Soroka's Party

Because Dave is heading to D.C., the office figured he was going to need a new suit. Mark Strobin picked it out all by himself...I can't remember if he got it at Nordstrom's or Salvation Army, but Dave looks SMASHING! :) The next morning I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at First Awakenings with Markkanen, Kate, and Duane...he'll love that I posted him in mid-breakfast bite.

Lightning & Fires!

I drove down to Monterey last weekend to attend Soroka's (Monterey WCM) going away party as he prepares to take a new job in Washington, D.C. On the drive down there was an incoming storm system with the most lightning strikes I've seen in a LOOOOONG time. As I drove close to the Monterey Bay, I saw one storm cell that kept pumping out one strike after another. I stuck my camera through the sunroof to take the photo. For those of you familiar with the area, that storm cell is right over Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula. When I drove back on Sunday, I found out that over 800 fires had been started and the smoke was filling up the Sacramento Valley. You can barely see the hills in the distance from the hazy conditions. I promptly started to work midnight shifts. One morning, I decided to capture the unique, bright orange color of the sun as it rose.

2nd Saturday in Sacramento

I finally got a chance to check out Second Saturday where all the art galleries stay open late in the midtown area. They block off some of the streets, everyone's walking around socializing, musicians play in the streets and there are lots of cool dining/drinking establishments along the way. One art gallery had some very funky animal art (note: NO animals were harmed in the making of this art...they're not real). My friends, Dan and Jeannie, posed with the squirrel before heading out on their tandem bike. I hung out with a group of people for dinner and drinks...Kendra ( a tango gal) and Micah (an artist) are ignoring me as I took a quick pic, but they were fun to hang out with along with Michelle, Lud, and Henry.

Some wedding pix of me!

No...I'm not the one getting married, but I found these shots on Lisa & Ben's blog (from the Tucson wedding). I rarely get photos of myself when I do wedding photography, so thought I'd post these. The first shot is me in action as I shoot from above at the very beginning of the ceremony. Several people said I looked like a sniper - all in black up on the roof. The second photo is me getting a chance to relax with my Hawaii friends at the reception. Bob & Maureen work at the Honolulu forecast office and are great people to hang out with!

"Let's get ready to RUMBLE!"

I started boxing at a gym called PrimeTime Boxing in Sacramento about 5 months ago. I have to say it's the most motivating, challenging and FUN workout I've ever done. I always look forward to going even though I know they're going to kick my a$$ during the workout. The owners of the gym are Cary and Angelo Nunez. Angelo used to be Oscar de La Hoya's sparring partner and Cary is a highly trained female boxer...one of just a few in the US. They got together with Audi, Bistro 33 (a popular Sacramento restaurant), and some local fashion designers for a huge event in El Dorado Hills on June 12. Audi released their new A4 car, great food was served, there was a fashion show and, of course, some fights! The highlight was that they got Michael Buffer to come to the event...he's the guy famous for announcing "Let's get ready to rumble!" He's in the first photo and was doing the "ble" part of "rumble" when I snapped the pic. The second photo is Angelo and Cary. Third shot is some boxing action followed by the obligatory bikini-clad girl walking around the ring. The last picture is me with my friend, Dennis. He started boxing one month before I did and we keep each other motivated during the workouts. I'm so proud of him because he's lost a lot of weight in the past 6 months and his doctor has taken him off his cholesterol/high blood pressure medicine because he's getting so healthy! Way to go, Dennis!!!!

A few more Tucson wedding pix...

Had to include a few more before I start posting some of my latest adventures in Sacramento. Love the one of the baby sniffing the flowers...her head just went straight down when she saw the bouquet as the bridesmaids were getting situated for a photo op. Romantic dip, the cake cutting, first dance, and the day after,- we all relaxed by the pool!

"Antique" effect on some of the Tucson pix

The Hacienda del Sol was a beautiful setting for the wedding and being a historic site, I decided to give some of the photos an antique look. If you look closely on the veil photo at sunset...you can see the shadows of their faces in the veil and it almost looks like Lisa's shadow is about to kiss Ben. The shot through the doorway was one of my lucky shots. I was following them after they walked down the aisle and the sun provided a beautiful glow. I had no clue what my camera settings were, I just took the shot and hoped for the best. Thank God the exposure worked because I love how the sun lights up Lisa's dress!

black & whites of the Tucson wedding

More pix from Lisa & Ben's wedding...some of my favorite b&w.

The Moment

I was going through some of the wedding photos on the plane ride home and kept coming back to this one. I stared at it for a good 20 minutes trying to figure out my intrigue since it wasn't the typical Lisa "bright eyes and infectious smile" expression. I realized that this photo captured the main reason I love shooting weddings.

I've had several years experience in the wedding industry, first as a videographer's assistant, then as a wedding photographer. There's an evolution of emotion that occurs behind the scenes on "The Big Day". First, the bride is calm, cool and collected as she begins early preparations. Just sitting back and chatting with the gals as hair and make-up pampering ensues. Then, inevitably, some level of stress creeps in (nagging wedding coordinator, where is the marriage license?, a stain on the dress, cell phone calls with last minute questions, need to pay the caterer, or numerous other scenarios).

But as the ceremony begins, there's a brief period of time where the parents have been seated, the bridesmaids have just left to begin their procession, and I'm still in the room with the bride. I don't know exactly what goes through their minds, but I would describe it as a quiet intensity. Sometimes it's only for a few seconds during a deep breath, but this internalization of the day has always fascinated me. All the logistical stress of planning countless details melts away and the vibe of a life changing experience permeates the room. The bride realizes she's about to step through the door and the true meaning of this day becomes very real. To be the only person privy to witness this moment, especially when it's your friend, is one of the highest honors of doing wedding photography. Thanks to Lisa, Treena, Amy, Lacy and all the other brides that have let me be a part of their special day!

Lisa & Ben: Tucson Wedding

Lisa is one of my weather friends from Hawaii and I had the pleasure of being one of the photographers at her wedding. When Lisa first came to the Aloha State, she stayed with me for a couple of weeks while looking for her own place. During that time, I remember her telling me about a guy named Ben back in Tucson. They had been friends for awhile, but she thought it might be turning into a romance....I'd say she her intuition was a perfect forecast!

I'm BACK!

After many, many months and harassment from multiple friends...I have returned to my blog page. Here's a photo a friend took of me tango dancing at The Beat in Berkeley, CA. (So I'm back with a photo of my back - clever, eh?) I just returned from a weekend in Tucson for a friend's wedding and will be posting pix after I finish downloading all of them.