brad peters photography

A New Blog Has Arrived!

2011-02-12T19:55:00.001-08:00

Hi guys -- all of you who follow my blog, THANKS, and now head over to it's new location! http://www.bradpetersphotography.com/

The Amiot Family

2011-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Spend any time with the Amiot family and you'll notice quickly that they enjoy each other's company. Their laughter and gentle ribbing of one another comes naturally and wrapped in love. Needless to say, we had a great time shooting their family portraits, something they quickly admit they haven't done enough over the years.

We got to shoot on New Years' Eve, 2010, two days before Carissa flew back to Atlanta to finish a year of serving in the inner city. Here's to a wonderful family and an exciting year ahead!

Dallas, Ft.Worth and Dad

2010-12-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

I suppose that my first facscination with photography came by way of my dad. He always had an eye for the art of the craft and while we lived overseas during my childhood, Dad was able to produce some amazing Kodachrome slides of my sisters and me in places like the Taj Mahal, Calcutta India and Khatmandu, Nepal.

His images impressed me then, and they still do today. Now in retirement, his camera is working again and he's still able to knock out some great images!

On a recent visit to the Dallas-Ft.Worth area where my dad lives, it was a lot of fun to take a few hours on two separate days to go shooting with him. We walked for miles all over downtown Dallas on a cold, overcast day, and then a few days later we hit up Ft. Worth.

It was fun to wander slowly, enjoy the architecture, style and history of two old (but new) cities, and let the eye wander to lines, doors, colors and other shapes that could make a cool image.

Following are a few of my favorites.

Near City Hall in Dallas is an old cemetary, many of the burial dates are in the 1800's. It's surrounded by city buildings, falling apart and a bit out of place, but made for some cool images!

Susie and Kyle

2010-12-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

While I've known Susie for awhile now, getting to meet and spend some time with the love of her life, Kyle, was a lot of fun. The two of them are eagerly heading out into life with each other and their respect and admiration for each other is out in the open for anyone to see.

We had a great time shooting and I'm looking forward to their July wedding!

The McLarty Family

2010-12-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

Andrew and Sarah met while in high school back in the nineties. Their love for each other grew in spurts and matured through their college years and here they are in their thirties with two wonderful little girls and a vibrant family that so match their two personalities. How great life can be, coloring the young with the hues of time, love and commitment.

What a pleasure it was getting to shoot their beautiful family!

And one in black and white..

Addison!

2010-11-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

I had a great time chasing around little Addison all over a neighborhood park. Decked out in her Christmas finest, she was an adorable little girl to shoot.

I had a Canon to shoot her, she had a bubble gun to shoot me!

Carrie: Senior Year

2010-11-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hanna: Senior Year

2010-11-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Girl!

2010-11-07T16:30:00.001-08:00

Amy and Neal and their Runnin' Boys!

2010-10-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

Can you see what's just about ready to happen with the boys exuberance? Tangled legs ... ! No boys were injured in the shooting of these images!

Samantha's Senior Portraits

2010-10-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Samantha has displayed the characteristics of success during her years of high school. She has modeled tenacity, hard work, good cheer and grace throughout her time. She's been a model of what high school should be all about.

We had a great time shooting her senior session and I was espcially happy with the variety of "looks" we were able to achieve just with a 90 minute walk around downtown Riverside and several garment changes.
A fun way to celebrate a fun girl who has had a great run in high school!

Samantha ... a Preview!

2010-09-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

The Olsen Family

2010-09-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Greg and his girls are celebrating a series of milestones this year, as each of his girls graduated, from 8th, from high school and from college! Time to record the year in images of joy and beauty!

Thanks Greg, Hillary, Megan and Maddie!

Little Chloe

2010-09-21T06:27:00.001-07:00

What is it about little girls at 9 months? Can they be any more cute and adorable at any other age? Well, yes, but this is hard to beat!

I present to you, the adorable Little Chloe, affectionately called by her mommy, "My little lamb..."

The Jaramillo Family

2010-09-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Jaramillo family just exudes fun! They are a tight-knit group, full of smiles and genuine love for one another that just makes hangin' around them a ton of fun.

The shoot, needless-to-say, was all of that; fun and light and full of love. When I asked them before composing a shot if holding hands was "their thing", they said almost in unison, "Of course!"

Here are a couple of my favorites from the session and one I took a little artistic license on! Enjoy!

Three Shoots in One -- Abigail's Senior Session

2010-08-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Abigail has launched her senior year, and if her senior portrait session was any indicator, then she's headed for an uber-successful and well rounded year. The girl has mad skills in the classroom, the soccer field and on the track. Popular and respected, she brings to her high school a sense of poise and determination that is not replicated often, and that confidence in herself and where she's headed seemed to splash all over my lenses and make the photo shoot one of the most unique and fun ones I've done in a long time.

We started with some more formal and traditional images, then drove to her school's track for some fun shots in the uniforms of her sports, soccer and track.

Thanks Abbi for the great priviliege to shoot your portraits, my congratulations on a great three years so far, and here's hoping for an even better fourth!

Abigail ... A Preview

2010-08-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

More to come of "three shoots with Abigail. Track, soccer and formals." Fun shoot.

Oh My, What a Cutie!

2010-08-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Goodness, had to post this, like RIGHT NOW! More to come

Martha and Lonnie ... Married!

2010-08-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

For a July afternoon in Southern California, you could not have asked for a better day. It was warm, but not hot. The vineyards of the Temecula Wine Country were green and ready to burst with fruit. Clouds ambled across the sky adding contrast to the deep blue. Friends and family drifted in, smiling with anticipation. The day was bathed in hope and joy, good wine and laughter. Lonnie and Martha got married.

Roses adorned the gazebo helping to cast a cool shade across the platform on which Martha and Lonnie gave their vows to love and to cherish. Permanence echoed in the sounds. In front of a small crowd of friends and family, the two basked in the warmth of the sunshine as well as their own friendship ... the bond with which they will make a life together.

