Roller Derby

The past few days have been really busy...I know, what else is new, right?
On Thursday Steph and Caiden joined me for a trip up to the San Francisco Bay Area for few shoots and a little time with Grandma and Pop's. On Friday I shot the Sonoma County Roller Derby Girls for a cookbook they are making, Saturday I had a wedding at the beautiful Cline Cellars (keep an eye out for more from Brigetta and Mike's wedding), then Sunday we finished up the Roller Derby shoot at a great dive bar in Sonoma County. Thank goodness for Red Bull!

Here are a couple of my favorites from the Roller Derby pics. The ladies were all a ton of fun and we got some great shots. I am looking forward to coming up in the fall to watch them in action. From what I understand it is pretty serious competition!

Erin and Sam Tie the Knot!

Last Saturday I shot Erin and Sam's wedding at Palmdale Estates in Freemont, CA. We started out at a local hotel with what must have been every relative of Erin and Sam possible! I swear there were 30 people in the room at times, it was hilarious! Despite being a cheerleader and totally gorgeous, Erin is a bit camera shy so I had to be gentle :) It was actually pretty funny, especially given how outgoing all her bridesmaids were, we had a bunch of fun! Erin really warmed up to the camera and totally forgot I was there in no time, I was very pleased with out getting ready shots, I love the one above, what a moment!
Sam and his buddies were just down the hall in another suite and in typical guy fashion were totally late and in a huge rush after their golf game took longer than expected. They were so fast to get ready that we ended up having plenty of time to just hang out before the girls headed out. It was "rush, rush, rush, WAIT!" Sam took it all in stride and was super fun to work with. Did I mention that Sam was the star football player and Erin was the head cheerleader? Yeah, disgusting, I know, LOL!
The ceremony was beautiful and everyone was super excited to see a long time couple (7 years!) tie the knot. I have to say the reception was off the hook! Everyone was dancing and having a great time, it made for some great shots and even I got into the groove....no pictures; your welcome :)
There and tons more great images from this wedding that will soon be up on my website...whenever I get a chance to to an update that is!

Erin and Sam, I wish you many more years of bliss, you are great people and are an even stronger couple.


Erin's dress was amazing!


But putting shoes on with a dress like that is a job for three!


Sam and his boys


Erin's mother was awesome! Such a sweet lady and she had a great group of friends


Beautiful first dance

Marathon Weekend

I just finished up yet another long weekend of travel and shoots; I love it but I need some more sleep! I drove up Friday to San Francisco for a engagement session with Jon and Gina at Baker Beach right near the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a ton of fun in the typical foggy evening and then I headed over to my old friend Jen and her husband Rodger's house to stay. They were very gracious to have me at the last minute and even took me out to dinner with their friends, it was really fun!
The next morning I jumped on my bike, road road across the Golden Gate to the Marin headlands then had some breakfast in the beautiful town of Sausalito. I love my job though I have to admit that it would have been even more fun if Steph and Caiden could have been there. I can't complain too much though as it is still 10,000 times better than a desk job!
I then headed down to shoot Erin and Sam's wedding in Freemont. It was a beautiful event and everyone was really fun. Let me tell you, there was some serious dancing at the reception! I am a bit behind in my other work but stay tuned for some pictures of both the shoots and be ready for some crazy fun stuff in the next week! I have a fashion shoot with a rollerderby team who is doing a cook book, it ought to be wild! They really want to go all out and get some edgy shots, it is going to rock! I also have a wedding at Cline Cellars this coming weekend that is going to be amazing.
Lots of fun stuff!

Laurie and Alan's Santa Fe Wedding

I got back from Santa Fe last night and I'm exhausted! Thankfully we had a smooth and uneventful flight home and got to stop in Sedona again for breakfast. I still can't get over how gnarly the landing is there! The 5,000 ft runway is perched on top of a 5,100 ft long, 700 foot tall plateau so when you land you come in over a cliff and when you take off you fly right off the edge! Between that and some really gusty and unpredictable winds and the amazing rock formations It is a pretty wild place to visit.

Laurie and Alan's wedding was beautiful and they were such nice people, we all really had a great time. I have to thank Jason Groupp again for bringing me out there to shoot. Getting to work with such a talented photographer and one of my good friends is such a treat, I can't wait to do it again. Did I mention that Jason was recently named Best of Photographers in New York by readers of the Knot?! That is a well deserved honor for him.
We started off the day with lunch at the beautiful El Dorado Hotel with Alan and his brother-in-law Anthony. Both of them are great and genuine people who it was a joy to get to know. We then split up with Jason heading over to the Presidential Suite to shoot Laurie getting ready and me staying with Alan. We shot some getting ready stuff and then headed over to the historic downtown area of Santa Fe for a session with Laurie and Alan together. Laurie had the most amazing Vera Wang Gown, it was beautiful and a perfect dress for her.
We ran all over town and got some great shots, then headed back to the hotel for touch-ups before the ceremony. After the ceremony cocktail hour and dinner were held on the huge patio at the El Dorado Hotel's Presidential Suite with views of the sunset over downtown Santa Fe, it was spectacular! Cake and dancing were across the street at the Georgia O'keefe Museum where special tours were arranged and the DJ was rocking.
It was an amazing day and tons of fun! I'm looking forward to my next trip out to New York to hang out with everyone again :)

