brett.

when someone trusts in your abilities, talents and "expertise", one can't help but want to frolic through a meadow or go sky diving. or something. there is a huge sense of freedom. ah i love that space to be creative, to do what i do. and it is even better when who you're working with affirms that space out loud and up front. love it.

well, that is what happened yesterday with Brett's senior photo shoot. Brett's dad Brian said to me before the shoot "i don't really have much to say. we trust you. do what you do." sweet-ness. i shall, and i shall do it well. so brett and i piled in the jetta and headed out to find the most urban locations we could in little old mammoth lakes. that was more difficult here than in sb.

brett is also a senior at mammoth high school and is an avid skateboarder, snowboarder and artist. so we thought we could play up the skateboarding thang and take an urban-ish approach to the shoot. we first headed to an old tennis court per Brett's request and got a few good actions shots. other locations? a run down hotel. a parking garage. a meadow. an aspen grove. so fun. what i loved about hanging out with Brett was his ideas and creativity and willingness to suggest and try crazy stuff like standing on top or a fence post or jumping off a wall. and i love anyone who appreciates art and just gets it. makes my job so much more fun. anyways, without further ado...Brett Burns...

paul.

today i had my first official high school senior photo shoot. paul monahan is a senior at mammoth high school and has plans to attend SBCC next year. um, yah, that is in santa barbara, so i for sure approve. paul is awesome. he is funny, casual and easy-going. we had a blast. paul's mom, elisabeth, is one of my mom's dearest friends and she and paul asked me to do his senior portraits. of course, i couldn't resist. so today i headed up early to scout out some locations and then drug paul, elisabeth and my mom/assistant across marshy meadows, over fences and through sagebrush to "get the shot". whist paul and i were in the meadow, we heard a rattle. it sounded just like a rattle snake. we both squeaked, jumped and prepared to dash away to safety. only to realize, it was but a innocent piece of flora, a dried flower with some seeds in it. our mothers were snickering and giggling at us from afar. you have to always be alert and ready for anything whist you are at a shoot. you just never know...

any-how, it was great fun spending the afternoon with them, and i am stoked about the shots we got. thanks paul (and elisabeth) for allowing me to do your senior photos. for a slideshow of the shoot, click here.

alisa.

on monday, i got the honor of taking my friend alisa's head shots. she is an actor in LA, a long time dream of her's and now, she is doing it. i am so proud. there is something so sweet when you see your friends chase their dreams and find themselves doing what they love. alisa loves movies. she love the culture, the work, the people. she is passionate about acting and i am simply ticked about that. so she came up to sb for a few hours, and we did the shoot and then had pastries and coffee at my favorite place: red's cafe alisa and i went to mammoth high school together back in the day. ah, it was so good to share a few moments together after all these years. it had been far too long since we had hung out. so, here are a few of my favs...

erin & the kids.

i get it. any dog owner does. them canines become part of our families, our kids, our friends. a pup is not merely a pet, but a part of your family. and integral part mind you. they come everywhere with us, sleep on (and in) or beds, "guard" our houses and excitedly greet us when we get home. so of course, these children of ours need special attention from time to time. so we talk to them on the phone when we are away. we wrap their christmas presents. we buy them toys or perhaps a sweater. and those on the outside, look at us as if we are crazy. but those of us who are dog lovers, we get it. we understand it all and embrace all this comes with having "kids".

erin has the most precious pups. as she says "they are perfect" and really, they are. they are evidently a huge part of her life and are truly perfect for her. she adores them. and i love it. over the past few days i too have become quite fond of Snoopy, April and Teddy. part of this is because Teddy and April are labradors and Snoop Dog is part lab. but also, they are so fun and well behaved. Snoops is a leaner--he leans into your legs when you pet him. April is the princess and looks just like my Lydia. And then Teddy is the old man who is still going strong. ah what a great dog.

so we thought it fitting to head to the beach and snap some photos of the pups and erin frolicking in the sand and waves. what great way to spend a morning...

ryan + shannon.

