Jessamyn Harris Photography

Pretty pretty new blog!! www.jessamynharris.com

2011-11-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

It's here! I'm so excited to official unveil my new blog...

right here! www.jessamynharris.com

Please update your subscriptions, fasten your seatbelts, and hang on for tons of new posts!

The beautiful redesign is courtesy of Heidi at Spitefiregirl Designs, who I met a few years ago through wedding stuff, and whose adorable little boy's birthday party you can see here. Thank you, Heidi! I am getting some great feedback about this gorgeous, much needed redesign.
xo Jessamyn

Stacy and Christoph featured on Style Me Pretty

2011-11-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have SO many weddings to post. It's been an epic, beautiful, record year!

Style Me Pretty featured Stacy and Christoph's lovely Cornerstone Gardens wedding a few months back.

The feature is here: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/09/20/sonoma-wedding-by-jessamyn-harris/ and more images from this wedding, and many more, will be coming soon!

Kier and Will, coming soon!

2011-10-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

I loved shooting this wedding at Healdsburg Country Gardens with Jess Flood Events!

Lots of photos coming soon... from Kier and Will's as well as many, many more. Wedding season is slowing down, so I can finally catch up with editing!

I love my girl

2011-08-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

This little girl and her bunny-lovey just woke up from a nice nap. Look at that sweet coy smile!

Lest you think that everything is sugar and spice, though, I implore you to check out this super short slideshow:

She made all of these faces in the span of about 2 minutes after getting up from her blessedly long nap. Nothing like those breaks to get a nice chance to miss her! Even if sometimes I do watch the slideshow over and over again while she's sleeping... It's like a cuteness sickness/ addiction.

I love her because she is so expressive, goofy, wife, talkative, sweet, willful, independent, curious, affectionate, smart, and beautiful. It's hard to find time and free hands to photograph her - but even harder not to, you know?

And here's a video of her when she was much tinier but still had a zillion faces going!

Angie and Tom Engagements, San Francisco

2011-08-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

Angie and Tom are getting married on Sunday! I can't wait for their beautiful wedding at Nestldown... There are going to be some fabulously unique elements and surprises for everyone. I'll be ready!

We started at a playground in the Marina - swings, slides, climbing structures, and a kids' Golden Gate Bridge!

Then over to Crissy Field, which I am adoring lately for shoots. The only problem is that I start longing for a family fun day there... gotta get one of those on the calendar soon!

These two are so into each other, and I know they'll have a wonderful time at their wedding after much planning fun. They.Are.Excited!!

See you guys very soon!

Shooting up a storm - a few sneak peeks

2011-07-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

My July has been crazy busy with SO many weddings. It's wonderful, but it's also jam-packed. So I have a million gazillion photos to post here, but not until things calm down a bit.

In the meantime, take a peek at my photo Facebook page, where I'm adding one or two favorites from each wedding as I get a chance. There are some really amazing details, portraits, and candids coming soon!

Hong and Chris featured in The Knot, Annadel Estate Winery, Part 2

2011-07-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to share Hong and Chris's gorgeous wedding, and waiting patiently for it to be published in the print version of The Knot - which is has, so now I can! SO many lovely details and photos in this wedding. Jess Flood Events did the floral and event planning. What else can I say? Beautiful couple, location, food, weather... Guests arriving by schoolbus... Love this!

Thank you, Chrong! :)

Hong and Chris featured in The Knot, Annadel Estate Winery, Part 1

2011-06-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to share Hong and Chris's gorgeous wedding at Annadel Estate Winery, and have been waiting patiently for it to be published in the print version of The Knot - which is has, so now I can! SO many lovely details and photos in this wedding. Jess Flood Events did the floral and event planning. What else can I say? Beautiful couple, location, food, weather... Guests arriving by schoolbus... Love this!

Here is the slideshow for all of my favorites.

And here's the layout from the issue - part of a "Special Wineries Section" in the Northern California edition:

More coming soon...

Aditi and Michael, sneak peek

2011-06-28T14:42:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful, beautiful wedding. So much more to come!

Check out my Jessamyn Harris Photography Facebook page to see a silly little video I made of two boys having a dance off during Aditi and Michael's awesome reception.

Janis and Adam, Sbragia Winery, Geyserville

2011-06-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

(Check out the slideshow)

Janis and Adam come out from South Carolina to Northern California for a beautiful, rain-free (thank goodness!) winery wedding at Sbragia Family Winery. Adam and his groomsmen and officiant uncle wore full Scottish regalia. Janis and Adam both love wine and photography, so we had a wonderful time taking portraits in the vines. Their joy and excitement was contagious, and everyone had a great time.

Liz and Joey, engagements, Muir and Stinson Beach

2011-06-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

We started off Liz and Joey's engagement session at the Pelican Inn. Beer, sunlight, flowers, kisses. Followed by a walk down to the little cliff overlooking Muir Beach.

Joey proposed over dinner in Stinson Beach one day, and I grew up
Joey and Liz like birdwatching, and

Aditi and Michael Engagements, part 2, Legion of Honor

2011-06-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

More engagement portraits of Aditi and Michael... we were lucky to get sun, but it was still quite cold. Luckily Michael does an excellent job of keeping Aditi warm (and looking good while doing so!).

Aditi and Michael brought their childhood stuffed animals to add a personal touch to the shoot... It made it SO sweet and fun! I absolutely adore these! (Symphony has been falling in love with her bunny, so we're big on "loveys" over here)

The light, the location, and the love... I cannot wait for this wedding! Thank you, Aditi and Michael!

Aditi and Michael Engagements, part 1

2011-06-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Aditi and Michael are getting married next weekend at the Legion of Honor in SF... it's going to be such a gorgeous wedding! Here are some of their engagement shots... more coming tomorrow.

Janis and Adam, Sbragia Winery, sneak peek

2011-06-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, non-rainy day (hallelujah!) wedding images coming soon!

Aditi and Michael Engagements, sneak peek

2011-06-07T10:17:00.001-07:00

Attention couples, if you're ever feeling nervous, a bit shy, or like you want to take the fun and cuteness of your photo shoot to the next level - by all means, please bring along your childhood stuffed animals/ "lovey"s! Could this possibly be any sweeter?! I loved this shoot :)

More soon...

Is it Spring yet?

