I’m very thankful for my clients who teach me new things every time I photograph. Jolene is person I am very thankful for. I photographed her 3 months pregnant during a Carlos Baez workshop at WPPI this past February or March.

I had the opportunity to photograph her 8 months pregnant yesterday morning as I succumbed to understand why I was seeing so much of God’s Light in Vegas on Monday night and Tuesday morning.  She is inspiration to me, loving her pregnancy, her body, and her openness to be taught by her coming child. She was originally going to name her baby Sarah, but awoke one morning in bed with her husband with the name Sephra adamant in her head. She believes her baby was speaking to her while she slept. Sephra fits for the coming life she will behold late August.

Jolene at El Dorado Canyon in the Nelson, Nevada ghost town Tuesday morning.

Julie and Ryan are such an awesome couple, and I still can’t get over how endearing he is to Julie’s daughter, which he is adopting. During the ceremony, he presented her with a ring, promising her to always take care of her. Julie and Ryan’s wedding was the first of a double header for me in May, and the way these two were so ecstatic and were wild fun at their wedding reception definitely got me amped for the second half of the wedding weekend. The moments I captured were insane! I was so stoked to be able to take part in their wedding day. A cold May day (I think unheard of in San Ramon), but nevertheless, amazingly stunning. They celebrated their union at the San Ramon Golf Club, in a beautiful location and the best sunset ever!

Thank you for inviting me into your lives and being so incredible to photograph! You two are so awesome!

I met Heidi 9 years ago while working at the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, Ariz. It was my first newspaper gig, and I had a lot to learn in life. A lot. Heidi worked at the weekly of the Arizona Daily Sun: FlagLive. Periodically in the newspaper world, us photographers for the Daily had to shoot for the weekly or the magazine. Looking back now, I wish I had taken a huge interest in architecture and lifestyle photography, (ie details, business portraits, etc). But I was a photojournalist at the time, loving the in-the-moment photography of newspaper world (ie. Fires, accidents, accidents, features etc.). Heidi is a photographer too. She has this incredible talent for fine art, gallery show, mixed media photography. And her composition is freaking incredible. Heidi was in school at the time, and we’d frequently take days to go explore and play with flash, landscape, and model photography. When Heidi graduated, she moved to St. Croix with her boyfriend and two years later moved back to Flagstaff. A year after that she moved to be with her sister, Noel, in New Hampshire/Maine area and has been there ever since. Heidi and I have been very close friends for the past 9 years. We’ve learned a lot from each other and we help each other grow.

There are many times I remember how difficult life was for her moving to Maine with boyfriends. She’s such a beautiful person, and she seemed to either pick really great guys in her life that would’ve been good for her or pick bad guys that treated her very poorly. I’m very protective of her and always want only the best in my intuitive way with my friends. When she met Trevor, they definitely clicked the way a couple is supposed to click (in my head). They are both artists, they support each other in their goals, as the travel along parallel paths, and they’re partners, friends. I feel very confident after their wedding yesterday that Trevor is the perfect man for her (now I just have Heidi’s two little sisters to worry about now!). I mean he kept looking at me (and I knew I wanted him to cry) and he was so freaking close to crying until Heidi sauntered through the doorway onto the porch of the The Dockside Guest Quarters in York, Maine, totally laughing and breaking the tension and emotional aspect of their rain filled wedding day.

A preview of Heidi and Trevor in the rain yesterday. More to come soon.

One of the great things about where I live and where I hope to never have to move away, is the fact that when I do come back to Tahoe, I feel completely at peace with the elevation, the scenery, the lifestyle. As it is, it is a 2 hour drive to the Sacramento airport or 40 minutes to Reno’s airport. So when I come home from the San Francisco Bay, Sacramento or even Reno, once I reach a certain elevation, the peace comes back to me, and I look around me happy with the decisions I have made that have led to where I live now and the direction my life is taking. I never want to leave. Travel yes, but live and call a place home, Tahoe, yes, it is me. Life is a struggle, always has been for me, but every struggle for me, every complication has helped me to learn and grow, as a person, and as a photographer. Anything I can do or ask to be better person and photographer, to learn, and continuing learning, will help me achieve my enlightenment and always help others who want to grow as well. I love moments. I live for moments between people, observing the interaction, playfulness, all of it, helps me to understand the very diverse complexity of human nature a bit more.

