Justus 90th Birthday

Shade Hotel is a total hidden gem in Manhattan Beach of Southern California. I drive by the area a lot, but never really noticed this beautiful hotel. The general color theme of Shade consists of pastel turquoise and ocean blue, a perfect venue for those who love the ocean and beach! The Justus family had chosen this centralized location for their great grandmother’s 90th birthday, and the party took place at the rooftop, right by the pool overlooking Manhattan Beach, during the Golden Hour.  

The Justus family is a big family of approximately 40 people, ranging from one year old to  90 – a family of 4 generations! Food was catered by the Shade Hotel, which smelled really good while I was shooting the party! Usually for party coverage, I eat beforehand, but the salmon and asparagus looked really yummy through the lens!

Since several families were traveling in town, they weren’t quite familiar with the layout of the venue. As a local, I offered to check out the space and take some photos of the venue and provide ideal photo spots for my client to take a look beforehand, so they have an idea what to expect on the day of. Also, it was my first time shooting and being at Shade, so definitely a good thing to get myself acquainted with the space for planning purposes. 

With the given amount of space up at the rooftop, I suggested taking family photos downstairs by the fountain area, with more room for everyone to spread out for photos. Moving a large group of people around is not ideal, so I appreciate my client planning this with me ahead of time, so they can communicate back and let everyone know the meeting spot.

Here is a handful of my favorites from the collection of photos taken during the 2 hours of coverage of the party. Enjoy!