The Elliiot Smith Wall

For years I have been driving by this wall located on Sunset Blvd. here in Silverlake, never thinking much of it, other than why was there so much graffiti on it? Plus, it was located on a wall for a speaker repair service shop (not that that matters).

It wasn't until my sister Sarah finally told me what the significance of the wall was. It was a wall used on an album cover by an indie-rocker by the name of Elliot Smith, who sadly committed suicide at the young age of 34. Since then, his fans have used that wall as a memorial to his memory and music. On it, they have written notes of admiration and thanks, and have even placed candles and flowers in front of it in his memory.

For the longest time, my sister has wanted me to photograph her in front of this wall, and we finally had the opportunity to. So here's the Elliot Smith wall, with my sister Sarah in front it. This one's for you sis!

This last shot was done right next to the wall in front of some brush.
I just like it.

A Walk Down Eucalyptus Lane (for Naomi and Larry!)

Ah, springtime weddings, aren't they great? Our good friends Naomi and Larry got married this past weekend at Eucalyptus Lane in Ventura, Calif., a cool little spot complete with an awesome barn for receptions, beautifully manicured lawns and gardens for weddings, and an old, southern "feel" to it, like a lazy summer breeze. It was a small(ish) wedding, with about 100 or so guests, and I think that is what made it so memorable. It was supremely planned and coordinated by our friends at DNT event planning (website pending), and they put their magic on display with all the great little details all over the place, including table settings, a candy bar, etc. It was a sight to see!

As a guest at a wedding (which I was), I love being able to walk around and shoot without anyone really looking at me cause everyone, (and I do mean EVERYONE) had a camera, big and small! Here are a few of my favorites from the day:

The ceremony area


Naomi and Larry, exchanging vows. Note how happy she is :)


Naomi hugging her Dad. I love this moment.


I love this look on Naomi's face :)


Rock on Larry!!!


Our table "cards".
The jam in these jars were made with love by Naomi's sister (and father too!)
I totally opened these up and had them with some dinner rolls - SWEET!!!


Naomi and Larry's table setting by DNT event planning.


Finally, our new friend at Cheesyphotobooths, had his Cheesy Photo Booth there and it was a hit!
Heck, we went in more than 4 times to get some really silly photos; this was our first. I'll post more in the upcoming days, it was so much fun and hilarious!!!

Congrats on your wedding Naomi and Larry! What a great time!!!

A Few from Suzanne & Ty's Wedding

I know, it's been a few weeks since my last post, but needless to say, I've been doing a lot of shooting since then! I wanted to break the 3 week silence by posting up a few shots from Suzanne and Ty's wedding. It was such a gorgeous day, with a great venue (the Pelican Inn) and 26 of Ty & Suzanne's closest family and friends. I was definitely honored to be there to capture the entire occassion. I'll try and post more in the next few days, weeks, months, but until then, do enjoy these!

Suzanne and Ty a la "American Gothic"

The GQ boys - Ty, Derrick, Todd
(I really loved the row of mailboxes there!)


Suzanne's bouquet.

I'll have more to show you all soon. Until next time - have a great Thursday!

Saki & Taka's E-session

Here's the link to Saki and Taka's engagement session this past weekend! Can't wait for their big day :)

Enjoy!

Saki & Taka E-Session Slideshow

I'm off to San Francisco this weekend to shoot Suzanne and Ty's wedding in Mill Valley. Should be awesome!

I'll post photos next week. Till then, have a great weekend everyone!

So I got to shoot this little shindig last night...

After a busy weekend of shooting two fabulous couples, I was invited to shoot the annual East West Players dinner/fundraising gala last night at the Universal Studios Hilton. As always, it was a night of celebrating some of the Asian/Pacific-Islanders' best performers, humanitarians and volunteers among others. Here's a shot of me stepping outside of my photographic duties, along side two famous faces:

Russell Wong, ME, Carrie-Ann Inaba

Then there was this group of dancers that caused quite a ruckus both on and off the stage, along with some music producer on some singing show, who just happened to show up in front of my lens...

The Jabbawockeez and American Idol's Randy Jackson

Aside from the hubbub of all the celebrities and honorees, it was cool to see all my acting friends last night as well. Shout out to all the "homies" in attendance last night! (I'm trying to be "street" with that, cause that's how I roll!).

More to come! Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Hanging with the Pros!

I had the utmost privlege of shooting Saki and Taka's E-session today! The former pro-tour golfers were a joy to work with, and so very fun to shoot! I'll have more from this session in the upcoming days, but enjoy this "save the date" shot.

Thanks for a fun day guys!

My Two Favorite Triathletes!

One of the great things about living in southern California is the awesome weather we have almost year round, and today was definitely a "chamber of commerce" day! And what not a better way to spend this beautiful day then to shoot my good friends Suzanne and Ty's engagement photos.

The weather was perfect as we made our way around one of the many small parks located at our favorite training grounds - Griffith Park, home of the world famous Griffith Observatory and just a literal stone's throw away from the Hollywood sign.

Not only were we able to get some great shots at that little park area, these two active triatheletes took to their bikes and made some awesome action shots just up the roads on some steep hills! These guys are in great shape! (Then again, they need to be as their wedding is next weekend, plus, why not work out to get your stamina up for your big day?!)

Here's a preview of some of the shots we got today - enjoy!

I've got another E-session scheduled for tomorrow with another terrific and active couple, Saki and Taka, so be on the lookout for my post on them.

Have a great day everyone!