Met Shannon and Joe downtown. Joe was having a beer to ‘calm the nerves’ as it were. Once again, I heard the old,
“Oh, we don’t photograph well,” line. Yeah yeah. That’s like telling me I can’t do it, and you know, that’s only going to make me try harder 🙂 So with a beer in the belly and our light fading fast, we got to it. So should you. Get to looking at these photos!
Starting out with a great view of the city.
Indian Summers suck when you’re getting married. Guys are in suits, brides are in big ol’ dresses, and the wedding party will get noticeably more inebriated as they try to stay hydrated with gin and tonics. Let me tell you, Santa Rosa can get hot too, even on a normal day in the summer. But guess what, that wasn’t the case for Yuri and Jenny’s wedding. The crazy cool summer weather continued on, and the stars aligned for these two lovebirds. The wedding and reception were held on the lovely grounds at the Vitner’s Inn. The setting was gorgeous, the food was great, and the day went smooth as butter. And the last tidbit was thanks to a lovely lady named Lindsey who just started her new wedding coordination biz, called Ooh La La Weddings. If you’re up in Santa Rosa and want a smooth wedding day, contact this gal!
Back to Yuri and Jenny… actually, I have nothing more to say. I’m not a talker… not a talker… (Love Vince Vaughn!)
In the vinyard with sunflares, love, and great light.
My mother-in-law was a teacher, and she’s got some theories. One theory in particular that resonates with me is the one about people named Michael. “The worst trouble makers I ever had in class were named Michael,” she always says. Now this rings a chord with me, as my middle name is Michael. Does that mean I am only half trouble? Ask my mom and you’ll probably get a “humph” and a “…no, he was full trouble.” So I guess my mother-in-law is right? Dammit again! Back to the point – Michael, Betsy’s Michael, gave me trouble. Whenever I would press the shutter down he would scowl. I mean like grumpy old man, I have a hernia, don’t bother me face. Immediately after I would finish a series of shots, he would laugh and look natural. So I had to adjust my style, make more off color jokes, and hope for the best.
Well, I like to think that I cracked the ice and mellowed him out. But take a look for yourself and see…
Michael and Betsy warming up at Land's End. The flowers were beautiful.
It’s only fitting that a good looking and fun couple follow up Yukon’s post. I mean, it’s hard to compete with puppies, ya know…? Haha. We first met when I did a bridal show at the Ritz Carlton last January. Turns out they are getting married in Atlanta, but that’s still no reason not to get some great images. We had hopes of breaking into City Hall, but alas, there was a private event 😦
No matter, as we were perfectly happy to photograph on the outside as well.
On the steps of City Hall.
Things are a bit slower around here, and I finally have some breathing room to get to a blog. I posted 2 photos from Jessi and Rich’s wedding 3 weeks ago, and now I am finally ready to post a few more. I will keep the rambling to a minimum. Enjoy the photos!
Funny that I used this lighthouse to help guide me down the Pacific coast when I sailed to Mexico. Here's hoping it will help guide Jessi and Rich to new horizons as well.
Sausalito. Since I lived in Japan and I love ‘Lost In Translation’ I always think of that cheesy hotel band when I say it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, rent the movie. Bill Murray should have been awarded an Oscar, but the Academy is lame, so he didn’t.
Besides imprinting a strong cinematic connection, it also conjures up images of boat houses, float planes, a cute downtown, good art, and mellow people walking the streets. So when Megan and Jeff suggested hitting Sausalito up, there wasn’t any reason to say no. The weather was great, but the parking was lousy. All in all, we had a great session.
Having a few laughs in the Nasturtium.
Tilden Park is a happening spot. I met Serena and Keith there, I met Margaret and Thomas there, and I also met Francesca there (who was walking her dog, but more on that later…)
This was a few weeks ago, right around the time the rains were slowing up. The ground was still swollen and soggy, but the hills were alive. Ugh, I can hear my sister singing that song now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good movie, but happiness can be beaten out of any young brother if they are subjected to a singing older sister who thinks she is Julie Andrews. Anyway…
We had the park pretty much to ourselves, and went on a little walk to get acquainted – for I had to get to know Boppo – the Boston Terrier as well. Full of energy and a healthy 8 years young, he sprang forth to the fresh terrain like a man on a mission. Ahh, so much territory to smell and mark, but so little time and fluids. Isn’t it the story with all of us? Hehe…
Standard operating procedure: Walk around, look for good light and interesting features, keep Boppo off the clothes, and have a good time. We managed 2 out of 3.
Enjoy!
Margaret and Thomas
Leslie and Dennis married on a gorgeous March afternoon. With all the rain we’ve had, they managed to find a whole lot of sunshine for their special day. Good thing too, since we cruised around to some different spots and snagged photos along the way.
I must also mention that these people can party! With Dennis being a doctor and Leslie a pediatric nurse, and their friends being doctors, pulling long and late hours isn’t an issue. I found out just how long the party would go. Here’s a hint: Till Closing.
What follows is a very abbreviated version of a fun and fantastic day.
Enjoy!
Got an email out of the blue a few months back. “Would you be interested in shooting a wedding in Yosemite, and maybe a Pt. Reyes engagement session, since that’s where we got engaged?” I could only have one response – Is the Pope Catholic?
And so Bill, Heidi, and I made plans for a weekend shoot. I figured, if we’re heading all the way out to Pt. Reyes, let’s do it right and cover some ground. Ya know, go for some different looks and use the National Seashore for all it’s beauty. Well, you know what they say about plans. We make ’em and God laughs. Note to all those who don’t live in Northern California right now: God laughing = Rain.
Cool looking trail.
Even with the wind blowing and the rain coming down, we charged on out into the wilderness anyhow. I was suited up my Gore-Tex goodness, and protecting my camera was an Aquatec Rain Sheild. Good thing too, because it rained the entire session.
Gotta say, everything worked out perfectly. I was fairly dry as was the equipment, and Bill and Heidi never wavered in their pursuit of, well, just having a good time. We knew we were done when I mentioned something about hot spicy bean soup with sausages and cheese (I had just made it the night before). As I was walking and talking about it, there was an odd silence behind me. I asked if they were OK. They responded, “Yes, but we were just thinking how good that soup sounds.” I knew we only had a few more shots left.
Here are a few from the day. Enjoy!
Fall Colors. A new place. 9000 ft of elevation. All these factors contributed to my not sleeping well, and thus, rising at 5:30 AM to grab some early morning light photos. It’s not the best strategy when you have to be on for over 8 hours, but I am a glutton for pain (and great photos that help sum up an amazing location such as Crested Butte, CO).
At the end of the day, I gotta ask myself if I gave it all? Did I wuss out, and not put in a little extra energy to grab a photo that would have added to the amazingness of the day? It’s always a driving factor (and one that you want in your wedding photographer ;))
So here they are: the extra mile. Enjoy!
Dress and Aspens.
TODD PARSONS PHOTOGRAPHY 
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