I got engaged!!!

On December 19th, 2009, I asked Alexis to marry me, and she said yes! It was an epic event! We are so happy!!! I will post again soon with our full story :)

Brandon and Nicole

While I was down in Santa Barbara, my best friend, Brandon and Nicole got engaged!!! I am so happy for them. Brandon and I have been friends for as long as I can remember, and it make me happy to see him with someone who compliments him so well. Nicole is very cool, and I have gotten to know her well since they started dating a few years ago. I love getting to hang out with these guys! I also have the honor of being able to be Brandon's best man for the wedding. 2010 is going to be a huge wedding year for me with so many friends and even family getting married. We took some engagement photos on the beach, and some under the pier (where they got engaged). You can see more photos in the SLIDESHOW too.

Even though I have done photos in so many spots in Santa Barbara, I had never used any of these spots before. I love the photo above, and the others from under the pier.

I saw these cool arches when I was driving down Chapala before. This building and these arches in particular build upon the Spanish architecture that defines Santa Barbara in a cool way. It was a cool spot to see and shoot at.

Congratulations!!

Zack and Chelsea

I got to meet Chelsea and Zack earlier this year when I was shooting Chelsea's brother's wedding (Charlie and Chrissy). I'm stoked that I get to be their photographer too! For their engagement photos, they came up to San Francisco, and we cruised around the city finding spots to shoot at. You can also see more photos in the SLIDESHOW. Good times :)

Jonathan and Sarah

Jonathan and Sarah and an awesome couple! I had a good time getting to know them while we wandered around downtown SF looking for cool photo spots. Some of the shots we got are below, or you can see more in the SLIDESHOW.

Chris and Leiha

I am so glad that I get to photograph Chris and Leiha's wedding next spring! Leiha is in charge of making all of the sports programs for Dos Pueblos High School. She arranged for Ryan and I to take photos of some of their sporting events to use in these programs while I was living in Goleta. This was  fun, and we became friends. It is an honor to take photos for a fellow designer, but also really cool to see a friend in such a good relationship! Chis is great, and it was nice getting to know him while we were doing the photos. You can also see more in the SLIDESHOW.

These first photos were at the Lane Farms pumpkin patch.

The eucalyptus trees out on the Ellwood bluffs are a cool photo spot.

Michael and Juliana

I got to do some portraits for Michael and Juliana around San Francisco. We started out at City Hall, and surprisingly, it was my first time there. What a beautiful building! You can see some of the shots that we got below, or you can see more in their SLIDESHOW. Cheers!

Matthias came with me so that he could get some images for his portfolio. He took the shot above, and I really like it.

Thanks!

Albums!

I have been designing and making lots of albums lately. The thing that I love about albums is that they are tangible. I am guilty of leaving tons of my own photos in the computer, where they get moved around, and then backed up onto other hard drives, and forgotten. It is really nice to pull a tangible book off of the shelf and flip the pages though. Here are some photos of the albums that came in recently, including some of the interior spreads. Cheers!
This one is my favorite.The black leather cover is very clean and classy--the inside is gold too!

This book has a metal cover that is unlike other albums that I have seen. It has a sleek modern feel that I enjoy.
This parent book has an ivory leather cover.
An engagement coffee table book.


I was so stoked when I got to this page. It came out really nice.


This spine detail show how you are able to have images span across the page without losing part of the photo in a gutter.

This coffee table wedding album came out wonderfully.


... and then I wrapped it all up and sent it out. Thanks for looking. I can post the layout pdfs if anyone is interested in seeing what a full wedding album looks like from front to back...

Dan and Natalie

I'm so excited that I will get to photograph Dan and Natalie's wedding next year! I went to high school with Natalie at Dos Pueblos. Actually, she used to live up the street from me on Taraval when I first moved up to the city too. Kris and I went to a party at her house (after we all bumped into each other on MUNI), where I met her boyfriend, Dan. A couple years later, it was awesome to hear that they are now engaged. They are so cute together :) You can see more photos in the SLIDESHOW too.
We met up at this moss covered pond in Golden Gate Park, and then wandered around taking photos.
Dan and Natalie with a few random kids who were drinking in the park .




This statue is so emo, that we had to get a joke photo with it.


After coffee, we took some night shots in North Beach, and up at Coit Tower.





I love this one!

Coit tower looks really cool at night, and I was glad that we were able to get it in some of the shots.


By the time that we were done, it was super late. Time flies when you're having fun!

