In May, I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of David and Lani aboard the Hornblower Emerald. We started out quite conveniently right across the street from the boat dock at the hotel where Lani was getting ready. As you can see, it was another perfect San Diego day for a wedding on the bay!

David had a few minutes to calm his nerves and chat with his Mom and Dad just before we left the dock and the ceremony began.

Flowers were done beautifully by Janay at  Kenner and Sons.

We took some time after the cruise to take a walk through downtown, just one-on-one with Lani and David. The cruise was a big success, and having some time together was a nice reward for them both!

I had the distinct pleasure of photographing the proposal that led to the engagement of Marko and Ashley, as you may have read in an earlier post. It was the first (and so far, only) time I’ve ever been there to watch an actual proposal and catpure it in pictures. I met up with Marko and Ashley again recently for new pictures in Old Poway Park, and this time I didn’t have to hide in the bushes like paparazzi! ….so that was a plus. Wedding planning is well under way and it’s looking like they’ll be tying the knot by next January, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing the story of Marko and Ashley come full circle.

A little over a week ago I headed up to Balboa Park to photograph Amanda and David. I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding and reception later this year in Coronado. We had a perfect spring day to work with as we walked around the park, choosing spots to shoot. David is a Navy man, and it looks like both Amanda and David may be headed for Annapolis next year for David’s next assignment, so I’m glad we were able to capture a handful of golden, California images for them to remember San Diego with.  I can already tell that photographing their wedding is going to be a lot of fun, and that Amanda will soon make a stunning bride!

After our session was over, and I was walking out of Balboa Park to head down to the El Cortez, I stopped to check out the moonrise. I loved the way it looked as I was passing this tree near the dog park, so I snapped this image. For some reason I really like it, so I’m sharing it here.

To be honest, my love of music is what led to my love of photography, so it was really an amazingly great day for me when I went to photograph parts of the annual music festival in North Park known as IndieFest. I’ve never endeavored to be a great musician myself (I ‘noodle’ on my Gibson guitar all the time though) but I realized way back when I lived in Athens, GA that sometimes knowing how to use a camera opened doors in the music world for me that I wouldn’t have access to otherwise. When I was first teaching myself how to use a camera, going to shows at the 40 Watt and experimenting with my camera was my favorite thing to do. Recently I resolved to not only make the effort to get out and see more live music again, but to shoot as much of it as I can, so when the opportunity to participate in IndieFest came up, I was thrilled. Actually, I was ecstatic! One of my favorite bands, Metric, was announced as the headliner! Metric’s latest album “Fantasies” has been in constant rotation in my iTunes and in the cd player in my car. I listen to Metric, both old and new, all the time while I’m editing and color correcting, so it’s been an immense pleasure for me to crank up the Metric at my desk whilst editing pictures of….METRIC!

I’d like to share a handful of favorite images here, rather than make this a review of the show itself. Suffice it to say, their set was amazingly tight, and they sound so much bigger than any four piece band should. Metric is one of those rare bands that manage to sound better on stage than recorded. Emily Haines was spot-on vocally, even while playing keyboards and guitar, and working every corner of the stage – much to the delight of the crowd…and myself!

James Shaw and Joshua Winstead

Emily Haines singing ”Help, I’m Alive!”……”Can you feel my heart…..”

…..beating like a hammmmmeeeerrrrr!”

For the song ‘Gold, Guns and Girls’ Emily broke out her Fender Mustang.

James Shaw and Joules Scott Key

Metric Jimmy Jules

Metric closed their set with an old one and a new one : ‘Dead Disco’ and ‘Stadium Love.’ Emily was all over the stage  (often in the air!) and the crowd loved every second of it.

I am working on another handful of images for the blog, inlcuding perennial IndieFest favorites, Danielle LoPresti and the Masses, as well as the bands Far and Audible Mainframe. Look for more IndieFest images coming soon!

I often marvel at how many wonderful, intimate moments that I am fortunate enough to witness as a photographer. Sometimes a camera is a tool, and other times it’s like having a passport into people’s lives. There are always moments during weddings when I become acutely aware that I am witnessing the beginning of a new life, a new family, and a new future. In a way, sometimes I feel more like a cultural anthropologist than a photographer. Witnessing life through a viewfinder is always fascinating to me.

Usually, the first time I talk to a couple, we are talking about wedding dates and engagement sessions. When Marko called me and described the elaborate set-up he was masterminding in order to propose to his girlfriend (and now Fiancé’!!!!!) Ashley, I was super excited. I always meet people after the proposal, so this was something very new and intriguing for me. There was also an elevated sense of excitement because there could always be a tiny, tiny chance that maybe she might not say yes, and so I instantly became a member of Team Marko – totally pulling for Marko and rooting for his cause. Of course, anyone who knows them as a couple could have told me he was a shoe-in, but still….

So last Saturday morning, I made my way to the Ponte Winery in Temecula. I got there a bit early so I could talk to Ty Tyler, Marko’s partner in crime at the Winery. Ty had safely tucked away a couple of very special bottles for Marko that you’ll see below. He very kindly showed me around the winery and described the game plan to me, so when Marko and Ashely arrived at the counter, it was ‘game on.’

When Marko and Ashley came to the tasting counter, Rene gently guided them down to the sunny end of the counter. My job was to pretend to shoot wine bottles, but really I was just sneaking shots of Marko and Ashley when she wasn’t looking!

