Most of us could recall something specific in youth that fueled our passions and inspired what we love today. Maybe it was a future mechanic picking up a toy tool set, a programmer absentmindedly tapping at the keyboard like a piano, or an artist doodling with crayons on paper.

For Julie Dorst, it all started with a lambswool jacket, the comforting look and feel of which gave her joy and comfort when she wore it. Since she was young, Julie knew she had a knack for fashion. Like any artist, things that people don’t normally give a second glance at would call out to her. She loved the feel of soft textures. Bold prints inspired her to piece together different colors and see how they complemented each other. Before long, she developed an affinity to the chic and stylish. Fueled with a desire to share her sense of fashion with modern women, Julie became a designer and launched her clothing line on the internet, recently introducing her Fall 2013 collection.

Julie’s brand is captured in classic silhouettes, timeless colors, and modern prints. Best of all, it’s made in the USA. Whether women are at work or around town, Julie wants to inspire comfort and confidence with her clothing line.

We love the opportunity to shoot all the photographs for her website, www.juliedorst.com. Julie’s Fall line boasts the rich, earthy, and bold colors of an autumn harvest, and we had fun contrasting this against a canvas of nature’s own colors. Here’s what Julie has to say about her passion and how it all started:

“The Julie Dorst brand is a culmination of my lifelong love for fashion
and the entrepreneurial bug I caught while counseling start-up companies
as a lawyer in the Silicon Valley. As a child I had an affinity for anything
soft or blue, and my adoration for texture and color along with my favorite
lambswool jacket (an updated version of which I still wear today!) became
the foundation for what has now become my brand. Based in California,
where a woman’s busy day can require her to look stylish in a variety of
circumstances, my clothing line is inspired by the idea that wherever she is,
a woman should look fabulous and feel great. If any of you women are like
me, I know I have a much better day when I’m wearing the right outfit!”

To browse Julie’s collection or for information on how to purchase any of the outfits that may catch your eye, head on over to Julie’s website!

When we think of destination weddings, most of us picture a golden sunset on a beach with the bride and groom wreathed in flowers as a romantic stringed instrument is played in the background. But for Sarah and Greg of Sheffield, United Kingdom, the ideal wedding destination is none other than the city of San Francisco, with its red cable cars, iconic Golden Gate Bridge, and classic storefronts decorated just in time for the holiday season.

Sarah and Greg researched and interviewed 20-30 photographers before asking us to photograph them, and we are glad to have had the chance to share in their special day.

Looking elegant and refined, the bride and groom are complemented against similarly silvery and sepia-infused images of the city’s sleek inner architecture. Since the couple loves vintage and antiques, we employed colors and backgrounds that play up this look.

What is one thing that impresses this English couple about America? Since Europe’s vehicles are built small for energy efficiency and ease of travel, Greg is intrigued by the stretch limo, a car on a grand scale. Greg and Sarah, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to preserve such loving moments between two adventurous souls who have come from so far away.

So you’re starving. Maybe you skipped a main meal or two in your constant sprint to a day full of meetings, managing to gulp down an energy bar en route from Building A to Building B. Maybe in between Chem Lab 46A and Engineering 113, you haven’t had so much as a wheatgrass shot in your stomach. Or maybe you’ve completed a two-hour workout, darned proud of yourself for making it through, but knowing if you don’t get some food in your system, you’re going to keel over before you make it home.

Now you’re staring down this delectable burger, a juicy 1/3-pounder patty nestled atop a bed of caramelized onions, underneath a blanket of oozy, melting cheese, crowned with some tart tomato slices, dill pickle chips, and a generous scattering of fresh greens. Those lightly-toasted buns with their mean grill lines just call out for you to sink in with your teeth and tear out a good chunk, satisfying your craving. Go ahead, you know you deserve it.

Or maybe you’re more in the mood for some savory garlic noodles, the sweet smell of shrimp sautéed in a rich, buttery garlic sauce creating an aroma in the air that you find hard to resist. Maybe you’re feeling adventurous today and decide to go for that pork belly sandwich, with pork chunks embedded next to the Asian sauerkraut, all wrapped up in a crispy French baguette.

With the latest wave of “Moveable Feast” lunch truck goodness, delivering interesting, savory, French-Vietnamese fusion food conveniently to a location near you, is Le Bon de Cuisine. Their menu keeps it hearty and fulfilling with just the right fusion flare to make it interesting. Hungry for a more permanent solution to having to hunt down Le Bon when you’re bit with the craving bug? Good news for you, as Le Bon’s main chef is planning to open up a restaurant, offering these and other delectables soon in San Jose. That’s right, pork belly sandwich at your beck and call, right where you know you can find it. Yeah, you know you want it, so come get you some.

Weddings in San Francisco City Hall showcase beautiful architecture. Many a weddings have we photographed there. However, when it comes to video / cinema, it’s an extremely noisy location with echos and is difficult to shoot.

With only ONE cinematographer in under 2 hours of prep + ceremony, it’s a miracle how this beautiful cinema was pieced together. Thanks to Paul and congratulations to this absolutely beautiful couple, Brenda & Ben!

As we say goodbye to 2011, we also say goodbye to the headache of renovating our photography
studio. We spent 3 months dealing with the fine white dust from the drywall, the teeth-shattering jackhammering, and the noise from dawn till dusk. Renovation is super stressful, especially if, like me, you’re someone who is meticulous about the tiniest details: light, color, the shape of the tiles, design, ambiance, and on and on.

But the good news is that our studio renovation is finally complete! Champagne all around, please! Happy New Year!!!

