Archive for the ‘California’ Category

I don’t normally do this (post two photoss) but I have been catching up on a bunch of editing and these are two of my favorite pictures I have gone through today. First, is my sister (again), and I am hoping my mother will like this one, cause Mere is actually smiling. Even if it is a tiny smile. The second one is my brother, Cam, who is growing up to be super handsome, as well as talented. I loved the light in this one especially, and Cam finally seems to be coming around to me taking photos of him, which I love even more. These were both was taken at my cousin Gillian’s awesome wedding in Winters, which I posted about here. I took lots of photos of Gillian and Paul, but I also had a chance to get some really great shots of my more immediate family.

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Betsey’s Belly

August 22, 2010

While in California I saw a lot of my family. Pretty much all of them, on my Dad’s side, at my cousin’s wedding. And I have a lot of family (like – half of our guest list for our wedding was just my Dad’s side of the family-big). At the end of  one of the wedding events another cousin (my first cousin once removed, or is is my second cousin once removed?) Betsey said she would love to have some belly photos done while I was in town. So we made it happen! I will admit that this was the first belly shoot I have done, but Betsey was awesome and did just about anything I asked, including laying on her back, which I didn’t realize causes her a bit of discomfort. Oops, gotta file that one away for future reference.

So Betsey, thank you! for being such a beautiful and cooperative model. Also big thank you to Shane for your help and being an all around awesome husband and father. It was so sweet to see how much love Shane had for his wife and their soon to be born baby.

I think it is awesome that Betsey’s due date is Labor Day. I will be thinking of you!

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I had so much fun shooting my cousin Gillian and her brand new husband Paul for this Post Wedding Photoshoot (Trash the Dress Shoot). Paul builds custom bikes, so when I found out he had a tandem bike on hand I figured we had to make use of it. After a quick test of the breaks we were good to go for Part One of the photoshoot. Part Two involved a canoe, which was a great nod to how Gilliand and Paul met: they met as raft guides for the same company and have since expanded their boating skills into all sort of watercraft. Canoes are way more photogenic than rafts (and much easier to transport and prep). I was also thrilled when Gillian said “okay I am ready to go swimming,” which was Part Three of the shoot.

During the pre-wedding raft trip I overheard one of Paul’s friends compliment Gillian and Paul on the boating. They were in a canoe together and he was impressed with how well they worked together. He figured that if they could literally manage rapids together (which they can and do!) then they would surely be able to manage a marriage. I could draw out this river/marriage metaphor a bunch, but I won’t, cause it will quickly get corny. I will say, though, that I love both these people and I know they love each other!

I live in BC, Canada, but am available to shoot worldwide and especially love California.

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Showed the love

August 17, 2010

A few months ago I held a little contest on my blog and Marina won! So last week, when I was in the Bay Area we got together and did her photo shoot. Marina is the sweetest! All smiles even though she lost her job that day. Can you say “what!?” I did. I was also impressed; she is much more an optimist than me. We met up in Berkeley and within a few blocks found some great places to shoot. If you are in need of a graphic designer, Marina is looking for freelance work! Here are my favorites from the day.

{Even though I live in Canada I am available to work worldwide and especially love California.}

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Ms. M {Tasty Tuesday #36}

August 17, 2010

Another Tuesday and it’s Tasty. I have to admit that I have no idea where Reuben came up with this name, but I liked the idea of having an excuse to post old photos, so I asked if I could jump on the Tasty Tuesday wagon on flickr and then hijacked it as a motivation to blog. So this weeks photos from the archives isn’t that old, it is only from about a month ago. I know already that my mother is not going to like this photo of her youngest daughter (cause Ms. M is not smiling in the photo), but I like this one all the same. Photography gives me a chance to capture a moment in time (this one was one two hundredth of a second in Mere’s life) and I love being able to look back on the brief moment in time. In this one Mere is either talking about what she is going to order (we were at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown in San Fran)  or she was talking about her Italian friend who we didn’t manage to meet up with til later in the week. Either way it is a moment of her life and for that I like it.

