Carla Choy Photography

I'm Moving!!

2011-09-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Onward to greener pastures! Find me at my new blog: http://www.carlachoyblog.com/

So long summer....

2011-09-07T00:37:00.000-07:00

...it's been fun.

Meli, Dolores Park.

La Costa Resort's New Spa Pool

2011-08-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't mind being here right now.

Marcella and Alex - Orange County Engagement Shoot

2011-08-08T01:08:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to shoot Marcella and Alex's wedding next year. They're getting married at the Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas in A FIELD OF BLUE BONNETS. I have a feeling it's going to be impossible to take a bad photo of this wedding. Plus Marcella is creative and has the best taste, so I know the whole event is going to be gorgeous and unique. I spent the afternoon with them and Marcella's two pups in Orange County taking photos around her parent's home.

Baby chicks!

Alex, at first resistant to the idea of skipping, ended up being the skipping champ.

Lucky us! We found this horseshoe along the path. Perfect prop.

Creepster alert!

Sweet.

Could not stop shooting this ring...

C.B. Hewes & Co. at Drago Santa Monica

2011-07-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Sean Stephenson Proposal - Venice, CA

2011-05-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday,surrounded by friends, Sean Stephenson, author of Get Off Your But, proposed to his girlfriend Mindie Kniss. Everyone was there to hear Sean give a talk on Love so the proposal was a beautiful, heart-warming surprise! From where I was shooting, I couldn't read the proposal on the iPad but judging from Mindie's reactions I'm guessing it was a good one :)

Afterwards storyteller / musician Malek Houlihan went on and joked Sean was always one uping him. He did however tell a very interesting story about the different families in his life and got everyone to sing along with him at the end.

He invited his wifey to come up and sing with him. Sweet :)

Meli

2011-04-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ask Meli to dance around like Kate Bush and this is what you get.

Recipe: Inside-out Carrot Cake Cookies

2011-02-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

If you're a carrot cake lover, like I am, then these are the cookies for you! They're pretty much little individual layer cakes that you can convienently hand-hold, making it even easier for me to get carrot cake into my mouth (not that it was ever that hard before). Last week I made a double batch for Janet's birthday and had so many left overs. It was pure carrot cake heaven.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies
Adapted from Gourmet's recipe

Make about a dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

Cookies:
* 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon allspice
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
* 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
* 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
* 1 scant cup walnuts (3 ounces), chopped
* 4 oz. crushed pineapple

Frosting:
* 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup (sifted) confectioner's sugar
* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and pineapple at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract and gradually add confectioner's sugar.

Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese frosting in between.

Engagement Session: Gabriela & Anthony

2011-02-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

I've known Gabriela since forever. We went to Catholic school together. I use to play Inspector Gadget with her sis. Our grandpas were cousins. What does that make us? Cousins twice removed....? I don't know. But somehow we're family! So it's very exciting news that she's getting married to a great, solid guy who is obviously head over heels for her. Just look at the way Anthony smiles when he looks at her, so sweet! Here are a few of my favorite photos from our engagement shoot.

Album cover. In case you guys take up folk singing.

What's he thinking....

...probably how lucky he is to smooch this pretty lady!

Tree huggers.

One of my favorite shots of the day.

Yellow mold. Bad for tree, good for photo.

We shot at the creek near their home and it was full of these heart-shaped leaves. Cute!

Love this one!

I'm looking forward to shooting their September wedding at the Ralston Hall Mansion. Never been there, but it looks like it has lots of good nooks and crannies for photos. If any of you brides are still looking for a venue, take a look. They have deer in their front lawn! Perhaps not during your wedding when you have a 100 guests milling around. But still, nice to know they visit :).

Sweetie Pies - Napa, CA

2011-01-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Next time you're in Napa and feel your sweet tooth acting up, head over to Sweetie Pies by the water. Their whoopie pies are the size of frisbees and their popular morning sticky buns are delicious.

Pastry Chef/Head Sweetie Pie, Toni enjoying a cuppa joe.

