Danielle G.

I have known Danielle for years, but this is the first time I ever photographed her.  I still have a specific project I would love to shoot with her, but in the meantime, I had an idea for a series of underwater photos I have been doing, and I was hoping she would be game.
Danielle told me about some of the posing she does for an art photographer friend at SVA, and I thought, "Well this is going to be so much easier!"  That was before I had her treading water for two hours, turning into a prune, wrapped in heavy-when-wet fabric, and relaxing her limbs while trying not to drown.
She really is an incredible model for any artist, with gorgeous long limbs, extraordinary red hair, beautiful features, and above all, the perfect temperament and personality for this kind of work.  She is patient with my plans, generous with her own ideas, and moves like a pro.  
Who knows, maybe she can get some work modeling to help her pay for that fabulous education she's pursuing at NYU (did I mention she's really smart too!?). 
At the very least, she is going to have a stunning collection of photos to choose from for her new Facebook profile picture!
She really went so far above and beyond what I could have expected.  For the last pictures we took, it was so dark and hard to focus, that I needed her to smile so that I could use her white teeth to find some contrast in the picture. 








Live Like You....before and after the Jill Sorensen home makeover!


Jill has such a great sense of style and color! Have a look at her full post on Live Like You to see all the cool 'before and after' photos of her own house. Her bedroom goes from 'blah' to 'wow!' with just a few high impact changes and a lot of fun paint colors.

These are just a few of my 'out takes'. Above, she is laughing because her dog, Bubba, manages to get in every shoot she does. I can attest that he indeed just walks on set whenever and wherever we are shooting.  This dog likes to be at the center of everything!



The funny thing is, so does my dog, Sparky! Sparky is the black flat coat retriever on the right. Lucky is her dog on the left. They all met that day and got along fabulously. Who knew my dog would have such a great play date in Washington DC?  Don't you love how the dogs match her outfit?  I wish I could say we planned that...


Of course, I think nothing says 'comfortable chair' like the image below! We were sitting in the living room, waiting for Jill to come home, and Sparky helped himself to one of these lovely chairs. Bubba soon followed, and not long after, they were both asleep. I had to keep the shutter clicks to a minimum to let them get their beauty sleep, but I found it pretty hard not to shoot this!

Love in Santa Barbara....the story in stills.

In case you aren't a slide show lover...or just don't have the patience for one.

Definitely worth a trip: the Demetria Estate...a private family owned vineyard in the hills of the Santa Ynez Valley.



Always beautiful: Victoria's Secret and Vera Wang



A girl's gotta have her Louboutins!













































Ana and Walter, I love you guys! You are the coolest. You know I am coming to that first anniversary party! (Who can wait for the fifth!?) and really, can we bring your DJ, Gavin Roy, and all of those wonderful friends of yours too? Glad you enjoyed your mini-moon. The island you should have a look at is Rangiroa (French Polynesia). I have it on excellent authority that this is an incredible place. (I still have a valid passport, in case you need me with you!)

Sources of beauty for this wedding:
Seriously beautiful paper products by the talented, and gorgeous Robyn Steward at House of Monarch.
Event designer extraordinaire, Debra Hiebert, at Tres Fabu Events with a crazy attention to detail that is impressive by any standard!
Stunning flowers by Toast Santa Barbara
The Four Seasons Biltmore, a place I have loved visiting for almost four decades! I still remember my great-grandmother's 90th birthday in the main restaurant. A perfect place to celebrate events you want to remember and re-visit many times.
A huge thank you to my fantastic second shooter, Stephanie Hogue! I couldn't have been in two places at once without you. Thanks for having my back!