I’m in Maine currently. It’s amazing here. I take a vacation from one very touristy location for another. My good friend from my first job at a newspaper in Flagstaff, Arizona, Heidi (the first Heidi I’ve met and made my friend) is very very dear to me. I love her (and her sisters with all my heart), is getting married on Saturday. She has allowed me to take a break from the beautiful place I live to come to a very different, but very equally beautiful Maine (where I have visited quite a few times to see her) for her wedding.

Heidi and her fiancé, Trevor, on Moody Beach in Wells, Maine Thursday, July 8th, 2010.

Sal and Daragh remind me quite a bit of Aimee and Mike, whom I photographed back in March at Plumpjack in Squaw. When I met with Daragh and Sal, Daragh had the same expression as Aimee did with I met with Aimee. Daragh KNEW. She loved how I photographed, the moments of my documentary style photography, the expressions between my brides and grooms, how I emotionally connect to my couples and live vicariously through them. Daragh had a crush on Sal for years…off and on. Sal fronts the KTVU Channel 2 News Live Drive Time Traffic center weekdays and is a general assignment news reporter for the 5 and 6 PM news in San Francisco. Many of my friends said to me when I would describe Sal, “oh yeah! The traffic guy!” I always was fascinated with the TV newscasters when I worked in newspapers. I would see them all the time at spot news (car crashes, fires, murders etc). At Sal and Daragh’s wedding, many of their guests work in TV in San Francisco, and I don’t know if it’s a blessing or not that I don’t watch a whole lot of TV and never when I’m in San Francisco. So much for being tongue tied. Daragh and Sal met with the help of their friend Jennifer Pierce Kirouac.  Daragh and Sal had seen each other at a Giants game in passing.  Daragh knew Jennifer was Sal’s co-worker at KTVU and asked her to introduce them.  Jennifer happily obliged and connected them though e-mail. After corresponding for a bit they lost touch for several years. As fate would have it, Daragh and Sal became “friends” through a social networking site in 2006.  Later,  when they both became single, Daragh and Sal decided to meet to catch a Giants game…. Sal and Daragh got ready at the gorgeous Fairmont hotel in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco. They were married at the amazing St. Dominic’s and their reception was held at the historic University Club in Nob Hill. Their day of coordinator was Marie Cooper of Boutique Events . I absolutely adore Sal and Daragh and hopefully soon I’ll have the opportunity of photographing them again soon! Thank you so much Sal and Daragh for being so fun to photograph!

I lived on the border of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley from the summer following 6th grade until following high school when I went off to college in Flagstaff. The house was on an acre of property with 19 grapefruit trees, 1 orange tree, and a couple of kumquat trees by the pool. The orange tree rarely produced. But we’d get huge almost volleyball sized white grapefruit that was so sweet (for grapefruit). During these years my mother gave my brother and I chores and duties throughout the house. Which is why now I’m fairly anal retentive about the cleanliness of my kitchen and my bathroom. One of my chores was dusting the hardwood floors. Our 5 bedroom house was primarily hardwood floors except in the living room, master bedroom, and I’m forgetting where else the hardwoods were. *sigh* In the hallway towards my bedroom and the master bedroom, this photo was framed on the wall. I love this photo of my parents. When I’d sweep and polish the hallway hardwood floor, I’d always look at my beautiful parents. I always wondered what it would be like to go back in time (as if I was Marty McFly in Back to the Future) to see what life was like surrounding my parents. This is definitely my favorite photograph as a kid growing up. I hope to always have this photograph and gaze upon it, wondering how long it took my mother to do her hair and makeup, what life was like, what they were thinking, what life was like. I like the mystery of it. I love the fact I am a result of their marriage. Half my mother, half my father. They’ve taught me well, although I’m still fairly rebellious and strong willed and independent. (Must be the bull of the Taurus in me!)

What is your most important photograph? What would you do if you couldn’t gaze upon it anymore? Your photographs, do you want to remember them forever? One of my friends in San Francisco loves loves loves her wedding photographs. She got married before I knew her, but I see the photos of her and her bridesmaids around her apartment. Don’t people when their houses are on fire or flooding or any kind of disaster, run back into their homes to grab the one thing that’s most important to them? Their photographs. How important is your wedding photography to you? How much are you willing to invest in it when you know in 50 or 60 or 70 years, these photographs will be the most important thing to you? Your memories of your love, laughter, tears, children: Aren’t they worth everything to you?

