The Long Way to Half Moon Bay

Every once in a while I have an urge to get away. Life is full of so many distractions that sometimes you need to unplug yourself from the matrix to remind yourself there's an existence beyond your daily routine. Armed with my camera and a fully charged iPod I set off without a time frame or destination. I make frequent stops, I take unfamiliar roads, I strike up conversation with strangers.

Here are a few images from one of these recent getaways.

Bradley Pasienski

Earlier this month I made a special trip to Texas to visit a new addition to my family. My cousin Greg and his wife Andrea are settling into parenthood with their son Bradley. Unfortunately I don't get to see this side of my family often, so I was surprised and honored when Greg and Andrea asked me to be Bradley's Godfather. We had a wonderful baptism at their church and Bradley made sure to put on a performance that people won't soon forget. I expect big things from him in the future.

It was great getting to spend some quality time with my relatives in Texas. We might all live far away from each other but we manage to stay involved in each others lives. Its really special when you can reunite with family you haven't seen in a long time and immediately feel like you're at home. At least now I have one more reason to visit.

Logan Swirsding

I'd like you to meet baby Logan David Swirsding. Last month I got to meet him for the first time with his parents Katie and Dave. I can't wait to see him again once he gets a little bit older and Katie is able to take him around more. Here's a few pics from our session.

Ranjan & Subodh 50th Anniversary

Last month I had the honor of photographing the 50th wedding anniversary of Ranjan & Subodh. In this day and age its an accomplishment to make it to your 50th birthday, so to survive 50 years living side by side your spouse is definitely a means for a celebration. Obviously every marriage experiences its fair share of ups and downs, but its a shame that so many people in our society view them as disposable. A successful marriage requires a great deal of hard-work, sacrifice, understanding, friendship, support, and a conscious decision to love one another regardless of the circumstances. The second I met Ranjan & Subodh it was instantly evident why these two have maintained such a successful marriage. They both exuded genuine warmth and kindness and you could feel the outpouring of positive energy in their presence.

It was a wonderful celebration full of family, friends, drinks, laughter, and my favorite....traditional Indian dancing. This group sure could dance! People were glued to the dance floor the second the music started. Subodh was also kind enough to show me some of her moves, so watch out ladies....I'm ready to hit the Indian club scene.

I also wanted to thank my good friend Sarah Powers for coordinating this awesome event. She took care of all the details and made sure everything went off without a hitch. If you ever need an event planner or a wedding coordinator I'd highly recommend her.

Congrats to Ranjan & Subodh on such a momentous occasion. Hopefully I can match this accomplishment one day, although I guess I need to find a soul mate first. At this rate I'll be pushing 80 years old if I make it to a 50th Anniversary! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

WPPI 2009

Last week I joined tens of thousands of photographers at the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) Convention in Las Vegas. This is hands down one of the biggest photography conventions in the country and anyone who is anyone in the business is sure to attend. It's 6 days worth of networking, talking shop, learning about new trends, finding inspiration, re-connecting with friends, making new friends, and my favorite....partying! I've been wanting to go for the longest time and this year the stars finally aligned in my favor. It was a little overwhelming and definitely exhausting, but it was well worth it. Hopefully this will become a yearly tradition.

The above picture was taken at the photobooth at the Bludomain party at the Hard Rock Casino. Hands down the best party at WPPI. Fun times!

Thanks again to the Vegas Entourage for such an awesome time.

Trevor Meeks

Michelle Moore

David Escalante

Denise Bovee

Emily & Jeff Wedding

Back in September I had the pleasure of second shooting Emily and Jeff's wedding with Kelli Nicole Saunders. The wedding took place at Hans Fahden Vineyards in Calistoga. The venue was gorgeous and the ceremony took place in the middle of a cave. Normally, shooting in a dark cave is a photographer's nightmare, but the intimate setting and candlelight made for some stunning images. Emily and Jeff were a really fun and exciting couple to work with. They are from one of my favorite places in the world, Denver. Virtually every guest at their wedding was from Colorado so it was really special to have them all visit the California wine country. Here's a few images from the day. Thanks again Kelli, it was great working with you!

