something about this time in a couples life as they get ready to tie the knot that is so exciting. You can literally feel the excitement in the photos and they come across so natural and care-free. The thing I love about Balbo

It isn't every day you meet such an incredible couple with a connection that you know isn't as common as we would like. I had the privilege of being able to capture a very special First Look. While they already had officially tied the knot Tony had deployed before they had an actual wedding. Katy and I had spoken about doing a fun engagement shoot once he returned, and before we knew it, it turned into so much more. Tony had no idea that we had Katy in a wedding dress so l

Finding any dress can be difficult let alone "the dress" - as a littler girl we might have dreamed about it. Or as time went on we might have seen a famous model/actress etc wearing something that we fell in love with. No matter what we have in our minds the mixture of excitement and fear walking into a dress shop can be overwhelming. There is so much pressure on a bride to look her very best that day and the dress is a critical component of this. One piece of advice I can

It isn't everyday you get to travel all the way to the incredible city of Chicago to follow around a couple who are head over heels in love. Taking engagement photos in Chicago provides absolutely endless possibilities and might be one of the most exciting photoshoots I have ever had the pleasure of shooting. How can a photographer not be spoiled by the absolutely stunning skyline making for a perfect backdrop no matter where we went. I don't think we left too many places u

It is an easy thing to not take engagement pictures With everything that is going on with the wedding and if you are already sent out your save the dates "Why even take engagement pictures?" Engagement pictures can be fun especially if you find the right photographer. It is the one way to really capture that feeling you get when you get to introduce them as "Your Finance" - it passes faster than you think and what better time to spend then capturing the two of you in your fa