Amber and Andy - santa barbara, california

amber and andy's on-line proofing website

amber and andy invited their family and friends over for a "margarita and taco" night after their wedding rehersal, the friday before their wedding and i was able to capture a really nice portrait of the them on the side of their parents home. never would guess it would you?.




the day of the wedding was as if we were right back with her friends and family in austria. the day couldn't have been any nicer. the sun was shinning with a little bit of an overcast...great for a wedding and excellent for pictures.

i really like the stories that i am told getting to know our couples of the traditions and the meanings or significance behind personal possessions.


the 6 pence is significant to the bride as the The old English Tradition states, "Something Old, Something, New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in her Shoe". It is believed that wearing the coin in your left shoe or tucked into a hem or attached to your bouquet or carried in your bridal purse will bring the bride a lifetime filled with wealth and good fortune. The sixpence was traditionally past down through generations from Grandmother, to Mom, to Daughter etc. so, when the bride showed me the silver 6 pence i knew i wanted to photograph it in a way that was special.


the bridal party was fun and enjoying the day was not that hard to do. celebrating beauty was also not that hard to do. i have to say, the little flower girl was as pretty as her title.






one of the more unique moments of the day was when karen and i whisked the bride and groom away on their editorial and came across a small island with a bench surrounded by lilipads.


sometimes, in the moment, i must appear a bit overly enthusiatic about a vision that comes over me. but, judging from the portrait i think you get a sense of "why i am the way i am."



the cake shot was photographed in the kitchen. sometimes the most incredible lighting can be found in the most unlikely of places.




glückwünsche (congratulations) amber and andy and thank for sharing your day with karen and me.



Ceremony Venue: Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens, santa barbara
Reception Venue: Santa Barbara University Club
Floral Design by Shannon Kimbrough - Effloresce, Inc.
Entertainment by Gavin Roy - Santa Barbara DJ's

Bradford Family Portrait

bradford family portrait on-line proofing website

there comes a time in a families busy, busy schedule that you think "wouldn't it be nice to take a family portrait?" well, nine times out of ten when WE think of ALLLLLLL the things it takes to prepare for a family portrait we choose to error on the side of caution and don't even bother. this is when i feel the most compassion and understanding of our families, like the bradford's, come to us and say..."we have never had a family portrait".

packing up the family and heading out to the beach at sunset is an experience all on its own let alone taking a portrait.



so, i added some fun and made the parents embrace being a kid...with their kids. the result, i was able to capture the family doing what every family loves to do "out loud" ...LAUGH!



mom and dad let go and DANCED for the kids and got them to "smile" for the camera. now that's what i'm talking about!



this is the true essence of a family portrait. a portrait of a family capturing them the way they feel looking inside expressing out.

"wouldn't it be nice?" . . . i think so.

Giovanni Sollima - Sogno ad Occhi Aperti (Daydream)

amazing. simply amazing! makes you love to be alive!

what i enjoy the most is being inspired by art...all forms of it. mostly a visual artist at heart i am attracted to the unexpected beauty in us all. the beauty that comes from the ordinary that transforms to the complex in a heart beat. when we look at beauty it sometimes takes on forms that others might miss or overlook. this, at times, appears ordinary. the beauty that lies beneath a gesture, a movement, a glance, a look, an emotion provoked by a single note. a single note of music that slowly builds into a movement is, in my opinion, provocative. it is in this movement that i am provoked to capture in a medium that my clients sometimes overlook as ordinary but soon are moved to experiencing something extraordinary. it all happens because they are provoked. they are provoked or moved by ...a gesture, a movement, a glance, a look, an emotion they feel from viewing an image or a series of "notes"!

click on the selected video link below and you'll see what i mean.

A music video of the italian cellist Giovanni Sollima. Directed by Lasse Gjertsen.
Giovanni Sollima - Sogno ad Occhi Aperti (Daydream) part 1

Giovanni Sollima - Sogno ad Occhi Aperti (Daydream) part 2

Deanna and Charles - ventura, california

deanna and charles' on-line proofing website

if you recall a few months back i posted a blog of the engagement session with deanna and charles what seems to be "a life-time ago" but has finally come to be...deanna and charles' wedding day. when we met deanna and charles for our engagement session there was a perpetual grin and laughter on charles face that was rather endearing. endearing that he reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally liked goofing off and he reaaaaaaaaaaaally liked deanna, and, he could not wait to marry her. well, to date, i think charles could be the amongst the top of the "most excited grooms" category. he was ecstatic as he walked down the isle to the cheers and whistles from his family and friends.


the ceremony was a nice and intimate garden wedding with close family and friends and celebrated again with a smile from "ear-to-ear" on charles' face coming down the aisle with his BRIDE.



