Thor Swift Photography -- Celebrating your joy with documentary wedding photojournalism

Thor Swift Photography is Ranked in the Top 5 percent Nation-wide by Wedding Wire

2012-01-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

I just received a note that we ranked in the top five percent of wedding photographers nation-wide by the Wedding Wire in their Bride's Choice awards. Of course we could not have done it without such great people to work with, thanks to all of the couples we have had the great honor to work with over the years, I feel very luck to have had the chance to work with and get to know so many great people.

2012-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas is officially over when the tree gets put out for the compost pick up.

In Memory of Gabriel Martinez Jr.

2012-01-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Gabriel Martienz Jr. was a five-year-old boy, most likely I never would have known who he was, probably never met his family, maybe passed the restaurant his family worked at, but not given it a second glance. The only reason I know his name is he was killed on December 30, the 110th homicide victim in an especially bloody year for Oakland. I was assigned to photograph the small memorial set up for Gabriel, and spent most of the day there, talking to neighbors, sharing their grief, sadness and mostly anger. I have some very schizophrenic days, one day I am photographing the happiest day of a family's life, the next some CEO who does not really enjoy being photographed and then I get an assignment with such a tragic topic.

A little toy truck at the memorial, of all the toys and candles at the memorial this one hit me the hardest.

A hole in the window of the restaurant where Gabriel's parents work, I can not say it is a bullet hole, but not sure what else would make such a hole.

Here is how the New York Times and Bay Citizen ran the story.

In a bit of sad irony, the New York Times Travel Section also ran a list of cities you should visit in 2012, number 5 on the list was Oakland The 45 Places to Go in 2012 I agree, Oakland is a wonderful place, full of wonderful people.

First Photos of 2012

2012-01-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

My daughter had the great idea to take a walk today up the little hill near our house. I think the official name for it is Grand View Park, the kids used to call it Our Favorite Hill, I have heard others call is Turtle Hill.

There were more people up on the hill then I had ever seen, must have been some tour group. It was a spectacular sunset (hence the name of our neighborhood)and it was fun to play around with the Lensebaby 3 I had on my camera.

I was showing the kids how to use the tilt and shift effect on the Lensbaby lens to make the streetlights appear distorted and really liked how the darkness of the tree branches contrasted with the warmth of the sunset and the city lights. They were not terribly interested in a photography lesson, but did think the photos looked cool, so I guess I was somewhat successful.

Looks like a good start to 2012 for us, so far, one good day, I say that is just about perfect.

My kids will not be happy I put this one on the post, but I could not resist. This was at the end of some fight they were having about kicking sand or something. I told them to act like they actually liked each other.

Gingerbread Houses for the Holidays

2011-12-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

Anastasia and the kids made ginger bread houses, one of my favorite holiday things to watch other people doing. I think the houses turned out really well, and enjoyed eating the leftover cookie and candy.

There is more to candy than just eating it...
Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!!

Happy Holidays (Forward from my son's soccer coach)

2011-12-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

My son has had many great soccer coaches throughout his days of playing. I am happy to say I was the first, and still am for my daughter, but he has progressed much further than I could possible teach.

I appreciate the dedication and time these coaches put into teaching the kids about soccer but more importantly life, they do get paid, but not nearly what the lessons they are providing are worth. I so happy to have been able to become friends with them. Joey, Toby, Alex, Benjamin, Danny, and anyone I forgot, you are so great to offer so much of yourselves to the kids. Also my fellow coaches for my daughter's team deserve a special note as they, like me, do it entirely for the girls. We are not the best team in the league, but the girls sure do have a great time. Thanks to Paul G and Paul O, Kathleen and Isaak.

One of my son's coaches sends periodic emails with his thoughts on life, soccer and whatever else is on his mind. With his permission I am forwarding this holiday note, it explains a lot, to me at least, about how he approaches soccer and teaching.

Thank you Coach Gianni

This year I would like to wish you Happy Holiday by telling a tale..........

Once upon a time, more than 90 years ago, there was a kid who was living in a very little town in the Southern part of Italy in a region called Basilicata.

Considering the hard life in that area and the fact that it was almost a century ago, his family was of very modest means. Christmas and Holidays in general, were just days like all the other ones. On those special days, his father didn’t go to work, he didn’t go to school and with his mother he went to church an extra time and....................... that was it !!!

So, thanks to the Holidays, the only different thing was having a little more free time. And what could a poor kid do with a little more free time? Of course, play more ....................... SOCCER/FOOTBALL !!!!!

And because the family couldn’t afford it, don’t even dream that he had a pair of soccer shoes. Also, because he just destroyed the last pair of shoes by playing on the dirt and was beaten by his father for that (!!!!) the only way to play soccer was to do that bare foot !!! In the winter................not a great idea !!!

He was playing many hours a day and, thanks to this fact and to his natural talent, with the passing of the years he got really good at that.

Also, the economical situation of the family was getting better so they moved to the closed city, Potenza. That city had a soccer/football club that in that era was in Serie A, the top level of ‘calcio’ in Italy.

He tried-out for the youth teams and.................. they accepted him !!! He grew up and in a few years he was playing professionally in Serie A !!!!!

What a dream for a kid who played bare foot !!!!

But, the dream soon become a nightmare. All of Europe went crazy and the madness spread fast to the point that he had to leave the soccer uniform and ware another uniform in order to do this...........

Fortunately he survived but he was wounded badly in a shoulder and, worse, in a leg. Go back to playing ’calcio’ ? No way !!!!

In the meantime, because during the war he also studied mechanics and become a skillful designer engineer he had the chance to leave that poor area and moved north to a great metropolis. He went to Milan !!!!

And the first thing he did, after having found a good job as a designer engineer was to get engaged to a beautiful Milanese girl !!!

But soccer wasn’t completely forgotten. “I can’t play ? Then I will................COACH !!!”

Here are the first teams that he coached. At the bottom of the picture we can read the names of the players and, the second to the right (bottom) is Gervasoni, who had an important professional carrier.

In a while he married his fiancé and someone else came into this world, with the same passion for ’calcio’...........

When he was just 6, his father began to train him at a very high level, often with the adult team. The kid was complaining, of course, but thanks to that tough training he was able to win the National Title at 16 years old and was asked to enter the youth teams of........................ A.C.Milan !!!!

Not too bad !!!

Life was continuing very well and the coach became a scholar of the game and began to codify strategies in order to publish a book with his ideas.

Thanks to his drawing ability and his advanced mentality, he came out with ideas very futuristic for that defensive strategy era. Please consider that this deadly counter attack was envisioned in 1953 ( 58 years ago ) !!!!!

In 4 passes (indicated ======) and proper movements, the team arrives to shoot in a few seconds !!!!

But, the most unbelievable is this one from 1951 !!!

To permit you to understand the revolution of his proposal it surely will help to know that in that era, the numbers on the back of the jerseys were fix according to the role a player had on the field, so: keeper #1, defenders-backs #2-3-4-5, right wing #7, mid fields #8-6-10, center forward #9 and left wing #11.

He came out with this 3-4-3 formation in which all the players keep the shape by often exchanging positions and moving all together back and fourth. He called this strategy: Triangular System with the Wings Back. Please check the drawing below to better understand.......

As you can see, in a very fluid constant motion, the 2 mid fielders #8 and #10 can move up as forwards and the 2 wings #7 and #11 sprint to the middle covering the positions left open by the midfielders and keeping the correct shape. Also, one of the four defenders-backs (#4) comes up wide on the right wing and the mid fielder (#6) goes wide at the left wing. By doing this, even if they constantly move, they always cover the whole field and the distance between the players being very short, this fact permits them to play possession because every player always has many solutions until the final pass (assist) that will lead to score.

It doesn’t takes a soccer/football genius to understand that this is exactly what Barcelona does today (!!!!) in it’s endless possession and keeping the shape. The incredible thing is that this scheme is from 1951, 60 years ago when I was 3 years old.

Why did I write all of this instead of whishing you Happy Holidays, as I wrote in the subject ?

Because this top soccer/football player, this top futuristic coach and top artist, is my father and he passed away last month.

As you noticed, I wrote ‘is my father’ not ‘was’ because, besides living forever in hundreds of paintings (dozens of which I distributed among his friends in Italy), he is in every instruction that I give to my soccer students and so, as long as they apply my instructions, my father will always be there on the fields with them and I hope that a few of them, one day, will become coaches and continue to transfer forward his legacy.

Happy Holidays to all of you and your Families.

gianni

Incredible Monterey Beach Wedding -- Jonalyn and Joseph

2011-12-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

I really do not control the weather, but like to think I do. It had been a wonderful sunny day for Jonalyn and Joseph's wedding on the beach in Monterey. During the reception at a nearby resort/spa, clouds came in and the sunset photos we had wanted to take did not seem to be a possibility. I checked a few times and no sunset. As it got closer to dusk I decided to give it one more look and there is was, an opening in the clouds, I rushed back inside, got Anastasia and Jonalyn and Joseph, and we had our sunset photo, this was such great fun.

The ceremony was on the beach, it was beautiful, I love the clouds. In the other direction the clouds which later came in over the area were making their way toward us, but not at the ceremony.

I have to say the officiant was really into the wedding, he was very colorful, I have never seen someone perform a wedding in a Hawaii shirt, but Jonaly and Joseph love all things Hawaii (almost got married there) so it makes perfect sense.

I knew as we were setting up a photo of the whole bridal party they wanted to jump, who am I to say no?

I never really understood the phrase "the smell of money" until I got closer to them after the money dance. They really had money all over them. It was a lot, and I really appreciate the effort their family put into the folding and placement.

The kids were great dancers, and they wanted to make sure I saw them to get their photo.

Congratulations!!! to Jonalyn and Joseph!!!

Farm Wedding in Healdsburg, CA from Thor Swift Photography

2011-12-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Farm Wedding in Healdsburg, CA from Thor Swift Photography Very cool posting of Amy and Scott's wedding on the blog The Modern Jewish Wedding!!

