I'm Eileen, so nice to meet you! I am a Los Angeles based photographer, passionate about people and a huge fan of love. I truly believe photography is God's gift to me; through it I am able to share life with some of the most amazing people. What a privilege and joy it has been!
Click on the next page for more on me or take a peek at my own wedding day here.
Thanks so much for stopping by. Blessings!
photo by Shelley Paulson Photography
RANDOM FACTS
I use way too many exclamation marks, but I'm really just that excited!!!!
I want to know what moves your heart.
I say "that's so funny" quite a bit, but it can mean a number of things.
I am a lover of donuts and tea.
I floss every night before bed!
I love the idea of being spontaneous, but rarely do things unplanned.
I am the youngest of four girls, but I'm taller than all my sisters.
I would love to open a cafe someday.
I am fascinated by the bridegroom God and his ravished heart for all of humanity
I am so excited to share one of my favorite sessions with you today: Julia + Stephen’s engagement! The last time I saw these two was when Stephen flew me up to Santa Cruz to capture the proposal and now they are about to be married! I knew from the last trip that these two would be so much fun to work with so you can imagine how excited I am to photograph their wedding this October! : )
Julia + Stephen wanted to include Julia’s typewriter (a special gift from Stephen) in their shoot. Not only is Julia a wonderful writer but writing letters played an integral role in their story; Julia and Stephen both traveled at some point in their relationship so these sweet love notes were common and now remind them of past memories.
Kathy and Lawrence spent their first date at Third Street Promenade. Seven years later, Lawrence proposed to Kathy at this same place. And this is where they chose to have their engagement session! : )
I knew Kathy from high school, but it was my first time meeting Lawrence when we met up for the shoot (found out Lawrence also went to Temple City High School)! I finally got the details of how they met during our car ride- who knew Old Navy could be such a romantic place?! After high school Kathy found a job at Old Navy where Lawrence was already working. She was the one who noticed him first- his personality just stood out. Lawrence is the type of guy who doesn’t care what others think and that really attracted Kathy. Well, some co-workers found out about Kathy’s little crush and shortly after, L+K went on their first date! : )
So excited 3rd Street has an Old Navy store! : ) Kathy, you’re going to make a gorgeous bride!Â
Congrats Kathy + Lawrence! Looking forward to your wedding in just a few weeks! : )
I love Amy and Erick so much! They are such beautiful souls and I really enjoyed getting to know them over tea a few months back. We spent 2 1/2 hours at a little cafe sharing about our lives, their love story, and how excited we all are for their wedding day!
These two met during Amy’s sophomore year at UCLA through a fellowship Amy was attending and Erick was helping out with. Their friendship grew significantly the summer before Amy’s senior year when she worked at a coffee shop near campus. Erick found himself wanting lots of coffee that summer and would make frequent visits to see Amy, and of course get coffee! Because this was such a significant place for them we had hoped to return to that same coffee shop for their engagement session, but was SO bummed to hear that that cafe no longer exists. Still, we were able to get great shots at a new coffee shop to remember that season in their lives.
Amy and Erick’s journey wasn’t always easy; the process required a lot of waiting, prayer, and holding on to God’s promises. I was so encouraged by their strong faith and my heart really connected with these two. What an honor to be able to tell their story through my lens! : )
How cute are they?! Before the coffee shop we visited a garden Amy and Erick picked out. It was just SO perfect for them. I love the meaningful props they brought along, too! Books! Amy and Erick love to read and really connected over Shakespeare. From Amy:
Erick was picking me up from the coffee shop after work and we ended up sitting down in the coffe shop and having a 4 hour conversation about Shakespeare, books, life.. etc.! It was that conversation that made us start to think “hmmm.. i think there’s something here!”
And now, off we go to the coffee shop!
And finally, these last few photos were taken at the end of our session. When Amy and Erick shared about a significant moment they had, we KNEW we had to take a picture to remember it! Here is Amy sharing a little about that moment:
The beginning of our journey was filled with learning to wait on the Lord, learning to trust in His promises and rest in His sovereign plan for us. There were so many unknowns! But God was good, so good, and the year of waiting brought us to know Him more. God gave us promises like Psalm 84:11 and verses like Jeremiah 6:16 as He lead us in taking steps of faith toward our future. And one night, after a heartfelt sharing of how God was leading us, we stood on the sidewalk outside the coffee shop we were sitting in, smiled at each other, and decided to symbolically take a leap of faith – off the sidewalk!- and trust God with our future plans together. It was 3 in the morning, there was not a car in sight, and with hearts filled with His peace, we stepped off the curb and placed our plans in our Father’s care.
