My good friends and Santa Cruz/ Monterey, CA area wedding photographers Orbie and Rebecca were married a few months back and they asked me to set up a photo booth at their wedding at Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, CA. It was super rad and I think everyone had a great time. Brook and Alisha Todd photographed the wedding and they absolutely killed. It was great to just be there and enjoy most of the wedding. I’m really inspired by this couple and their friendship is priceless. Congratulations guys! Enjoy.

Shot from the hip while I walked in late (well, after I set up the booth anyway).

Friends at dinner: Jill Johnson, Mike Steelman and Duncan Reyes.

I’ve been shooting all kinds of photographic mediums and I always come back to the look of film, even in my digital work. That being said, I was curious to see how many people can really tell the difference? You don’t have to be a photographer to respond, I just want to know what everyone thinks. Was this photo captured on a digital sensor or on film? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. (be sure to include your reasoning: grain, tonal range, dynamics, etc.)

Eden Autry is the most strong willed child you will ever meet, no really I mean it. But she is also the cutest, brightest and most lovable little girl that anyone has ever called their own. I’m so proud of my kids and I feel so blessed to have them in my life. Just knowing that their eyes are on dadda, is what pushes me to set a great example for them and to get back up when I fall. Eden will probably be smarter than me by the time she turns ten so I’ve got quite a challenge.
Huntley Drew is the comedian of the family. If he sees you laugh at something, get ready for the encore performance. Huntley also has a penchant for climbing things, choo-choo trains, baseballs and doggies. His favorite book so far is a book of dog portraits by the famous photographer Elliot Erwitt. We were in a store one day and he wouldn’t put it back on the shelf, knowing his love of dogs and my love of Erwitt’s award winning photography, we caved.
It is definitely a challenge to photograph your own kids and to make time for their photos as a full time professional photographer, but I’ve always tried to make room for the most important people in my life. I’m gearing up for the fall children, family and lifestyle portrait season and I can’t wait! I love meeting new families and capturing memories of their lives together. If you’re interested in a session, schedule soon as the fall books up super fast and I only take a limited amount of lifestyle portrait clients.
So here are a few from our session today at one of my favorite places to make photographs “somewhere out in the country.” Enjoy.

Beaudrick is a little champ and the son of some friends I’ve known for a long time, Cameron and Shawna. This little guy is definitely going to have to hold his own since he’s bucking a stacked deck of seven sisters in the house. Beaudrick was one of the easiest subjects to photograph and he even gave us a few smiles. We were just able to squeeze in this photo session before the little dude had surgery the next day on his mouth as he was born with a cleft palette. My hat is off to Cameron and Shawna for raising such a fine family to Beaudrick for being so awesome. I’m looking forward to photographing the whole family in the fall after he’s all healed up and ready to rock!
You’ll notice that my baby portraits are somewhat non-traditional (well maybe very non-traditional) and I hope you catch the fine art feel I strive for in my work. I truly believe that, as an artist, I can create something that goes beyond just a memory or a great portrait of a child, but that I can create fine art that a client can proudly display in the finest of homes. My goal in making photographs of children and families is to document the family in an artistic fashion and then go beyond with several compositions to really create something meaningful to myself as an artist. I hope that gives you a little peek into my mind and helps you understand how I shape my family/child/lifestyle photography.
So without further adieu, here is Beaudrick! Enjoy (and make sure to leave some “get well soon” love for him)

We just got back from a nice Southern California vacation and I’m super exhausted. We had blast. From Manhattan Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach to La Jolla, San Diego, Carlsbad and Coronado…we covered some ground. The kids had a blast and I actually feel pretty rested and refreshed.
While we were in San Diego, a friend of mine and fellow wedding photographer, Bobby Earle and his wife Lindsay took us out to La Jolla for a family session. We had so much fun and the kids did great. Here is one shot that I’ll share with you guys, but for the rest of them go check out their blog. I’m so thankful to have friends like this in this industry. Enjoy.