2011-06-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Normally at this time of year, I take a lot of photos in our garden... of flowering fuit trees, sprouting veggie seedlings, beautiful spring and early summer sun. Well... things are a little different this year... for lots of reasons.

Mainly because a. it's been so gloomy and rainy and windy and cruddy out, and b. I have a cute little person to chase around!

(She can walk but still likes to scoot around on her booty like this, to maximize getting dirty: )

Yesterday we harvested some amazing cherries from the neighbor's tree... the branches hanging over our fence are fair game, right? I just can't stand to watch the crows get them all!

We don't need to water because of the incessant rains... yay? Sigh.

Symphony wants to go outside nevertheless... she points to the picture window to the outside and says "car! car! car!"... meaning, "I'm sick of being inside this house, and I've explored every nook and cranny of it, so please take me outside for heaven's sake!"

So we have our little backyard adventures, and bide our time, waiting longingly for the summer sun...

more Encaustic and Album Samples

2011-05-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Now that all of these encaustics are in the hands of their rightful owners, I can post some sample photos here. And I have to say... Ooh la la! How I love these!!

The pieces are all mounted and painted by my friend Meredith of Wax and Pixels, locally here in Sonoma County. You might remember the shoot I did of her at work here.

And I had some new album samples made that I am SO thrilled with:

Jessica and Tim at BR Cohn:

Sherry and Jeremy at Kunde:

Kerri and Jon's Engagement Session:

Rachel and Giancarlo at Nestldown:

Jung and Chris's San Francisco City Hall wedding on Ruffled

2011-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Jung and Chris's beautiful San Francisco City Hall, DIY/ Vintage, Monday morning wedding is up on Ruffled blog - and I'm so happy with the photos! These guys are so adorable, creative and fun. I loved this wedding!

Devon and I were married in a weekday ceremony at SF City Hall, too, although ours was private, whereas Jung and Chris rented a space on the fourth floor and invited their friends and family to celebrate with them. The light and architecture there is amazing, and everyone passing by just beams at the ceremony.

These kids got up to recite their passage from 1st Corinthians, and just blushed and hid and giggled. Adorable!!

Jung wrote her vows out in Korean for her non-English-speaking grandmothers. There were lots of tears!

This is one of my favorite portrait series ever, thanks to Chris's awesome expressions:

Jung put a lot of work into the details of the day, and it definitely shows. Thank you thank you thank you for having me along as your photographer! xo

Evan's First Birthday Party on On To Baby

2011-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Evan's first birthday celebration was featured on the Wedding Chicks' baby blog, On To Baby last week. What a cutie! His mom, Heidi of Spitfire Girl Design based the bright primary colored design for the backyard San Francisco party on his nursery and alphabet blocks. It was an amazingly beautiful day in SF, ina very cool old backyard in Noe Valley.

So fun watching these babies grow up!

Jessica and Tim on Style Me Pretty, BR Cohn Winery, Glen Ellen

2011-05-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

I love having my work featured on Style Me Pretty, so I'm very excited to have this gorgeous wedding from last fall featured on their new California-specific blog. Jessica and Tim are so sweet, fun, upbeat and loving. It was a lovely day all around!

The ceremony took place at a funky church in Oakmont, on the Valley of the Moon Sonoma Highway, and the whole party moved to BR Cohn Winery, which is SO GORGEOUS. We had one of the best days of the year, and since it was October, one of the last nice days for quite awhile. Thanks for such a fabulous experience, Jess, and Tim and your families!

Jung Ah and Chris coming soon!

2011-04-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Leave some cuteness for the rest of us! Thanks, J and Chris; I loved being a part of this wedding.

Liz and Joey Engagements, coming soon

2011-04-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Winners of my annual engagement giveaway contest, Liz and Joey, on this gloriously sunny day at the beach... coming soon!

Aditi and Michael's Engagements, coming soon!

2011-04-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

So beautiful, so in love, and so much fun! We did lots and lots of giggling and shooting.

My baby girl is ONE

2011-04-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

My tiny girl is a big ole one year old now!

How did she go from this:

to this?

Curly curly-headed girl:

I wonder where she gets it? :)

We had a great little birthday party and family day. She keeps me on my toes so I just keep photographing her as she grows... perhaps someday she'll hold still enough for me to go through them all!

Honey Grace and Nate, engagement photos, Doyle Park, Santa Rosa

2011-04-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

The lovely HoneyGrace was our fantastic doula, almost one year ago! So it was such a treat to be able to do these engagement photos for her and Nate.

Nate couldn't resist monkeying up the tree:

And some of Honey alone... gorgeous!

I'm so happy with how these photos turned out! What a sweet couple, sweet light, great day.

playing with film/ gratuitous photos of Symphony

2011-04-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

I love shooting digital for many reasons... but I also love, and miss, film. I started out shooting, developing, and printing (by hand) black and white and color films. So sometimes I let myself play with 35mm or 120 film. And my favorite person to play with these days happens to also be really really cute!

Have you noticed her curls?

And cute, sweet grin?

And cute, devilish grin?

Film gives you some delicious skin tones... especially the skin on this little peach.

Although either film or digital can capture unflattering goofy faces...

And then the same face all over again a minute later!

But eating is still a new skill, takes concentration...

We hung out with our friend and favorite stripey chicken, Monroe! Also a fan of film (cannisters).

And enjoyed the kitties and sunlight:

And then I covered her face and little curly hair in kisses. Another good day.

If you're interested in having me shoot any film rolls for your event or portrait, just let me know! xo

Honey and Nate, engagements, coming soon!

2011-03-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

Symphony and Dylan, early 2011

2011-03-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

I seem to always be a few steps behind these babies' growth... in terms of photos and life!

Here's how you know this girl is ours... she's a goof!

Blueberry drool, crazy expression, ridiculously awesome hat... yup, she's mine!

And then there's cousin Dylan - SO adorable and also a goofy face! These kids are really cute and very expressive.

Excited!

Kate's First Birthday Party, more portraits of Kate

2011-03-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Kate is such a mobile, curious cutie, I wanted to share some additional shots of her on the move...

Kate's First Birthday Party, Cornerstone Gardens, Sonoma

2011-03-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Kate's beautiful 1st birthday party at Cornerstone was just featured on the new baby blog from Wedding Chicks, OnToBaby. This fun and sweet (literally) party was planned and designed by the birthday girl's mom, Kelly of A Savvy Event. We'll be working together lots this year, and our babies are just a few months apart in age.

