My iPhone is fixed!

A little while ago I dropped my iPhone and as I was reaching to grab
it, I slammed it into the ground, and I shattered the screen. It took
me forever to go into apple to replace it since i've had such a full
schedule and travel. My buddy owns the biggest and best Apple resale
parts and guides to fix anything. Its called Ifixit For $59 bucks and
45 minutes later it's fixed! Wow I'm impressed. Better than $200 for
a replacement screen!

John Maxwell's Quote

I heard this on a speech from John Maxwell he spoke at a couple years back, and I love how this sums up a mission statement for life. I think that it would be impossible to have an unfruitful life if this was the way one lived.

"Lord, as i get older i would like to be known as available more than a hard worker, compassionate more than competent, content, not driven, generous instead of rich, gentle over being powerful, a listener more than a great communicator, loving vs quick or bright, reliable and not famous, sacrificial instead of successful, self controlled rather than being excited, thoughtful more than gifted, I want to be a foot washer, I want to finish well."

- John Maxwell

Live your life with a mission statement every day, something that challenges you to serve other first, and to be positive...

Wedding Friends Reunion

One of the best compliments is our clients referring us. Its such an honor to be asked back to shoot the family wedding again, or a friend of someone who saw us before. Our new clients know exactly what they are getting, AND we have history. When we start off having trust, this helps establish a relationship that I believe is paramount to an artist capturing the real heart of the people I'm capturing.

Here is a couple from last year, Anna & Zach, and our newly wed couple Daniel & Megan who had an amazing wedding in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego) on the 15th.

Josh Garrels Concert & Portraits

The amazing Musician Josh Garrels came into town last thursday and we shot some portraits before hand. He played at the new Sally Loo's cafe near the train station. Josh is such a great guy, he has the sweetest family, and little girl. Not to mention his music is excellent. Everywhere I go, I ask people if they have heard of him and its cool to hear more and more people who know of his music! We had some of our clients from the past couple years at the concert hanging out who now love his music too! I feel as if a lot of my good friends were there last night, it was a little mini reunion!

As you can see, the house was packed! standing room only outside. Coffee, tea and amazing organic food inside!

Josh Garrels Concert this Thursday in San Luis Obispo

I'm SOOOO amped for this concert coming up this thursday in San Luis Obispo. Josh Garrels has produced his 3rd or 4th album. His style is maturing and is very unique, but mellow, eclectic, soulful with a melodious beats and rythms. Josh is a guitarist/singer with his band filling in a very full sound. I can not describe him to be like someone else because he is so original, but I can say the first time I heard him was on a surf movie from Indonesia.

He is playing at 8pm at Sally Lou's Cafe near the train station in SLO. (See link below)

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Calamigos Ranch Malibu

I was editing more of the images and I absolutely LOVE this location. A backlit Ceremony with a BIG sweet tree and the lights hanging down. It was super unique being that the ceremony platform was up the hill a bit. Shady and pleasant. I can't wait until this one is done and Scott & Lauren have their release party!

Malibu Wedding Shoot { Scott & Lauren }

Scott and Lauren are one of the most mellow laid back couples ever. Their wedding was hot that day, and I had JUST got my new tilt shift that had been ordered a few weeks back and I forgot about it. That lens is super hard to get used to shooting, but I do love it! Lauren was in love with the carousel, which I thought was super cool. I powered it up and the rickety thing actually worked! Thanks to Angie & Ashleigh for helping me that day!

DWF Interview Posted online!

The guys over at Digital Wedding Forum interviewed me and posted the video on the blog! Check it out...

I'm super excited about this, and still its one small way for me to show my creativity when I'm shooting a wedding!

San Ramon Bridges Golf Course Wedding Shoot { Mark & Kristina }

A few weeks ago we photographed a wedding over at the Bridges Golf Course in Danville Ca. We LOVE shooting here, right near where I grew up!

The Flowers were by Eunice from Pairs and Pieces.

Marc & Kristina were a fun couple and had some style, I think this image is a sweet image of how cool they are!

Lake Tahoe - Mountain Escape Casual Portrait Session...

I think that everyone loves this area, and I may get more comments on my Tahoe posts than most others. So after a saturday wedding and a sunday wedding last weekend the 25 & 26th, we headed up for a monday morning(yea that's right, the day after a wedding finished at 11pm, 6 hours away, for a sunrise shoot. Why you may ask did we do this insane driving, besides loving our couples, which is one huge reason, its the light. I most often shoot in evening light, and the climax of the day ends around sundown. but this time, it was reverse, and we hit up some really sweet locations earlier in the day.

6am, Tahoe, we meet at a coffeeshop and get our morning drinks. Soon Jeff & Darcy would be meeting close up.

One of my favorite things about these shoots is how couples just get to get lost and for a few hours, they just get to "be" with each other.

So I'm the king of stopping at places that I found at random.com, which i really wish I owned that domain name. I remember when no big companies had websites, and I wish I would have had the foresight to buy them up! This field of Birch and Aspen trees was up a silt hill and, I could not resist, despite the mosquitos!

on the way back to the car, the middle of the road works as a stellar stage for shooting. Just remember to dodge the trucks!

Jeff, took his soon to be bride and walked off to play a little music in a field. I have shots the my friend took of me playing guitar in a field making my wife laugh. I love them.

Another random.com find, this ole' barn/house that was pretty dilapidated. Using my new stellar tilt shift lens, I was able to get just their faces in focus, no photoshop, in fact I do not even have photoshop on my computer anymore. Just Lightroom 2.0!

I was in heaven shooting in this place, so run down, yet so full of life and nature! You can't buy backdrops like this!

I headed out to a river near Highway 89. Wading into the water, I got this reflection shot.

All in all, it was a great day, we finished up by Lake Tahoe and then had breakfast by 10am. I LOVE morning shoots, they are cool, nice and still super fun. Anyone else want to do a morning casual portrait session?!!

Carmel Highlands Inn Wedding Shoot { Chris & Tina }

Arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea always is a pleasant site. I'm addicted to shooting here. Its back to back weddings this week at the Highlands. One of the Hyatt Hotels most beautiful spots in my opinion. We worked with the amazing staff there, as well as Crystal Lequang of Amazae Special Events. The light, the colors, and the people were all perfect.