Extra Medium's photostream  

We have had a LOT of amazing sunsets here lately. If Summer is wedding season, then this is absolutely sunset season. And it’s almost got to the point where I drop everything to go and chase a sunset. Race to a new location, try to find an interesting foreground and then my tripod & filters ready, get a great sunset. It’s exhausting. The best sunset of the year (yes it’s only 26 days old) was a few days ago, and I only had my iphone with me. I took a photo, but I had this feeling like, “MAN, I wish I could have just had all my equipment and been somewhere new and cool and got a great shot…” But then there I was with my 6yo and fiancé riding our bikes around the park in mid-January… and I was complaining. At least I got to experience it with them.

No regrets

Man walks into a bar. Sees a beautiful blond woman across the bar by herself sipping on a martini. She looks up at him with clear blue eyes and flashes a crooked smile. He gasps and mummers to himself, “Wow… I bet she has a great personality…”

I know it is wrong to comment on a women’s physical beauty before really getting to know her, but at just over a year old, she really knows how to work a camera. This girl’s eyes and beach blond hair was just so amazing. All I wanted to do yesterday was get one good shot of her eyes wide open to showcase those eyes against that hair. I got it. And this really wasn’t retouched much at all. This is the beauty that God gave her. Wow. Trouble ahead.

Not only that… but she does have a great personality. Loves to give hugs.

I didn’t take a single photo this weekend (with my big camera) and I’m starting to get feeling back in my trigger finger finally. I did finish editing the photos for the wedding from the previous weekend and what stuck out to me was this photo of the bride wearing boots. Her dad recently fell ill and was not able to make her wedding, so to remember him, she wore his boots. Boots he wore daily and it meant a lot to her to be able to do this to honor him. Not all photos are captured with the intent of being blown up on canvas and put over the fireplace. Some photos are simple but have meaning for those you’re shooting for. Other photos when seen along with the others help piece together the event or the experience.

More of their wedding photos here where you can see from her response she was thrilled with them.

After another week of politically-fueled posts, family drama and fame-whoring, it’s nice to finish off the week with probably the most amazing barn I’ve ever found. It was the weekend before last while going upto Yosemite and I saw it on the side of the road. It’s abandoned. I think it’s the property of the restaurant a couple hundred yards away, which is also abandoned. So sad. This is only 5hrs from where I live, and my IDEAL life would be to own this barn, and then inside it have a state-of-the-art photo studio, dressing room and upstairs studio loft. Then the restaurant I’d convert into a sushi bar/micro brewery which also sold carne asada burritos and smoothies. Perfect life!

But NOOO, I’m stuck down in Southern California for the moment. Not that I’m complaining. It’s mid January and it’s going to be mid-70s.

Happy fence Friday weekend ahead.

Not all pregnancies are planned. Not all children are initially desired. But it’s truly amazing how life-changing holding your own child can be. That certainly was the case for my (almost 7yo) Dylan. And now he defines me as much as I define him. I remember the day I found out. I was a hipster living in Hollywood, the cool single guy with a girlfriend. This was the worst news I could have expected to hear. But it changed my life for the better, and someday soon I hope to have more.

This is Grace and she is the third child for a family I’ve been photographing for a couple years now. The love they have for their children is amazing. The kids wellbeing come first, and they douse them with affection and love.

Is it me, or is everyone around here having kids?