I could not describe the reception in any other way than real. Their friends and family enjoyed each other's company and conversation. They enjoyed watching the bride and groom enjoy each other and the moment of their lives together. They enjoyed the food and dancing. They smiled with a genuine appreciation for what was taking place that day. They toasted Lonnie and Martha with real words, not fakery and flattery. Genuine love and sentiment wafted off of words that at times tottered out from vocal chords choked with emotion. It was real. Love.

Thank you Martha and Lonnie for the distinct privilege of capturing your day in photography.

Martha made her own bouquet!

Lonnie, Martha and Martha's daughter, Sarah, poured sand into a vase, symbolizing the union of their lives. Very sweet moment.

The beautiful Temecula Valley Wine Country!

And lastly ...

A Preview of Martha and Lonnie's Wedding

2010-08-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Eden Turns One!

2010-07-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Oh to be one again! All is giggles and frosting, happy times, happy people ... just happy-ness. Eden turned one and her mommy and daddy threw out all the stops to celebrate her life and a year of blessings.

Eden responded with all the glee that a one year old surrounded be a few people her age and size (and a bunch of older folks who love her) could muster up. There were squeels of mirth, a pool of brightly colored balls to play in and a cake just for her that was covered in frosting and peeerfect for slathering all over her face!

It was a fun afternoon! Here are a few of my favorite images from the party!

And Eden has become her cake! :)

Water

2010-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

North Carolina

2010-06-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

This past week I had the pleasure of accompanying one of my athletes to Greensboro, North Carolina as he was competing in the National Championships of high school track and field. While there, we had a few extra hours to check out the surrounding North Carolina country side and universities. Here are a few pictures I took while there.

Duke University totally took me by surprise! I was not ready for it's gothic architecure and almost medieval look! Pretty in it's own way, the centerpiece of the campus was a large cathedral (the school was originally a Methodist institution) that looked like it was pulled from the 15th Century in France, yet I discovered was built between 1930 and '32! Here is one of the adjacent walkways

Greensboro's quaint, historic street. Fittingly named "Elm Street", it evoked a Normal Rockwell view of Americana!

The Duke University football stadium, it hosted the 1942 Rose Bowl as the US Government banned all large public events on the West Coast in fear of a Japanese attack. Since Duke was scheduled to play in the game, Duke University offered their stadium. Duke won!

San Diego R&R

2010-06-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

A day of rest and relaxation in San Diego!

Martha + Lonnie - Engaged

2010-05-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

A preview of Martha and Lonnie's engagement shoot we did this weeked. Sooo looking forward to their wedding in July!

Nicole and David

2010-05-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

It was an absolute privilege to shoot the wedding of Nicole and David recently. A large, extended family arrived and were in good spirits and celebrated the joy of these two young people who are obviously in love and ready to embark on their lives together!

I absolutely loved the colors of her dressing room and the light pouring through the windows!

Deliberately blurred ... I kindof like it...

Rhiannon, Cupcakes and Smiles

2010-05-12T20:05:00.001-07:00

I got to know Rhiannon a year ago. Somewhat reserved and quiet, her personality is actually much the opposite. Unbeknown to me at the time, the girl has some mad skills as an artist .... her drawings are incredible, full of detail and beauty. She's also an aspiring pastry chef, with goals for the months following high school to enroll in a culinary school and get some practical training in the craft of creating edible artwork!

It made perfect sense to start our shoot at Casey's Cupcake Shoppe at Riverside's Mission Inn. Rhiannon ordered a delicacy while I shot away, then we had some fun with the balloons on the patio and exploring the surrounding pedistrian mall. A very fun and unique shoot, for a fun and unique person!

Island Ohana Polynesian Dance Recital

2010-05-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Taylor and Ariel: Seniors and Sisters

2010-05-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ariel and Taylor are on their way up and out! Successful seniors and sisters, the two showed off a confidence that I love about seniors ... so ready for the next step, the next chapter in life, prepared and ready to get it going.

Ariel is actually in midstep toward her goals of becoming a nurse, she's working part time in the industry even in this her senior year of high school, so it was a cool and appropriate choice of clothing to shoot some of the images in her scrubs! She's excited to pursue it full time.

Thanks ladies for the great shoot, the laughter and easy-going nature of your personalities. My very best to you as you head out of the door of high school and into the exciting world of your lives!

A sweet image with Dad...

AJ: A Senior Ready for Takeoff!

2010-04-21T18:48:00.001-07:00

AJ's finishing up his high school career having shared time at a couple of high schools in pursuit of his athletic passion in wrestling. It's paid off, as he's got a boatload of medals and accomplishments and is heading to Grand Canyon College in Phoenix next year to joing their wrestling squad.

I liked him the moment we were introduced, he had poise and confidence in who he is, he seems ready to tackle the world, to take the leap into the next phase of his life.

Isn't that the goal of four years of school?

Thanks AJ for the chance to shoot your senior portraits, you're ready for take off!

Taylor, A Senior Year

2010-04-17T08:17:00.001-07:00

Taylor Scott has had quite a run in high school. Academically capable, athletically talented, she's made the most of her opportunities for four years.

She's been a part of the ASB leadership, a four year member of the soccer team (which won the CIF Title in 2010!) and has also competed on the track team. Voted the homecoming queen for her school in 2009, well, as you can see, she's accomplished a lot!

She's done it all with a great attitude and a beautiful smile and laughter that is infectious. What a privilege it was to be asked to shoot her senior portraits, capturing in a moment, a bit of what those who know and love her have seen on display for quite some time.

Congratulations, Taylor, on a job well done! Your time has been well spent and you will be a treasure to Point Loma University I'm sure!

Blocks for a Thursday

2010-04-15T20:19:00.001-07:00

Taylor: Senior Preview

2010-04-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak of what I'm working on for Taylor ... great shoot, great senior! More to come in the next days! The girl loves to smile, and has a great one, but since it took almost the entire shoot to get a "serious look" nailed, I thought I'd start with one of my faves!

