Had an awesome time with Kathy and Jeremy the other day. They are an awesome couple, that met online. Well more like on an iphone app. Pretty crazy where true love might be hiding, but they definitely hit it big. We had a great time going around the city, visiting the Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio, Embarcadero and The Port of San Francisco. Special thanks to Peter Brandt for doing some stunts for us on his bike. I am lucky to have the opportunity to hang out with great couples on a regular basis. It gives me the opportunity to see their bond first hand, allowing the couple to be more comfortable on the wedding day.

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Last week I flew back to New York to photograph another couple. This was not an ordinary shoot, Demetrios was to propose to his sweetheart, Shara, in the middle of the shoot. He even arranged for a professional saxophonist, Michael Seropyan, to play a song during the proposal.  I was excited about the addition of the musician in the scene, since it goes with my ongoing theme of couples pictured with musicians. Sahra had no idea what was going on, thinking this was just a cute couple shoot. I along with my cousin/assistant/interior designer, Jenia Kosoy, were in on the secret and helped Demetrios stay on schedule.

Needless to say, everything went according to plan. We met up at Battery Park in the South of Manhattan.  We then took some shots around Sahra’s apartment building, and got busted by security for taking photos in the common areas. We took the train up to Central Park where Michael was waiting for us with his sax on the famous Bow Bridge. It all happened so fast. There were many people on the bridge, and suddenly it felt like Demetrios and Sahra were the only people that mattered. Everyone stopped in their tracks as Demetrios got on one knee, and Michal began to play. Sahra said “Yes!”, everyone clapped and we moved on to continue with the rest of our shoot. Its a beatifull time of year in New York, its somewhat cold, and there is snow on the ground, and the air is crisp. Spring feels like its around the corner. We finished off the shoot with another wardrobe change (total of 3), and headed to Time Square for our final few shots. It was an amazing day, stay tuned for the Sahra and Demetrios’ wedding photos yet to come.

The crew, wrapping up a long day.

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Had a great shoot with Sheena and William last week. They are high school sweethearts that have been in love since they first met. For this shoot we picked the Mission District in San Francisco for its vibrant street art and urban feel. I haven’t done too many shoots in this neighborhood, and I love the experience of getting to know a new neighborhood from behind the lens.  The shoot ended with some great Ethiopian food. After the shoot I got a heart warming email from the couple, here is an excerpt:

“…For our engagement shoot, you took us to the city. It was cold, and we have never been there before. We walked around, and you would stop and see something that my fiance and I didn’t quite see. I look at the photos you have sent us, and it took my breath away. The moment you captured, what you saw, how you saw us! It was far more beautiful than what we thought we were doing. Looking at your photos you made us realize how much we love one another, and how it really shows.” -Sheena and William

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This January I went on tour with the San Francisco band Alma Desnuda, for their first international tour through Bali, Indonesia and various parts of Western Australia.  I flew out on New Year’s day, a week after the band had already been performing at the Ayana Resort’s Rock Bar. When I got to the resort I learned that Paul, the guitarist and vocals for the band,  proposed to his girlfriend Carla. Paul had the chance to ask for Carla’s hand in marriage from her father, who passed away a few months ago back in Spain.  Its a very touching story that shows the type of person that Paul is.  He  waited until the tour for the right moment in Jimbaran Bay, Bali to ask the question.  For around 3 weeks that I toured with the band, Paul and Carla took photos with me at various locations making this the longest engagement shoot I have ever done.  I am very happy for them and it feels good knowing how much these photos mean to them. For anyone interested in checking out the band and footage from the tour, the link is: http://almadesnudalive.tumblr.com/

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Holly and Ian are this cute couple that found me on Google. They were getting married in a few weeks and wanted some fun creative shots around the city. We had a great time in Golden Gate Park, China Town, and North Beach. Afterward we went to grab some dinner and had the idea of going ice-skating.  If they weren’t such a nice couple I probably would have left once we go to the rink, since it was freezing cold and the line was around the block. It didn’t take much to convince myself to stay, and I am glad I did. Here are some highlights from this 6 hour shoot.

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