Encaustic Process, Meredith of Wax and Pixels in her studio, Occidental, California

2011-03-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

A while ago, Symphony and I drove out to West Sonoma County, to our friend Meredith's gorgeous studio in the redwoods, to photograph some of the process she uses to create the amazing encaustic pieces she makes for me. It was a wonderful day! Although I probably won't be able to (or want to) wear Symphony on my back for any more photo shoots... little girl is getting BIG.

I love the studio... I want to move in!

Here's Meredith holding some of the ingredients for the wax... this is the resin. Meredith told me that there are sometimes elephant hairs in it from where the elephants rub up on the trees that the resin comes from, I think in India. Did I get that right? Crazy!

More of the stuff... beeswax smells so good!!

From the Wax and Pixels website: "Through the encaustic process, a photograph you love is enriched with beeswax, resin and color -- transforming the photo from a transitory snapshot to an heirloom-worthy art piece. The natural qualities of the wax imbue the photograph with warmth and depth, a dreamlike translucence, as well as an enticing fragrance -- enriching the original photos, but not changing their nature."

"Encaustic is an ancient painting method, combining beewax, tree resin, and pigments to create a luminous, durable, and beautiful finished product. Unlike oil or synthetic binder-based mediums, which dry to harden, encaustic is first heated until it’s molten and liquid and then it hardens as it cools.

In an encaustic painting, the artist builds up multiple layers of translucent, paint-infused wax. Each layer is then melted or fused back together, bonding each layer. This is called "burning in," or in Greek, enkaustikos, the origin of the word "encaustic.""

And the cutest artist in her natural surroundings!

Some of the residents of the studio property:

Symphony on the move

2011-03-08T17:45:00.001-08:00

She's fast!! This is December, she's bigger and faster than ever here in March.

Audrey, Sue, Ryan, Jean and Romie, Mini Portraits, Doyle Park, Santa Rosa

2011-03-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

At Jean and Romie's wedding almost three years ago, Romie's son, Ryan's wife Sue was pretty pregnant. So it was great to get together with all of them and meet and photograph lovely 2.5 year old Audrey!

What a sweet little family:

Grandma and Grandpa love their little girl!

I love these of Audrey by herself - she is so beautiful and sweet!

Shoes accidentally on the wrong feet:

Thanks, Jean and Romie!

Christmas photos... in March...

2011-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

I keep considering whether I should continue sharing photos of my family here, or if it's too personal and uninteresting to clients. But, hey, it's my blog, right? And this kid is CUTE! So, here you go. Symphony's Christmas.

My favorite, taken by Devon:

Christmas morning, we were too busy (and exhausted) to do many photos, but here is the baby bear in front of her first Xmas tree, with a little candy filled candy cane that she loved (until she broke it and all candy was confiscated by parents):

Cute n goofy aunt Emily and uncle Austin:

And, later, cousin Dylan and his family!

Yay! And, Happy March! : )

Chloe, Christine, and Chris, their home and SRJC, Santa Rosa, Mini Portrait Session

2011-02-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

I loved photographing Chris, Christine and Chloe - who is almost exactly a month older than Symphony - in their home and neighborhood. Chloe and Symphony have a lot in common, very similar noises and expressions and cutenesses. We had a lot of fun capturing her sweetness and goofiness.

Chris and Christine set up a beautiful nursery for her:

How much do you love Chloe's awesome hair?!

And then suddenly... it was nap time. What a trooper!

Sierra, Gary, Mimi and Ben, Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol, Mini Portrait Session

2011-02-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

Yet another adorable family! I had photographed everyone but Gary a few years back at the Cast Away photo day, so it was great lovely to get a chance to shoot them all together, and on such a beautiful February day, too.

The whole family climbed up and around in the beautiful old trees of Ragle Ranch... it was a breathtakingly gorgeous day, too.

Happy Valentine's Day! more portraits coming soon

2011-02-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

This is sweet 11 month old Chloe in her tutu! I've got more mini portraits to post and share soon, but I thought this would be a perfect Valentine's Day post. What a cutie pie!!

And a link to my own cutie's breathless hilarity video here.

And a rare shot of her sleeping:

(Rare because she hates to sleep. But, oh, how I love to!!)

And the goofiest family ever:

xoxo

Jenny, Mike, and Beatrix, mini portrait session, Berkeley Marina

2011-02-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Here's another family I have been blessed to work with as they've grown. This was my fourth shoot with Jenny and Mike! Last year saw the addition of beautiful baby Beatrix - hard to believe our girls are growing up so quickly!

It was getting COLD outside, baby! Snuggle up to keep warm.

Bea is becoming a walker - holy goodness!

Pretty mama:

Happy and serious baby Bea:

Jennifer, Scott and Star, mini portrait session, Berkeley Marina

2011-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Jennifer and Scott are former wedding clients, who have a not-so-new baby (almost Symphony's age!), beautiful, sweet Star. They call her their Buddha baby because she is so mellow, watchful and sweet. I wanted to pinch her cheeks but instead I let her parents cuddle and kiss her for the shoot.

I always make sure to get a mama and baby shot because we sometimes get overlooked, and the relationship is so special at this age.

I love the way Scott looks at his girls!

Thanks, Jennifer and Scott! I hope our girls get a playdate soon.

Anita, Derek, Paloma and Sabrina, mini portrait session, Berkeley Marina

2011-02-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about my job is that I get to see clients as they marry, start families, and grow... Anita and Derek hired me to do engagement photos way back in 2005 (I think?), and then family portraits with their then-toddler Paloma, and again to include beautiful 2nd daughter Sabrina. Such a gorgeous, sweet family!

Paloma has personality bursting at the seams:

Sabrina was sleepy but very sweet:

Nothing like an eager older sister to help you smile!

Dancing and singing helps loosen the parents up!

And at some point the Berkeley Marina "mist" just turned into plain old rain... so we hid under some trees (cute umbrellas notwithstanding):

Aaah, everyone in this family is so cute! What a joyous bunch. Thanks guys!

Jacqueline and Gregory's album

2011-02-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some images from the album created forJacqueline and Gregory. It's one of my favorites ever! Check out how deliciously thick it is, with the double window mats in the raw silk green cover, and custom black silk storage box. Beautiful!!

