Julia Williams Photography

New Blog!

2010-02-07T20:41:00.001-08:00

So, after forever and ever of working on it... my new blog is live! Check it out - www.juliawilliamsblog.com - and add it to your RSS feeds!

Tammy and E-Ming: Wedding Teaser

2009-05-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

This is what I love about photographing weddings: the moments you can feel. Just after exchanging rings (during the tea ceremony):

Tammy - I know you have been waiting (and waiting)... but it will be so worth it, I promise!!

CJ and Shaun: Teasers

2009-05-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

I couldn't decide, so there are a few!

I love that you can feel the love, just by seeing how Shaun is looking down....
The moment before a kiss - love it!

Genelle and Eric: Calamigos Ranch Sneak Peak

2009-03-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

More to come! And this time, I mean it!

Where in the world is Julia Williams?

2009-01-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

I know it seems as if i've dropped off the face of the earth... and I have, but for good reason! The new year did not bring an end to holiday madness, but instead brought a new home, a new studio, and lots of other exciting things for the coming months!! For the next two to three weeks, I may be responding to emails a little slower... but I swear, it's not because I am ignoring you. So, blog readers, please bear with me as I go through all the hassle of moving into what is hopefully my forever-home, and keep a lookout because i'll have lots of things to post soon!

In other announcements: i'm holding a group boudoir session on February 28th in San Diego. Contact me for details!

And since a blog post wouldn't be complete without photos.... here is one from Jennifer and Jayson's Admiral Baker Club wedding photobooth:

Jennifer's Mom and Dad; King and Queen for the Day!

FAQ: Engagement Sessions

2008-12-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Tis' the season... not just the holiday season, but the season for engagement sessions.

As a photographer specializing in weddings, my year is divided in two: winter engagement sessions and spring/summer/fall wedding season. During the winter, I get at least one email a week asking about what to wear to an engagement session.

My advice: wear what is comfortable - what makes you look good!

This is all subject to several caveats, of course.

First, I like when one or both of the couple wears complementary bold colors. This makes both of you really pop in pictures.

Second, most people bring a 'more formal' and 'less formal' outfit - but that doesn't mean that you have to do so! In one of my favorite recent engagement sessions, Eric and Genelle's, Eric was wearing shorts and a plain white tee... but looked great because he was comfortable in his clothes. You may not be comfortable in front of the camera - lord knows i'm not - but we can work on that if you are comfortable in your own skin.

Third, don't BOTH wear patterns. One can get away with it. Both of you can if you have an amazing sense of style and you coordinate well. But most of us? Bad idea. So think about it.

Fourth, accessorize! Shoes, hats, scarves, funky necklaces and bracelets - all awesome ways to show your personalities and make your pictures stand out.

Finally, going with more don't - you don't have to wear matching outfits. Seriously, you probably don't coordinate to wear matching outfits with your fiancee in daily life, right? It's cute when you are kids, or maybe when you are with the whole family and you don't want to worry about clashing, but not for engagement sessions.

So, there you have it. Bold clean colors, wear something comfortable, don't got overboard with the fun patterns. And white t-shirts and jeans be banned!

Mira and Kelly: Wedding

2008-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I shot Mira and Kelly's very special wedding, alongside Emily.

Mira and Kelly's wedding was an amazing cultural event, consisting of both indian and american traditions, at the Paradise Point Resort. They were married under vibrant marigolds, but the bright flowers couldn't compete with how each basked in the other's presence.

I love the look they are giving each other, and how its a little soft.... I think that it lends to the feel of the image

Some ceremony details:

Wedding Coordinator: Ann's Plans

Wedding Location: Paradise Point Resort

My Moosey

2008-12-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

I was sorting through some weddings from the summer that I second shot, but had never blogged... and I found this. The first photo I took with my lovely 50 1.2. Amazingly sharp and buttery, isn't it? (especially considering that it was super dark in my office)

A picture of my growing puppy.

Moose is no longer the adorable young puppy he once was. Now he is bigger... stronger... more faithful... and even more playful than as a puppy. Seriously, he will play fetch as long as you will throw something - anything. My Moosey teaches me valuable lessons every day: never forget to add some time for fun into your day; if you are patient and look longingly enough, you'll eventually get someone to play with you; and never forget to greet the one you love at the door.

Season of Giving

2008-12-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

I have seen and heard so many that are struggling right now. I've realized this year that i'm so fortunate compared to others. While life may not always be perfect, my husband and I both have our health, steady income, and most importantly, each other. With that, i've been inspired to give back as much as possible. And, along with that, I have seen so many photographers with fabulous ideas to help others in these difficult economic times; efforts which I wish to join in. To that end, I have two blog contests that I am running:

First:
I am giving away a free portrait, family, or couples session. You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography – $750 worth, to be exact, including a complimentary session and a $400 print credit. Whether it's a canvas, albums, prints for Grandma, or a wall portrait...it's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a complementary session as well as a $200 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The fine print:

You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services.

The nominee must reside in Southern California. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

Comment on this blog entry to let me know you've entered, and e-mail me the full story: julia@juliawilliamsphotography.com

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve...get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Second:
Like many other photographers, I am participating in the 'Cans for Comments' drive. When people who read my blog leave comments, it totally makes my day! I'll take comments, questions, compliments, or anything you have to say about my work!

For the next 14 days (until Christmas Eve's eve), if you share the love, so will I! For everyone who posts a comment on any of my blog entries, i'll donate a canned good to the San Diego food bank. To faciliate this, I vow (VOW, I say!) to post at least 3 times each week, so everyone has lots of material for their blog love! It's easy to help out - just leave a comment! And while you are at it, jump over to Ohana Photography, where I heard about this, and Chris + Lynn, where this wonderful idea originated!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season – and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

Genelle and Eric: Engagement

2008-12-04T01:05:00.000-08:00

After exchanging several emails back and forth, Genelle told me she didn't need a consultation: she was sure I was the photographer for her. After our first meeting, I couldn't help but agree. In addition to introducing Brandon and me to the amazing Dominic's in Oceanside harbor, we had so much to talk about at our 'getting to know you' dinner that I instantly felt like I had made a new friend.

So, when we made plans for their engagement session, and she mentioned how nervous Eric was, it only seemed natural to get together and chat, and maybe sneak a little drink onto the beach (in our defense, we did drink our champagne in plastic cups!) before the session. And, after a glass (or three) in his system and some time frolicking on the beach, Eric was a natural!

Seriously, aren't they a gorgeous couple?

Genelle and Eric (well, mostly Eric I would speculate) wanted a more casual engagement session that a lot of my clients. No outfit changes, multiple locations, fancy things necessary. Just them, together, hanging out at the beach.

I discovered during the shoot that Eric used to be a lifeguard - so cool! The lifeguard stand seemed especially fitting after that :-)

Genelle, we had tons of fun and can't wait for your wedding this March!

Tammy and E-ming: Teasers

2008-11-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

A few, because I know how eagerly you are awaiting them!

Lots more engagement sessions to come, now that I have finally adapted to the mac and am finished with vacations!

Around the Corner...

2008-10-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

I walked through the mall a few days ago, totally out of sort. Was that... Christmas music... already?! But it's only October! End of October, maybe, but its still hot outside.

But, yes, alas, it's that time of year again. For my 2008 brides and grooms, I will be re-releasing your events online this week so you can give your family the best gift available - pictures of you! Any purchases made before December 1 will receive a special holiday discount of 10%. Also, i'm moving over to a new and improved proofing system, so I will be sending you additional information on how to log in and view your photos.

For my 2009 brides... my 2009 prices take effect next week! So, if you have been dragging your feet on booking (or sending in that retainer), please note that your current quotes are only good through the end of the week. For those that want to take advantage of the last remaining week of 2008 prices, if you book before November 1st, I will still honor those prices.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

Jennifer and Jayson - Engagement Teasers

2008-10-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of teasers until I get everything on the new mac up and running (and can process everything!)

Miscellaneous Monday

2008-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

My poor blog is suffering! So a quick miscellaneous post:

(1) I got a mac, including a cinema display! It's beautiful. Practically like viewing the images life sized!

(2) This has seriously put me behind in editing. Had I realized it would be such a pain to switch everything (programs, images, etc) over, I would have done it in my "down-season." So to those waiting... coming, I swear! And then I will catch up with the blogging! (I think i'm 7 or 8 weddings and 3 e-sessions behind... eek!)

(3) I second shot a wedding this Saturday with a delightfully glowy Chenin Boutwell - half of the team behind TRA! It was awesome getting to work with someone who is so successful (and is an attorney to boot)!

(4) During Saturday's wedding, I quickly ran to my car to grab something. As I came back I noticed this large... something with a tail and perky ears - dog? fox? (then I realized that foxes probably aren't prevalent in Palos Verdes) - raccoon! It had to weigh at least 40-50 pounds. It was one of the biggest raccons that I have ever seen.

(5) Instead of wedding cake, Saturday's wedding had cupcakes...mmm... cupcakes. So I grab one for the road (meyer lemon, delish!), notice a trashcan on the way to my car, and toss the wrapper in the trashcan. I hear a noise, stop, puzzled... then the raccoon's little paws grab the top lip of the trashcan, and he pops his (big) head out. I stumbled back a few feet, frozen, heart racing. I stood there for a few minutes, basically afraid to move, then dug out my video light and made my way back to my car. The wedding is now even more memorable!

And, in honor of the dog-sized raccoon, I google image'd 'giant raccoon.' Courtesy of google:

(yeah, i'd never hold a raccoon either, yet alone one that large. 75 pounds!)

Sarah & Reve - Wedding

2008-10-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Back from the blogging dead! (and more importantly, from vacation, which I will tell you all about... sometime before I go on vacation again). I shot Sarah & Reve's wedding a few weeks ago with Melissa McClure at the Hilton in Mission Valley. After an exciting morning chasing down the wayward groom and groomsmen, we finally met up at the church in Chula Vista. While Melissa (and Brandon) shot the ceremony, I traveled over to the hotel with the awesome coordinator, Brenda Swan of Swan Soirees. To all brides who have even the slightest doubt about a coordinator - they are worth their weight in gold! Brenda ran everything on time, made sure that everything was set up correctly, moved things around, and just made the entire event it's most fabulous!

Aren't the pink flowers incredible?! Just my color ;-)

The bouquet and garter tosses were both TONS of fun!

Vacation!

2008-10-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I will be on vacation (starting right... now!) until October 9. I don't anticipate having much internet access, so I won't be responding to emails. If you have something urgent, please call!

Amanda and Robert: Millennium Biltmore Wedding

2008-09-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

As the teaser mentioned, I shot with the lovely Melissa Koehler at the Millenium Biltmore a couple of weeks ago. The ceremony was held at the Los Angeles Cathedral. The travertine marble throughout the church felt as if I had stepped into Europe. The hotel was spectacular, possessing an ornate, gold-leafed everything look that made me feel like I was in Versailles. I could go on and on about the old world feel to the entire event, but I think that I will let the photos do the talking.

On onto the hotel... isn't the cake amazing?? And, let me tell you... it was delicious!

Getting ready for our little run into the street:

Amanda and Robert's first dance was the most show-stopping one I have ever seen. A formal waltz, with lifts, dips, the whole works. Robert's mom was a dance teacher, and he apparently grew up doing ballet. He even incorporated a tour jete into the dance!

The best man and maid of honor did a hilarious toast, incorporating a homemade video mapping out the future (their honeymoon!) and a self-written rap about the happy couple. They had everyone in stiches!
The took some time to sit at the head of the dance floor while the dj spoke about their 'love story.' They met in Italy while studying abroad, surviving a long distance relationship, always coming back to each other. The story of my life :-)
The did the traditional Italian Tarentella - much like the Hora, it involves holding hands and dancing in circles. Fun!