San francisco portrait photography

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This week was overshadowed by two events: meeting Steve Nash and picking up Charlie. Oh, and I started the week off in California and ended it in Oregon, with a stop in Victoria in betweeb. In other words I was busy, doing a lot of traveling and smiling pretty much non stop.

Monday: I did a photoshoot with Marina, winner of my “Show Me the Love” blog contest.

Tuesday: was my first ever belly shoot with my cousin Betsey – she is due on Labor Day – which I think is perfect.

Wednesday: was a post wedding shoot with Gillian and Paul. Love wedding dresses and rivers.

Thursday: I traveled home.

Friday: I slept in, unpacked and then repacked for Sunday.

Saturday: I shot a wedding with Kelsey – and Steve Nash was in attendence – and I must becoming more Canadian cause I recognized him before Kelsey did, though at first I could not figure out why he looked soooo familiar.

And finally Sunday was a travel day to pick up the newest addition of my family – Charlie – the cutest little Frenchbo I have ever seen – and rest assured you will get to see TONS of soon. As it was pointed out by one person Charlie is “weapons grade cute.” I couldn’t agree more. As a new mama I also think he is pretty well behaved and appears to already be responding to his name, but then again his ears perk up to just about anything.

Go Bears! I had fun walking around campus and up the hill to where I used to live.

For two years I climbed these steps almost everyday.

Spent a lot of time on public transit in California. And what do you know it works!

Are you Steve Nash!?

Oh, you’re Steve Nash!

On the ferry from Victoria, BC to Port Angeles, WA. Too early I might add.

Kevin and I figure Charlie is suffering from Stockholme Syndrome at this point of our relationship. We are both his captors and best friends.  At some point we hope the captors part will fall away and we can all just be friends.

Kevin and Charlie in a random cornfield.

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Lat week was a bit all over the place. Literally. Woke up Monday in Sacramento, went to San Francisco to wander around (and eat) then headed down to Santa Cruz for a bit t hang out with my mom, step-dad, sister and step-sister. Then Saturday I made my way back to Oakland and the Bay Area. So, I was all over the place and so are my Life As A Wife photos for the week. So here we go:

After a bit of tense driving trying to find this place, Kevin, Meredith and I walked around the Presidio and enjoyed big letters made of hay. Kevin and I learned a lesson in conflict resolution: we are both equally bad/good at being the navigator for the other.

Kevin had to get on a plane and head home, but I went down t Santa Cruz to spend some time with my Mom. And I went to the boardwalk for the first time! Ever. Lots of fun. And LOTS of screaming (mostly by me).

Friday Night was Date Night at my Mom’s house. I was the third wheel on a date with my Mom and Step-dad. Mere had the only “official” date in the house. But we all saw the same movie. Hmmmmmm. 

Spent most of Saturday afternoon redecorating Kristen and Todd’s apartment. This is me post shoot: a hot mess, but at least I have a glass of wine in hand. Took 2 hours to wrap everything about about 30 seconds to unwrap it all.

I know I am super late posting last weeks L.A.A.W, but traveling throws a wrench in my schedule. Big time.

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Kristen and Todd are great! Like REALLY REALLY good people that everyone should know, or at least have to equivalent of  in their life. I met Kristen in an Anthropology class; and even then she was the type of girl who would ask about how my week was going, and would actually listen if you had something to complain about. And then we ended up living together. Which wasn’t really planned, but when my other friend, Colleen, and I went to look at places there Kristen was interviewing us about the big bedroom at the front of the house. And then I met Todd. Todd lived downstairs (two floors down to be exact) and about six months after I moved in Todd was spending the night in Kristen’s room. A lot. And he has been ever since. Except now they are married (so it really is both their room).

Kristen and Todd got married last year and I have to say of all the weddings I have been to (and I have been to a lot since theirs) they had the most entertaining wedding I have ever been to. At no other wedding has the groom broken into song to tell his new wife just how much joy she brings into his life. Cause when you love someone as much as Todd loves Kristen, really! the best way to express that is through song. Oh, and there was also a puppet show at the wedding too… can you see now why you need people like this in your life?

