Mis Quince Anos

Last year I was asked to photograph Christina's Quinceanera during the holiday season.


What made this extra special for me was that I had photographed her sister Carmen's quince a few years earlier

AND their beautiful friend Paola's quince.


If you are not familiar with a Quince click here for Wikepedia's version
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincea%C3%B1era
Sort of like a rite of passage in the Spanish speaking community when a young girl
becomes a woman. Very beautiful ceremony and I was looking forward to being a part of a special celebration with "clients" that are more like family now. But I was already booked for an engagement party that evening at the Mark Hopkins.
I found a wonderful compromise. I was able to photograph some potraits and detail images before Carmen's ceremony and my colleague Clifford Bluitt of Signature Weddings photographed the event. I am sure I have mentioned Cliff in an earlier post.
We have known each other professionally for 18 years (yikes!) and words cannot express how talented he is. I live and breathe photography and so does he.
Thanks Cliff !

Better late than never ...

Wow! I hard to believe I let over 6 months pass without a blog post.
The weddings and e-sessions I have done have been fabulous because of the AMAZING clients I have.

Spring isn't here yet but a large percentage of my previous Brides are expecting or have a recent new arrival. I offer maternity,newborn and family sessions and it's always great to reconnect with previous couples.

I have to start with Alan & Deb - the couple I photographed in Italy a few years ago
Care to see images from our fabulous experience in Rome ? you can scroll down to the beginning of this blog or visit the "featured galleries" area of my web site.


In December I had the big thrill of photographing Ted and Amy's new arrival.
Being able to share in the growth of a new family is really special to me.
If you happened to see any of their wedding images on my site or in this blog you will understand why their son is so adorable.

Amy is so creative. She made a super cool holiday card with the images I shot.

Yeah, there's more.
A year after I photographed their wedding, David and Dipanwita added a beautiful son to their family.
Talk about perfection. So cute and I could already see that he has the sweet loving spirit of his parents and siblings. I really considered it my privilege to photograph a wedding day that was filled with so much love.

More to come on "the Baby blog" soon ...

Axel and Yvonne Engagement Session

I probably said this in a previous post but I get to photograph the COOLEST couples around.

I knew I wanted to be a part of Axel and Yvonne's special day when I spoke to her and she shared the details of their intimate Half Moon Bay Wedding.

Even though we were really close to the wedding date, I wanted to have an engagement session

anyway.

We shot at a few of my favorite spots here in the city. Check out the engagement gallery in the "Featured Galleries" area of my web site for more fun,romantic,sexy and offbeat images.

Sean and Liz

Sean and Liz chose Oakland's beautiful Preservation Park for their wedding and reception. Lately the weather has been unpredictable. We were concerned with the weather because the forecast was for rain, and

the Bride chose this venue becuase it is the perfect place for an outdoor ceremony and photos.

We were blessed with a clear sky all day long. Sean and Liz's slide show can be found here -

Click here: Sean and Liz

Catching Up...

The blog is back !

I have really missed sharing the latest stuff with you .

The great thing is that I have had the thrill of photographing the coolest couples around.

Seriously.

All of them had exciting elements that were "out of the box" on their wedding day and the energy between my couples has been electric.Juan and Celia make me smile everytime I think of them. Celia was breathtaking in her sophisticated lace gown with her pulled back with a necklace to accent the open back of her gown.

The DJ http://www.chocolatesound.com/ was on fire and really kept the party going.

The food was really fantastic, as was the service. I was really impressed with the caterer that they chose. I will be adding their name to my vendor page soon.

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, Juan surprised the guest by having a

taco truck arrive to provide the guests with hot mexican food.

The creativity didn't end there. Celia had the great idea of purchasing comfortable Mesh Chinese Slippers for all of the women who were wearing heels to change into. They were a big hit !

She had them in a large basket and the ladies were able to select a size a color to suit them

She even had a white pair of her own. Enjoy a slide show from their big day here - Click here: Juan and Celia

James and Allison

Today I some spent time with James and Allison for their engagement photos.

We really had a great time. The great thing about these two is that the energy between them

is great and they are obviously meant for each other.

When couples are this comfortable with each other it makes for fabulous photos on the wedding day. "Relax and be yourselves" is my mantra. But I didn't have to say it once to these two.Their smiles are so genuine. I can't wait until the wedding ! 8 weeks to go !
James and Allison will be getting married on a Yacht !
I really am looking forward to getting some great images that day.

GO TED GO !

A few days ago I was thrilled to open my mail and find this book written by a Groom (Ted) I photographed last year,complete with a personal note on the first page.
On the day of our engagement session, Ted shared with me that he ran a 153 mile marathon through the Sahara called the Marathon Des Sables and that he had written a book about his experience and more.
Temperatures top 120 degrees and participants are carrying their
survival supplies in a backpack and using a map to navigate.

I was excited,intrigued and inspired all at once. I love a challenge. I love to challenge myself.
But there are MANY times I don't have the "inspiration " to stay on the treadmill at the gym.
I had to know how this man managed to complete a weeklong run through the Sahara.

I realize that we often give up in our heads way before our bodies do. This applies to so much more that athletic ability. Ted's story really lit a fire that was already burning within me as a youth. He promised me a copy of the book and true to his word, Amy his Bride mailed me a copy.
(Thanks Amy!)

I started reading the book right away and am using every free moment to continue.
This is book is not some boring journal of how many miles he ran each day.
Ted shares stories about personal challenges with his well known sense of humor.

I laughed,cried and got angry while reading the first few chapters.
Very well written and entertaining.
I was sitting on the edge of my seat not wanting to put the book down, but at some point I had to get back to work. Can't wait to finish it soon.

I may sound like a cliche'. But this book is really a story of the triumph of the human spirit, and what is the thought process going on in our head that makes some of us continue when others choose to quit.

Title of the book - Carved by God, Cursed by the Devil by Ted Archer
You can purchase a copy here - http://www.tedarcher.com/ or to just read more about it.

Better than any motivation seminar you could attend. This book will really inspire you.
Perfect for the times we are living in right now.

Ted is in Morocco right now running the marathon for the second time.
http://www.darbaroud.com/