For the holidays, we always get together with Geoff’s family and mine. Some years here in California, other years in Canada, but we always keep the same traditions no matter where we are.  This year everyone came to California, his parents and one sister Hailey from Australia and two sisters, Tara and Becky came from Toronto. Becky AKA as Rebecca to the rest of the world, brought her boyfriend Bryan home to “meet the family.” What a sweetheart! We could not have picked out a better guy for her. These two were so sweet together, and on Bryan’s last day here, Geoff and I decided to do a mini photo session for the two of them.  We only had about 20 minutes, and usually that is how long it takes for people to get relaxed and warmed up in front of the camera. Becky & Bryan had such incredible chemistry, they needed no warm up!

I think this is my favorite image from the session.

I love the ruffle on Becky’s skirt!

These were taken out front of one of our favorite San Francisco restaurants, Ti Couz. This is the most divine place for crepes, hot cocoa, and a do-it-yourself lemonade. Yum!

We had a small crowd of hecklers during the session (Geoff’s other 2 sisters actually) so after we were done with Becky & Bryan, I took some shots of Geoff with his three sisters Tara, Hailey and Rebecca. Hope to get those posted soon. After the session, we went to Ti Couz for Bryan’s farewell dinner. Until next time…

Nick was my first guy’s senior session. Nick’s great in front of the camera, and I’m really happy with how his images turned out.

What a cutie!

And then here’s a few of Brittainie and Nick together.

I love this one!

Brittainie, her boyfriend Nick and I went out for a senior session last week. We had so much fun, and we didn’t get to do everything we wanted, so we’ll be going back out again soon. I must say, Brittainie is my favorite model. She’s so gorgeous, look at those eyes!!!

In person, I wasn’t enjoying this location at all, so I only took the one shot above before moving on. Hmm. Sometimes things look much better on camera than in person…

my favorite, a brick wall. I could work with a brick wall and a good subject for hours.

I got the street shot in the very last light of the day.

I love this one too. Beautiful.

I’m so excited, today’s the day that our landscaping project begins. I am bartering with a landscaping company for a series of family portraits, and in exchange we are getting some landscaping done in the front and back areas. This is badly needed, as the front area has become cluttered by overgrown trees and dead or dying shrubbery. Our backyard is very narrow, with a retaining wall set against a hillside that slopes up. That hillside is a hideous sight to behold! Geoff mentioned recently that the weeds that had sprung up recently looked “nice” and “much better than the barren dirt and rocks view” we enjoyed last summer. I’m VERY very excited to see how it all turns out. I’m a big fan of lavender, gardenias, lilacs and jasmine and would go wild with those plants everywhere, but Geoff but the kabosh on that ideas pretty early on, but I’m going to try to sneak a few lavender plants in the front area at least. It’s my absolute favorite fragrance. I love the idea of bartering, as we would not normally be splurging on landscaping otherwise. I love bartering! We’ve actually done a few barters in the past…a dentist got a fabulous album upgrade and Brittainie got braces. We also did a barter with a home theatre specialist for some equipment at wholesale costs. I’m actually hoping to find a few more opportunities for bartering this year…anything home improvement related such as drapery, stonework, windows, kitchen countertops, painting or even possibly the use of a vacation home. If you are interested in bartering for family portraits, or wedding photography (or product) let me know!

Sedona has always been on my “must see” list so I was thrilled when we had a photography conference to attend in Phoenix and a friend suggested we take a side trip to Sedona, only a few hours away. It was a gorgeous day, and the views were truly amazing. Geoff & I drove around just soaking in all the scenery, then we went to this little restaurant tucked away next to a little stream and after having a great lunch, we sat out by the stream reading & having tea. It was one of those “perfect” days you don’t get very often. As the sun began to set, we headed back out to enjoy it from a scenic vista. It was amazing. This was actually back in January, but it sometimes takes us a while to get to personal work. Enjoy!

As you know, I love reading and have recently joined a used book club that allows members to mail off books to other members when they are finished with them, and to create a list of requested books to be sent to you when available. It’s called www.paperbackswap.com and I highly recommend it for those of you who love to read and get tired of spending $100 or more every trip to Barnes & Noble to pick up a few potentially good paperbacks. I refuse to go to my local library as you have to pay to park, even just to return a book, as they keep the return locked during the day which is a great inconvenience to me. And they never ever have books I want, so I have to pay to request each book. I would love to use the local library, but it’s just too much of a hassle for me.

I’m still very much enjoying the historical fiction genre. Lately I have read & enjoyed “The Russian Concubine”, “The Constant Princess” “I Capture the Castle” and “The Birth of Venus.” All of these have female heroines. “The Constant Princess” by Phillipa Gregory was probably my favorite from the batch, about one of the wives of Henry VIII. “The Russian Concubine” was great too, about a young Russian girl living in China. I’ve just ordered another one by that author, Kate Furnivall called “The Red Scarf” and I’m considering another novel by Sarah Dunant, (author of The Birth of Venus) called “Mapping the Edge” so if you have read that one, please let me know if you recommend it! “I capture the Castle” is a sweet, light read about a young girl who lives with her poor family in a rundown old castle in 1940’s England.