Derek and the Fam

2010-04-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've had the pleasure of knowing Derek for four years now. He's a class act in every way! The guy is graduating this year, one of the top students in his class of some 700 ... and he's awaiting admittance into Stanford, San Luis Obisbo, etc ... you get the idea.

He's also an amazing athlete and has been a key figure of his cross country and track teams while at King High in Riverside. He understands hard work, team work, fair play and grit. The world needs more men like Derek!

The whole family came along for the shoot, so we snagged a few of the very photogenic and lovely group...talk about an easy shoot!

Enjoy!

The Moore Family

2010-03-28T20:06:00.001-07:00

The Moore family has been dear friends of my wife and I for quite some time, they've even practically adopted our daughter into their family! For Christmas, Christina and David treated mom and dad (and sister Tracy and her husband Dan) with family portraits and we were finally able to get everyone's schedule to click and capture the moment.

I took images of baby Eden when she was three weeks old.

The family spent much of Christina and Tracy's youth living in Redlands, so the University of Redlands was a natural and easy spot to pick, "full of good memories" as Christina explained.

Thanks guys for a great shoot and an even better time!

The Nelsons, a Preview

2010-03-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak into what I'm currently working on.

King High Remembers - 10th Anniversary

2010-03-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, John Corona, a teacher at Martin Luther King High in Riverside, started an oral history project with veterans of WW2 and Korea. 28 men came to school to talk with his 11th grade US History students.

A great idea was born.

Ten years later the program has expanded to encompass the entire junior class at the school and over 220 vets from WW2, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. It's an amazing event that draws the media, dignitaries from the District and County and VIP's from far and wide. John Corona has been honored at both the State and National level for the program.

I'm honored to work with John in a very small way on the project and to be able to record the event through photography.

Check out the website, http://www.kinghighremembers.com/

Click here for a slide show of more images put to music

The father of John Corona. He helped to liberate the Philippines in WW2

Pearl Harbor Survivors! Very cool!

Reports of My Demise are Exagerrated...

2010-03-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've last posted! For those who are faithful blog stalkers, I haven't gone away, I've just had a bit of a break from shooting, but with several lined up in the next month, it's going to start flowing again!

Here's a preview of the most recent project I've been working on, the Rodriguez family!

Senior Portrait Options

2010-02-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here's an example of what can be done with senior portraits. I put together these samples for Britany. There are a number of different options available, if you're interested, email me to inquire about pricing.

(If the image is cropped on your computer screen, click on the image to open it fully)

Britany: Senior Portraits

2010-02-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Most, no all, of the seniors I've shot portraits for in the last year have been students and athletes that I've had the opportunity to get to know. This shoot would be different. My introduction to Britany happened just minutes before the shoot.

What struck me about Britany right away was how comfortable she was with who she is. She's at the tail end of what's been a fantastic four years of high school. Active in volleyball and soccer, she's not coasting to the finish line as some do, instead she's considering competing in track for the first time to finish her four years at King High with a flourish. When I asked what she liked best of her four years at King, she was quick to respond, "the friends I made."

Britany was easy to shoot, very engaging in her personality and very photogenic as well, I had a great time capturing that confidence that oozed from her as soon as I shook her hand and said hello.

Thank you Britany for making the shoot seem as if we'd known each other for four years. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavors.

Britany is a big fan of the Twilight series, her bracelet holds signficant meaning...

We both got a laugh as the ice cream man walked right through our shot! It's all good!

Amber: Senior Portraits

2010-02-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

Amber's nearing the end of her four years of high school. She's got a great smile and a ton of personality. She's played basketball and run track during her time in high school and is a true talent.

I was delighted to shoot her senior portraits and we enjoyed laughter seemingly through the whole shoot. Usually I have to rely on my amazing jokes (that's a joke in and of itself!) to elicit laughter from a client, not so with Amber. It was a simple command: "Laugh!" and she'd bust out laughing.

As you can tell, she's extremely photogenic even when she isn't laughing. Enjoy!

Brad Sheets: A Senior Year Session

2010-01-31T20:48:00.001-08:00

Brad Sheets is finishing out a fantastic four years of growth and improvement at King High in Riverside, CA. He's a great student, a strong runner and a friend to many. He's off to the University of Oregon next year to study sports marketing, and in the backyard of Nike, he's probably headed in the right direction!

It's been a pleasure getting to know him over the last years and it was an absolute pleasure getting to shoot his senior portaits.

We used a couple of adjacent locations in Riverside to try and get a blend of both natural and man made settings. I think we nailed it! While the rail road and rail cars gave a gritty urban sense, the park and Santa Ana River humbled the hard settings with the grace of green.

Thanks, Brad for letting me shoot your senior portraits. It was a fun couple of hours, but it's been a better four years. And, by the way, nice name!

Claire and Jared's Wedding

2010-01-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

My neice Claire met Jared while the two of them were at Biola University. They were quick to hit it off and fell in love. Engaged some 7 months ago, the two finally tied the knot on a beautiful ... then raining afternoon a week ago.

I was honored to be allowed in on the photography of her wedding which was very ably being led by Shannon Leith. Shannon was gracious enough to let me tag along and watch her work while shooting anything and everything I wanted. What a privilege ... thank you again, Shannon.

Since Shannon was choreographing the main shots, I had the freedom to lurk around the edges, looking for that different angle, an uncommon creation that probably wouldn't be any photographer's "first choice" in shooting a wedding.

It was a lot of fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to be creative, not worried about getting "the shot" but working to find a shot from the fringe.

I hope you enjoy what follows...and thank you again Shannon for letting me in on your work.

The first look ... sweet!

While Shannon was getting the bridal party shots, I took off into the high grass and got a couple of interesting creations. Again, probably not the "first choice" but as the third shooter, I saw my opportunity and took it!

