You can see the full slideshow below, or by clicking HERE.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium was wonderful. I can’t wait for the chance to shoot a wedding there someday. We had to dodge among the throngs of people and do a bit of hidden ninja photography. Having the place to yourself would be a photographic dream (plus a simply beautiful wedding venue). Special thanks so Kim and Jon for being so patient. This one took a long time, but I certainly think the photos were worth the extra effort.

This shoot particular shoot with Sam and Jason debuts my brand new fancy Canon 5D Mk II camera, along with a fantastic 135mm f/2 lens from Canon. I absolutely loved how sharp and detailed the photos came out with this setup, my new favorite for portraits! With some strong sun, this shoot was the perfect for a bit of an edgy urban look. I took this a step further with post processing, using some texture overlays and Photoshop tricks with light that really got me excited.

Sam and Jason came out from New York City and Boston, repectively, for this shoot. Ok, so they might have done some wedding planning too. We completed the urban themed afternoon with a friendly chat with a Union Pacific policeman who wondered what on earth we could have been doing climbing all over things on the train tracks, but after finding out that we were (mostly) harmless we escaped for some extra downtown Berkeley pictures. What fun! These photos are a bit different, but I love them. Enjoy!

One thing that I immediately noticed was that Julie and Jeff really know how to play with each other. It was really fun to watch. The resulting photos range from loving to just plain goofy, and of course an obligatory selection of dog portraits (the already adoped child of their upcoming marriage . Below are a few of my favorites from Golden Gate Park, the De Young Museum, and the Sunset District of San Francisco. Enjoy!

I’ll be doing Mark and Andrea’s wedding this coming summer in Lake Tahoe. As a Stanford/Berkeley couple, they’ve had a long (but friendly) rivalry going, and a tradition of going to the Big Game together. For this fun-loving couple we skipped a trip to the rolling hills of Tilden Park or the streets of San Francisco and headed straight into the action: The Big Game. With the blowout well underway by the second half, we had ample opportunity to run around for a few photos, grab some nachos and lemonade, and just have an all around fantastic time.

Here are some photos from Mark and Andrea’s engagement session at Berkeley’s Big Game!

Most of the day went about like this…

It’s really hard to describe the energy of that many fans in one place. At least as a Stanford and a Berkeley grad I had ample cause to root for the winning team.

And the final score? Cal: 37 Stanford: 16.

A slideshow, and a few of my favorites are below.

The Eiffel Tower was a favorite subject of mine throughout the week, and whenever I found myself with extra free time, I found myself migrating back to the Champ de Mars Park. Apparently, the park is named after Mars, the god of war, as it is between the Eiffel Tower and the Ecole Militaire military building. The feeling certainly wasn’t very warlike though, with beautiful flowers, and thousands of ogling tourists. It was also Paris fashion week, with the obligatory sprinkling of elaborate photo shoots around the city making everything feel that much more glamorous.

And a few more from the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame, and a night view across the Seine river. What a beautiful place.

Stay tuned. I’ll have the rest of the wedding photos done shortly!

I’ll be meeting Ian and Lili and Paris in just a few weeks for their wedding. What a wonderful destination to get married.

We made the engagement shoot into a mini field trip around the Marin Peninsula area: starting at Muir Beach, then going up to the Muir Beach Overlook, then on to Muir Woods before ending up looking out over the Golden Gate Bridge (Uyen was dying to take a look over the city). California is such a beautiful place to live. It’s hard to imagine living in another location that would have a group of such wonderful places spaced just a few miles apart. Enjoy the photos! I’m looking forward to working with these two again for their wedding this fall at Stanford Memorial Church, and their reception at Tamarine Restaurant in Palo Alto.

We started the engagement session at Muir Beach. It totally reminded me of a quiet little bay in Washington or even Alaska…a world removed from the Bay Area.

We then went up the hill to the Muir Beach Overlook. I had passed while driving around with some friends a few months ago. When I saw the little pathway high over the ocean, totally enshrouded in fog, I stopped the car and ran out to the point, thinking “I have no idea where we are, but this would be an amazing place for a photo shoot!”. Well, after much checking, I found out where I was, and was even able to get back. It was rather chilly, but David and Uyen were up for climbing around and enjoying the spectacular view up the coastline.

We finished the Muir trio with Muir Woods. The light was fading, but we got some nice pictures, and were able to continue the Marin area mini field trip while simply enjoying the huge trees. I also got a little reminder of the continually changing face of the forest. As we passed the small clearing where I photographed Nareg and Erin’s wedding last year, I saw that a huge redwood tree had fallen, and totally covering up the spot. I guess we were lucky to be one of the last groups to enjoy that beautiful location (though I’m sure there are a lot more alternatives left).

Just as the sun was setting we made it over to the Sausilito overlook looking out over the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was one of the most breathtaking views over the city that I’ve found, and was a wonderful way to round out our afternoon of photography!