the Claremont Resort and Spa, Cathedral of Christ the Light, and Sofitel Hotel

Marc and Daisy
May 23 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

What a fun, cool couple. These guys were the first to book me for 2009, way back in very early 2008 (it might have even been 2007...), so I've been looking forward to their huge wedding for a long time. When we did our E session at Fisherman's Wharf last year I got to know Marc and Daisy well enough to know that no matter what else, the focus of their wedding would be on two simple things; fun...and family. With a guest list well into the triple digits and over 100 miles between locations, this was to be quite a day; but the spirit of pure celebration and closeness surrounding Marc and Daisy and their loved ones carried the day.

Daisy getting ready in her suite at the Claremont, a Berkeley resort hotel where I've shot weddings twice before (just not today). Great light in those rooms! The videographer took a few mins out to do some traditional style bridal posing, which I was happy to also shoot from the sidelines, watching for relaxed moments and real expressions.

I often use a 3rd party like the groom or a bridesmaid in my own natural portraits of the bride, in order to distract and entertain her and make her less self conscious and camera-aware. This works great with kids portraits too, but the other person has to be encouraging--no frowny moms threatening their kids into smiling.
For this to work best, the 3rd person should be engaged with the subject but NOT talking about or involved in the photography--no fixing hair, no advice about posing or clothes, etc. The only thing that kind of "helpful" advice does is make the subject more self conscious, which shows clearly in their face and body and can ruin an otherwise great shot.

Moving on, Nona Tai of Floral Design Studio did a great job on the flowers: taking a somewhat traditional wedding color (red) and going in a totally unique direction with it. Her designs were sexy, strong, bold, fresh, and chic, themes which fit well with the wedding and the couple; and she did a great job complementing the layout of both (huge) venues without over- or underdoing the flowers. I love this cute little flower-girl purse.





The Cathedral of Christ the Light is well named. The structure is entirely made of glass, which fills the inside with diffuse sunlight even on overcast days. No need for flash, even during the processional.


The inside is modern, with Renaissance-type paintings, and dramatic angular metal sculptures/icons that look almost like Russian Orthodox art.


Great minds think alike. This shot taken by my 2nd shooter, Alex...


And this one at practically the same moment taken by me...





Post ceremony portraits: I thought this little room downstairs was so cool and special and romantic, until Daisy realized it was a crypt...











Pole dancing in the limo-bus. Marc's brother has obviously done this before...


In addition to entertaining the bridal party in the bus, BeeJay Visitacion did the cool little invitation booklets for each guest, with pictures and stories from the E session and their past. These and other wedding collateral by his company Honor After Sunday Design





Sofitel lobby


This piece in the lobby chandelier is inspired by the work of incredible glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose intricate blown glass sculptures decorate hundreds of museums, hotels, and corporate buildings.


I loved the variety of light and composition I could play with at Sofitel


each bridal party couple did a little dance as they entered, most of them circa 1988.




The gobo spelling out their initials on the dance floor made for some cool strips of light when I wanted to go sans flash during the first dance.





Yep, she's a crier. There were at least 6 toasts during dinner, each one as funny, heartfelt, and sweet as the last. Most of them were done by family and it was clear to me how close these families are. The toasts often teach me things about the couple that I never would have known otherwise, and are a great opportunity to get animated, totally candid shots of close friends and family reacting to what's being said.





Daisy dancing with her dad


Cutting one cake with the other in the background: I love the contrast between them. Both by Satura Cakes were great, but the groom's Super Mario Bros. cake (a surprise for Marc from Daisy) was something completely different.





the garter retrieval turned out to be another surprise, one which ended in Marc singing "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men to Daisy and their 350 guests.


which won him the right to retrieve the garter


Brave as Marc was, not one of the single guys there would catch (or even go near) the garter when it was tossed. Plan B was to have them stand in a circle and play hot-potato with it, passing it around from guy to guy until the music stopped. The one left holding the garter was then stuck with it, and everything it stands for...

Vendor List:

hotel (getting ready): the Claremont Resort and Spa, Berkeley

ceremony site: Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland
Fr. Quang

reception site: Sofitel (San Francisco Bay), Redwood City.
reception coordinator: Tiffany Aurielo, Social Catering Mgr. (650) 508-7104 email

flowers: Floral Design Studio Nona Tai (510)656-3010

cakes: Satura Cakes Anne Richards (510) 604-3267

videography: Lumitone Productions (925) 522-1412

DJ: Macala Entertainment Eugene Macala

bridal dress: Trudy's Brides designer: Pronovias

tuxes: Men's Wearhouse

makeup and hair: Lux Image Agency Jenna and Tallie

invitation & graphic design: Honor After Sunday Design, BeeJay Visitacion

and last but not least, thank you to Alex Barsuk of Door51 Photography, who I was honored to have 2nd shoot for me at this wedding.