Ok, I know a lot of folks raise their eyebrows when they snag a peek at my "blurry shots" but, hey!, I kind of like them! They give off a little bit of a water-color effect. Here's Claire and Jared at the end of the night, enjoying their last dance...

And yes, it rained...

Martin Luther King Day

2010-01-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today we marked the impact of Martin Luther King in our nation's history. With the Haiti earthquake dominating the news, the remembrance seemed to be passed over by the nation's media.

For me, I came face to face with the legacy of Dr. King while visiting the "birthplace" of sorts of the Civil Rights movement. Traveling with my cross country team to Montgomery and Birmingham Alabama back in 2007 enlivened my imagination to the impact one man, moved by truth, can have on a society. That man lived and died just as I was coming to be, but we live in a society distinctly different because of what he did.

I've been working my way through Taylor Branch's trilogy on the King years. (I'm two books in, close to 2000 pages read, and making the last tome the goal of 2010 ... it's a 1000+ pages alone!) Reading his history, which is almost too detailed at times, I've come to realize the complexity of King and the multi-dimensionality of the man and the movement.

Though he sought political and social change -- and got it -- what I think King never lost sight of was that racism, while being politically and socially charged, was (and is) really a "heart issue." It was no coincidence that the Civil Rights movement began in churches, it's power emanated from faith.

At times, King challenged the local church to get their act straightened out. Addressing the all-too-often practice of the church not practicing what it preaches, he railed, "It seems that I can hear the almighty God say, "stop preaching your loud sermons and whooping your irrelevant mess in my face for your hands are full of tar. For the people that I sent you to serve are in need, and you are doing nothing but being concerned about yourself." Seems that I can hear God saying that it's time to rise up now and make it clear that the evils of the universe must be removed. And that God isn't going to do all of it by himself. The church that overlooks this is a dangerously irrelevant church."

Powerful words for the 1960's ... and today. May I be the first to love with "Agape Love" (as King often spoke about) and think of others increasingly more than myself.

Here's an image I took back in 2007 of one of the pews inside Dexter Ave. Baptist Church, the church where King first started back in the 1950's.

I wonder, was it there then? What stories could it tell?

Claire's Wedding Day -- A Preview

2010-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Little Louis

2010-01-16T13:22:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been far too long since I last posted, mainly because my life has been so busy! The New Year got off to a flying start! Tomorrow, I'm getting to second shoot my niece's wedding for Shannon Leith, and I'm really excited about the opportunity!

Last weekend, I drove out to West LA for a Bris Ceremony for Louis. Having never observed one before, it was a fascinating experience and an honor to not only be counted on to record the event photographically, but also to observe the ceremony and witness a part of Jewish culture that I've never been exposed to. It was a great time!

Here are a few images from the event.

To a Beautiful New Year

2010-01-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! 2010 ... what will it hold for each of us? No one knows, even the biggest "resolution maker" in the world doesn't know. We resolved ourselves to be thinner, to be better, to be more productive, to stop eating too much, driving too fast, etc, etc, etc, but the reality is that the next 365 days are an unknown.

If we resolve to do anything this year, lets make up our minds to live each day as if it is our last day, to look for beauty in the midst of bustle, to find the unique colors and shapes of God's handiwork, to make the lives of those around us a bit more beautiful because we crossed their paths!

Connor's Senior Portraits

2009-12-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Scenes from Portland

2009-12-15T21:07:00.003-08:00

Recently I had a working weekend in Portland and had a couple of hours to walk around the downtown area and just enjoy the colors and architecture of the town. Portland is quite a place. The Fall colors were still accenting the buildings and block by block, it seemed another discovery was made.

A very pretty place, enjoy!

An outdoor bazaar brought out great colors and interesting people!

I've been experimenting with purposefully out-of-focus images to capture a more artistic rendition of the subject.

More deliberate blurrying ... almost becomes a watercolor!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Onorios

2009-12-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

Vic and JoAnn have been friends for a few years now and their daughter has recently been taking riding lessons and falling in love with horses. While most of our shoot was capturing Paige taking care of and riding her horse, we took advantage of the time to shoot some family photos as well and I absolutely loved the rustic barn setting they chose.

The Soholts and Hammars

2009-12-01T19:02:00.001-08:00

I've known the Soholt family for a few years now and they are the real deal. Genuine, loving and caring; they're a family that loves to laugh. Kim and Eric put the family portrait together along with her sister Kay and her husband Mark and their two kids. Grandma Dee and Grandpa Jim joined in to make it a true family affair.

We had a great time laughing our way through the shoot, and I think you'll see some of that in the images that follow.

Enjoy!

Old School

2009-11-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

Riverside Community College

My New Baby!

2009-11-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Sooo excited! I've just received a major upgrade, the Canon 7D!

Jace at 7 months

2009-11-19T06:18:00.001-08:00

My colleague Julie had put off taking baby pictures of her adorable second son, Jace and so she felt the urgency to capture his cuteness before he got any bigger. We had a glorious fall day in which to shoot. We started in the living room next to the Christmas tree, then to the back yard and then ended up in a park next to their home.

The little fellow was game, even if he was oblivious to what was going on. Like most kids 7 months old, he was more interested in putting whatever he could find into his mouth for a taste. His older brother Jacob came along and we got a few of him as well.

Thanks Julie for gracing my lens with two of the cutest little boys in town!

His dad is a fireman, so the firetrucks were a natural!

Julie's Jayce!

2009-11-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

A preview of the cutest little boy in the world!

Nicolaisen Family

2009-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

The Nicolaisen Family got together with grandma and grandpa for a family session. Four of the five were "in", one, 22-month-old Colton, well lets just say he saw the park not as a perfect place for photos but a great place to roam. He squiggled and squirmed and wore out Grandpa who was chasing him half the time, but in the midst of it all, we were able to snag some good images.

Enjoy!

This became a common "portrait" of Colton, as the little Tyke wasn't too keen on "sitting and posing." A lot of the time he was on the run!