Amy and Scott's Amazing Wedding Featured on BeeBeeBisous Site

2011-11-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

I am still amazed at how much fun Amy and Scott's wedding in Healdsburg was. The photos tell the story better than I can write, so here is another chance to take a look...
BeeBeeBisous

Laura and Luke, St. Dominic's Church, San Francisco

2011-11-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

Laura and Luke were another wedding where we knew many of the family. A few years ago we photographed Luke's brother's wedding, so once again it was kind of like a reunion, many people we had not seen in a few years. It was so great to see everyone again, I really enjoy having the chance to catch up with people (like parents or other relatives) that I do not really see much before or after the wedding. I get to know the couples quite well, lots of consultation before the wedding with planning and after the wedding with albums and reprints, but the rest of the family I often do not get to see. It was really great to see how Luke and his wife (also named Laura, also the second time this year a sister-in-law and new bride have the same name after the marriage.)

I love the detail on this ring and how it looks against Laura's dress.

St. Dominic's is a wonderful church to photograph, really great details. It is not too big so the an average wedding party (100-150 people) does not seem tiny in the space, but still large enough to make you feel the grandure of the day.

Congratulations!! Laura and Luke, looking forward to putting your album together.

Nahal and Stephen's Elegant City Hall Wedding

2011-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Nahal and Stephen had two ceremonies, one at San Francisco City Hall and a Persian ceremony at the War Memorial Green Room, it was a wonderfully elegant celebration.

City Hall is such a great place to make photos, especially the grand staircase. It is even better when you have such great people to work with. I have done weddings for some of Nahal and Stephen's family and friends in the past, so this wedding was even more special, Anastasia and I knew so many people there, we were more like guests (well working guests). This is one of several weddings this year from family member or close friend referrals, I really enjoy seeing people who's wedding we have photographed, it is like a fun reunion.

The Persian ceremony was on a balcony at the Green Room, the space was tight, but that just made things feel more intimate and made for wonderful photos.

The main part of the reception was in the Green Room, another fantastic space. The belly dancer was a big hit, she was amazing.

At night City Hall is lit by flood lights, and makes for another great background. Like I said earlier, there were so many great things about Nahal and Stephen's wedding, but one thing I wanted to mention was how great it was to see Maral and Sam, Jenny and Jesus, Miriana and Sean and so many members of Nahal and Maral's family. I hope to see everyone again sometime soon!

Financial Times Magazine special section cover photo

2011-10-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

I had three photos in the Financial Times Weekend Magazine special section on young Silicon Valley CEOs. I can not find the cover online, but here is a link to the story.

FT Magazine

Above is a photo of Aaron Levie of Box. The company is located in a building which used to house a video game company so they had this cool Mario Bros. wall background. Another photo of Aaron ran on the printed cover, he is in front of a blue wall with clouds, which they ran some type over. It looked pretty cool, will look for a link.

I photographed Alexa Andrzejewski from Foodspotting at a cafe near her office. Her husband was very helpful and held a reflector for the photo, so he gets assisting credit on this one. I like the name of the company, an homage to Trainspotting.

David Moran of Path was great, he had the idea to go up on the roof and get this wonderful view.

All three of them were so great to photograph, they were excited about being in the Financial Times and were very open to photo ideas.

George Washington Bow Tie

2011-10-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

At many weddings there is some sort of money dance, sometimes a bridesmaid will hold a bag to collect money gifts, or some other variation on the tradition. From time to time people will pin the money onto the bride and groom which is fun for the bride and groom (and makes them smell like money) and makes for some pretty cool looking photos of a couple literally covered in money.

Often the guests pinning the money will get creative, making crowns and other folded decorations with the money. At a recent wedding I saw that one of the wedding guests had created a braid of George Washington bow ties and pinned them to the groom, a very cleaver way to decorate the groom.

SF Chronicle Features My Photo of David Kensington

2011-09-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

A photo I took of David Kensington, an interior designer, at his ranch in Healdsburg, ran in the Sunday SFis Style section of the SF Chronicle, I really like how it turned out. The photo ran uncredited because I did it for David's company directly, but we know who did it. His dog Buck was awesome!

Link to the story

Now For Something Completly Different

2011-09-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

That is me and Anastasia, a long time ago, in a country far, far away (Czech Republic -- at the time it was still Czechoslovakia), yes I had a camera at my wedding, none of my photos really turned out well.

The photo is part of a project I have been asked to participate in for Shutterfly, you can look at the first bit here ..

Shutterfly

I will be sharing photo techniques, wedding photo ideas and other useful things photo-related. Take a look, there are some other photographers with really cool ideas sharing photos there too.

I think my posts will begin running at the end of October, will, of course, post updates as I get them.

Amy and Scott, Healdsburg California

2011-09-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

We have had a string of really unique and fun weddings this year, and Amy and Scott sure had a wedding to remember. It was all very informal but very personal and emotional. The location was a farm a friend of theirs owns in Healdsburg on the Russian River, what a beautiful location for a wedding.

Lots of great hats at the wedding, they are helpful at keeping the sun out of your eyes, but also just look cool.

Perasols are also great for keeping the sun out of your eyes and make great photo props.

A large part of the wedding celebration was the combined talents of Amy and Scott's friends and family. A lot of impromptu music and dancing. Amy said she did not expect to dance at the wedding, but it just happened naturally, people circled around them, music was playing, time to dance.

The reception was something like a talent show, but that phrase does not do it justice. Nearly all the guests got up and performed, music, dramatic readings, or just emoted how they felt about Amy and Scott. Scott got up and performed for Amy, I can not remember the song, but it was really touching.

It was Amy's turn to sing, now I remember them telling me when we met that she had performed a bit, but I did not know she had recorded an album and so much more. The song was incredible and in such a lovely setting it was magic. If you want, you can hear her music at this link...

Amy's Music Website

As she was getting to the end of the song, the most dramatic part, Amy was on her knees singing to her new husband when this little girl walked between them and must have wondered what all was going on. It was such a warm and funny moment, broke the tension of the song for a moment, but Amy being a performer just picked right back up with the song after everyone was done laughing at the little girl's reaction.

If you are getting married along a river on a hot day, there can not be any better way to cool down then to take a dip. Yes Amy is wearing her wedding dress, she said afterward it was really fun and the dress was dirty anyway so why not enjoy the moment. The best photos are made when people truly are able to be themselves, Amy and Scott sure did just that.

Julie and Brian, Creekside Terrace, Los Gatos

2011-09-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Julie and Brian were married a few weeks back at Creekside Terrace in Los Gatos, it is a really lovely and private location in the hills of Los Gatos. You would not be able to find it without specific instructions, but is worth the effort.

My daughter was looking over my shoulder as I was editing the photos and saw this one of the little girl looking at Julie as she gets ready and said she really liked it because it looked to her like the little girl was imagining her future wedding. I imagine my kids' possible weddings at every one, and wonder what it might be like, fortunately it will be a while still.

I really like the bow on the back of the girl's dress.

One of the reasons Julie and Brian selected Creekside Terrace is they allowed dogs, they had their two dogs attend the wedding and I must say the dogs added a really fun element to the wedding. The dog sitting at attention as he watches his people get married is just wonderful.

I grew up not too far from Los Gatos and remember going to the hills in this area many times with my father, he really loved the Santa Cruz Mountains. He would bike ride and climb the rocks at Castle Rock Park. Every time we do a wedding in this area it is just that much more special because I get to remember him and at the same time document two wonderful people as they embark on their new lives together.

Brian is quite a good pool player. I am very happy whenever I find a pool table to use as a prop at a wedding, there is something really playful about them.

The End of the Evening

2011-08-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of Julie and Brian's wedding reception (more photos to come later) I noticed their dog was rather tired. Most places will not allow dogs, but having them there was important to Julie and Brian and sure made for some fun photos.

A Very Expressive Wedding - Katie and David

2011-08-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

Katie and David were married a few weeks ago in Healdsburg, we had photographed Katie's brother's wedding a few years ago when he married another Katie. It was a little confusing for me, two Katies with the same last name, but the first Katie had a baby a few days before the wedding (CONGRATULATIONS KEVIN AND KATIE!!!) so she was not able to attend.

I have to say their family is one of the more expressive families I have seen, it is really nice to see such over-the-top joy. The photo above is when Katie's father saw her in her wedding gown. I often try to imagine what I will be like when my kids are in a similar situation. I hope to be as supportive and loving as their family is.

Ok, they were kind of mugging for the camera, but still so much fun.

During that old standby song "shout" the dance floor turned into a sort of religious revival. There was such great energy.

Our happy couple just after the priest officially pronounces them as married.

A bit of an update on the groomsmen posed photos. I just asked them to act naturally.

So much fun. I hope to see Katie's sister (aka the other Katie) and baby. It really makes me happy to be able to photograph the same family's celebrations more than once. This Saturday we are photographing the wedding of another repeat family, will be fantastic, can't wait to share with everyone.

Playing Around With Cameras

2011-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

This photo of the band from the wedding we did last weekend reminded me of my first zoom lens, a Vivitar 70-200 2.8 (I think that was what it was, I know it was a Vivitar made to fit a Nikon body).

It would slide up and down on the zoom, the focus was way off, in general it was a piece of garbage as far as quality goes, but was great to explore what can be done with photography. I used that lens to take photographs of bands we went to see in Southern California, rarely would any be in focus or even close to being technically "correct", and that was the point. I had the opportunity to try new things, fail and sometimes succeed, but each attempt at something new helped me grow as a photographer (and a person?)

Playing around and discovering new ways of seeing the world is a very important part of my photography approach. And I am very thankful to the teachers and others who gave me the opportunity to try these things out, see what works and over time figure out why these things work. So now they are second nature, I do not have to think to make a photograph look a certain way, I just do it.

Mariana and Sean, June 4, 2011

2011-08-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

Mariana and Sean were married on June 4 at Sean's family ranch in Gilroy, California. What a wonderful location for a wedding!

If you notice in the photo above it is sunny, which is not what the weather report was predicting. All that week it had been raining off and on, and for that Saturday a big storm was forecast. Mariana and Sean rented a large tent to cover most of the outdoor reception area, but they were still worried about the rain. On our drive down from San Francisco the weather turned from light drizzle, to a torrential downpour. As we went though San Jose the rain lightened a bit, once in Morgan Hill the clouds were lighter but still raining. We got to Gilroy, now it was just drizzle. Still cloudy, but drizzle is not too bad. At the location the rain stopped completely and when the ceremony started the clouds parted and it was a beautiful sunny day.

