San Francisco wedding photographer specializing in artistic wedding photojournalism with an elegant, personal touch. Service to the San Francisco Bay Area and destination weddings worldwide.

4 comments

Dick - March 19, 2012 - 12:36 pm

Exellent

Enecki - September 14, 2010 - 10:43 pm

Very romantic.

Whitney Taylor - April 17, 2010 - 3:14 pm

Searched “San Francisco engagement” in Google and your amazing session came up. Inspired me to really go after my passion for photography! Thanks

Emily - February 23, 2009 - 10:11 am

The third photo down is just perfect!

Berkeley City Club Wedding Album

For some of my favorite wedding venues I will make up a demo album. The Berkeley City Club is one of my favorite places in the East Bay, where I’ve worked several times over the past few years. I’m currently putting together an album that showcases some past weddings, but with a different twist- showing a bit more of the venue for lighting ideas, food ideas, ceremony setups, and of course photography ideas too. It’s a mix of favorite photos and usefull photos. Here are a few sample layouts from the Berkeley City Club wedding lookbook. The book will be about 30 pages long, so this is just a sample.

Tags: album,Berkeley City Club,Wedding

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New Zealand: Tongariro Crossing, Waitomo Caves, and Rotarua

Here we are with my final post from my New Zealand travels. Many tourists elect to simply skip the north island of New Zealand in favor of the more well known destinations in the south. However, we devoted 5 days at the end of our trip to drive up from the capital city of Wellington in the South, up to Auckland in the northern part of the island before flying home. On the way we stopped off at Tongariro National Park in order to hike the infamous Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This day hike is a bit strenuous, with 20 kilometers of standard trail, and additional side walks for those who want to see a bit more. Tongariro National Park is made up of several dormant volcanoes, with the area filled with signs of volcanic activity. Hot pools, sulfur steam, and sharp volcanic rocks were everywhere. This area was the setting for Mordor in Lord of the Rings, and there certainly was a darkly beautiful feel to the whole place.

We arrived to a view of Mt Ruapehu, the largest mountain overlooking the area. Covered with snow, this tall peak seemed older, seemingly much shorter than it must have been before its huge eruptions years ago.

Halfway into the Tongariro Crossing trail is an options to climb to the top of Mt. Tongariro, or to really do something difficult and head up the slopes of Mount Ngauruhoe. Mt. Ngauruhoe really looks like an active volcano. No set trail exists up the side, so we had to climb up the shifting sands and rock, often sliding back with each step. The view of the dramatic, alien landscape from the top was totally worth the climb though. Equally fun was the opportunity to jump down the side of the volcano, using the steep rocky face almost like a sand dune to descend the face in 15 minutes, a stark contrast to the 1 1/2 hr climb to the top.

Another view of the more pacific Mt Ruapehu, with the agrarian New Zealand landscape pushing towards the big volcano.

After Tongariro National park we headed over to the Waitomo Caves. These limestone caverns were simply beautiful, with stalactites and other formations that defied imagination. One of the caves was rather developed, and had set lighting, and a remarkable spiral staircase leading down to the entrance, put in to avoid ancient Maori burial grounds at the other cave entrance.

My final photo is a shot from Rotarua, a geological hotspot in the center of the North Island. Here, geysers and boiling mud puddles show just a hint of the amazing heat and power that exists under the earth’s crust. This amazing geyser spouted almost continuously, meeting with the stormy clouds above.

We finished our New Zealand adventure with a day in Auckland before flying on to Fiji for a day, and then back to California. New Zealand certainly is a beautiful and magical place, well worth a trip.

After all of these travel photos, those who have just come across my blog will be hard pressed to see that I’m in fact a wedding photographer most of the time. Don’t worry though. I have lots of other photos coming up shortly, including album designs, and my engagement shoot with Julie and Jeff in Golden Gate Park.

Tags: Rotarua,Tongariro Crossing,Waitomo Caves

2 comments

IRINA - August 30, 2010 - 6:57 am

super!! i was there some years ago. nostalgeeeeeee….

Wendy - February 25, 2009 - 5:08 pm

Really, simply amazing Noah! We might need to rethink our honeymoon location!

New Zealand: Clay Cliffs, Fox Glacier, Pancake Rocks, Abel Tasman

I’ll begin this blog post with a few photos from the Clay Cliffs. This hidden gem of New Zealand is only marked by a small road sign between Mt. Cook and the Central Otago region. This region is actually remarkably like the clay cliffs of Utah’s National Parks, but on a much smaller scale. This was a short, but beautiful diversion.

Aside from the mountains, one of the things that I was looking forward to the most from New Zealand was some time walking around on the ice of the Fox Glacier or the Franz Josef glacier on the west coast. We settled on the Fox Glacier, and took a long day hike out with a group. We were led by a guide who cut steps in the ice, and then made our own way with crampons up and down the ice faces. It was absolutely beautiful. I was constantly amazed by how varied New Zealand’s landscape is. Desert-like areas (see above) were only hours from rainforests, semi-tropical beaches, snow capped-mountains, and glaciers.

