A Christmas Story

sitting at my keyboard, atop the kitchen table, in the dimly lit room, i lift the steaming cup to my lips. across the room, the mini-twinkle lights of the tree provide the only source of light, glowing the room as only Christmas lights can do. and the stockings sit at attention, surely stuffed with good things to be had and thanks to be felt.

i love Christmas. don't you?

it's early, and the sun is just making its way up, when i decided to steal lincoln from his crib, giving mommy an uninterrupted couple of hours rest before the day really began. but i couldn't keep him to myself very long. i think grandparents have this extra special sense, maybe a 7th sense, that alerts them to the nearby awake and cuddly infant. and sure enough, only moments after setting into the rocker, whispering to lincoln the itinerary for the big day, pap swooped down from upstairs, like one of those great big owls that seem to fly without uttering a sound. he swooped down, asked for lincoln, and returned to his nest with his grandson.

so, i poured myself a cup of coffee, and though i usually take it black, spontaneously decided to add a bit of flavored vanilla creamer to celebrate in the quiet room. with love, and regret, and thanks, and peace, and hope, and peace [and yes, they typically play out in that particular order] i sat down at my keyboard, atop the kitchen table, in the dimly lit room, and i lifted the steaming cup to my lips.

merry.Christmas.

professional[Christmas]iPhonetography by gabriel.ryan.

Rocking the Beach Cities in Los Angeles - Alex and Ben

i had been wondering when winter, or even fall for that matter, might actually show up. although it was nice for summer to lazily hang out into the later months of the year, i'll have to admit... i was looking for a chance to wear that new faux leather jacket, anxiously hanging in the hall closet.

when out of nowhere, the clouds rolled in, and the floodgates of heaven were released: torrential downpour upon southern california. so, i happily broke out my flannel pj's and my new faux leather jacket, looking forward to a couple of days on the couch eating chili.

the only downside to the late entrance of some actual weather, was it's untimely arrival. smack in the middle of what was supposed to be an entire week of rain, alexandra and ben had scheduled their engagement shoot in palos verdes. with few-to-no days left on our calendar, available for shoots, this year, it looked as if we might have had to push the shoot back, which neither of us wanted to do.

the morning of their scheduled shoot, i expected to roll out of bed to the same pitter-patter that had greeted me first thing on the previous few days, when instead, a beam of light slapped me across the face and proclaimed... it's GO time!!

needless to say, i was thrilled to shoot alex & ben's engagement. they were thrilled just the same. and though the air was brisk, we stopped at nothing to ensure the shoot would be a success.

alex... ben... we can't wait for the big day next year! enjoy the holidays being engaged!! and merry Christmas!!!






ben said he likes shadows. and shadows said they like ben.







alex staying warm.







the foam looked like snow... and was about as cold.

but the cold was no match for ben... or alex.







rock.on.



view my portfolio. contact gabriel & carlie.

and, if you want to stay current on all things current with the gabriel.ryan. story follow me on twitter.

Hana

Hana is one of my best friends. I just love her. She is incredibly passionate about life and every time I'm around her I feel so blessed to call her a friend.

Hana is starting a new exciting chapter in her life and wanted to have some updated photos of herself. hope you enjoy...

xo...carlie







Hana makes the most beautiful pieces of jewelry. She made button rings and delicate gold necklaces for the girls at my baby shower. I am so proud of her!

For Better, For Worse - Lindsay and Jos

i don't typically know, within the first sentence of a client meeting, whether or not a couple is the right fit for our studio, but not so with lindsay and jos. they came bearing a joyful persona and ideas for the engagement shoot.

game over.

needless to say, lindsay and jos will melt your heart... like the way a stick of butter slowly softens when left out on the counter... well, you get what i mean.

and despite our little run-in with the authorities at The Ritz Carlton in laguna niguel, we managed [at least i believe] to tell a story with their engagement photos.

i'll just let the photos do the talkin...

...don't tell me you're still waiting for it?!?! i'm sorry but photos can't actually "talk." i hope you enjoy them regardless ;)
























view my portfolio. contact gabriel & carlie.

and, if you want to stay current on all things current with the gabriel.ryan. story follow me on twitter.

How do I know when it's time to quit my day job?

one of the most common questions to cross my inbox, facebook, and twitter feed, is some form of the following:

how do i know when i am ready to make the jump, from being a part-time photographer to a full-time professional? basically... can i quit my day job?

well... not that i'm any certified expert, but i have quit my day job to follow my dream of being an entrepreneur and a photographer [and yes, in that particular order], and i've been invited to interview regarding the seemingly elusive subject.

in fact, i was so good at quitting my day job that i did it... twice ;)

so, if you find yourself day-dreaming of life as a full-time photographer, from your cubicle chair, check out my interview with dane sanders TODAY @ 4PM PST. just make sure to turn the volume down on your desktop... you wouldn't want your boss to catch you.

here's the link to the live-stream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/danesanders-tv

stop by. i'd love to continue the conversation...

Stormy Clouds Make Nicer Soft Boxes Than Rainy Clouds

i peeled my left eye open first, to begin to alert my senses, anticipating the cry of our newborn. typically lincoln's grunts and squeaks float through the tiny hallway separating our two rooms at about 7:30, before he decides to finally let us have it, around 8am.

thinking of how excellent of a father i would be, should i be there for my infant son the moment he needed me, i had no more time to ponder the thought before i let the soothing drone of the fan lead me back to sleep.

sure enough, 8 o'clock on the nose, lincoln let us know he was ready to start the day.

jumping from our bed, i quickly put on my uggs, a hoodie, and a bit of guilt for missing my internal patriarchal clue, and swept into lincoln's room for a morning cuddle session.

it was at the moment that i was drawing lincoln from his crib that i noticed the pitter patter of rain from outside, and thought how fortunate it was that we made our little outing yesterday. otherwise, who knows when we would have had the time AND weather on our side to shoot a couple images of our own little family.

so, thank you Lord, for not only urging us to take the quick outing yesterday, but also for providing those glorious football-field soft-boxes in the sky for our shoot.

enjoy.the.holidays.

mommy and lincoln.

daddy and lincoln.



my favorite.

our new photographer friends, carrie sandoval and brittany woodall from baby as art, might say the best way to keep a newborn sleeping for a shoot is with a warm room and white noise... although, the cold air and crisp breeze seemed to ironically send lincoln off to la-la land, despite our best efforts to wake him.

and alas... we busted out the ol' tripod and self-timer for a couple photographs of our new family unit. we are the davis'.



view my portfolio. contact gabriel & carlie.

and, if you want to stay current on all things current with the gabriel.ryan. story follow me on twitter.