The JOURNAL

It was spring break and my aunt invited Christopher and I to accompany her on a trip to her favorite place on earth, Yosemite. I had seen photos and heard tales of the wonders of the valley, of the glacier-cut giants spilling magical falls into the pristine valley. Seeing first hand, however, was what ignited […]

It won’t be long until the three musketeers add a fourth; life is at such a special place for the Blankenships! For almost two years, it’s been just Billy, Alissa, and Claire… and what a sweet sweet time it’s been. While they’re over the moon about baby number two coming this fall, they asked me […]

They met in teacher training. There was a group of them that went line dancing afterwards and she came and danced and laughed. By then end of the night, he was smitten by her in all the ways a girl dreams about. She was beauty and joy, intelligence and wit, and he couldn’t believe that […]

If you’ve ever had the chance to visit Yosemite National Park, you’ll probably agree that it’s one of the most majestic places on earth. Towering trees and cascading landscapes framed by spectacular monoliths– It’s one of my favorite places to visit, and probably one of the more magical places to have a wedding. For Joel […]

The quintessence of a California wedding draws inspiration from iconic palm tree backdrops, golden sunshine, and laid back beaches. However, any true Californian knows that in between those seemingly flawless days, there are also quite a few cloudy days. So what happens when cloudy weather (gasp!) appears in the forecast for the sunny California wedding […]

“You know, I didn’t realize creating something and sharing with others could make you feel so vulnerable,” he said. The anecdote was acknowledged by my half-paying-attention nod of agreement. He had been sharing about his experience being entrusted with a project that would be shared with a few hundred colleagues. Conversation changed to other topics and the evening […]

There’s something wonderfully intoxicating about getting engaged in the winter. The world looks different covered in snow. Earlier sunsets each day offer a sense of urgency, and every plan must be carefully thought out due to the cold. It’s as if the world conspires in winter to bring people together. The cuddles and huddles, the coats and sweaters, the […]

It finally happened. He got down on one knee and asked me the question I had been waiting my  whole life to hear–“Will you marry me?” As silent fist-pumping crowds of angels cheered and invisible confetti fell from the heavens, I said “yes!” Finally, it was my turn! After the celebrations had come and gone, and the shock […]

Some friends and I were having a conversation recently about light and dark. There are so many levels and applications we could mention and you’re probably naming five to yourself as you read this, but in this particular conversation we correlated just two. In photography, there must be both dark elements and light elements. A photo […]

For David and Crystal, San Francisco is a place of beginnings and deep and meaningful memories, so it seemed fitting to take their engagement photos in such a special place. We spent the afternoon walking around University of California San Francisco campus, hiking to the top of Inner Sunset hill and around Lands’ End, and ended our […]