And now, as we prepare for this new season of our lives together (marriage!) we are realizing that we are learning again how to wait on the Lord, how to trust Him, and how to rest in His plans for us, for they are good- so good!
Amy and Erick, thank you for such a fabulous session! I can’t wait for your wedding in July! : )
My beautiful cousin Amy and her man Peter were married last week, woohoo! : ) I couldn’t be more excited to share with you their engagement pictures today and a few sneak peeks from their wedding day below.
Amy and Peter are so perfect for each other. I remember Amy’s kindness from childhood when we used to visit their home. My sister and I would bring our bunnies and they would poop all over her room. Amy never got angry, just laughed and picked up after our bunnies. She was always so gentle with us and we loved our visits! Peter is just as kind and just as gentle. Amy and Peter, I am SO happy for you two! : )
It wasn’t supposed to rain the day of our shoot, but it did anyway. Luckily, we were able to find shelter and a not so rainy sky and have a wonderful shoot anyway : ) Love these two!
And here are a few sneak peeks from their beautiful wedding day! : ) Stay tuned for a full post soon!
Catherine and Victor are ENGAGED! : ) I am so excited for these two and feel incredibly blessed to be their wedding photographer. Cat and Victor met at UCLA (woot!) where they both got involved in an a capella group on campus. It was through those countless hours of practice and frequent trips to Disneyland where Cat and Victor became more than just friends : ) I love that Cat and Victor chose to take part of their engagement pictures at Disneyland- there is so much history for the two of them there! : )
Cat is outgoing and fun. She makes me laugh with her funny stories and silly comments; I love how there is never a dull moment with her! And Victor. He is gentle and steady, but just as silly as Cat. And I really do admire his thoughtfulness. Ohhh, look at you two! : )
So I recently found out that Catherine LOVES country songs! How perfect is this little hat she brought along for our shoot?!Â
After an outfit change we headed off to Disneyland!
Cat and Victor always get churros at Disneyland. This time was no different : ) AND, they bought me one too! Thank you! : )
Of course we had to take a picture by the castle! Oh, but this was definitely not easy. With SO many people at Disneyland it was almost impossible to get a clean shot without a crowd of people in back, in front, or just walking through the frame. So how did we do it?! We had tried taking this picture earlier in the day, but had quickly given up. Just in case, we tried one more time before leaving the park and was so disappointed to see this area blocked off for a parade. Luckily, we came across a very kind man who was directing guests away from the castle. With a gentle nod and a wink (actually, I don’t know if he winked…it just seemed like he should have or something!) he let us sneak in to get the shots we needed. Thank you Jesus!! : )
Thank you for a wonderful shoot, Cat and Victor! I really enjoyed hanging out and just getting to know you guys better! Oh yes, and thank you so much for the delicious churro and fancy dinner. I can’t wait for your wedding in July! : )
Anthony and Nina’s love story will show you that love will find a way, always. I remember asking for a very detailed version of their journey together and they both laughed and agreed that they just couldn’t get away from one another no matter how hard they tried (…and they did try!)! It all started (well, for Anthony at least) when a friend wanted to show Anthony a cute girl (yup, Nina!) from a different church. While Anthony did indeed think she was cute they didn’t officially meet until Anthony’s apartment invited Nina’s apartment over for dinner. They so happened to sit next to each other that night and were able to share about their majors, future, and dreams. Nina said they were so similar she felt like Anthony was her long-lost twin! haha
I knew Nina since the 7th grade and wow, it has been such a joy growing up with her and watching her mature into the beautiful woman that she is today! I am so so SO excited for the two of you- ahhh, just a little over a month until you guys get married! : )
I love when these two are together : )
Nina, you look AMAZINGGG!
The lovely couple with paintings by…me! : ) Nina had asked me to paint something for them as a mark and celebration for their 2 year anniversary. Love that they wanted to include these paintings in the shoot! : )
I drive by this building so much and knew I just had to have a session here someday. I came to check this location out the day before A+N’s session and was even able to meet the owner of this shop (I’m sure he thought I was creepy, because I had my iphone out and kept taking pictures around his building. Finally he came out to find out what I was up to! Good thing he was a nice man, haha). I love the way these turned out!
Did you hear?! George and Annie are ENGAGED!! : ) It was such a pleasant surprise when I received George’s email about his plans to propose. I haven’t spoken to Annie since a friend’s wedding last year and immediately wanted to facebook her to say hello or something! Haha, but of course I didn’t. I patiently waited for the big day to come.
