Choosing puppy names is hard! Sometimes people look at Winston, my Boston Terrier puppy, and right away, they get where his name came from. I actually had this image by the legendary photographer Yousuf Karsh in mind when I thought to call him Winston. So maybe Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill inspired the masses with his speeches, but little Winston here makes people smile everywhere he goes, and I kind of like a dog that only speaks occasionally. It’s still true that the only thing to fear is fear itself and Winston is a shining example. He’s never afraid to greet another dog or share puppy kisses with passers by. He’s definitely more of a lover than a fighter!
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!
