[b]IG.[b]LIND.

last night [b]ecker taught me how to play poker. and then i took his money. thanks [b]. [disclaimer: i did have the advantage of playing like a 'donkey' which i guess means that i have no idea as to the 'correct' way to bet & play poker].

the night started out at ling & louie's, where becker arranged a happy-hour chill-session for any & all photogs within a decent hang-out radius. it was so good to meet new friends, blog friends, & some of our favorite photogs. add coconut shrimp & i really couldn't have designed a better monday afternoon. my job rocks!

as we geared up to leave & call it early, jessica claire asked if carlie & i played poker. uhhhh... yeah [i was thinking of the $40 i dropped in bishop at the indian casino on the way to mammoth a couple months ago], so we took the invite, and an awesome opportunity to just chill with others in the industry.

after a stomach full of chic-filet & taquitos, the assault of 'fort knox' deciding not to play smart [aka candice of mark brooke photographer], a couple dumb-but-lucky hands, one or two good plays & 5 hours of poker, i had taken out a few players, to include both my wife and becker [on the river... sorry] and found myself across the table from my new friend ma5en. somehow the newb [me] had made it through, from 11 down to 2.

but ma5en played strong and took the game. not bad though, especially for a rad night of entertainment and good ol' fashion community.

vegas is right around the corner... can't wait.

MEET.KISS.

say hi to the kiss book.

i just received khara & jake's kiss book [engagement album] the other day, and it is smokin! i can't wait to watch them pledge their lives, toes in the sand, at salt creek on easter weekend. these two have such an excited whirlwind of a story, and i am blessed to call them new friends.

so, i was stoked when i got the email saying their book had been finished. carlie and i had a kiss book, which served as a sign-in guest book on our wedding day, and is now something we will be able to share with our kids, and our kids-kids...

the engagement session is already one of those parts of my job that i so so value, because it's basically just a hang-out session where i get to do what i love: hear your story & capture those priceless yet fleeting moments with my camera. and, when displayed in a hand-crafted book, you have something tangible that can always 'take you back' to the start, to the place your journey began.

thanks again, khara & jake, and all of my couples. without you, i would probably be wandering the streets, clicking away at random street signs and passerbys, or propositioning my bride to put on her wedding dress, just one more time.

since you already said hi to the kiss book, i thought i would let you hang out.




note: stunt books were used, as not to harm khara & jake's newest [and probably first] family heirloom

LATE.NIGHT.DESIGN.DATE.

by 8:30 on a friday night, dinner's over, the tube is on, and most couples have already committed their plans for the evening: a rockin night out on the dance floor, the movies with a group of friends, or like carlie and i, recuperating from a long week with a nice relaxing evening at home. and if plans change at this point, the most spontaneous choice might be an inspired trip to coldstone's.

but, when my bride drew me into one of the many home design reality shows, that can show you how to turn a dozen paper towel rolls into a hi-fashion bedroom accessory, inspiration struck... and not involving a delectable frozen creation.

let's move our bed, quickly turned into, how about we paint our room, find some new window treatments, and maybe find a mirror or two to hang on the wall... and yeah... maybe we could paint our dresser and hang some pictures.

with a half-an-hour of time before our stores of choice closed for the evening, we made it, mario andretti style, to home depot and ikea [with 5 minutes to spare]. and, as a skeptic of the shows that can turn a house upside-down in a matter of days, i knew we had taken on a bit more than we could chew.

but, somehow [i say that as if i didn't realize the radfactor power behind the inspiration of a wife on a mission... especially carlie on a mission], we were in bed by 2am with four freshly coated sand-stone walls, a coffee [though i think it looks black] colored dresser with matching mirror, and a set of double-drape window treatments [white lace & dark espresso], not to mention the crisp ivory duvet and pink peonies accenting the neutral tones [but not-so neutral smells] of our new room. and though we probably should have slept in the living room, we were beat.

next time you don't know what to do on a friday night at 8:30, get inspired and follow thru. it can be a lot of fun.

