A day in the Bay

Our friends Natalie and Earl took us and our friends Angela and Brian on a boating adventure last weekend. They've been fixing up their boat and have plans to live on it one day. I learned many things that day, one of which is that Alameda has the 2nd most slips per capita in the world was it Natalie or just the states? -after Marina del Rey. (For those of you who imagine Alamedans having numerous undergarments like I did, FYI, a slip is a space for a boat to dock, a rental if you will.) Here are some photos from our day, we were shadowed by a Zeppelin in the sky all day, doing tours of the Bay Area. I liked our view much better-we got to see the seals.

Jessica and MacKenzie wed at Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CA

Finally Jessica and MacKenzie's wedding day came, I'd been looking forward to it all year. I knew when I met them that their wedding would be unique and full of personal artistic touches from Jessica. I was amazed at the beautiful bouquets that she designed herself, and all the details that made the day so memorable. Most of all, it was a relaxed and fun day, both for myself and their guests, who dined outside in the twilight at beautiful Mountain Terrace in Woodside. For a slideshow of highlights from their wedding, click here.

Sarah and Chris' Wedding in the Bay

After almost 7 years of photographing weddings, I've photographed my first ceremony held on a boat. What an experience it was, especially since I'm still relatively new to the Bay Area. First, I toured the city with Sarah and Chris in the Cadillac of Minivans, hitting all the great spots around San Francisco for photo-ops. My favorite part was eating sandwiches with the bride and groom in the minivan outside a deli, wish I had a photo of that. Later that night, as everyone was dancing under the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge, the DJ played City by the Bay. I just about shed a tear for loving my job and where I live so much. Thanks Sarah and Chris for a wonderful experience, and Congratulations!!!! Click here to see their slideshow of highlights.

Whitney and Jake's Wedding at the Yates Family Vineyard

At the end of Redwood Road, 9 miles from downtown Napa, is the Yates Family Vineyard. It has been owned and operated by the Yates for 57 years. Whitney oversees all aspects of the wine-making process, while her sister Mary heads up the business side. On August 16th, Jake and Whitney had a beautiful wedding there among the vines. They were married in the building where they process the grapes, which lent itself quite well to the ceremonious occasion with its high ceilings. Afterward, guests enjoyed wine made by the Yates while they danced as the full moon rose. Click here to see more from their wedding.

Sarah and David Elie wed at the Log Cabin in the Presidio

How many weddings include mariachis and belly dancers? I can tell you for sure, not many. I had the pleasure working with Sarah at Civicorps Elementary last year where I taught photography club. Sarah is one of those teachers that kids will remember later as someone who sent their life on a different and better course. Sarah and David met in high school, so their friends and family were a tightly knit group, and were all very happy to be celebrating this marriage between two people who seem to be made for each other. A more beautiful day there has never been in the Presidio; the sun shone until it went down, and the fog began to roll in as the party started inside the Log Cabin. To see more from Sarah and David's wedding, click here to see their slideshow of favorites.

Jen and Jomel get married at Old Saint Hilary's in Tiburon, CA

Jen and Jomel chose a beautiful spot for their wedding ceremony in Tiburon, CA. Old Saint Hilary's Church is a Carpenter Gothic style building constructed in 1888 as a Catholic Mission Church. Today it is a protected historic landmark and museum, with amazing views of the bay area and the Golden Gate. For more from their wedding, see their slideshow of highlights.
Congrats Jen and Jomel!

Andy and Danay at Lionscrest Manor in Lyons, CO

I got to photograph a wedding with my friend and collegue, Tim D'Antonio of D'Antonio Photography in Boulder, CO a couple of weeks ago. Andy and Danay were married at Lyonscrest Manor, a beautiful venue in Lyons, CO with amazing vistas of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I loved their color theme: summer yellow and white. The colors made up for the sun that was hiding that day.

More from Carolina

For those of you who are good at Wheel of Fortune, filing in the missing letters won't be a problem. (Answer is at the end of this entry if you're W.O.F challenged)

I drove through the Nantahala River Gorge today on my way back to Birmingham. It was hard to keep my eyes on the curvy road whilst gawking at the orange be-vested river rafters bouncing their way along the rapids with paddles a-flailin'. Here are some scenes from the road, along with a few more of Nilah in a fairyland of purple hastas.


Sign said "Dont' worry, Moses was once a basket case" So good it made me turn the car around.

Trip to the Southland

It's berry season and the fireflies are out at dusk here in the southern U.S.

This is an old rail car put to good use, found along the road to see my grandfather and his girlfriend, Betty.

Some nice people who let me take their picture.
Gardenias outside Betty's house.
We had BLT's and very sweet tea.
Granddaddy made me a blueberry pie.
Up in NC, I have just arrived to see my brother Sam play some bluegrass. This is my niece, Nilah.


I was with my sister Heather who kept mysteriously disappearing whenever the cloggers appeared.
Sam reading to Nilah in the late afternoon.

Jamie and Maki, April 12, 2008 at Mountain Terrace in Woodside, CA

Jamie and Maki had a beautiful Japanese style wedding, with many family members coming to California for the first time from Japan. The floral arrangements by Tomobi Floral Art were absolutely perfect. Mountain Terrace in Woodside, CA hosted the event beautifully and professionally, and the band had everyone on the dance floor. For highlights from their wedding, click here. Congratulations Jamie and Maki!

Christian and Stephanie, March 7, 2008

Christian and Stephanie, married at the Mormon Temple in Fresno, held their reception afterward at Copper River Country Club. It was a stunning setting and a beautiful day. To see a slideshow of their wedding, click here.

Becca and Ray are getting Married!

I met Becca and Ray at beautiful Baker Beach for their engagement photo session last weekend. It was just warm enough to brave the cool Pacific waters. Congrats to them! For highlights of their E-Session click here.

Robin and Mike, February 14, 2008

What's more romantic than getting married on Valentine's Day? Robin and Mike's wedding was held at Wine and Roses in Lodi, CA. They couldn't have had a more beautiful day, click here to see a slideshow of highlights from their wedding.

Students get Published!

The San Francisco Chronicle had a kids' photo contest in February, and I'm proud to say that 5 of my students were published winners: Anise Fernandez, Nate Williams, Justine Lewis, Mari Luna and Ajani Braggs. Go to sfgate.com/kidspix to read more about the contest and to see all the winners.

Best photo by my Students

We ended the year with a slideshow of the kids' work at the year-end Showcase of Learning. They were pretty proud of their work, and the slideshow was a hit with the crowd (thank you iDVD). Here is the photo that proves to me that these kids really learned something about seeing photographically. I'm looking forward to a new crop of photographers next week.