I returned home from WPPI last month equipped with a few different things that I felt would really help my business grow. Fresh new ideas. A big dose of inspiration. A huge bag filled with tradeshow brochures galore (which has since sat untouched by my desk – fail!) And then there was the grand prize. The cherry on top. The colorful little toothpick in my proverbial chicken salad sandwich.

Say hello to the new star of my photo-making collection!

I had been eying the 5D Mark II for some time and was planning on hunting one down upon my return to LA. But when B&H lured me to their booth at WPPI and informed me that they had one ready to ship, I was sold. SOLD. Before I knew it, I was signing and smiling away. I’ve used it for a couple of shoots already and I can hereby declare that I’ve fallen madly in love. I might as well be scribbling “Adrienne hearts 5DMkII <3 <3 <3” all over my notebooks. The full frame is perfect. The ISO capabilities are just dreamy. The click of the shutter makes my heart skip a beat. LOVE!

A few of the first shots this bad boy captured upon exiting the box:

This last one is of some herbs we picked up at the Farmer’s Market a couple weeks ago. As much as I ADORE herbs, I try not to get too close to them as to not immediately destroy them with the wrath of my brown thumb. I think I seriously cause them to shrivel with a single glance. It’s a dangerous place for vegetation in here!

We stepped out of the cars and were immediately greeted by a sharp whipping wind. The sky was a wide expanse of bright blue and although you could see the highway in the distance, the sound of the zipping cars was barely audible. It was just the photographers, the cameras, the models, the desert!

A huge thank you to Ohana Photographers for organizing this spectacular shoot! They’re an AMAZING and ridiculously talented and kind family and it was so great to get to hang with them! And of course a huge thank you to the amazing models who breezed right through the 40 degree temperatures. I’m a TOTAL wussasaurus when it comes to cold and was all bundled up in boots and a puffy jacket, but the models were not only withstanding the frigid temps – they were looking smoking hot the entire time!

I wanted to blog WPPI in order, but could not wait to share these shots with you! I actually started editing them the night we got back from WPPI (seriously it was like, walk into house, drop suitcase on floor, open laptop, EDIT) because I was just so excited about them! More of what we were up to at WPPI will be coming up soon!

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Also, thank you to everyone for all your kind words and encouragement in my last post! I was overwhelmed and amazed by the incredible support – thank you!

I’ll be writing up a full WPPI-recap soon (including pics from the awesome desert shoot!), but I wanted to take a quick moment to give a shoutout to the fabulous girls at Fresh Events Company and the equally fabulous event they’re putting on. I had the opportunity to photograph Pamper Me Fabulous last year and to be honest, I felt pampered just walking around shooting the event :) I can just imagine how relaxing and invigorating it must have been to be a lucky guest, getting massages, sipping on Izzes (hands down my favorite carbonated drink!), and getting to chat with lots of amazing girls from all over the city.

This year it’s going to be at the Vibiana (could there BE a cooler venue?) and will be even more chock-full of spa treatments, snacks, and samples that will be sure to melt away even the most stubborn of stresses. You can see more info on the slick flyer below or on their website here!

And in one last bit of exciting news – last year’s event has been published in the latest issue of Your Wedding Day magazine!! It’s my first time having my images published and I was definitely giddy upon receiving the copy they sent me! YWD is really an amazing wedding resource and I was so impressed by their gorgeous spreads, stylish design, and great ideas!

And some more info on this year’s event!