WPJA winning image from Lisa and Keith's wedding

This contest was a little different, in that it was open to BW images only. My image won 6th place in the "Kids being Kids" category:

JUDGES COMMENTS: Fun lively photo that is really in the spirit of the category title "kids being kids"! A really photojournalistic image. Great moment captured within a perfect composition.

Link to winning image

Fish Out of Water: a film by Ky Dickens

Fish Out of Water is a documentary by Ky Dickens that looks at the impact of homosexuality and religion on America...exploring the seven most notorious Bible passages on the subject with the help of theologians from across the religious spectrum. Presented as a mix of insightful interviews, endearing animation, and witty illustrations, Fish out of Water takes the subject (but not itself) seriously.

Golden-Globe nominated Kaki King, whose music has been featured in films like Into the Wild and Twilight, created the original score for this genre-bending work.

This is a really important film and, while I was contacted months ago about contributing images to it, nothing prepared me for the excitement of actually seeing my pictures in the trailer--I think I scared the dogs yelling so loud when I played it. I think there are at least 2-3 of my gay wedding images in there, and possibly more in the full feature. It's premiering at Outfest in LA on July 18th, I wont be able to be there but if any of you live in LA you should go, you can buy tix on the website.

Here's the website with the trailer: www.fishoutofwaterfilm.com

And here is a fascinating Chicago Reader article about filmmaker Ky Dickens, why she made this film, and what she hopes to do with it, here.

Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the Marine's Memorial Club

Lisa and Keith
April 25 2009

Slideshow
Full set of proofs

While only my 3rd wedding of the year, Lisa and Keith represented a few different "firsts" for me. First of all, they were the first clients in 3 years to talk me into meeting with them at a location other than my studio. I normally don't meet with prospective clients anywhere else-- it's too difficult to control the ambience in a public place, where every little thing (from the crying baby in the corner to the cleanliness of the floors to the type of soap in the bathroom) has an unconscious impact on what the client thinks of me, regardless of whether I have anything to do with those things or not. I want them immersed in a comfortable, quiet environment that is all about my photography, and consistent with my image. A studio or dedicated meeting space lends a lot of credibility and value to a business. Plus, those sample albums are heavy!

Despite all this, Lisa and Keith managed to convince me to come to Redwood City to meet with them before they booked (I think the dessert they offered to buy me may have had something to do with it. ;) And obviously I'm happy I went!

Their E session turned out to be another first--it was my first time shooting in an aquarium, as well as my first time incorporating fish into the background composition of a shot:

I love the unique images we got and how easily the distraction of the exhibits helped Lisa and Keith loosen up, despite the bit of spectacle we made with the other people who where there.

Their wedding was my first time shooting at Sts. Peter and Paul, a beautiful ornate church in San Francisco with, like last week, really decent light (this time it was mostly from well placed spots rather than window light). And for their reception, I got to check out the Marine's Memorial Club, and this wedding was a great introduction to the space as Annie Siu went all out with her bright, luxurious candelabra floral arrangements on the tables. Mariell from the MMC was a doll to work with--she actually took the time to do a run through of the schedule with us when we arrived and we vendors got our own table, complete with name tags, full course dinner, and bread!

Here's some of my faves:

bride's bouquet


flower girl's headpiece


Lisa by a window in the MMC hotel


the ride to the ceremony in the cable car was a bit bumpy!


giving flowers to Mary during the ceremony. This is a new Rose tinted b/w I'm trying out,
I think it has kind of an old fashioned feel.


we took the cable car out after the ceremony for some bride and groom shots.
I gave this one a little texture to emphasize the grain in the wood.


I was trying to get this shot with just Lisa before the ceremony, but she had her ring on the opposite hand. I'm glad I waited though because the couple's kiss really makes this shot.


fabulous decor by Annie Siu and the MMC











this kid caught the garter. There was talk of a do-over but it never happened.


same kid, breakdancing.





Vendors:

Saints Peter and Paul Church

Marines' Memorial Club

Annie Siu Floral and Events

Peter Haley and the Spinheads (DJ)

Victoria Pastry Co. (cake)

Trudy's Brides (dress)

Diana Debiagio (makeup) and Cheri Farina (hair) for Indigo Salon

Lydia and Mike Featured on San Francisco Style Unveiled!

Style Unveiled's new San Francisco-specific resource site is a fresh, bright, and upscale alternative to other wedding planning sites. Their mission is to connect brides with the "hottest fashion, innovative ideas, and most elite vendors...to help you create a day as unique as you are". They contacted me in December to ask me if they could feature Lydia and Mike's wedding in their Real Weddings section, as one of only 8 photographers from around the state who would be featured.

Well, the feature just came out this week and Here it is. Good timing too, cuz the couple just picked up their finished Couture book wedding album.

The site interviewed Lydia and Mike about every aspect of their wedding. I love what they had to say about me:


Aww you guys...{blush}.