Anyway, they have been married a year now, and I was supposed to do a post wedding photo shoot with these two about 10 months ago, but the timing never worked out. So, finally, this last weekend we made it work. Since they have been married a year now my first thought was paper (which is a traditional one year anniversary gift guide of some sort). So I told Kristen to keep a bunch of old newspapers cause I was planning something for this shoot. At first I thought I would just cover their floor, but then I realized that wrapping their furniture would be so.much.cooler. So that is what we did. Thank you both for you patients and help in “redecorating” your apartment.

I love you both and happy anniversary!

Though I live in Canada I am available to shoot anywhere and I especially love California.

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What an epic weekend! My cousin Gillian got married on Sunday and boy did I have fun! Kevin commented that he felt like the wedding lasted all weekend,  and it sort of did! Friday night, after a 4 am wake up in Victoria, we spent the evening at the bachelor and bachelorette parties. I’ll spare you all the details, but the evening ended with us doubling home on one of Paul’s custom bikes, and the highlight was arguing with a bouncer about the legitimacy of our BC driver’s licenses’. Saturday we got up bright and early to go on a float down the American River. Paul and Gillian met as river guides, and it was a great way to meet all the new relatives. Kevin and I were happy to see that it was socially acceptable to switch from coffee to beer at 10 am (after all this weekend was a bit of a mini-vacation for us). Saturday night was the rehearsal dinner and FINALLY on Sunday we got to the wedding. And what a beautiful wedding it was.  Gillian and Paul tied the knot at a beautiful farm in Winters. The weather was great and even though I wasn’t the “official” photographer (I was referred to as just “the photog” by the bridal party) I still got some good shots, and so did Kevin (he is turning into an awesome photographer and may join me as my “official” second shooter for a future wedding). It was great to see my family this weekend and celebrate such a great union.

Congratulations Gillian and Paul!

Some fun snaps from the river trip on Saturday.

Gillian has never been one for convention and wore a purple dress to get married it. So pretty!

If you are gonna wear a kilt, be a man and make your own. Paul did!

Paul is an awesome boatman, bike builder and musician.

How the boys prepped for the wedding.

Gillian claims her family is unable to “pose” for photos without looking odd, but I LOVE THIS ONE!

Gillian and her Maid of Honor, Megan. Megan’s first impression of Gillian was a bit messy; Gillian threw up a few minutes after Megan first spotted her. Glad to see it their friendship has been so strong since then.

Pigs are a big deal in our family, so I loved seeing these cake toppers!

After the ceremony we all released butterflies into the air. They symbolize the change that Gillian and Paul have made in their life (and they make less of a mess than birds, when they first take flight). Kevin snapped this one!

I can’t wait to do a Trash The Dress Shoot with Gillian and Paul when they get back from their honeymoon. Think custom built bikes and a canoe. Yipee!

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This week was a big week! My cousin Gillian got married to a good man named Paul (photos are coming soon). But before we headed to California, Kevin and I practiced our swings; me on an actual swing and Kevin with a golf club. Once in California though Kevin and I had an epic BC Day Long Weekend, oh wait, wedding weekend. Friday were the bachelorette and bachelor parties. All I will say is Kevin and I ended the evening doubling home on a custom made Wacko bike. Oh and we got rejected admittance to one bar because apparently they don’t accept BC driver’s licenses. Saturday was a family float down the American River. An important part of river trips is that “Howdy” can mean hello, but can also mean “pass a beer over.”  Sunday was the wedding. And it was a perfect wedding! Gillian and Paul got married on a beautiful working farm in Winters.

Congratulations Gillian and Paul.  And Gillian you are only 10 weeks behind me in your life as a wife!

It is harder to swing and photograph than I expected.

Kevin gave me a hand on this one!

And he tried to teach me to swing a golf club (again) but I hit way more air than ball.

Taken on the river (in the river actually -Thank You AJ for the camera).

I set up a photobooth at G+P’s wedding. This was one of my favorites.

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