"there is something about...deanna" that just made the most important men in her life smile with pride and affection. deanna and her father's dance portrait speaks volumes to every father. the happiness on her father's face grew with every step.



congratulations deanna and charles!

Staci and Jim - somis, california

staci and jim's on-line proofing website

let me tell you a story, what many people already know, about staci and jim. it all begins with a very simple but highly contagious word "woohoo"!



we all know how to use this word but to really embody the spirit that overcomes you with emotion when executed at moments of pure bliss and excitement is uniquely staci.



staci on her wedding day let everyone... i mean everyone, know her excitement and her enthusiasm for her new "husband to be" jim. she simply couldn't contain herself. her laugh, her smile, her energy was on fire... pun intended! "jim you are staci's human sparkler" a very close and dear friend said about the couple. it was evident throughout the day the story of a couples love of live with each other could be documented without too much effort. keeping up with them....now that's another story all together!

notice the pattern of the images from staci and jim's wedding?


notice something quite unique and very very special about these two? notice the energy that overcomes them when they are together holding hands?


now...now you see what we all see and know. it is this energy of excitement, joy and love for one another being husband and wife that is electric. that makes you want to "jump for joy" without reservation. i get that, i truly do.

make no mistake. when it comes to the ceremony there was excitement, jumping, whohoo'n but when it came for staci and jim to read their letters to each other and recite their vows... there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

staci and jim love family, friends, wine and great conversation, they love to run and laugh out loud... most importantly they love being in love. and boy is it OBVIOUS!



we are soooooooooo grateful for this beautiful and caring couple.

staci and jim continue to inspire us in many ways that make us yell out "woohoo"!

congratulations!



Venue- Rancho de Las Flores - Kay Nielsen
Floral and Event Design - A Beautiful Day Productions - Jocelyn Kellogg
Catering - Command Performance Catering Group and Event Production
Reverend- Barbara Laughray

Kolbe Korner Picture 2008 .......ENTER HERE

kolbe korner picture day 2007 on-line proofing website
kolbe korner picture day 2008 on-line proofing website

the time has come once again for our annual picture day at saint maximilian kolbe's preschool "kolbe korner". throughout the year we have seen many changes but nothing comes close to witnessing the subtle changes as well as the huge growth spurts from all of these wonderful children and their families. it has been nice to walk along side the children throughout the school year and to see them learn, explore and share their excitement. capturing them on film and providing their family a "time-stamp" of a HUGE point in their life has been very rewarding and quite entertaining to say the least. thank you to our community for inviting us back again this year and making Picture Day a pleasurable and memorable time for all of us.

what they are saying:
jennifer o. - thanks...the pictures are great!
karin w. - these pictures turned out really great -thanks for the great pictures of lily.
andi s. - we loved the picture… they look great.
yvette k. - pictures are so beautiful!
tara s. - wow!!! all the kids look great!
diane m. - …the pictures look beautiful,
lisa c. - i wanted to thank you for the pictures they are just beautiful!
brandi p. - i received my daughter's pictures and they are wonderful, thank you.
jocelyn m. - i just got my pictures today and they are great.
regina m. - i received the prints on wednesday and they look great.
bonnie s. - the pictures are great. you did a really nice job.
michelle l. - i love the pictures. great job!
shermma e. - thanks much !! great pictures :))

Huddleston Family Portrait

huddleston's on-line proofing website

this season has been a very rewarding in many ways. we have gotten to know our community and the parents that support our children and contribute to our schools in ways that are somewhat "silent" in nature. the huddleston's were the winning bidder of the silent auction at their child's elementary annual fundraiser. what i find very rewarding is being told that most of our families have not had their family photographed. our daily lives have been consumed with our children, work and homes that have taken us away from simple pleasures of spending the time capturing our families "as they are." so, when our families FINALLY schedule such an event with us we remind them how cool it is to have your photograph taken and celebrating the time with a special day/night with the family. look, as my ma would always say..."all dressed up and nowhere to go." well, if you have children or a life for that matter you know how little things like getting more than yourself out the door can be a challenge let along your husband, daughter and two boys. the huddleston's came with a game plan. they made a reservation at the local CRAB SHACK next to the beach in malibu before their session and had a blast "hamming it up" for the camera. kids either make you nuts or if you take a moment to exhale...they make you smile, laugh and behave like a kid yourself. most of all they make your life complete.







here's to the family that plays together and gets a bit dirty doing it.