We decided to go through the remodeling process because we wanted to be able use the studio as an elegant backdrop in photos. Renovation of this proportion usually takes 6 months, but we
completed a majority of it in just under 3 months because we are utilizing the space as a studio and can’t have such a long downtime. We had to be extremely creative in making the renovations in sections.

We did all the interior design ourselves, and we’re so please with how it turned out! The studio used to be really dark, but now light pours in from skylights and windows. Glass doors open onto the yard, creating a flow between indoor/outdoor living space.

We created more light by adding 7 new skylights, and a bunch of new windows. We also installed at least 60+ new light fixtures into the studio, most of which are LED (energy efficient and non-toxic).

The interior has a wedding theme with a glamorous, contemporary, warm and extremely sexy feel. The furniture is modern and cozy, the perfect place for couples who are getting married to get comfortable, have some wine and cheese, and chat with us about their plans.

The fireplace is elongated, see-through and set into beautifully curved tiles, bordered by wood. The other side has a large black granite surround, sitting on a sensual red wall. The see-through fireplace is fun because it’s essentially 2 fireplaces in one.

The salon also received a facelift with new light fixtures, glass French doors and new flooring.

With its beautiful lighting, flowing design, comfortable furnishings and elegant touches throughout the space, visitors tell us the new studio has the feel of a high-end lounge.

A few years two back, we photographed a huge group of Whole Foods Market employees in their Cupertino branch at Stevens Creek Blvd. Boy, it was a challenge especially the shot was backlighted and we had to raise to 5 stories high to take that shot for over 350 employees! The good part is that since the store was not opened to the public yet, we can photograph outside the store without having to disrupt the flow of business.

However, this year is different. Whole Foods Market raised the stakes on me on multiple fronts! Switching out hundreds of employees during business hours require significant coordination and they can only do it in the late evening.

Not only do we have to content with horrible light, we had to work in the the loading dock. This time, a rickety ladder became my only source of support that I hold on to my dear life. Beneath me, a large garbage container filled with organic fish, meat, vegetable and eggs, ready to sniff my non-organic diet. Yes, it probably wouldn’t surprise you that I have only 15 minutes. You really don’t want to photograph a large group in more than 5 minutes anyway as people do get restless. And you’d think a photographer’s work is glamourous.

Now, did you think we are done? Would corporate want a photo of their employees in a loading dock? Here’s the final shot after hours and hours of photoshop, removing the rails at the bottom and the background. Groan, I hate fingers…

So exhilarating is the experience of getting to know two people in love. We felt very blessed photographing Jed & Becca’s engagement session in San Francisco and San Jose. The photos are possibly one of our best so far. We strive for unique photos every time and it makes us super delighted.

Oh, about the best shot, here it is. Thoughts?

And here are the others shot in San Jose’s HIstorical Park, beach, Palace of Fine Art, etc. So MUCH fun! At the end of it all, Jed, Becca and I had a blast. They also decided that they also wanted us to be their wedding videographer. It’ll be fun doing photography and videography / cinematography in the Stanford Memorial Church in Palo Alto and the San Mateo County History Museum. Can’t wait!!!

We’re tickled to find Westin St Francis’ blog featuring our photography for the wedding where we were the photographers and cinematographers / videographers, just 3 weeks ago. They seem to have found our blog of photos that showcase their wonderful stairways.

So, where’s the cinema / video , you ask. Worry not, here it is, the highlights from Lara & Elie’s wedding in San Francisco, aboard the trolley and all.

(be sure to turn HD on)

Imagine. Eating, dancing, drinking, partying with close friends and family on top of San Francisco, on top of the world! This scene is especially beautiful with the SF cityscape in the background. A wedding reception in the Alexandra’s Ballroom, 32nd floor of The Westin St Francis on Union Square in San Francisco is a scene to behold. It is more than elegant. As Charles Darwin would say, “There is grandeur in this view of life”.

I’ve done a few weddings for Assyrians. They love to dance but a Lebanese wedding is just as fun! Lara & Elie are down-to-earth, charming and adventurous. They had two San Francisco trolley shuttled everyone from the Westin St Francis to St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church at Diamond Heights Blvd and back.

Our Capture The Love team are in charge of both photography and videography / cinematography, which is really a treat since it allow us to exchange media between the two teams and after working numerous times together, this becomes a smooth play of teamwork. Photos are ready and the cinema is on its way.

Ilona and Carl’s wedding was literally star-studded.  Both the bride and groom are actors from San Francisco.  Carl’s children also played a role in their wedding.  His son was one of the groomsmen and his daughter was a bridesmaid.  The story of this sweet newly formed family actually began when the groom decided to change careers and leave New York.

Carl used to be an officer in the NYPD but had traveled across the country seeking  jobs as an actor in California, one of which was a role as Karl Sly on the TV show Trauma, a San Francisco based drama series.  Ilona, is of Hungarian descent, but pretty much grew up in San Francisco.  Also an actor herself, she easily caught Carl’s eye on a movie set and the two started dating soon after.   Ever since meeting her, he couldn’t stop talking about Ilona, making frequent phone calls to his brother in New York to tell him about the best thing that’s ever happened to him!

So how did I get chosen to be the photographer of this wedding?  I too, met Carl on a set, but I’m sure I didn’t catch his eye the same way that Ilona did.  He was a model for a commercial shoot I was working on for a ring company.  We had a great time doing the shoot together, and well, needless to say, I caught his eye enough to be chosen as his wedding photographer.  Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be a part of your wedding!