This is the collage-style, raw silk bound Iris album. Gorgeous!!

I am going nuts designing albums - in a good way - so lots more coming soon...

And a lovely thank you email from Jacqueline and Gregory:

"We just opened up the box and pored over our album last night.. We love it! It's so wonderful to finally see the photos so beautifully presented and printed. We also love how you resolved the front window!! We knew you would figure out just the right thing.

Thanks for all your patience throughout this process. We couldn't be happier with how the photos and the album turned out, and of course you are amazing to work with.

Thanks again!!
Jacqueline and Greg"

mini session sneak peeks!

2011-01-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

We had rainy fun on the first day of mini portrait sessions! After a week or two of clear, blue, sunny skies, of course the day I arranged to photograph several families at the Berkeley Marina was freezing and misty. One of those "is it or isn't it raining?" days because the fog is so thick. But everyone was game and in good spirits and I got a ton of great shots. Here are a few teasers!

Thanks to everyone for participating! Let's meet up next in a summertime desert ;)

more Dylan and Symphony

2011-01-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

More of my sweet nephew!

Cousin Symphony loved watching him watching stuff:

"Let me help you off with these pesky socks."

Little buddha girl:

And here she is during the previous photo shoot I did with Dylan - she was at what a friend calls the "potted plant phase", where they can sit but not crawl yet - oh, how I already miss that age! During this shoot I was distracted and for a minute put a very expensive lens down next to Symphony, like my little photo assistant would guard it and not try to break it. Luckily I recovered myself and the lens before she really noticed!

Lots of cute kid and baby portraits happening this weekend!

baby Dylan, the first few weeks

2011-01-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

I think my beautiful nephew Dylan is three weeks old here... what an angel face!

Love this shot. Remember his beautiful pregnant mama? He is a lucky little boy...

Have you ever seen a newborns stretch out and chill so tall?

More more more soon!

Symphony is a goofball

2011-01-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

These photos are older (from early December). My monkey is now 9 months old... but moving around so much that I don't have much of a chance to edit photos of her. So these will have to do for now!

Alyssa's maternity photos

2011-01-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so... maybe these WERE taken 3 or 4 months ago. Or was it 5? Things move quickly when you're on baby time...

(for starters, Symphony is not quite so bald anymore - but still pretty round!)

Anyway, here is my gorgeous gorgeous sister in law, Alyssa, in her ravishing pregnant state! Her baby boy, Dylan, was born in late October - and I will be sharing more photos of my lovely nephew and his cousin Symphony soon (like, forever)!

People say Symphony looks like Alyssa and I'm so glad - just lookit that pretty lady!

Stacy and Christoph's engagements, San Francisco - featured on Wedding Chicks.com!

2011-01-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

Stacy and Christoph's engagement session was beautiful and so fun! We got to explore their fantastic Russian Hill apartment (inside and on the roof), and a fabulous SF park I hadn't been to before.

And Wedding Chicks loved it enough to feature on their blog!

They had this cool ampersand thing in their living room, which I thought would be so fun for playing around on the roof!

Then we headed to the lovely Sutro Heights Park, where Christoph used to go with his grandmother to play... I want to go back, it is just gorgeous!

Thanks Stacy, Christoph, and Ginger the dog! I can't wait for your lovely wedding in July!

Happy New Year! Engagement Portrait Giveaway Contest, Discounted Mini Portrait Sessions, and Thanks!

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

Hooray 2011!! It's time for my annual Engagement Portrait Giveaway Contest!

I'm in love with the results from my last two contests, and am so glad I can continue making this a fun way to stay inspired.

As always, I will give away one free engagement session to a lucky pair. And I want to hear your most creative, fun ideas and locations and props and color schemes, whatever comes to mind.

In order to enter this year, please email me (j@jessamynharris.com):

-your names, and either the story of how you met or how you got engaged
-a photo of yourselves
-any ideas, thoughts, or locations you'd like to use for your shoot

The contest is open to the whole Bay Area, though I will likely choose a location in Sonoma, Marin, or Napa. Still... got an amazing location in the East Bay or San Francisco? Feel free to tempt me!

The deadline to enter this year is January 31st... I will pick a winner in time for Valentine's Day, and will shoot in February or early March. Plenty of time for your best ideas!

You can be a current client, former client, potential client, a friend or a stranger. You must be willing to sign model releases for me, so that I can use the images for stock and promotion. The winning session will include shooting time, online hosting, and an 8x10" print of your favorite shot.

Also, if you are interested in a portrait shoot for yourself, your family, you and your partner, or a pet, I will be offering discounted mini portrait sessions through January and February. These sessions will be only $150 (1/3 of the normal portrait price!), will run up to an hour, and will include online hosting, digital proofing/ online hosting, and an 8x10" print of your choice. Availability is limited, so hurry and contact me to set up an appointment!

These sessions are good for groups of up to four people (or pets), maternity photos, newborn shots, senior portraits, engagement shoots, or anything else you can think of - a very good deal for any of those possibilities!

Email me at j@jessamynharris.com or call me at 707-235-8953

Happy New Year!
xo
Jessamyn
j@jessamynharris.com
www.jessamynharrisweddings.com

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve!

2010-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

I will most likely spend my countdown cuddled in bed with a cozy baby... hopefully warm and asleep... but maybe I'll give her a little tickle around midnight to wish her her first New Year.

Hazel Winter is here!

2010-12-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

Beautiful, sweet Hazel Winter has been born!!

She was due on Christmas and came a week early, in time to let her parents recover and adjust, and to meet her older sister, Lennon, before Santa comes.

Hazel's Down Syndrome was a big surprise. First I was sad... and mad... because it wasn't what any of us expected, and I was scared. And then I met her. And, oh boy, is there nothing to cry about!

This girl is already a joy. She sleeps easily (which I certainly can't say about my own baby, oh well), eats readily, opens her eyes to look around shifty-shifty style and then snoozes some more. She has big chipmunk cheeks and teensy monkey feet. She does the usual newborn stuff in the usual newborn way. She looks like her parents and her sister and herself. She is wonderful!

She is also incredibly lucky - Jessie is one of the best moms I know. She and Ian are still adjusting their ideas of who Hazel is and will be, but when I took these photos on the 3rd day of HW's life, Jessie was already doing great. Loving her baby, enjoying the newborn period, embracing her new daughter physically and mentally.

