Yesterday I was over in San Francisco photographing some frames of the ultra fabulous Bahareh and Justin whose wedding I’ll be photographing in Grass Valley in September. San Francisco has so many fabulous areas to make pictures but we tried to photograph at a location that was meaningful to the couple. I cannot even tell you the name of it, but yes that is the Golden Gate Bridge in the background of the photo. This shot may not be for everyone, but when I captured this frame it made me happy to be a wedding photographer in the cold city of San Francisco that day. It also makes a great teaser photo because you guys are totally wanting to know what they look like now. Trust me, they’re beautiful people (aren’t all my clients). So here is one from the session that I liked. Enjoy.

Every year, I take one week out of my life and volunteer at a great kids’ church camp up at Pinecrest Lake in the gorgeous Sierra Nevada Mountains. The kids have a great time learning in breakout sessions, arts and crafts, sports, hiking to the lake, eating way too much sugar before bedtime at the snack bar and enjoying a spiritual experience away from home.
It is definitely worth the investment in these kids and over the past five years of working there, I’ve really developed a great relationship with the kids and with other staff members. I’m the safety/security dude so the ones that don’t know me think I’m pretty mean/tough (I have to tell them to go to bed) but usually by the end of the week I’ve made a lot of new friends and the secret is out that I’m actually pretty cool (I hope anyway).
I’d like to challenge you to invest in the lives of youth. There are so many kids that don’t even have a chance: broken families, orphans, poverty, abusive situations, etc. But a lot of you are in the position to really make a difference, whether it is one week a year, a couple hours a week or devoting your life to a ministry or non-profit you can make a huge difference. I don’t think our government really has the answers, I don’t think the professors have the answers and I wouldn’t trust the media to inform us of how to help future generations. I think the burden is definitely on the common man/woman. Take my friend Gustavo (a wedding photographer in my area) who is touring the country right now and raising money for impoverished children in his native Dominican Republic. Take a minute to check out his blog and support his effort. It is really tremendous what he’s doing and an inspiration to us all.
So I encourage you to think about what you can do to be a positive influence on youth in your community. If you don’t know what to do, go ask someone! Just make sure to DO SOMETHING to give back. We’re investing in the future.
I’ll leave you with a few frames I photographed while hiking around beautiful Pinecrest Lake. Enjoy.

Have you ever thought of having a friend shoot your wedding? Don’t worry, I’m not going to beat you over the head (like some) for saying yes. I totally understand if you might do such a thing do to budget or you just don’t care (well, i don’t really understand people that don’t care about photography). But here is an interesting take and side-by-side looks as to what you might get from an amateur/hobbyist wedding photographer and a professional wedding photographer who shoots for a living. Interesting read and photos to boot. Enjoy.

Ryan and Meghan are so awesome and their wedding was so great that they get two blog posts to cover their wedding. I just can’t seem to get enough into one post anymore. I seriously have some of the most amazing brides (and grooms) that a wedding photographer could ask for. I was honored to photograph their wedding at St. Frances Catholic Church in Escalon and their reception at Meghan’s parents’ estate.
If you’d like a little more background on the wedding, make sure and read the prior blog post. I’ve got an awesome engagement session in San Francisco tomorrow and then one wedding in Turlock on Saturday and one wedding right around the corner from my house at Morris Chapel on the University of Pacific campus (same venue where I was married 8 years ago). Later this month I’ll be headed out to New York City with my wife and I’ll be shooting a couple of engagement sessions and hanging out. If you’re interested in doing a family lifestyle session, an engagement session or even if you’re having a wedding in New York City, I’ll be there from 8.20-8.24. So yeah, it is super busy around here and Eden is about to start Kindergarten in a couple of weeks, can you believe it? Time flies.
Anyhow, here are some of the awesome wedding photographs from Ryan and Meghan’s fabulous wedding. Make sure to leave a nice comment. Enjoy.

You’ll probably remember the engagement session at Knight’s Ferry that I did with this awesome couple. If not, check back 3 or 4 pages and you’ll see their awesome photos. These two are super cool. Ryan is a down to earth guy that drives one of the coolest trucks around (his brother has one to match in red) and is all about making Meghan happy. Meghan is one of the most kind, sweethearted brides that I’ve ever met. You can just tell that their love runs deep and they know that nothing can stand between them. I love that!
The wedding took place at Saint Frances church in Escalon, CA (right outside of Modesto, CA) and the reception was at Meghan’s parents’ estate along acres of vineyards and near the Stanislaus River. They had a traditional Catholic ceremony and a beautiful reception with details galore. Meghan wore an awesome gown custom tailored from Mira Bridal Couture in Modesto, CA. If you’re planning a wedding in the Modesto area and looking for bridal gowns/wedding dresses, go see Mira. Their wedding dresses are some of the best in the area. The wedding was catered by one of my favorite steakhouses in the world, Steve Medlen’s House of Beef in Oakdale, CA. There are a bunch more details and I’ll probably be blogging more photos next week!
It is super busy around Scott Andrew Studio and 2009 is nothing short of an amazing year of amazing weddings! 2010 is definitely booking up fast and I’m stoked to report that there will be a few destination weddings on the books out of the country and out of state! I’m definitely looking forward to booking more destination weddings and more exquisite weddings here in California.
Thank you for reading my blog, do me a favor and share it with a friend or leave a nice comment. It is much appreciated. Enjoy.