This set was all photographed within about an hour. It is representative of a typical afternoon at the Shoemake household. Huntley loves to play. He loves his toy camera, guns, skateboards and mischief in general. I love coming home from the studio and just hanging out with him. At times I’m Huntley’s personal jungle gym and other times we’re skating buddies, it is pretty awesome. I can’t wait until he gets a little bigger and I can take him skiing with me like his big sister.
On a whim (which is usually the case) I bought a 30 year old Zeiss 50 1.4 lens for my Canon cameras. It is a fully manual focus lens and super small/lightweight. The image quality is incredible and the colors are fantastic. The photos you see posted below are jpegs directly from my camera (yes, I shoot black and white in camera a lot). You heard me right, no Photoshop, no Lightroom, no Aperture, no gimmicks and all of this with a 30 year old lens. So take a minute to leave a note for Huntley and say hi.
If you’re thinking about a fall portrait session for your family or children, I’m going to be offering a few “Mini-session” days in the Valley and the Bay Area (and possibly SoCal) and I also have limited availability for full-length sessions. Email, leave your info in the comment section or call for more details. Enjoy.

The stores are already putting away the back-to-school items and here comes the Halloween merchandise. The local cafe is wiping the slate and chalking the words “pumpkin spice latte” on the board in anticipation of fall. Yes, where has the summer gone? Well, we still have a bit of it left so enjoy it! But if you’re planning on having your engagement photos done this fall, I’ve put together another “Styled” set for you to check out with some of the my favorite looks for the fall. If you’re planning a fall family portrait session, stay tuned for the Styled edition with some great looks for the family.
I’m a big fan of what Rugby has put out this fall and I love how prep style is making a big comeback in the mainstream (although some of us have been wearing it for years, yes I wore white chinos, an oxford and top-siders to my 8th grade graduation). The looks I’ve put together are versatile and layered, definitely something that you’ll feel comfortable wearing out to dinner after your engagement session. In my opinion, shoes and accessories are key. The lapel/tie pin for the gent is a nice modern touch and comes in a variety of colors from Linden Lovebirds on Etsy. The canvas and leather chain belt from Rugby is a throw back to equestrian style at the turn of the century, timeless. Nothing can ruin a well-played outfit faster than a pair of dingy, outdated shoes. Stick with the classics. The footwear I’ve chosen for both him and her looked great 20 years ago and looks just as good today. The outfits, cuts, tones, fit and textures you see are meticulously selected to maximize “the look” and keep a clean, coordinated palette for the best possibly photos. So here you go, enjoy!

Her:
Ensemble: Rugby
Riding Boots: JCrew

Him:
Ensemble: Rugby
Oxfords: Cole Haan
Lapel Pin: Linden Lovebirds

Lindsey and Jordan tied the knot at the beautiful Viaggio Winery in Acampo, CA this past weekend. I love the raw, real, spontaneous emotion that comes from the bride and groom as they walk down the aisle from their wedding ceremony. Pretty portraits are awesome, great details are key but there is something so rich about freezing time and holding all of that moment in one photograph.
Their wedding was held in the serene setting of a walnut orchard on the grounds, surrounded by tall trees, vineyards and a river. I love Lodi wine country weddings and we had some beautiful weather as well. I can’t wait to share more from their awesome wedding but one teaser image should get us through. Have a rad time in Mexico relaxing on the beach you two! I’m a bit jealous. Enjoy.

When I first met Kate and Glen I knew that they were going to have a unique wedding and that I was going to thoroughly enjoy photographing their special day. When we discussed the wedding it wasn’t in terms of details and numbers but in terms of feeling and enjoyment. They truly wanted to have a wedding celebration that represented them and that their guests would be able to enjoy to the fullest. To say the least, they accomplished that!
The wedding took place at their property in Hopland, CA which is a little bit north of Napa Valley and Sonoma Wine Country. Their theme centered around Ibiza which is where the two met at a yoga retreat. With a mix of Bohemian style and Indian influence, the occasion was truly one of color and beauty. Kate is a clothing designer in San Francisco but she was raised and went to design school in England. Her icon of British fashion is Vivienne Westwood and she has known for years that her dress would be a Westwood. Guests were invited to camp, relax and spend the whole weekend in celebration. The ceremony was absolutely lovely and I’m so happy for you two!
Special thanks to Rose Bell Events for putting together such a splendid wedding and for being so great to work. Also to Dave Schilling for helping me load film and being a tremendous help throughout the day.

If you’re interested in more information please check out the Contact section on my website. I would love to chat with you about your wedding or portrait session!

My awesome friend Amy has a killer Etsy store where she sells the coolest hoodies and shirts with handmade embellishments. She asked if Eden would like to model a few of her new “back-to-school” hoodies and asked if I could do a little photo session for her. We both agreed and did a little mini session for her the other day. Eden was an awesome model and the photos…well, you know, they’re good Check out her Etsy store and grab one of these sweet custom hoodies or tees (all American Apparel). Also, the red headband is from Linden Lovebirds, another great Etsy store and owned/operated by my lovely wifey. Enjoy.