On Saturday, I shot Mike and Joy, who are a wonderful, fun-loving couple from San Francisco. Since they both graduated from Cal Poly they thought it fitting to have their wedding and engagement pics here. They were both such a delight and ever so willing to go for more of an “urban” feel while cruising around SLO.

As the 2007 Wedding season kicks off this Saturday in Cambria I am reminded of the importance of “details”. Since most of my brides ask us to start the day off in the bride’s room capturing the “getting ready” shots, we always like to shoot every possible facet, and detail of the moment. These were taken at Anne-Marie and Todd’s wedding at the Cliffs Resort in Shell beach.

… taken during the Ceremony. This little guy forgot his ring bearer duties and simply bailed on the bride and groom while enjoying his lolly pop

Every once in awhile a movie comes along that plucks the cords of my heart in a powerful way. Stacy and I love to see movies that have depth and substance, joy and laughter, life and beauty. The ‘Namesake’ encompasses all of these. I appreciate movies that challenge and inspire us to recognize the beauty of family, our heritage and culture that each of us come from.

Excerpts from a review by Peter Rainer:
The movie follows one families move from Calcutta to New York. When their son is born, the father names him Gogol after the famous Russian writer. It’s a name that the boy, as he grows into manhood, will both renounce and embrace as he struggles to reconcile his Americanness with his Bengali roots.’Namesake’ spans continents and generations. The film is a classic immigrant saga about how profoundly disorienting it can be to live in two cultures.

Every year I go to the annual WPPI conference and trade show in Las Vegas. Even though I really don’t care for the whole “Vegas” scene, I still have a wonderful time learning, growing, meeting and spending time with some of the world’s top photographers. I always come back full of fresh inspiration, passion and goals for the year ahead. O yes, this year I entered this image of Meegan and her precious flower girls in the Awards of Excellence Print competition. Knowing that nearly 3000 images were submitted it was a delight to see this image hanging with the other award winners. When I snapped this shot I knew that there was something special about it. I’m glad the judges did too.