Mikey and Ashley Got Engaged!

I am very happy to announce that my brother, Mikey, and his girlfriend, Ashley, got engaged! Mikey is also a photographer, and he has help shoot a lot of weddings with me. I offered to drive down to do photos for him, so we spoke on the phone about his plans for the engagement. He wanted to do it up at Lizard's Mouth up in the mountains about Santa Barbara. There are lots of rocks and bushes up there, and the view is amazing. Below is the map that he drew for me so that I would know how and where to set his stuff up once I got to Lizard's Mouth. Alexis, Daniel (my other brother), and I went up there early to set up a jewelry box that Mikey made that had the ring in in. The plan was that we would be in the bushes so that when they got there, the box would already be there, and we could take photos while he proposed. I love that he thought about all of the potential photo hideouts and drew them on the map for me.

Will you marry me?
Yes!
It all happened pretty quick, and I was not very set up when they got there, so I had to scramble a little bit, but it still worked out. Good times!

we took some other engagement photos too while we were up there.









I normally never stage moments after they have already happened, but we all had a good laugh setting this up.
We all got in cammo gear so that we could hide in the bushes and go undetected. It was stealth!


I can't tell you how happy I am for Mikey and Ashley, and it was really special getting to be a part of Mikey's master plan. It was perfect!!

Eric and Elke

Here are some of the shots from Eric and Elke's engagement session. You can see more in the slideshow by CLICKING HERE. I was able to meet them through Eric's cousins, Josh and Lisette, who are friends from high school. Eric and Elke are awesome! We had a good time wandering around downtown Santa Barbara finding spots to take pictures at. We were taking this picture in a random parking lot, and a security guard almost kicked us out. I wonder if this is a popular SB photo spot? 

I like the bricks and windows as frames in this shot.
You know Eric is the real deal with rock like this!


We went down to the wharf, which I'm surprised to say that I haven't been there for engagement photos before. There was a lot of cool color on this building.











I love all of the palm trees down by the beach in SB. Eric and Elke and totally fun, and I'm excited for their wedding this fall :) Thanks guys!

Save the Date

I designed these Save the Date postcards for Kyle and Danielle with a photo from their engagement shoot. I really like being able to mix my photography and graphic design skills together to make stuff. I have been thinking that I'd like to offer design products like this as an extra for wedding packages. Post a comment if you think that this would be cool. Also, I think it would be cool to design a set of wedding invitations sometime. If you are looking for invitation design and you're reading this, we should chat--I'll hook it up :)

Kyle and Danielle

I got to do engagement photos with Danielle and Kyle today. It was a really nice afternoon. We started at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. We rented a little dingy and went rowing around the lake. Here are some of the shots:

Danielle's extra pants got a little wet from water that splashed into the boat, so the heater in the car helped to dry them on the way to or next spot :)





Danielle and Kyle are super fun! I'm so glad that I get to be a part of their wedding this fall.

Mike and Betsy

Mike and Betsy are a great couple! I met them at Dolores Park Church, and I'm glad that I get to be a part of their wedding. You can see more photos from this shoot in the SLIDESHOW too.
We met up at Betsy's house and took photos around San Francisco. Some of the spots are familiar, and some new ones. These first shots were taken on the roof of Betsy's place.



This was funny. They were walking down the sidewalk while I was taking photos, but they paused to meet a neighbor and the neighbor's cute little dog. I don't think it was in the script, but it made me laugh :)


Big smiles, all the time :) I think that people who smile often are having more fun in life than those who are not. These guys are obviously having fun!

This was in an interesting shot that we took at the school that Mike and Betsy go to. I think that the lights are cool looking.


MUNI photos! I've been wanting to do this for a while now. It is an everyday activity in SF to ride MUNI, but most people never take any photos on the train. Here they are:


These were shot in the financial district, right on Market street.





I love this shot!!
Good times!

Charlie and Chrisy

I went down to Santa Barbara to do engagement photos with Charlie and Chrissy. I had a great time getting to know them better, and we took some sweet photos. You can see more in the SLIDESHOW.
We started out at Hendry's Beach. It was really windy, and I realized that even though I've shot in many conditions, including rain and snow, wind might be the worst. It's hard to feel like you're looking your best when the wind is blowing your hair all over the place. Chrissy was a good spot, and we worked it out:)
You can see the wind moving all of the sand on the beach.

We found some wind shelter in the canyon, off the beach.