On my way to a Santa Fe Wedding

Yesterday I flew out to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a wedding I get to shoot with my friend Jason Groupp. My father offered to fly me out here in his small plane so we headed out pretty early as it takes about 5 hours. We had a smooth an uneventful flight out to Sedona Arizona (where the below picture was taken) but then had a very bumpy ride from Sedona to Santa Fe! I should mention that in the above photo the thing going into my fathers nose is his oxygen supply as we were flying at 13,000 feet.
I had never been to Sedona before and would love to spend more time there soon, it was an amazing location. The rock formations and contrasting green vegetation were stunning! I did manage to get a good breakfast burrito though!
Santa Fe is a another gorgeous South Western town! I shot some of the rehearsal dinner last night and will be scouting locations later today in preperation for tomorrow's wedding with Alan and Laurie. I also get to ride my mountain bike all through the hills this morning, which, at almost 7,000 feet, ought to be really hard!
More to come...

Tahir & Sarah

I had the pleasure of shooting Tahir and Sarah's wedding in Berkeley this past weekend, it was an amazing experience! We started off at Sarah's parents beautiful home in the Berkeley hills where Sarah and her friends were getting ready. Sarah is so nice and has a great group of friends and a wonderful and warm family, I was so happy to be welcomed and brought in to be a part of the experience. Unlike Western tradition, Indian wedding celebrations typically run for several days, and this was the fourth, so Sarah and Tahir are allowed to see each other before the ceremony. Tahir came over and, according to tradition, had to pay the family of Sarah and drink a special kind of milk before he was allowed to enter. It was really fun and everyone was laughing and having a great time!
I have to admit that I this was my first Muslim ceremony in a Mosque and it was very different from a typical Western ceremony. It started off with a public civil ceremony in the outer hall of the Mosque then moved into the private inner chambers where the religious part of the ceremony took place. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was very grateful to be allowed to witness and document it. After the ceremony things are very different from what I normally see as the bride and groom are pretty much mobbed by their friends and family who wish them well and congratulate them! It was a very exciting and happy time and was truly beautiful!
We then headed back up to the beautiful and historic Claremont Resort for the reception. We took lots of family photos and some fun photos of Tahir and Sarah that you see here. At the reception they performed several Indian traditions and moved on to a great meal and some pretty hot dancing!


Outside the Claremont...I always find the strangest places to shoot :)


Some haute Calvin Klein shoes


Beautiful (and tasty!) cake


Outside Tahir and Sarah's room on the way to the reception


Heading out for some air



Thank you so much Tahir and Sarah and your wonderful families for having me, I had a great time and loved the new experience! I wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy!

Brian & Angie, Caliente!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of shooting Brian and Angie's engagement shoot. They are such an awesome couple and a ton of fun, it is so great to hang out with people that are so in love with each other.
We started out in a secret location near San Luis Obispo and then went up to a beautiful building I recently discovered in Atascadero. Angie had told me to just do my thing and make it dramatic so we started at dusk and shot into the night. There is nothing more exciting to me professionally than to have clients trust me and put total creative control in my hands. That creative affirmation is the highest compliment I can get! I am very pleased with the results as I think they show the amazing and passionate connection between Brian and Angie. They were totally laid back, completely in love, and worked really hard to get great shots, we had a great time!
I am so excited for their wedding, which will be near Avila Beach later this summer, I know it will be an amazing day. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you both again soon!

Trains!!!! (aka "choo-choo's")

In the mind of the 2 year old there is nothing more exciting than "choo-choo's!" A few months ago we were driving down the freeway and saw a Amtrak train going by, now everytime we pass that spot we hear Caiden yelling "CHOO-CHOO! CHOO-CHOO!" for several mintues. We have been appeasing him through small doses of Thomas the Train toys and weekly episodes of the Thomas show. If you have kids you know how important this stuff is!
Every year the Santa Margarita Ranch opens it's narrow gauge railroad to the public for the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum Pacific Coast Railroad Roundup, we knew we had to go. Hehe, if you aren't familiar with where we live, or are one of my clients from out of state, you really must be wondering where in the boonies I live! Yes, I do live out in the country!
We took Caiden and my parents down for what was surely the most exciting day of Caiden's life to ride the trains. The engines themselves were originally built for Disneyland and were retired in the 1960's. At some point they ended up at Santa Margarita Ranch as someone there is obviously a railroad aficionado. There were several trains running on the track including one owned by the president of Pixar Animation who has people take his train to events like this all over the country.
When the first train pulled up and blew its very loud whistle we thought Caiden would freak out but he stood there with his mouth hanging open in total awe. We got on the train and went for the first leg of the ride, Caiden didn't move...which is highly unusual for him, I think that he was in his own personal heaven! It was a great afternoon and we even managed to avoid the highly dreaded "Time-to-go-freak-out" that every parent dreads because the road out went right by the tracks and we timed it so a train was next to us the entire time.
It was a good day...but now there is another spot where Caiden yeals "CHOO-CHOO!" everytime we pass by :)

