Christmas at The Islands

Our neighborhood is AWESOME. I mean, where else can you host a Christmas get-together in your backyard and have the evenings entertainment float by?

Every year, our neighbors get together with their spectacularly decked-out pontoon boats and cruise the lake, giving those of us with lake-front homes a gorgeous lighted Christmas boat parade. Our boat is not appropriate for this lake because it would have to be both electric and smaller, and so we couldn't participate in the parade, but I believe it was just as much fun to watch.

We invited our friends Suzi, Ivan and thier son G (who has the same name as my son, G) over to eat some grilled hotdogs, drink some eggnog, enjoy the parade and finally, visit with Santa at the Islands clubhouse.

Here are the boats, as they began their tour of our section of the lake:


I had a very difficult time getting good shots because there were several things working against me.

1. It was really dark that night. No light in the sky AT ALL. I wish the parade had started at least an hour sooner.

2. Since the boats were moving, I couldn't slow my shutter much without blurring everything to total obscurity.

3. Also, the boats were pretty far away, so I couldn't reach them with the flash.

Once they got closer to our yard, I started to experiment with slower shutter speeds and got some interesting shots like these:




These are our neighbors that live across the street, with their grandson at the front of the boat. Hi M!


A blurry shot of my kids, watching the boats go by and waiting for candy:


After the last boat motored past, we headed down to the park to see Santa!

Doesn't he look fantstic?

I was expecting a less-than-authentic looking version, but when we walked up to him Suzi and I looked at each other and said "He looks real!!!"

He let the kids test his beard:


I took at least 20 shots of Suzi's son sitting on Santa's lap. I'm not sure what they talked about, but it was a good, long conversation!


I also got a shot of G's friend, A:

My kids, who were being their usual camera-shy selves, would only sit NEXT to Santa, not on his lap, and only long enough to take one picture:


You can see the decorated homes in the background on the other side of the lake. I believe many of the lakehomes are more decked out in the back than the front:

And M, who was the most excited to go see Santa of all, who talked about it non-stop for weeks and weeks, wouldn't go anywhere near him. I was lucky to get this:


We stayed late enough to see Santa leave the park, but never did see any reindeer. Weird.


I think Deidre Garber, Islands Community Events Coordinator, did a fantastic job organizing the activities for the kids. I can't wait to participate in the next event!

Brooke & Rocco: Los Encinos

During Thanksgiving weekend, I had the fantastic opportunity to fly back home to San Antonio to shoot the wedding of Brooke and Russ(Rocco)Cortez. It was a beautiful wedding from beginning to end, partly because of the bride and groom's casual and no-fuss attitude, partly because the location for the ceremony is one of my favorites, and partly because I had the opportunity to visit with some of my friends who were family and friends of the wedding couple.

The day began with a portrait session of the Brooke and Rocco. I always love it when my couples choose to see each other before the ceremony. Besides the benefit of having the day flow so smoothly, it is awesome for the bride and groom to carve out a few moments to themselves.

It was a fantastic night with gorgeous details, great music, tons of happy guests and a very calm/content/happy wedding couple.

If you look closely at the images below, you will even see a proposal happening. I had to blink back quite a few tears at that!


Thank you Brooke, Rocco and Minerva for allowing me to be there. And a special thanks to Michelle and Raul for recommending me. You are all very special to me!

Mood Board

(Apologizing in advance, since the following post is not anywhere near being related to photography.)

Since moving to Arizona, I haven't had many photo shoots to keep myself occupied, and so naturally my attention has turned to decorating our new house. Of course, if I had more photography work then I could better afford to get the things I want, but then I wouldn't have time to do so. Such a terrible problem to have!

I created a mood board to keep myself focused as I decorate. I got the idea from one of my favorite DIY blogs-Young House Love. Check them out for some amazing inspiration and tips to transform your house within a budget.