My sister-in-law, Kimberlee, sent me some photos my mother had given my brother and his family. This one from way back when cracks me up. I need to figure out how to make the ghosting effect on some portraiture. This stuff is so hot! I think I remember this story somewhat correctly, but if I don’t, I don’t mean any harm. Apparently my brother got a hold of some scissors the day of or the day before this shoot. He gave himself a haircut, chopping off his bangs. Phenomenal! I love my little girl dress, all frilly and lacy. Who knew that 25 years later I wouldn’t own a dress. (Actually I think I do, just not seeing it in my closet). I wonder what life was like back when my brother and I were little. I don’t remember it too much. Some vague impressions. My brother definitely remembers more than me, since he is 3 years older than me. From looking at this photo, it is a lifetime ago, life was so different and easier. No computers or cell phones, technology had yet to advance so dramatically. I can’t live my life now without my cell phone and computer. Crazy. I hope you enjoy this little family photo of us.

Christina says Jeremy comes up to Tahoe quite a bit to go snowboarding. Next winter I hope to meet up with them on the slopes. They decided on an early morning wedding (yes, 10am is early to me) with the reception over at the Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood City. I have to say there is something about getting out of bed and one of the first things to do is to photograph an amazing wedding. There’s no sitting around thinking of ideas and contemplating how the day is going to go, wondering how everyone is going to interact with each other, how much fun the wedding’s going to be to photograph, no questions at all. It’s get up and go do it. I’m thinking I like early morning weddings where none of us get to second guess or question anything. It’s all depends on just going with the flow and definitely becoming the fly on the wall and capturing moments as they enfold in front of me. With a daytime wedding, I was very surprised and very pleased about how they could seriously party. Great fun this reception, all the emotion and expressions….so fabulous. Thank you Christina and Jeremy for allowing me to photograph your incredible wedding. You two totally rock and I promise Christina when you come up to Tahoe next winter with your hubby, I’ll teach you how to snowboard.

Back in March I think it was I attended Wedding Portrait Photographers International annual gathering in Vegas. During this time I attended a workshop with Carlos Baez on Nudeoir. See previous photographs captured here and lucky me (no, seriously!), I avoided the video camera during the workshop. Amazing workshop, as there were only about 12 students or so, and Carlos planned it so we’d have one-on-one time with the models. We could watch the other photographers shoot, but we couldn’t shoot their ideas. It was a fabulous opportunity and I loved every minute of this workshop. Here’s the video. (No I didn’t shoot video, only stills with the hot lights) Warning: For Adult Eyes ONLY. There is nudity in this video.

Nudeoir Workshop by Carlos Baez at WPPI 2010 Las Vegas from CARLOS BAEZ on Vimeo.

Saturday, May 29th, I didn’t have a wedding to photograph, as Sunday the 30th I did down in Foresthill. I thought as I gazed out into my backyard that I needed to play with the Holga. I needed to photograph Something (!). Back in the day when I lived in Livermore or even in Lafayette (Bay area), I freelanced quite a bit for the Contra Costa Times and the Tri-Valley Herald (back in 2005, ‘06 and ‘o7), as well as photographing weddings. I think I photographed 6 days a week, and I loved it. I could’ve photographed more if there had been enough time. I was living and breathing photography, I saw photographs everywhere. Now as a business owner, a lot of my time is spent on building my business, organizing, working on getting more business, marketing, advertising, and most importantly, client relations (customer service). Now when I have a day off from the computer, yep, let me go explore and play. Let me photograph the world around me, the details, the moments, the LIFE as it moves around me and interacts with me. These days I treasure. The days to sleep in and the days to get up early and go find something new (to me) around me. Get out and smell the roses as many would say. (In my case, breathe the pine trees and fresh air and the energy of life).

I went to Virginia City on May 29th to photograph and explore the BattleBorn Showdown, since my hair stylist (extraordinaire) - Stephanie Pierce of Epic Salon,  had said, “Hey come check this out.”  A few that I liked from my exploration of Virginia City and the BattleBorn Showdown. (Oh yeah, it WAS a Saturday and lucky me, I stumbled upon a wedding during my exploration. Nothing like capturing a frame from a wedding on Holga!)