An Engagement Session all over San Francisco

Last Friday Cole proposed to Caroline atop Mt. Tam and I got to be there to capture it. It was so beautifully set up.

On Saturday, Cole, Caroline, and I traveled all over San Francisco for a full-day engagement session hitting up some of San Francisco's most beautiful spots. And while Friday was almost sweltering, Saturday's weather was absolutely perfect. Not too warm, not too cold, bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Oh, it couldn't have been better!

Here are some of the highlights of our day…

We started around Union Square and despite being called "scoundrels" (them) and "wench" (me) by one of the locals, it was a good start to the day.



Onwards to Golden Gate Park's DeYoung Museum and Botanical Garden.



And we eventually found our way to Stow Lake, though I certainly took them on the scenic route. I introduced them to San Francisco's It's Its too!


We went to Fisherman's Wharf for some famous bread bowl and clam chowder at Boudin's and then strolled over to Pier 39 to check out the sea lions and the bay.



We then went back to Nob Hill to their hotel, the Fairmont, for a change of clothes and some shots around the hotel and Grace Cathedral.


I took them to one of my favorite little spots in the city – a little grove of trees that lets in the most amazing light during golden hour.


We ended our day at Baker Beach around sunset.




Phew! It was such a wonderful day and I can't wait to hear all about their wedding in Texas this winter.

Caroline and Cole, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your trip out to San Francisco!

No city invites the heart to come to life as San Francisco does.
~William Saroyan

p.s. To see more of Caroline & Cole's day, click here to check out their wedding guest book!

Marriage Proposal on Mt. Tam

Oh, man. So many pictures over the past few days but I just had, had, HAD to share some of what happened Friday night…

Cole contacted me a few weeks ago and said that he was traveling to San Francisco from Dallas and was planning on proposing to his girlfriend and wanted me to photograph the whole thing. Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled. I had read about this new phenomenon of proposal photography and even posted about it not too long ago.

We get everything in place and I drive to the top of Mount Tamalpais Friday evening and meet with Cole's friend, Tanner, to help set up. We staked out this stunning scenic overlook that was to die for! The view was incredible.


Tanner and I arranged rose petals and fresh fruit for Cole and Caroline to just happen upon.

I climbed up on the rocks to get a view of the action and stay hidden. Here are the results…


It was such a rush. I am always honored to be chosen to photograph someone's wedding and photographing the proposal may have been even more rewarding. The unexpected emotions and surprise and romance are so real. It's being part of a moment that may have been planned for months or even years, but the other half of the equation has no idea.

I took a few pictures of them against the amazing backdrop and then left them alone to watch the sun set, snack on the berries, and revel in what had just happened.


As if this wasn't cool enough, Cole had planned for me to travel all over San Francisco the next day for a super engagement session. Somehow he managed the best weather I have seen in San Francisco and we had a fantastic time. Stay tuned for that installation…

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Best Wedding Toast Ever

I just wanted to share this awesome wedding toast to a bride by her amazingly caring and talented friends.

Best Wedding Toast Ever!!!! (Amy's Song) - Click here for funny video clips

the feminist photographer

In my life before portrait and wedding photography, I was in graduate school for sociology.

In undergrad, I didn't know what opportunities there were for sociology majors. I just loved the subject matter and had some incredible professors that I never put much thought into what would happen after graduation. I learned that the main route for sociology majors who are really into sociology is graduate school so you can make more sociologists. This was prefect as I loved being in the classroom and I was pretty good at being a student (graduated magna cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa).

My shtick was family and gender roles and social psychology. So off to graduate school I went and ended up at NC State University studying under Barbara Risman, a nationally recognized feminist author and researcher. I had planned to focus on the gendered division of household labor, something I studied a bit in undergrad. I eventually left NCSU, partially due to my father's failing health and partially because the department was changing around and Dr. Risman had accepted a position in Chicago.

During that heavy time, I would seek solace in photography and eventually realized that photography had been a constant in my life for years. I never thought twice about it after I became fixated on the academia track.

But I still keep a look out for gender study issues and social psychology topics.

This brings me to an article I want to share with you that came out earlier this week in the New York Times about the gendered division of household labor, i.e. the imbalance of housework and childcare between spouses. I actually learned of it during my daily blog-stalking; this time on Weddingbee.

So why do I bring this up? I figure my readers are 1) good friends or family who will read regardless (Hi Mom!) 2) future brides who, like the Weddingbee gals, find this relevant in their current life stage and/or 3) forward thinking women who also happen to like pretty pictures.

If this interests you, you may also want to check out Sociological Images, a blog that points to visual media and deconstructs it sociologically. Some of the examples are a stretch, but interesting nonetheless.

And for more info on shared parenting or parenting equality or whatever you call it, here are some sites that I found: Equally Shared Parenting and The ThirdPath Institute. Definitely food for thought.

I like hugs and I like kisses,
But what I really love is help with the dishes!
~Author Unknown

Hooray California!

In case you've been living in a cave recently, I want to alert you to an amazing development in California's marriage history*: the legalization of gay marriage!

Oh, California, how I love you!

About 2 hours ago, Mayor Gavin Newsom officiated the ceremony of two eighty-something women who had been together for 54 years! Tomorrow will be even more spectacular as same-sex couples will be crowding into city hall for their turn to wed.

Without getting too political (too late for that, Lindsay!) it's clear to me that love is love. Marriage is for those who are committed to one another. Period. And to have the legal backing to assert that right is spectacular.

Many, many congratulations to all the couples who will wed tomorrow and forever more!

Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law.
~Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, A.D. 524

*Same-sex marriages have been legal in California once before in 2004 only to be nullified soon after. There will be a vote in November that could again amend California's constitution to limit marriage to heterosexual couples.

