Cars were the theme of the day but lots of other fun activities kept Christopher and his guests entertained at his 3rd birthday party at the Jonathan Beach Club.

The race car track seemed to be the highlight but lots of little ones were jamming on drums and guitars too and no one could resist taking a turn in the bouncy house and slide.

Glitter tattoos were proudly displayed and the giant parachute brought squeals of laughter from not only the children but their parents as well.

The entire collection of photographs will be available for viewing in a private online gallery. If you were a guest at the party and would like the password to the gallery please contact us at the studio.

Hope you had a wonderful birthday Christopher!

How do you describe Big Sur without enlisting every cliche ever written about a beautiful place? I will leave that to much better writers. I’ll just say that Larry and I had a wonderful time on our camping trip there last week. The weather was foggy and gray pretty much the whole time we visited but that did not diminish our experience, in fact it only accentuated the incredible smell of sea spray, wild flowers and campfire smoke.

We spent an entire day hiking through the very beautiful Point Lobos State Reserve. Pelicans flew so close overhead that we could practically feel the beating of their wings on our skin as they passed by. The main thing on our agenda however was to visit Limekiln State Park before it closes. (The sepia images in the triptych below were made there).

Even though we are back to our normal lives of work, feeding the cat etc. Big Sur is still fresh on our minds. If I find myself needing to decompress, I just close my eyes and listen for the pelican wings.

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”
~Edgar Allen Poe

Daisy and Matt, I can’t tell you how much Larry and I look forward to our annual anniversary photo sessions. You can always be counted on to bring whimsy and glamour to each shoot. Just when I think we’ll never be able to out-do last year’s photos, you up the ante by arriving “on set” in a vintage car wearing period perfect accessories. You are such creative, generous individuals, who not only bring out the best in each other but inspire us to be better photographers as well.

We hope you love the latest fruits of our collaborative efforts and we hope this year brings you all the love and happiness you deserve.

If you’d like to see images from Daisy and Matt’s 4th anniversary, click here.

You may not be hearing much from me for a little bit. Larry and I are taking the rest of the week off to celebrate our wedding anniversary. After observing such wonderful weddings and family celebrations of late, we’re looking forward creating some new memories for ourselves.

I do have lots of new posts in the pipeline however so please check back next week!

If to be surrounded by love is a blessing, then Michelle, Chip and their son Joseph are truly blessed. Their wedding day was overflowing with laughter and sunshine. Rancho del Cielo was the perfect backdrop for this lively affair. The Pacific Ocean lay at our feet and the smell of wood smoke from the outdoor fireplace scented the air.

Peony & Plum’s flowers were picture perfect. I love these soft, pastel colors. The cake pops were such a cute favor too. The guests really seemed to enjoy munching them up.

As elegant as this wedding was, it also had such a charming “down-home” feeling to it. I don’t know if it was the children running circles on the dance floor or the gales of laughter that would spontaneously erupt, but it seemed like we were spending the afternoon in the home of friends rather than a rented venue.

Michelle and Chip, Larry and I know how much you love photography and we know your search for the right photographers was one you took very seriously. We hope we’ve done your gorgeous wedding justice and we hope this is just the beginning of many more photographic collaborations.

I loved Michelle, Chip and their adorable little boy Joseph from the moment we met. They are such an incredibly warm, loving family and I knew those characteristics would be imprinted all over their wedding.

We started the day at their charming home in the Hollywood hills. A wonderful happy chaos that comes from children running around and adults rushing to get to the church on time swirled about us. Chip had set up an antique shaving basin on the patio knowing it would be a fun element to photograph. Everywhere we looked, we found lovely things to shoot. We could have stayed there the whole day and never run out of inspiration. Alas, the guests awaited our arrival at the church and many other visual treats lay ahead.

Check back in tomorrow for the continuation of Michelle and Chip’s wedding story. We’ll be traveling to the gorgeous Rancho del Cielo, where hanging lanterns, blue skies and the warmth of family and friends ushered in this gorgeous couple’s beginnings as man and wife.