Topless Dreams

ask any artist, any olympic athlete, any agent of change how she started her journey, and i guarantee you, if she is the real deal, that she started her journey with the end in mind, with a vision in her head, of what the view would look like from the top. she most definitely did not start out without at least an inkling of her vision... what things might look like once she completed her course. in comparison, ask most people how they go about their days, and though i don't doubt most people's passion & intention to be successful and live a more fulfilled life, i do have a hunch that most of us would fail to be able to clearly articulate the view from the top of the hill we are climbing.

that's what i mean by topless dreams... not sure exactly where you were going with it, but i urge you to continue the conversation with me.

1960's psychologist maxwell maltz studied how the human brain accomplishes tasks. and i believe his findings might help us lead a more purposeful & accomplished life.

in short, he compares our mind to a torpedo. when a torpedo is set in motion, it zig-zags forward until it intercepts its target. if the target moves, the torpedo course corrects and zigs. if the torpedo gets off track, it course corrects again and zags. hence, with the coordinates of the target always in mind, the torpedo's only aim is towards the final outcome - its target. how important is it to KNOW the target BEFORE the torpedo is set in motion?

we are much the same. the only difference; we are already en route. we are en route to our destination, whether we have a clear picture of our destination or not, and whether that destination stays constant or changes sporadically.

ironically though, i believe our destination is not the most important piece of the equation; the journey itself is. that said, without a set destination, we are merely wandering aimlessly, instigated and propelled by whatever calls our attention at the moment, as opposed to actually being on a purposeful journey... the kind of journey that causes other people to watch in awe.

in his e-book Zen to Done, leo babauta talks about the importance of finding your passion. start there, and i agree with the author, the steps required on your journey will become clear.

i propose living a life immersed in the journey. but to do so, you must... i must... first create the vision of the final outcome.

so, the next time you are about to ask a question on a forum, or you find yourself perusing the internet for information to complete a project or task, or you feel the urge to splurge on the latest gear, ask yourself to what purpose am i aiming? you may just find that the questions you have been asking all along, have been the wrong questions. and if you have the courage to take a bite of humble pie, i implore you to course correct, and zag back in sync with your vision of the future. my hunch is, your journey will be much more enjoyable.


know.your.story.

p.s. and because every post is better with a photo, here's a teaser from our latest engagement shoot in laguna canyon, styled by the oh-so fabulous event sylist, carissa of jl designs.

view our portfolio. contact your local southern california wedding photographer.

Three Weeks is Too Long Not to Blog

LIIIIINNNNCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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Perfection Was Never the Aim

rather than quickly offering the baited response, carlie and i pause, look at each other, and take a short breath through our teeth...

...well, believe it or not, we don't take THAT many photos of him... and then we proceed into a well versed and rehearsed dialogue offering an irrational explanation as to why we don't take more photos of our baby boy, when in fact, we had committed to capturing at least one... JUST ONE... intentional image of our little lincoln roe, each day for the first 100 days of his life in this world.

less than 30 days in, and we dropped our commitment.

now, i understand that it is not the end of the world. we will take many many MANY photographs of lincoln as he grows. and up until now, we actually have taken quite a few photographs. but no, that's not the point.

we failed to see through on our commitment.

and along with about 95% of the 304,059,724 americans who made new years resolutions, and finally found their excuses by valentines day, we dropped the ball.

BUT...

...and i love this part.

perfection was never the aim.

so what do we do? we take more pictures of our son today. we live the life we are in now, and we don't allow perfection to the gift out of the present.

enjoy.the.story.






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They said our life would never be the same...

...and "they" were right.

the "they" that had 4 kids of their own. the "they" that never wanted to have children of their own. the "they" that were in the thick of it. the "they" that loved us dearly. and the "they" that happened to be in line with us at the grocery store.

it didn't matter who "they" were, they all said the same thing.

case in point; up until now, i have never had to change my shirt 30 minutes into the start of the day as a result of regurgitated soy powder and prune juice. up until now, i have never kept my fingernails manicured for the specific purpose of avoiding the unnecessarily accidental collection of poo-poo. neither, up until now, have i laughed so hard at somebody who was crying so hard.

maybe its to mask the frustration. maybe its because God has given me just a bit of insight into how He must see us. whatever it is, every once in a while [more like... 3 or 4 or 5 times a day], lincoln will begin to express his opinion. his face begins to shift hue, followed by a lower lip that begins to curl downward, and finally... the release. the release of all that tension, all that stress... his opinion. and the release comes in the form of a seizure of wails, uncontrolled and sporadic.

and for some reason, whatever it is, i laugh. not at him. not with him. but, because of him. lincoln, not his birth, not simply his arrival into our family, but lincoln himself, brings me joy.

he turned 3 months yesterday, and after a long day celebrating life and family together, he had to let go of just a little bit of stress ;)

enjoy.the.story.




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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.

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.

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Lincoln Roe Davis

3 years ago today, i had my first conversation with carlie renee davis. today, she gave me a son.

lincoln roe davis was born at 3:22pm, weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces, and 19 inches. and we couldn't help but share a few photos, before the day is set to rest.




















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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.

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.

Shooting to Shoot - Maternity Photography with Carlie

in the middle of a busy wedding season, it helps being married to carlie. it helps because carlie always seems to have some type of non-work project at hand. and, for a workaholic like myself, filling my spare time with "something else" helps keep me from filling that same time with the ever-dreaded, work-for-work's sake. not to mention, when i feel the need [though it is usually she that prompts my need] i always have a hot model ready to be photographed.

so, here is a continuation from a series we started last month, to document carlie's transformation from young womanhood to young motherhood. no sappy anecdote here; just a few photos of my beautiful bride and lincoln's incredible mother.