Loving my family...

nesting...

You know me, with my "deep, but not really deep" thinking. Years ago, even before I got married, I was touched by a man's testimony, based on Matthew 6:25-34. Verse 26 says "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" This guy was beaten down, tore up, had gone through the thick of it, was going to commit suicide, and ran across this verse. He simply asked God for a bird...that he "needed" a bird. Of course, this was symbolic, but God is so great! He remembered that prayer, and one afternoon during it all this bird came and landed right next to this man on his porch railing. To further push the experience, he put his hand out next to it, and yep, the bird stepped on his hand. Cool story. There was much more to it, but that's the jist of it. This whole passage (verses 25-34) is about worrying, and how we shouldn't. Instead we should trust God to provide and seek to know him more. Invest in the things that last! This is one of the "life verses" for me. So, 8 years ago (I remember it like it was yesterday), my new bride and I were on our honeymoon in Kauai having breakfast, and I randomly remembered that story. So I uttered a similar prayer, not hurting or in super need yet, but knowing that Gina and I both didn't have a whole lot to fall back on (but our love!:). During one of my favorite breakfasts with open dining (warm tropical breeze and what not), a bird perched right next to our booth and I was totally encouraged. Not realizing it, but over the course of the next 8 years I found myself being reminded many many times about the faithfulness of God, and I've never looked at birds the same. Sidebar: Funny thing is I used to love shooting them with my BB gun as a kid, but life has its twists! So, summing this up, I revisited that verse a few weeks back and was extremely refreshed one early morning at my home when I opened my front door to literally see this nest, with baby eggs and all! I couldn't find any words, but only found a freaking huge smile on my face. I don't want to preach, but God is extremely faithful, and no matter what He is always there for you! Have a terrific day!

Free to Succeed Tour

Hey all, if you're a photographer, I just wanted to share a really cool one day workshop hosted by my awesome photographer friends David Jay and Jasmine Star. They'll cover everything from marketing to pricing and share a killer album company. If nothing else, it'll be a great time to hang with some really cool peeps! It coming to a city near you, and is very reasonably priced, especially considering the knowledge and time spent with two of the industry's leading wedding photographers. Click HERE to visit the list of cities and registration info. See you there!

New iPhone Announced (finally)

Apple finally announced the release date of the new version of iPhone, called the iPhone 3G. It's a little thinner than before, faster in data transmission, now has GPS & other optional applications, is available all black or white, and is a lot cheaper than for what I bought mine for! It will be available July 11 - sure to be a popular day at the Apple store! It kinda sounds like I'm a salesman for Apple, doesn't it? :) In all seriousness, those of you who have seen me share my iPhone and Macs know how excited I get about the coolest technology - they just work great! I am almost ALL Mac, and hopefully will be transitioned by the end of the summer with a whole new office system that is way beyond fluid, and works the way that I need it to. If you have yet to play with a Mac, swing by the store while shopping one day and have a blast. It doesn't take much to learn something new, just a little time and willingness. Shoot, swing by my office (if I'm here) and I'll let you play a little with my stuff! Another reason to drop in and say hi. :) I hope you're Monday is going wonderful! (p.s. photo courtesy of Apple, Inc!)

More than Potatoes...

Hey everyone, I've got enough time for a quickie post. I just returned from a fabulous but quick trip up to Idaho for Rachel and Ryan's wedding. I am humbled by the sheer beauty of the day and how it turned out. It started raining and continued for most of the day, only to stop, clear up wonderfully before the ceremony, and finish off with a glorious display of God's handiwork! And of course, the sky was pretty too! :) Marriage is so freaking cool, I absolutely love my job. I'll tell you more about their wedding once we've sorted through the images and release them to the clients. Thanks so much for the opportunity to share in your very special day Rachel and Ryan! Congratulations again.

Lots to do this week, but I'm still determined to post more frequently...so stay tuned!

New Day!

Hottie!

A quick shout out to my gorgeous bride of 8+ years while in Hollywood. Happy Birthday!! (belated blog post. Here are some other random pics of downtown.

Natalie & Gavin

Hello all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend this past memorial day! It's such an awesome privilege to live in this country with such freedom! Freedom to live our lives and pursue our dreams, to worship God freely with no fear, and to raise a family with all the opportunities afforded us by those who went before us in pursuit of a dream. Thank God for them.

We're just about off to Idaho for a destination wedding, but wanted to post a quickie and introduce you to Natalie and Gavin. We strolled the streets of downtown Carmel-By-The-Sea, tearing up Ocean street and beyond. One thing about living on the Monterey Peninsula is the ever-present summer "fog" or overcast. Some days are extremely warm and sunny, while others are cool and calm. The one good thing about overcast is the huge softbox it creates naturally for my subjects. Either way, no matter the weather, it always comes down to the people. I am blessed to have such great clients! And I am stoked to photograph two people who are truly in love. That's what shines the most, whether it's sunny or not. :) So, again, here are Natalie & Gavin. They're getting married at the gorgeous Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley this summer!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!!