And afterwards... tons of dancing! The worm even made a comeback!

Finally, the bouquet toss... one of the best every. Look at the participation - you can tell these ladies meant business!

Sara and Jarad: Engagement Teasers

2008-09-14T20:55:00.001-07:00

Just a couple from our session at the US Grant (sneakily!) and Balboa Park today.... more to come!

ps - anyone notice anything new?

Kristina and Jet: Wedding Teaser

2008-09-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I shot Kristina and Jet's wedding with Kim of Cary Pennington Photography. Kristina has this infectious smile that touched everyone in the room, making for a fun-filled evening of dancing and laughter.

More to come soon!

Amanda and Robert: Wedding Teaser

2008-09-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of shooting with the amazing Melissa Koehler at the Millennium Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles. A couple of teasers while I catch up on my blogging!

The videographer had this awesome idea about running out into the middle of the street to take some pictures between traffic signals. A little stressful, but I loved the results!

Dina and Jesse: Wedding Teasers

2008-09-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, one of my very best friends from law school got married. While I didn't shoot the wedding (per my request), I did shoot some of her getting ready and of the ceremony. And now, before they depart on their two and a half week wedding to Prague and Paris (so jealous!), a couple of teasers:

Stunning, isn't she?
I don't know whether Dina's sister Masha (the maid of honor) or Jesse was more excited to see Dina walk down the aisle.
I don't know what it is about this picture that captures me, but I love it. I think it may be the batman ring that Jesse wore on his middle finger.

Congratulations you two, I was so thrilled to be a part of everything. And have a wonderful time on your honeymoon!

Disneyland Wedding!

2008-08-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

This is going to be the beginning of a deluge of posts - after 5 weddings in 3 weekends, I finally had a weekend off to catch up with some work!

A few weeks ago, I shot a wedding with the beautiful, talented Natalie Moser. We got along SO well and she was just a total blast to work with, as was the rocking couple.

Not only did Natalie and the bride and groom totally rock, we were shooting at the happiest place on earth - Disneyland!

A few of my favorite images:

Aren't her shoes just the epitome of funky awesomeness?

The grooms gift from his bride:

We started with the first look at the Grand Californian Hotel... I LOVE craftsman style homes, so this was like photographers paradise to me!

And... there are a couple more, but blogger doesn't want me to upload them right now.... so later!

EDIT*** Here are the other pictures I couldn't upload last night:

Replicating the 'we're not worthy' stance... somewhat reluctantly, at least for the bride's brother!

Awesome flare!
Arriving in Cinderella's carriage, of course:

Belinda and Elijah: Wedding Teaser

2008-08-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

I love the love shining from her eyes....

In other news, i've been really busy with tons of wedding and other shoots - expect a deluge of blogging soon (as soon as I catch my breath!)

Kristen and Dustin - Wedding!

2008-08-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, Dustin used to go to Outback Steakhouse. A lot. Much more than people thought was normal. After some time, it was obvious why he kept coming back: Kristen, his favorite server. Eventually he asked her out.... and thus began the start of a wonderful relationship!

Kristen and Dustin were married on July 18 at the Admiral Kidd Club, and were one of the most awesome couples i've ever had the privilege of working with. In addition to being smoking hot, they were both easygoing, fun-loving, and determined to have an awesome wedding. Which it was. Thanks to Emily for letting me shoot with her and congrats to the newlyweds!

This is a b&w jpeg, straight out of the camera... hence the not quite right frame :-)

And best yet... click here for a slideshow - enjoy!

Paul and Kelly: Wedding

2008-08-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

Another wedding shot with Emily - who somehow manages to consistently book amazing clients!

When I look back at weddings, especially receptions, they frequently start to blur together. I always have sharp moments that pop out - a witty speech, a face-in-the-cake cutting, a stunning choreographed first dance - but other moments blend together. Because, lets face it, traditional weddings usually consist of the same components.

But Paul and Kelly are different. While they had a couple of those 'traditional moments', they took great pains to make the day reflective of who they are. They were married at Cuvier Park (more commonly called 'the Wedding Bowl') a couple of weeks ago in an emotional ceremony. During the ceremony, the officiant discussed their love of similar music (particularly Tom Petty), their first date, and the things that made them 'them'. It was truly touching.

The reception was held on Shelter Island. Rather than springing for the traditional hotel or venue reception room, they had a tent set up along the water at the Shelter Island Shoreline Park. How's that for an ocean view?! While the sky was overcast most of the day, it briefly emerged as they were announced to the crowd in their grand entrance and first dance to appropriately funky music. A 'cake' of cherry pie formed the fitting end to a unique reception and the beginning life together as man and wife.

Paul and Kelly, your event was truly memorable for me! Best of luck in all that you do!

Some wedding details:

Gorgeous flowers - done by the Flower Girls in PB!

The first kiss!

And this is where their first dance got really fun.... this:

Turned into this!

Gotta love air guitar during a first dance!
I posted this because it reminds me SO MUCH of me and my little sisters - there are four girls in my family that are, much like these ones, spread in ages! I'm personally 13 years older than my youngest sister. Plus, they actually LOOK a little like we did as kids. Eerie.

Cherry pie-cake!

Love Notes

2008-07-30T07:01:00.001-07:00

I abruptly sat up at 3:58 a.m. this morning, perhaps subconsciously aware that I was suddenly alone. Brandon wasn't scheduled to leave the house until around 4:30, where he planned to meet his mom and grandparents at the hospital before his grandpa underwent a serious surgery. I wandered around the house for a few minutes before thinking to check the garage where, sure enough, his car was already gone. After prying myself out of bed at 6am, I wandered into the bathroom, acutely aware of being alone (i've never seen Psycho, yet I am still afraid of showering while its dark out and i'm at home alone). Squinting through the glare of light, I saw a small card propped up against the mirror, where I was certain not to miss it. While he snuck out early, denying me the opportunity to say goodbye, Brandon still left a sweet heartfelt note to greet me. Little things like this - small discoveries of the depth of a person you have known and been with for ages - is what makes marriage wonderful. I really am blessed to have a person who I not only love, but who is like my best friend, to grow old with.

ps - yes, I know that busting out a camera is not necessarily the normal reaction to a love note, but I instantly knew that I wanted to blog about the moment - not for everyone else, but to remind myself of how lucky I am to have someone to share my life with

Kristen and Dustin: Details!

2008-07-27T19:03:00.001-07:00

Here are some details from a wedding I shot with Emily last week. Full post and a slideshow coming later this week!

Kristen prepared the cutest little bags for bridesmaids gifts.

There was a 'sea' theme throughout, including on the placecards, in the bouquets, centerpieces - everything tied together so well!

Just Like Being at Home....

2008-07-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I have 'date night' every Friday night. We don't necessarily have a fancy date, just we take some time to do something together. Last night, 'date night' entailed Rubios and games (playing scrabble with Brandon is endless entertainment). After leaving Rubios, Brandon remembered that we needed batteries, so we detoured over to the drugstore. I don't exactly know why, but we ended up wandering the aisles in Longs... where I made the most magnificant find ever - the Hawaiian Aisle!!!!!

A wake of longing homesickness washed over me (after all, i'm lucky if I get to see my family once a year), but was soon replaced by ecstasy at being able to find my favorite goods from home. I began snapping pictures with my iphone as Brandon looked upon me with amusement (and possibly embarassment), so that i could share this find with the world.

First, there is this AMAZING papaya seed dressing. I love this stuff so much, when she visited in January, it was the ONLY thing I asked my mom to bring. Unfortunately, much to my disappointment, when she went to the grocery store right before getting on the plane, they were out! I grabbed a bottle, ignoring that the expiration date was June 2008.

But this was far from the only reminder of home... they also had Hawaiian soy sauce (in the usual gallons), Hawaiian cookies, Hawaiian jellies. These were also all well past their expiration date, so I ignored them. But it makes me feel better that I could bring a little piece of home back to my home if I so desired.

Finally, there was affordable Hawaiian sea salt - only $3.50 for a bag. Back home, this stuff is cheap. But on the Mainland, I once paid Williams-Sonoma $15 for a small jar (which I use sparingly). Now... a new source.

It may seem silly to be so excited about a small stretch of aisle in a drugstore. Although Brandon constantly points out that I didn't grow up in Hawaii, so it's not really 'my home', home for me will always be where my family is. The little things - the sprinkle of red salt, the tang of Papaya dressing - take me back, make me feel like i'm there. And sometimes, these are all I need to be home.

Katie and Kevin: Wedding

2008-07-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

Katie and Kevin's wedding was held in the beautiful Temescal Gateway Park. While I used to pass the park on a regular basis (i'd park on Temescal canyon Rd and run from there to the Santa Monica Pier... almost makes me miss LA!), I never realized what a hidden gem it is for a wedding. Katie and Kevin were married beneath a massive tree (I think a Sycamore or an Oak, but tree identification is not my specialty) in a gorgeous ceremony site overlooking the Santa Monica mountains. After the ceremony, these two were troopers, hiking through paths and even climbing on a fallen tree to cross a mini-canyon, complete with a trickling stream running along the bottom.

The reception was held in a large meadow just a couple hundred yards away from the ceremony site, with a large hall nearby for dancing. Although the wedding was during the scortching heat wave, the cool ocean breeze trickled through the trees and kept everything bearable. Katie and Kevin had an awesome theme, featuring foods from the locations where they would be honeymooning (France, Spain and Morocco - for three weeks!) and specialty drinks from the same locales. These special touches, along with the dessert bar (yum!), the personalized song during the ceremony, the gentle roasting during the speeches, the live band in the reception hall at the park, and (best of all), the wedding pinata made for a unique and memorable event.

While you are most certainly back by now, Katie and Kevin, I wish you a lifetime of happiness and hope that you had a wonderful honeymoon (and that no one was injured running with the bulls in Pampalona)! Special thanks to Emily for bringing me along for yet another wedding!

The shoes and flowers:

The adorable flowergirl:

Kevin kept tearing up during the ceremony... so sweet!

The ringbearer was awesome... after refusing to go down the aisle, he decided to play in the dirt during the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony - after he sat down and threw dirt all over himself - his mom just scooped him up and said 'I was only trying to make it to the ceremony.' I hope I can be that lighthearted about my future children playing in the dirt!

See... serious trooper on the tree!
Some details!
Doesn't looking at this make you hungry? (I just had to go get a cookie)

Everyone needs an aging rocker for their first dance!

And... wait for it... the wedding pinata!

Click here for a slideshow!

Kellie and Paul: Wedding Teaser

2008-07-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said that I was getting close to being caught up on wedding? Not anymore Another fabulous event with Emily.

This wedding teaser is unusual. Normally, I find a picture of the couple that is more fashion-forward, posed, fabulous. But this moment - the two of them exchanging their first look and words after Kellie walked down the aisle - resonated with me. We should all look at our significant others the way Paul looked at Kellie, with adoration and love apparent in our eyes and our touch.

With that, time to tear myself away from the computer and tell me husband I love him!

Kristen and Dustin: Wedding Teaser

2008-07-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Most gorgeous couple ever!

Thanks Emily for bringing me along!

Kristie and Kyle - Wedding

2008-07-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Around a month ago (my, how time flies!), I shot Kristie and Kyle's wedding with Emily. Instead of a traditional wedding, we shot some formals and photos of them after the ceremony, and then made our way down to Pacific Beach to shoot photos of the couple. Different from a normal wedding, but so much fun!