Next, we went to the top of the bluffs above Hendry's, the Douglas Preserve.


Even with the wind, it was still a beautiful day in Snata Barbara (it was raining in San Fransisco when I was driving down).






We went downtown too.


Aawww!


This was a cool spot for a photo (it was Charlie's idea).

Charlie and Chrissy have a really cute story about how they got together. They both work for the SB police, Charlie is an officer, and Chrissy does disbatch. Basically, after some inter-office flirting they made it on a date, and thei wedding is this sumer :)



We chatted over coffee while we waited for it to get a little darker. I love getting to know the couples that I work with better before the weding. It was really nice to hang out with Charlie and Chrissy for a bit (not taking photos) just to talk about life, work, kids, and all sorts of other things.
Nighttime State Street.

Even though I've taken tons of photos in Santa Barbara over the years, it's cool to bring some of my new ideas about photos and find ways to use the familiar spots. We had a good afternon hanging out, and it was also nice to have an excuse to come down and visit everyone.

Matt and Jordan

Matt and Jordan are awesome people. Here are some of the engagement photos that I took of them. You can see more in the slideshow by clicking HERE. We started out at Baker Beach, which is one of my favorite beaches in the world! It was a beautiful day too! 

Jordan and Matt met at school in Virginia, and they were out visiting Jordan's parents for spring break. I though it would be co to throw some sightseeing in the mix, so we went to the Legion of Honor which is home to Rodin's sculpture, "The Thinker."

These guys are super cute together! I had a lot of fun cruising around with them. We were chatting about the challenges being a christian in a big city. This reminded me of a podcast that I listened to today by Jimmy Quach that was really good. You can listen to it HERE if you like.


Nothing but blue skies :)


Good times. Thanks guys!

Rob and Mandy

Here are some of Rob and Mandy's engagement photos. You can see more if the slideshow HERE if you want.

We started out in the presidio, close to the Golden Gate Bridge. Rob had spotted this tree patch and thought that it was a cool spot, so we went there. I like how the sun looked shining through the trees in this shot.  

These guys really know how to turn on the PDA (public display of affection)!! On a scale from 1 to 10, they got up to 11. I think that they must have been practicing :) For engagement photos this is especially good because there are so many cute interactions that made their way into the photos that we took.








We found a lot of characters when we were in Chinatown. I like how the sky in the back makes it easy for you to see their faces in this shot.





If you are curious how people always look like they are smiling or laughing in photos that I take, well this might help you see why... Someone makes a funny face, and next thing you know, everyone (myself included) is laughing :)



Speaking of characters, we were about to cross the street when this random guy comes over and starts hooting and hollering about peace or something. Only in San Francisco!

Jesse and Karen

Here are some of the photos that I took from Jesse and Karen's engagement session. You can see more by CLICKING HERE. 

We met up at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park (which is really cool by the way), and walked around the lake taking photos at different spots. 

I really liked the variety of  nature scenes that are around the lake. 

So cute!

We had fun using the red poles at this spot.


This was shot just seconds before Jesse jumped in... j/k ;)


We went down the street to the beach and got these shots. The clouds made a nice dramatic background. 


The water going back out to sea was so flat and smooth that it made a walking on water effect that was cool. 
Mad hops!!
Karen and Jesse are so cute together. it was really nice spending the afternoon with them.
Oh yeah, I locked my keys in the car, which was dumb. Let's just say that it was an adventure trying to break in before I found the hide a key.

Steven and Brooke

I had the pleasure of doing engagement photos with Steven and Brooke. They are an awesome couple, and I'm super glad that I get to shoot their wedding as well. You can see more of their photos HERE too. Cheers!


I didn't ask, but I think that they must do some modelling on the side, right? This shot is by the Jewish Contemporary Museaum downtown. It has some of the most unique arcitecture that I've ever seen, and it was fun putting it in some of the shots.




We had sushi at Ryoko's too :) The "Hello Barbie" music that they were playing made us feel like we were going to see Pikachu walk in at any moment.
I like nighttime shots downtown. I think that they have their own fell that works well for some couples.





I love the pictures that we got. Good stuff :)

Jeff and Parul's Engagement/Halloween Party

I shot an engagement/halloween party for Jeff and Parul at the Axis Cafe in SF on Halloween. It was a blast! Here are Jeff and Parul:
These were my favorite costumes of the night. They wore huge photo masks of Jeff and Parul!
Kitty litter:







I was wearing a little kids skeleton suit (it was from last year-shhhh).
The dry ice in the punch was really cool:






You know that you threw a sweet party when your friends go home with a beer shower, right?

