Dave + Anna

Dave and Anna's full wedding story posted next week.

This couple is gorgeous. Like, really.

(Shot on land camera with 690-100pola film)

ps. NO photoshop editing done. This was strait out of the camera and scanned. That sky is for real people.

Meet Holland

I had the pleasure of flying up to San Francisco to photograph this new little human. Unlike some newborns too sleepy to give me even one look....Holland was modeling like a true professional. Big wide eyes, pouty little lips and of course, playing to the best light.

Oh how I wish this whole crew lived about 6hrs closer. There is something about a new family of three....something that makes you want to stay and stare at them forever.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam. Oh Amsterdam.

One of the highlights was getting to meet up with Rachel and Marielle for dinner...dear friends I met while traveling in Asia years ago. And thanks to Julie got tons of delicious food recommendations.

Poffertjes, (miniature yeast pancakes caked in butter and powder sugar), were a bit of an obsession. We had a lot of these but found our most delicious AND least expensive ones at the market shown above. Of course we ate frites with pinda sauce and tried many cheeses. We took Julie's advice and tried the one with mustard seeds which we ate with bread by a canal watching the boats float by.

There is just something about cities with canals...they get me every time.

(All photos taken by me on the 330 land camera w/ Polaroid 690-100iso film...except for the shot of a girl holding lilacs, which granty pantalones takes credit)

Füssen, Bavaria

One of the main reasons I loved Bavaria: wood piles everywhere.

Maybe not a selling point if you prefer trees alive, but with the snow capped mountains in the distance they were something out of a storybook.

This particular woodpile was in the shadow of the Neuschwanstein Castle...which is really just a tourist trap. I was much more interested in the piles of wood.

Kinderdijk, Holland

We would have missed this bike ride completely if it hadn't been for blog friend Julie's recommendation. Thank you! It was one of the most relaxing moments of our whole vacation.

(Not seen, Jenni or I....but I have digital proof that we were there. Coming soon.)

Grant looks like he's a member of a windmill bike gang.

Film is Fuji FP-3000B, shot on my 330 polaroid land camera.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

It was chilly the day we spent in this quaint walled city...but I didn't mind.

The empty streets were romantic and the muted colors whispered at me.

I had a little bit of a love affair with Bavaria.

(Photos taken on the 330 land camera w/ polaroid 690-100iso film)

Tulips in Holland

We timed our travels perfectly to be able to see the Dutch countryside covered with flowers. The smell was unreal. Miles and miles of the best smell ever. We did make a very short visit to the Keukenhof, but found walking through the surrounding bulb fields much more appealing AND free. The colors of those flower fields were a visual I will never forget.

(Photos taken on the 330 land camera w/ polaroid 690-100iso film)

PS. Happy 4th of July Weekend!!! We are jetting to San Fransisco for a newborn shoot (of a new baby girl named Holland!) and hope to be back in time to see some fireworks at Culver City High School. We love our small town in the middle of a big city.

Bruges

Can we please start looking at my Europe photos already?!

Lets take a little break from weddinglandia and take a look at some of the instant film I shot in April.

Film is Fuji FP-3000B, shot on my 330 polaroid land camera.

Bruges was one of our favorite cites. Better than Brussels...just saying...

Brooke + Luke, San Diego Wedding

A short list of rad things that happened at this wedding:

hard hats

color

beautiful children

pinata

tacos

churros

"short people" daugther/father dance

belly garter slide

flowers

ice cream

giant groom

mini bride

..and that amazing gorgeous gigantic yard!

What an amazing day.

So much positive energy and so many beautiful people.

Thank you for having me out. xo.

Mikell

Shooting, shooting, shooting and not very much blogging. My apologies.

The good news is that once I find some time I have LOTS of stuff to share.

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like a nap. xo.

Rachael + Alex, Montgomery Alabama Wedding

Alabama knocked my socks off! I showed up with a welcome bag in my hotel room. Score. I grocery shopped at a Piggly Wiggly. Score. I bought butterfly earrings at Apropos. Score. I got to sit in the bridal room as Rachael got ready and stare at her. Score. AND I ended the night by seeing my first ever firefly. It was a very busy and very productive 24hrs.

There are so many amazing neighborhoods near Montgomery. I want to go back and spend a week just driving the streets and photographing the people. Every person, house and street had so much to say.

Rachael and Alex, thank you for having me be a part of your wedding. I loved being there and cheering you on.