At the moment, my house is a very tan, blank slate:



The curtains below are the first things things that I've purchased from my mood board. This weekend I'll be adding a chocolate brown panel to the bottom 1/4, bringing them all the way to the floor.


The red prints on the wall will GO. I'm so not into red anymore.


The color of the walls are most accurate in this picture. I seriously need something on the floor to warm things up:



What I'd like to do is add some texture with lots of baskets, add warmth with chocolate brown accents and and to maintain the airy feeling with a calming blue and tan palate-sand and sky.

So here is my mood board-most of these things are from Target:



1. The colors I love-chocolate brown, tan, pale blue-gray, creamy white.

2. I found these amazing curtains at Ikea, but they are 6" too short so I'll be sewing chocolate brown panels onto the bottom 1/4 to add length and hopefully a bit of style.

3. These prints, or something similar, will hang on each side of the dining room window. I just love the sand and sea colors, but you won't find any pictures of beach scenes or any sea shells in my home. Too cliche' for me.

4. To add texture and depth to the room, this sisal rug will go under the dining table and chairs.

5. and 6. These tables will go in the living room-one is for the TV, the other is to go behind the sofa.

7. and 8. I love this little birdy pillow. I'll need at least two of each of these.

9. A very thick throw, in the perfect colors.

10. and 11. Two lamps and a decorative bowl. These will go on the sofa table. Or somewhere. I love them.

12. and 13. More rugs for the entry and hallway by the stairs.

There are a few other things that I have my eye on, such as some silver candlesticks, wall art, and green plants, but I can get those things pretty much anywere.

I plan to get a little at a time, it simply isn't in the budget to purchase everything all at once. But thats OK, I'm enjoying the planning and hunting for the perfect combination of price, function and beauty. I just hope that we are still in this house by the time I get it all together.

White Painted Table-Part Two

It's done! Yesterday, finally, I put the final coat of paint on my tired, old Craigslist table. I worked on it very sporatically, spending an entire day here and there, an hour or two occasionally, and mostly not doing anything at all. For weeks.

But over the last few days I went into overdrive because I'd like the entire set to be finished by Thanksgiving. Now that I know how difficult the chairs are going to be, I don't see that happening, but I'm going to get as far as I possibly can.

In case you've forgotten, here is the "before" image:



It really wasn't the ugliest table, but I wanted a white one.
Note the hideous water damage on the base:


And now it looks like this:






The table was first lightly sanded, then primed using Zinzer Bulls-Eye 123, painted with Valspar's Off White latex paint in a satin finish, detailed with some brown craft paint mixed with the Off White, and finally top-coated with water-based, clear semi-gloss Polycrylic Protective Finish by Minwax.

Here is a close-up of the detailing on the pedestal base:


...and on the top:


The water damage is long gone:


I worked endlessly trying to get a perfect finish on the table top, and I can honestly say it just wasn't going to happen. I believe I have (not kidding here) at least 20 coats of paint on the top, because I couldn't stand the brush marks. I tried using a sponge roller, several different brushes of different sizes, and a flat applicator. No matter what I tried, the brush marks were visible. I believe that I could have achieved a spotlessly smooth finish if I used a sprayer or even spray paint, but that was an expense that I couldn't afford.

After many, many days of painting, sanding, painting, sanding and painting again, I finally decided to purposefully apply the brush marks in a random pattern. And it looks JUST FINE. I could have saved a tone of time and paint if this had occurred to me sooner.

You can see a little of the brush marks, purposefully applied, here:


I'm so happy with how it works in the room. I love light and airy spaces, how can you feel down in a such a happy place?


Here is a side-by-side look at the table before and after:


So, what do you think? Was it better before? Did I ruin a perfectly good table? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so let me have 'em!

Lindsay + Richard: Married in Omaha, NE

I always say that one of the best things about being a photographer is that I have the opportunity to make new friends along the way. I typically spend quite a bit of time with my clients, especially my wedding couples, giving us the opportunity to develop a relationship which often goes beyond the day the prints are delivered.

