Lauren & Brad's Engagement, Sutro Baths, San Francisco, CA

Lauren & Brad are good friends of mine, so it was no surprise that photographing them made me happier than a 5 year old at recess after eating a pound of chocolate. Our afternoon really wasn't so much an engagement session than an radical adventure at the Sutro Baths. It was really so much fun, and I am overjoyed and so excited to be shooting their upcoming wedding. The day of the shoot, as they put it, was a blustery day, but even though San Francisco's weather was being a bit temperamental, we took on the challenge, and ultimately got some really original photography out of it. My approach was to let them do their thing without much direction and just allow them to warm up to the idea of having me behind the camera. I also knew I could be a little more artistic, so I decided to take a few more chances with my approach. I really wanted to focus more on the feel of the shoot rather than making sure I hit the traditional must have shots, and at the end of the day I really think I got that. Lauren & Brad are into music and architecture, and have a wonderful sense of style, independently and as a couple. They're adventurers and entrepreneurs, so it was a goal of mine to reflect their personalities in my photography that day. I am so privileged that they are part of my life, and that I get to be a part of theirs. Thanks L&B, I'm looking forward to the next expedition. Love you lots!

Unnati & Raj, The San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA

Unnati & Raj are an incredibly dynamic couple. Starting with their engagement session, which took place at Dogpatch, a rock climbing gym, I knew I was in for an incredible experience. Being a wedding photographer is an amazing blessing. I get to peek over a counter and see things that so many people don't get to see and I love that privilege. I am humbled by it. Unnati & Raj's wedding was no exception to that experience. This time the world I got to peek in to was truly awesome. The pure joy I experienced over the three days I worked with Unnati & Raj was wonderfully impactful. The color and quality of the characters I met, the tradition to the trapeze artistry; I experienced so much in such a short period of time, it was like viewing a super nova through a telescope. I could go on and on about so many details, but the intricacy of this wedding would have me writing a blog post the size of a book. However, I do hope this short blurb will give this experience the slightest justice. 

Over the period of three days Unnati & Raj held three separate gatherings. The first day was part of the brides wedding preparation and preliminary welcome reception. The big event that evening was capturing the henna creation. Henna was applied to both Unnati's hands and feet. I particularly loved the detail of imbedding Raj's name in Unnati's henna. One close up photograph shows the J in the henna's lace like work. The second day began the wedding rituals traditional in Indian culture, and was followed by a more formal reception for guests at Dogpatch WineWorks. Each part of the ceremonies that took place that day and the next were about reverence; for culture, ancestry, nature, and love. For it's part in the first ceremony hilarity ensued when a yellow substance called Pithi was mixed then applied to first Unnati then Raj. The following day was more in tune with a traditional wedding timeline but again the ritual and ceremony were unique to the culture. My favorite touches included the parading in of the groom to the ceremony site and the stealing of his shoes, one of several "pranks" pulled over the day, as a representation of the obstacles of marriage. The ceremony in the mandap and following party within the San Francisco Design Center were no less than spectacular. And to top it all off? A phenomenal performance by Trapeze Arts, a troupe out of Oakland. It was just incredible, all of it, and I can't thank you enough, Unnati & Raj!