A year in pictures...

It's already the middle of December. How did that happen? In a millisecond it will be Christmas and then the new year. Zoiks!!! I'm not mentally prepared. I still have too many things on my "to do" list. On the top of that list was my "Year in Pictures" review. Last years blog showcased a lot of my commercial work, but I thought I would change it up this year and share some of the art I do for myself. As a photographer I tend to be drawn to scenes from life that may not always appear to be that glamorous. What excites me is finding a way in, and getting those ordinary things come to life in a new and unexpected way.

This was taken in early January at an event at a Buddhist monastery. I was walking past these flowers and spotted the Buddha through the flower petals.

On a warm Sunday afternoon I drove up to the mountains to see what I could see and stumbled upon this windmill. It was surrounded by a chain-link fence - so I decided to use that to my advantage and shoot through the branches.
A cold February day at the beach. But shooting in overcast light always has its advantages. I feel like a fairy or some other kind of extradinary creature will stumble into view.

I remember walking past a cafe on my way to meet a friend. This flower was sitting on the table in the hot sun. I loved the contrast between the white flower and the dark table.

This image was taken when I was driving around town looking for locations for an engagement shoot. I've always loved the romance of train travel and this image makes me feel nostalgic for days past when everyone traveled by railway.

I was walking through the streets of Florence when I came upon this chair. I wonder who was sitting there before I walked up? I was drawn to the graffiti and to the muted colors. It's just not something I would stumble upon in the states.

Verona, Italy. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was crossing the courtyard on my way to the piazza. I happened to glance over and saw this little girl was waiting for her parents to come out of the church. I saw her framed in the doorway and had only seconds to bring the camera up to my eye. As soon as I clicked the shutter, she was gone.

This flag was hanging on the porch of a cafe I found up near the Laguna Mountains. It was about four in the afternoon and as I walked up the steps intent on grabbing a quick coffee to go, I saw the light coming through the material. I love the way it glows.

This image always makes me laugh. I was visiting a small town in Lucca when I happened upon this hanging chicken. I'm still not sure why it was there.

A detail shot from an abandoned car I found. They just don't put that much attention to detail in cars anymore.
I love umbrellas and I love the rain. I get so excited when the two of them come together and...I happen to have my camera with me. I love the curve of the sidewalk and the geometric shape of the storefronts.
A bit of a hazy day when this image was taken. I thought black and white was an appropriate match for the subject matter.
Lines and shapes always catch my eye. I love to find ways to break up the space in an image. The colors also help to make this image pop.

When do you ever find an angel on the wall like this? This statue is part of a war memorial dedicated to WWII veterans.

One of my favorites. I want to take a seat in that chair and enjoy the late afternoon sun on my face. The texture of the wall and the colors get me excited.

Coronado as dusk fell. My favorite thing is the red stripes on the water.
I caught this little girl running towards the water. Sometimes magic does happen.
San Diego looks a lot more metropolitan in this photograph. After I took this shot, the train police asked me to get off the tracks. Lol.

The streets take on a dreamy quality when photographed in the rain. This is near Time's Square.


One of my favorite movies is Foul Play. When I saw this little car, I thought of Goldie Hawn's yellow convertable in the movie. This image was used in a travel book for Fiesole Italy.

Smoke stacks in Morro Bay. I love the simplicity of the lines.
Another of my favorite things -- paper lanterns. These hang in China Town in Los Angeles.
Disney's Symphony Hall. A study in lines and cool architecture.
A Christmas window in New York. I feel like she's going to come alive at midnight. Anyone remember the Twilight Zone episode where that happened?
Skyscrapers through naked trees in Battery Park.
Late afternoon light creates good dramatic light. This drain cover is near my house. I was going for a walk and saw it and ran back and grabbed my Nikon.
An abandoned house I found while I was driving. So glad I had my camera that day. I love finding the unexpected when I take a drive. You never know what you may find.
The view from Central Park. Can you feel the temperature dropping?
The first day of school in the rain. Shouldn't it be a movie poster to some cool Italian film?
I can't get enough of umbrellas. I want to jump into this picture and walk with them.
I shot this image at around midnight. I had my tripod in the middle of the street and got soaked, but it was worth the effort.
Even bicycles in Italy are sophisticaterd. I was actually lost and trying to find my way back to the main street and walked down this small alley. Surprise.
The Crystler Building with a little bit of steam. Nothing beats the skyscrapers in Manhattan. It's as good as a chocolate donut. Hope you enjoyed a little of my work...until next time.