Hazel is blessedly healthy so far! She is going to be one of the most doted on kids I know, and her big sister is already so proud of her and so ready to kiss her cheeks forever. She looks a little different than some babies, and will probably develop in different ways than most kids. But I'm reminded that even "normal" babies are never who you expect. I couldn't even know who I was pregnant with until I met Symphony, and I continue to find out who she truly is every day. I think every parent has expectations for their baby, and all of those expectations are wrong.

Each baby isn't who we expect, and yet each one also exceeds all of those expectations, and Hazel is no exception.

I'm not sure I'm saying it all right, but I know: Hazel is so lucky. Jessie is so lucky. And I am so lucky to have met her and photographed her so early!

This is a great opportunity for all of us. Jessie said in "I think Hazel is going to teach us a lot about patience and love." Yes! I'm signed up, and I can't wait (ummm, patience?). I'm so glad Symphony gets to be automatic fakey-cousins with this new baby girl!

And if you haven't read Kelle Hampton (a great photographer with a DS baby, too)'s beautiful writing about birthing a surprise Down's Syndrome baby, check it out on her blog here.

Merry Christmas!! I know I'm gushing but I just know this girl is something special.

Desiree and Ben, private estate, Sonoma

2010-12-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

When some of your longest-known, most bestest friends get married, make their invitations a combination of the Star Wars Rebel Alliance insignia and a Bikini Kill 7" logo, and ask you to be in the wedding, which involves wearing whatever you want, standing up with them or not, holding your 5 week old baby or not... you do it!! And happily so.

Unfortunately, that leaves us with no photos of the ceremony. Or bridal party. Or most of anything. But I did get a few shots of the beautiful bride, the rad decorations, the cute couple, and my new family. Love you Dez and Ben! You owe me a sticker. Or R2D2 boutonniere.

What does Mr. Johnny Cash have in that little sling on his chest??

Tiny!!

Lena with great hair:

Right after the ceremony, right before Symphony puked all over me. Like a lady, she didn't get a drop on herself though (and I had a backup dress)!

Sharpie rings = awesome:

Cute happy kids even more so!

That's my girl!

That's my other girl (little bundle)!

Centerpieces:

Burger:

Cute pregnant sister in law:

A friend of the couple's made the beautiful cakes you see above. Amazingly, a little boy, about 6 or so, came up to Devon and I as we were admiring the cakes, reached into his pocket, brought out a handful of change and said "I'd like to buy one of those cakes." We tried to explain that they weren't for sale, didn't belong to us, and would be available freely soon, and he responded persuasively with "some of this is Canadian money". Which, sadly, probably WAS worth more than American money! Too cute.

The best part of all! The lovely couple. These outfits are so the fanciest versions of them, you don't even know. When I heard Ben was going to be dressed as Han Solo, I didn't really get how fantastic that would be until I saw him. NICE!

And my little crew:

Love you guys... and it only took me 7 months to post this! Sigh.

Jamie and Lane, couple portraits, their home, San Rafael

2010-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Lane and I went to high school together, so it had been a long, long time since we had seen each other in person. Thank heavens for social networking! I had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Jamie, and their energetic pup, Allie, and photographing them all despite the pouring rain, in their lovely San Rafael home. I love being forced to stay inside in bad weather and finding interesting light and backdrops where you might not think to look - keeps me working, and I'm so happy with what we came up with here. Who needs sunshine and vineyards anyway?!

I love the series of expressions Jamie goes through here - I don't know how she can be so beautiful when, not only am I forcing them to roll around on the ground, but Allie is trying to lick everyone's face off, but it just works.

Simple and sweet:

Cozy and moody:

I love these three!

Just so pretty and clean:

Happy 5th Anniversary to us!

2010-12-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hooray!! Off to celebrate with a cozy family trip for us 3... See you next week!

sweet parenting story with my photos of Ava and Giraffey at Elephant Journal

2010-12-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

My friend Dani wrote a beautiful piece about her daughter, Ava's special stuffed giraffe, Giraffey, and the loss of her. I had taken some photos of Giraffey at her (G's) birthday party a couple of years back - you can see some of them in the little slideshow accompanying the article. Sweet and sad!

Miss you, Giraffey.

Guests' Self Portraits, Mo and Kent's Wedding

2010-12-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

More fun guest self portraits, this time from Mo and Kent's San Diego wedding this July:

Guests' Self Portraits, Sherry and Jeremy's Wedding

2010-12-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Some of my clients choose to have me do a self portrait set up for their guests to play with during the cocktail hour - here are some great ones from Sherry and Jeremy's Kenwood wedding this July:

My favorite things about doing these are that, since it is a simple, small set up, we can incorporate the beauty of the venue into the shots. Also, guests love to "play", and since it's a digital setup, they're free to go crazy and take as many shots as they like (especially helpful with little kids who want to take 50 shots of themselves making silly faces). So fun!

the Smith girls and their cuuuute preggo bellies!

2010-12-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

We love getting together with our long-time family friends, the Smiths - and there is no better reason to see them than to check out both daughters' adorable pregnant tummies!!!

Here's little Lennon practicing on Symphony for hugging her new baby-sister-to-be:

Lauren's little-big belly kicking:

And Jessie:

The Smiths are different from the Harrises in a lot of ways, one of which is that this shot was taken very haphazardly at 1/5 of a second, which is a long, long time to hold still. I didn't even ask them to stay still, they just naturally are calm. I don't know if anyone in my family is still for that long unless they're napping!

Dodging the sprinkles outside for a couple of cute sister belly shots:

Can't wait to grab and kiss these babies!!

Symphony, 6-7 months

2010-11-30T15:59:00.001-08:00

Just a few shots of my baby doll...

Gluten Free Desserts Cookbook with the Gluten Free Lab

2010-11-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

At long last I have a chance to share images from the Gluten Free Desserts Digest that I photographed back in the spring. Perfectly in time for Thanksgiving!

You can buy the cookbook here.