Blue ice caves some of my favorite glacier features (doesn’t that sound nerdy?). On the Fox glacier it was hard to get to them, since most occured in a section that was moving rapidly and dangerous to access. However, we did get lucky and had one form in a safe location further towards the bottom of the glacier. Belaying through the cave on a rope and then walking out through a crevasse was a thrilling and absolutely beautiful experience.

I finally made it into some photos too. Special thanks to Dean, our glacier guide from Australia, for this great photo.

Just off the Fox Glacier is a small lake called Lake Matheson. On a clear day you are supposed to be able to see Mt. Cook reflected in the background with exceptional clarity due to the high amount of tannins in the water that turn it into an almost perfectly black mirror. When we were there overcast skies cut out the mountains, but still made for some dramatic reflections.

On our way up the coast we stoped at the Pancake rocks, a popular area plagued by tour busses and crowds of people. However, it was a worthwhile 1 hour stop to see these incredible geological formations, and the thunderous surf crashing into the tunnels and blowholes around the cliffs.

We finished our time in the South Island at Abel Tasman National Park. The smallest national park in New Zealand, this little area is known for its pristine coves that seem almost tropical. Beware of the biting sand flies…but if you bring your repellent, or have a healthy dose of wind, this is one beautiful place to enjoy.

That’s it for the south island. I have one last post with photos from the north island coming up!

Tags: Abel Tasman,Clay Cliffs,Fox Glacier,New Zealand

2 comments

Boguslaw Ploszajczak - June 24, 2010 - 9:08 am

Beautifull!!!
Unfortunately, I have never visited New Zeland.
Best regards,
Boguslaw

Kevin Mike - September 5, 2009 - 8:29 am

There are frequent ice falls and the barriers at the foot of the glacier are for visitors’ safety. If you want to go onto the glacier, take a guided walk.

New Zealand: Doubtful Sound, Fjordlands National Park, Keppler Track

Continuing on with the New Zealand photos, to one of my favorite sections of my trip- Fjordlands National Park. This area is perhaps best known for the Milford Sounds, and the Milford Trek. This is one of the “great walks” of New Zealand, winding through mist and rain, and rainforest ferns to view beautiful stretches of waterways stretching out into the stormy Tasman sea. Unfortunately, as I had mentioned in my earlier post, we stumbled over to New Zealand in the middle of tourist season, and the infamous Milford track would have been inundated by hikers, with the sound full of boats on 2 hour cruises with hundreds of people on board. Pretty, yes, but not quite my style.

Looking for a slightly less traveled alternative, we came across the Doubtful Sounds. Lonely Planet’s guidebook says that when choosing between the Doubtful and Milford Sounds “there’s no doubt which one you should choose.” We took the advice, and headed out for the day towards Doubtful Sound. It was a long journey, crossing by boat over Lake Manapouri, with another classic New Zealand rainbow.

After crossing the lake, we then took a bus over a mountain pass before cresting over to a beautiful view of the Doubtful Sound.

A full day on the water took us through some dramatic changes is weather, from raging wind and rain to beautiful sunny spells of total calm. This area gets some of the most rain in the world, more than 6 meters per year, with rain on over 200 days of the year. However, it certainly made the place seem a lot more remote and wild, and all the more beautiful.

Off the water, we took a long day hike along the Keppler Track, starting from the shores of Lake Manapouri and climbing steeply through the cool weather rainforest and then above the treeline in the mountains.

Yes, I know that my dad is in a number of these pictures, I was the one with the camera the whole time. I did manage to get into a few photos though.

Overall, the Keppler Track was absolutely gorgeous. However, I was really looking forward to our long trek along the Routeburn Trail. Some say it’s better than the Milford Track, and I really wanted to get out for several days in the mountains. More to come! (Routeburn Trek, Fox Glacier, Pancake rocks, Abel Tasman national park, Volcano climbing and more)!

Tags: Doubtful Sound,Keppler Track,New Zealand,Travel

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New Zealand: Routeburn Track

New Zealand is probably best known for its striking mountains, covered with snow throughout the year despite the fact that the tallest reach only around 12,000 feet of elevation. One of the best ways to explore these mountains is probably through the Routeburn Track, probably one of the prettiest, and less traveled of New Zealand’s great walks trails. The standard hike through the mountains starts an hours drive from Queenstown and lasts for 3 days (2 nights), with an optional extension trail for 1-2 days.

Here is the road leading towards Queenstown, and the start of the Routeburn trail. We passed by countless beautiful lakes, but this little section really stood apart for me.

Once on the Routeburn trail, it wound through trees, across suspension bridges, and across mountain passes far above treeline. It was really beyond description. Take a look at some photos, the best way to get a feel for what it was like.