Olivia Higgins

Back during Thanksgiving....yes I realize I'm a bit behind here...I got to spend some time with my good friends Polly & Jeff and their new baby girl Olivia. At the time Olivia was about a month and a half old and she was enjoying the laid back lifestyle of being a baby. I think she was pretty happy that she wound up with such cool parents. Polly's father has been helping out for the last couple of months and he'd walk Olivia all over the house while speaking incessantly in Spanish. I asked Polly what on earth he could be talking about for so long. Evidently Andy tells Olivia all of his deepest darkest secrets. I thought this was hilarious. Hey...it beats spending all that money on a therapist!

Congratulations Polly and Jeff. Welcome to the world Olivia!









Oh yeah...and you can't forget about Miles. He's been dethroned as the baby of house but he's still a cute little guy.

Ella & Carson

Over Thanksgiving I did a little impromptu photo session of my nephew Carson and his little cousin Ella. Carson is going to be 2 in a couple more months and Ella will be turning 1 in a few weeks. They're already the best of friends and they get so excited when they have each other around. It's going to be great seeing these two grow up together. I can't believe how fast they grow. It seems like it wasn't that long ago when I was taking Carson's baby pictures. Since I only get to see them several times a year its amazing how much they change from one visit to the next.

One of my personal highlights from this session was Ella's eyes. I just couldn't get over how big and blue they are. She's gonna be trouble with the guys. As you can see, Carson's a little Casanova himself. I think he takes after his Uncle ;)

Coit Tower

Lately I've found myself doing a lot of touristy stuff around San Francisco. Since I don't technically live in "The City" I guess its okay. Besides, there's a crapload of stuff to see and so much of it I've never explored.

A few weeks ago I decided to visit the famous Coit Tower. According to Wikipedia it was built atop Telegraph Hill in 1933. I've never wanted to visit this attraction before due to its geographic location in the city. Since it's perched atop a hill, its not exactly easy to get to. You can drive to it, but its pretty miserable due to the small parking lot and hoards of people waiting in traffic. Your only other option is to walk up a seemingly endless set of steps originating at the edge of the Presidio. For whatever reason I was feeling extremely ambitious this day and decided to take the steps.

It was definitely touristy, but the extreme workout and $4 elevator ride up to the top were worth it in the end. It was a gorgeous day and I managed to grab some interesting shots at the top. If you've got an hour to kill, add this to your list of things to do on a quiet weekend.

The Cassidys

Way back in May I did a family portrait session for my good friends The Cassidys. You might recognize Cole from a baby shoot I did back in October of 2007. Jeff and I used to work really close together and unfortunately they made the decision to move back to the Lone Star State. They're originally from Texas and now that Cole is getting older he gave Mom and Dad an ultimatum. "Either we move to Texas to be closer to my grandparents, or I'm never learning to walk!" He didn't get the name "Cole-Monster" for nothing. Fortunately as you can tell from these pictures Cole isn't a monster at all...I just like calling him that :)

Jeff went to college at Santa Clara University, so we figured what better way to commemorate the family's last days in California, than to do a shoot at his Alma Mater. The campus has so many gorgeous locations and it made for a great session. As you can tell Cole was having the time of his life. I don't think this little guy stopped smiling the entire time. I suppose his days at Santa Clara were numbered because he's destined to become a Longhorn.

Hope you guys enjoy your photos. Can't wait to come visit.

Check out the slideshow for more pics.
Click HERE for a full size version.

Highway 1 Drive

Gosh...I'm extremely behind on my blogging, but I'm doing my best to catch up. Things were a bit crazy for a time there, but everything seems to be settling down. Its funny how our lives ebb and flow, but nature seems to have its own course for us.

I've been doing a ton of shooting recently (which I'm way behind on) and about a month ago I headed down to Paso to shoot a wedding. The next day I was feeling pretty lazy and I wasn't in any hurry to get home so I decided to take the scenic route....beautiful Highway 1. This route from SLO to Monterey is hands down one of my favorite drives. You pass so many incredible sights and gorgeous coastal vistas. This road has a personality of its own. I'd consider it one of California's greatest attractions. Since I was already armed with my photo gear I decided to take my time on this drive and stop anywhere I could get a chance. The weather this day was a bit on the gloomy side, but I still managed to capture some great images. There's literally 100's of unique places to stop along the route, so I did my best to cover a few.

First stop was the quaint town of Harmony (Population 18).
There's not exactly a ton to see here, but its worth a stop. Be sure to peruse the local pottery and glass shop.