As if I wasn't overjoyed enough to photograph and eat countless desserts on the job (and while VERY pregnant!!), I had the pleasure of working with the wonderful Gluten Free Lab team. These ladies are the best - witness their required bio portraits:

Jessica and Michael's photo on AOL News

2010-11-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

Wow - Jessica is an author, and she wrote this beautiful piece for AOL News for this Thanksgiving week. I'm so happy that my images were able to help her remember what she is grateful for, and I'm so grateful that I (and the rest of the world) get to read her lovely words!

Check out the article here.

"The shot was one of the ceremony, the light a dappled yellow, the green of our garden all around. I am standing in front of the congregated group with my matron of honor, but only the two of us are in the photo. The photographer caught us both in mid-laugh. I'm bent over from laughing, my smile wide, my face full of joy. "

Jessica and Michael, private home, Oakland

2010-11-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

(Click on the image above for the slideshow.)

Jessica and Michael's wedding was an extension of their family, home, and circle of friends. It was a lovely weekend all around!

It was great to work with some of my favorite vendors for this small wedding - planning and beautiful florals by Alicia Falango of Alicia K Designs, and absolutely amazing catering by Grace Street.

Jessica and Michael, rehearsal dinner, Oakland

2010-11-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

Before I show some of my favorite images from Jessica and Michael's lovely wedding, here are a few from their rehearsal dinner. It was a very sweet gathering of family and a few close friends at their home (where the wedding took place the next day), with the most amazing homemade lasagna, salad, and ice cream. Really! Great toasts and good company.

And how do I know the lasagna was amazing? Because Jessica saw me drooling over it and gave me a piece. And, seriously, you guys - I am NOT exaggerating when I say it was the best lasagna I've ever eaten. Hands down. I'm getting hungry all over again.

The strawberry ice cream was astounding, too.

Wedding favorites soon!

Roederer Estate, Mendocino County, Wine Spectator Magazine

2010-11-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

I had a great shoot at Roederer Estate, way up in rural Mendocino, back in August. The images are in the October issue of Wine Spectator. I got to climb up some funky winery ladders, trek through the dusty vines, and to joke around with the winemaker, Arnaud. I even tried my rusty French on him a bit, and got some lovely sparkling wine to take home. My job is pretty rad!

Some of my other favorite shots:

the new cousin!! Symphony meets baby Dylan

2010-11-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Two new cousins, one a day old and one six months. Amazing.

I think they're going to be best friends, don't you?

Austin and Emily, the Mountain Terrace, Woodside

2010-11-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

(Click on the above image for the slideshow)

My baby brother, Austin, married one of the raddest women in the world, Emily, way back in June. Yikes! I've been so busy that I'm just now having a chance to blog some of my favorites. And there were many, so it was hard to choose.

The wedding took place on an insanely hot day at The Mountain Terrace in Woodside, with epic views of the bay through the trees.

My mom and her friends did all of the table flowers:

And someone made this amazing pinata:

Here are my happy parents walking Austin down the aisle:

While my cute little family watched from the shade!

Kristy Ahumada of Volatile Photo coshot this wedding with me, and she did a great job (and it was wonderful for me to be able to enjoy the party and hang out with friends and family. It's been so long that I can't remember all of which shots are whose, but I LOVE this perspective that she got of Emily being walked down by her mom and brother:

Pretty sister in law!

I loved the bridesmaids' dresses, shoes, and flowers:

This shot takes me back to some of the engagement photos I did for them. Can you tell Austin has 2 big older sisters and grew up having to do what we say?

Symphony at the (very very small) pumpkin patch

2010-11-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

We intended to take Symphony to a pumpkin patch this October (something I have long looked forward to!). We tried... sort of. But first it was too hot, so we had to go to the beach instead. Then it was pouring rain, so we had to snuggle up inside.

We did make it to the "pumpkin patch" on my parents' property - I think there were 8 or 10 tiny pumpkins in lovely variations of orange and green. Here she is, experiencing her first pumpkins, in 80 something degree weather!

Complete with real, spooooky spiders!

And a nice shot my mom took:

OK, back to work on Jessica and Tim's wedding photos!

Garagiste Wine website

2010-11-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

This fun image on the Garagiste Wine homepage is mine!

I like the way they incorporated elements of the photo into the functionality of the website.

Sherry and Jeremy, Kunde Family Estate, Kenwood, California

2010-10-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

(Click on the image to see the slideshow!)

Sherry and Jeremy's lovely wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty last week, here.

So I'm going to keep the details and information there, and let the photos here speak to how beautiful their day was!

It was such a pleasure to have my friend, Paige Green, second shooting for me during the ceremony and cocktail hour. Here are some of the fabulous shots she got:

The wedding was at Kunde Family Estate winery, and I can't wait to work there again! Epic views and wonderful staff.

And the planning, coordination and design was fantastic, as always, with Alicia Falango from AK Designs.

Stacy and Christoph's engagements, coming soon

2010-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, so, so many more lovely shots soon!

Sherry and Jeremy on Style Me Pretty

2010-10-22T11:20:00.001-07:00

Sherry and Jeremy's beautiful wedding is featured on Style Me Pretty this week! I'll be posting more favorites from the wedding soon.

BIG thanks to Paige Green for second shooting this one with me! Some of my favorite images are hers.

I have to share what Abby wrote about me: "We’ve had a long term love affair with Jessamyn Harris on SMP with some of our most favorite weddings coming from behind her lens. Well, when the Jessamyn’s crazy skills get paired with a bride’s super stylish approach, we always get super excited to share it with you. And this one had us the moment we saw the insanely beautiful plum color palette and the glow behind each and every image."

Coming up soon: favorites from Austin and Emily's wedding; Jessica and Michael's wedding; and of course Sherry and Jeremy's wedding. Lots and lots more soon, too!

Happy 1/2 year birthday, Symphony!!

2010-10-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

My little baby is 6 months old today!!

We have come so far.

She's now sitting, reaching, grabbing, babbling, trying little bits of solids (not into it yet) and giving us the greatest smiles and funny sounds.

We also celebrated her father's 30th birthday this weekend. Boy, does he love his baby girl!

And now we await Symphony's little cousin, to be born any day!!

Hong and Chris, sneak preview

2010-10-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Such a beautiful wedding, couple, details, weather... so many more coming!

Jessica and Tim, sneak preview

2010-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous couple, beautiful venue (B.R. Cohn), fabulous day!

Jessica and Michael, sneak preview

2010-10-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Jessica and Michale were so much fun... she is sassy and gorgeous and always in motion. Much much more coming soon!