I am not one to read too much into natural events, but this was pretty amazing. I was so happy for them, what a beautiful wedding!

As a general rule I do not see many guns at weddings, well this was the first, but there was a very good reason for Sean to be holding this gun (it was a gift to him from Mariana).

Mariana asked me to bring the apple she was holding in this photo to where Sean was getting ready, it was part of a Serbian tradition she told me.

As best I remember what she told me, the bride presents the groom with the apple and he has to shoot it. Very cool, and I can honestly say he hit it on the first try, and it was not as loud as the groomsmen (and me) thought it would be.

The apple, shot clean through.

Towards the end of the reception Mariana changed from here wedding gown to an altered wedding gown worn by her mother at her marriage.

The Details from Mariana and Sean's wedding

2011-08-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Normally I would write up a little post about the couple and include one or two photos of the details from their wedding, but for Mariana and Sean's wedding I thought I would write a bit about the details from the wedding, later I will have more photos from the wedding.

I really liked their flowers so wanted to make a note on the florist:
Lila B. Desings
It is the second wedding we have done with them and I hope not the last. They really make some great arrangements.

I was quite impressed by the integration of the old ribbon with the flowers and the design of the invitation, especially how nicely all three elements coordinate in this photo.

My favorite flower for weddings.

Sean told me he made the rack which holds these menu cards (he is a carpenter by trade, he said it was really easy, I doubt that). The cow and carrot symbols meaning was pretty obvious, but looked nice on the board.

The catering was done by
Il Fornaio
out of San Jose and I must say the food was excellent.

Mariana's flowers surrounded by the bridesmaid's flowers, so lovely.

The cake was made by one of the couple's relatives, quite a nice looking cake I must say. The flowers just make it all the more wonderful.

Nahal and Steven's Engagement Photographs

2011-07-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

Nahal and Steven are getting married in August and for their engagement photos they wanted to try something a little different. They wanted to commemorate a trip to Italy they took together by doing their engagement photos at Castello Di Amorosa an authentic recreation of a 13th Century 107-room Tuscan-style castle in Napa Valley. I had never seen it before, I had heard about it, but was quite impressed by the level of authenticity put into the castle.

Just outside the castle were these wonderful olive trees, so with the warm sunset and our beautiful couple the photos turned out just stunning. Several people asked me is they were models and if the photos were for the winery, I said they were not models but sure could be.

They did have to make an appointment to do the photos, I do not think it would be a good idea to just show up and start taking photos, there were tours coming and going, so we did have to stop from time to time or move or wait, but the staff were all really great to work with. Everyone wanted to help us get great photos.

The castle holds a Latin Mass at St. Cahterine of Siena Chapel, where we did the above photo, every Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. I imaging in this setting it would be quite beautiful.

Drawbridges and guard towers, it is really different then anything I have seen in Napa, or most of California for that matter. The history is pretty interesting, you can read more here History of Castello di Amorosa

We had a wonderful afternoon making photos and wandering around the castle. I really want to thank Nahal and Steven for having the great idea to do the photos here, it was worth the extra effort. Really looking forward to their wedding at another historic building, San Francisco City Hall.

The Hills behind My Mother's House

2011-07-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I never really thought much about the plants on the hills behind my Mother's house in Southern California, they were just there, no big deal. I was visiting the other week and as I walked around the hills with my kids and their cousins, I took some time to look at all the strange and beautiful plants which grow on the hills, especially this year since it has rained so much.

Look a desert Christmas Tree.

The plant above is my favorite, I like how it stands out from the other plants on the hill. It looks so vibrant and full of life, while the rest of the plants on the hill look dead and tired.

Actual Road Sign on 19th Ave.

2011-07-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

As I was driving Northbound on 19th Ave. (also knows as Hwy. 1) toward the Golden Gate Bridge I saw signs alerting drivers to the coming closure of 19th Ave. to the bridge over the next few nights.

Then just before Geary Street I saw this sign. I was stuck in heavy traffic so had time to get out my camera, I did not see any zombies.

Another great blog posting on the Alex and Gary Fisher wedding

2011-07-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

We had another great write up on Alex and Gary Fisher's wonderful bike-themed wedding at
Lilly Spruce Blog, Bicycle Thursday

I really like the idea of Bike Thursday, just got back from a short ride myself taking my son to soccer camp, and hey, it's Thursday.

Also check out her web site, some great planning ideas and if you are looking for a wedding planner with focus on sustainable wedding planning, and of course, BIKES!

Lilly Sprice Sustainable Event Planning

And while I am at it here are a few other places the photos from Alex and Gary's wedding photos were used...

Golden Gate Pedicab
They were the company which provided the bike pedicabs, like the on Alex and Gary rode in. I must give a special shout out to Paulo who had the uneasy task of carting me about. He was amazing, at one point I was standing in the pedicab photographing backwards to get a higher view, he was able to keep the bike going an an even pace so I did not fall out. My Hero!

Mechawear Blog

Bikesource

I am not sure, but I think it is the Chinese version of Golden Gate Pedicab's facebook page

Lauren and Matt's photos get great notice on One Stylish Bride

2011-06-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Matt were married in October last year at the wonderful University Club. Their photos and a short story have been published on One Stylish Bride, which you can look at here...

Lauren and Matt's wedding photos

Hanging Out With Rob Lowe

2011-06-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well that might have been an overstatement, I was however photographing an assignment for the

New York Times
on the set of the movie Knife Fight. Rob Lowe is in the movie, above photo he is talking with director Bill Guttentag. It was not the first time I had been on a movie set, but it is not something I do that often so there was still a sense of novelty to it.

The filming above was in Cafe Roma in North Beach, the owner Tony was really great fun to be around and the entire cast and crew of the film were great to hang out with also. Perhaps it was because I was shooting for the New York Times, it does open a lot of doors I would otherwise never get through.

The writer Christopher Lehane and director Bill Guttentag talk on the set during an exterior shoot. I think I saw them film a minute of actual footage for the film, most of the time everyone is sitting around as the camera and lighting people get things set up properly.

The movie will come out in October 2012, and judging by the minute of it I actually saw it looks good.

Laura and Luke's Engagement Photos, San Francisco

2011-06-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

A week ago Sunday I had the great fun of taking some engagement photos for Laura and Luke in Golden Gate Park, The Palace of Fine Arts and Baker Beach. After weeks of unusually rainy and cold weather it was sunny and warm (for San Francisco), perfect day to make some photos.

In this batch of photos we are on the little island which is surrounded by Stowe Lake in Golden Gate Park. It is very near where we live and I used to bring the kids here a lot, nice to have an excuse to go back. I sometimes forget how nice it is.

I like how the rocks look like dry cracked mud in the desert with the background looking like I would imagine some waterfall in Hawaii. Of course it helps to have an attractive couple in love in the foreground. Laura and Luke will be getting married in September in San Francisco, should be an amazing wedding. We photographed Luke's brother's wedding a few years back, nice to get the chance to see his family again, and meet Laura's family and friends.

It was pretty windy once we got to the Palace of Fine Arts so had to have Luke hold Laura's hair in some photos, in others we just let it flow. I like the energy of hair blowing in the wind, with the strong back light of the sun and the nice yellow of the large dome.

We ended the photo shoot at Baker Beach, only ran into five other couples having their photos taken along the way. I guess it was a popular day to get photographed, sure worked out well for us.

Elizabeth and Kevin's Wine Country Wedding featured on Lucy Dylan Weddings

2011-06-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and Kevin's wedding last year in St. Helena was featured in Lucy Dylan Weddings
a great web site for wedding details and real wedding stories. Very happy to have them featured on such a great site.

Elizabeth and Kevin were also kind enough to host a get together of all the vendors who worked with them on their wedding the other week. I rarely get a chance to spend much, if any, time with the other people involved in the wedding planning. I spend a lot of time with the couple (obviously) and may talk briefly to the florist or caterer and a bit more to the wedding planner or site manager, but many of the vendors I never meet. This was the first time I talked with the person who designed the invitations for example Carrot and Stick Press they did an amazing job on the invitations and other printed materials. It is nice to be able to meet the people who made the wonderful decorations and other details that I am able to photograph and make the wedding that much more wonderful.

Here is a complete list of the vendors for their wedding, really great bunch I must say.

Photography: Thor Swift Photography

Florist: Lila B. Design

Bridal Gown: Atelier des Modistes

Catering: Outstanding in the Field

Stationary: Carrot & Stick Press

Calligraphy: Papineau Calligraphy

Band: Pop Fiction Band

Cake: Patisserie Angelica

San Francisco Chronicle Magazine features Erin and Walter's wedding at Campovida

2011-06-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Erin and Walter's wedding last year at Campovida was the main story featured in the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine's wedding issue on Wine Country Weddings. Not all of the photos on the web site slide show are ours, but the first few are.

Alex and Gary Fisher's wedding published in the new SF Chronicle Style section!

2011-06-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Alex and Gary Fisher's wedding photos are now posted online at the SF Gate site...

Alex and Gary Fisher's wedding story

Futsal 415

2011-06-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

My son's Futsal club team Futsal 415 had a friendly match against a team from Australia yesterday, was a really fun game to watch. The above photo is from warm up, which is why Leif's team mate (in orange) is shooting on him. Leif plays the keeper for the futsal team.

What is Futsal

The Australian team was made up of players who had won contests to select the best soccer players to come to the U.S. and play various tournaments and teams. Most of them are a year older then Leif and his team, but the boys held out pretty well against them. I do not remember the final score, but it was either tied or one side was just ahead of the other.

In July the Futsal 415 team will be traveling to Southern California for the Futsal National Championships, should be pretty amazing to watch.

Important Things to Know

2011-05-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Another TED talk with wisdom beyond the subject matter, how to tie your shoes. Now when I first saw the title I thought "I know how to tie my shoes, this must be a joke." But, it is not a joke, and I did not know how to tie my shoes. They were always coming undone, at weddings, playing soccer, walking around, it seems I could never keep them tied. I will try his method and see how it works, but in my quick tests seems to make a huge difference.

