Just loving Brenda and Steven’s romantic, winter wedding at the Sequoia in Placerville. Winter at the Sequoia means I can pull out the flash and get creative outside. The backdrop of the beautiful house, its columns and angles, makes a wonderful setting for romantic and dramatically-lit portraits! This easy-going and fun-loving couple wanted some simple coverage, beginning with their sunset ceremony in the Veranda Room and ending during their reception. Live Mariachi music from “Nuevo Mexicali” set the tone for Brenda, Steven, their family and friends during cocktail hour and part of the reception – I so enjoy the spontaneous…

Karin and Amy were referred to me by my good friends, Dorit and Mark (friends of the bride and bride and also bartenders at this event – check them out in their German costumes in this post!) Referrals are the mainstay of my business and I love the folks I get to work with when I get them. When Karin and Amy  told me their wedding would be held in Coloma by the river, I just knew we would be the perfect match. And this was definitely one of those weddings with many memorable details. Their ceremony was in the…

Loved this intimate and romantic November wedding at the Wedgewood Sequoia. The day began with a prayer for the bride and groom, Carol and Michael, led by Pastor, Tim  Baker. Carol and Michael held hands on either side of a partially closed door as they listened, not wanting to see one another before the ceremony but still wanting that moment of connection before they walked the aisle as separate people for the last time. (So sweet.) A group of around 30 friends and family were waiting on the beautiful Sequoia patio, to cheer them on. Meanwhile, Carol’s daughters, Sara and…

The Jamali family have been friends and clients of mine now for almost a decade. Just about every year I have known them, we have worked together for an annual family shoot. I also got the honor of photographing their son, Kian’s, birth. So, you could say I know a thing or two about Kian and his family. Like most boys, Kian is a pot of boiling energy, just itching for a release and so he always challenges me to get the best out of him at every shoot. Giving him an outlet for all that energy seems to be…

Photographing brides and grooms at the Wedgewood Sequoia as their preferred photographer, I get to see so many different ways to use the beautiful house for ceremonies and receptions. For Heather and Nick, they forewent a courtyard ceremony for indoor nuptials, set against a backdrop of twinkling fairy lights. Along with Nick’s all-white tux, it made for a bright-and-beautiful ensemble. Lots of memorable moments at this wedding: from the blessing Nick’s parents gave him before the ceremony, to an emotional mother-daughter dance, and finally one of the most wonderful speeches by Nick’s parents I’ve heard in a while: I loved…

The Anderson Family have been clients of mine since 2006. Mom, Jess, works with another of my friends, Ross Hayashi, who also happens to be one of my photo tech-geeks (I’m confident he’ll find this a compliment, by the way.) For instance, when I needed help coming up with a more air-tight back-up solution for my business, I called Ross. All of this made it extra fun to surprise Jess and her family by bringing Ross along as my assistant for their recent session at a private home in Cameron Park. Jessica’s mom and Bret’s parents were able to join…

Beautiful Julia and I met up earlier this month to commemorate her Senior year in High School with some beautiful photos at Boeger Winery. Julia, currently at El Dorado High, is quite the all-rounder: hoping to study business with an emphasis in marketing at Chico State, she also just retired from seven years of competitive volleyball. She’s planning to participate in snowboarding this year and track next year. Add to this, Julia is in the Natural Resources program at her high school and her senior project is refurbishing and improving a pond over there by designing a new landscape plan.…

Another beautiful wedding at the Wedgewood Sequoia, on a beautiful early-Fall day. This time we celebrated Cortney and Sean, a wonderful, easy-going couple who wanted their wedding day to be “a great party” for family and friends. They certainly delivered. The flower girls at this wedding were just so sweet and so dedicated to their task of littering the aisle with rose petals before Cortney arrived with her brother, Jason, who gave her away. After the ceremony we took some time to take a few “just married” photos before heading into the reception where Sean, who is a singer/songwriter, surprised Cortney…

I met the Van der Vijver family back in 2011 when I photographed a 10th anniversary vow renewal for family friends, Kate and Pete Barba, on the Van der Vijver estate. (You can see the blog post for that session here.) This time it was the Van der Vijver family’s turn! We met at 8:30am on the grounds of Robert and Missy’s home in Fairplay, California, where I got to photograph them and their gorgeous son, Sasha. Sasha was such a fun little boy to hang out with: we got to throw and run through fallen leaves and he has…

Ahhh… Lexi and Perri. Two sisters, graduating high school seniors, and a beautiful yard to play in. I was one happy photographer! These girls were ridiculously photogenic and, coupled with fall colors, fun outfits and a swing, I found myself 1,000 photos into reviewing their session with barely an image nixed. And the best part was looking at each image and recalling not only how beautiful the shot was but what wonderful, warm, and grounded young women these were. Photographing them in their own yard together, we were able to combine their sessions, photographing Lexi as Perri made an outfit…

Photographing another photographer is nerve-racking. Especially when that photographer is one who is incredibly successful and whose work you greatly admire. When that person is also a good friend, there is added pressure to not only produce technically beautiful photos but also to capture something a little deeper – the emotional spirit of the day. So, when Chip, who is an accomplished architectural and fine-art photographer (plus friend of ten years), asked me to photograph his Monterey wedding to Shannon, I was not only very honored but, I’ll admit, a little daunted.  That said, I’ve been photographing weddings for more…

Baby Mark’s parents were referred to me by some wonderful clients/friends of mine, the Haffners, and Mark Alexander is their first child. I got to shoot this new family at home in Grizzly Flats recently.  It’s so wonderful to photograph a new baby at home. Those womb-like newborn shots are just adorable (and I enjoy capturing those too) but there is something so incredibly special and intimate about being invited into someone’s home to document their first, authentic moments as a newly-expanded family. At four weeks, Mark is past the curly-q, newborn stage but that didn’t mean that we weren’t…