Photographer's Blog

Spring is here!

We have had an amazing "winter", but now on to spring, and if there is one thing you can count on is the beautiful mustard flowers in full bloom.   Don't blink, because its over within a week or two.  If the flower fields are something you have been waiting for as a backdrop, then now is the time.

I think the wild flowers on this coastside is such a magical time.  It really shine's a light on our coastal town in being so diverse in its beauty, not only do we have the oceans, but our magical hillside's and beautiful wild flower is any artists dream.

I have known this family since their oldest child wasn't even walking yet... I love what I do as I really get to grow with families, and be able to document each stage in their lives.  This was a great window into this next phase of childhood.

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I am a week late in doing this.  My excuse is this: Life is good.  Thank you all for giving me a great year of capturing new love, new life, new beginnings, strong family ties, and a boatload of great memories.  Here are just a few of the highlights of the year.  May 2012 find you happiness and new hope.

Love is love

Anyway you look at it, love it love.  And I loved meeting these two amazing women and capturing their love.  I love what I do because it gives me chance to have a glimpse into someone else's lives and for a brief hour or so I get to share in their joy of life and what makes them happy.  Tracy and Segrida were the lucky winners of a gift certificate I had donated for a cancer fundraising benefit, and I feel like I am the one that won that gift.  Thank you Tracy and Segrida for walking into my life and allowing me to capture this for you.

Patience Pays Off

The "C" Family has patiently awaited their day.  And by that I mean they have been on my calendar to photograph their family portraits for the last two years.  Everytime we either approach the day or get to the day of, either foul weather or life has come into play causing us to reschedule.  Well, our day came and oh am I ever so glad we were patient!  

Besides the weather being perfect, and the energy playful and sweet, the "C" boys were ready to bring this to the next level, and not just make this another signature beach portrait session, but to make it THEIR family portrait on the beach.  Little things like the chemistry between the boys captured during a fun sand fight, to an airplane they brought with them to include in their images really just put the soul into their images and made it theirs.  

Thank you "C" Family for not giving up on this and allowing me to capture this the way it was supposed to.

All the ingredients of a perfect day

 

I had the pleasure of capturing such a genuine and lovely couple on an amazing fall day here on the coastside with another amazing photographer,  Simone Anne….and it couldn’t have been any more  perfect.

The location:  The beach

The couple:  beautiful

The weather:  tropical and lovely

The venue:  Sams Chowder House (fell in love all over again)  Danielle Lawrence and her crew are amazing!

The food:  Lobster and chowder

The party:  glowing, so much love floating around for this couple it was infectious!

I don’t feel like writing anymore, as I think the pictures need to talk now.  Enjoy! 

First Impression

 

Sometimes I meet a family I get to capture and just know we are going to be instant friends, sometimes, life has it in store for it to be a brief encounter, leaving me hoping that I have left an impression in their hearts and memories.

Samantha was one of those instances.  I had the pleasure of capturing her and her two older sisters 4 years ago.   I loved every shot of that session and loved playing with that family, but of course, they lived over the mountain and had different lives than mine, so our paths never connected again, until now… Sam is graduating high school, and I was so honored that they called me to capture her senior portraits.  Nothing better than a family that comes back to you, its then I know my first impression was a good one.

Cool under pressure

 

I had the recent experience of showing my client how I keep cool under pressure.  

Picture this:  A fun couple of hours of capturing April and Zach and their love story throughout the city… I’m excited and ready!  They are coming in from Dublin, so I give them an address of a church I work at a lot that is central to where we will be shooting.  Usually, I can find parking, and being that I was just meeting them there, I didn’t try to hard…. I pulled into the underground parking garage that the church uses for weddings, with the intention I was only going to be two minutes.  However, inspiration got the best of me, and lol and behold, there was a great café and a few other fun locations I found…. But this was just stage one of three… we still had a few more spots to capture, and the easiest thing for them to do was to hop into my car.  So we are walking back to my car, when to my extreme shock, the gate has come down and it is locked up tight!  Ack!  I put on my happy face, and tell them to wait here as I go to see if I can fix this problem.  I walk, not run, and am taking deep breaths, knowing it will all work out.  Ok, silently I am panicking, as not only is my car in there but my phone and purse.  Sure I can have them drive and finish out the shoot, but how will I get home! 

 I walked into the church, and there is a full mass just starting without a single person that worked there other than the man on stage,   I quickly left and started checking all the doors, which seem to be locked, and just as I am returning back (still walking with a smile on my face and deep breathing), a wonderful man in his cloak comes out of a nearby door.  I felt like I just died and went to heaven.  He was so gracious, and never scolded me on my bad judgement.  Thank you sir, for coming to my rescue.  But all in all, my happy couple was very impressed with my non-stressed demeanor. 

Photographing weddings has taught me many things, but the most important is to not stress, there is always a back up plan.

Little Ditty about Jake and Joanne

 

“Little ditty about Jake and Joanne, two American kids growing up in the heartland” This was the fun song that their best man customized for their day and sang at there wedding day.  Its moments like this that I love being a fly on the wall.  Its also locations like this that I love what I do.  Pema Osel Ling, or also known as Amphitheater of the Redwoods, is a great rustic location in Watsonville with your vows being said under the majestic grand trees.  And then there was the beautiful Joanne with her infectious smile, and the sweet and handsome Jake that made this day such an honor for me to capture.  Congratulations you two!

Family Extensions

Family extensions are the best.  My sister in law asked me to capture her family portraits… and by her family portraits I mean her mom and dad, her two brothers and their family, and of course her family… and combo’s of everything in between.  Believe it or not I was most nervous about my own nieces giving me what I need, as they are used to goofy auntie, and may not think I’m all that funny by showtimeJ But using my super photography powers, even they gave me the warmth in a real smile, and most importantly the soul of the image that was needed.

I had so much fun capturing a family that I have come to love.  The Ryan Family Rocks!  Thanks you guys for some good laughs and for not thinking I am completely crazy in my technique of getting good smiles!  Or do you?

Love and life

 

This is the story of Rosario and William.  I have had one of those moments again…. One of those moments when I am so thankful to have gotten to know this couple and honored to be apart of such an amazing day.   I typically feel that way about all the weddings I get to capture, but there was something unique about this couple, something that touched me deeper than normal.  It might have been his quirky and fun sense of humor, or her impeccable eye for detail and order (kindergarten teacher will do that to you)… but all in all, I think it was their love for each other.  These two have been in love since high school, and still, 11 years later radiate such zest for life and each other.  You can truly visualize these two growing old together and still being the best of friends and madly in love.

The wedding was at St.Charles Catholic Church in San Carlos and the Reception at Poplar Creek in San Mateo.  What I also loved about this day is that it was all about family.   Which I know, most weddings are… but Rosario is one of 6 kids and Will is one of five… and not a single family member wasn’t there in which they weren’t giving it 110% to make this the most special day of their lives.  Rosario and Will bring light into everyone’s life with his wit and her gentle smile, you can’t help but fall in love with the both of them.  Congrats you two!