A Very San Francisco Wedding, Alex Zaphiris and Gary Fisher

2011-05-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

What an amazing wedding Alex Zaphiris and Gary Fisher had May 22, it was by far the most "San Francisco" of any wedding I have been to. A wonderful mix of bicycling culture and Greek Orthodox tradition, great friends and family and you have a perfect day.

Yes he is the Gary Fisher of the mountain bike fame. He met Alex at a Bike to Work Day after-party.

The reception was at the Cliff House on perhaps the most windy day I have ever experienced when there was no storm coming in. As I was taking this photo I nearly was knocked over by a particularly strong gust.

The Cliff House

The entire wedding party rode on bikes from the church on Valencia Street to the Cliff House, here they are going through Golden Gate Park. The road is closed on Sundays for bikes, so they get to take the entire lane. I was being carted about by Paulo who runs Golden Gate Pedicab they also were getting some of the guests to the reception site, as well as our lovely couple.

For out of town guests rental bikes were provided by Bike and Roll

Gary getting ready in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel.

Alex and Gary in their pedicab.

Some bike related details, Gary got the cufflinks about 30 years ago when he was racing. The wedding favor was a bike cuff with the couple's names and wedding date. The flowers for the wedding were provided by Sue Barton Fantasy Florals, she was a family friend of the Fishers and really did a fantastic job getting the right look for the wedding.

Gary is on his way to the ceremony on a Trek electric assist bike.

The ceremony was held at the Annunciation Cathedral on Valencia Street.

This is one of my favorite places in Golden Gate Park, I do not know the name of the area, it is kind of near the Conservatory of Flowers. When my kids were little they said it looked like Jurassic Park, so that is what I call it, the Jurassic Park area. Beautiful light streaming through the trees and ferns, you would have no idea you are in the middle of a city if you could not hear the traffic.

I feel very lucky to have been able to document this wonderful wedding. The San Francisco Chronicle will be featuring the wedding in their new style section SFis Style next Sunday. I will post a new link when it is active.

Most amazing eggs

2011-05-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

This was a photo from an unusual assignment for the New York Times business section. I was photographing Marc Cohodes, who had predicted some of the market downturns and made quite a bit of money on his predictions. Now he spends most of his time caring for his disabled son and raising chickens.

So for the Times photo they asked me to get photos of him with his chickens, Marc was really great to photograph, the chickens were mostly cooperative and his wife was also very helpful in art directing the chickens. They were also traded me a few photos for some of their eggs I must say they are amazing eggs. Marc sells them under the brand name Adler Farms at Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco. He said he delivers about 60 dozen a week and they sell out immediately and often there is a line to get them. Now I know why, I have never had such great eggs.

If you are in San Francisco stopping by Bi-Right is worth a trip. You must stop in at their ice creme store just down the block from the market. Do not be afraid of the often long line, it is worth the wait.

Bi-Rite Market Site

Carol and David, The Mountain Winery, Los Gatos

2011-05-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Carol and David were married at the Mountain Winery in Los Gatos, congratulations to them on their a little-more-then-one-month-anniversary!

I really like how the guys look in this room, a great place for our anxious groom to sit and read the sports pages (that is what they were doing before I showed up) with his friends.

They got ready for the wedding at the Cyprus Hotel in Cupertino. It is located across the street from where I lived from age 5 until 12, of course that area is a lot different now. When I lived there the hotel location was an empty field we used to cut across to get to the library. My mother took us to the library a lot in the summer because it had air conditioning and our house did not. None of this occurred to me until I was looking at the photos the next day. I had much more interesting things to concentrate on, like the wonderful friends and family of Carol and Dave and their beautiful wedding.

The Mountain Winery has a long history and that great door and all the wine barrels make for nice backgrounds for photos.

The above two photos need some context, Carol and Dave wanted to lighten up various aspects of their wedding so they put on the clown noses for the wedding party entrance to the reception. I was wearing one for a bit, it is really hard to breath with one of these on your nose. The photo of Carol fixing her hair with the clown nose and the smiley face flower is just wonderful.

School Band Concert

2011-05-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first concert for my kids' band class. They both play the French Horn (not sure why the picked that instrument but they seem to enjoy it). They sounded great, I am impressed how much progress the kids have made because most of them, like my kids, had never played an instrument before the start of the school year.

The kids marched in with their instruments. They all dressed nicely, if you know my kids this is not how they normally dress. Nice change from the soccer jerseys and hood sweaters.

If I was photographing this for some assignment I would not hesitate to move closer to get the photos I need, but that would not be appropriate for this. I was in a seat in the auditorium and did not move much to get a better view as that would block others.

It is kind of strange to be photographing something that is similar what I would be doing for a job, but it is not. The act of photographing something is much different to me than watching it. I am paying close attention in both instances but my experience is different. When photographing I feel more like a participant as opposed to an observer, but that does not capture it exactly.

People see cameras and want to look at them, society has trained this reaction. It actually takes a bit of effort (and in my opinion I am quite good at it) to get people to act naturally when a camera is pointed at them. In the photo above I was one of many parents at the front of the stage making photos of their kids, I just had the biggest camera, so more kids look at me than the other parents. I quickly put my camera down so the kids will look at their parents and not me.

Of course it is hard not to embarrass your pre-teens when pointing a 300 mm lens at them, so I try to do so as little as possible, but sometimes I can not resist.

My daughter dislikes being photographed even more than I do, here she is hiding behind her music binder.

My son and some of his friends after the show. They look so mature, please remember I have known these three in the photo for seven years (my son even longer), in my mind they are still really little kids.

They keep growing up, makes me feel old, but really proud.

Carol and David's wedding details

2011-05-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Carol and David were married in April at the Mountain Winery in Los Gatos. The winery had undergone a major renovation since the last time we had been there in 2008 (I think). It has greatly expanded the size of weddings they can have, but still has the intimate feel of a much smaller location.

They had some cool details at their wedding I wanted to share. I will be posting some more photos from their wedding later this week after they receive their proof magazines, only fair they get the first look at them after me. I know it will be worth the wait. The above photo is of their rings photographed on the printed vows Carol and David read to each other during the ceremony.

Carol and David are huge movie fans, and movies played a large roll in how they met and fell in love, so was only natural to incorporate movie themes into their wedding. The invitations were made to look like movie posters and movie premier movie tickets. Everyone at the wedding was raving about the invitations. The details on the poster are hard to read on the small size photo posted here, but the supporting cast were the bridesmaids and groomsmen. The producers were their parents, obviously Carol and David were the stars.

The theme carried over into the large signs posted at various locations at their wedding site, the Mountain Winery in Los Gatos. More signs to make the event look like a movie premier.

One of their wedding favors was a box of caramel popcorn from their favorite sweet shop in Boston (where they live). Again the movie ticket stub is integrated into the gift.

Table place cards designed to look like movie clappers. I also like how they were displayed on the ribbons and held in place with the little clothes pins. I need to get me some of these clothes pins, they look very useful, I am always looking for something to hold things together, and never can seem to keep a supply of paper clips or rubber bands around. I have lots of gaffers tape, however.

These flowers hanging at the ceremony alter were not really movie themed, but very dramatic nonetheless, so fits right in. These flowers made a really cool background for Carol and David during the ceremony.

The centerpieces on the tables at the reception included various photo of Carol, Dave and friends and family at various times in their lives. I tried to make it look more cinematic by using a really shallow depth of field (how much of the depth of the image is focused) which results in the lights in the background being way out of focus and creating the photography effect with my favorite name "Circles of Confusion" (which would be a great name for a band if it is not already taken.)

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me yesterday if I would want to be the photographer at the royal wedding. Probably not worth all the ego, rules etc.

I photographed Prince Charles a few years ago at an evnent for the SF British consulate, it was strange being in a room with 20 or so people all focused on this one person. We were instructed not to talk to him, but to make the photos I needed to tell him what to do.

It was kind of fun bossing around British royalty, if only for a few minutes. Both the Prince and Camilla were nice, asked how I was doing and how they could help make the photos work better, it was their protocol managers who were hard to deal with. They did not like me giving the Prince instructions, but in the end got the photos I needed and everyone was happy.

Watched some of the wedding out of curiosity (my wife actually needed to watch it for her job). It would be a hard wedding to photograph with all the restrictions they must have had in place. I will stick to weddings with no protocol managers, perhaps a personal assistant or two, a few wedding planners, but not an army of people making sure no one steps out of line and there are no surprises. It is the surprises in life which make it most interesting.

Best Wedding Related Prank I have Seen

2011-04-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

People often ask me if I have ever seen things go horribly wrong at a wedding, or if there were some really terrible relatives or some awful Bridezillas. I have to say not really, sure some people are better behaved then others, but honestly I have never seen anything worth mentioning.

However, this question gives me the opportunity to tell my favorite wedding prank story….

Jennifer and Srinivas were planning a wonderful two-day ceremony. The first day was an Indian ceremony at a Hindu temple; the second was at the Palm Event Center in Livermore. A month or so before the wedding I got a phone call from Srinivas’ brother, Murali, he wanted to give them a wedding album as a gift (a great gift idea, by the way). We figured a good size for the gift; I made a card for him to give them on their wedding day with instructions on how to select photos for the album and information on its size and other specifics.

After the wedding I gave Jennifer and Srinivas the instructions on how to select photos for the album they were getting as the gift. They went through and selected the photos and I started the normal process. This was all done via email because they do not live in the Bay Area.

In the meantime Murali came up with a wonderful prank on his brother and sister-in-law. In addition to the actual album we began working on a fake album to send them prior to the actual album’s arrival. For the fake album I selected only photos showing Murali, I cropped other people out of the photos, and did not include any photos of Srinivas. The only photo of Jennifer was of her with Murali.

One of the real album page layouts.

One of the "fake" album layouts. The upside down face is me checking the camera, normally I would delete these images right away, but kept them for this album.