Symphony, 5.5 months and growing!

2010-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Some more quick shots of my monkey. Trying banana:

And one to ensure that she will really, really hate having a photographer mom when she's older:

Little chunk!

We're at the height of Northern California wedding season here, finishing up soon. Happy October!

Delphine and Joel, the Inn at Victorian Gardens, Manchester, California

2010-09-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

(click on the image above to view the slideshow)

Delphine and Joel were married in a tiny ceremony at the beautiful Inn at Victorian Gardens, way out on the rural Mendocino coast. Delphine's family traveled from France, and Joel's from the Midwest, for the weekend. They brought me out to document this simple but lovely event, and it was such a pleasure to work with the two of them (as well as to practice a bit of my rusty French!).

Delphine had an ipod mini inscribed "Pour Mon Petit Mari" (for my little husband) as a wedding gift for Joel.

Delphine and Joel hired an officiant to speak in English, as well as a translator for the French speakers. The officiant knew my aunt and uncle, who lived in Mendocino for many years, and the translator's name was my mother's, "Joelle". To complicate things, "Joel" is pronounced the same as "Joelle" in French... so when I arrived at the Inn and was asked, "are you Joelle?" I didn't know if they thought I was my mother, the groom, or what!

One of my favorite first kiss moments:

Delphine has a true joie de vivre, running, leaping, grinning and joking everywhere she goes... so fun to photograph!

Symphony, 5 months old!

2010-09-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Love of my life!

Alyssa, maternity shoot, coming soon

2010-09-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Unbelievably beautiful mama!

And two of my favorite ladies:

Can't wait to meet Symphony's new cousin...

Sherry and Jeremy, sneak peek

2010-09-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

... at the beautiful Kunde Family Estate. Coming soon!

Symphony, 120 film scans

2010-09-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Some more film scans...

And our friend Lena, on her first birthday:

Stripes!

Devon and Symphony at the beach

2010-09-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

On my birthday. Wonderful!

These are 120 film scans, from film shot on my funky old Yashica camera. And, believe it or not, this is gorgeous beach weather for Sonoma County : )

Delphine and Joel, coming soon!

2010-09-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ben Sharp of Capture Wines for UCLA Anderson School of Management, Sebastopol, California

2010-08-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick portrait shoot for UCLA's Anderson Business School, of Ben Sharp, Anderson alum and CEO of Capture Wines. It was beautiful in their Sebastopol backyard, and his wife, Tara, and I compared notes on babies. Their daughter is 8 months and oh-so cute!

Mo and Kent, Orfila Vineyards, Escondido, California

2010-08-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

(Click on the image above for the slideshow)

Mo and Kent were my gorgeous Engagement Session Giveaway winners in 2009, and they booked me something like 18 months in advance of their wedding, so it was a big big deal for all of us when it finally rolled around this July! Not to mention that Devon and Symphony accompanied me to San Diego for the trip. I have to confess, we pretty much stayed in the hotel room, enjoying the luxurious bed and room service, when I wasn't working. Someday I will enjoy the SD area properly...

Luckily I got to see some sights on my first trip to the area thanks to their beautiful venue, Orfila Vineyards and Winery, and my wonderful second shooter, Sheri of Tangerine Tree Photography, who I am excited to know now as a colleague and a friend.

Now, on to the photos!

Loved, LOVED Mo's dress!

I'd say the wedding venue was a pretty nice introduction to the San Diego area for me... lovely.

Mo and Kent (ok, mostly Mo) put a lot of work and thought into their wedding... creative details, DIY touches, delicious food, and so on. You can read about the planning, the events, and the recap on Mo's blog at www.pinkargyle.blogspot.com/, and on Elizabeth Anne Designs' blog.

First look:

I love that Kent cried, and that Sheri got this beautiful shot!

Details:

Ceremony!

Lovely couple:

Sprinkles (of course), and they were AMAZING. Mo doesn't know this, but here's my confession: I had two. TWO peanut butter chocolate cupcakes, some of the best cake I've ever eaten (which is no small thing - I've eaten my share of cakes!). Mo, I owe you cupcakes, and I'm happy to provide some next time you're in the Bay Area...

Here are some additional vendors:

Crown Point Catering
Flowers: Rae Florae
DJ: InJoy Entertainment

What a pleasure it's been to get to know and work with Mo and Kent... there are many, many more photos and details, but I'm going to let Mo share them on her blogs, so, take it away Mo... and thanks again!

Mom, on the Onion

2010-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

OK. I have a beautiful, amazingly detailed wedding to share. But first, ohhh, boy. My brother brought this to my attention this morning and I am still amazed:

My mother's image, appearing in the hilarious satirical newspaper,
The Onion.

This is a photo I took 5 or 6 years ago. I have a collection of stock images available for license through Getty Images, and this is one of them. So, my mom signed a model release, and The Onion's art director did a search and decided that she represented a good "mom" to illustrate this article, "Mom Just Locked Her Door".

So far, she seems to have a good sense of humor about it... I don't know what her share of the royalties will be yet. The image is photoshopped pretty obviously onto a generic background. But, wow, is this ever one for Symphony's time capsule! If anyone has a print copy, please send it my way.

The best part may be that my friend Allison, who I haven't seen in 10 years or so, said, "I was looking at the Onion today and thought, wow, that looks like Jessamyn is 30 years!".

ISES Napa Sonoma event, Viansa Winery, Sonoma, California

2010-08-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

(Click on the image above for the slideshow)

I had the great privilege of sponsoring the International Special Events Society's Napa Sonoma Chapter education program last week at beautiful Viansa. The presentation was on "Getting Published", with lovely editors from The Knot flown in for a very windy, but very gorgeous, view of the Sonoma Valley. My friends at Jess Flood Events helped make it a wonderful event, and I met and remet lots of great vendors. My job is so fun!

Beautiful cupcake cake by Fleur de Lisa
Catering and desserts by Sage Catering
Event and Floral design by Julie Stevens Design
Rentals by Classic Party Rentals
A/V Tech by Pacific Entertainment and The Lux Productions

If I'm missing anyone, just let me know!

one thoughtful (and bald) baby - Symphony at 16 weeks

2010-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Lots going on here, for baby and mom. Thousands of Symphony photos and no time to edit and post them...

