The Hobo Soul

we made it about three-quarters of a mile before the engine died, inconveniently in the middle of a busy intersection. and when i say "we" i mean me and my new home...

...well, it was my new home then. you see, this was a few years ago; like 3 or 4 or 7 years ago.

single at the time, and living with a couple other guys in a house in huntington beach, my roommates and i had no idea what to do at first, when we came home and saw the eviction notice. with the housing bubble about to reach the tipping point and burst, our landlord could no longer afford to carry two mortgages, and decided to sell his first house and move into the home we had been renting for only a few months.

after the fog of disappointment wore off, i looked to two of my dear friends for inspiration: vern & jeff. at about the same time my roommates and i began renting the house in huntington, jeff & vern had moved into a 1973 winnebago which they had purchased in rosarito mexico. they paid no rent. they lived their life on the road... literally. and despite the lack of modern conveniences like electricity and a shower, the whole idea was quite appealing.

so, without haste [i only had 30 days to come up with a solution] i began scouring craigslist, ebay, the auto trader... whatever i could... to find my next home, and preferably one with four [or more] wheels.

...which brings us back to the intersection. having just purchased a 1974 clark cortez, in which i planned to reside, rent free, i was immediately faced with the realities of living in an rv, when we broke down, road-side, not even a mile later.

i'll be honest; i didn't last long. and most of my hobo days were spent in the driveway of a friend's house. but, for a short time, i embraced the life of a hobo... and it was kinda cool.

that was 3 or 4 or 7 years ago, and jeff & vern are still going strong. vern has since married and started the long beach film company. and jeff is following his passion in film, and staying true to the freedom life as a hobo has to offer. fittingly, his company is coined the hobo soul productions and he has recently headed up a number of incredible projects. for fun, i thought i would share one of their more recent short films.

enjoy.

Bay Area Wedding - Laura and Zack

there's something about the open road that feels free.

cruising up the 5 freeway thru the heart of california, i loosely held the steering wheel for the seemingly endless stretch of highway that rolled out, without even a bend... and i liked it. a couple months prior, i was looking to book my travel & lodging for laura and zack's menlo park wedding, and i opted to make a road trip out of it. so, i fixed my eyes on the horizon and enjoyed the open road, as i lived through the story in my mind of the weekend yet to come.

the morning of the big day, my assistant photographer & i navigated the streets of palo alto, california, amidst a sea of college football fans making their way to the ucla-stanford game. we were on our way to a grand event, as well; but one with no winner or loser.

when we arrived at the ortberg estate, the property was buzzing with energy, and sure enough, laura was the source. though it was our first personal introduction, laura felt like an old friend. and when she carried herself, she gave off the sophistication and beauty of a classic hollywood actress.

needless to say, zack would be thrilled to meet his bride down the aisle.

the day rolled out flawlessly and carefree. these two would join their heart, and enjoy the celebration. thank you emily katz for sending laura & zack my way. i couldn't be happier to have been their photographer, and enjoy every chance i have to work with such a fine coordinator, as yourself.

until next time...

...oh wait! one last mention... so, a lot of our clients are on facebook, but i feel like few are on twitter. but, not laura & zack. in fact their whole crew seemed pretty social media savvy. the following was a tweet from the altar [don't know how he snuck that one past the church lady]:

@kgcarus - @wzt and @lauraortberg done and done http://twitpic.com/k5gnc
[3:19 PM Oct 3rd from TweetDeck ]

okay, now on to the photographs!

oozing with sophistication & style, laura's stunning gown by vera wang...



something old and something blue; manolo blahnik heels to boot.

i love how laura played with different hue's for the girls to mix in a bit of variety.





she labors for steve jobs at iTunes by day, and enjoys long walks on the beach with her tilt-shift at night... thanks for snapping this wide shot shanni.

en route to the party.

but first, a few editorial portraits.



another rad shot by shanni.





laura and zack opted for a simple backyard wedding reception.




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The Mission at San Juan Capistrano - Engagement Photography

rachael & ryan are tying the knot soon... in about 12 days, to be exact...