I told Murali to tell his brother and sister-in-law that the album was completed and I would be sending it to them shortly. Normally I would be sending them the layout of the album for approval, but to make the prank work I did not tell them I was doing this, so they were expecting to receive a completed album any day.

The fake album was a printed book, much smaller then the actual album, after discussing the process with Murali; I sent the fake album to the couple with no letter or any other information. I told Murali to call them and let them know the album was coming (a few days later I would be sending the actual album layouts to them for their approval, but they did not know this).

Murali told me what happened next. The fake album arrived, Jennifer took a quick look at it, did not think much about it and put it on a shelf.

The next day or so Srinivas was able to take a closer look at it with Jennifer. They were very confused by what they saw. Luckily they called Murali and not me (I was not sure what I would have said if they had.) They told Murali that I must have made a massive mistake, that I could not tell the difference between the brothers or something.

Layout from "fake" album with Srinivas cropped out of every photo.

Murali was doing his best to play it straight. He said I must have been confused; the groom was standing in the wrong place, not sitting next to the bride etc. He had them on the phone for about five minutes before he told them what really happened, that the real album was on its way and this was just a fake. They laughed for quite some time.

They were relived to say the least and called me later that day. I told them the actual album layouts were going to get to them the next day and eventually they got the actual album, with the right photos, and it looked wonderful.

I really was touched by the joy Murali had in making this joke on his brother and sister-in-law, and how much fun everyone had with it. They said the fake album is as special to them as the actual album, but they like the photos in the actual album a lot more. I was just glad to play my small part in this wonderful family memory.

Now I wonder how will Srinivas get back at his brother.

End page from the real album.

The University Club and the Presidio Main Post Chaple

2011-04-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with this slide show making program in the continuing attempt to make a podcast. Still working on getting audio integrated so right now I have royalty free music in the background.

Take a look at it so far....

Great wedding locations in San Francisco

Podcasting

2011-04-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

I spent the better part of today figuring out how to make slide shows into podcasts. Now I need to reedit the slide shows.

Coming soon! The Thor Swift Photography channel on itunes, will be Awesome!!!!

Catching Up

2011-04-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

One of the many wonderful things that happen at weddings is family and friends get a chance to catch up with each other. Often families are far-flung and rarely get a chance to have everyone in one location, so a wedding celebration is sometimes the only time this happens for some families.

It happens for us also. Pictured above are Brittany and Michael, who were married a few years ago. We got to know them at their wedding, they liked working with us and the resulting photos and album, so the other weekend we were able to catch up with them at Carol and Dave's wedding at the Mountain Winery, in Los Gatos.

I was so happy to see them (of course to offer my generous thank you for the referral) but it was truly great to see them. They look great in their get up for the photo booth.

Hope to see Carol and Dave, or Brittany and Michael, or any of the other guests at future weddings. It is so great to catch up!

A very cool Dog, Happily Ever After

2011-04-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

I went to Oakland to visit a friend from college and we walked around taking some photos. When I saw this dog I knew I needed to take his photo. What an amazing lock he has around his neck. Not sure why it was there, the owner was nice but not very talkative. These photos were taken with a cool lens called a Lensbaby. It has a selective focus, which makes the vignette effect around the edges.

At the end of our walk I saw this near Lake Merritt... perfect end to a nice visit to the city on the other side of the Bay.

Factors Leading To Great Wedding Photographs

2011-04-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

As I was working on an album from a past wedding I started to think what makes for the best wedding photographs. Obviously the details, the people, the dress, the cake, the location are all very important. Additionally the skills, style and talent of the photographer will to a large extent determine the end result, but there is something more intangible which ultimately will lead the best wedding photographs.

Thinking of this made me remember listening to a video from a TED conference by Brene Brown, posted here, it is about 20 minutes long, and I think well worth the time. It is not anything new, but a good reminder of the fears we all share which keep us from being our authentic selves.

Everything works best when people are able to be who they truly are. Weather you are the photographer or the photographed, it takes courage to honestly let your guard down and be yourself in front of so many people, like at a wedding. One often overlooked and hard to quantify factor, which makes people react emotionally to wedding photographs, is the authenticity of the image.

Think about all the movies that feature weddings. They are scripted to perfectly fit the character (unless the point of showing the wedding is to show how awkward it can be when people are not themselves). If the people at the wedding are extroverts the wedding is a riotous affair, if they are very traditional, it is a very traditional event, and if the people are shy the wedding reflects that aspect of their lives. (The photographers are often portrayed as bumbling fools, or worse, but that is a post for another day).

There is no wrong way to celebrate your wedding and there is no wrong way to have joy in your life. The details of your wedding should tell the world who you are and why you love your fiancé. My advice after being privileged to attend many weddings in the past few years is to go with your instincts. If you feel a traditional church wedding is best for you then that is what you should do, if you feel a barefoot wedding on the beach is where your heart is at, then that is where you should be. I realize this is kind of obvious on its face, but it is important to remind oneself that it is ok to be who you are.

The same goes for your wedding photographer. Your photographer will be one of the closest people to you most of your wedding day. A photographer should be selected on who they are as much as what they can do. A photographer can have all the technical skills in the world, but if they make you feel uncomfortable or do not truly believe in what they are doing, that will be reflected in your photos.

Luckily there are a lot of photographers in the world, so you should look around, ask your friends, read reviews, blogs and stories of other people who have been married. See how they related to their photographer. Obviously I hope people will select working with me, but realize that is not always the case.

I feel very lucky to be able to make people comfortable when they are being photographed; I believe it has something to do with making myself vulnerable and letting people know who I truly am when making photographs. Most people do not like the idea of being photographed and think of it as uncomfortable and compound this with the natural nervousness of the wedding day – you are in front of so many people, it is a huge change in your life, etc. -- whatever a photographer can do to make you trust them and relax will lead to successful photographs, not to mention a successful wedding celebration.

I am very happy to be able to put this into practice again this weekend at Carol and David’s wedding. I am probably almost as excited as they are right now!

Incredible DIY details

2011-04-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

I was going through some photos from past weddings to put together submissions to various wedding magazines and blogs and came upon the photos from Andie and Mike's wedding a little more than a year ago. I am still amazed at the thought and time they put into the invitations, and other details (all made by themselves) and how much these details reflect their personalities.

They shared a common interest in music and that is what brought them together in the first place. So it seems natural that their invitations would look more like concert tickets than a traditional wedding invite. AC/MY are their initials in case you were wondering.

For the thank-you gift table they came up with a table more like what you would see at the back of a concert where the vendors are selling t-shirts and cds. Naturally the gifts were t-shirts and cds. I really like the rear cover of the cd, it is a photo of Andie, Mike and their two sons ( a third has since arrived! Congratulations!)

The seating charts were recycled record albums with hand written table listings. I think this wedding was one of the best examples of people expressing their personality, passion and creativity in the details they choose to put into their wedding.

Awesome

2011-03-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

I am working on an album for a couple and came across this photo. It is a waiter removing wine glasses from a reception. Both Anastasia and I saw this at the same time and both of us said "Awesome" at the same time. It is not normally a word either of us use, but this was awesome. I have no idea how he could hold so many glasses at once, without breaking them.

Just one of those fun unexpected moments at a wedding.

Joelyn and Joseph Engagement Photos, Downtown San Francisco

2011-03-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Joelyn and Joseph will be married in October so we went for a walk in downtown San Francisco to take a few photos to celebrate their engagement. They both work in downtown and thought it was a good idea to get photos here to reflect that part of their lives as the wedding and reception will not be in a city setting.

After walking for a while we spotted this wall... how could we resist?

Standing in the middle of the street is not always a good idea, but can make for some wonderful photos. This is in Chinatown, the street is one way going away from me, so my back is to the cars. It is tricky to time, but I think I have it down pretty well. I just love the red hanging lanterns behind Joelyn and Joseph, they sort of look like hearts, so very appropriate.

Every time I walk around downtown (or anywhere for that matter) with a couple or on my own making photos, it is so exciting to see what I can find. The exposed brick wall and the fish mural were both nice surprises. At first glance you would think the city does not change very quickly, but it is different every time you look. The changing seasons, quality of light, construction, people all are different every time you look, makes photography such a rewarding profession.

Two views from the Chinatown gate on Stockton. The lion head is always full of people taking similar photos, but right next to the lion head is the most amazing store ever. It is called Michael's and Joseph said it was one of the places Michael Jackson would buy the over-the-top decorations he had at his house. I liked it because it make a nice colorful background.

What a great jump, really looking forward to the wedding!!

Mariana and Sean, Engagement Photos, Golden Gate Park

2011-03-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Mariana, Sean and I had a great time walking around Golden Gate Park on a truly beautiful Sunday (it had rained the day before, so everything was so clean and bright), making their engagement photos. What a great looking couple, they will be getting married in June at his parents house, I am really looking forward to the day.

You can not beat the diffused late winter sun as it streams through the trees. I told them as we walked around that I remember coming to Golden Gate Park as a child and marveling how the light danced with the trees, it was magical then and now I get to use it to make photos, pretty good gig I must say.

I had been up and down these stairs many times before, but on this day they looked particularly good for a photo. It is funny how something you look at often will look different each time if you really are paying attention.

All of these photos were made within a short walk from each other. The building behind our lovely couple is the Conservatory of Flowers.

Dancing into the sunset.

First Place, Wedding Photojournalism Association AG contest

2011-03-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

I just got the notification of a great award we won from the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalism Association, first place in the category...

Kids (being kids) category

The photo was made at Larissa and Chris' wedding in August at the Sequoya Country Club in Oakland. That big window was great, the little girl is watching people get set up for the wedding.

Also had photos place in the found details category...

Details (found) category category

This photo was made at Jenny and Jesus' wedding in June 2010 at the Ranch Golf Club in San Jose. Their matching shoes were amazing.

Details (found) category category

This photo was taken at the August 2010 wedding of Elizabeth and Kevin at Failla Winery in St. Helena. I have never seen such a beautifully set table. Just amazing.