As Rene was helping Marko and Ashley, Ty Tyler casually came by and offered them a more private tasting in the barrel room. As Ty guided them to a corner of the barrel room to taste a couple of wines, I was out in the garden, pretending to shoot the scenery…

This is where the story gets even better. During their staged tasting,  Ashley enjoyed one particular vintage of red wine, so Tyler promptly offered to sell them a rare bottle…only a few existed in the whole winery! Marko and Ashely took a little stroll outside while Ty went to grab this special bottle. Marko and Ashley walked past the garden to the foot of the aisle, where later that day a wedding would be held. The symbolism was perfect!

Here comes Ty with “THE” bottle…

So here it is…the big moment. Ashley realizes this is no ordinary bottle of wine, as Marko goes down on one knee with a ring box in hand…

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The proposal wasn’t the only surprise for Ashely. About 30 friends and family members were waiting in a reserve room at the winery, ready to celebrate with the happy couple.

In this picture, Marko’s father is watching him speak…he looks very proud and happy for his son.

Ashley’s father proposes a toast!

Congratulations to Marko and Ashley!

I’d like to share some images from the wedding ceremony of Sara and Phil. Sara and Phil planned their day much further in advance than most couples I’ve met. Between the two of them, it seems like either one or both of them are always on a Navy ship in a far-flung part of the world, so advance planning was truly a must. I remember the first time I talked to Sara early in 2008, when November of 2009 seemed reeeaaalllly far away! It’s hard for me to believe that their day came and went, and that it’s already time to blog the images!

The day itself was perfect. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and everybody was in a great mood. The day flowed just the way it was supposed to and it all came together for their sunset ceremony on the lawn at the Bayside in Point Loma. One of my favorite photographers, Kristina Chartier, was kind enough to lend her talent to the event and shoot with me that day, so I send her my thanks!

Without further ado, here are some of their images:

I have to confess: I was sent home with four of these cupcakes, and I ate them ALL before all of their images were uplaoded to my Mac!

Sara is a Nurse and this is part of her medical crew!

They act like Bad Girls, but they’re just clever stickers that say “Sara & Phil”

Venue: Ultimate Skybox, Downtown San Diego.
Coordination: Amanda McPhail

I always create a slideshow for every wedding, but I never seem to post them here. Slideshows are a great way to tell the story of the day with my favorites, sort of like an online album.

This slideshow belongs to Jodie and James, who were married fifteen stories above Petco Park at Skybox. The venue was a natural choice for Jodie and James, since baseball runs in both families. James had the good fortune to travel to Australia to play baseball for Jamie’s father, who is a coach. James got to stay with the coach’s family for a while, and one thing led to another, which happily led to a wedding!

There was a large Aussie contingency present and the dance floor definitely got a lot busier when music from down under came on the speakers. The ceremony was beautiful, the view was amazing, the food (best mashed potatoes ever) was great, and everybody was incredibly fun. I know that if I ever find myself in Brisbane, it will probably feel oddly familiar!

Enjoy the show!

The next time you happen by the newstand, you might want to check out the latest copy of “San Diego Style Weddings” magazine! I’m very happy to share the news that one of my favorite weddings from 2008 is featured in the weddings section. Yay! Natalie Maxwell, the Bride, submitted her wedding to the magazine, and of course I was thrilled to get the news that they’d chosen it for publication.

Natalie is the proprietor of  The Floral Palette in Rancho Santa Fe, so when we met to talk about photography, I understood that she’d be taking care of all of the flowers for her own wedding. What I didn’t realize at the time was that Natalie is a really, really, rediculously good florist AND she has an incredible eye for how to deck out a wedding. Her wedding was hosted in a private residence in Fairbanks Ranch that was an absolutely story book setting. Once Natalie brought in her decor, it was like a dream come true.

Natalie has since added an event studio with a beautiful meeting space to her shop in Rancho Santa Fe called  “The Event Studio – Rancho Santa Fe” where brides can go to not only talk about flowers, but to meet with other wedding vendors as well. Speaking as a photographer, it’s always very reassuring to be familiar with the good work of the other vedors I work alongside at a wedding. For instance, when I am scheduled to start photographing bridal portraits, not only is it nice to know the flowers are going to be amazing, but knowing they’ll be delivered where they are supposed to be on time is huge! Natalie hand picked the vendors that belong to the Event Studio RSF and everybody is top quality.  Congratulations once again to Natalie and Aaron!

I recently met up with Allison and Asheesh in San Francisco for their engagement session and we had a great afternoon. They both live in that part of the state, and I had been meaning to make my way up there for some time, so we were finally able to get together. As usual, weather in the city was blustery and mostly fogged in, but hey, it’s San Francisco! We met up in Union Square for a bit before heading over to the Golden Gate as the sun went down. Just navigating the streets of the city was an adventure in itself since none of us knew exactly how to get around, but we really had fun the whole time. I’m looking forward to seeing them again next year when I photograph their wedding. In many ways it will be just like San Francisco;  a beautiful combination of East meeting West!

I’m happy to say that within a few days, I will be launching a BRAND NEW webite! It’s been almost a year and a half since I updated images on my main web site, and as much as I love a bunch of the ‘old’ images, I’m excited to share new ones ! Also, look for a handful of blog updates in the coming weeks as I finally begin to catch up on work. Yay!