Interior Design

2009-11-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Today I got to help my wife with photographing a couple of her recent projects for her Interior Design business. Wish I could show you the "before" images, but alas , I don't have them.

Enjoy HER work!

The Moss Family

2009-11-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Doug Moss and his family are the kind of family that is tight-knit, gregarious and fun, and to top it off, world travelers! I literally lost track of how many foreign countries they have traveled to, it was an impressive set of tales. We had fun capturing their fun family is some images ... something they haven't had done in years.

Glad I could help!!

The Moss Family Preview

2009-11-02T19:56:00.001-08:00

Had a fun time recently shooting a veeeery fun family, the Moss Fam!

The Berzanskys

2009-10-25T13:58:00.001-07:00

The Berzansky's will be moving from their home soon and wanted a family portrait in front of their place before they leave. I was happy to oblige and capture the family in a place of meaning to them. Isn't that what photography should be all about?

Homecoming and Carnival

2009-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Shot some images from a big school-wide carnival and homecoming.

Kamryn and Matt: Engaged!

2009-10-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I knew Kamryn back when she was a precocious high schooler, but she's all grown up now and fixin' to get married to her handsome love, Matt. We reconnected a bit through Facebook and I was excited to shoot her engagement photographs.

She selected the area around San Juan Capistrano, one of hers and Matt's favorite hangouts. We had a fun time getting reacquainted and taking advantage of the location.

There's a lot of shots here, as I just couldn't narrow it down to a handful! Thanks Kamryn and Matt for making my first engagement session a fun one!

Engagement Shoot

2009-10-18T20:08:00.001-07:00

Been working on a shoot I did with Kamryn and Matt down in San Juan Capistrano. Here's a preview of things to come!

Rebecca's Senior Portraits

2009-10-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

I got to know Rebecca during her junior year of high school. A bright and intellectually curious student, she signed up for AP US History and even through some of those nineteenth century decades that read like an instructional manual, I could always count on her inquisitive style and facial expressions that said, "I want to learn."

She was really impressive right from the start, and I never got tired of having Rebecca come to class, ready to light up the room with her curiosity, great questions and passion for life.

So naturally it was a great delight to get a request from her to shoot her senior portraits. Given her academic flair (and love of big trees!) the stately grounds of the University of Redlands was a great place to shoot them.

Here are a few of my favorites....

Rebecca's Senior Portraits ... A Sneak Peek!

2009-10-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

Here's a peek at what I'm working on ... Rebecca's senior session.

Maryam's Baby Shower

2009-10-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the great opportunity to work with Amy Nehmens, the talented owner of Every Little Detail Event company. Check out her services at http://www.everylittledetailevent.com/. She had worked with the good people at Geoffrey's in Malibu, a great restaurant with an incredible view of the vast Pacific.

Cool winds rustled some of the table cloths but it wasn't enough to put a dent in the detail-oriented work of Amy and her vendors. Indeed, "every little detail" was covered.

With a focus on the details, check out some of the images from a fantastic baby shower.

The cake and petit fours were done by Cucamonga Cakery. Amy contracted with Full of Joy Vinyl Stickers for the sign announcing the baby's name.

Amy didn't forget the men attending the party!

Beautiful florals by Commerce Flowers

Here is a slideshow!

Kelsi, A Successful Senior

2009-10-02T19:00:00.001-07:00

The three years that I've known Kelsi have been marked by one word: Success. She has made the most of her high school years. She has excelled both in and out of the classroom. One of the top students in her graduating class, she carries a GPA in excess of 4.0 and has flavored her course list with a heavy dose of AP and honors courses.

Athletically, there have been few girls at her school that have amassed a more impressive resume. Recruited by some 25 colleges and universities for her exceptional talent in distance running, she was chosen as her high school's Athlete of the Year at the close of her junior year. Quite an honor. Her letter-jacket is held together by the championship patches that cover it's navy-colored shell.

She has done all that while being involved in her church, a good friend to those around her and respected by both peers and staff for not just amassing a lengthy list of accomplishments, but more for doing so with grace, dignity and humility.

If there ever was someone who took full advantage of their years in high school, it's Kelsi. It was an absolute privilege to shoot her senior portraits.

I hope you enjoy!

One of Kelsi's trademarks is her attention to fashion detail. Even on the hardest workouts she does during the season, she's aware of her fashion sense, and perish the thought her workout gear doesn't match! So it was no surprise to me when after a garment change during the shoot she broke out the killer earrings. Classic Kelsi, and of course I couldn't miss that shot!

Cool Door

2009-09-30T06:23:00.001-07:00

While shooting a portrait session recently, I saw this cool door. The house above it not so cool, but the door! Sweet!

Kelsi's Sneak Peek

2009-09-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting Kelsi's senior portraits. Here is a preview of things to come...

Happy Birthday

2009-09-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 44th birthday yesterday with a bunch of teenagers. I know, not a typical birthday party for a middle-aged dude, but I happen to coach high schoolers in the fine sport of cross country, and the schedule called for a big meet in San Diego on my birthday. So it was a "working party."

The kids ran great -- present enough! -- but afterwards we were able to relax at the city pool there in the park where the meet was held, and so we all had some pizza and fun times.

Here are a few shots I took while at the party, including the surprise birthday cake while they serenaded me with the oldest song in the books.

A fun day for me!

Neil and Amy

2009-09-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

I got to know Neil way back in the early 90's. He was a bright, talented teenager, full of direction and purpose and a positive attitude that screamed, "I can." Amy was a year older, and in that she wasn't on the cross country team that I coached, I missed the opportunity to get to know her during those years.

Neil and Amy graduated in the mid-90's and our lives all went in different directions, sort of. Amy graduated from UCR, Neil from UCI, and I moved from teaching at Ayala in Chino Hills to King in Riverside. Their high school romance continued to blossom and they ended up getting married just after graduating from college.