Clarina and Patrick, slide show test

2011-02-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

Clarina and Patrick
The link above is a test video for a new slide show program I am working with. I still need to work out some bugs, so if anyone looks at it and has comments please send me an email info@thorswift.com

thanks,
Thor

It did not snow in San Francisco

2011-02-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

The weather reporters were all atwitter with possible news that it was going to snow in San Francisco. I hate to say it did not. So to fill your desire to see snow I am posting some photos from my brothers house in the mountains outside Seattle.

This is actually the view from his front window. There are four ski resorts within five minutes driving from his house, needless to say he is quite good at skiing. I am not, I can get down the hill without falling, but that is about that.

I just love the icicles hanging off the roof.

One of my nephews and two of my nieces play "What I like About You" they are quite good. I have never heard the song sung in a country version

My brother has a rack of guitars along the wall and the kids can all play pretty well.

Then there are these two, after a hard morning of snowboarding.

Review

2011-02-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

Sunset Magazine did a write up on one of my favorite locations for weddings,

Campovida

in Hopland. Worth a look if you are searching for wine-country locations. The photo was from Erin and Walter's wedding last year.

An now that I have your attention, you can review what we do here...

Review Thor Swift Photography at WeddingWire

Hsin and Sain, Testarossa Winery, Los Gatos, California

2011-02-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hsin and Sain had a wonderful celebration of their love at Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos (Great location by the way, wonderful staff). They had already gotten married and had one prior reception in Taiwan, so this was event number three for them. In the photo above our happy couple are in Testarossa's wine cave. I love the lights in the background and how they make everything so warm and inviting.

As Hsin was getting ready one of her cats came along and I could not resist. I do not think the cat was too happy about being photographed, cats seem to be wary of strangers holding black boxes which make funny noises in their face. When we were done photographing kitty, I was able to pet her and all was forgiven.

Another photo in the wine cave. I tried this pose, it is not as easy as they make it look.

Testarossa has such wonderful photo locations, and all very close to the wine cave and reception area. It really does photograph well, as do Hsin and Sain.

I must say the caterer at Testarossa had food which was a bit better than your usual wedding fare. Nice presentation, great tasting, what you would expect from such a wonderful location.

The end of their first dance (well technically not their first dance, I am not sure if they had a first dance in Taiwan. I am sure it was their first dance of that night).

Congratulations Hsin and Sain!!! And Thank you to the staff at Testarossa!!

What I do when I am not photographing weddings

2011-01-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

When I am not working I have the wonderful job of being a father. Here are some photos of my son Leif playing for his middle school team. I am surprised at the level of play at the schools. The league is made up of 6,7, 8 graders, so Leif as a sixth grader is often going up against kids almost as tall as I am, but he faces them quite fearlessly.

Here he is about to score the first goal of the game, a quick turn to get away from the defenders and a high left footed shoot to the middle far post. Made two goals this game (the other team was not very strong), and is the leading scorer on the team. I wish I could say he is following my soccer career, but I was about average as a player.

I just love the joy on his face as he runs toward the ball.

Here he thinks he has scored goal number three for the game but was offsides. The referee (as usual) was wrong, but still a very nice goal even if it did not count.

Alison and David, The University Club San Francisco

2011-01-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

Alison and David were married in November at the University Club, another amazing wedding there, hope to do many more in the future. It is a very elegant and intimate location.

They used the florist Birch for most of the details. Alison wanted something non-traditional and beautiful, they sure delivered. I was amazed by the paper flowers and the packaging for the flowers and other items. The little details can sure make a difference.

I just love photographing in front of the large window at the University Club, such a unique view of the city.

Happy New Year!!

Lauren and Matt, The University Club, SF

2010-12-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

Lauren and Matt were married in October at the University Club in San Francisco. What a great looking couple, great location and great day. The photos of Lauren and Matt alone were taken on the balcony which has a great view of downtown and makes for some really cool photos.

Inside there is lots of great light in an intimate and very elegant setting.

Literary San Francisco, New York Times Travel section

2010-12-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

The spiral staircase at the Mechanics Library.

I had the great opportunity to do a cover story for the New York Times travel section on "Literary San Francisco." Spent four days in various bookstores, readings and hanging out with some of the many wonderful people who make San Francisco a great place to live.

The story ran in the Sunday paper, and online here:

Read the story

Slide Show

On the third floor of a former movie theater in the Mission are a set of wonderful bookstores, this one is called Borelium. I could have spent days looking through their selection of leftist political and vintage gay and lesbian fiction.

The front of Dog Ear books in the Mission. I spent a few hours off and on trying to get this photo, having the people, the interior and exterior light look their best. I can not imagine what people thought as they saw me sitting on the other side of Valencia Street with a long lens pointed at the front door of the bookstore. The photo ran nearly full page in the Sunday print edition of the times.

Two photos from a reading called "Rumpus" at the Make Out Room in the Mission. So many great authors read that night, a great event.

More photos from Borelium. Books, books everywhere!

I spent a few hours at the Vesuvio Cafe soaking in the rich literary history of the City. I have not been here in so many years, nice to have an excuse to spend some time remembering why it is such an amazing place.

The Mechanics Library a hidden gem in the Financial District. It is a privately funded library with some amazing architecture, lots of hidden floors, you could really get lost in here, also people who are more than six feet tall need to make sure they do not bump their heads when they are making photos under the many low ceilings. The bumps were worth it!

Wedding Photojournalism Association, Artistic Guild Award

2010-12-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

The above photo, taken at Elizabeth and Kevin's wedding in August, has won fifth place in the international Wedding Photojournalism Association, Artistic Guild competition in the category of Getting Ready.

Here are the judges comments:
"The image of the bride opening the door could be a painting. The pastel texture produces a dream-like quality in the photo. Perhaps she is looking into the future."

I agree, it is a really cool photo, of a really cool bride!

Le and Danny, September 25, 2010

2010-11-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

Le and Danny were married September 25, 2010. The ceremony was in Pacifica outside the Moonraker Restaurant and a beautiful, warm day. Not a bit of the usual Pacifica fog was anywhere to be seen. Later we went to the Ferry Building for some photos. What a great location.

Danny and Le leave the ceremony site, looking at the photo I can still hear the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. It is a nice "musical" backdrop to the wedding.

At the reception this girl really wanted to try the cake, soon she got her wish.

Le dances with her father in a very emotional Father Daughter dance.

Le and Danny and their wonderful friends having fun on the pier.

Larissa and Chris, Sequoyah Country Club

2010-11-10T19:06:00.001-08:00

Larissa and Chris were married in September at the Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland. It is a really hidden place in the Oakland Hills, a wonderful location for a wedding. We had the great pleasure to photograph Larissa and Chris' wedding and then see them a month later at Lauren and Matt's wedding in October. It is so wonderful to see people who's wedding we have photographed again at a friend's wedding.

Both Larissa and the little girl could not resist looking out the great window with a view of the ceremony site.

Larissa's sister had the job to hold her flowers during the ceremony. The flowers seemed as almost as big as she was the way she is holding them.

Give the beautiful bride her proper respect. Every wedding something surprises me, every wedding is different and wonderful in its own way.

More from Elizabeth and Kevin

2010-11-05T18:47:00.001-07:00

In case you did not have the time to look at the slide show of Elizabeth and Kevin's wedding, I have selected a few for your viewing pleasure. I really like Elizabeth's expression here, and the hands coming in from off frame. A nice getting ready moment.

Not sure if the people at Falia Winery would want Kevin up on the forklift, but it is one of the most unusual groom getting ready photos I have ever taken.

This is just wonderful, I love the anticipation in her posture, the heavenly light... Elizabeth embarks on her new life with Kevin.

The grounds at Faila Winery are just wonderful and all brand new. If I did not say so before this was the first of I hope many wonderful weddings there. Everyone there was wonderful, so if you are planing a wedding in Wine Country, they are worth a look.

The food was unlike anything I have ever had at a wedding, just spectacular.

Catching Up... Elizabeth and Kevin August 21, 2010, Faila Winery, St. Helena

2010-10-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Been a really busy summer and I have not kept up with posting the weddings and other photos, so will be trying to catch up now.

Elizabeth and Kevin had an amazing wedding at the newly reopened Failla Winery in St. Helena. They are friends with chefs and other food industry people so the food was amazing, in fact, everything was just wonderful.

Failla is a truly great location, great staff, great views, but I think the photos do a better job of describing things than I can....

Le and Danny Engagement photos

2010-10-12T11:35:00.001-07:00

Le and Danny met at the Stanford University tennis stadium watching a match, they are really into tennis, so it seemed right to take their engagement photos at the stadium.

Of course, once you are at the Stanford Campus it is a good idea to take advantage of all the great architecture and locations.

Awards: Wedding Photojournalism Association, Artistic Guild

2010-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say we have won two awards in the quarterly photo contest put on by the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalism Association. This is an international contest featuring high-level competition and well-respected judges.

Getting Ready

This photo is from Cynthia and Hebert's wedding this past July in Cupertino. Herbert is waiting "back stage" waiting to walk down the aisle. He was very happy/excited/nervous/ready, all the emotions and thoughts that go through your head before you get married. Thanks and congratulations to Cynthia and Herb!!

Portrait of Bride and Groom Alone

Here are Katherine and Shawn in Coit Tower where they were married in May this year. We had such a great time making photo surrounded by the beautiful murals in the tower. It is truly amazing to get such a close up look at the wonderful history surrounding us in San Francisco. The history of San Francisco up to the 1930s is told on these walls. The art created by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s are amazing. We could really use such a program now, if nothing else for the cultural history it would provide.

Shalini and Rajan, July 10, 2010, Golden Gate Club/Bently Reserve, San Francisco

2010-08-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Shalini and Rajan were married July 10, their ceremony was at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio, the reception was at the Bently Reserve downtown -- All I can say is wow, the color, the dancing, the fun.

Somebody asked me the other day if I worried about getting bored photographing weddings, after-all they said "they are all pretty much the same." I was happy to tell them nothing could be further from the truth. Every wedding is different just like every person is different. Conceptually weddings are all similar, but in practice each one is a completely new experience to document. To the couple this experience is totally new and I fell honored to be able to share this experience with them and make their photos and albums.