I feel so honored to have been a part of Annie and George’s special day. Thank you for inviting me and for allowing me to share in the joy! : )
So I met up with a few of George’s friends before the actual proposal. No one really knew when George was coming. All we knew was that they were coming down from the cliffs and so we waited and waited…
We mistakenly thought a few other couples were Annie and George and so I would click click click, zoom in to see if it was them, and then delete delete delete when we found out it wasn’t. But finally, these two arrived! Look how cute they look : )
And there you go!! CONGRATS ANNIE AND GEORGE!! I love that we were able to spend some time at the beach before the sun set. This is the beautiful couple, freshly engaged!
The beach was beautiful. I especially LOVE this red house and was SO glad we found it!
Ahh, wish the sun didn’t set so quickly..we were on a roll! : ) Now here’s Annie and George’s friends. I love it when couples surround themselves with a loving and supportive community. It really makes things so much more festive! : ) We all headed down to a restaurant on the beach where George made reservations to continue the celebration!
I love how the night ended with prayer for the new engaged couple. Yes, many blessings to the two of you as you begin this new journey. Cheers!! : )
I first met Paul and Kim during my visit to Israel last December. The trip was hosted by Logos Evangelical Seminary, where my dad works and where these two are students. It was such a memorable trip and I’m so glad I was able to experience it with these two. I remember climbing and struggling to get to the top of Mount Sinai, but Paul and Kim were so quick I’m sure they made it down the mountain before I even got up! Haha. Ok, so that also shows how out of shape I am!
Anyway! Funny story- these pictures were actually taken on Paul and Kim’s wedding day. After their ceremony and reception we headed out to take some pictures of just the two of them. When we arrived at our location Paul and Kim decided they felt much more comfortable and like themselves in jeans…and so that’s what we did! They changed quickly and then we got to shooting. So while these pictures were taken on their wedding day, I felt like this was much more like an engagement shoot! : ) I just love these images and feel so honored to have captured them for Paul and Kim on their special day.
Oh, you two are so beautiful together!
Stay tuned for a post on Paul and Kim’s wedding ceremony!
Danielle and Nick were a joy to work with. We all went to the same high school (Go TC, let’s GO!) and Danielle’s sister-in-law was actually my cheer coach! Isn’t that fun?! Since Danielle and Nick are high school sweethearts and have been together for over 6 years, they had such fun stories to share and I loved getting to know them better through our session. Here’s a little snippet from their wedding blog on how they met:
Nick sat in front of me in 8th grade history class. Behind me in history class the summer before Sophomore year, and then behind me in AVID during Sophomore year. One day he wrote on my balloon before a soccer game, the next we were passing notes during class, and the rest is history : )
How cute are they?! Danielle, you’re beautiful! : )
Danielle and Nick’s love is sweet. Yes, sweet like chocolate! And when I found out Nick’s favorite movie is Forrest Gump and he made Danielle watch it with him…in the limo… on the way to senior prom, I knew we needed to include a box of chocolate in the shoot!Â
We headed out to Santa Monica Pier for the second half of our session and we were a little bummed to find that everything was covered in FOG, but they were so positive about the whole thing. I ended up loving the way these images turned out…Danielle and Nick, you two can make anything look good! : )
While we were hanging out by the pier a group of students were handing out balloons for a film they were making. They asked if we wanted some and so we gladly accepted. I didn’t realize how significant this was for Danielle and Nick at the time, but love how it brought back memories from high school (read above on how they met!) and how everything started for them. If that’s not a perfect way to end the shoot, I don’t know what is! : ) Congrats on your engagement Danielle and Nick!
Happy Friday everyone! When I was younger my 5th grade teacher Miss Matta would do a celebratory Friday dance every week as she sang, “it’s Fridaaaay, it’s Fridaaaay!” Would love to show you what it looks like someday, haha. Anyway! Today I have an engagement session to share with you all : )
Kai and Flora. Oh, where do I begin with this couple?! I feel like I’ve known them for so long, but it’s been less than two months since I first met them. And since then, we’ve had three different shoots, this being our first. Stay tuned- there’s tons more of Kai and Flora to come! : )
Six years ago Kai moved overseas for work and then fell in love with this beautiful girl. Flora was still in China when I met up with Kai and I loved the way he talked about her, laughing after every single comment he made. He joked, but you could tell he was in love. I was so curious to see who this girl was and then finally a month later I met Flora for their engagement shoot. These two are so fun and so FUNNY together… I can’t tell you how many times I cracked up behind the camera! : )
This was my first time shooting at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s beautiful!
Here is Kai being Kai- silly, silly, silly!
There was a lot of traffic that day, but we made it to Santa Monica Pier just in time to catch the sunset! Perfect way to end our shoot : )
Thank you for a wonderful session, Kai and Flora! Stay tuned for pictures from their bridals and wedding day! here’s a sneak peek:
