Megan and Ken are both educators in a world that desperately need teachers. They are patient, soft spoken and in love. Their wedding was held at the Hollins House at Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz, overlooking the spectacular Monterey Bay. It was the precursor to a larger reception 2 weeks after.
We shot photo + cinema for this wedding, edited the 20 minutes long feature presentation that surprised the couple 2 weeks after in their reception in HS Lordship, Berkeley.
The great thing about having a photo • cinema team is that the photographs can also be embedded into the cinema, something most videographers can’t do.
What could be more disappointing than a wedding, one year in the making, to have it be rained upon? Brides tends to think that their wedding photos will look gloomy on a rainy day. On the contrary…
The weather forecast did state a 40% chance of precipitation on October 30th. In the history of this lushly landscaped private retreat, Nestldown of Los Gatos, it has not rained on October 30th in the past 20 years. So, we’re safe…or are we?
Well, it rained…and rained…and rained on October 30th. The outdoor ceremony had to be moved to the indoor barn. It was beautiful and we captured the wedding in ways that the bride was not expecting. The rain did stop for a few minutes for us to capture moments amidst the redwoods in Nestldown. Here are a few shots shot between the downpour,
A chance introduction by friends brought Laura and Stroy together. Stroy knew from the first day that he wanted to marry Laura. She thought it was weird and a red flag! But by the second or third day, she knew she had to have him too.
Laura, I knew I had to have Stroy too, but for a different reason. After photographing his beautiful work for his construction website, I knew I wanted to hire Stroy to build the addition to my home/studio because of his attention to detail.
It was a compliment likewise when the couple only considered my team for their wedding photography and cinematography needs, especially knowing what a perfectionist Stroy is. We enjoyed spending the day shooting their wedding in Nicholson Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Aptos, California. It was a beautiful Saturday spent under blue skies, surrounded by sunflowers, with a wonderful couple in love.
Thanks for having us be a part of your day, Laura and Stroy!
??, or sushi has evolved from a traditional food base for the japanese to now an artistic dining experience. In its earliest form, dried or pickled fish was placed between two pieces of vinegared rice acting as preservative. The nori (seaweed) was added later as a way to keep one’s fingers from getting sticky.
Photographing a creative and beautifully styled food such as sushi is a great experience by itself. Since most sushi are colorful to begin with and each piece is an art form, sitting them on a clean white plate opens the imagery to its simplest form of art.
I was in the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo at 6am one morning while the fishes were being hauled into the pier. There are many little drop-in sushi bars that one can just sit in while pieces of sashimi or sushi are being sliced and served. Toro (fatty tuna), the filet mignon of sushi, was what I ordered all morning. The thin slices of ginger cleansed my palate while I sipped hot green tea and dipped slices of toro into soy sauce and wasabi. It was heaven on earth.
Takara Japanese Restaurant that I shot for serves these wonderful pieces of fishes in bulk. What amazes me is that despite its heavy operation in a huge 8,000 sq feet location, they were incredibly organized. They were able to maintain a fresh load of fishes every day. On top of that, their staves are highly trained and thus their service, impeccable. They encourage the creativity of their chefs by creating new dishes every Friday. These dishes go through a battery of palate tasting and tests. The winners can end up in the ever changing menu. The losers may never see the light of day.
Their Nutty Shrimp, for example seems to have withstood the test of time. They serve 2,000 of them each day. THAT is a lot of roll. The Sunrise/Wasabi Sunrise dish on the right, is a testament to the artistry of sushi in the new generation that combine food and art.
After photographing his beautiful work for his 
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