Emily is amazing at finding brightly colored walls... I think we hit up every one between the beach and Ingraham (ok, i'm not sure we really walked that far... but it sure felt like we did!).

Kristie & Kyle - congratulations on your marriage!

I love the emotion of the next two:

Some details!

Just married!

Something different... I thought it was kinda interesting.

Rings!

And finally... I was so excited to see my puppy's name in the middle of the board!

Wonky Wednesday

2008-07-16T23:24:00.001-07:00

Miscellaneous thoughts for the day:

On Wonky: To all you naysayers out there (you know who you are)... I didn't make the word wonky up. Although I may have used it a little differently, it still works

On So You Think You Can Dance: the choreographers have really been stepping it up the last couple of weeks. The Tyce 'garden of eden' piece last week was breathtaking; the pas de deux by Desmond Richardson this week was one of the most amazing pieces I have seen. Will's fouettes a la seconde were almost as technically impressive as Danny's last year (although I still liked Danny better as an overall dancer)
(as an aside, I think it sounds like Cat is saying 'Tasty Oreo' whenever she announces Tyce, which makes me automatically get up and go to the kitchen to look for a cookie)

On the iphone 3g: I got one! I wanted black and 8 gb, but ended up getting white and 16 gb because that's what they had. The iphone is SO user friendly, I love it! Definitely an upgrade from my 3 year old Razr.

On Wednesday: last week I read that Wednesday was considered the most depressing day of the week. I think it's the best - it's like the pinnacle of the week! What do you think?

Kristie & Kyle - Wedding Teaser

2008-07-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous wedding shot with Emily on June 14. More to come later this week! And in other exciting news, i'm getting *close* to caught up on my blogging!

Erin and Dan - Wedding

2008-07-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

On June 8, I shot a beautiful wedding with Emily at the Thursday Club in Point Loma. I was SO excited to shoot there - my husband's parents live on the same street, and we've passed it so many times while there were weddings going on. So, to be part of a wedding at the club was awesome!

Erin and Dan had what I consider to be one of the most memorable events *ever* during a ceremony. In the middle of the prayer, an ice cream truck came down the street, tinkling ice cream truck music. A pause, then the ceremony continued. In the middle of the vows, the ice cream truck came back - and stayed for a while. They tried to continue despite the volume continuously increasing... then Erin got the giggles. Bad. She giggled away throughout the remainder of their vows. Dan joined in on the laughter, making for a more joyous than usual ceremony. The officiant awesomely threw in something about them having ice cream together forever before pronouncing them man and wife. Classic.

I also had a wonderful 'small world' experience during the reception. After someone pointed and me and whispered to a friend several times, this person approached me. 'I know you' he said, 'but I don't know where.' I had also thought he was familiar, and immediately figured it out. As he named off every school he had attended, I said 'UCLA, law. But I think you were a year ahead of me.' Indeed, he was, and he gave his seal of approval for wising up and trying to find a way out of law. THEN I realized that he had been the best man at a co-worker's wedding! And through these two things that I had heard about nearly every 20-30-something at this wedding! I talked about this with my co-worker the next day, and got to hear tons of scandalous stories about several people I met at the wedding... All in all, this is one more thing that I love about wedding photography - the world is a small place, and it's amazing to live out the few degrees of separation.

Erin and Dan, I hope that you had a wonderful honeymoon in Belize - I am so jealous! And, without further adieu, some photos of the day!

Details:

Walking down the aisle with her dad:
Married!

Reception details - I LOVED that cake and cake table setup! And I highly recommend Manzanita (the reddish branches) as an elegant and inexpensive way to put together dramatic centerpieces and food table decorations!

Their first dance... so sweet!

And this... straight out of the camera, no weird photoshopping. I swear!

A New Member to the Family?

2008-07-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

(no, not what you are all thinking)

Today, I saw this terribly sad article on cnn about the wild horse recapture program. Basically, the article said that the program was lobbying to kill certain horses who hadn't been adopted in a specified period of time (or to sell them to buyers who would kill them... essentially the same in my book). I'm an animal lover, so my immediate fleeting thought was 'I wish I could adopt one of these horses.' Then common sense took over, and I thought of the fact that these were wild horses, I have no idea how to train a horse, I haven't ridden a horse since I was in elementary school, the massive horse poo, the fact that my suburban neighbors wouldn't like it too much, that it most certainly would be a violation of my lease, and that it was probably against the zoning laws here in the city.

While Brandon and I were sitting eating dinner tonight, he turned and said to me 'I want a horse.' My response was a quick 'You read that article today too, didn't you?' Brandon, however, didn't just read it - he went ten steps past me. He looked into adoption requirements, lodging costs for a horse, boarding costs, and even found when the traveling program would be in town (Lakeside, of course). When I came back with all of my arguments above, Brandon was like 'Boarding, duh', plus he pointed out that we trained our dogs, and horses aren't too different. Adopting a horse is also SO inexpensive - $125 dollars. Cheaper than adopting a dog. The boarding is a bit more, of course, but I was astonished to learn that there is boarding out in the San Diego nether regions (east county, escondido, etc) where you can pay under $200 per month, including boarding, exercise, basic care and food.

So... we're considering it. There is a visiting tour the weekend of July 26 (the program managers are trying to get word out and get more horses adopted) that we are planning on checking out. I don't know that we will actually do it this year, but I could consider doing it next year. Even if we only visited once every week or two, its better than the poor horse being euthanized for cheap dog food.

And because I am feeling a little extra love for my animals right now, a couple of pictures of Bandit and Moosey:

Bandit's 'Dad, make her STOP' look (Brandon is just off to the side)
Moosey is always the happy camper though!

Rachel and Andrew: Wedding

2008-07-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

From the sound of it, Rachel and Andrew's relationship was much like mine and Brandon's: filled with indecision. But after several breakups and make-ups, love prevailed, and they decided to take the step forward to marriage.

Their wedding day at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu was full of joy, the result of a long anticipated and beautifully planned event. The jokes, the sublte touches and little kisses spoke volumes. The glowing looks they gave each other throughout the day (that I can only hope i've come close to capturing) conveyed, in no uncertain terms, that each was joining with the person they lived for, laughed with, love. Rachel and Andrew - much like yourselves, after an uncertain beginning and five years together on and off before taking the leap, my marriage has been blissfully happy. No doubt, yours will be the same!

A special thank you to Tracy Kumono for bringing me along. I had so much fun discovering what a small world we live in!

Rachel's soon-to-be sister in law:

Rachel's beautiful Pronovias dress.
And... the bride!
Wasn't she stunning?

I've been experimenting with motion in pictures to show additional emotion... what do you guys think?

Married!

They danced their first dance to "Blue Eyes" by the Carey Brothers... one of my favorite songs on the Garden State soundtrack
The Hora! My first ever, and so much fun!
More motion....look, you can tell even the videographer is having a good time!

The gorgeous flowers were done by Michelle Brue at Flora by Fauna.

And... for the first time ever... a slideshow! Featuring Rachel and Andrew's first dance song :-)

eta: yeah, i know the music isn't working, but it will be fixed soon!

Rachel and Andrew: Wedding Teaser

2008-07-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

The ceremony was fortunately timed so that we took Rachel and Andrew's pictures together at golden hour.... Rachel and Andrew, may your life be filled with golden sunshine every day!

More to come on Friday!

So You Think You Can Dance

2008-06-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

I LOVE summer... and not because of everyone's usual reasons (you know, sun, warm weather, vacations - although those aren't too bad either). It's purely because summer means the return of So You Think You Can Dance, the ONLY tv show that I really 'can't miss.'

I've had a favorite out of the gates every season. First season - Ashle (unusual, I know), second was Benji (who I literally ran into in the grove), third was by FAR Danny - the most gorgeous dancer ever. And i've watched certain dances by them over and over. And even voted, since the show brings out my inner teenager.

But, this season of SYTYCD has been disappointing thus far - no one to root for... until last night.

Last night was finally the first time that I really found a dance that I connected to and could really watch over and over. The group dance was quirky and intriguing (except the sucking the thumb part... I could have done without that, which was a little creepy). AND i'm totally obsessed with the song (The Dance, by Charlotte Martin). AND i've decided that I totally love Mark. I mean, he had some pretty cool dances before, but was totally channeling Johnny Depp creepiness (in a good way) last night - and I love it! So the point... i've finally got my favorite show on tv back. YAAYAYAYAYAY!

(and now, when I don't return emails or calls on Wednesday and Thursday nights.. you know why!))

Erin and Dan: Wedding Teaser

2008-06-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Another wedding shot with Emily... And one of the most lighthearted weddings ever! The bride as an ice cream truck went by the Thursday Club during the ceremony for the second time:

More to come later this week. For now, some sleep!

Katie and Kevin: Wedding Teaser

2008-06-22T11:37:00.001-07:00

Married beneath the old oak tree....

Too hot in my offfice to edit more now (the thermometer says over 100 in here!). Thanks to Emily for bringing me along!

Nikki and Adrian - Wedding

2008-06-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Nikki and Adrian have the sort of fairy tale meeting that almost makes you wonder if they made it up. Adrian saw a really cute girl while out surfing. As he was paddling back into shore, he saw her also emerging from the water. He struck up a conversation, asking for her number... but then realized that his wetsuit didn't have a special 'pen and paper' pocket for hot surfer chicks. But, thinking quickly, Adrian came up with a plan - he carved Nikki's phone number into the wax on his surfboard. He called, they started dating, and discovered a mutual love of many things - surfing, the outdoors, each other.

Their relationship is clearly a passionate one, as gathered by the obliquely referenced by BOTH groomsmen as 'the pancake incident.' But, eight years later, they made their way to the Mission Beach Woman's Club to join their lives together underneath a homemade wedding arch overlooking the ocean where they had met and fell in love. The wedding was short and emotional, the reception was filled with sun and laughter, making for a beautiful day.

Emily, thank you so much for bringing me along to shoot with you. Adrian and Nikki - thanks for being so amazingly awesome and "spunky" (to quote Emily).

I met up with the guys at Paradise Point to do some quick portraits of the groom and groomsmen. Within seconds, I was in stitches - they were THAT funny.

See? Spunky.

I had three pictures jumping pictures in succession - each with someone else high in the air. Don't they look like fun?
Nikki and Adrian's first look

One of the groomsmen, Dave, warned me before that he was a crier... so I made sure to watch for it during the ceremony!

Married!

The toasts and slideshow were both hilarious...

The telling of 'the pancake incident'!

Adrian and Nikki, I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon, and again Emily, thanks so much for bringing me along!

Jasmine* @ SD PUG

2008-06-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the San Diego PUG (short for pictage user group) to hear the fabulous Jasmine Star speak about branding. To start, she gave us some background on her journey into photography, then sternly lectured us about building our brand.

Jasmine is my biggest inspiration – not because of her totally ferouche photos, but because we have such a similar path and roots. Much like myself, she grew up in a not-so-great neighborhood (her: East L.A.; me: the intersection of Compton, the LBC and Dominguez Hills). We were both taught that you make yourself. We both are overachievers, working hard to get into the same law school. From there, our paths diverge – she was miserable in law school, and found a way to leave, thereafter building an incredible business (with a fabulous brand). I loved law school, and relish the incredible friendships I made. But now, I, too, am on the path to leave law and embrace my passion for photography and build my own business.