Such is the case with Richard and Lindsay.

I first met them over a year ago, when Lindsay contacted me about doing their engagement photos in San Antonio. That session was one of the best I'd ever done and the reason was crystal clear-they allowed me free reign to do what I wished. They set aside plenty of time to go from location to location, brought several clothing changes, allowed me to choose their outfits, and followed direction like nobody's business.

By the end of the day I was dying to shoot their wedding, but didn't think it likely since it would take place in Omaha, NE. Little did I know, Lindsay wanted me to shoot it just as much. So we planned, emailed, lunched and schemed. I think it took some time to convince her dad of the necessity of flying someone in, but eventually he agreed and things were set.

So last weekend I, along with my friend and second-shooter Gina, flew to Nebraska to capture the moments, details and emotions of Lindsay and Richard's beautiful day. As is their modus operandi, I was given complete freedom to shoot exactly what I wanted. I arrived on Friday night to photograph their intimate rehearsal dinner with family and friends, then woke the next morning to capture the bride and her attendants getting their hair and make-up done, then continued shooting as Richard saw his bride for the first time during an emotional and beautiful First Look. Next, I carried my camera through the rain as we ran through the streets of downtown Omaha doing portraits (yes, this was ON their wedding day, BEFORE the wedding), then photographed the family pictures, the ceremony and finally the beautiful and detailed reception.

But we still weren't finished.

The next morning, just after dawn, Lindsay donned her gown once more, woke Richard and the three of us set out together, along with her father at the wheel, toward the rolling hills and picturesque barns of Iowa, to capture still more amazing images in a slammin' Rock the Frock session.

I am completly aware that by now you simply want to see the images of their day, so without any further delay, here they are:

The weekend began with the rehearsal and dinner, which Jerry, the father of the bride, hosted on the backyard patio of his fabulous home in Council Bluffs, IA. He incorporated the best of Iowa into the soiree, with a catered BBQ'd pork dinner, pumpkins and gourds in baskets, a warm fire pit and plenty of friends and family:



The highlight of the evening was when Jerry presented Lindsay and Richard with custom made cowboy boots for each of them, along with a story detailing the signifigance of each carefully chosen symbol; the date of their wedding in Roman Numerals, a pin-up girl to represent Lindsays days as a USO girl, a Harley Davidson mortorcycle because that is Richard's passion, plus countless others.





The ceremony and reception were held at the majestic Magnolia Hotel, near the historic district of Omaha.



The details and colors were exquisite:








Lindsay, you are beautiful.


Richard and Lindsay chose to do a First Look session, something I always recommend. It was a sweet moment, one that I believe they will cherish for the rest of their lives:






Because they chose to see each other before the ceremony, we had plenty of time to roam the streets of Omaha, with Lindsay and Richard looking fabulous every step of the way:







Almost as soon as we started shooting, it began to rain.

Lindsay, however, was undeterred. Directly across the street was Blue, her #1 sushi spot. Dashing across the cobblestone street, we ducked inside and took advantage of the colorful, contemporary decor:





Exploring every corner of the restaurant, we ventured upstairs, where we were delighted to find a Buda set against an amazing brick wall and next to a light-filled window.




As the hour for the ceremony approached, family and guests waited inside the hotel as the rain continued to fall:








With only a few minutes to go the rain stopped, allowing the hotel staff to quickly dry the seats.




Then, in a moment that only happens in movies, the sun began to shine moments before Lindsay made her appearance on the arm of her father:














The reception was stunning, every detail a testament to Lindsays exquisite taste:












And now my favorite part of the entire weekend--Lindsay's Rock the Frock session. Richard is an absolute doll for agreeing to this. I think they both rocked the hell out of these images:


Richard adores Lindsay, you can see it and feel it each time he looks at her:



Rawr:







I am so happy to know both of you, and honored to have been there to capture your day. Keep me posted on your new lives in Georgia!

To see a slideshow of images, click here.