Houston Wedding Photographer - Ashley Esfandiari Photography

Some Fun on Friday – That’s how to take a photo!

ashley — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:56:45 +0000

I saw this on Youtube and it’s awesome and thought I would share.

Let’s Go!

ashley — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:57:25 +0000

I saw this video because one of my friends shared it on Facebook. It reminded me to live my life to the fullest, to take risks and to enjoy every day I have. When I’m at the end of my life I want to know I did everything I could to make it count. What are you going to do to make it count?

I LOVE the video even though it doesn’t have a very good preview photo.

SXSW – Austin Texas

ashley — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:21:17 +0000

Joel and I went to the music festival portion of South by Southwest aka SXSW or simply “South by” (sxsw.com) in Austin, TX and we had an awesome time! We visited my cousins who showed me around town and got us into VIP areas. Shout out to Keegan and Quinn! During SX the whole city is a big party and downtown is especially crazy. I don’t remember everywhere we went but a few of the venues were:
Mohawk (912 Red River Street, Austin, TX, mohawkaustin.com)
Chuggin’ Monkey (219 East 6th Street, Austin, TX, thechugginmonkey.com) where we saw Culture Cry Wolf and friends (www.culturecrywolf.com) from Minneapolis who sounded great and really knew how to work the crowd.
Also a few other random bars and clubs in downtown that I can’t remember the names of. It was crazy but a lot of fun and I can’t wait until next year!

The Aftermath!

Houston Zoo

ashley — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:13:40 +0000

Why have we not visited the zoo in so long? I think the last time was in elementary school and I forgot how awesome it is! This week we visited the Houston Zoo and were able to see so many exotic or endangered animals. It is so sad that many of these animals are threatened in the wild and soon might not be found in the wild at all. It made me a little better that they educate people about all the different animals. Who else wants to rent some 800mm lenses, get some plane tickets and see them in their natural habitats while we still can? Anyway, on to the pictures! Let me know your favorite one.

Heather and EJ Wedding Album

ashley — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 05:18:53 +0000

I’m excited to share my new wedding album with you! This is a 12×12 black 100% leather book that has your full wedding story. KISS is the company I used to print it and they were wonderful! They kept me updated every step of the process and the book turned out beautifully. I’m currently working on an album from their engagement session as well.

Chateau Cocomar Open House in Houston, TX

ashley — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:38:23 +0000

When I walked into the Chateau Cocomar I felt like I was transported to a castle in France. Its just simply amazing! We went to their first open house and were able to see the facility and meet a lot of vendors that were there. The Chateau Cocomar is still under renovation (to be open in August 2012 in Houston, TX) so we only took a few shots of the facility. There were some beautiful arrangements of flowers and furniture and samples of deserts. Also there was a quick bridal fashion show and dresses on display.

The tables and chairs setups were by Elegant Beginnings.

The floral arrangements on the tables were by Special Arrangements floral design by Lori Holley.

Every one of thees chocolates I tried were absolutely delicious! They were by araya artisan chocolate.

The bridal gowns were from Misora Bridal Boutique.

I loved the texture of the skirt on the dress!

The furniture at the fashion show was by RE Event Solutions.

The floral arrangements at the RE Event Solutions booth and the bouquets used in the fashion show were by Keisha’s Kreations Fine Floral and Event Decor.

We had a wonderful time seeing the facility and all the vendors. Can’t wait to do some more shooting!

Open House at Chateau Polonez in Houston, TX

ashley — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:56:58 +0000

We attended an open house at Chateau Polonez in Houston, TX and it was really breath taking!

We got to see what the venue looks like set up for a wedding with tables, candles and floral arrangements. There was even a live band, David Caceres who was awesome! We met the owner Anya and some of the ladies that work there, Kasia and Basia who were all super sweet and welcoming. Anya made all the wonderful flower arrangements herself.
We tested the lighting after dark and got some beautiful photos with and without flash so when we shoot a wedding here we already have some great lighting ideas. It was raining all evening so we only took a few pictures of the exterior.

We really enjoyed visiting and can’t wait to visit again!

Steamed Turkey Burgers

ashley — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:15:33 +0000

On the travel channel we saw a restaurant from Connecticut that steams their cheeseburgers. It looked really good so we decided take a stab at it. We thought it turned out pretty well so we’d like to share it with you.

Ingredients:
Ground beef or turkey – We used 93/7 ground turkey.
Cheese – We used sharp cheddar.
Buns – Ashley used plain buns and Joel used gluten free bread.
Greens – We used Romaine lettuce and Roma tomatoes. (Romaine and Roma, it’s cute I just noticed that.)
Olive oil – This assures nothing sticks to the pan.
Condiments – Ours is spicy mustard and ketchup.

(Insert nice buns joke here.)

Gluten free bread.

That’s one big olive!

Now lets get started! Slice everything up.

This is only about a tablespoon of oil to make sure nothing sticks or burns. We might try steaming them in trays next time.

Looks kind of gross. This is when you can add your secret seasonings but we wanted to keep it simple on our first try.

Make patties slightly larger than the bun because they shrink when they cook. We used about 5oz. (uncooked) each patty so a 20oz. package made 4 burgers.

Put on medium heat and cover so the steam cooks them. We like glass tops so we can see what’s happening.

After a few minutes it is looking pretty steamed. Do not squish them down because it will squeeze out all the delicious juices and taste dry.

We flipped them to brown slightly on both sides, probably not required.

They were thoroughly cooked after only a few minutes.

We toasted the bread and buns.

Mmmm, cheesy.

All done! Now for the best part… eating.

They were super juicy and delicious! We just put a little mustard and ketchup on the side but great side dishes would be potatoes or steamed veggies.

If you try this recipe let us know how you liked it!!

Kimberly and Anthony Testimonial

ashley — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:12:02 +0000

Dear Ashley,

When we sat down in front of the computer, in search for a photographer, we prayed for someone who will capture the stages of an important moment in our lives. After that prayer, we searched for photographers in Houston, and your name stood out.

We were extremely happy that God had blessed us with your amazing talent. You are truly gifted in the field of photography, and your work speaks for itself. The engagement, bridal, and wedding day pictures were awesome! You are extremely patient and kind, and you handle your clients and work with care; I admire you for that. You made us feel very comfortable and at ease about trusting you with this very delicate and important moment; I couldn’t have asked for anyone better than you!

We cannot thank you enough for the richness in your personality and professionalism. We were able to relive this special moment through your lens; we smiled while viewing our pictures as those moments came alive again through your work. Fifty years from now, when we look back upon this moment, we will smile, laugh, and view your work in awe.

Once again, thank you for enjoying this journey with us as much as we have enjoyed this experience with you. We love you and wish you many blessings and beautiful work to come!

Sincerely,

Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Johnson

Laura and Darryll’s Wedding

ashley — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:45:32 +0000

This is a wedding I second shot and I’m so glad I did because it was fantastic! I got the opportunity to work with Valerie from Belle at the Ball again and I was so excited because she is just a pleasure to work with! Before the ceremony we went to Discovery Green because Laura and Darrylle decided to do a first look. They were so happy to see each other they both started to cry which I thought was sweet and made amazing photos! After the first look we walked around the park and got some wonderful portraits of them and did their family formals. The ceremony was held at Annunciation Catholic Church in Houston, TX. This church is a Gothic European style church and it is absolutely breathtaking when you walk inside!! The reception was at the Parador and everything Laura and Valerie put together was beautiful! I just loved the ambiance of the facility.