September days...

"By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer."
~ Unknown

Yesterday's Sunset

Whenever Larry and I are at our house in Ventura, we make it a point to take a walk to the beach before dinner. Invariably, if the weather is good and the conditions are right for a spectacular sunset, there will be dozens of people sitting on the sand, cameras in hand waiting to be wowed. Yesterday’s sunset did not disappoint. All day long, the sky seemed like it was gearing up to deliver the goods. There were lots of wispy clouds floating in a powder blue sky. If the clouds held and didn’t burn off, then we were sure to have a more spectacular pre-dinner stroll than usual.

At the appointed hour, we arrived at the beach and as expected a crowd had gathered. The air was balmy and heavy with a pinkish tinted mist. Children and dogs ran in and out of the ocean. The crowd “oohed and aahhed” as the sky went from periwinkle blue, to rose to deep amber. When the sun finally slipped into the Pacific everyone applauded.

It’s so reassuring to know that even in these very jaded times, something as elemental as a sunset can bring total strangers together and elicit such a response. These simple, sublime moments are so frequent here. It’s virtually impossible not to love this place.

Wedding Garter

It seems like so many of the wedding traditions the modern bride performs originated in Medieval Europe. For instance, back then it was considered good luck for guests to help themselves to a piece of the bride's dress. In order to keep her outfit from being ruined by evening's end, some crafty bride thought of removing and throwing her garters to the guests.

The kiss of a woman one loves...

"Thus even the highest work of art, yet, the loftiest reputation, is nothing in comparison with the passionate kiss of a woman one loves."
~ Charles Fuster

Have a Sweet Sunday

The Closet Project, figure 11

Lucky Penny

Placing a penny in a shoe is a European tradition thought to bring the bride good luck and fortune. Recently a bride's mother mentioned that she was going to have her daughter's lucky penny mounted into a gold bracelet for her. Such a lovely keepsake and heirloom.

In his arms she fell...

"So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold"
~Sting

The Golden Hour, Fall Wedding Inspiration

With fall quickly approaching, I thought you might like to see a little something to get you in the mood.

Following the sun...

"Following the sun we left the old world."
~Inscription on one of Columbus' caravels

Sweet Corn Soup alla Napa Valley Grille

Larry and I had this delicious sweet corn soup at one of our favorite restaurants: Napa Valley Grille, in Westwood. After practically inhaling my soup I mentioned to the waiter that it was one of the tastiest things I had ever eaten. He politely said he would be sure to let the chef know, cleared my plate and went about his business. A few minutes later who should appear at our table but the chef! He wanted to let us know how pleased he was to hear that we were enjoying our meal. I gushed on about the soup and asked if he would share the recipe. I expected him to laugh off my request but instead he explained that he didn’t work with recipes per se but to leave our email with the waiter and he would see what he could do. I almost fell out of my office chair when a few days later this recipe was in my in-box. I mean who would ever expect a chef of this caliber to take the time to write out a recipe and email it to a total stranger? I was beyond blown away! So without further ado, I would like to share it with you.

This recipe yields approximately 4 cups of soup.

4 Ears of corn. Cut kernels from cob and save the cobs for the corn broth
6 Green onions. White part only. Save the green part for the corn broth
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, smashed
1 1/2 Cups of heavy cream
1oz Butter
1oz Extra virgin olive oil
TT Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Corn Broth
In a large stock pot add the corn cobs and the green parts from the green onion to 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil then let simmer while you prepare the onion and corn mixture below.

Onion Corn Mixture
Sweat (no color, low heat) onion, green onion and garlic with the butter and olive oil. Add corn and cook for several minutes. Reserve approximately 4 tablespoons of the onion corn mixture for garnish.

Once the corn broth has reduced to about half, remove the cobs and green onion from the water. Add the onion corn mixture along with the heavy cream and let simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a blender and blend until it's a consistency that you like. Serve with the reserved garnish.

If you like corn, I'm certain you'll love this soup and if you find yourself hungry in Westwood head over to Napa Valley Grille for a wonderful meal and out of this world service.

www.napavalleygrille.com/westwood/about.php

The Closet Project, figure 10

I bought these utterly gorgeous black sunflowers at a road side flower stand. As they started to fade and wilt, to my eye, they became even more beautiful. I dried them in the hopes of harvesting the seeds and planted them in our garden but sadly they never bloomed. I searched all summer for more of these beauties but alas there were none to be found. All I have left is what remains of my small bag of seeds and this photograph.

For the fun of it

He popped the question and you said, “Yes!” and so begins the giddy, roller coaster ride of planning a wedding. There will be countless decisions to be made and let’s be honest, some stressful times ahead as well. That is why it is so important to do something fun together as a couple.