Life will be happy for you, I know it.

Caroline's Trip to Seattle

(all photos taken by Caroline and snagged from her flickr)

Remember the trip to Seattle I gave away when my new website launched? Well, Caroline was the lucky winner and just returned from her trip to the Northwest.

She graciously shared some photos with us documenting all of the fun and deliciousness (I spy some oysters from Elliots Oyster House).

Visit her blog and get ready to spend all of your money. Everything she shares I want to buy.

Caroline I am glad you had a little getaway. I had the best time gifting it.

Maybe it's time to give away more prizes?

Creative Live Weekend

(The last photo was taken by fellow classmate Eric. Proof I was in the same room with Master Zack)

The three day studio lighting course with Zack Arias felt more like 3 months. SO much information...in so little time.

It was a photo geek fest. Lights, exposures, cameras, lenses, modifiers, my new boyfriend the 7ft westcott octabank, community, twitter, chat rooms, ruby slippers.......

If you weren't able to watch it live online, and you think you can handle the "geek" level, buy a DVD of the course here.

Zack is an open OPEN book. I have used studio lighting before even though I am a natural light girl at heart, but even with my limited knowledge there was so much I didn't know. Some might have been a review like some of the fstop/numbers talk BUT I had so many little questions about set up and settings and tips on getting a perfect studio shot through the camera. Zack answered all of them. I especially wanted to learn more about modifiers and his opinion on what to buy...what was really needed.

I feel extremely blessed to have been one of the 6 people invited to attend. It really is kind of dreamy for me to be surrounded by people that share so much of my same passion. Being there and reconizing my extreme interest and love for my sport, confirms again what I have always known. I love photography.

Zack and his crew were beyond gracious and kind.  Chase Jarvis hugged me when we met, feed us barbecue and then let me borrow his iphone charger...nuff said. AMAZING. The Creative Live team was so inviting, fun to be around and so on it! You should have seen the production. So impressed. And my other 5 classmates......quality, quality people. Genuine, ego free and all with that fire behind their eyes. I know that fire.

I also gained a lot of new Twitter friends (if you want to follow me on twitter you can here) and for that I am so grateful. I love how the photography community has changed through twitter. It was an amazing process to watch this weekend as questions rolled in and Zack was able to answer them in real time. A wealth of information was being shared. It was humbling to watch.

I received numerous questions via twitter and thought I would answer some of couple of them here:

-No, I do not have an "actual" studio in my bathroom. I have this great mini bathroom that boosts great window light and a white wall behind my tub. I have been know to fake a studio look tub side in a pinch. My tryout video, seen here, for this class shares a glimpse of my fake studio. I also shoot every once in a blue moon in real studio setups like here and here.

-So many of you kind of souls were concerned about my focusing issues while I was shooting live (in front of probably 16,000 plus people!!!). I have not yet solved the issue. I did find a forum with some info here, http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00WVzY, but not a firm solution. I have been shooting with that 5D for over three years now. Might just be time for an upgrade. My focus lock has been intermittently working and not working for a couple of months now. Very annoying, especially when thousands of people are watching it happen. Such is life. Let me know if any one has any suggestions on the matter.

Love, love, love to everyone that made this weekend happen and thanks again to Zack & Meg for having me out. It was like Disneyland on crack.

I just feel inspired to be better. A better photographer and a better person.

Links to all my awesome classmates (or as Jeramie called us, "The Oceanic Six"...even typing that makes me miss LOST pretty fierce):

Jeramie Shoda

Aileen Reilly

Jordan Cartwright

Eric Krebs

Nicholas Lopez

Mara + Danny, Boston Wedding

One of my favorite weddings. They way they planned their day was ideal. Small intimate group of friends and family, hours for us to walk around Boston Commons and just enjoy the day and great lunch/reception where they let the Myers + Chang do most of the work.

I just really loved hanging out with them and getting to spend so much time with them during their first day as husband and wife. I'll never get over how cool that is.

Thanks for having me out for a fantastic wedding in one of my new favorite cities.

(Remember how Mara is one of the masterminds behind the brilliant clothing line, Harvey Faircloth? Check out their spring/summer line...you will want everything.)

Benders + Bathtub

After yesterday's post I wanted to show off my bathtub a little more.

Obviously I won't be giving it up. It's just too awesome.

I have some pretty major Bender Family love.  Thanks for taking a "photo bath" with me.

Check out Julia's blog if you want to stare at Ro-Ro a little more.