The biggest take-away I derived from Jasmine's talk about branding is to figure out who we are, and then condense that into a brand. She challenged each of us to come up with five words that describe us. After drawing a blank for a second, a zillion things came into my head. I am talkative and outgoing, with a sarcastic sense of humor. Once people get to know me, I either annoy them or dazzle them with my vivid personality. I am an academic at heart – I love learning, new ideas. I am an avid reader. I am an obsessive-compulsive control-freak overachiever who has a hard time letting go or delegating. I am a perfectionist. I am occasionally stubborn, self-centered and rarely admit I am wrong. I am all or never. I am afraid of failure. (as you can probably see, I am also longwinded and a rambler). Yeah, so not five words.

Clearly, I know who I am, what I am. What I don't know is how to translate that to paper, to a logo, to a brand. But it's time to start doing it. So… look out for the complete branding, coming soon!

Also, a special thanks to Jeff and Erin Youngren who arrange to have Jasmine come and speak at the meeting. And Jasmine - good luck on the Free to Succeed Tour! Hopefully speaking in front of the 85+ people prepared you for what await!

Bad blogger!

2008-06-18T11:07:00.001-07:00

I am a bad blogger. In fact, i'm so bad, I just gave myself a slap on the hand (ow!). But, the upside is that i'm not as on top of my blog as usual because: (1) i've had a bunch of client meetings lately; (2) i've been going to a bunch of networking events (tonight: seeing Jasmine Star speak at the San Diego Pictage PUG meeting!); and (3) i've been shooting ALL the time. Every weekend, sometimes both days.

The biggest upside - when all those other blogs run out of things to blog in the winter, I will still have a bunch of new things to show. Sometimes, being a bad blogger is good...

For reals though, a bunch of fabulous pictures from Nikki and Adrian's wedding to come tomorrow! AND I just bought the newest Totally Rad Actions - TRA2: the revenge - so i'm having SOOO much fun playing with these images.

Nikki and Adrian - Wedding Teaser

2008-06-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I shot the fabulous wedding of Nikki and Adrian with Emily. The couple was awesome, and their bridal party... well, lets just say they were lots of fun.

A teaser:

More to come later in the week after I recover from my marathon wedding weekend!

Jill and Seth - Wedding

2008-06-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I shot a wedding with the incredibly talented Aaron. The couple, Jill and Seth, were married at the Immaculata at USD and had their reception at Paradise Point. The day was a scortcher - one of the few days where its over 90 degrees on the coast! But the two handled the heat (and her stifling dress) with grace, and didn't let it slow them down.

The junior groomsman, handing out programs:

Nervous anticipation before the ceremony started:

Immaculata is gorgeous and so grand... love it!
The look Seth gave Jill during the ceremony... simply melted my heart.

My favorite sequence:

Right after the ceremony:

Some details of the flowers:

I don't know exactly what it is about this photograph, but this moment of Jill relaxing before portraits with her new husband totally grabs me... she looks so serene:
Some relaxed portraits around the resort. Seth was such a gentleman, and helped Jill haul around her heavy dress!

Something different - a fun cake shot!

The bridesmaids were all super emotional during the speeches and slideshow:

Getting ready for their first dance:

Had some fun with some slow shutter speed action:

I had to cut so many photographs that I was in love with... but if you meet with me, I will be sure to show all of my favorites!

Finally, Jill and Seth (and Aaron) were awesome... but the best part of the whole day was that I kept running into friends and fellow photographers MA5EN and Melissa all day long! Not only did they shoot a wedding at the same resort, their bride was getting ready two rooms down from ours AND the reception was in the adjoining room to ours! Such a small world...

Heather and Corey - Wedding

2008-05-29T20:56:00.001-07:00

Heather and Corey kicked off the wedding season in style! They were married at the Steele Canyon Golf Course. The DJ was from San Diego Wedding DJs - and also happened to be a longtime friend who went to high school (and knew both of them there!), so the DJing was extra fabulous!

Getting ready:

Some flower details (after the flowers were fixed following a flower disaster!):
Heather and Corey elected to do a First Look. As i've said to so many brides... its AWESOME to do pictures beforehand, so you can enjoy your cocktail hour, we aren't rushed and because it gives a little downtime for the two after the ceremony. Unfortunately, due to some miscommunications at the club, we didn't get as much time as we had planned... but to make up for it, Heather worked it.

The first look:

See? Working it!

The kids in the bridal party were adorable!

We had a little time before the ceremony... which is when Heather became a bundle of nerves. The traffic getting out to the golf course was really bad, so there was a bit longer of 'downtime' than we had anticipated.

The most emotional ceremony I have ever seen!
First kiss!

Mr. and Mrs. Steele... escaping from the ceremony.

Cake details:
First Dance... we had this awesome backlighting from the setting sun - I just love how the whole bridal party is lined up and everything (throughout the reception) was lit so warmly.
Not surprisingly, the speeches were also really emotional.
Father/Daughter dance:

And one more shot of the two of them to close things off...

Congratulations to the newleyweds! And thanks for helping me have so much fun and kicking my wedding season off in style!

Learning to Let Go

2008-05-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

As summer arrives and I have become insanely busy, i'm really struggling with keeping on top of everything. I want to outsource... but have a hard time giving up control of my product. I guess part of being a workaholic perfectionist is that I can't get past the mentality that I am the only person who can do it right. I'm also not a person who will ever clamor for the 4-hour workweek - i'm just bored working that little. Idle hands and all that. I need to be challenged, need to keep busy, in order to push my creativity and keep forward progress in my business.

But I have come to a decision: its time to cede some of my workflow to others. I am responsible for my product and my vision, but I think that others can do certain parts of my job much better than I. And quicker. So, I will retain quality control, but in a supervisory manner. Ultimately, I think this will be a good business decision, because all of my clients will get everything much quicker!

Now... implementation is another story, but one that will come with time (and a solid plan).

Belinda & Elijah - Engagement

2008-05-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Elijah looked across his church during services, saw Belinda standing there engaged in worship, and felt an instant attraction, without even knowing who she was. Belinda saw Elijah walking during a church camp getaway, and thought that she needed to meet the unknown man. In an unusual show of bravery, Belinda asked Elijah to dinner to get to know him better. They had dinner. And then another. And then, their relationship, bolstered by their faith, grew into something more than dinners. Sometimes, Belinda told me, you just know. They each knew that they belonged together, and before they knew it, a simple informal dinner turned into an impending wedding.

We met for their engagement session at one of my favorite places in Southern California, the Mission Inn. After sneaking around security for a bit, we ventured out to a nearby park. Although slightly uncomfortable at first, the two blossomed in front of the camera, and by the end, they were giving us posing lessons!

Belinda and Elijah, congratulations, and I can't wait to shoot your wedding!

After seeing Belinda just standing around, I instantly knew she was a dancer... yay ballet feet!

Matt and Jourdan: Day After

2008-05-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

Matt and Jourdan graciously donned their wedding attire (right after celebrating their one year anniversary) and participated in a wild and crazy group 'day after' session. Remember the gorgeous couple, Brian and Stephanie, from last month? These two also came along for an afternoon of shooting at a beautiful home in Rancho Santa Fe.

In addition to being incredible photogenic, Matt and Jourdan had this amazing vibe... you could just feel the love between them emmanating out, making for the most awesome shoot ever! Thanks so much, you two, for partcipating and being so wonderful! Also, thanks again to Jeff for organizing everything!

I had so many incredible pictures that I couldn't narrow it down. ShowIt would be awesome here (hubby: hint hint), but instead you readers will have to deal with a deluge of photos. Trying to make up for my lack of posting lately and all!

I love this picture so much, I just ordered a 16x24 canvas of it!

And the Modeling Career Takes OFF!

2008-05-06T17:19:00.001-07:00

Ok, i'm seriously kidding about the headline.... except... i'm in the newest issue of Rangefinder!

At the end of WPPI, I went to a shoot at the Las Vegas Neon Boneyard, where old signs go to die. The wonderful Paige Elizabeth organized a group shoot of women photographers in their wedding dresses, giving me a chance to experience life in front of the camera. And... she got the pictures published in Rangefinder!

While the group picture is NOT my favorite picture of me (both from the shoot and just generally in my life), i'm also in an individual picture that I just adore (second down and on the right). So exciting!

Check it Out

You can also see more shots from that day here.

My next goal is to actually have something published in Rangefinder that I get photo credit for... because I like life behind the camera much more than in front of it.

At Last!!

2008-04-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

I feel like triumphant horns should be sounding with this announcement....

My website is live!

Click on the link to check it out - and I would love to hear any feedback from anyone!

Woofies

2008-04-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

So, as i've mentioned before... I love my dogs like children. In fact, dogs are even better than children. They are always there to come and love me, they are potty trained in a couple of weeks, and no one calls child protective services when I leave them home alone all day.

Since Brandon's been in Hawaii, i've been taking care of a lot of little projects that have gotten backed up - mostly editing related (which means i've spent a lot of time in front of the computer lately). Apparently when i'm out and about, they use the afternoon as 'naptime' and haven't appreciated my interloper status. So when I hauled out the camera the other afternoon, this is what I got:

Moosey (his real name is Maximus... I don't know how we ever got to Moosey, but he likes it): i'm trying to be cute for you...

But I just... can't.. stay.. awake...
Moosey was clearly unhappy about having to follow me outside the room to take a picture of Bandit:

I didn't even bother trying to wake up Bandit, who was passed out in the doorway of my office

But when I went on the other side to take a picture, he woke up... and tried to hide his head in his paws. Ah, the celebrities have taught him well....
And the ultimate 'if dog looks could kill'... look. Seriously, have you ever seen a dog look so pissed off?

I guess my lesson was... they don't like picture time in the afternoon!

WooHoo!

2008-04-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Exciting announcement coming soon... I can't wait!

Brian and Stephanie - Day After

2008-04-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, a group of people from the awesome San Diego PUG got together to shoot some couples at this gorgeous home in Rancho Santa Fe.

Brian and Stephanie graciously volunteered to be the first of our models. These two got married a few months ago - and had no good pictures of the two of them from their wedding. Simply amazing, considering how good looking each was!

A huge thanks to Jeff for organizing this whole event. You are awesome!

The beautiful bride:

Isn't the look that he is giving her just to die for?? It's the look that every girl wants to be on the receiving end of - the mixture of passion and undying love is just palpable.

Her adorable shoes:

A few more:

Happy Birthday... TO ME!

2008-04-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Brandon greeted me this morning with a 'Happy Getting Old Day.' I want to feel sad... but he's right. I'm getting old. Boohoo :-(

(see my newest self-portrait? its amazing how one can age overnight)

U-C-L-A!!

2008-04-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

One of the MANY places that I have traveled this month is to the first four UCLA tournament games. First, let it be known: I never really watched March Madness until 2003, when I somehow won my office pool (and I really mean 'somehow'... I picked teams based on how I liked their mascots!)

Since that time, however, i've really gotten into basketball - especially when UCLA is playing! This year, Brandon and I decided that we really wanted to go to an actual game, so what better time than the first two rounds of the tournament (when we don't have to deal with Westwood traffic).

We had an amazing time in Anaheim. Our seats both days were next to a former UCLA cheerleader (who is currently a doctor) who was just absolutely adorable. She brought her tiny asian mother.. who had the most unexpected scathing commentary for the other teams - she looked like a sweet little lady, but was yelling very pointed comments at the players. Hilarious. (and I am so kicking myself in the butt for forgetting my point and shoot BOTH days!) The second round game went down to the wire and was decided on (an admittedly debatable) blocked shot sealed by a dunk. The whole crowd was on their feet the last two minutes of the game, with the stadium filled by the steady chant of the 8-clap.