Time has been good to Amy and Neil. High school sweethearts, they've recently celebrated 10 years of marriage and are parents to Raymond and Clark, two of the cutest little boys you could lay your eyes on.

During our photo shoot, we got to catch up on the last 15 years, marveling at how time flies. Neil is a successful business man in Corona, Amy left teaching to raise her boys but has recently started up her own event and wedding planning business. Given her amazing organizational skills and professionalism, the firm is aptly named, Every Little Detail. Check her out online and on Facebook!

Through 90 minutes of shooting a host of images of their adorable family, I enjoyed chatting, throwing "high fives" to Clark and Raymond -- both of whom were troopers for almost the entire shoot -- and having fun capturing the Nehmens before another fifteen years passes us all by.

Thanks Amy and Neil ... not only was it great capturing the beauty of your family in images, it was even more fun catching up on what is the beauty of your lives. Keep on!

Jarod ... A Senior with Style

2009-08-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how everyone seems to have their style? Some have that rockstar personality, some evoke their inner self through their clothes, their style is what they wear. Some find their style in the mix and the mingle; others offer themselves in subdued hues. We're all so different.

Jarod's at the doorstep of his senior year and has shown those who know him a style that is altogether cool; yet warm. He's a guy folks like being around, for his humor, for his kindness, for his ability to have fun, for his genuineness. Give him part of a day and you'll quickly find yourself entertained and impressed.

He's spent a good part of these past years marking his life by improvement. If that counts as a style, count me one of his fans. Through hard work and determination, he's turned himself into a serious runner, a talented athlete who once doubted his ability and his potential. He's turned himself into a student, a capable academician who once didn't turn much in. He's turned himself into a leader, a determined captain of the ship who beckons others to follow.

I wish you all could see THOSE THINGS in Jarod's senior portraits, for those are the signatures of his style that those who know him see on a daily basis. But if you look closely here, look into his eyes, you might catch a glimpse of a young man who knows who he is, what he's about, and where he's heading.

That, is Jarod's style.

Jarod's Senior Portraits ... A Sneak Peek

2009-08-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

I'm working on the senior portraits I took recently of Jarod as he enters his senior year at King High. Here's a first one, with more to follow!

Grass

2009-08-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted, gettin' ready for another senior portrait session tomorrow afternoon.

The Peirce Family

2009-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

I've known Dan and Renee Peirce for 10 years now, as I coach and teach with Dan. Their oldest son is stationed with the Navy at Bethesda Naval hospital in DC, and since he was home for a couple of weeks, we scrambled to push our schedules together so we could get a full family photo. Here are a couple of my favorites...

Eden at Three Weeks

2009-08-04T18:50:00.001-07:00

My first infant session! Wow, what an experience ... much more demanding than it would seem. But fun! We had a challenge getting Eden to go to sleep, but in the end she obliged.

These are a few of my favorites, credit Grandma Linda for dropping in the bunny rabbit right at the end ... great touch!

Sara: Senior Portraits

2009-08-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's the smile. Without doubt, it's the smile. It's noticable right away. It lights up a room. It exudes confidence. Not the cocky, "I know it all" kind of confidence, but the self-assured, "I know where I'm headed" kind of confidence. The good kind, in case you were wondering.

Sara's been headed somewhere on purpose for some time. I've enjoyed the opportunity of getting to know her over the last year and I've been impressed by her style, her substance, her smile. That smile says it all.

She's a scholar in the classroom and the starting goalie on her school and club soccer teams. Heading into the final year of high school, Sara's motivated to capture a full ride scholarship to, well, just about anywhere that will offer. UCR might be in the lead as of today ... but that could change. With her mad skills on the field and in the classroom, she'll have plenty to pick from.

We met up last week in Riverside for her senior portraits and I knew right away that Sara knew exactly what she wanted to convey in her images. She didn't just want pictures. She wanted to push through the lens that signature Sara Style that even when captured in a split second on film, movement would be seen, even felt. For that's how she lives. On the move.

We had a blast shooting, her style and confidence making my job all the easier, and I think you'll see that coming through these images.

Just look for the smile.

Sara's Senior Portraits ... coming soon!

2009-07-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's an image from Sara's Senior Portrait session I'm working on. Many more to come in a bit!

Huntington Beach

2009-07-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of images from a recent trip to Huntington Beach with the team.

TK and Bethany's Wedding Reception

2009-07-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege and honor of shooting TK and Bethany Scott's "second" wedding reception. The wedding was a couple of weeks ago in Minnesota, the place where Bethany grew up. After a honeymoon in Hawaii, the two were celebrated a second time by their family and West Coast friends. Held at the home of Ken and Thalia Scott, the family and extended family threw out all the stops to host a wonderful affair that doubled as a Hawaiian Luau (the family is half-Hawaiian) and wedding reception. Thrown in for no extra charge was a bit of a birthday party for TK who was 24 that day.

The 200 guests came in traditional Hawaiian clothing, adding a colorful festiveness to the already fun and joyous occassion. TK and Bethany were like seasoned wedding reception veterans and seemed to enjoy the relaxed, tropical-like casualness of the event; laughing and mingling with the host of friends and families that came to celebrate their marriage.

Capturing the event on film was a lot of fun and as the evening seemlessly flowed from traditional wedding ceremony events to Hawaiian and Polynesian dancing, it seemed as if I was shooting two very different gatherings at the same time. Fun!

The Polynesian dancers were made up of the Tippets sisters (cousins of the groom), Taylor Scott (TK's sister), Wendee Tippets (aunt of the groom) and TK himself along with his brother Travis. The groomsmen even joined in on one dance, and given they had all of two hours to become Hawaiian and learn the routine, they performed it flawlessly! The dancing was capped off by a hired professional that wowed the crowd with fire!

The Scotts put together a true "Island" feel to the reception, despite the Riverside locale!