Nick and Jeni

Please meet Nick and Jeni. They were such a fun and "bubbly couple! Nick is actually the brother of JJ who recently got married, of which you will see images this week. Well, these two have been married for over a year now, and really wanted some GREAT images of the two of them together. So with a beautiful afternoon a few weeks ago we conquered Oldtown Monterey and the Monterey Harbor. Nick really likes boats and will eventually take me sailing I'm sure :), so I weaseled my way into the locked docks with just a gentle request to a boat owner...who actually invited us to use her boat! Such cool people here! There's nothing wrong with asking...nicely.

A Picture Week

Okay, I'm feeling a picture posting week coming on. I so need to update this blog with current images! Habits can be hard to make sometimes. :) So, to begin the week, here of course is the latest pic of my pride and joy boy! He just had his second birthday recently and was so excited to get a present in the mail from Auntie Nikki. More bubbles, yay.
I've been entertaining the idea of getting a family dog for a long time, but wanted to wait for the right timing with my son. So, I probably jumped the gun as JK is only 2, but what the heck. Meet COOPER, our Puggle. Literally half PUG, half BEAGLE...he's what they call a designer breed and is such fun! He's 8 months old, and full grown. Just the right size for us. Selfishly, I like the fact that having a dog is a good kick in the pants to have somewhat of a regular schedule...and my wife like the fact that I'm trying to get home at a relatively decent hour for dinner. (After all, I'm still an artist and have to accomplish so much in one day!) I'm learning that fun word called Balance. So, more images to come, and a lot of my current and past clients! Stay Tuned...

Hey all, it was a crazy week last week with computer issues an what
not, but this is a new week! I'm ready for it and its gonna be great!
Lots of pics to share...stay tuned!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!
To all you moms out there, my hat goes off to you! You are so special and carry such a great responsibility. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. Thanks Mom for your love, patience, support, kicks in the butt, and kisses! If you haven't called your mom yet or given her a hug, do it now! Get off the computer and give her some love. :)

Out of focus?

Hey all, how about another kinda deep thought? It popped in my brain this afternoon after my follow up visit to the eye doctor. I got my eyes dialated today & it screwed up my ability to work on the computer vision wise, so I got to thinking. I can see far away clearly with no problem, but my vision right in front of me is foggy & blurry. I am confident about the things that I see, its just that they're not sharp & in focus. The details are unknown. So the application: I see clearly where we are going and where we want to go, but sometimes the details of how to get there & understanding of it all isn't so clear. But that's ok! The journey is great the people are wonderful. God is amazing. My encouragement to you is to keep pushing through the fog and it will eventually become clear. No telling how long it will take sometimes but perseverance is so critical. Don't give up. You're not alone! :)

This analogy is just the tip of the iceberg on how wide this could be & how deep you want to go with it, & how it specifically applies to your life. As always, I encourage you to run with it and make it your own...apply your journey & thoughts! And don't forget to enjoy the ride.

"What Are You Chasing?"

I ran across this post on a forum last week, and thought it great to share. I don't know where it originally came from, but go ahead and read it. It's well to the point. Where do you stand on the American Dream?

Here it is:

An American investment banker was walking by the pier of a coastal Mexican village when a fisherman docked his small boat nearby and tossed several large yellow fin tuna onto the dock.

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked, "How long does it take to catch them?"

The Mexican replied: "Not very long, maybe a couple of hours, senor."

The American then asked why the fisherman didn't stay out longer and catch more fish.

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs and was happy with that.

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and busy life which I enjoy very much."

The American rolled his eys and said, "I'm a Harvard MBA and could help you. Here's what you should do: Spend more time fishing. You get more money, and with that, you buy a bigger boat. Then you can catch more fish, and buy an even bigger boat. If you work hard, then soon you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor. If that works out, then you open your own cannery. At that point you would control the product, the processing and the distribution. And, you could leave this little town and move to Mexico City, or LA and or even New York City. From there you could run the whole thing by phone, Fedex and the Internet."

The Mexican fisherman thinks this over for a minute and then asks, "Interesting. How long will this all take?"

The American thought for a little bit, took out his calculator and punched in some numbers, and then announced "I think you do this in only 15-20 years."

"But what then?"

The American laughed and said, "Here's the beauty of the whole thing. When the time is right you announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You could make millions!"

The Mexican thought this over for a little longer, staring out to sea and thinking about what millions would buy. He asked, "Okay. Millions.. then what?"

The American said, "This is the best part ~ you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your friends."