It’s a miracle that my particular version of genius has landed me in this career. Each time I’m with a couple witnessing and encouraging their love I’m ecstatic. I come back to my studio, cull through our images and have chills half the time because I somehow by the grace of god captured it. Joy, tenderness, play, devotion all right there captured! It’s obvious in their first photo, their particular flavor of love; adoration rich with fun, passion and play. Ian and Melissa are equal parts stylish, smart and attractive as they are playful, goofy and in love. You’ll see all of it here – buckets of play and softness. Ian cares for Melissa in sweet considerate unexpected ways and no doubt when Melissa responds with a smile that beams as brightly as any I’ve seen. There is so much joy between them that at one point we were asked by a neighbor to keep it down. That is exactly the type of trouble I want to be in. Thanks for being troublemakers in the best possible way and thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my genius with you! Enjoy!
Karen and I met last October at The City Club. She was in town from Portland meeting wedding pros and visiting locations around SF with her mom for her wedding this October. She took a look at my work, we chatted briefly, giggled about something fun and that was the whole of it. A week later we were on the phone and within minutes, it was obvious that we had to work together. Karen is fun, in love and full of life, three of my favorite and most admired qualities. Seeing Kevin and Karen together is awesome. Kevin is committed to her happiness and it shows. My great friend Bryan always says you can tell the character of a man by how radiant his woman is. Kevin, you have my utmost respect.
Really, they are this cute. Lizzie in her girlie white cowgirl boots, Tyler in his bicycle cufflinks and the two of them re-live the fun and play of their college years with the self-assuredness of two brilliant adults madly in love and on the eve of their wedding. Together they poses an easy going life is good in the midst of change and growth and new jobs and travel and a wedding around the corner. So much so that being with them is simultaneously enlivening and relaxing. Tyler and Lizzie, it is an honor to be witness to your sweetness and love for one another. Thank you for having me be part of the rich experience of your wedding! ENJOY!!
As much as I love creating gorgeous photographs of families and couples and individuals and groups, it is the relationships I create with the subjects that give me the most “juice”. If you know me, you know that I believe love is the greatest experience we can have as human beings and the coolest thing I’ve discovered about love is that regardless if you are the giver or the receiver the experience of love itself is equally enlivening and joyful. It is through the awesome gift of photography and the way that I see people that I’m able to express my love. YOU won’t be able to resist falling in love with Charlie and his family in this next series of photos, really, you won’t! It is my gift to you this experience of love and it is with huge love to Cathy and Pete (Charlie’s parents) that I say thank you for having me capture your love and your life and your beautiful son!
Masha, Francisco & I were friends before they were “Masha & Francisco”. We were all part of a transformational community focused on creating great romantic relationships and having an epic sex life called Erwan Davon Teachings. Masha liked Francisco in a shy uncertain way and I was able to witness as they slowly got close and discovered their own epic romance. There is nothing shy or uncertain today when you are with these two – play, delight, devotion, commitment, beauty and clarity are all brilliantly present. You can see for yourself in these gorgeous Madly in Love portraits from Cavallo Point. Masha and Francisco, I’m honored to know you and have the fortune of capturing your beauty and LOVE.
A couple of years ago, we re-branded our engagement session and our trash the dress session to be Madly in Love Portraits. In addition to the pleasure of saying “your Madly in Love Portrait Session”, one of the coolest things about Madly in Love Portraits is that they can happen at anytime in a couple’s Madly in Love history; whether just after getting engaged, the day after their wedding, as a really fun and outside the box 5th date or celebrating their 5/10/15/25 year anniversary.
There are a few key secrets to having the Madly in Love Portrait Session be a blast and they can be summed up with the following –
Looking Great –
1. Choose clothing that you think “LOVE THIS” when you put it on. Bring a few different outfits and consider which outfits look great with your partners.
2. Have your hair and make-up professionally done (consider a MAC or Aveda store if you are sensitive to budget)
Feeling Great –
3. Expect that the experience could last up to 3 hours with plenty of time to change location/change clothing/stop for a glass of water/snack. Be prepared to have 3 hours of FUN and LOVE!
4. Let your photographer be your guide! Enjoy yourselves and trust your photographer to capture it in a way that is beautiful, romantic, fun and uniquely YOU!
The Grand Finale –
4. Schedule a reservation at a favorite restaurant 1 hour after. This will make you both so happy, you will both be looking great and ready to have someone serve you a glass of wine and a delicious meal.
5. Toast to your love!
Spring has… kind of unofficially sprung in San Francisco with a week of make the East Coast Envious 70 degree sunny days and a city full of bursting cherry blossom trees. Pablo Neruda’s words having been coyly running through my head – I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.
With love, sensuality and spring running through the air, it was the ideal week to visit The San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer’s Market with Destinee and Seth for a Madly in Love Portrait Session. Madly in Love portrait session are totally unique to each couple and it was Seth and Destinee’s shared love of great San Francisco food and style that decided the Ferry Building andHotel Vitale. It is always an honor to capture people in Love and particularly a couple that so radiantly and intentionally prioritizes pleasure and truth. As you enjoy, I hope you are blown open to love as the cherry trees are by the Springtime.
Hafiz somehow knew how to strike a perfect cord of truth, beauty and love all at once. It is no coincidence that I posted the following Hafiz quote on my personal facebook page the same week that I captured David and Valerie Madly in Love.
One regret, dear world,
That I am determined
not to have
When I am
lying on my deathbed
Is that
I did not
kiss you enough.
When we first met to talk about their wedding in October, it took everything I had to stay on track and not get swept up into their palpable love and excitement. However, it was not until our Madly in Love portrait session in Golden Gate Park last weekend that I got to witness their awesome physical chemistry. One regret, dear world that these two lovers will not have on their death bed is that they did not kiss enough. Enjoy!!
