We met Jose & Nancy through a friend we made while living in Florida as missionaries. Jose’s sister Teresa is an amazing woman who has dedicated her life to serving God as a missionary. We became really good friend’s with Teresa, and have kept in contact despite all of us moving around so much! Jose and Nancy recently got engaged and Teresa showed them our work as potentials for wedding photographers:) They are getting married in September at the Crestmore Manor in Riverside! Last week we had the privilege of shooting their engagement in Downtown Pasadena! It was a beautiful evening, with an endless supply of awesome backdrops. We had a blast hang out with you two and grabbing these beautiful photos! Congratulations on the engagement:) We can’t wait for your big day!
This was shot from afar with Aaron’s baby:) Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L
We are fans of the natural laugh! They are so good looking, aren’t they? 
Thanks again Jose & Nancy at being an amazing couple, head-over-heels in love! These photographs are a beautiful expression of what you two share and its inspiring! Just a few more months and you’ll be MARRIED:D
The smell of Ruby’s french fries was tormenting:)
We decided that fishing off the pier makes a great cheap date night idea! You don’t need a fishing license and any catch is your to keep! 
My wife got this picture below of the bird. She creeped up on it and it didn’t flinch until she was super close.
The moon was perfectly round and very bright as it came up over the shore. I had a beautiful time enjoying the moonlit pier with my wife, despite the extreme cold!
Although we tried, we did not catch a single fish:( However, dinner was made up for deliciously! The girls ran to the store, picking up chicken and beans. Over a bonfire at the beach we indulged in some of the world’s most tasty chicken tacos! We quickly forgot about the fish:) Thanks Maegen and Caleb for such a fun night! When you leave for Nepal in just a few weeks you will be GREATLY MISSED!!!!
The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970, in which protestors and activists made a conscience effort to raise awareness about preserving our environment. Below is a video here that takes you back in time to a news broadcaster giving an update of the nationwide celebration of Earth Day 1970. Enjoy:) We wanted to post a picture that recently showed us how marvelous and BIG our Earth is. When we were in Masaya, Nicaragua we had the opportunity to climb to the brim of an active volcano. It was a first for both of us and we were in awe! The site as you can see was massive; we could not even capture a third of it in one shot. The rocky walls plunged down to the depths of the Earth as fumes from the gases rose in the opposite direction. Our Earth was created soooooo creatively! Our God is a BIG God with a beautiful imagination:) Let’s take care of what He has entrusted to us! Happy Earth Day 2011!
Our passion and photographic style was born out of photojournalism. We were able to capture images in the field while doing missionary work in countries including Zambia, Malawi, Brazil and Nicaragua. Our goal is always to depict the culture we are submerged in as it is naturally. The areas we were in were not hostile, yet risk is always a factor when traveling beyond borders. For some photojournalists, risk demands more… even life itself.
We chose a park setting for the location of this shoot. Ranch Vista in Corona, Ca was perfect. It is a long park surrounded by a hill of greens! Great for color:)
The lighting was very difficult to work with as we tried to capture the expression in his eyes, despite the harsh shadow cast from his hat…but I think we got it:)
We LOVE the bokeh in this photograph to the right! It adds strong contrast and focus to our subject. Nice shot Aaron!
Thanks again Phillip for giving us this opportunity to capture these images for you and for the chance to catch up with you! We are proud of you and all that you have accomplished this far in your life! Especially your continued service with youth ministries:) Good luck on your endeavor to finish school! Love ya man!
Love ya Baby Owen!!!
Hey everyone! This is a collage filled with images straight out of the Smith Vault! We have accumulated many random photographs over the years and wanted to share them with you…especially those of you who are in them:) Some of you we haven’t seen in years:( If you find yourself in this photo give us a shout and tell us what you’re up to in the comments section below! Love you all!
This photograph is probably one of my favorites ever taken:D 
I saw this flower as soon as I got out of the car. It was in tact and BEAUTIFUL! The colors popped against the ash-fault! I told myself I would grab a picture of it on my way back to the car and when I returned it had tire tracks engraved in the petals:( I was so mad at myself for not taking the picture when I first saw it! Morale of the story: Don’t pass up an opportunity to take an awesome photo!
On our way down a rocky path to a seclusive cove I saw this heart shape in the rock! Wanted to share it with you!
This was the last stop we had to make before heading home. It was the grand finale and the only reason to travel past Hana. Its called the Seven Sacred Pools. Waterfall after waterfall pours into pools, eventually leading straight into the ocean. We were so sad to have reached it just as the sun was setting, we really could have spent all day there. The image below to the right is of Aaron doing a backflip into pool number four:) He’s so crazy!!!
As the sun set on our little adventure we debated whether we should drive back the way we came OR risk the dangerous side of the road that seemed a little sketchy!?! After lots of contemplating we were all in agreement to take the road less traveled. It was scary at first, but definitely manageable:) We made it out alive! This is the last blog we have about the island…for this trip at least;) MAUI…WE LOVE YOU AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO STEP FOOT ON YOUR SOIL AGAIN!!!