I absolutely love San Francisco engagement shoots. New love is a captivating thing and there are so many awesome settings in this city to capture it. Tegan and Igor are really cute couple and it was fantastic to Golden Gate Park as a backdrop for the session. Igor is Russian like me, so we connected easily which contributed to a having a fun and relaxed shoot.
At Golden Gate Park we started at Stow Lake before moving on to the Palace of Fine Arts. After our time in the park, we headed to Baker Beach to capture shots in the shadow of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. This lovely couple will be marrying next year at the beautiful Temple Emanu-El
I had a great time photographing the Bat Mitzvah of Anna Cecilia at the beautiful Stone Pine Estate in Carmel Valley, CA. Although the family currently resides in Chicago, they are originally from Mexico City. Therefore, guests of the event traveled from both locations to celebrate Anna Cecilia. Most of the family stayed overnight at the estate, while others used accommodations at other nearby properties.
San Francisco Latin band, PellejoSeco started off the night with amazing Cuban jazz, while well-know Bay Area-based DJSolomon worked his magic to keep the party rocking into the night. A surprise performance from an amazing mariachi band capped off the night. An undeniable highlights for the birthday girl was a personalized message from the New York Yankees!
It was wonderful to see this family reunite from great distances for such a special occasion. All the guests had a great time, and the family took great care to ensure that every little detail was taken care of.
Venue and catering: Stone Pine Estate, Carmel Valley, CA
This Dominican Republic photo shoot was really special one for me for professional and personal reasons. One of the wonderful things about running your own business is the opportunity to be involved with and give back to the communities where I live and work. Back in April, I gifted three photo sessions which were auctioned off at a fundraiser, El Futuro II, for La Academia Internacional de Cabrera , here in the DR. Their fundraiser was held at the luxurious private villa, Casa Kimballand I’m thrilled to say that I was able to help raise close to $2,500 for the school! One of the sessions bids was won by the law office of Garcia Blcanco & Asociados.
The law office is just meters from the beach, in the town of Cabarete in the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. So it was only natural to keep the beach vibe with all the employees in light, comfortable clothing, with a beautiful backdrop of water and greenery. This is a serious law practice, with a lighter side which is evident in this shoot. One cool feature of this law office is that they support local schools and education. We visited the 3 Mariposas Montessori School, in town, to take photos with the children. This is a school which the law office has a personal relationship with and helps keep the doors of the school open. After connecting with the school and the kids, I began my own visits to the school, teaching photography to the youngsters…more on that later.
Children’s photography is something I enjoy, and I want to do more of. Cute kids, really make my job easy! This little boy’s adorable looks, combined with a “joie de vivre” that only come from the young (& young at heart!), made this session a delight! His mother wanted to create an Andy Warhol-style multi-image print. We used their rooftop in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood and a few local nooks and crannies for our shoot.
My job leads to relationships with professionals in every field imaginable. This shoot was done for trade with the mom of this little boy, an amazing stylist named Shea English. Since my wardrobe was in need of a revamp, Shea hooked me up with her assistant Amanda Massi who went through my closet and we hit the town for some serious shopping. Never thought I would talk like this, but there you have it, and i feel great not wearing jeans 350 days a year! Thank you ladies, for a fantastic trade and a fun shoot!
Also, please check out Amanda Massi’s run for Miss California USA, https://www.facebook.com/missSF Her passion in life is to put an end to female sex slavery all over the world.
Another successful engagement session! The shoot I did with Rosi and Eddie was great, and particularly meaningful to me since Eddie is a friend of mine. He is a bartender at a popular San Francisco nightclub where I have photographed frequently in the past, and so we’ve come to know each other well over the years. Being asked by Rosi and Eddie to photograph their engagement session and wedding was such a privilege. It’s always feels good when friends and family trust you with what will surely be one the most important days of their lives.
We held the session at the Fisherman’s Wharf to revisit the scene of Eddie’s proposal to Rosi. We moved into Musée Mécanique, the antique music and arcade machine museum, and captured some unique shots around the vintage machines. In keeping with the retro theme, the couple posed with a classic car from the 60′s. Another fun aspect to the shoot is that Rosi’s maid-of-honor, Irma, was the light-holder for the session!
Congratulations, Rosi & Eddie! Thank you for including me in your celebration!
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