The only problem was that the second game - vs. Texas A&M - was so exciting, we had to go to another. And another. Which meant driving back and forth from Phoenix. Twice. What can I say, i'm a loyal Bruin.

And although I don't have the same beginners luck I did when I won my office pool... while in Vegas at WPPI I still decided to put some money on my team. I've never placed any wager on any type of game, but I was compelled to do it. UCLA all the way! Unfortunately, the payout isn't that good (since UCLA was favored to win at the time)... but still, everyone cross their fingers and hope that I will be enjoying a little extra-special treat on my team :-)
(my pile of tickets :-)

Andrea & Mike - part 2

2008-04-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

When I said tomorrow.. apparently what I really meant was a week from then. At last, here are some of the detail shots!

First, the flowers were absolutely incredible. Andrea and Mike both really like wine, so they had a wine theme for the wedding, including flowers in all kinds of reds with gold accents in the reception... Andrea's bouquet had this gorgeous gem around the stems. :

As the piece de la resistance - a wine barrel to hold their cake! (which was the most delicious wedding cake i've had)

They used wine labels as table numbers...

Finally, detail shots of the dress and shoes!

Andrea & Mike

2008-03-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the blogging dead! Seriously, i've been traveling so much the month of March that I haven't been home more than 2 consecutive days since... I don't remember when (I think maybe February 27, which was the start of my ridiculous travel schedule).

Andrea and Mike had mutual friends who swore they would be great together. After (and I quote) 'two of those big blue drinks at Saddle Ranch', a little flirtation ensued... which became even more with time, culminating in a fabulous wedding at the Mission Inn in Riverside this past Friday. In addition to their obvious delight in each other, Andrea and Mike both share a love of wine, and had a unified 'wine' theme - down to the wine barrel holding their cake! Their flowers and decor were also beautiful, done by a friend who is also a florist - and who coordinated everything from Nashville! Perhaps the wedding was so special because Brandon and I were married at the same location... or because Andrea is a friend of a very good friend of mine... but whatever the reason, this was the best. wedding. ever. I hope that you two are having fun in Hawaii!

A few pictures from the day:
Andrea's reaction when she saw herself all gussied up

Andrea and Mike came to the decision to see each other beforehand and do pictures then. I HIGHLY recommend it - we were able to get around the hotel with no time pressures and take tons of pictures!
Getting ready for their First Look - I thought Mike had brought a rose for Andrea (aww.. so sweet!). But it turned out that was really his boutonniere, and he just couldn't figure out how to put it on!

They dove in for a kiss before I could take a reaction picture!
Around the hotel:
The gorgeous chapel doors

Andrea's mom when she saw the two of them!
The first dance
After dinner, the DJ got going with awesome 70's/80's music, and Andrea and Mike and ALL of their friends hit the dance floor!

(there were so many beautiful details, I couldn't pick just one or two... so another post to come tomorrow!)

Hello!

2008-03-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

No, I have not disappeared off of the face of the earth. But I have covered just about every vacation type one could think of in the last week (island: check, desert: check; mountains: check; beach: check), making for an exhausting week. More on my travels to come!

Abby & Ollie - Part 2

2008-03-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

This week and next are going to be simply insane. I got back from Borrego Springs on Saturday, went to LA yesterday to have brunch with some friends, then back home to pack and clean, then off on a cruise today until Friday am, then off to Colorado until Sunday night! Insane! Packing was seriously challenging, since i'm expecting the weather to be a little different in each of the places.

Abby & Ollie: I have to admit: I couldn't decide which pictures to put up on the site. So here are a bunch more. I would have included a slideshow if I could figure out how they work (or afford ShowIt!), so hopefully no one minds being inundated with pics!

"Holiday" Grinch

2008-02-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Every day, mr. Grinch brings a little laughter my way. Why? because he is now the HOLIDAY grinch! That's right, Mr. Grinch celebrates all holidays now, not just Christmas.

Some recent examples:

He has a dream that all persons of color - especially those who are green - will be treated equally:

Luckily there was no traditional Mardi Gras flashing involved for his beads:

And finally, he let me know his love for me (although quite frankly, a box of chocolate would have gotten him further):

Just so everyone knows... i'm not the one doing this. I made him his 'get to work' sign, and took him home after christmas - and then brought him back per popular request. A clerk around work changes his signs periodically, which can make for some surprising mornings.

I've heard March is going to be interesting... we'll see what's in store!

Abby and Ollie

2008-02-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

The second day of orientation in law school - I missed the first - felt lonely, disorienting. I had put in motion some major life changes the month before, and was starting from nothing. New city, moving in with a new roomate I had never met in a new apartment I had never seen, all the day before school started. I was scared I was setting myself up for a miserable experience. I hadn't met anyone (besides said new roomate, Amanda) and everyone seemed to know each other already and formed their cliques*- after just one day of school.

That day, I was introduced to Abby by Amanda. We were in the same section, had gone to the same undergrad (but never knew each other), had many of the same interests. We instantly clicked. We sat within whispering distance in every class first year, wrote inappropriate im's during class, went to bar reviews, watched marathon sessions of sex in the city together while we gossiped about boys and life and ate brownies or my special homecooked meals; she literally was the most instrumental part of my fabulous time in law school and quickly became one of my best friends.

Abby was also the most boy-crazy twenty-something I knew. She met so many guys, had some on and off relationships, occasionally more dates in a month then me in my life; but nothing ever worked out. Abby is particular. And sometimes demanding. And, like all us girls, occasionally an little emotional.

Until she met Ollie - again. Much like Brandon and myself, they met each other waaaay back in college. She was friends with his best friend. When she met Ollie, she liked him. They stayed up talking at a party until the wee mornings. She also had a boyfriend and Ollie lived on the other side of the country. (Ollie also claims that his friend warned him away... but I think he was just teasing)

Fast forward to a year and a half ago. They meet again. And this time, the timing was right.

Ollie has the best sense of humor, he is goofy, he is patient. But most importantly, he tempers Abby. He really is the perfect person for someone I am proud to call one of my closest friends. I am so happy for Abby that she has found someone she loves so much! And most importantly... I can't wait for the day you two get married!

The two of them came down to visit myself and Brandon in San Diego yesterday. After spending some time catching up, some visiting with the puppies, and giving her the tour of the house, we went downtown to take some pictures. I had a really hard time being discriminating, because Abby just glows when she is with Ollie. So... here are lots from the day!

* - oh yeah, the asterisk... it needs to be said that law school is like high school, except with more sex, drugs, legal drinking and stress. Cliques abound, there is an 'in' crowd and 'out' crowd, every one knows every one (especially at UCLA - there were only about 1,000 people there total, which was half the size of my high school), and, much like high school, every one knows everything about everyone. But it was lots of fun :-)

My Dog Broke My Nose

2008-02-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Venturing into the absurd today....

No, that's not a lame excuse for not doing my homework (although I used it as something along those lines today and made someone laugh so hard another person came in to check on us).

Yes, I do believe my dog broke my nose. I don't know for sure - I haven't gone to the doctor (because really, what are they going to do? it's not visibly crooked and its not bleeding). In the most unfortunate bit of timing last night, I called my dogs into my bedroom when the hubby and I were getting ready to go to sleep. The light was off already, so I couldn't see if the lagger one had pulled himself off the couch to follow me. I bent down to pet him and give him some love... but realized that I wasn't sure which it was.

So I bent down again.

And Brandon whistled right then.

And the dog (still don't know which one it was, although I suspect it was the older bigger one - Bandit), such a well-trained boy, jumped straight up onto the bed.

And straight into my face.

I had a split-second thought of 'oh, nice soft doggy fur, this doesn't hurt.' Then excruciating pain ripped through my head and I felt a crack followed by a pop.

I tried to hold it together... but I felt myself staggering as I stumbled towards the light. Before I could reach it, I was wailing. Completely involuntarily. Brandon asked me what was wrong. "my.... nose.... dog... nose... think...broken" I choked out. He jumped out of bed and hugged me, as he kept asking what was wrong and what I needed. "Ice, need ICE" I said. He hugged me again. "NO, hug, ICE!" I yelled (i'm not very patient when in serious pain). He ran and got me ice. I tried to look in the mirror, but it literally hurt too badly to open my eyes.

Brandon returned with the ice - and some ibuprofen for my already-swollen face. Within a couple of minutes, one side of my nose had swollen shut. The other was just hard to breathe through. Today, my nose is still swollen and i've o.d.'d on ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. Luckily the black eyes aren't too bad, and I was able to cover them with makeup. I keep also having people ask if i'm sick.

No, I explain. My dog broke my nose.

Now lets see how long I can use that as an excuse....

Salton Sea - TTD, Part Deux

2008-02-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

I finally(!) finished processing the photos from the TTD extravaganza! Here are some more of my favorites:

Yeah yeah I know - took me long enough.

Melissa and Tim

2008-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my husband and I met up with the fabulous Melissa McClure and her financee Tim for dinner. We met at "the fountain" - the one where Tim proposed to her. These aren't "formal" engagement pictures... but aren't those two adorable?! You can totally see how in love they are.

After pictures we ate dinner at Islands. The plan was to meet for an early dinner, so there would still be some light outside. As we sat down to order, we all sheepishly admitted that we had late lunches (I ate at 3, and we got to dinner at 6), so we each ordered something light. As we chatted about photography, software, processing and creative processes, I realized how glad I am that I have started to build a network of photography friends. Thank you Melissa for being so awesome, and thanks to everyone that has given me encouragement about my work and advice on how to move forward!

Yesterday & Today

2008-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Loss is something that everyone handles differently. Some become introspective, some become obsessed or absorbed by their loss, with others it just rolls off their back.

A year ago yesterday, I (and my husband) experienced a great personal loss. I, we, had to make decisions that weren't really decisions, but rather mandates with a question mark at the end.

A year ago yesterday, I evaluated my life as it stood, my life with my husband and partner, and what I wanted to do with life. A self-examination of my life, which had been on a one-way, unquestioned track - get a job at a bigger firm, get a job at an even bigger firm, have a family (with an au pair to take care of everyone of course), make partner.

A year ago yesterday, I decided to question this path. I considered things that I liked, things I loved, my passions in life. I considered the viability of my legal career, the way my personality had begun to harden as a litigator, my becoming all-too-common brusque answers and lack of sympathy.

A year ago yesterday, I decided that this persona, the lawyer persona, wasn't who I wanted to be forever. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but I know that it involved seeing my husband more, being around family (even if it was his instead of mine), creating a family and being there for them too.

Yesterday, I was again introspective about my life. In the last year, I have figured out what makes me happy, and what sort of lifepath I want. A new lifepath - one where I think about what I am doing and the steps I am taking to make that path, rather than aimlessly following.

Today is when I make it happen. Today I will figure out the twists and turns needed to make it happen. I'm on the road, undoubtedly, and nothing happens overnight. But... I know what I want. And from my loss, our loss, a year ago yesterday, I have a newfound energy to make it.

And most importantly, today I cherish everything that I have. Yesterday was my day for sadness. Today I will go home to my loving supportive husband, my overexcited puppies, and the home we have created, and just enjoy their presence. And my new shootsac that my loving supportive husband bought me to help pursue my newly worked out goals.

Miscellaneous Monday

2008-02-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

(yeah, I know, i'm not posting this until Tuesday... i've been busy)

- I've booked for WPPI! I'm so excited to be going for my first time ever! If anyone wants to meet up, email me and we can exchange info!