red roses. white orchids. brander sauvingnon blanc. teal accents on a smooth white cake. the fess parker double tree resort. shannon and ryan. this all combined made one goregeous and incredibly fun wedding day.

i had the honor of second shooting with my friend kacie jean. she is the leader of the santa barbara PUG (pictage user group) and so we first meet the the ugly sweater christmas party up at david jay's house. she asked me a while back if i would second shoot with her next time i was in sb, and of course, i could not resist. how could i pass up a chance to hang out with kacie and photograph a wedding at the same time? seriously! so i planned a trip to come down and help her out at two weddings. (i will post the first one soon).

so here is a few montages of my favorite images from Shannon and Ryan's wedding...

charley.

so after we did the the 1940's shoot, charley and i switched it up and climbed into erin's empty pool for some "urban" style photos. we had a blast trying different poses, angles and perspectives. i was stoked about the final images. so fun. thanks charley. check it:

hannah.

we go way back. back to the days of junior high awkwardness, to crowley christian school plays, to mission trips to latin america. the memories abound. the inside jokes and stories are plenty. there is something so sweet about having childhood friends that turn into life-long friends. you know that kind i am talking about. the one's who come to your birthday parties, call you at least once a month, send you a photo in the mail. friendships that have literally been through thick and thin, heartache and happiness. friendships that bring you to your knees at Jesus' feet full of gratitude and thankfulness.

hannah is one of those friends. i adore her.

she is graduating in december from Cal State Fullerton. i am so proud. you see, she took a year off to serve in the mission field and completed a discipleship training program with Y.W.A.M. (Youth With A Mission). when she got back from Guam, she hit the books, determined to earn her degree and graduate "on time." well she worked her butt off and will finish in december. a reason to celebrate.

and to do a photo shoot.

so, we ventured up to McGee Canyon (one of my favorite places in the world, and favorite places to shoot). the trees were just turning gold and the canyon was aglow with beams of autumn light. although, it was breezy and the sun was shy, we got some cool shots and of course had a wonderful time hanging out.

lundy.

i went for a hike yesterday. the changing leaves and a visit from some friends drew me up lundy canyon, one of my favorite hikes in the sierras. the aspens were laden with leaves colored hues of gold, yellow, orange, red. quaking they were in the faint autumn breeze. a breeze that carried with it breaths of change, of winter. fall is an interesting season if you think about it. i suppose part of its intrigue has to do with that fact that it is a transitory season. it often happens so fast. one minute the days are hot and bright. and then, there is the cool bite in the air, yet the colors of autumn counteract that often bitter cold that comes along with the season as if to say, "hell now miss thang! you best pump your brakes!" those hues of pumpkin, amber and crimson pulse through our veins a warmth that reaches into our very beings and tantalizes our senses with all that is autumn. our minds (and hearts) are taken to thanksgiving days bygone. family feasts. granma's hot, butter horn rools browned to perfection. afternoon strolls across the blanket of fallen leaves wrapped snugly in a hoodie. pumpkin-carving and leaf-pile-pouncing.

and of course, with the falling leaves, comes the realization that winter is near. where i come from, winter is a big deal. it is the center of our mountain-town calender, and lives. winter in the sierras is what we await during the other three seasons. sure, we love the flowers of spring, and the crowley lake days of summer, but the crisp, white mornings of winter have truly captured the hearts of skiers and snowboarders alike. and this realization elicits emotions of excitement. and yet carries with it a harsh reality. life (in the natural, botanical sense) is no more. leaves fall off and die. brown bears crawl into their caves and take a very long nap. squirrels pack into those hollow trunks surrounded by a winter's supply of nuts. the birds fly south for winter. the grass turns brown.


yet we know that in this sleep, this cold, frozen, life-less, barren winterland there is a calm silence that is pure and simple. the quiet means rest and rejuvenation. preparation for the new life ahead. without fail, life is again restored as the snow melts away. a beautiful promise indeed.

i am ever intrigued by nature. stop and think about it for a moment and it will blow your mind. and our earth provides us with powerful metaphors that allow us to make sense of our human world. and our Creator. trippy.