Somehow this beat up red truck manages to maintain it's charm over the years.

On the shores of the beaches near San Simeon the Elephant Seals gather each year to do their "business". Its quite a site to see hundreds of these creatures sprawled out along the coast. I would have loved to get some closer shots, but access to the seals is restricted to ensure their privacy and your protection.

Not far after San Simeon you reach Ragged Point. This is one of the few places you can stop and grab a bite to eat on your drive. They've got a nice sit down restaurant and an outside grill for people in a hurry and on a budget. This place is also one of my favorite coastal vistas. If you're brave enough, there's a shoddy footpath that will take you all the way to the shore. Its a bit of a trek, but worth it if you have the time.


Last but not least, one of my favorite destinations, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur. Unfortunately this area was recently ravaged by a series of forest fires, but they can't take away from the beauty of the famous beach with the 80 foot waterfall that cascades directly onto the shoreline. I'd give my right arm to be able to run along that beach one day...too bad I'd probably crack my skull open in the process. People die every year trying to get down to this piece of paradise. I guess we'll have to settle with looking at it from afar.



I would have loved to cover more spots on this trip, but unfortunately I had to work the next day. In the meantime I'd highly recommend the drive if you've never taken it before. You won't be disappointed.

Farmers Market San Francisco

A few weeks ago I decided to head out to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market to get my fill of fresh fruit and veggies.  This is hands down one of the best farmers markets I've ever been to.  Its massive and the assortment of foods is incredible.  People aren't stingy on the free samples either which is a huge plus in my book.  The only thing better than eating the food is taking pictures of it.  As you can see there was quite a display.  If you've never been to this farmers market before I highly recommend you check it out.  

Fun times!

Jalama

Earlier this month I dusted off the camping gear and headed down the 101 for a fun filled weekend with a few good friends. After living on the Central Coast for four years I thought I had experienced everything worth experiencing. I was wrong. Who would have thought a beach oasis would exist 20 miles down an obscure road in the quiet town of Lompoc. After following this windy road through luscious green hills and picturesque vistas we reached the coast. The white sandy beach known as Jalama extended for miles in each direction protected by sheer cliffs and the rocky coastline. The pristine swells just off the shore make this a surfers paradise, and since it's well off the beaten path its a well kept secret by the locals. Aside from the Jalama Beach Store and Grill, home of the famous "Jalama Burger" you won't find any signs of civilization for miles.

If it wasn't for the wind I don't think I'd ever want to leave this place. Tent camping on the beach + tornado like winds = sand everywhere. Let's just say that the next time I break out my tent I'll be bringing the beach with me. Unfortunately round 1 went to the wind and we had to cut out a day early to take refuge at a friend's house in San Luis Obispo.

In the end it was a good time had by all, and I managed to grab a couple of sweet pics. Hopefully we'll go back to battle the wind another day.

Day In The Life

A couple months back I came across this program called Gawker and decided to make a time lapse video of a "normal" day of work with the camera on my Mac Book Pro. As you can see, life behind a desk in corporate America isn't very thrilling, but it is slightly entertaining to watch. In case you're wondering why everything is shot from the side, my laptop is hooked up to a 30in display so I can stare at really gigantic spreadsheets all day long. I also took the bus into work this day which is a rare occurrence, so I decided it was the perfect day to take a video.

Fortunately I started a new job at the fruit company a couple weeks back, so my days aren't exactly this boring anymore. Unfortunately, as a result, my days of surfing the web and screwing around with stuff like this are probably long gone...at least for now.

Hope this is more entertaining than it is pathetic :)

Download Gawker and try it out for yourself:
http://gawker.sourceforge.net/Gawker.html

Happy 15th Birthday Dad

Last week I had the pleasure of flying down to LA to help my dad celebrate his 15th Birthday. 15th...you're joking right? No I'm not. My dad is one of the select few individuals to be born on February 29th. He joins the ranks of Dinah Shore, Anthony Robbins, Antonio Sabato Jr, and JaRule. Ya....there aren't exactly a lot of cool people born on Feb 29th, but it is the rarest birthday.