- I'm terribly sad that I am losing my garage to my husband again. My husband has the newest car, so he won the fight for the garage (ie the 'i don't have to get into my freezing car in the am or deal with thick frost making seeing impossible' car storage area). A few of weeks ago, his car basically imploded from a defective lifter spring (I don't really know what that is, but I recognize that it breaking was BAD). Luckily, his car was still under warranty, so Toyota is paying to fix it... but they have had it for a while. In the meantime, I stole the garage. And I will miss it...

- Finally, I HAVE to comment on the UCLA-Washington game this weekend. While I am admittedly biased (being a UCLA grad and all), I thought that was one of the worst officiated games ever. Letting someone shoot for a non-shooting foul, allowing Washington players to use Kevin Love as monkey bars (there was one play where a Husky was LITERALLY hanging off Love's elbows - BUT NO FOUL!) was bad enough. But the officials' failure to do anything when an inbounding player, who was being stifled defensively with 30 seconds left and the score within 5, reared back and chucked the ball at a UCLA player's face was TOTALLY uncalled for. Worst piece of officiating ever. I don't care if you have to get the ball in, you don't throw it point-blank at someone's face. Their foot, their arm, maybe even their chest, all ok. But not their face. And the official who just let it slide - didn't even SAY ANYTHING to the offending player.... just ridiculous. Ridiculous.

- Coming this week: Exciting developments! I took pics of another photog and her fiancee on Saturday - can't wait to post them! I have also started developing my latest photography 'passion project' and have found another photog that I will be shooting several events with this summer. Good times!

Joe Photo

2008-02-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Melissa McClure told me about this video... had to post it! Its a little long, but pretty funny (especially during the beginning and end).

Storms and Sunsets

2008-02-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

OK, I know that my blog posts have been a little over-inclusive on the sunsets lately... but i've been getting outside while there is still light outside, which is reason to celebrate (for me at least).

After the last large San Diego storm, I glanced out of my window and saw the most amazingly colorful sunset i've seen since summer. I grabbed my camera (my new 'third-arm') and dashed down to the bayfront walk alongside the Star of India.

These are all straight out of the camera! (and still subject to my broken frame action) Aren't the colors amazing?

Day 5-6: You Mean I Have to WORK?

2008-02-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

So, ultimately I did get to go to Hawaii to work... so I had to work days 5-6. But I still managed to take some time to grab some pics of Makena beach and around the hotel.

Day 5 ended with one of the most awesome experiences ever. After I finished work for the day, I ran up and changed into my bathing suit, sprinted to the beach and plunged into the water as the sunset waned, in my efforts to quell the effects of the mosquito swarm that attacked me in Kea'au. As I was getting out of the water, I saw a whale breach full out of the water somewhere between 300-500 yards away. It was amazing - an image that will be forever captured in my memory (although not on film, since I didn't bring my camera).

Day 6 consisted of more work, a long walk through Wailea, a little more work and some packing, and then a lovely dinner in the warm humid air of Maui. I wasn't sad to leave Maui like I was when I left the Big Island, but the lonely hotel just didn't have the same draw as my family or my husband in San Diego. And at heart... i'm a homebody who likes being at home :-)

Now for some pictures!

The hotel had this elaborate soothing stream running through the common areas, culminating in a large pond in the lobby.
(experimenting with some uber-low shutter speeds)
In the stream/pond, there were the LARGEST Koi I have ever seen. I mean, aren't these things ridiculously massive? You could also buy 'Koi food' and PET the Koi for a small fee. I was slightly afraid that the massive Koi would do something crazy (like eat my hand), so I declined.
Makena:

by the way, still all straight out of the camera - no post processing at all!

Days 3-4: Here Again, Gone Again

2008-02-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

The last two days with my family flew by so quickly - so fast that I can barely remember anything to blog about!

Day 3: My mom and I went out and did more errands, and finished them up with a stop in the nearest town to their house, Pahoa. If you didn't believe me about the 'middle of nowhere' thing before... i'm sure you won't doubt me anymore after this. Pahoa is a 'quaint' sort of town, wood buildings, one street, all that jazz. Kind of like being thrown into a western :-)

My mom was on the phone after we parked, dealing with my 15 year old sister being a snot (we've all been there), so I wandered into the Mexican restaurant and got a tasty Lillikoi margarita with ling hui mui on the rim (sorry no pic... next time). My sister is a bartender there, and made me a delicious drink.
(by the way, these are all straight out of the camera - and my photoshop frame action went nuts, so they look a little weird)

My mom and I had lunch at the delicious Thai food place, Ming's, after I finished my drink.

And... these are the rest of the stores in Pahoa town. Seriously. I did mention it was only one street, right? (and isn't the local H&R Block sign hilarious? You just can't get away from some things... including taxes)

Day 4: Time to leave already! My previous couple of days flew by. I'm usually ready to go home by the time I leave anywhere - i'm the type of homebody who likes to hang out in my house and read a book or watch tv. But this trip was so short, I felt like I had hardly been there at all. Relaxed, yes, but already missing my family (before I even left).

Before getting on the plane to my second Hawaiian destination, I stopped by and took some pictures of the house my dad is building. Some interesting and uniquely Hawaiian details:

The lava steps leading to the house from the side of the yard:

The view from the second floor (look! Mauna Kea with snow and dense tropical trees!):

Achieving Goals

2008-02-03T22:02:00.001-08:00

I am the type of person that derives ridiculous satisfaction from crossing things off of lists.

With that, I am proud to announce that i'm well on my way to accomplishing two of more of my goals - #'s 75 and 101 on my 101 list!

Friday afternoon, I had a lovely lunch with Ma5en, Melissa Koehler and her husband (while he doesn't have a website, I hear he's got a mean point-and-shoot going on).

Then, Friday night, my husband Brandon and I went over to sdohana's (aka the Baxters). I don't think that I have laughed that much in a long time - I had such a FABULOUS evening, even though I stayed up well past my bedtime. Pictures and a summary of the night can be found on the sdohana blog - I can't even think to rival such a description, so I will leave it to Dave to describe it (in perfect adult grammer, might I add).

But most importantly, I am making progress on my 101 list by branching out to other photogs and making new friends in SD. Go me!

Day 1-2: I'm HOME!

2008-02-01T08:15:00.001-08:00

Day One:
Some people know this, others do not: my family all lives in Hawaii (mom, dad, 3 sisters). I haven't been home for a year and a half (since August of 2006!), so I was ECSTATIC when my 'day job' said I could go for a work-related thing to Maui - and that since it was actually cheaper than flying direct to Kahului, they would pay for my fare to the Big Island to visit for a few days! I left Thursday morning, and spent most of the day flying (the headwinds must have been insane, because it took 6 hours to get from SD to Honolulu, then a 2 hour layover, then another hour flight to Hilo).

My mom picked me up, and we had a lovely dinner at the Hilo Bay Cafe. As I downed my delicious fresh Ahi, I suddenly realized how relaxed I was - even more so than on my week long vacation, and I had only been there for an hour! Its just something about Hawaii, something about being around my family and being home - even though I didn't grow up there, I firmly believe that home is where your family is. And even though i'm married and all growed up, this is still true.

Day Two:
I woke up early the next morning, and went on a lovely 2 1/2 mile walk with my sister through the lush rainforest surrounding their home, from the house they are renting to the house they are building. They live in a small city called Kea'au (and really on the outskirts of that), in a place that has minimum one acre lots that (until recently) HAD to be used in part for agriculture if you wanted to build a home on the lot. Since the city removed this restriction, house have been springing up all over the place - but compared to big city living, its deserted.

After spending the morning running errands, my mom and I rented a 4 wheel drive car, and began the trek up Mauna Kea - nearly 14,000 feet above sea level - to go see the sunset (something i've always wanted to do). When measured from the base, Mauna Kea is actually over 28,000 feet tall - the highest mountain in the world (but with 14,000 feet being under sea level, it tends to get left out of those highest mountain discussions). A big storm had come through the week before and dumped tons of snow on the mountain! So I literally went from ocean breezes to snow in the period of 2 hours.
(taken from the car at 50 mph):

During the hour 'acclimation' period at 9,000 feet, we walked around the chilly visitors center. The views were amazing - even at only 9,000 ft, we were so high that we were above the clouds. When we got to the top, we walked around again (slowly - it was REALLY cold plus you get 40% less oxygen up at the summit). The snow had melted into icicles of sorts:

And apparently, silly people would consider going offroading in it:
Observatories are scattered around the top of the mountain - Mauna Kea is considered the best stargazing in the world (no air pollution or light pollution to deal with, and it's relatively warm considering the altitude). They have two observatories there that actually capture better pictures of space than the Hubble! Four on the mountaintop in the distance:

As the sun set to the west, it cast a giant perfect shadow of the mountain to the east:
My mom and I nibbled on sandwiches (in the car with the heater on, of course) and drank massive quantities of water to stay well-hydrated as we waited for the sun to descend in the sky. And finally, sunset! As the sun set, the observatories opened up for their nightly stargazing. I had never seen an observatory open before, and watched awestruck as pieces of the giant building turned, windows opened, the roof retracted, and the people within the building prepared to view the heavens.
On the way down, we stopped at the visitor's center again for a quick snack, bathroom break and a 'stargazing party'. The stars were incredible, scattered across the clear sky and too numerous to ever think about counting. The volunteer guide pointed out constellations I could never see from the mainland. Writing about this now, capturing these memories, makes me long for home even though I just left. Even though my husband and his family lives here in San Diego, I hope a day can come where we can move to my home and live the peaceful and relaxed life of the islands.

The rest of my trip to follow...

ABC Meeting

2008-01-27T10:20:00.000-08:00

As part of my goal of networking more, I went to my first ever ABC meeting last week! It was held at the beautiful US Grant hotel in downtown San Diego. The hotel was recently renovated, and was simply gorgeous! The flowers, done by Flowers by Annette in Encinitas, were absolutely amazing. Overall, the event was totally worth it, and it was awesome to meet so many nice people in the wedding industry.

The flowers:

I am totally enamoured with this candle holder - it's BEAUTIFUL!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

In just a few minutes, I am escaping the cold San Diego rains... to go to warm Hawaiian rain! I am SO happy to be going home to visit my family, since its literally been over a year and a half since i've seen my sisters.

Just a heads up to any potential brides - i'll be responding to email, but cell phone coverage isn't all that great so I might not get back to your calls quickly. I'll be back next wednesday, hopefully with tons of fabulous pictures of the hidden fabulous places around the big island.

Mahalo!

Heather and Cory - Engagement

2008-01-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, Brandon and I went and shot Heather and Cory's engagement session. They were a little tentative at first (as so many guys are), but loosened up a little as we continued to shoot. I asked all the usual questions - how did you meet, how long have you known, etc - and was shocked to find that they knew each other in high school. Unlike Brooke and Nick, they were not high school sweethearts, but only 'knew of each other.' After high school, a mutual friend reintroduced them, and... the rest is history!

Heather and Cory - I can't wait for your wedding, it sounds like its going to be awesome!

Some pictures from the day:

Lunch in the OC

2008-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

One of my goals on my 101 things list (below) was to see my friends from law school more frequently.

Abby, Dina and I formed this amazing bond in law school (with some others, but those two meant the most to me). Abby has taken frantic 4am calls from me, we've all cried on each other's shoulders over dates, boys, relationships and the 'could have been', we've had more 'coffee dates' sans coffee than anyone can image, enough brunches to feed a small nation, and more sex and the city marathons than could possibly be healthy. I am so blessed to have two friends like these two.