Karen + Mark: Wedding in Palo Alto's Garden Court Hotel

I went down to Palo Alto with the talented Julie of Julie Cheshire Photography the other week to photograph the wedding of Karen & Mark at the Garden Court Hotel. I absolutely loved the location. It had elements of a Spanish villa and felt so self-contained, as if it could have been in the middle of nowhere.

Karen herself was the picture of elegance. She just exuded it. Very simple makeup, very little jewelry, and a very classy and sleek hairdo. When going through the pictures I couldn't help but feel that they should be in black and white since she had that feeling about her. Her dress was a very lovely and simple strapless Maggie Sottero gown with a small train.















The raw silk bridesmaid's gowns were hand made by a family friend.



And she wore a fabulous cathedral length veil. Now, I can't say that I'm a proponent of the tradition behind veils but as a photographer, if I had it my way, every bride would wear one. They are such a great thing to photograph and I love how they turn out in pictures.





The ceremony was in a room with huge semi-circle windows on two sides, letting in tons of natural light. They had a friend officiate it and incorporated elements from both Philipino and British cultures.





My favorite part of the Garden Court Hotel was its back patio with fountain and trees and Spanish style yellow walls surrounding the place.





Julie went to one of the upper floors to photograph the entire wedding group. I stayed below with the guests to get the fun shot from the ground.



The beautiful couple walked into the reception to some hilarious toasts and delicious dinner.



Julie managed to get Karen and Mark to come outside just after sunset for some pictures in the empty courtyard. It looked so great with the little yellow lights everywhere and the open sky. It was so romantic.



Their first dance was to Frank Sinatra's The Best is Yet to Come. So classy!





For me, one of the best parts about the day was seeing Linda and Neil again! Julie and I shot Linda and Neil's wedding last summer and it was so much fun to catch back up with them. They are still as cute as ever and were oblivious to everyone around them as they danced together. I was just beaming.



There were strict orders to avoid cheesy songs and hip hop and Hector got the party jumping to some great rock and classic oldies.

We learned that Mark had once taken breakdancing lessons but we didn't get to see any of that action from him. There were some guests who strutted their stuff, especially when Michael Jackson came on. I was pretty impressed!



They had a garter and bouquet toss and Karen's facial expressions when Mark was getting the garter were just priceless. She looked like she was getting into some really cold water. Too funny.



It was a great wedding and I was so happy to be a part of it. Best of luck, Karen & Mark! Maybe we'll see more from you guys in the near future at another wedding!

The best is yet to come, and wont that be fine
The best is yet to come, come the day that you're mine
Frank Sinatra, The Best is Yet to Come

Karma

I am a blog addict. I am. (This is why my link list on the lower right side of the screen is titled "Guilty Pleasures".) I am subscribed to a ton of them and I think I check my bloglines at least twice a day. I go there for wedding trends, photographic inspiration, news, laughter, and just for straight up futzing purposes.

One of my favorite blogs is pifphoto.com. It is a fabulous source for photographers to learn about new photoshop techniques, get business advice, pick up some new templates, and just generally connect with the larger community of photographers dedicated to the idea of "Paying it Forward". It's all free and photographers and occasionally some vendors offer up all sorts of goodies.

It's a great environment and in an industry that can be a bit secretive and protective, it's an encouraging resource.

A month or so ago, Lindsay, the incredibly friendly PIF Photo founder, honored me with the invitation to become a regular PIF blogger! I thought surely she must have meant to contact someone else, but she assured me that the opportunity was mine if I wanted it.

Um, let me think about that for a sec... Yes!

So today I was announced as the newest member of the PIF Photo family and I'm so psyched about it.

Now I just need to figure out what on earth I am going to contribute! Eek!


Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about that "change" I had promised. I should be able to announce it within a week. Yay!

When someone does you a big favor, don't pay it back... Pay It Forward.
Tagline for movie, Pay It Forward

Great Moments in Portraiture

The internets have some great stuff.

Today I found a link to Great Olan Mills photos. Freaking hilarious. Had I been drinking milk, it would have come out of my nose.

I admit that I too had the Olan Mills experience when I was younger. Thankfully, I don't own any of the pictures from it but I can tell you that it wasn't pretty. Who knew that bangs don't work on the curly-haired? My step-brother had it worse though, he was in high school at the time of the pictures and, well, he had curly hair too. Big curly hair.

I actually had a great client last summer who came to me for family and graduation portraits. They were a really really fun group and asked for the Olan Mills shot. Unfortunaltely I didn't have the studio lights and a really cheesy backdrop, but I went for the classic everyone-looks-off-into-the-distance-at-nothing shot anyway (complete with horrible vignette and teal-ish glow).



Nice, huh?

"Fashion is made to become unfashionable." Coco Chanel

Photography 101: Group Pictures

I just came across a fabulous idea for taking group pictures. I'm so stealing this for my next wedding:

You want a photo of everyone together, or a photo of Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandchildren, or any other posed group–but you want everyone looking cute, not tortured. EVERYONE who’s going to be in the photo should come over and stand by the camera. Anyone not able to move comfortably can stay in the pose position, but everyone else should be at the camera. On a timer, press the button, and now EVERYONE run to get into position before the 10 seconds is up. This results in rosy-cheeked, happy-looking groups, though the group gets more disheveled looking with every “one more time, just to be sure we got a good one.”

from Sundry Buzz

Not only will the smiles look great and genuine, but it'll break the stiffness that comes along with the dreaded formal portraits.

Totally hilarious, I can't wait to see it in action with everyone in their long dresses and tuxes.

You don't take a photograph, you make it. ~Ansel Adams