This is in La Meridian Hotel while Shalini and Rajan were waiting before going to the reception. A nice quite moment to get a few photos of them together, I like this perspective of the city, most of the time photos are taken looking up at the buildings, which is nice, but here we are up with the buildings and above the Bay Bridge.

Erin and Walter, Campovida

2010-08-14T14:29:00.001-07:00

Erin and Walter were married at the newly re-opened Campovida property (formerly named the Fetzer Valley Oaks Food and Wine Center), a wonderful location in Hopland, California, July 3, 2010. Amazing gardens all over the property, including the lavender behind our happy couple.

Walter has a wonderful reaction to seeing Erin as she walks down the aisle towards him.

Dancing under the stars, on this wonderful summer evening.

They had their wedding vows written out and mounted on boards for display and safe keeping. Campovida will have its official opening soon, Erin and Walter were the first to have a wedding there, and I must say it was a wonderful success!

Jenny and Jesus, June 24, 2010

2010-07-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

Jenny and Jesus were married June 24, 2010 at the Ranch Golf Club in San Jose. It is a really great location on the top of this hill which overlooks the southern part of San Jose. Wonderful weather, warm but not too hot (a nice change from the fog of San Francisco, I like the fog but good to get out from time to time).

What a wonderful couple, Jenny is a teacher and Jesus is a firefighter. I also love the architecture of the location, very nice to work with such beautiful people and such a beautiful location.

The kids look scared coming down this grand staircase to the ceremony location, I sure would have been at that age. They did it, went all the way and were great.

On the wall above this couch is a photo of some other groomsmen holding golf balls similar to this. Jesus looked at the photo and told me he did not want a photo like that, "it is not me at all" I had an idea to make a photo more to his style, and here it is.

Not The World Cup...yet?

2010-06-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

My son played his first tournament with his new team, SFVC Barbarians Red, it was a beach soccer tournament. I must say a much different game than regular football, er, soccer, but great fun to watch.

He played keeper most of the games and made some great saves, but their team did not advance to the finals. The other Barbarians team in the tournament, Barbarians White, did advance to the final game and lost on a penalty shoot out. Am really looking forward to the Fall season when they play on full-size pitches.

Just finished watching South Africa tie Mexico, an amazing game. Tomorrow (US v. England) should be equally amazing.

Katherine and Sean, May 30, Coit Tower

2010-06-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Katherine and Sean were married at Coit Tower, in San Francisco, May 30. Of course it was a glorious day, especially after a week of unseasonably rainy weather, so the tourists were out in force. So many people commented on what a wonderful location for a wedding, or that they did not know that you could get married at Coit Tower, you can, and Katherine and Sean did, CONGRATULATIONS.

The photo above was taken in the stair way leading from the top of the elevator to the observation level. I want to thank the many visitors to Coit Tower who graciously waited for us as we made this and the other photos in the tower. Everyone was so great to help out. Katherine and Sean will be in so many visitors videos and photos, everyone stopped to photograph the beautiful bride in such a wonderful location.

Katherine and Sean brought their dog "Monkey" to be their ring bearer, unfortunately he had an abscessed and was not feeling well, everyone felt so bad for him. They were able to include Monkey in the ceremony but he was unable to walk down the aisle as they had wished. I hope Monkey makes a full recovery.

What a background for a photo, so romantic.

We were lucky to have access of the second floor staircase which is usually closed to the public. The murals in that staircase are amazing. A wonderful bit of history, telling the story of San Francisco during the Depression. Also makes for some really nice photos.

Of course you can not go to Coit Tower without taking in the amazing view.

Why They Travel

2010-05-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

I got an assignment from the New York Times to do a travel photo for a section called "Why We Tavel." The idea is to go somewhere, in this instance Muir Woods, find people who traveled a long distance to get there, take their photo and send the information to a writer who puts together a little story about them.

I had gone to Muir Woods the day before I did these photos, the light was directly overhead, it was almost too warm, and the woods were jammed with people. Also the park rangers were giving me the run around about taking photos in a National Park, but that is another story (I was not breaking any rules fyi).

I decided to come back at 8 a.m. when the woods opened and see if I could find anyone and take advantage of the beautiful morning light the woods are famous for. As luck would have it, the light was beautiful and the first people I ran into in the nearly empty woods were Carrie and Eric who were on their one-year anniversary trip. They were originally going to take a hot air balloon ride, but the winds were too strong, so they opted for Muir Woods.

We walked around for 45 minutes or so, I would take photos from time to time, got their story and played tour guide (I do not know much about Muir Woods, but was able to fill in the gaps with general California history). They were a wonderful couple. They told me about their wedding a year earlier in the Bahamas, which I wish I could have photographed, and life in Albany where they live.

Here you can see how it ran...

on the New York Times web site

Thanks to Carrie and Eric, for being such great company as I walked around Muir Woods.

Allison and David engagement photos

2010-05-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Allison and David will be married in November, to celebrate their engagement we took some photos at the Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park. The two photos above were taken in a redwood grove in the garden. I am always surprised and very happy to live near such a beautiful location and feel kind of guilty I go there so infrequently. So am very happy when I get a chance to show it off when making photos there.

This last photo was taken outside the Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Just a little pathway with some fantastic light shining from behind. It was a lovely day and we had a great time making photos.

Another Cover

2010-05-10T14:52:00.001-07:00

I photographed another cover for SFis, the SF Chronicle's Luxury, Fashion and Style magazine. I feel bad I have not been keeping up with these posts as much as I would like. There are so many cool things I want to post, but good things come to those who wait.

Finishing up a New York Times travel piece on Redwood City. Had a really great time there, met some cool people and made some nice photos. Will post them after the article runs.

Then there are the wedding and engagement photos I still need to post. Lets just say there are some great photos on their way.

Ok, back to work....

A few of the people I met last week

2010-04-25T09:51:00.002-07:00

On an average week I have the good fortune to meet many interesting and wonderful people. I must say I am very lucky to do work with allows me to meet so many wonderful, interesting and different people, who I would never otherwise have the opportunity to meet, let alone spend some time with. Yesterday I was able to do some wonderful engagement photos for a couple getting married in August, and will post them in the next few days. Here is a few of the other people I met in the past seven days.

I photographed Justice Carlos Bea, a judge on the 9th circuit court of appeals, for the New York Times in one of the beautiful courtrooms at the district court in San Francisco. If you saw the NY Times Sunday, April 25 you will note they gave another photographer credit for the photo, but I did it, no big deal.

As we were talking he mentioned growing up in Spain and I said my son loves Barcelona FC, Justice Bea then goes over to a table and picks up a banner from when he played with basketball with Real Madrid (many European football teams have basketball teams also). He played for Cuba on at the Olympics in the 1950s. His sons have won national medals for rowing, one son had an Olympic medal for rowing. We only talked for 20 minutes or so, but it was an amazing morning.

I met Evan Shively, former chef with Postrio, at his new home near Marshall (in Marin County)where he salvages wood and old lumber to sell to artists and furniture makers. The pieces of wood he has found are amazing. The actual story was a feature on his favorite place, which is where this photo was taken. It is an organic farming nature preserve called the Occidental Art and Ecology Center. It had been raining hard all day, and I was worried we would get soaked making the photo. But there was a short break in the rain, and the colors of the hillside were amazing. On my way back home the rain started back up again. Perfect timing.

John Watson, CEO of Chevron, had about five minutes to spare. This photo was for the Financial Times. I had to set up the lights, get the photo and get out very quickly. Luckily I had been able to talk through the photograph with his publicity person before hand and was able to quickly get the image needed. We did not talk much, but again this is someone I would never run into on an average day, or most likely ever.

Donato Cabera is the assistant conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. I photographed him at his house in San Francisco. This was a much more relaxed visit than with John Watson. No publicist looking over my shoulder, just me and a very interesting person talking about how he got to his position, music, art, life in San Francisco... I have to say this view from his window is pretty amazing.

This partial list of people I met last week does not include the two couples I hope we are lucky enough to work with I met, or the dozens of parents I met at my kids' soccer games, or the wonderful people in our neighborhood I run into every day. I sound like Mr. Rodgers, but it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

San Francisco history lesson

2010-04-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the history of San Francisco while working on this story for

New York Times

I have been through the Tenderloin many times, I had a darkroom (remember those things?) just of Market and Sixth Street, I know technically not the Tenderloin but very similar neighborhood, so I considered myself pretty knowledgeable about the place. In the course of doing this story I found out there is so much more to the area than I would have ever guessed. I think the proposed Tenderloin history museum will do so much to help people understand one of the City's unpolished jewels.

The photo above is pretty much what people would expect when they think of the Tenderloin. People hanging out on the corner in front of a liquor store, it is true at night wandering around with expensive cameras is not a terribly good idea. I have to thank my friend Jose for going with me as I did these photos. The Times ran this photo but pretty small in the print edition so I am not sure how well people could see it.

The interiors of the old residential hotels were what surprised me the most. There are several non-profit companies which buy up these old buildings and retrofit them, while allowing the original tenants to keep their homes. No reason people should live in miserable surroundings just because they do not have a lot of money.

All the hotels have people at the door. Medoune Mbaye is working the front door at the Hotel Ambassador, as it undergoes major renovations. He was so elegant and poised in spite of the chaos around him.

Some of the old buildings have such beauty in spite of the lack of upkeep. The neighborhood boosters say it is pretty much the same look of the buildings as in the 1930s, a great time warp. In what other city can you have such diversity of architecture and authenticity in its people and buildings.

I feel very luck to have been able to learn about the Tenderloin and meet some of its wonderful residents. It is sometimes really nice to be a tourist in your own town.

Jenny and Jesus Engagement Photos

2010-04-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Jenny and Jesus will be married in June, so we spent the other day walking around San Francisco making some engagement photos. Above we on Sixth Street in front of some amazing grafitti, love the colors.

We started the day in Golden Gate Park, where the cherry trees are in blossom, really makes a nice background. The light hitting the blossoms, Jenny and Jesus in love, what could make a better photo?

Next we went downtown and wandered about. Directed wandering is such a great way to find nice photo locations. I have a basic idea where to go, but the adventure of looking around for the nice light, and great location gives us a chance to talk and get to know each other. This relaxes the people being photographed and I get to find out new things about them, like the fact that Jesus played football (American) in Germany professionally.