That being said, since I moved to San Diego, we have all talked about how much we miss doing things together - its hard going from law school, where you are together 20 hours a day, to being a lawyer, where you never have ANY free time - so we met halfway to have lunch. It was the best Sunday i've had in a long time - we caught up and gossiped for hours at brunch, then walked around the mall. We talked about how much fun law school was - we hung out just about every day, had small get-togethers and large bashes galore, bar review every week. It made me realize what I loved about law school and why I stuck with it: the people. Unfortunately, we all had things to get back to - wedding appointments and fiancees, husbands, boyfriends, dogs - so we only had a few hours together. But those hours were the highlight of my month. Heck, my year so far. Thank you so much ladies!

And, of course, the 'self-portrait' to memorialize the occasion (my first with my 5d!):

Eh, I said, why does my head look so big? (beacuse i'm leaning out with my head trying to extend my arm further) Lets try over.

Second time around, I cut out half of my face. Oh well, I have them... and that's enough for me!

On the way home, I drove through camp pendleton, which was ravaged during the October fires. The rain has made bright green grass sprout up, but the jagged scars of devastating fire remain. Not the greatest pictures (I set to auto, pointed my camera in the general direction and snapped a few), but they show the lingering effects of fire.

New Year's Resolution - check

2008-01-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

My one and only true 'New Year's Resolution' was to finish my 101 things to do in 1001 list. I started it months ago - Octoberish - and have already accomplished several things! I guess to count the accomplishments, I have to count the time, so I should be done with everything on my list by July 28, 2010. However, I will keep in mind that the journey, not the destination is most important... and hopefully I won't beat myself up too badly if I don't finish everything :-)

And now, the list!

1. Finish this list - DONE!
2. Go to Bora Bora
3. Go to Thailand
4. Go to Europe
5. Shoot a wedding in Hawaii (where my fam lives)
6. Book a 10k wedding
7. Go to Mt. Zion and Monument Valley in Utah
8. Road trip to the Grand Canyon
9. Blog every day for a month
10. Exercise every day for a month
11. Try a macro lens - DONE!
12. Buy a 5d - DONE!
13. Have a baby
14. Buy a house
15. Save 20% of my yearly salary
16. Pay off credit card debt (i'm making good progress to this, will be done soon :-)
17. Pay off my student loans
18. Help my parents finish their house
19. Visit NYC with my hubby
20. Learn how to use a mac
21. Design a website I am happy with
22. Win a blu domain contest
23. Attend the anti-workshop
24. Attend a party of 5 workshop
25. Attend a shootshop with the Kaisers
26. Meet a CEO - DONE! I met Mel Karmazin, the CEO of Sirius and former CEO of CBS, Viacom, and a slew of other places. I can't say under what circumstances I met him.
27. Enter Bandit (my doggy) in an agility match
28. Advance at least one level in agility
29. Learn a foreign language
30. Review my entire portfolio and evaluate my growth
31. Help plan my 10 year high school reunion
32. Lose 10 lbs
33. Attend WPPI - in the works...
34. Organize my file cabinent
35. Take a photoshop class
36. Take a professional baking class
37. Have a dinner party
38. Buy a shootsac
39. See Wicked
40. Go camping
41. Learn to develop color film
42. Second shoot with a photographer I admire
43. Have a photo published
44. Learn how to dodge and burn correctly - DONE!
45. Spend a weekend at a Napa spa
46. Be a bridesmaid (ok, this one isnt up to me)
47. Shoot a close friends wedding
48. Set up my own office and gallery
49. Start doing kids and family portraits
50. Have someone I admire complement my work
51. Make a budget at stick to it for a quarter
52. Book 15 weddings in 2008
53. Run a marathon
54. Finsh a 1/2 IM triathlon
55. Cook every recipe in my Sherry Yard cookbook
56. Read a pulitzer winning book
57. Hike up 1/2 Dome in Yosemite
58. Clean my garage
59. Find my photographic 'voice'
60. Make my wedding album
61. Learn how to drive a stick
62. Join a wine club - DONE! I joined J vineyards, its fabulous.
63. Go apple picking
64. Ride in a horse drawn carriage
65. Make fresh pasta successfully
66. Get a massage and a facial
67. Surprise my husband with a trip
68. Start taking ballet regularly
69. Contact a stranger that I admire
70. Apply for the amazing race
71. Climb a rock wall to the top - DONE!
72. Make homemade bread
73. Visit my family in Hawaii - this weekend, I can't wait!
74. Read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
75. Have lunch with other photographers at least once a month
76. Write up a real long term business plan
77. Post wedding pictures for cc on OSP
78. Find the courage to quit my job
79. Start an herb garden
80. Finish Ulysess (I don't get how that is supposed to be the greatest book of the 20th century)
81. Drink recommended 64 oz. of water daily for a week
82. Have lunch with [b]ecker
83. Concentrate on vendor contacts
84. Second shoot more
85. Visit my law school friends in LA at least once a month
86. Decrease my living expenses
87. Walk my dogs daily for a week
88. Fix up my blog
89. Make sample albums
90. Give up tv for a month
91. Have a wedding in a bridal magazine
92. Get my real estate license
93. Figure out a way to use my law degree in photography
94. Become 'preferred vendor' at at least one venue
95. Learn how to invest in stocks and the market
96. Start my retirement savings
97. Design my ideal home office
98. Buy land in Hawaii for a future home there
99. Develop a schedule for blogging regularly
100. Start up my 'passion project' (more to come on that...)
101. Make a new friend! (any volunteers?)

Business Sense (and Cents!)

2008-01-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for this year was to do something for my business each and every day. Clearly that doesn't mean shooting every day (although I try to bring my camera out daily to take at least one pic), but also marketing, networking, editing, and learning. As the learning part goes - [b]ecker has helped a lot with that (especially the 'daily' part!). I've also done a couple of lunches, a networking event, and a group shoot.

But where do I go from here?

I am trying to build things from the ground up, with a solid foundation. I don't want to move too fast and have a poor background (and a shaky foundation). But I don't want to stand by the sidelines and watch the photography world pass me by. The biggest place where this has presented a problem is investments. I don't have much booked for this year (yet, hopefully). I want to have the right equipment for the job - quality lenses (I have an excellent body already, the awesome 5d), software, a good website, etc. But i'm not sure to to expand first - my work? my network? my equipment? my marketing to have the funds to reinvest? Such a dilemna. Any suggestions are welcome!

And coming soon... I am almost done with my only new years resolution! I have found the list, worked on it, given it a good deal of thought... and only 10 more goals to think of and work out!

Trash the Dress - Salton Sea

2008-01-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I went to this massive trash the dress session at the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is both amazing and disgusting. Its smelly and toxic and deserted. The lake itself has no current, with an eerie fog that hangs over it, with no separation between the water and sky.

It was an interesting day - for starters, there were more photographers/cameras there than I have ever seen in one place. Secondly - because I was both a model and a photographer! I spent the entire morning being a model (and doing crazy stuff like balancing on one leg on a crumbling rock in 4 inch heels), trying not to look too ugly or squinty (sdohana has a pic of me! i'm the last one). The 'trying not to look too squinty' was especially hard, as the sun was a level of bright that I rarely see.

At the end of the morning session, I quickly changed and grabbed a few shots at our first location, then joined the caravan to our second location, where I was only a photographer :-) Here are a couple of my favorite shots:

So Much Shooting...

2008-01-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

And so little time to blog about it this weekend!

I spent both Saturday and Sunday shooting an engagement and day after/trash the dress sessions. Stay tuned this week for pictures!

I Miss Xmas

2008-01-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

I'm glad the holidays are over - no more food, going to 3 parties a day, or crowded malls. But I am finding it so much harder to get work done after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Mr. Grinch sat on my desk for almost a month bossing me around. He went home yesterday... but i'm thinking I need him back.

Incredible!

2008-01-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

I have several photography blogs that I read on a regular basis, with the hope that one day my skills will develop to the point where I am as fabulous as them (jasmine*, jessicaclaire, [b]ecker, plus some up and coming people like sdohana - a favorite because my ohana all lives in Hawaii). I visit these blogs for inspiration, motivation and the affirmance that with hard work, one can really succeed in photograhy.

One of my favorites, the very most amazing and creative nate and jaclyn from theblogisfound had the most AWESOME post today about the most awesome idea ever - a photobooth. But instead of a regular boring old photobooth, each couple was posed in ridiculous staged ways (by the way, to see the pictures you have to scroll down bc I can't link directly to the post).

Any brides interested in something like this... I am too! I always have a second shooter when I work, and this is a great use for them later in the reception. I also have all of the materials necessary to make a little homemade photobooth. So much fun!

Red Flags

2008-01-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

My horoscope* told me today that I would be spread too thin with too many projects, and that I would need to learn to prioritize. Oh, how right it is.

My biggest problem, I think, is overcommitment. I want to do everything for everyone. I hate giving up control - my workflow, album design, proofing; I want to do it all myself because I like being in control. I think that this has something to do with my aries nature.
But what suffers the most is... emails. I know, sounds weird, but I am SO bad at emailing people back or taking care of things that are emailed to me. I've started dealing with this by actually using the little red flags marker in outlook... and it actually seems to be working! Lets hope I can keep it up. And that other things don't fall out as a result.

And, as far as prioritizing, i've found a new number one priority: finding second shooter positions. I've done weddings on my own and some as a second. But I really want to see other photogs in action. I want to see how they work and think, and how they keep their creative juices flowing. If anyone knows of anyone out there who needs a second... let them know i'll make them my top priority!

*(yes, i'm still 15 at heart and get my horoscope emailed to me everyday)

Vacation Memories

2008-01-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had a complete photo related meltdown. Luckily, it was not relating to a paying client - instead it was relating to my most vivid memory from my vacation last month.

Brandon and I strolled through the modern shops and old cobblestone streets right after arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We eventually made our way to the old fort and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and taking photographs. In addition to being one of the most beautiful things I saw on our trip to the Caribbean, it was the only time I pulled out my camera in earnest. One image in particular stuck out in my mind - the older woman sitting on the bench, enjoying music. She made the best subject ever. She was sitting, silent and still, absorbed in the music across the courtyard. She seemed serene. I wanted to be that way too - I silently vowed to make that my goal for the rest of my trip. It was nearly pitch black, but I set my camera wide open, balanced on a bench as a makeshift tripod, and got a shot.

Fast forward home. My flights - during the long Thanksgiving weekend - were seriously delayed. I barely made it on my plane, literally running a 400m dash in the Denver airport, then gasping for breath the next 20 minutes from being out of shape and at 6,000 ft, about 5900 ft higher altitude than usual. After arriving in San Diego at midnight, I was locked out of my house from my well-intentioned brother in law, who took my keys to feed my doggies, until he came at 3am on his way to work. Instead of sleeping in the next day, I woke up early and drove to Palmdale to see my best friend off before she was leaving to join her husband in Connecticut.

The point: at some point in all this, I remember taking out my memory card and replacing it with a new one, so I could get some photos with Lucinda and her daughter Kate. So I knew the card was at home... but after a week, I had no idea where. I got caught up in work, forgot about it. Then right before Christmas (when I sold my old D80 after receiving a fabulous upgrade), I went on a rampage. I cleaned everything in the house. And it was nowhere to be found.

I was crestfallen. But then... last week... I found it! And now I have photographic proof of my presence on that lovely evening. The picture didn't turn out as well as I had hoped (my biggest issue with the D80 was grainyness at higher iso's), but in my mind, it will always be the masterpiece I envisioned when I saw the woman on the bench.

