Best Nine 2019 Reveal + Review

2019 -how can I sum it up…maybe by this word…STILLNESS. My mind seemed to be on overtime with thoughts, possibilities, anticipations, but my body was in a stillness mode. Aside from my photography work that kept me really busy of course, everything else that I aspired to create/do/launch, sort of didn’t happen. Maybe the reason my goals and ambitions didn’t mobilize was because I wasn’t quite ready or maybe it was because I was afraid. Either way, I always believe that if things don’t happen and I do my best, then it just wasn’t meant to happen.

One of the 2019 highlights, aside from incredible moments and memories created with clients, that was not listed on my top 9 grid was collaborating and working with a team of photographers to bring the very first photography workshop to our hometown called DOF. It wasn’t perfect, but I was proud of us for creating it. It was an incredible thing to create and super special to learn from. [You can read/see more about DOF here].

Now…let’s go ahead and break down each post/portrait that made it on to my best nine of 2019 instagram grid.

Eddie and Mar had the most detailed and gorgeous wedding in Bakersfield CA at Monji Gardens [you can see deeper into their wedding day HERE]. On this particular post I was featuring a few images from their guest welcome table that held a sign in book and Fujifilm Instax Polaroids. It was so stylish and so much fun to infuse a few portraits of the interaction to this design element of their wedding. Something I really enjoy doing at a wedding is taking the couple through their designed areas to really emphasize the details.

David + Devin married on a farm site called Autonomy Farms here in Bakersfield CA. Their wedding was so beautiful and really blissful. ON this post, I’m revealing for the first time a few captures of their wedding day. They are such a sweet and vibrant couple and it really showed in their photographs. See more of their beautiful wedding day HERE.

I shared this post a few days prior to Mother’s Day. Simply embracing my baby bump and sharing how I sometimes get baby fever. I love this photo shoot so much of my pregnancy with my daughter. It was taken in 2017 in Malibu CA at El Matador State Beach and it’s beautiful that others love it 2 years later just as much as I do. Photoshoot was by Carol Martinez [@carol.deee].

There are times where I capture memories and then times where I know that I’m capturing a family treasure. This photo is one of those times. This is my couple Zack and Katy on their beautiful wedding day at the Nicklaus Club in Monterey CA. We were taking a traditional portrait with their grandparents when I instantly saw this moment in my head. I wanted to use this as a symbol and a statement that by being surrounded by such rich and lasting love they too would be the same way years down the road. It was a beautiful memory for my couple and a portrait that seemed to touch a lot of heart strings on my social media. This photo actually was the most reshared and featured image of 2019.

I owe this little capture to my son who seems to always take the most authentic and simple captures of my husband and I. We were trying the affogato’s from Cloud 9 Coffee in Bakersfield CA. I believe the reason why this photograph was featured on the top 9 was because this is a post where I released another week of Thanksgiving Giveaways and my favorite one, where I, along with a few other wedding vendors, gifted a MARRIED COUPLE a special photo session packed with several services and gifts.

One of the biggest highlights of 2019 was this moment right here! To be a part of someone’s proposal is SO PRICELESS…for it to be my sister in law who was getting proposed to….incredibly special. Carol Martinez was on video and I on photography. Not only did we capture this proposal on a cliffside at Torrey Pines in San Diego CA but we also helped to set up the entire proposal site. This was both exciting and stressful!!! But the outcome….INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend you go into the ACTUAL POST and check out each portrait, our behind the scenes of setting up the site, and an epic proposal highlight video Carol created…it will not be a waste of your precious time.

This is my husband and I. This was simply shot on my iphone with a timer just a few minutes before we took off to a date night with friends. On this post I celebrate the anthem of differences in marriage and how I loved being US. I encouraged couples to celebrate their marriage as well. My husband is not the biggest fan of taking photos [poor guy married a photographer] so I had about 3 self timer approaches to get something-and this was it. LOL. Too much fun-by far my husband is my most challenging subject.

Talk about a “field of dreams.” I never imagined that after having 2 boys, I’d be dancing in a field of wild flowers from the super bloom in California with my beautiful daughter. It was a surreal moment that I’ll treasure forever. Photographs taken by @pic.tora .

I love that I’m closing out the instagram grid best nine 2019 with this photo! Why? Because if there was ever a photo that could summarize the way that I feel doing what I do and the way I feel working with the people I get to work with…it would be THIS PHOTO! This photo was taken by my second shooter @amariephotography after my sunset portrait session with my couple. I’d gotten into a rhythm of taking a photo with my clients at some point of the day but having a little more fun with it. We were on this road headed back to the reception area when I just started to sort of feel the attitude with my clients and then came this photo. It was such a good time as I usually have with all of my amazing clients and a spectacular way to close my best of 2019. If you want to see more from this wedding and what Bianca had to say about working with me, you can find that HERE.

2020

What can I desire from 2020? A lot of things, but mostly becoming a little more fearless in my pursuits of what sets my soul on fire. I’ve got some AMAZING couples on my books and I’m really excited to create some epic memories with them on their special day. I am also renewing my vows in 2020, which I’m super excited about! Something new in 2020 that I look forward to is venturing on a new business with my husband [@_arrowz_], it’s been a DREAM of mine to create with my husband, and now we get to do that. Finally… in 2020 I’m investing time and energy into my YouTube channel [if you’re into YouTube please SUBSCRIBE HERE].

Closing out 2019, grateful and satisfied with a new fuel and clarity for 2020. I never expect things to be perfect or easy…but I’m happy to accept new challenges of growth. Cheers to a new year, a new decade of LIFE! Thank you for making 2019 such a special one! To all my 2019 clients…I’m SO GRATEFUL for you and you are now and forever in my heart!

With all my heart and soul. Rubi Z

I also ran into my review of 2017. It was for sure a very PERSONAL year full of FAMILY MOMENTS. It was so fun and insightful to review what Rubi Z Photo looked like just 2 years ago. Check that out HERE.