I would love it if you would like me...

2010-08-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

... on Facebook. Finally! I have my long-overdue Jessamyn Harris Photography page up. Here's a simple way to stay up to date, read my blog (I'll have it auto-importing to FB), get exclusive offers, and follow my rambling silliness.
Hooray!
Jessamyn Harris Photography

Promote Your Page Too

Tolu and Mackinnon, private estate elopement, Geyserville

2010-08-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

(Click on the image above for the slideshow)

This is another private ceremony, an absolutely breathtaking elopement that I love. I think it is one of my favorite weddings ever!
Tolu was born in Nigeria and grew up in Iowa. Mackinnon is a California native, and they were married in secret at Mackinnon's parents' stunning ranch in Geyserville, California. Heavenly...

I'll let Tolu and Mackinnon's words explain:
"We both come from big families. We LOVE our families, but they are big. Lots of schedules, lots of plans, lots of kids, etc. It is really important to us to be married on Loving Day, June 12th, but our families' schedules were not complementary. So, we decided to have a private (secret) ceremony to honor the significance of Loving Day as it relates to our marriage and relationship, while also planning another ceremony at a later date where we will celebrate our union with our families."

From Wikipedia:
"Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Mildred and Richard Loving vs. Virginia which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in 16 states citing "There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause." In the United States, anti-miscegenation laws were state laws banning interracial marriage, mainly forbidding marriage between non-whites and whites. Loving Day is not an officially, government-recognized holiday, but is celebrated by a growing number of people throughout the United States, especially by those involved in interracial relationships."

Can you imagine anything more beautiful?

What an honor for me to be a part of this day. Thank you again, Tolu and Mackinnon!

Sarah and Chad, St. Elizabeth's Church and the Sutter Club, downtown Sacramento

2010-08-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

(Click on the image above for the slideshow)

Sarah and Chad had a beautiful wedding in downtown Sacramento. A Catholic mass at St. Elizabeth's, followed by a brass quartet leading the guests through Capital Park to the Sutter Club for an elegant dinner, and then up to the rooftop for a fabulous dance party overlooking the city at sunset. I loved how the day started pretty traditionally, and then gradually unwound into a totally unique and super fun night. Their guests obviously had a blast and the band was amazing!

Kristy of Volatile Photo second shot for me, and she did an amazing job! I love this shot she got from the ceremony:

I was shooting from the balcony, which was perfect, as I was able to catch Sarah and Chad in their first private moments as newlyweds:

The cover band was Hip Service

Reception at the Sutter Club

Ceremony at St. Elizabeth's

Planning and design by Catrina Maria

Symphony is 15 weeks old!

2010-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

My, how time flies when you're sleep deprived...

Featured in the Knot Northern California

2010-07-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the Fall/ Winter 2010 issue of the Knot Northern California! There is a lovely interview with my fabulous planner friend Jess Flood in their "special wine country section", and several of my images illustrate her thoughts nicely. Fun!

Tolu and Mackinnon, coming soon!

2010-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to... just me, the couple and the officiant. Coming up very soon!

Symphony and Harper "outtakes"

2010-07-26T10:35:00.001-07:00

Behind the scenes from cousin Harper's 1 week old photo shoot, Symphony was a little bully!

You can see she started out very cute and innocent looking with Auntie C:

And then instead of sharing nicely, gave Harper a knuckle sandwich:

Little troublemaker!

Or maybe she was sharing her favorite things (her fingers)?

Either way, it tired her out:

I can't wait until these little girls can run around playing together and, even better, we can embarrass them with these photos!

Sunset Magazine's Celebration Weekend

2010-07-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

I had the best time shooting Sunset Magazine's Wine Club VIP lounge at their Celebration Weekend back in June. My good friends at Jess Flood Events coordinated the lounge and it looked fabulous. Plus, it was cool photographing a part of Sunset's offices that most people don't get to see, even during the Celebration Weekends. The magazine is so beautifully designed, and this building had me imagining working there in the fabulous 1960s and photographing some of those 50s and 60s amazing retro trends in architecture and design (many of which are coming back through fashion).

Here is some of the dirt (there's probably a fancier wine name for it - part of the terroir?) from one of the wineries, I loved that they brought it.

Winemakers:

I thought the succulents were a lovely element in the adobe-chic kind of feel of Sunset's buildings. Very Western yet very beautiful.

Jessie pretend drinking wine for me:

It was about 10 million degrees outside but everyone had a great time exploring the Sunset grounds anyway. Great food, tons of very cool displays and samples and demonstrations. I can't wait for next year!

Here I am geeking out, admiring the big mirrors in the ladies' bathroom, and the 60's style tapestry.

And no blog post would be complete without a photo of my adorable assistants:

You can see more on Jess's blog. Thanks to Jess Flood and her team and everyone at Sunset for making us so welcome, even with the baby in tow!

Symphony is 3 months old

2010-07-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

And she is adorable!
(I know I'm biased, but, c'mon)

I have a ton of photos to edit from the past few months' fabulous weddings, so poor Symphony will have to wait to have her portraits edited and shared. I fear that we will always been at least a month behind with photos of her, our lovely girl is growing so fast!

Here she is, "talking" up a storm:

And snuggling with her favorite kitty:

Gluten Free Desserts Cookbook with the Gluten Free Lab, coming soon!

2010-07-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, wow... I am so excited for the final, printed version of the Gluten Free Desserts cookbook I photographed for the Gluten Free Lab! It's coming soon, and it's going to make me drool all over again. Big thanks to my girls of the GF Lab and notion:creative for including me!

Austin and Emily! Sneak peek

2010-07-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

My baby brother is married! To one of my favorite people!

I'm very excited for this wedding (and my parents are already asking, "when will the photos be ready?!") but we all have to wait patiently...

More coming soon!

Mo and Kent, sneak peek

2010-07-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little preview of Mo and Kent's gorgeous San Diego wedding! Devon, Symphony and I are back from our trip down to SoCal for the event, and I can't wait to edit the photos.

Melissa and Brett on the Wedding Channel's Wedding of the Day

2010-06-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

Another lovely feature on the Wedding Channel's Wedding of the Day!

This was one of my most popular weddings, and one of the editor's favorite weddings. Hooray for all of the awesome details!

I am busy busy shooting and mothering, lots going on and lots to share soon!