520 Main Street Napa, CA 94559, (707) 257-7280

Modern Italian & French Cooking: Thompson Hotel Restaurant's New Menu

2011-01-29T01:41:00.000-08:00

Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski is redoing the menu at the Thompson Beverly Hills' Restaurant. The new menu will feature a modern take on northern Italian and French food. I've always liked the Thompson's food but now it's got a more of a rustic, comfort food quality that I love. Try the Lamb Agnolotti; it's delicious!

Lamb Agnolotti, Arugula.

Chef Brian plating the Lamb Agnolotti.

Ricotta Gnuddi, Veal Bolognese, Parmesan, Basil, Hoji Blanca.

Pickled Pee Wee Potatoes, Aerated Creme Fraiche, Chive.

Black Truffle Soup, Root Vegetables, Celery. And yes, that's gold on top. After tasting this, I checked my teeth to make sure I wasn't walking around like Lil Jon.

Chicken Thigh, Potato CO2, Chorizo.

Brocollini, Kale, Manchego Cheese, 63 degree egg. Simple, but so good.

Profiteroles, King Crab, Curry, Caviar.

I can't remember the name of these. But I do remember Chef Brian saying he uses his grandma's recipe which I thought was really cool. I kept calling them fritters which was received with a blank stare lasting a few seconds before he would say "you mean the______(insert long, exotic sounding Italian name)?" Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Fritters. Fancy ones. I need to learn Italian... It's paired with a sea salt caramel pudding that will make your taste buds sing.

Western Doma Noodle

2011-01-12T23:32:00.000-08:00

If you ever have a hankering for some delicious Korean home style goodness, make your way down to Western Doma Noodle. Their ddukbokki is chewy and wonderful and after trying their Spicy Chicken and Potatoes it's become my new favorite comfort food. One of the many bright spots of eating at Western Doma Noodle is having the owner, Paek serve your food. She does it with such warmth and sweetness, I think it make the amazing food taste even more amazing.

Western Doma Noodle Owner, Paek, enjoying a bowl of Chicken soup with hand-cut noodles.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ddukbokki

Bibimbap

Spicy Chicken & Potatoes

Seriously, go. You will not be disappointed. 429 Western Ave. Ste #10 Wilshire Center, Los Angeles. (323) 871-1955

New Years in Mammoth (w/ Vegas detour)

2011-01-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

"Leave it to a car full of Asians and blonds to get lost on a road trip." -Matt
Ouch.
But true...
Even with 5 smart phones and 2 GPS's us "Asians and blonds" still managed to end up in Vegas instead of Mammoth. What can I say? One of the girls had a new man and we got distracted listening to all the juicy details! A hour-and-a-half-out-the-way worth of juicy details that is... It wasn't til we hit Whiskey Pete's that we realized we were on the 15 NOT the 14. Whoops.
So we decided to make the most of our little detour and spent the night in Vegas. We high tailed it over to H&M for some disposable dresses and heels, changed out of our schleppy mountain clothes, and hit the town. Our friend's new guy even got us a room at the Venetian! Definitely a good catch.

Getting ready at our hotel room...

C.C. modeling her new H&M finds.

Pretty lady.

Ivy in Vegas!

I fell on Ivy right after this shot. Teethering in heels on a soft couch is not easy!

Our view of the strip.

I love happy accidents.
After our night of blackjack, dancing, and delicious desserts and wine from B&B, we woke up early and headed to Mammoth as originally planned.

Happy New Year everyone!

My Favorite Wedding Shoes This Year

2010-12-10T01:21:00.000-08:00

Like the majority of the female population, I L-O-V-E shoes. And brides always have the prettiest shoes. My favorite shoes this year were hands down these super glam yet elegant Jimmy Choos from Joanna and David's wedding. Everything about Joanna and David's wedding was gorgeous but the shoes.....sigh.

Halloween at the ACE Hotel

2010-11-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Headed over to the ACE for a 24 hour mini getaway with Jay, CC, and Sammie. So much fun! The Flashdance hosted an awesome dance party and we got there early for some play and R&R.