Shannon and Chris

Here are some of the shots that I got from Chris and Shannon's engagement shoot in Santa Barbara. We went to a couple of different spots, starting with these outside their house in San Roque. You can see more photos by CLICKING HERE.

We were driving down to the beach, and this wall looked cool, so we stopped and took a couple of shots.




I really like this shot from the harbor. It was a little tricky because it was almost dark, but it gave the shots a cool dusk look.
By the time we did this one, it was dark.
For these it was night time. This overpass bridge has some cool lights though that gave some good depth.

Shannon and Chris are super cool, and I can't wait to shoot their wedding in October :)

Ryan and Zoe Engagement Photos

We got some fun shots and had them printed and framed for the wedding. Good times and good smiles, right? You can see a slideshow HERE.

Adam and Carrie

I took some engagement photos for Adam and Carrie at the Courthouse in Santa Barbara today. They are super fun, and really good at being cute together. Total winners! Here are some of the shots we got. You can also see the slideshow by clicking HERE. Cheers! 

This arch at the courthouse is really awesome!
Check out the tip-toe kissing action. Cute, right?
Haha. This one is kinda funny :) Get it?

More tip-toes, and this really sweet door. 

Chris and Gritchelle

Another super cute couple! I know Gritchelle from SFSU, and we had a class together this spring. She is also doing graphic design, and she's got mad skills! Every one of her projects was stinking amazing!!! We had a fun afternoon walking around, hanging out, and of course, we took a bijillion photos :) Here is a small hand-full: 

So it was a little bit windy... (SF is like that sometimes)
The shots from this tunnel are for sure "money makers!" I'm so stoked on them.
The funny thing about all of these birds is that they all have to go to the bathroom at some point. I was taking the last shot, the one with tagging on the wall, when ONE OF THESE BIRDS POOPED ON ME! Right on my back! Oh well, it was both funny and humbling. I think the last time a bird pooped on me was in Jr. High. Wow, TMI?
I think we are all really indecisive because we checked out like 3 restaurants before we just ate at this one. It was good though :)
I love this shot!
It got cold and late, but these pier 7 shots turned out good. I think it was worth the wait. I guess sometimes you just have to commit to the shot.
This is a bonus night time shot. Enjoy!

To see more photos, check out the SLIDESHOW HERE. Thanks!

Emma and Josh

I'm so glad that I get to shoot Emma and Josh's wedding this fall! They are super cute together, and so much fun! I met them in Monterey, where the both grew up, and we just ran around taking photos and hanging out. Watch your fingers, here are some of the shots:

We had burritos for dinner and I got to hear the story of how they ended up together. Hearing the story is one of my favorite parts of an engagement session because they are always so interesting. These next shots were out in Carmel, and the beach is where they got engaged at.
So I know the photos are kinda small, but if you noticed Emma's ring and the cute smiles, Josh definitely knows how to pull some sweet moves! He is also a Ranger in the Army- which basically means that he is a part of all kinds of secret missions.
These kids are so rad! There are a lot more photos where these came from as well, so if you want to see more cute moments that will make you smile, check out the slideshow HERE.

Tim and Emily

I took engagement photos with some friends of mine from Modesto, Tim and Emily. We totally had a blast! The lighting was good, the locations were cool, nice smiles, and lots of jokes. Good times. I've known Tim for a few years now, and it is really exciting to see him with Emily, who is super rad! These first photos are at Golden Gate Park, which is actually pretty big. I have never fully explored it, and I had never been to this part of the park.

I'm not going to lie, it was a little bit cold out, but I was so excited with the shots! We owned babies for sure!

Josh and Christina

I had the pleasure of taking engagement photos with Josh and Christina today. I have know Christina for a while now through Calvary Chapel SB. When I was in the high school youth group there, she was one of the leaders. We started taking photos at Westmont College which was pretty cool because it has the Montecito feel to it with all of the trees and cool paths. Josh and Christina were so easy to work with too! They are pros at just laughing, making jokes, and just having a good time. Their wedding this summer will be tons of fun!!!
We moved the good times over to Sands Beach at the end of Isla Vista. It is kind of a walk to actually get out to the beach, but the walk is park of the fun. Overall it was a really nice afternoon just hanging out and taking photos.
To see more photos, you can click here.