Brandon took a picture of me taking the picture (his words: you look ridiculous, you know this, right?)
And something lighter and more tropical like to end on a positive note!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

I don't really believe in New Years resolutions. General goals, yes. But not so much resolutions - because I feel like that sets one up for failure.
Instead, I try to use the start of a new year to reflect on the past year, and how I incorporated my general life goals throughout the last year. I really took significant steps to starting a new business - something that I love to do, rather than something that I am good (but unhappy) at. I made a big move - from LA to San Diego - which has made my hubby and I happier. I have taken significant steps to save money and become bad debt-free.
This year, my overarching goal is to become better and more experienced in my craft. I want to really work on booking events and making more business connections. I want to take classes to enrich my personal life (that's me, lifelong student). I also want to work on living healthier - not just lose weight (although I wouldn't complain about that), but really more centered on exercising more, managing stress better, and eating a better and more balanced diet so that I am a healthier person.
Wait - and I do have one resolution. Back in October, I started working on my list of 101 things that I want to accomplish in the next 1,001 days. I got to about 65 and then lost my list. My one resolution: find the list, finish it, and then start working on those goals.
Hope that everyone had a happy new years!

Brooke and Nick - Wedding

2007-12-31T09:52:00.001-08:00

I mentioned that Brooke and Nick have known each other for ages (from their engagement session). I got a chance to know them even better at their wedding! The videographer did this cute interview of each about how they met, how he proposed, etc. It turns out that Brooke turned Nick down in 8th grade, and decided to date his friend instead. Luckily, that 8th grade relationship didn't turn out to be too serious, and they started dating in high school. At the reception, they had an adorable table of memories, including a giant picture of them from prom. Too cute!

Some of my favorite images from the day:

Apparently Brooke insisted that she was going to wear flip flops under her dress from day 1

Right before heading to the ceremony location (I love how you can see that nervous anticipation on her face):

Brooke stopped to talk parents on her way back down the aisle
My favorite part of every wedding is right after the ceremony - the congratulations, the tears, the happiness. I have tons of pictures of people hugging and congratulating each!
The grooms nephew - the ringbearer. Adorable!

Congratulations to both, best wishes for a happy life together!

Brooke and Nick - Engagement

2007-12-27T21:40:00.000-08:00

I met Brooke and Nick at La Jolla cove last week for engagement pics. Nick is in the army, and flew in the day before for a whirlwind of his birthday (which was the same day as the engagement session), Christmas activities, and then his wedding tomorrow! I have felt like my holiday period has been crazy - I can't imagine what his has been like.

This shoot was also the first using my beautiful new Canon camera! I only had a 50 1.8 and a 70-200 2.8 (rented) for the day, so I had to be creative. I can't wait to acquire a couple more primes for my new baby - the shots out of the 50 were gorgeous!

Some of my favorites from the shoot:

After the engagement session, I did family portraits - the last time as a family before their little girl got married. Pictures to follow!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

First, I have to let everyone know - I made the switch! Last Friday, after I received my bonus, I went out and bought a beautiful new Canon 5d. And then my wonderful husband gave me a new speedlite and 50mm lens for Christmas! So now i've got a nice set up. I'll have to rent lenses for a while for events, but not such a biggie, because now I have a gorgeous camera.

Christmas eve is a tradition that has (thankfully) mellowed as we have gotten older. My husband has two brothers and three stepbrothers, 3 older, 2 younger. The old Xmas eve ALWAYS involved a keg and Pass Out. And gift opening, but this was all secondary pre-children. Now two of his stepbrothers have kids, so gifts have become the center of things. And while we brought the keg back this year, there was more screaming children and less alcohol (for which my body thanks me today). Different, but nice. Because I just can't drink up the way I used to when I was 19.

Some pictures of the chillens last night (taken with my new setup:

Did anyone see the pictures from the photographer, Jill Greenberg, that took away kids lollipops and then photoshopped the kids faces to be all red and contorted from crying? This kid wouldn't need any of that photoshopping - he makes the weirdest faces. (if you haven't seen the pics, you can check them out at her site, http://www.manipulator.com/, under "End Times")

Family Portraits - The Lass Family

2007-12-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

I'm all about getting anyone to let me photograph them - it improves my skills, lets me try out new things. So I was thrilled when my sister in law asked me and my husband to take family pictures! The kids (my nephews through marriage and more marriage), Gavin and Spencer, are absolutely adorable camera hams. I had so much fun working with them, even though it was impossible to keep them still or in one place for more than twenty seconds at a time. While Steve, my husband's stepbrother, doesn't really like the camera much (an understatement, trust me), it was so cute to see him and Elicia interacting. They dated since high school, and have been married for years, and they just have this level of comfort around them.

The kids ran out to get their dad (who was searching for a parking space), and then ran back to get to us. I think they just like running.

Spencer:

Gavin, who is a little more shy:

A shot of my hubby in action.

Elicia:
When you see Gavin and Spencer's parents, you can see how the kids look so different. Its a running joke in the family that they each have one kid.

I've done some other family sessions like this and have attended a few kids birthdays, but i'm SO behind in blogging. Oh yeah, and I have a bunch more weddings to blog too. So hopefully I will be able to catch up over the slower (yeah right) holiday season.

Hope all are well, and that you have a merry Christmas!

Decision Time

2007-12-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

I've been seriously debating whether I want to stay with Nikon or switch over to Canon over the last month. I need to upgrade my body regardless, and it will cost about the same either way. All I have for my Nikon in terms of lenses that I would like to keep are the 18-200 (which, while awesome with versitility, isn't entirely giving me what I need) and a 50 1.8. The 50 1.8 was only $100 - and the corresponding Canon lens is only $70. And generally, good Canon lenses are slightly cheaper than good Nikon lenses. Since I have so little invested in the way of high end lenses, it really won't add up to much (if anything) extra over time.

Pros of Canon: better color, cheaper lenses, better performance at high ISOs.

Pros of Nikon: sharper lenses, I know the system and have always used them.

I rented a 5D and 70-200, which is what I am thinking of upgrading to, just to try it out. I think that I might need to do so again - I freaked out because a bunch of my family portrait session pictures today were out of focus, but later found out its because someone screwed with the diopter and I never thought to check that when I started shooting with the rental (luckily, I brought my other camera too, so I have plenty of pictures that are good). So i'm not sold on Canon... just yet.

Its hard to break away from what you know (Nikon - or being a lawyer) and enter a new world (Canon - or being a photographer). But change seems to be the underlying theme of my blog - change is what I am going for in my life. So I think it might time to change my camera system too. We'll see...

The Nerve!

2007-12-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Finally, for the first time ever... wedding pictures! I finally have worked up enough courage to show my work to the viewing public.

This is from the third wedding that I second shot (I swear I will catch the others up). Susanna and Ben knew each other since elementary school - and were even on the same page of their elementary yearbook! (which they had framed at the reception entrance) Lifelong friends, they decided to give dating a chance just a year ago. Apparently they knew it was right from the beginning. I can't believe that they planned the wedding in just two months - it was beautiful!

On the Road Again...

2007-12-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

Finally back from vacation and have had time to breathe (but not download all of my pics from the Carribean yet).
Today I went to a workshop at the local Calumet photo entitled The Art and Business of Wedding Photography. For all those new to the business, I highly recommend it. The speaker (who was an awesome photog, by the way) went over tons of general business and pricing stuff - stuff that you can figure out on your own (I mean, hello, i'd like to believe my $120k law degree bought me some common sense), but its nice to have it all laid out. There were only 3 people there, so we got some one on one assistance and critique on work, got to share personal stories, discussed photography and ways to branch both into and out of weddings. I learned so much helpful stuff that I intend to implement. And the instructor told me that she thought I had enough good stuff to make a great album from one of my weddings! So... thats my next project. Time to step into the album world and explore. Leather Craftsman... here I come!

Vacation

2007-11-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

(all I ever wanted - please don't tell me i'm alone with knowing that song)

I am SO READY for my vacation! I'm finally going to have the time to coordinate a plan of attack. Because its time to start seizing the bull by the horns :-) Time to make something of myself.. since I am the only one who can help myself.

I'll be sure to post pictures when I come back in a week and a half. Until then, au revoir!

Everyone Has Their Story

2007-11-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

In our lifetimes, our choices shape who we are. Yet sometimes we want to break free from those choices. This is where I am now. This is where my story begins.

I am a lawyer by trade. I don't particularly like it (although, admittedly, I do occasionally find some validation, and I'm told that I'm very good at it). I desire to break free like few can imagine. I paint a pretty picture to outsiders about what its like, how interesting and fun my work can be - things that are all true for some. But I am not sure that its true for me.

I find myself freaking out over the insignificant bumps in life, and think 'I didn't used to be like this.' I am constantly stressed, breaking out, hair falling out, gaining and losing weight according to the cyclical stress of my job. My inner creative side has been suppressed - almost like living life in muted black and whites instead of vivid color. Mind you, black and white is beautiful and classic, but without an occasional glimmer of something more vibrant, it's not satisfying.

Even though I have made choices that have made me what I am today - not just a lawyer, but also a neurotic highly driven perfectionist who is afraid to fail - I am taking steps to break away. Taking steps to put myself out there for failure. I realize that when I have a camera in my hand, when I make pictures of the world in the way I see it, I am happy. There is no place where this is more true than in wedding photography. I love experiencing happiness with others, sharing in something special, feeling like I have new best friends for the day. There is still stress (what if I screw up the lasting impression from someones dream wedding?), but its the kind that drives me to do my best, as opposed to the kind that makes me cower in my office and surf wedding photography websites instead of working, dreaming that I can achieve that sort of success one day as a photographer. But its so very difficult to break away from the giant safety net of my success in law.

I am taking steps to cut away that safety net and transition to a brighter world. There may be baby steps with the occasional giant leaps, but I'm committed to this journey. I hope everyone can come along with me.

Wildfires and Hiking

2007-11-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago - the weekend before the giant fires broke out and ravaged much of the San Diego area - my husband, Brandon, and I went hiking out near Julian. We hiked up a ridge where you could see reminders of the 2003 Cedar fire - burnt stumps, large swaths of black up the hillsides in the distance, the blackend underside of dead limbs contrasting with the bright sun-bleached topsides, all contrasting with the cloudless blue sky. We spoke about how sad it was that much of the landscape was just starting to recover even though four years had elapsed. And then, two days later, we had to evacuate our house, because it was in a new fiery path. Luckily, our house survived with absolutely no damage (the fire didn't even come that close because the wind direction changed) other than being covered in a ridiculous amount of ash.

As I look at the pictures I took on the trail - I finally just got a chance to upload them - I can't help but wonder what the area looks like now. Hopefully it escaped further harm. But more importantly, the pictures of burned treetops and stumps serves as a reminder that we're not in control of the potentially devastating forces of nature.

My Favorite Subjects

2007-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Asking people to come and pose for you and subjecting them to my neurosis is a somewhat uncomfortable thing for me to do. I'm a little chicken like that, I guess. But I have two subjects who are ALWAYS willing to pose for me (and behave naturally) - my puppies :-) In some ways, they are the greatest things to practice on - they move a lot, don't really listen to directions (well, they do, but they get distracted by the camera), and are difficult to expose properly. And yes, the red one is really that red, and the black one is the blackest dog ever - so shiny black that I get little speckles that look like noise from his fur!

Time to Take the Plunge

2007-11-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

Per the advice of the amazing Jasmine Star, who actually responded to my email (!), I am Getting Uncomfortable. This means taking the plunge to be happy, taking the plunge to enter a business that provides unending laughs and tears - taking the plunge to leave the legal profession. I'm not as brave as she, so leaving law cold turkey probably isn't going to happen. But i'm taking the safety net away, a little at a time, until I can completely be free.

AND most importantly, this means starting a blog to write about my journey into the world of wedding photography. I hope that people will come along.