Taking the time to have an engagement photo session will not only please your parents (and trust me, they will be pleased) but you and your honey can spend the afternoon wrapped in each other’s arms being reminded of how lucky you are to have each other.

Saddlerock Ranch, Malibu

If it’s Wednesday, then it’s time for me to introduce you to one of my Happy Places. I’m doing something a little different this time; instead of featuring a great place to eat or shop, I would like to spotlight one of our favorite venues in which to photograph an event, Saddlerock Ranch.

Whenever Larry or I get a phone call from a prospective bride and she tells us she’s getting married at Saddlerock, we get super excited. We’ve photographed this property many times over the years yet we never run out of photographic inspiration. I mean, this place has everything from bison and zebra to golden rolling hills and cool broken down tractors to photograph. Plus the light is lovely here pretty much all day long.

To me, this place is the quintessential Californian locale. It’s a little rugged, a bit quirky but still very elegant.

www.malibufamilywines.com

Family...

Who better to have your back on such an important day?

The Last Flowers of Summer

This is such a strange time of year for me. I’m yearning for the cool mellow days of fall, yet I hate the thought of not having the floral abundance of summer. All week long, I look forward to visiting the farmer’s market and coming home with an armload of fresh flowers and vegetables. I know there will still be lots of wonderfully delicious produce there and even my garden will manage to offer up a few more roses before Thanksgiving but that embarrassingly gorgeous profusion is coming to an end and I can’t help but feel a little wistful.

Let a joy keep you...

"Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by."
~ Carl Sandburg

The Closet Project, figure 9

It's a guy thing

After each wedding, I eagerly anticipate pouring through the rolls of film that were shot. It’s a little bit like Christmas morning when Larry comes back from the lab with the bag of photo booty. I especially love to see what he photographed in the groom’s dressing room. That part of the wedding day is Larry’s domain, no girl photographers allowed and I have to admit, I’m more than a little envious that I am off limits. It’s not for any prurient reasons that I want to be present; it’s just that there are usually so many quirky, hysterically adorable things going on. As kooky as it can get, there always seem to be three common elements: the consumption of a really large sandwich, a ball game playing on a massive television, and the groom or groomsmen struggling to put on their bowties.


The energy seems so different from the bride’s dressing room. Instead of the controlled chaos of several girls vying for the makeup chair while nibbling on fruit salad and bemoaning having to wear Spanx, the guys seem to be really relaxed. It’s as if putting on a tux and seeing one of your best friends getting married is as familiar as getting together for Monday night football.

Maybe one day, I’ll get the chance to photograph the gentlemen getting ready, but my guess is the reason they appear so unguarded is because Larry, being one of their own, puts them at ease and allows all of their zany goodness to shine through.

Just a sip or two...

It's only natural to feel butterflies fluttering in your stomach on the morning of your wedding. Having a little bubbly on hand is a beautiful thing.

Daisy & Matt's Wedding Anniversary Sitting

For the past four years, Daisy and Matt have upheld the wonderful tradition of scheduling a portrait session on their wedding anniversary. Each year, they choose a fabulous spot in which to celebrate and invite us to tag along with our cameras. This time, the glorious location was the Ojai Valley Inn and surrounding area. It seems like each sitting gets more soulful and beautiful. Maybe it’s because Daisy is even more radiant than she was on her wedding day and Matt more besotted with his bride. Or maybe it’s because they remain as giddily in love as they were when they were first wed.

Daisy and Matt, we wish for you another year of love, laughter and light. We just adore you two!

Also, thanks Jen for letting us photograph at the Inn. As usual, it was an absolute pleasure.

www.ojairesort.com

Anacapa Telescope

Larry and I have traveled to the Channel Islands many times. We hiked through Anacapa Island on one of our first dates. It’s a pretty desolate place - hospitable to seabirds but not much else. This is just the kind of place we like to get away to with our cameras and a picnic. It’s the perfect place to reflect on life and all of its blessings.

Travel for travel's sake...

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
~ Robert Louis Stevenson

The line between work and play...

The line between work and play gets blurred a lot around here. For instance, our latest “assignment” was to travel to one of our favorite destinations: Palm Springs, photograph lots of delicious eye candy at the gorgeous Korakia Pensione and collaborate with a team of individuals who are not only supremely creative but also lots of fun to be around.

The details and lots of images from this shoot will be featured on upcoming posts but in the meantime, I couldn’t resist sharing one of my favorite images of the day.

The magic of being needed...

"The entire sum of existence is the magic of being needed by just one person."
~ Vi Putnam