Joe and Gina Slideshow

First off, Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's out there! A huge thanks and I love you to my wonderful wife who is my biggest supporter and fan! Also to my mother, I couldn't do this without your help, thanks!

I put together a quick slideshow from Joe and Gina's wedding, take a look! The show can also be seen, in "full" size, here



If you like the song, it is by Coldplay...go get it at iTunes!

Gina and Joe

Last weekend I headed out to Lodi for Gina and Joe's wedding. You might recall all the fun we had together a few months ago when I headed up to Sacramento for their engagement session. This trip was just as fun!
I went up Friday to visit my grandparents in Murphy's, it was really nice to see them. We had a great dinner in the very cute downtown area and then spent time visiting and relaxing. The next day I drove back down the hill to Lodi to Micke Grove park where the wedding was held at the Japanese Gardens. I was unfortunate enough to be stuck behind a motorcycle rally going 35 mph about 1/2 of the way there...it was great :) There must have been at least a couple of hundred motorcycles!
I finally made it down to Lodi, had lunch, and headed over to where Gina was getting ready. Gina is such an awesome and fun person to be around! She has such a great attitude about everything and has the most infectious laugh you have ever heard! I shot her getting ready then drove over with her to get her makeup done at Perfect Balance Day Spa. Gina's nerves were starting to get the best of her so I drove her sweet Volkswagen Touareg back to Micke Grove, it was such a nice ride!
I was lucky enough to have both Chris Stewart and Manus Chau to help me shoot which was great because it was a large wedding. I normally only work with one assistant but with at a large wedding I like to have three as it is so hard to cover everything that is going on with just two of us. Besides, it gives each of us a chance to take a breather every four hours or so as shooting for ten hours solid is exhausting! After the ceremony we took some pictures in the gardens then headed over to the reception hall.
Gina and Joe had their own signature mixed drink...I don't know exactly what was in it but I know that it was high octane! We all had an very fun time in the reception dancing celebrating a great couple's new life together.
Keep an eye on my website as I plan on featuring this beautiful wedding in the next couple of weeks.

I know, I know...

Yep, only 1 post in 2 weeks? Pitiful on my part, sorry about that!
What have I been doing? Driving! I have only been home 2 weekends since February and have put 7K miles on my car in the last 8 weeks, crazy! I can tell you one thing...I need some new tunes on my iPod!!!
I was just up in Lodi for Gina and Joe's wedding this past weekend, it was a blast. I will put up some of my favorites tomorrow, today I am just trying to catch up around the house, my lawn doesn't look so good :)
I have some more exciting shoots over the next couple months and promise to be quicker in my updates, stay tuned!

Sabrina and Greg

Last weekend I traveled up to the San Francisco Bay Area for Sabrina and Greg's wedding in the small town of Crockett which is just north of Oakland. It was a beautiful and warm day that I thoroughly welcomed after having a bad cold all week! Seriously, having a 2 year old is like having a germ magnet around!
Sabrina and Greg are a great couple who love each other very much and are hilarious together. The looks they give each other tell entire stories that are just between the two of them. Sometimes I would be looking through my camera and start cracking up when I saw the those knowing looks pass between them. I wish you both many years of happiness together!
I have to thank Sara Heinrichs for driving all the way up from the Central Coast to help me out (check out the last image below) and also Mark Edginton for assisting. Very cool of you guys, thanks!

Children's photo session

Last weekend, while I was up in Sonoma for a wedding consultation, my friend Krista asked me to take some shots of her son with her niece and nephew so we ran down to a local church and borrowed their lawn. Shooting kids is so funny because of how they react to new situations; at one moment they will be totally natural and relaxed, the next they will be shy and the next they will be laughing uncontrollably! The hard part is getting them comfortable enough to have a naturally happy look that isn't too "posed." That and sitting still!
I love when you look at a photograph of someone when they are a child and you can see how their personality has always been there. That's why I am sure to always get the smiles that Grandma likes to see but I also capture the essence of the child's personality so the parents can look at the picture and really see their child as they know them.
I haven't been doing many child sessions as I have been so busy with weddings and commercial work but after this one I think I will start doing more. Kids are all so unique and uninhibited, it really makes for a fun time shooting them!