Danielle: Senior Portraits

2009-07-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

Back in the 1980's, Nike teamed up with Michael Jordan and gave the culture a new slogan "It's gotta be the shoes." As I remember the TV ads, they had images of Michael Jordan seemingly floating on air, doing things with a basketball and hoop that no one else could even dream of attempting. Unless, of course, they were wearing Nikes. It's gotta be the shoes.

Danielle has taken that idea a bit to her own heart, though you won't find a closet full of Air Jordans. Instead it's a kaleidoscope of colorful Vans. They're stacked in there. A different color for every possible occasion.

Danielle's life seems to run like an array of Vans. It's clean and simple, yet colorful. Like the bright red soles on the pair she wore to our shoot at the University of Redlands, she's got passion that drives her in school and competition. I'm sure the blue ones go well on those contemplative days where a look, and only a look, says it all. Yellow for those cheery days when her smile lights up a room and green for days of frolic and fun.

She enters her senior year at King High having amassed a successful three years thus far, and when teamed with what should be a fantastic senior year will have her leaving King in 2010 much like Michael Jordan left the hardwood on his way to the board. Flying!

Danielle, you were a true star in our 2 hours of shooting ... despite temperatures in the upper 90's, you never broke a sweat and just kept on smiling that million dollar smile of yours. Thank you for the privilege and honor of capturing your senior photos!

Danielle's Senior Portraits ... A Sneak Peek!

2009-07-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Let this much be clear: Danielle loves, loves, loves her Vans. She's got pairs and pairs of them. Name your color, any color. So it's fitting that we start this senior portrait session from the ground up. More to come -- and not just of her shoes -- in the next few days ... check back!

Rebecca: Senior Portraits

2009-07-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

I liked Rebecca the first time I met her. That was three years ago. She was a ninth grader, trying out for cross country, a sport she had never taken on before. No matter, she looked me in the eye, smiled her dimpled smile and shook my hand. Introduced herself. She oozed confidence. First impressions go a long way.

Over the years I've come to realize that with Rebecca, you get what you see. She's a beautiful person, inside and out. She has excelled in high school. She's an accomplished runner, one of the best King High has ever produced. She maintains a GPA that few others on campus have, and when the course gets tough, she digs in and works harder. She gets it.

I think one of the most attractive things about Rebecca though is her ability to set high goals and then implement the discipline to get after them. Ever since stepping foot on King High's campus, her goal has been to become a college athlete. Not just "go to college." Anyone can say that. No, she wants to compete in college. She wants to excell in college. She wants the whole thing. I believe she'll get it, too.

You might think such a hard-driving personality would be abrasive, wearing and tiring to be around. Just the opposite. Rebecca has a truly caring heart and sensitive spirit to those around her and is as kind and thoughtful as they come. Even in the most trying of times, (which I wrote about here), she has maintained her character; working hard at team play, stayin' honest, and never, never complain. She has legions of folks who respect her highly.

Needless to say I was delighted and honored to be asked to shoot her senior portraits. They'll be a keepsake for her and her family, and in another way, they'll be that for me too.

Here are a few of my favorites, I think you'll get a sense of who Rebecca is through them. Enjoy!

How has Rebecca impressed you? Leave a comment to let her know!

Rebecca's Senior Portraits ... A Sneak Peek

2009-07-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while -- sorry to those who care -- but we were gone last weekend, and I was waiting for this week to hit when I've got the most shoots of my fledgling business. Very cool.

Anyway, I'm working on editing Rebecca's senior session from yesterday. We went to Laguna Beach and I promised I'd get a couple of images up today. More to come in the next day or two!

San Diego Geometry

2009-07-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

I never liked geometry in high school. The theorems were tough and I never quite got all those triangles and such.

I like it now -- not the memorizing of theorems, mind you -- but I like looking at geometry, especially in the form of architecture. Here are a few shapes from a recent trip to San Diego.

And if baseball isn't a game of geometry, I'm not sure what is. Beautiful Petco Park!

A Quick Letterman/woman Shoot

2009-07-03T17:40:00.001-07:00

With a T-Time in Indio California at 3:00 pm and my teaching day ending at 1:30, we were under the gun. Only 30 minutes. No luxury of choosing a cool location. No shot at the "magic hour" of sunlight (before sunset). What we had would have to do.

What we had was bright, glaring mid-day sun, a high school campus that's architecturally unappealing and a very brief 30 minutes. My first snap of the shutter got the clock moving.

Good thing the Scotts and Tippets are so dang photogenic. They more than made up for the less than perfect surroundings.

The goal was to get the Scott and Tippet grandkids together all wearing their King High letter-jackets as a gift to their grandparents. Cousins all, three are now in or out of college. The other three are almost done at King. TK is getting married next week in Minnesota. Life for this group is as fast paced as our photo shoot was. But it's all good.

As you can tell by their letter jackets, this group is uber-talented too. The jackets are adorned with the little billboards of Cross Country, Track, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Basketball and Baseball. There's a State Championship in there for no extra charge. Their GPA's are or were stratospheric and ASB Student Council has been blessed by their talent. They are about as all American as you can get. Austyn is at BYU, Travis is at Cal State San Marcos, TK has already graduated from Cal Baptist University in Riverside. Whew! I'm exhausted just writing it all down!

The last shot was a buzzer-beater. TK and Travis walked off to their car at 1:58 and headed to Indio. Mission accomplished!

Here are a handful of my faves. Leave a comment if you wish!

Both moms (who are sisters) are Hawaiian, so all of the kids have Hawaiian middle names and have proudly displayed their heritage on the backs of their jackets. Just don't ask me how to pronounce them!

LA Story

2009-06-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today I took my wife and daughter on our yearly trek to Dodger Stadium to catch a ballgame. It was a warm and gorgeous summer afternoon -- Mackenzie informing us that today is the first day of summer according to her calendar that has "everything everyone in the world celebrates" -- and so it made for a fun afternoon. This despite the fact that our Boys in Blue lost 4-2, and our favorite, Andre Ethier, struck out twice. Despite being such miserable failure on the day we spent 80 bucks to see him hit a home run, we decided to forgive Andre anyway and on the way home Mackenzie named the free Webkins doll they handed out to all kids in attendance after him. Yes, he's already registered.