...and i couldn't be more excited to join them for their intimate wedding at the shade hotel in manhattan beach, styled by the fantastic carissa of jl designs.

about two weeks ago, we met in down town san juan to spend a couple hours of the late afternoon together, and it was perfect. rachael and ryan have natural ability: the ability to be natural.

you might think most of us have it, but that particular ability is often challenged once a camera, and a rather large camera at that, starts snapping away just inches from your gaze. but rachael & ryan needed little direction. we simply enjoyed the late afternoon together, and happened to grab a handful of awesome engagement photographs in the middle of it all.

rachael & ryan, you two are incredibly kind with a wonderful sense of calm about the both of you. i can't wait for the big day in just a matter of days...










change it up.









my favorite photo of the day.


click here to view my portfolio. click here to contact me.

and if you are interested in a photo shoot at the mission in san juan capistrano, here are the details for the location:

www.missionsjc.com
26801 Ortega Hwy
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 234-1300

Luncheon with Lincoln - A Baby Shower

my fingers tirelessly traced the outline once more before tackling the cutting out of more shapes. for weeks, our home turned into craft-central, as carlie dreamed up the perfect baby shower.

and, as if having a son weren't enough of a blessing in itself, our incredible friends showed up, in some really big ways. jesi, with jesi haack weddings, served as carlie's sounding board for all things creative to logistical, and helped as we confirmed, revised, and re-confirmed the list of rentals needed for the big day [much thanks to megan davis with classic party rentals for putting up with so many changes].

when it came to decor, our friend carissa with jl designs offered her eye & her hand, in creating all the florals for the afternoon occasion. while lyndzee donated one of her killerly hip [did i just make up a word] head pieces from her signature brand lady vintique.

last, but definitely not least... the sweets. being that i was most likely going to be the only gentleman present, and really only around to lug furniture and snap some photos, i couldn't wait to see what melody from my sweet & saucy shop, was going to bake up for the girls. not to mention, i had negotiated payment by treats ahead of time, with my lovely wife & mommy-to-be.

so, there you have it! we are blessed beyond belief!! we have creative friends. we have generous friends. we have selfless friends. thank you so much for showing up. we know lincoln appreciates it :)

the invitations were handmade by carlie.

though fall had officially begun, the temperature would tell us otherwise. all the ladies were greeted with an invitation to cool off with a frozen lemonade and...

...a custom fan, traced & cut-out by yours truly.

we hung plain sheets & burlap to provide a little retreat from the sun.

carissa rocked it.

one of carlie's friends, and former bridesmaid, hana lash created custom jewelry as a personalized gift for each attendant. you can check out hana's etsy store here @ www.thalkin.etsy.com



everyone loves a photo sign-in guest book.



and, to keep with the middle name trend, lincoln roe [davis].

who was cuter as a kiddo? actually, maybe i don't want your opinion ;)

and now, my favorite part... you haven't lived until you've tried a candybar cupcake with peanut butter frosting & a caramel drizzle. thanks melody.



carlie wanted to make sure everyone went home with a treat or two.



lastly, carlie's favorite detail of the day.

to view more of our portfolio, click here. or, to hire us as your photographer, click here to contact us.

Building A Schedule - From the Ground Up

i must make a disclaimer, that this post is not like most of my posts. it has nothing to do with wedding photography, and everything to do with living a productive life. if you are interested in the latter, i encourage you to read on...

whether you love 'em or hate 'em... whether you claim to be one, or couldn't even imagine the thought... most of us would agree that there is a directly-proportional pairing of productivity with early rising. the early bird catches the worm, doesn't it?

as a business owner, as a husband, as a soon-to-be father, and as a spiritual being longing for deeper relationship with my God & my community, over the past few months i kept feeling drawn to create a sense of order about my life. enough order, ironically, to allow room for the spontaneous. i once heard david allen, the master behind GTD, make a comment related to cooking, that struck deeply with my common sense. he rhetorically asked, how much more free are you to be spontaneous in the kitchen, if everything is in its right place, instead of feeling overwhelmed by pots & pans strewn across the counter tops? so, why would our daily routine be any different; keep the frame work in place, allowing one's creativity to flow un-hindered.

then, about a month ago, jasmine shared her daily routine with her inquiring fans [you can check out the post here]. and i felt that was the final push.

i wanted to have a daily routine; a schedule for myself to serve as the framework for my creativity & my sanity. my first inclination was to copy jasmine's schedule, and plan out the very next day with my calendar:
6:30am - wake up & pray
7:00am - answer email
8:15am - get my butt outside & enjoy the fresh air
...and on and on...

only, two things struck me [and thankfully, they did so immediately, before i started re-arranging my iCal for imminent failure]:

[1] i am not jasmine.
[2] i have a difficult time changing multiple variables at the same time.

and the second, led me to my plan of action. i knew that if i tried to map out a daily routine from the moment i rose until dinner was in the skillet, i would most certainly end up frustrated before i even finished my second cup of coffee. so, i thought a moment, about how i like to make changes...

one at a time.

once i acknowledged this bit of self-knowledge, i took the only possible next step. i focused on the first action i have taken, of every single day over the past 27 years: waking up.