Breaking in the bed! Which BTW is THE most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. Suite Sleep. CC says she getting one. If that's true, I will be over every night for sleepovers.

Sipping margaritas by the pool.

Rousing game of ping pong

EXTREEME! ping pong that is.

Oooo...sore loser!

We were all big fans of the robes. I could seriously wear these every day.

Cuties.

Little nap before dinner.

Bad date.

Classic CC <3

A little acro-yoga to get all limbered up for dancing.

Time to start getting ready!

Since Jay's "Flasher" costume consisted only of a trench coat, a nude thong and a lack of modesty, he got to relax with Sammie while we painted our faces.

Us all made up and posing for the Smilebooth. Luckily, for you sensitive readers, CC's leg is covering Jay's man bits.

Love the ACE! I'll definitely be back for more fun.

Moorhead Family Portraits

2010-10-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

Photographing the Moorheads was such a pleasure! We spent the afternoon playing at Santa Monica Pier.

Vishal & Poonam - DUMBO Wedding

2010-10-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hillside Produce Exchange

2010-08-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Meli

2010-08-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

My friend Melissa stayed with me this past week. As a thank you she made me a lovely pasta alla puttanesca and modeled in sexy skivvies for me. This girl is definitely up to date with her Top Model. She kept "finding her light" and had to whole "smeyes" thing down. Tara would have been proud.

Brian Redzikowski's Hatchi at Bread Bar

2010-06-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Action Gymnastics - Palm Desert, CA

2010-03-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and Trevor's Baby Shower

2010-01-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

I, along with many others are waiting with anticipation for the birth of little Nelson Gregory, our friends' Stephanie and Trevor's first baby. This little boy is very lucky. Not only does he have the most loving, generous parents a kid could ever hope for but he also has all these other people who can't wait to meet him, play with him, read him books in other languages, take him surfing for the first time and teach him a million other things. It was one of my first baby showers and it was awesome to see and experience all these people together in one place to celebrate the coming of a new life. It was a very heart-warming experience. :)

Tango Dancing Ariana

2010-01-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

My sister doesn't dance.
Unless you call manic flailing of limbs with an occasional metal growl thrown in dancing. But yesterday while walking around Santa Monica, we peek into the HI and saw 2 couples dancing tango. They invited us in and gave us each a free tango lesson. I got about 15 minutes into my lesson before I had to excuse myself to take pictures of my sister dancing. Knowing my sis, the opportunity to photograph her tango dancing was probably not going to happen again. Plus I needed hard proof to show all the relatives that weren't going to believe me. By the end of the lesson she got pretty good at the hip-swiveling ochos and the teacher, Tiger Lily said she had good potential.
If anyone is interested in learning tango, there are lessons every Sunday 2-5 in the little brick building next to the HI (Hosteling International) on Second St. Beginner's class is 5-6 p.m. First one's free!

Deb Deb's Rub Rub

2010-01-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

Isn't that a cute name? I recently photographed these yummy rubs for their creator Debi Nyugen. Funny, I think I've used these on almost everything BUT meat. I guess I'm more of a veggie than I thought. Instead I've been rubbing these babies on tofu and zucchini. Mmm!

Mulled Wine

2009-12-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

It makes your whole house smell wonderful :)

Eso Meliae Jewelry

2009-12-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my friend Melissa Vergara made the hike over to Venice and I photographed her jewelry line, Eso Meliae. I love so many of her pieces! She uses antique beads and chains and mixes them with crystals and stones. Perfect for satisfying your inner earth mama :)
Even though it was a chilly day, our sweet tooths (teeth?) got the better of us. We stopped by Jin Patteserie's open patio for chocolate cake, cookies, and a hot pot of tea. I played model in between sips and nibbles.

Check out more of Melissa's jewelry at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EsoMeliae

Home for Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

My parents with Charlie by their home in Dublin, CA

Lofts at Cherokee Studios Opening

2009-11-14T23:28:00.000-08:00

La Costa Resort & Spa

2009-10-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I took pictures of the beautiful farmer's market themed lunch at La Costa Resort. Pretty impressive considering the space was a parking lot a few days ago.