On the way out of the stadium we decided to show Mackenzie a little bit of the big city and by the time we drove down Grand Ave, past the Disney Performing Arts Center and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilian, both nestled beneath gleaming glass towers, she said from the back seat, "Now this is a city!" Earlier in the day, while on the way into LA, she had a running commentary on the ubiquitous "gar-feety" as she likes to describe the tagging that's all over the place. Apparently LA has the budget to clean only part of their town.

As we snaked through downtown LA, we were detoured as a movie crew was using a block to film a movie set in New York. A NY taxi, connected to a long beam off the back of a film truck went right past us, and given the amount of flood lights both outside and inside the dummy ride, it was obvious they were filming. I stopped and gawked. Hey, I'm as much a tourist as the next guy!

We finally found Olvera Street which dates back to 1871, the sign said. The little sightseeing walk would double as a cultural experience for our daughter and a trip down Memory Lane for Becky and me, as both of us had made several field trips to the historic site back in junior high days. It hasn't changed much. Just older than it already was.

What had changed was how I looked at the street. No longer looking for some trinket to buy out of my hard-earned allowance, I got to enjoy the smells and the color, and oh my, the color! It was everywhere! I tried to capture some of that in the images that follow. After strolling the lane, we crossed the street to check out Union Station, with it's art-deco design. It's like taking a step back in time.

This is a long post, but enjoy the images, leave a comment if you want!

Even the sky was Dodger Blue!

Dodger Stadium is now the third-oldest stadium in the Majors! Hard to believe!

Chris and the Family

2009-06-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Chris Villanueva's life is about to take off. Literally. He leaves to enroll in the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Wednesday. He'll graduate in four years as an engineer and with a pilot's license. All on the government's tab.

Well, kindof. You see, I've had the opportunity to see Chris in action over the last four years, as he has both run on the cross country and track teams I've coached, and he kicked butt in my AP US History course during his junior year. The guy is talented, motivated, hard working and has his sights set on the sky. The Air Force Academy will be a perfect fit for him. So though Uncle Sam may pay the bills over the next four years, it was Chris's diligence over the previous four years that got him this golden opportunity!

He's also very photogenic and loves photography as I do, so it was fun to shoot him and his family before their life takes a big turn on Wednesday. He just graduated from King High with a GPA in excess of 4.0, having competed in three sports (soccer was the third) and excelled at every turn.

I enjoyed spending 90 minutes with the Villanueva clan -- and Katie, Chris's girlfriend too --in the days before Chris's departure; just as I enjoyed spending time coaching and teaching Chris during his successful four years in high school. Thanks guys!

Details of the Big Day

2009-06-16T09:30:00.001-07:00

The Architecture of Disney

2009-06-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

One of the many amazing things about Disney is their ability to appeal to a 5 year old and a 50 year old at the same time. When I visited Disney World a year ago, my daughter had a grand time, but so too did my wife and I. One of the things I loved was the design, both landscape and structure.

Here are a few images of their architectural creativity ... from recreation of Mann's Chinese Theater, to Victorian, to a retro amusement park, to a building seemingly stolen from a Westerner's view of Africa. Pretty cool stuff.

The Corona Brothers

2009-06-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph the sons of my friend and colleague, John Corona and his wife, Nannette. We utilized downtown Riverside and Fairmont Park, which is, in many respects NOT what a lot of folks in Riverside think it is. It's actually quite beautiful (in parts).

Like typical teens, it appeared the guys were going along with the shoot because they love their mom, but they were good sports and we had a good time.

Enjoy, leave a comment if you wish!

Cool Clouds

2009-06-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is So-Cal. We don't do weather. Thunder? Lightening? What's that?

Until today. A very strange thing happened -- we got clouds, and thunder and lightening, the whole works. It even pitter-pattered a few drops of something they told us on the weather channel is rain!

Clouds are cool. Thought I'd take a snap of them for other people who don't get to see them very often.

Announcing...

2009-06-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce a new edition to our family, a Canon 50 mm 1.4. I know that doesn't mean a hill of beans to most, but let's just say I was excited for her arrival. She was delivered at 3:13 pm this afternoon. 1 pound 1 ounce. 3 inches tall.

I'm looking forward to using it on my next shoot! Friday!

Broken Silence

2009-05-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Gerber Daisy

2009-05-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

Little Levi

2009-05-24T08:49:00.001-07:00

Biola University Graduation

2009-05-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of attending the graduation of our neice, from Biola University in La Mirada on Saturday. It is the 100th anniversary of Biola University, making it a special ceremony.

The ceremony was actually quite good, and the speaker challenged the grads on seven words: Grace, Love, some others, but the one I remember was "Failure." He reminded them that life is full of failure. He spoke of a failure in his own life that God used for good. That resonated with me, as it seems so often I live trying to avoid failure (not that that's a bad thing in and of itself) but an unhealthy preoccupation with dodging the bullets of life is to be consumed with avoiding the very things that can make our lives more meaningful, useful and purposeful. It was a great speech.

Following the graduation, we hosted family and Claire's friends at our home for a celebration. Here are some images from the day, with a lean toward the details.

A Couple of Photo Projects

2009-05-20T15:52:00.001-07:00

I spent the good part of 9 hours today putting together a 52-page "yearbook" for the 2009 King Track and Field banquet. It's a labor of love, I guess, as I get to live out the fantasy I had before deciding on teaching to go into journalism and work for a magazine.

This book is the 20th I've done while at King.

Along the way of compiling the story and statistics of the season, I got to play around a bit in Photoshop with some images, two of which are below. The raised hands will actually have text on it and serve as the cover of the program, the next is the back cover.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her." Proverbs 31:28

My wife and the mother of our daughter! How blessed am I?