September 3 2010 |
Sui & Oliver :: Records, Love, and Lady Gaga
When Sui asked me to photograph her and her partner, I was super excited. I’ve been following Sui online for years. Her writing is thoughtful and refreshing, her photography is sweet, and everything she presents is just honest. I felt like I’d known her even before I met her in person.
The two met me in Berkeley and we trekked onto hippie haven: Telegraph Ave. Sui had actually had the photoshoot as a surprise for Oliver. He met me and just knew he was meeting Tea Ho, but didn’t know why I was hanging around them on their date. Until I whipped out my cameras. Then it became quickly apparent to Oliver.
Oliver and Sui met their freshman year of college at UC San Diego. It was one of those he-liked-her-she-didn’t-like-him-now-they’re-friends-wait-romance? sort of confusing business I was so familiar with (Jesse).
We went to Amoeba Music where Oliver and Sui explored the series of records and were basically adorable together.
Oliver/Ian Hunter with Sui/Lady Gaga.
Anyway, they were just super adorable and sweet. The best part? They have great taste in music. 
August 30 2010 |
Sneak Peek :: Sui & Oliver
August 28 2010 |
Rocket :: The Ninja
Hi guys! Guess what? I have a new best friend. His name is Rocket and he’s the coolest chinchilla ever.
Rocket’s a little ninja. He explores my room while I work and sometimes distracts me with his adorable antics. He loves raisins, dust baths, and running over my feet. Sometimes he thinks he’s running away from danger, but really he’s just hopping on his wheel.
Fun fact: Rocket can jump at least 4 feet straight into the air. With a running start, he can jump even higher.
I hope he never eats any of my hard drives.
August 25 2010 |
Crystal & Troy :: Wedding at The Nine
Crystal and Troy got married on their 10 year anniversary of being together. The two met their first year of college and soon after they started dating. Crystal’s father, Mel, called Troy’s Mom. “What are your son’s intentions with my daughter?” he asked her over the phone. I guess his intentions were to marry Mel’s daughter. And he did! Congratulations, you two. =)
The two were surrounded by family and close friends (some of them friends since elementary school!) at this spacious event space.
Above is a picture of Joah, the {flower dog}. <3 I love the bond between Joah and Troy. They are so sweet. Joah was a big hit at the wedding; the guests, vendors, kids all loved her. I hung out with Joah quite a bit that night!
These two definitely had a unique wedding. Crystal walked down the aisle to the theme from A Clockwork Orange followed by a fun oldies song. Check out Joah, the flower dog!
I l love how Troy and Crystal decided to decorate the space. {The Nine} in San Francisco is a chic space filled with natural lighting. The exposed metal beams and hardwood floors makes this a beautiful canvas for a wedding. They went earthy, but clean.
The placeholders are lightbulbs filled with plants: miniature terrariums that were also a gift for the guests to take home. They were raved about! Tall candles melted to make beautiful details.
Catering was provided by Jennifer Lynch {jenniferlunch}. Everything was local, fresh, and organic. Instead of a wedding cake, the staff served miniature cupcakes from {Mission Minis}. Every bite sized cupcake was a hit. Towards the end of the night, Jennifer made yummy grilled cheese sandwiches for the guests to snack on.
Here are images of their first dance.
The guests had a lot of fun dancing to Jude Wellington‘s DJing.
Throughout the night, I kept seeing Crystal and Troy laughing with each other. They looked so happy to be surrounded by their loved ones. How lucky they are to have found the love of your life, to spend 10 years together, and still seem so freshly in love!
Congratulations again, Crystal and Troy!
August 24 2010 |
Sneak Peek :: Crystal & Troy
August 20 2010 |
SFO :: People Watching
Last Friday, I stood at the International Arrivals section at SFO, waiting for a glimpse of Jesse, my fiancé. I was surrounded by other expectant faces; wives waiting for their husbands, fathers waiting for their families, and so on. A lot of people were waiting for new family moving to the US permanently from overseas—waiting to see people they hadn’t seen in 10 or 20 years.
I stood with my camera, snapping away at such pure expressions of emotion: joy, excitement, romance. One couple particularly caught my eye. They were young, college-aged. The girl ran from the doors into the arms of her boy who held her. In that moment, it seemed as if all they knew was each other’s embrace; the world continued to move and spin around them.
I love love. I love seeing it, capturing it, being a part of it, being in it.
August 18 2010 |
Rachel and Robin :: Young Love
Rachel and Robin were very difficult to photograph. The reason is that they were bursting with energy and excitement; it was hard to get them to be still enough to snap a photo, or snap a photo where they weren’t making silly faces at each other. They were like two puppies wrestling and playing airplane and smothering each other with forehead kisses. These two met at UC Merced where they are still going to school. They spent a summer apart and this photo session documents a reuniting of the two after a long summer.
They are so silly and cute and adorable together that it hurts my heart.
August 16 2010 |
Sneak Peek: Robin & Rachel
August 13 2010 |
It’s Friday August 13th!
I’ve been counting down to this day for two and a half months! Today, my lovely fiancé finally returns home from his adventures in India. I’m picking him up from the airport tonight and the first thing that we’re going to do is……get burritos in the mission in San Francisco.
Anyway, people ask me all the time how my wedding planning is going. It’s going! I’m not nervous at all which shocks a lot of brides I talk to. Why? Well, the point is that we’re getting married. And I already booked my photographer so why worry? ; )
A lot of the wedding will be DIY. Here’s a boutonneire I’m working on for the men!
I’m excited to share other little details about my upcoming wedding with you! Maybe that will be a friday thing.
August 11 2010 |
Cathey & Nahum :: Sutro Baths
It was cold at the Sutro Baths; another gray San Francisco day. Even in August, it’s no surprise. I walked around the site, scoping for good angles, good lighting. I had arrived a good hour early to make sure the site was in order.
There were teenagers walking around the rocks cracking jokes and threatening to push each other in the water. One girl wandered off on her own and sat on the ruins staring out at the water. There is something mysterious and alluring about the Sutro Baths; something I’ve wanted to discover ever since I saw this picture.
Cathey and Nahum were running late. I wrapped myself even tighter in my yellow coat as the chill swept through me. I imagined a couple finding warmth in each other on a day as cold as this—Cathey and Nahum.
Here’s the beautiful couple!
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