EVERYONE.NEEDS.AN.AUNT.BRENDA.

to the bride-to-be... if you don't have one yet, get an aunt brenda.

last year, carlie renee & myself tied the knot lakeside in front of an intimate group of friends and family. when we proceeded up the hill to throw down some dance moves and get our grub on, my new bride and i were free to enjoy each moment as it happened, and live in 'the blur' that many brides & grooms fear they will get lost in. instead carlie and i have memories that we were fully a part of.

and we have aunt brenda to thank for a lot of that.

although she doesn't have a business card or a formal store front, my aunt knows how to throw a party. my bride & i, like most people, wanted to have awesome experiences on our wedding day, and we wanted to be able to remember those awesome experiences. when we humbly made our request to have my aunt host our reception, she replied excitedly with lists of vendors, took us tasting with our caterer, and even helped find a dj when ours bailed the week before our wedding.

having someone coordinate and help guide you in the process of planning & enjoying your wedding can be such a blessing. that said, make sure that whoever might help is qualified. carlie & i were lucky to have a volunteer, and you too may have an 'aunt brenda' in your family. if not, check out j'adore details, and click on the anticipation link at the bottom for a list of more-than-qualified coordinators.

my favoritist photog in the world [and someone who has blessed carlie & i with some radtastic memories and images to remember them by], jasmine star helped create j'adore details as a resource for the bride-to-be in the planning stages of your big day. so, check out j'adore.

again, though we can't say it enough, thank you aunt brenda [and uncle rod... especially for taking us wine tasting even though we ended up going with good ol' chuck shaw] for playing such a huge roll on such an important day for carlie and i.

aunt brenda [and your girls], meet my blog. blog, meet aunt brenda.

[and as a disclaimer, i am not getting any type of kick-back from j'adore or jasmine for the plug, i just strongly believe there is a tremendous value to be found in what they are offering]

HAPPY.BIRTHDAY.CASSIE.ROO.

[foreword from the big-brother... in-law]

my amazingly-passionate bride cherishes family more than anything. last night she asked me [on this particularly special day] permission to hijack my blog and share a story. so, here is the heart-felt perspective of a big sister.



i remember it like it was yesterday. i was nine. my dad walked through the door with 'congrats' balloons.

what are the balloons for?

you're gonna be a big sister again!

i was ecstatic. maybe because i was sick of dressing my poor three-year-old brother in girls dresses. plus, he was starting to realize mascara was not for boys.

i was sure it was going to be a little girl. it HAD to be a little girl. i prayed every night for a baby sister. my mom even used the 'if you don't be good you wont get a baby sister.' i don't think it really worked... i was still a brat.

my parents decided not to find out the sex of the baby till it was born, so it was 9 months of pure torture. the day you were born was one of the best days of my life. i got a front row seat and watched in, well... awe. you were born and when nana said "it's a girl" tears started streaming down my face.

mom wanted to name you either casey or cassandra. i begged for cassandra. why? because i had the right to name you. ya ya, i didn't go through the morning sickness, the pregnancy gas, the side kicks to the stomach, or the long labor & delivery but dammit i was the big sister!

february 25,1995 God decided i was good enough to be blessed with you as my little sister. you are growing up so fast into a beautiful, intelligent, free spirited, incredible young woman. i love you my cassie roo.

i bet you are glad i won't be there this year at your party?

HAPPY.BIRTHDAY.MOM.

to the woman that brought me into this world. to the mother that has faced trials none should ever be required to face. to the lady that has overcome. to the child of God that is still full of life, and in the midst of an incredible journey. you have done nothing less than nurture, support, and love me in every moment of my being. thanks mom. i love you. happy birthday.


photo by the one-and-only jasmine star

NETWORTHING.

i thought this was classic. counting the iMac, my fellow fast track founders jen & karey, and myself, all out of frame, the person to computer ratio was 8:5.  [and we won't hold it against micah for bearing his dell]  

today, an intimate group of photographers, across the world [smells paradoxically wonderful to me] came together to talk.  and a few of my local photog friends decided to join in on the action together at our pad.

now these kind of meetings may not be unique. the dawn of digital has brought us all closer. what drew vasco de gama 3 months into the ocean, and into the unknown, can now be researched in seconds. and all of this: conference calls, web chats, forums, blogs, myspace, facebook, twitter... has given us access to each other, which can collectively increase our information intake exponentially. totally cool!  but my take is that it would be a waste to use all these great tools to simply gorge myself on its offerings.

instead, i like to see how all these great tools can actually assist, rather than replace, the building of community. i love people. i love story. and i pray that with each interaction, i can actually bring something to the table... that i can add value to my community. this seems to couple well with what i have heard of tim sanders, and then repeated ironically by my friend and mentor dane sanders, 'your network is your networth.'  therefore, if i am truly networking [aka hanging out and getting to know real people with real stories], my aim should be to add value or worth.

happy networthing.