While I was checking out info online about secluded outdoor wedding spots similar to Coloma Country Inn , I found this awesome spot called Nestldown ( I really want to shoot at Nestldown!). Redwoods and lush greenery… sounds heavenly right? Well during my research I noticed that my son decided to challenge the Man of the house to a bed head contest during breakfast…IT WAS ON!

Winner by unanimous decision ( my daughter was the only voter) :

Indiana!

Looks like you’re the man of the house now, little buddy.

Happy Saturday!

Much <3,

Dave

Today the mailman did his usual routine. Walk across my lawn with his mailman boots, track mud on my entryway, and loudy dump the mail into our “antique” mailbox. Thats fancy-talk for old. Anyways, amidst the Costco Connection magazine and random recycleables, I got an invitation to a wedding! I’m already invited to this one though.. it was from Christine and Roger, who are getting married in April in beautiful Monterey, CA. She told me she used some photos from our session for her invitations and I was excited to see how they turned out!!!

Needless to say, these are awesome! The details slide out from the left and reveal all the relevant goodies…and of course I loved seeing my client use their engagement photos in such a creative way! If I get permission, I will post the how-to’s for an invitation like this if anyone wants a similar look. Thanks for sending me this Christine, you guys are the best!

Much <3,

Dave

Green is everywhere now, and I couldn’t be happier! And I don’t mean winter grass, I’m talking about the concept of sustainability, especially from businesses.  Companies everywhere are turning to more environmentally responsible choices for distribution, communication, and day-to-day operations.  Many of the things they do benefit the environment and the business.  If you have been to Costco, you see a fine example there. No plastic bags are allowed, only leftover product boxes. And nobody complains!  Today on the UC Davis Campus,  attended a vendor fair where catering and venue businesses were invited to show off their environmentally friendly menu offerings, and companies were there to demonstrate how their facility is a wise choice for anyone who is an enviro-geek like myself.

And then there was me.  I was the only photographer there!  I didn’t have duck meatballs in creamy risotto to offer passerby’s,  I may not have been the busiest booth,  but I felt like  I was the most fun… Rather than have a typical trade show booth,  I turned my lil space into an instant photo-booth, and people could come over and have their picture taken doing something silly while they were browsing the vendors. Cool right?

So why the heck was I there??  I got a special invite from Lina, the Director of Event Services at UC Davis to attend the trade show and represent for all of us Green photographers out there.  Lina and I will be working on a project for UC Davis to help promote weddings on campus.  Check out the photography I’ve done at the UC Davis Arboretum to see how gorgeous this place is… I can’t wait to rock out some wedding photography here soon!  If you are a bride thinking about getting married here, check out their website for more details, and just know that fabulous pics are guaranteed!

I had a good time meeting new people from different vendors across the valley,  and of course the brides-to-be who were there looking for food options, and found wedding photos too =)

Special thank to Lina for inviting me to the Plan Green Trade Show, you and your crew were fun and energetic,  and I can tell you love your jobs!  Since every post can benefit from a photo or two, here’s a picture of Lina’s crew getting some hangtime!

Much <3,

Dave

I don’t know about you, but my kids were definitely enjoying the nice weather we’ve had recently. Gray skies just make me feel, well, gray. Usually, I get super excited during storms  because it means snow has arrived and its time for snowboarding, but it just hasn’t happened this season. So I might as well bask in the sunlight while its still here! We had a fruitful day at the Farmers market… I’m going to try these Japanese yams I scored this week, and Kaitlyn got to head behind the table( next to the register to pick her mandarines… she’s a little charmer!  She must’ve gotten like 20 mandarines for $3.00, which is way cheaper than normal.  I’m glad I’ve hassled her to say “please” and “thank you” for so long. After some much needed chores around the house, we headed to the park for some playtime.  I wanted to write this post so it helps me remember that sometimes there are tons of things to do, but even when you are slammed with to-do lists, you have to stop and enjoy the reasons you work so hard.  I hope you were able to get some sunshine with your family and friends this weekend!

Much <3,
Dave