Santa Cruz Wedding Photographer : Erica and Derek : Engaged! : and other sunny day musings

The weather has been so beautiful the last couple of days - the kind of beauty that makes you roll down the windows and take an extra second at a stop sign to catch that light thats streaming through that oak tree over there! (Or perhaps my obsession with light is just a photographer thing?) In any case, when my alarm went off this morning I had every intention on hitting the pavement in my running shoes to take advantage of the sun.... but, like so many other days like this one, I stopped- just for a moment- to open my inbox and before I knew it it was 12:30. I had somehow managed to spend the entire morning at my computer... e-mailing. Just as I was about to give up on my goals of sun-kissing I received an e-mail from a dear friend and fellow Traveling Heart gal remarking to all of us that "today is one of those days where i wish we all worked together in a office..." This email was then followed by one email after another about how we all love and miss each other and how beautiful the weather is and how we all just want to be outside instead of sitting alone at our desks! It was just what I needed to make me shut off my monitor, grab my keys, and head to the garden center to plant that vegetable garden I said I would plant last year and never got around to. It was marvelous! I turned the soil, dug out roots, planted tomatoes, cucumber, beans, carrots... all kinds of yummy vegetables. I got a blister on my finger from the shovel, dirt under my finger nails, and a bit of a sun burn on my neck. Exactly the lovely afternoon I had pictured. Just needed a little nudging from my friends. :) My turn to nudge, friends. Have you guys gotten away from your desk today yet? Is the sun out? Go bask in it!

From my tumblr....

Speaking of lovely afternoons that cause me to stop and stare at sunlight- I spent one beautiful sunny day with Erica and Derek earlier this year running all over the empty Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. They are getting married so soon and I can't wait to document their love! This is California in February my friends.... lucky lucky Meg!

San Francisco Family Photography : The Werner Family

I am still reeling from finishing the third Hunger Games book, Mockingjay last night at 2AM. (I told you when I get sucked into books I get sucked so far in it's impossible for me to do anything else but read!)  It wasn't entirely what I expected ... darker, more devastating, and full of so much more despair then I even thought possible .. but still a page turner with mastermind storytelling, full of political innuendo and societal criticism to say the least. Just a really riveting read- looking forward to the movie... hoping they don't botch it with a terrible screenplay like Twilight. Photographed this lovely session in early December - three sisters and a brother in law :) We had so much fun running around their neighborhood in SF and I'm so excited to finally share some of the images with you!

The Hunger Games : My casting

First, a very happy birthday to my love, Tim :) He shares my ambivalence towards birthdays so we're having carrot cake and a quiet dinner at home- our favorite kind of night :) I was taught very early on how to loose myself in literature....I am the kind of reader who gets so absorbed in books and characters that I weep for them days after the final page of the book has been turned. I have the ability to turn off every sound around me and completely loose myself in stories... if I'm reading a particularly good page-turner I'll stay up until the wee hours finishing it- or sometimes wake in the middle of the night just to read one..moooooree...chapter.... The Hunger Games was on my list for months and with a 5 hour drive to LA and another 5 hour drive home in my future I finally decided just to purchase the audiobook for part 1 and give it a go. INSTANTLY HOOKED. Just finished book two and am already dying inside knowing there is only one more book to go .... Was doing a little internet scouring about the characters and came across some articles on the casting of the upcoming film. Not sure how I feel about the choices they've made so far- hopefully the screen play will do the storyline justice (UGH for Twilight and The Time Travelers Wife).... I've been pretty "business" around here lately and felt compelled to think about how I would cast the movie if I could.....

So here is how I imagine the cast looking....

Katniss

Lucy Hale (This girl used to go to my pilates class occasionally in Los Angeles- shes cute as button.) The Katniss in my head is so tiny... with big brown eyes... hair that falls over her face perfectly when braided back with dark and deep but also soft and feminine features. She has an unassuming beauty....perhaps a younger Amber Tamblyn type too.

or if they were casting younger ...

Kay Panabaker

Peeta

Alex Pettyfer : This is almost exactly how I've pictured Peeta from the beginning (a bit younger though) ... although I will admit, my Peeta has Tim's piercing blue eyes. Man oh man what a girl wouldn't give to have someone as handsome as this looking out for her in the arena!

Gale

I mostly have been picturing someone like the guy from Smallville ..

Although... occasionally he turns into a Tim Riggens of sorts..because what girl doesn't love Tim Riggins?

or if they were going younger ... Carter Jenkins

Haymitch

I might be way off on this one but this guy is exactly how I picture Haymitch... I used to watch him on the show The Nine ..

Now that I've spilled my complete nerdiness to you all I must get back to actual working....If you are a Hunger Games fan- who are your casting choices?