The red wall and the bricks were both backgrounds found by walking around downtown and looking at the light. For the brick wall photograph I was able to take advantage of the reflected light off the building next door creating a nice pool of light for Jenny and Jesus to stand. The red wall was around the corner, having the bike and parking meter there made it such a cool photo.

French Laundry and Chez Pannise

2010-03-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

These photos were from a set of images I made for the Financial Times. In case you do not recognize the person in these photos, she is Alice Waters, founder of Chez Pannise. The restaurant was open and busy when we did these photos. Had to dodge servers, waiters, customers, chefs and others to get the photo of Alice next to the oranges. The other photo was a little more relaxed, she and I were sitting in a booth.

The next day for the same newspaper I went to Yountville to the world-famous (Chez Pannise is world-famous also) French Laundry and photograph two chefs, Richi Desai and Caesar Troisgros, working in the kitchen. They were not opening for a few hours so I had some more time and space to work with them and make these images.

I have not eaten at either of these restaurants, but it is nice to get to hang out and make some photos around such food super-stars. Last week I was photographing Michael Mina, Daniel Bolund, Chris l'Hommedieu, Jason Berthold and Michel Troigros at the La Pulée event at the Westin St. Francis. Will post these when they are ready. All this talk about food and chefs is making me hungry so now I am going to eat a rice and bean burrito from the local taqueria.

Magazine Cover

2010-02-26T14:53:00.001-08:00

In my continuing series on what I do when I am not photographing weddings, here is a recent cover I photographed for SFis ( a luxury publication put out by the SF Chronicle). It was for their March issue.

Another Award Winning Photo

2010-02-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

The above photograph of Cassie and Chris from their wonderful wedding last September in Chris' family's backyard in Monterey, has won fourth place in the International Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalism Association in the category of Emotion.

Just thought I would brag about it....

Doing taxes otherwise, so nice to get the notification about the award to help me get through this pile of paperwork on a rainy day.

Snowboarding and Twitter

2010-02-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

I photographed Jack Dorsey one of the founders of Twitter for the Financial Times. The chairs are in a little plaza near his office. I had seen them many times and knew sooner or later I wanted to include them in a photograph. The FT assignment gave me this opportunity. And now for something completely different.

My son snowboarding for the first time.

My daughter snowboarding. I tried this, but failed miserably, my arms hurt for a month afterward. We do not get the chance to go to the mountains very often. Thanks to my brother who lives in the mountains outside Seattle we can go skiing for a few days a year. I took these photos while skiing backwards (on the easy slope), in a pretty strong snow storm. It was a perfect day.

Erin and Walter Engagement Photos

2010-02-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

Erin and Walter will be married in July at a winery up north. We walked around the Crissy Field area and took some wonderful photos. It was a glorious day, after a week of solid rain the sun came out and shined down upon their love (it is nearly Valentines Day, so I am getting a bit romantic).

I made a joke about me being able to control the weather, which I can;t but do seem to have good luck with it.

Chicken Garage

2010-02-06T11:13:00.001-08:00

I have been asked what I do when I am not photographing weddings, so thought I would share some of this work here. These photos were from a New York Times assignment to cover late-night restaurants in San Francisco, a town not well known for its late-night food. These photos were taken at a Korean restaurant near the beach, which is open until 2 a.m. and literally in a garage. It goes by the nickname "the garage" or the one I like better "Chicken Garage", actually it is called Toyose.

For some reason this sign is really funny to me. It was kind of surreal arriving at the restaurant on a rainy Sunday night at about 11 p.m. in this residential part of the Sunset (45th Ave. and Noriega) and seeing this sign on the front of a garage. The people inside (mostly college students from SF State) and the workers were all such great fun. I stayed there for almost two hours making photos and talking to them.

Since I do not eat meat the menu was a little thin for me, but the food smelled wonderful. If you are in San Francisco, late at night and feel like wandering way off the beaten path (this is very far from the tourist areas), you will have a wonderful time and dinner at the Chicken Garage.

The Knot Magazine

2010-01-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Dimitra and Cory were married earlier in 2009. Their wedding has been featured in the Knot Wedding Pages magazine. It has not been posted on the website yet, will post the link once it shows up.

Still working on my web site, plus just got back from a wonderful trip to see my family in Southern California and Washington State.

Happy New Year!!!

Studio moving

2009-12-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Photographs from Cassie and Chris' wedding. Earlier I posted a slide show of their photos.

Amazing photo to get both of them crying at once, credit must go to Anastasia who took this photo.

As I work with the designer for my new web site I got thinking of how similar it is to planing a wedding. You have an idea in your head of how things should be. But you have to communicate this idea to others, florists, caterers, djs or musicians, video photographers and yes your fiance. Oh and your photographer.

Trying to put non-specific thoughts and very abstract ideas into a language the other people involved can be difficult. Words like stylish, elegant, retro, cool, flashy, traditional all mean something different to everyone. I am always trying to find the best way to understand what the people we are lucky to work with are after. Some of it is intuitive but finding the right questions to ask to get to what people really are after is a fine art, as much as the photography is.

Moving more stuff today, looking forward to finding a new space to work out of. Did I mention today is really cold!

Web site updates

2009-12-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

After taking a well needed break for November I am back and ready to rock. Doing a total redesign of my web site, and business plan. I am going to close the little office I have worked out of for five years. Kind of sad to see the old place off, but I have outgrown it.

Will work from home as I look for a larger and more stylish space. Going to be cramped for a little bit, but great things are in store for 2010.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I was at a soccer tournament for my son yesterday, one of the games was stopped for ten minuted for hail. Strange for San Francisco, the boys thought it was fun. I was freezing, then in the second half they played in a real cold winter downpour. They won 4-0.

Now back to packing up things in my office...

Lola and Paul wedding slide show

2009-11-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

Another wedding slide show for you to look at. Lola and Paul were married at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio.

Today in San Francisco it is freezing cold, so nice to look at these photos of a nice warm day and think about this wonderful couple.

Cheers!

Sara and Philippe wedding slide show

2009-10-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sara and Philippe were married on the beach in Carmel, California. Really fun wedding I photographed in my bare feet only for the second time. First was a wedding near Cancun Mexico. Beach weddings are GREAT!

Congrats Sara and Philippe!

Andie and Mike

2009-10-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

Andie and Mike were married at the Log Cabin in the Presidio. This photo is at the little church nearby, it looks like no one uses it anymore, but makes a nice background for the photo.

How cool is this, a faux-bearskin rug. Could not resist this photo, Andie and Mike were such a fun couple to work with.

To say Andie and Mike are music fans would be a grave understatement. Much of the wedding was music themed, so naturally the invitations were tickets to the AC/MY (their initials) celebration. They also custom made cds with a really great cover and liner notes are thank you gifts.

Cassie and Chris wedding slide show

2009-10-09T15:01:00.001-07:00

Cassie and Chris were married in lovely Monterey, California at the home of Chris' parents. Hope you enjoy the video, it was a wonderful day.

Ngan and Jesse

2009-10-06T14:02:00.001-07:00

Ngan and Jesse were married at the Hastings House in Half Moon Bay.

Jesse had a great smile when he saw Ngan walking toward him.

Their reception was held at Circolo restaurant in San Francisco, beautiful light, great space for a reception.

Working on a new web site

2009-09-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

It is time to update the old web site. So many new and cool photos to post, editing them will be hard, but I am having a great time remembering all the wonderful weddings of the past few years.

Jennifer and Srinivas Day Two

2009-09-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

The second day of Jennifer and Srinivas' wedding was held at the

Palm Event Center

in Livermore. Lots of great places for photography, such great scenery, but really have to give credit to Jennifer and Srinivas for being such great people to work with.

More credit must go to wedding planner supreme Denise Irwin

Denise Irwin Designs

The couple do not live the the Bay Area and had to plan the wedding from afar. With Denise's gentle guidance they were able to have a magical wedding ceremony and reception.

Jennifer and Srinivas Day One

2009-08-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Jennifer and Srinivas had a two-day wedding celebration. These photos were from the first day at an Hindu temple.

Will post the photos from the second day ceremony tomorrow.

Alexis and Mike

2009-08-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

Alexis and Mike at the top of the Mark Hopkins hotel in San Francisco, just after their ceremony.

Lola and Paul engagement photo

2009-08-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Lola and Pual will be married Sept. 6, looking forward to making great photos with them. We did the engagement photos at the Ferry Building area, my favorite pier, Pier 7, of course.

Wanted to give a shout to the company who built the shopping cart portion of our web site.

Pick Pic

Every time I have a question or concern they address it right away. Just today I had a problem with the SSL Certificate (the S in https from web sites), and they fixed it in about five minutes. I wish every company had such great customer service. Thanks to Troy from Pick Pic!

More from Costa Rica

2009-07-16T21:07:00.001-07:00

An uninvited guest in our hotel room. Actually I was surprised there were not more bugs and other non-mammal guests in our room. We took him outside after making this photo.

This plant would shut its leaves if you touch it. I have seen such things in books and botanical gardens, but in Costa Rica it was just there on the ground, no big deal.

More relaxation at the hot springs.

Costa Rica 3

2009-07-14T08:19:00.001-07:00

Finally got the internet working, not that I was really that worried about it, there was much to do without typing. This photo was Sunday night, just a typical sunset in paradise.

I would like to imagine they came to sing for us, however I was told it was a Catholic youth group singing for a saint. Photo taken in La Fortuna near Volcan Arenal.

More flowers, flowers everywhere.

I could not resist taking photo of the beach football. Posted the dog photo for my daughter, so this one is for my son. Leave tomorrow but will be back. More photos to come...

Costa Rica

2009-07-10T22:18:00.002-07:00

After a rain storm everything seemed to glow a bit more.

Each time I find a new flower I think they can not get any more surreal, then I see another.

The steamy jungle after a rain storm. It was truly spectacular.

This photo is for Aurelia, my daughter. She loves dogs, and there are many on the streets of La Fortuna (near where we are staying). This dog begged Anastasia and I to pet him, which we happily did.