Archive for the ‘Adventure’ Category

jug handle state reserve, california

Headed up the coast to the Mendocino area this past weekend with our friend Allen and his daughter (who is the cutest ever – her and Gromit were like two peas in a pod) and took the opportunity to get some r&r, while at the same time playing with my newest cameras (Fuji X100 & Contax G2). I’m still going to need to wait for the Contax film to develop, but I played around with the images from the Fuji, and I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of how the camera reacts (it’s different than my Canon 5D mk3, which basically feels like an extension to my body)!

winters, california

Thanks to the constant barrage of rain that we’re getting in Northern California lately, I’ve had to postpone so many shoots around here, which is such a bummer! I do love rain, but it’s making me yearn for some sun drenched summer days (minus the 100 degree heat of course), like this one I shoot for my friend Ashley of Hither & Thither. Ashley, her husband, Aaron and I met up about an hour outside of Sacramento in Winters, next to the charming little Putah Creek. They grabbed some canoes & treats (and we stumbled on that magical hammock) while I captured them enjoying the water and sun for a piece for Ashley’s blog (link to her original post here).

After shooting this, I was on such a HIGH! I felt like I had shot for a magazine, and I dream of a couple would also do something like this for their engagement session! So any recently engaged couples interested? Let’s do this, I’m game!!

What do you get when you have two adventurous lovebirds frolic together in the rocks? You get these amazing images. <3

One of the fun things about moving back to NorCal is all the new places to shoot and explore. I find myself always gravitating towards the water though, I must definitely have an affinity for it (even though I can barely swim!).

Believe it or not, this is Folsom Lake, with the water being very, very low. This was shot before all the rains came in recently though, so this may all be underwater now!

Adventuring is one of my favorite things to do in the world, and I love adventuring with my couples the most. A sense of fun, freedom, connection and joy should always be infused when creating, I think!

Styled by: Susan Yee

Happy Birthday to one of my best friends Jasmine! Jasmine is one of my favorite people in the world. In the first years of knowing one another, we bonded over our love of photography, and one of the ways we did that was to go on what we called “frolics” together (it might seem familiar if you know her business name! ;)). We would go to a location, usually woodsy, bring our cameras, and just shoot one another in cute outfits. It was a fun creative outlet for us, and now that I no longer live in San Diego, I miss doing those frolics with her terribly!

A few years ago for her birthday, we took a mini girl’s trip out to Julian, a little town not far outside of San Diego. I never got to share the images from that trip, so here I am, doing it 3 years late! We stayed at a little cabin, and drank booze and stared up at the stars late at night, while talking about life and everything inbetween. That’s one of my favorite things about her — the depth of conversations we have, which can be about the universe, to people and what makes them tick, our own thoughts and feelings, paths in life, and goals and dreams. She is an amazing friend. Not to mention she is so immensely talented in everything she puts her mind to! I am thankful to have her in my life, and I hope this year is another amazing one for her. <3

To check out her images of me and her thoughts about turning a year older, head over to her blog post about this trip!

 

To New Adventures.

About 10 years ago I was a fresh-out-of-college-graduate, living in Sacramento with my parents. I had dreams of starting a photography business, and I had dreams of starting it in San Diego where Zach had moved down t0 only months before. I knew I could make it work, so only after a few months of being out of college, I immediately set off to Southern California; with big dreams and big hopes.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve built my business from the ground up. Building my client base, working with some amazing people, and honing my craft. Living in the San Diego area (specifically Encinitas where we ended up settling) has be wonderful, and such a treat. There really is nothing like being able to walk to the ocean everyday. San Diego/Encinitas became the place where I grew into myself as a person, and the place where I began listening to my voice, and trusting my gut. The place where I found my wings as an artist and a person, and where I started to fly.

The place where the adventures began.

But even though San Diego created so many wonderful things for me (and us), it was missing something else – namely family, and the community of people we grew up with. And the trees. Man, I missed the abundance of trees up there.

So, after many hours, days & weeks of going back and forth, we came to the decision to start the next chapter in our adventure, and move back up to Northern California, specifically Sacramento where we were raised. Where our family is, and where Zach can fulfill his own dream of finishing his degree.

While I will be living in and based out of Sacramento starting January 2015, I will be serving both Sacramento & the San Francisco Bay Area for weddings, photo sessions & other photography services.  

We are sad to be leaving the relationships & life we’ve built down here, but we know that this next step in our lives is the right one. We will be closer to family, be able to accomplish more life goals, and I will be able to work with my Northern California client base to build my business and my art further.

So, farewell San Diego. Here’s to new adventures!

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If you’re in Sacramento or the Bay Area and are interested in inquiring or booking for a wedding or session, please email me, I would love to hear from you! I will be offering booking specials for the first few months of 2015, drop me an email to hear more!

In addition, I would love to collaborate with fellow creatives on shoots, so if you’re interested in getting some photos of something unique & creative, or have some great ideas and want to potentially get it captured, I would love to hear from you too!

 

A few days ago, I was going through the archives of my blog, looking over old posts, and reading old things I wrote. I was a much different blogger then than I am now, and it made me wonder, why? What changed? Why did I stop sharing so much? In all honesty, I think that is one of my favorite things about photography — sharing the way I se the world. I love sharing with people how I see life, and how I want to live it. The things that inspire me, that make my jaw drop, the tidal wave of emotions that is the human experience. That is what art is all about, right? A way to express emotion, when simple direct words fail you.

Adventure has always been something I highly value. The ability to explore new places, and to experience that magical feeling of awe — is one of my favorite things in the world. This past summer, Zach and I, along with some of our friends, took off for the Eastern Sierras on a camping trip with the goal to hike Mount Dana. This would be my first mountain summit, and it was quite the experience. I caught my first fish, and we got chased off the summit of the mountain by a sudden thunderstorm! We camped at Tioga Lake, which was always a dream of mine – to camp right next to a lake in the grass, and we canoed, fished, and enjoyed the beautiful Sierras. During our stay there, we also visited Mammoth Mountain and surrounding areas, hiking to Rainbow Falls, stopping at random places by the side of the road (like abandoned homes that overlook the mountains) and Alabama Hills, which was HOT, but beautiful.

In addition, you will also noticed more photos of me! That’s because Zach had taken a photography class this past year, and shot alongside me during this entire trip, which was awesome. :) He made some really wonderful images — like the one above, which was just before sunrise on the way to Tioga Lake (to which I was passed out in the car at the time).

All in all, a wonderful adventure, filled with good memories, and new experiences!