Memorable Family Portraits

When I was fifteen years old I took my first photography class. I didn't know very much about the art of taking pictures, but I loved art and thought it would be a fun class. Over the course of the semester I began to develop my eye and after some time had passed, I decided to attempt my first portrait session. A friend agreed to pose for me under the new studio lights we had just received- and the end results exceeded my expectations. It was then that my love for portraiture began. Here are some family portraits that I feel really capture the spirit and emotion of the subjects.
Brother and sister in a candid moment on the beach.
Mother and daughter in a more formal session.
Sisters on the beach just before sunset.
Like mother like daughter.
Taken in the backyard. I love the soft feeling of love in their expressions.

The whole clan shot in overcast light just before the sun set.
Sisters and best friends in a wheat field.
This little girl wasn't too keen on sitting for the camera. I got this little smile before she decided it was time to wiggle out of her mother's arms.

Five full of love. What a gorgeous looking family. This was a last minute idea of mine. We threw a blanket down and this was the last shot of the day.

Lily of the Valley

Dark and gloomy skies were the forecast for the week with definite chances of dismal dreary rain. And that's just what we got for seven straight days. When Friday October twenty-second rolled around, the day of Liliana and Lee's wedding, I was prepared to bring an umbrella and pray that my lens didn't get too much water damage. But low and behold - a miracle happened. The sun came out - and it stayed out and turned the whole day into one spectacular event.
The photo shoot began around noon at the bride and groom's condo. Liliana, the bride, was already in the makeup chair and things seemed to be progressing according to the schedule. Her best friend Lori was there helping her get ready as well as her mother who knew a thing or two about hooking the back of a wedding dress.
I wanted to make sure to take some detail shots of the Cinderella shoes and the magic rings, so I put the two together. I enhanced the color a bit using an action from Kevin Kubota's Image Tools called Fashion Passion. I brought down the Opacity to give it just a little zing. I like the edgy look this action gives to photos.
This is one of my favorite images of the day. It truly was a miracle that the rain stopped and the sun came out. This is painted on the walls of Liliana's bedroom and really just encapsulates the energy of the entire day.

The wedding itself was held in La Jolla on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean at a place called The Wedding Bowl. You would never know it was there as you drive by, which makes it an ideal spot to tie the knot. This wall is just a few yards away and has amazing color and texture. I knew when I was location scouting that I wanted to shoot this image. It came out exactly like I had imagined.
After about a twenty minute long ceremony, Liliana and Lee were officially married. Lovely blue skies and puffy white clouds only enhanced the amazing location and I again was thankful to the powers that be for making their wedding a truly memorable day.
As I arrived at the Darlington House for the reception, I spotted Liliana and Lee with their first celebratory cocktail. Look at the joy on their faces. "We did it" "We did it".
I was really lucky to get the chance to document this couples special day. The love and respect they have for one another is wonderful to be around and I am happy that everything worked out exactly as they'd hoped. Congrats to Lili and Lee on their new lives together.

Ohhhh Baby~

Hi Peeps. Here are a few images from my recent photo session with the lovely Chelsea York - aka 'Mom to Be'. We wanted to take advantage of a semi-private garden - and these were taken in the late afternoon at the Marsden House - adjacent to Balboa Park.

I knew I wanted to do some see-thru images so I brought along this pretty lavender material that I found at a sewing shop. I like the texture and how it photographs.
Just a bit of a change from the traditional "belly shot"

This was a lucky shot. After I told Chelsea to lay down, I realized that the light was coming through the trees and right into my camera. That glow really makes the shot.
The happy couple. It won't be long now.