my first goal: to wake at the same time every day [and preferably earlier than i typically was waking].

so, as i will typically do, i began to research, scouring some of my favorite blogs & books, until i had a plan of action to make the single & simple change, before moving on to my next goal. and i have to say, i am rather excited about the results.

over the past week and a half, i first started waking daily at 8:00am, and have sinced [successfully] moved my alarm to 7:45am. i simply go to bed when i am tired [no set time] and i plan on waking at the same time every day, letting my body do the work of telling me whether i need more sleep or less. if i need more sleep, my body tells me to go to bed earlier. and if i am more-than-rested, my body gives me permission to stay up a bit later. it's rather simple.

so, what is the call to action? well, do you want to be an early riser? do you want a daily routine? or is there some other habit you would like to create, but have had a difficult time making it systematic for yourself? i have included a few links that might help, and i look forward to sharing my progress in the near future, as i create my own schedule - from the ground up.

enjoy.the.story.

jasmine star's FAQ post: http://www.jasminestarblog.com/Index.cfm?postID=645

steve pavlina's "how to become an early riser" post [part 1]: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/

steve pavlina [part 2]: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser-part-ii/

leo babauta's "the power of less": http://thepowerofless.com/

and, just for fun, here is a photograph i took on my favorite stretch of road: the 101 between santa barbara and san luis obispo.

A Weekend with The Ingalls

we sat on the porch. and without the tools of social media, without twitter, without facebook, without iChat, we had a conversation... old school. just sitting on the porch, we had a conversation.

this past weekend was rather refreshing. and i didn't know how much i needed it, until i was there. but, on friday, i had the fortune of taking a small road trip, up the central coast of california, to hang with the incredibly talented & caring cameron & anna ingalls. upon my arrival, i was greeted with hugs and a warm meal, and the weekend followed up with a handful of adventures & good conversation, in one of my favorite parts of the world: san luis obispo, california.

check this... he can crack an egg into the pan with just one hand [for proof, check out this little twitter video @ http://www.twitvid.com/37033 ]. that's the kind of man cameron ingalls is. and, he is an artful storyteller. from his words, to his images, cameron moves with a spirit of intention. and it is pretty incredible to watch, from the way he takes photographs to the way he orders pad thai... seriously. he is THAT intentional.

so, cameron & anna, i can't thank you enough for your blessing & hospitality, and i pray that sooner-than-later, carlie & i are able to return the blessing for the two [three] of you.


cameron ingalls a la recepcion, sans flash.

Photo Induction - Molly plus Matthew equals Charlotte

carlie patiently [slash impatiently] sat on one of the chiavari chairs, as i meticulously stepped through my post wedding checklist; camera bodies - check, lens caps on - check, un-used batteries - check, used batteries - check, memory cards...

we had just completed another "day at the office," having captured jon and quyen's vintage wedding at the muckenthaler mansion in fullerton. and, with the bride and groom sent off through an alley of sparklers, and a few remaining guests lingering to share a few last words, we were off.

on the way to our car, i reached into my pocket and pulled out my trusty iPhone, to find a direct message from one of my twitter friends: molly of mathieu photography. we had totally been cyber friends via the twitter world, and had run in many of the same circles, without ever having met.

that was about to end.

as we each packed up our gear from our respective weddings that day, we each jumped on the freeway in the dark of the night, after a long day of shooting, and met at the mecca of the late-night post-wedding dining establishment... In N Out.

over a double-double, fries and a shake, we talked about life, business, and babies. it seemed as if we had been pals since our elementary years.

and as many of you know, molly and matthew just gave birth to their first child: Charlotte June Snelson. i'll be honest, Charlotte is exactly one week old now, and i think i'm in love all over again. make sure to check out the full story on the mathieu photo blog here. but the day before... yes, literally THE DAY BEFORE molly went into labor, not even knowing the gender of their unborn child, carlie & i had the pleasure of shooting her and matthew.

here is your invitation to view the last photographs taken, before molly and matthew fell in love all over again, with the arrival of their little june bug.

enjoy.

p.s. by the way... i totally called it. [girl]

charlotte.

matthew.

molly.



hi-fives and low-tens were in hot exchange...

...as were other gestures of over-excitement.

carlie captured this one, and i can't help but LOVE IT.









remember that sci-fi show sliders, from the late 90's??? parallel dimensions collide.

one of carlie's favorites.



about 24 hours after this photograph was captured, molly snelson went into labor. i didn't realize my photo skills stretched so far.


click here to view my portfolio. click here to contact me.