Each night is spent at a Department of Conservation (DOC) hut, with gas stoves, and a surprising amount of luxury for such a remote area. These have to be booked months in advance, and the limited space means that there are really not many people who get out onto the trails.

I put in the following picture not because it is incredibly beautiful, but because it shows off the incredible location of one of the huts where we spend the night. The long walks meant I wasn’t able to wait for the perfect light as much as I would have hoped for with more time. Still, look at the middle of the photo a little the right and notice the speck of a building on the shore of the Lake Merritt. All materials for these buildings are brought in by helicopter, with supplies also being flown in every few days as well. These are truly spots of isolated beauty, and a surprisingly comfortable place to stay over, especially during the frequent bouts of bad weather. One local we talked to had a funny statement. “If you can see the mountains around you, it means it is going to rain. If you can’t see them because of the clouds then it is already raining.” Funny. Until you are hiking in the bitter cold and rain that is. Luckily we escaped any terrible weather, and the few sprinkles we felt were rather pleasant.

A small side trail along the side of Lake Merritt lead us to this great rock, aptly named Split Rock. Another great example of the mossy rainforest area that I grew to love in New Zealand.

And a final view from Lake Merrit

In all, the Routeburn Trek was a thrilling escape into the wilderness, and one of the absolute highlights of our trip.

Yes, still more photos to come. I’m about blogged out at the moment, but have another final set that I’m really happy with. Who wants to go to New Zealand now?

Tags: New Zealand,Routeburn Track

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New Zealand: Auckland, Christchurch, Mt. Cook, and the South Island’s East Coast

I’m back in the Bay Area after a wonderful 3 week trip around New Zealand with my father. This was a nice father-son trip to reconnect after I’ve been gone for a number of years now for college, graduate school, and then off working in the Bay Area. After years of hearing wonderful things about the country (and of course after watching Lord of the Rings), I couldn’t wait any longer, and we headed off. Our winter is New Zealand’s summer, and busy season, so there were certainly some crowds in the more popular tourist destinations. However, we did manage to do a lot of hiking and get out away from most people and into the spectacular wilderness.

We started our trip with 2 days in Auckland, where the highlight was definitely the Auckland Museum. It had some great exhibits of Maori artifacts and culture, as well as a bit of natural history and a substantial collection of war memorabilia and exhibits. I was particularly impressed by the imposing Maori sculptures.

Auckland is a city of contrasts. Culture, waterways and open space starkly contrast with increasing traffic congestion, skyscrapers and modern architecture.

After a brief stay in Auckland, we flew to Christchurch in the South Island and started driving down the East Coast, passing through Dunedin and quickly on into the countryside of Southeast part of the island. There were bays and winding roads, and a landscape that looked strikingly similar to what I’m used to in California.

Along one beach, we passed by a small sign to “Cathedral Caves.” It seemed interesting, and without a set agenda we decided to take the 20 minute walk through the forrest and down to the beach. Totally undeveloped, just a few minutes walk away was a large hollowed out part of the cliff that formed two connecting caves, certainly like a natural cathedral.

Over the course of the 3 weeks, my dad and I drove over 6,000 kilometers…so we had a lot of car time. Luckily I was able to stay entertained, such as enjoying the thrill of sticking my fancy camera out the window of a speeding car for a unique photo of the sunset.

New Zealand is an amazing country of rainbows as well. With an uncommon amount of rainfall that feeds the country’s many lakes and rivers, transitions from storms into sunlight quite often lead to magnificent arcs of color stretching over the horizon. Over the course of the trip I saw rainbows over glaciers, lakes, farmhouses, sheep pastures, cities. Just about everything. Here’s a particularly beautiful one I managed to capture.

Speaking of sheep, these little animals outnumber people on the islands by a tremendous number. A few years ago there were about 70 million sheep on the island, compared to the human population of about 5 million. That number has dropped dramatically to a measly 36 million or so after market prices for wool vs dairy and meat have pressured farmers into other areas. There were still plenty of the cute little creatures around though.

Not that far from the coast (even though it’s in the middle of the country) is Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain.

Towards the far southern part of the South Island, near the Catlins National Park, we stopped off a Nugget Point. This jutting little peninsula almost seemed like the end of the world, looked over by a solitary little white lighthouse.

We ended our tour of the central and eastern part of the south island with a stop in wine country, the Central Otago Valley. Friends of ours have a magnificent winery in the area called Aurum (Latin for gold). They make some great Pinot Noirs. Ok, pretty much everything was fantastic. We stayed with the owners Tony and Joan, got a tour of the winery, and had some amazing food with plenty of good wine to accompany. Running a vineyard and winery is rewarding but definitely intense and grueling work at times. I really got to appreciate what they do, and brought back more than my limit of bottles on the way home.

That was just the start of the trip. More photos to come shortly…

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