Bay Area Wedding Photographer | A wedding at Creekside in Los Gatos, CA |Erica and Derek

So many weddings to share with you .. so happy to be spending so much time in my office this past week or two. Playing catch up is serious therapy for me ... checking things off of my todo lists never felt better. I talk a lot about finding balance in life while being a business owner and as much as I know I need to practice what I preach it is really easy to just work. all. the. time. when it is you and only you who can create your income. It's important to know when to pull back and spend some time cultivating your craft rather than executing it. Since I shot my last wedding of 2011 last week I fully intend to spend time on some house projects, design lots and lots of albums, finally send images to patient vendors (more on this later), and enjoy decorating for the holiday season!

We are having new stairs installed today ... hopefully this:

will look more like this soon....What?! A girl can dream.. right? ;)

Lets talk wedding photography....

Erica and Derek had a lovely outdoor wedding at Creekside earlier this year surrounded by not only friends and family but beautiful towering redwoods. Weddings in the Santa Cruz Mountains always hold a special place in my heart .. I always pictured myself getting married surrounded by redwood trees .. there is nothing like that fresh smell of the woods. Alas, we tied the knot in November so redwoods would have meant freezing evening temperatures but in May the mountains were in beautiful form and the sun peeked through the tree boughs for perfect light on their big day.

Onward!

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse.

I'm a few days late .. but last year, at this time, I was on cloud nine probably fast asleep by a beautiful pool in Hawaii. This year has been a big one for us ... preparing for the future in so many ways and taking leaps as a team we never thought we could. Having been with Tim for almost 9 years now, being married does not feel much different than not being married- except that now, in my heart and on paper, he is my family. I am a lucky girl to have married my best friend and to have a true and honest partner in all that life brings. There were many things this year that I could not have accomplished or tackled without him and I am proud of us for many of the decisions we made as a team.

During our ceremony, Tim's mom read a passage from one of my favorite childhood books, The Velveteen Rabbit. As years of marriage begin to disappear behind us, I am so thankful that I am with a man who will love me when most of my hair has been loved off, and my eyes drop out and I get all loose in the joints and very shabby.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Love you. Thank you for making me real. :)

jasmine*

Elizabeth Anne Designs Vendor Guide

So proud and honored to be a part of the new Elizabeth Anne Designs vendor guide! Ami has supported my work from the very beginning and her blog and my business have really grown up a lot together. So thrilled for her new venture and her beautiful inspiration site! For all things weddings and for a lot of hand picked wedding vendors head here! To see my listing and check out some of my favorites images of all-time head here. Lots of love, Ami! You're the best!

Bay Area Portrait Photographer : Julia, Nick, and little Daphne

I never found the time to write much about our wedding details but I am so very excited to share that our wedding was published up on Green Wedding Shoes today! So much fun to share lots of extra details that didn't run in the knot and some more info on our vendors. Sigh... best day of my life. Check it out!

jasmine* rocks

Now for the cutest puppy in the world ... enough said :)

No but seriously ... if you know me well, you know I'm not the biggest animal/dog person in the world. I don't hate them nor am I afraid of them I just .. don't particularly want them. I know, they are cute and cuddly and can be your best friend but I didn't grow up with them and I never quite know how to act around them! BUT, you guys.... Daphne almost made me want one of my own! Her little face and manner was just so precious.. she was the belle of the ice cream shop and her mommy and daddy love her so so so much!

As always... onward!

Looking for an in-office intern!

The time has come ... about this time every year I hit a wall. I need help!!!! Download detailed info/requirements here.

Here's the jist:

I have been an intern. I know that it is tough to work for free and that the best internships are the ones you leave feeling clearer about your future not discouraged. As an intern for me, you can be sure that I promise to dedicate time to helping you grow as an artist and business owner. I am an open book, no subject or questions are off limits during the time we will spend together. (Think branding, post-production, managing time/clients, marketing, etc.) You will have the opportunity to assist me on shoots and I promise to spend time helping you hone your skills in the best way I can; by example!

This position is ideal for a college student/someone who just took the jump into full time photography who has a flexible schedule.  You understand photography and value it’s contribution to the world. You are a photography student (formally or informally) who knows how to navigate a mac/photoshop/bridge/lightroom and wants to gain more experience and learn how I operate on a day-to-day basis. You are responsible and reliable. You have a sunny disposition, a great work ethic, a drive to learn, and like to listen to music while editing.

4 month commitment with future paid opportunities. A total of 8 hours of office time a week (M-F) distributed depending on what works with our schedules (lunch is on me!) Must have intermediate to advanced photoshop and design skills.

Duties will include (but are not limited to) image editing and resizing, gallery management, fullfilling print orders, packaging, post office and supply errands,designing client albums, general office tasks (think stamping logos on pretty kraft boxes ;) )

Please send me a resume/cover letter that answers the following questions to be considered for the position by August 20th. Work will hopefully commence the first week in September.

1. What is your background in photography? 2. What days/times are you available to work? 3. How much experience do you have in the following areas: Photoshop, Lightroom, album design. 4. Who is your favorite photographer and why? 5. What information could I give you that would seem invaluable to you?

If you think I have information you could benefit from, you have a flexible schedule, and you'd like to learn more about how I do what I do- shoot me an email!!!

the beautiful Yelena Johnson of The Stylish Soiree - more from this shoot soon :)