I’m not big on non-fiction lately, but I did very much enjoy a couple of personal accounts recently. A friend had recommended ‘Kabul Beauty School” which is about an American woman who goes to Afghanistan and opens a beauty school to teach women a skill to support themselves and their families. She encounters a great deal of resistance along the way, and it is fascinating to hear her story and how she persevered. “Shattered Dreams” is the story of a woman from a fundamentalist Mormon family who feels compelled by her own beliefs to live her life as a polygamist. I’ve been personally curious about the history and dynamics of polygamy since I’ve gotten hooked on this HBO show called “Big Love” about a modern polygamist family. What was so interesting about the book is that the woman wasn’t “brainwashed” or forced into it, she was actually in love with a young man as a teenager, and her mother tried to talk her out of it, but she felt it was her religious calling to be a polygamist. It was an incredibly difficult life, due to the poverty that is practically unavoidable for polygamists who have multiples wives and children but only a single income, which is often meager. These people were dirt poor, and yet they just kept on adding babies and wives, and their lives became more and more unsustainable. The narrator was reduced to wearing clothing made from flour sacks and going hungry most days, or scrounging & begging for rotten fruit and vegetables. And then there were the constant jealousies between the various wives. It was really a heartbreaking story, but fascinating.

A couple of general women’s fiction novels I’ve read lately are “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and “The Pilot’s Wife” both light & enjoyable reads. I actually preferred “The Pilot’s Wife” and will be reading more by Anita Shreve soon. “The Time Traveler’s Wife” was also really good, but there were a few loose ends that I never felt were wrapped up. However, I am looking forward to the movie set to be released later this summer.

Now, for a few I didn’t really get through. “Lying on the Couch” a novel about a psychiatrist and his patients (I thought that would be interesting to hear what goes on in therapy sessions, but I just got bored with it). I also tried to read “Revolutionary Road” but couldn’t get past the 50’s style language. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m sure I will enjoy that when it comes out on DVD soon.

Well, that’s it for now. We are still in St. Lucia for a few more days, so I’m going to squeeze in a few more books before we leave. Please send recommendations!!!

Today all 3 photographers, myself, Geoff & Kelvin are heading to St. Lucia to photograph a wedding. Geoff & I are going as guests actually! It is one of Geoff’s best friends getting married, and he hired Kelvin to photograph the wedding so Geoff & I could enjoy the celebration as guests. We are taking the opportunity to have another photo session with Kelvin like we did at the wedding we all photographed in Turks and Caicos in 2007.  

Our friends are getting married on a beautiful beach in the Caribbean, surrounded by close friends and family. I am so excited!

We will be out of the office for a week, but Nikki is in the office, so feel free to contact her while we are gone.

I recently met a woman in the wedding industry, Denise Fattal (Silver Creek Valley Country Club) who also runs a bone marrow organization called Fattal Foundation. Having received a bone marrow donation herself, she is spreading the word about the need to register, and organizes an annual fundraiser called a Celebration of Life at the SCVCC on November 7^th.

 And the very next day I heard from another friend, Stacie Tamaki of  The Flirty Guide that she is launching a campaign to help find a donor for her cousin who is in desperate need of a stem cell transplant. Helping Tami is the website you can go to and find out more.

I have always wanted to register for the bone marrow program, and inspired by these 2 women, I decided to finally do something about it. I looked online and found National Marrow Donor Program to get more information. To my surprise, a bone marrow registration drive was happening just 2 blocks from my house, and last week I went and joined. It was so easy, all I did was swap some saliva from my mouth. And now you can even order a kit by mail and do the test at home. It’s so simple. Click here to request a home test kit

The need for mixed race and Asian people is especially high. Once you give your sample, your information is entered into a national database, which is checked by doctors every day. When matches are not found in time, people die. Can you imagine the incredible gift of being able to save someone’s life? Yes, there is some discomfort and pain if you are found to be a match and go ahead with the donation, but wouldn’t you agree to some mild pain and discomfort for a few days to save a dying child or mom, someone’s brother?

Please check out the links and get more information. Once you register, it can take a few months for a match to be made, so the sooner the better.

Brittainie turns 17 today. Isn’t she gorgeous???!??  Look at those eyes. She is so much fun to photograph, as she has that special ability to flirt with the camera. These were taken about a year ago, I think it’s high time we created some new portraits for her. We’ll be going out in a few weeks for her official “senior session.”

She’s 17 today. As you can see, purple is definitely her color. Don’t tell her, but one of her birthday presents is some gorgeous custom made earrings by Elena, our Production Manager and also talented jewelry designer. Check out Elena’s blog for the photos and more details Elena Adams blog  about the design process. She custom designed these especially for Brittainie using amethyst gemstones for lots of sparkle. Hope she likes them!

Here are the pictures I promised on the beach house in Pacific Grove. It was super cute (for 2 people) & very affordable. It would make a perfect little mini honeymoon getaway.  Here’s the front, the street was quiet, perfect for sitting on the porch and just hanging out. The owner took a lot of care in decorating for a getaway.

There were 2 bedrooms, but it felt more suitable for 1 couple. The bathroom is amazing, with a super luxury tub with a great backyard view, lights under water, music, etc.

And look at the cute little welcome basket that was waiting for us!

I found this place on VRBO which stands for vacation rental by owner. I’d love to hear some of your favorite spots to get away in the Bay Area!