Since the actual Solar Year is 365.24219 days long, every 4 years we get an extra day in February. This ensures that our calendars don't get out of whack, so winter won't start happening in the summer months. etc. My dad is actually 60 years old but he only celebrated his 15th birthday (60/4 = 15). Kind of a bum deal if you ask me. Growing up we'd usually celebrate on either Feb 28th or March 1st, whichever was closer to a weekend.

So since he actually had a birthday when he turned 60 it was a means for a party. We celebrated with tons of friends, family and food. The night finished off with an obligatory roasting of good 'ol dad by yours truly and my brother. I put together a little slideshow of him growing up and set it to some of his favorite music in iPhoto. Yet another reason to buy a Mac.

Here's the show.  There's a lot of classics in here.
Enjoy.

LaRue and Brian Engagement

I did this session with LaRue and Brian in the middle of January and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. I know....that's pretty bad. For some reason I have such a tough time remembering to put images up after I edit a shoot. Lord knows I have hundreds of things in the queue waited to be posted, but it always seems to take such a long time to write something up and throw it on the internet. So I guess I need to A) Get my rear in gear, B) Pay someone to write a blog for me (do these people exist?), or C) You'll just have to bear with me and read about things months after they've happened. Unfortunately C is probably the most likely choice, so if that's what you voted for you're a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! I will however promise to try harder in the future.

Anyways, back to LaRue and Brian. I know LaRue through work and her and Brian are an awesome couple. They actually knew each other as kids and wound up crossing paths later on in life. It's so funny to learn about the different ways people meet. They are both from the East Coast, but San Francisco has become a huge part of their relationship. They seriously have the quintessential San Francisco lifestyle. They live in an awesome part of town thats walking distance to tons of great restaurants, bars, parks, and corner markets. I would trade my frumpy Fremont apartment for a stylish urban SF flat any day of the week. If only I could afford it. As you can see we had a fantastic time hitting up their favorite city spots. We finished the day off with a scrumptious dinner at their favorite restaurant Range. They showed me a great time and I hope to hang out with them again soon.

















Click HERE for a full size version of the slideshow.

Goodbye Friend

Two weeks ago I had to part ways with a very near and dear friend....my first car :( We've been together since I was 16 years old. She was very loving and reliable in her long and fruitful life. Like a dog she was man's best friend, always with me through thick and thin. She got me through high school, was with me on my first date, drove me off to college, took me on many awesome road trips, went with me to job interviews, helped me move countless times, sheltered me on camping trips, and she never gave me a lick of trouble. She was a fantastic car and I hope she will enjoy her new home with the Air Conditioning Repair Man :(

With that said, I have the pleasure of saying hello to a new friend. As you can tell they look very similar, as if they were somehow related. I guess I couldn't completely let go of what I had before. Kinda like dating someone that's your "type". I figure if it worked once, it'll work again. Toyota's are extremely reliable and they've got great resale value. I don't think you can go wrong. I guess the fact that I gained power steering, automatic windows, automatic locks, automatic transmission, air conditioning, 4 doors, and a tow package, will make it fairly easy to get over my lost love. I'll miss her, but her replacement is a heck of a lot sexier. What do you think?

Wesley Kron

A couple weeks back I had the opportunity to take some pictures of Wes and his parents Chris and Paige. His dad and I actually met on the first day of orientation at my new job. He works in Sales and I work in Finance, but we've managed to stay in touch ever since. It's kinda funny the places where you meet new people.

The Krons are a beautiful family and I captured some adorable moments. I can't wait to spend some more time with them and see this guy get a little older.
Hope you guys enjoy your photos.












Click HERE for a full size version of the slideshow.

Joey Raggio

The weekend before last I had the privilege of photographing Ashley and James Raggio and their 1.5 month old son Joey. We had a blast hanging out at the park next to their home and enjoying the uncharacteristically hot and sunny November weather. If only the summers days were that hot and gorgeous in the bay area.

It was great getting to spend the afternoon with you guys and getting to know you. I hope you enjoy your images!









Click HERE for a full size version of the slideshow.

Luke Uffelman

Last Saturday I got to spend the afternoon with this bundle of joy (Luke Uffelman) and his parents Karen and Brian. Luke is quite possibly the happiest baby I've ever met. He had an enormous giggling smile on his face the second I walked in the door and he was ready to have a good time. As you can see we captured some precious moments.

It was great getting to meet you guys. I hope you enjoy your photos.










Click HERE for a full size version of the slideshow.