I had the day off from my new job and I got up early to go fishing. I’ll never forget the call I got from my wife and immediately going into my truck and turning the radio on. The tone of voice in the radio announcer was different than anything I’ve ever heard. The silence that pervaded the background was stifling. I remember the bitter feeling in my mouth that this terrible thing could actually happen in our country. It was so real that day.
Several weeks ago strolling with my wife in the financial district of New York City, it became real again. We were still several blocks away but the huge gap in the buildings represented a gap of great loss in our country. Not just in concrete, steel and glass but in human life and substance. We walked around the outer perimeter and watched as the building of the new structures took place.
I hope that I never forget. I hope that I can instill something in my kids and help them to learn from 9/11. The fact that an evil, spiteful enemy hated us enough to do this thing is very evident. The fact that they’ll try and try to do it again is apparent. But the fact that America is the most exceptional nation ever born in this world is being tested. We will never forget.

I absolutely love the unique things that Brooklyn Bride offers to their blog readers and I was so happy to see that they featured Tracy and Matt’s New York City engagement session today! It is a great wedding resource for brides looking for New York style to add to their wedding. Go check it out today! Thanks Vane!

Passion is such an overused term in our society. It is in everyone’s bio piece (whether they even have it or not) and every leadership book on the shelf. But I’m not sure if it is really understood until it is lived in a “passion moment.” What is a passion moment you ask? Well, I’m not quite sure how to put all the words together to describe it, but you know it when you feel it. I had one the other day.
I drove the backroads (which I find myself doing often) up to help out my aunt who lives in Placerville and I saw this amazing tree. I knew that on the way home the sun would be at a perfect spot for an awesome photograph. So on the way home I pulled the car over and clicked a few frames. This was the first frame that I took and the one that was in my head all day before coming back to this spot. I was so excited about it, so stoked to make this photograph and so passionate about photography at this moment.
To all photographers (pros and amateurs alike) out there, make sure you take a camera with you sometimes and just shoot for fun. Enjoy.

I photographed an awesome wedding on Saturday and another one on Sunday and then I took the whole day off to go to the beach with the family. It worked out pretty well. It was such a pleasure to work with Jaime and Arik on Saturday at Arick’s parent’s beautiful estate in the foothills of Oakdale, CA. The wedding was absolutely fabulous. Here is a little teaser shot (yes, the bride and one of her bridesmaids are twins, take a guess as to which one). I’ll be posting quite a few more this week as I crawl out of my cave of work. Enjoy.

The awesome continues everyone. I’ve got two awesome weddings this weekend. One will be out in Oakdale at an amazing private residence that I’m absolutely in love with. I’m going to overload on the details of this place! Another one with a sweet couple from the Seattle area who are getting married in Lodi, I can’t wait to meet them since we’ve only talked on the phone and by email. Also this week I added two awesome weddings for 2010, one at the ultra fabulous new Ritz Carlton at Northstar Lake Tahoe and the other at one of my favorite local venues, Viaggio Winery. Both of the couples are awesome and from San Francisco, which usually go hand in hand.
Speaking of San Francisco, Ashley and Isai came up from the Los Angeles area for their engagement session and we had an awesome time. I’ll be photographing their wedding next April in Southern California. Here is a little teaser from the end of our session at Chrissy Field in San Francisco with the lovely Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Love it. Stay tuned for some more awesome to be dropping soon and some of my personal work from New York City (maybe even some film if I ever finish this last roll). Enjoy.