Meagan and Patrick's First Look

It's moments like this that remind me how much I love my job.  

So there I was, hiding in the bushes, totally ninja like except for the rapid fire of my shutter... Patrick was facing the street, nervous as can be, practically shaking!  Meagan walked up behind him and tugged on his sleeve, already crying.  Patrick turned around and saw his bride for the first time, you could see how much he was glowing and filled with love for her.  Not to mention how his jaw dropped to the ground when he saw her looking so beautiful!  

Aside from me hiding in the bushes, it was just the two of them in this little garden and they shared a wonderful moment that I know they will remember for the rest of their lives.  And I got to witness it and capture those memories for them!  What a complete honor and privilege!  

The amount of trust my clients put in me humbles me and touches me to the very core. 

Meagan couldn't stop smiling, glowing, and crying.  Patrick couldn't stop smiling, glowing, and oogling ;)  And they shouldn't!  Here's to smiling, glowing, and happiness for them for the rest of their lives! 

Patrick and Meagan, thank you so much for sharing your amazing day with me and trusting me to capture it for you!  Can't wait to share some more images, but just had to share this one for now because it was such a great moment for you two.  Happy honeymoon!  May it last for an eternity!

Finally... A Wrap-Up Of My Trip!

 Q&A:

Why did you do this?

    Simply put – because I could.

Where did you go?

*In sequential order –

    My grandmothers house in Southern California

    Las Vegas, NV

    Williams, AZ

    Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim, AZ

    Cameron, AZ

    Sunset Volcano National Monument, AZ

    Wupatki National Monument, AZ

    Flagstaff, AZ

    Sedona, AZ

    Oak Creek Canyon, AZ

    Slide Rock State Park, AZ

    Jerome, AZ

    Prescott Valley, AZ

    Red Rock Canyon National Park, NV

    Las Vegas, NV

    St. George, UT

    Springdale, UT

    Zion National Park, UT

    Red Canyon, UT

    Bryce City, UT

    Bryce Canyon National Park, UT

    Kanab, UT

    Jacob Lake, AZ

    Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, AZ

    Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ

    Page, AZ (Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon)

    Monument Valley, AZ&UT

    Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, AZ

    Gouldings, UT

    Mexican Hat Rock, UT

    Four Corners, UT/AZ/NM/CO

    Cortez, CO

    Moab, UT

    Arches National Park, UT

    Canyonlands National Park, UT

    Capitol Reef National Park, UT

    Torrey, UT

    St. George, UT

    Las Vegas, NV

    Grandma’s house, So. Cal

What was your favorite place?
    Visually: Probably Bryce Canyon National Park
    Photogenically: Antelope Canyon
    Enjoyment:  Zion National Park
    Spritually (feeling most at peace): Bryce Canyon National Park
    For meeting cool people: Page & Sedona, AZ

Least favorite?
    Probably Flagstaff, AZ... I was only there for a short time but there was a Purina Dog Food factory there and I was downwind of it once and I thought I was going to lose my stomach, the smell was so bad!  It was like sticking your head in a bag of dog food and closing it around you and breathing deeply... gross.

Which days of the trip are you most thankful for?
    The days I got to spend with my sister!!

Meet any cool people?
     Yes!  Lots!  The ones that stick out the most in my mind are the three photographers I met at Horseshoe Bend outside of Page, AZ.  These three guys were on a whirlwind photography trip of the southwest and they had it planned down to the wire!  We were all photographing this amazing sunset at Horseshoe Bend, which is a famous section of the Colorado River which bends into a horseshoe shape canyon.  We were up at the top of the ridge looking down on the canyon.  I knew who the real photographers are because they stuck around after the sun actually set waiting for the clouds to turn into that wonderful shade of pink, which it did!  After the pink disappeared we started talking and we all hiked the giant sandy hill back together (because they didn't want me to have to use my pepper spray on the coyotes... hehe!), which was actually very nice of them.  When we got back to the parking lot they shared a beer and some pretzels with me and we just stood around talking photography and travel and they gave me some wonderful tips about the places I was headed that they had already been.  It was really nice and they didn't give me the skeeves, but yes I still kept my pepper spray on my wrist, Mom.  :)

Any regrets?
    No, not really.  There are places I would have liked to spend some more time in and places I didn't get to visit that I wanted to but I had to make those decisions based on necessity and best use of my time our and about.  I'll get to those places someday!


THE NUMBERS:

4,108.4........... miles driven
42................... days on the go
14................... tanks of gas
11................... National Parks & Monuments
5..................... RV parks
5..................... traditional campgrounds
9..................... hotels (6 of them were in Vegas for WPPI)
7..................... blocks of ice
9..................... bundles of firewood
3..................... visits to a laundromat
4..................... speed traps (at least)
3..................... herds of wild mustangs
12................... road walkers
Hundreds...... of baby cows
Several.......... snow covered peaks
Numerous..... strange tiny little towns
Countless...... rock formations in the shapes of animals, birds, cars, trains,
                        buildings, boats, clothing articles, cartoon characters, people,
                        famous people, and even the white city from LOTR.


I also had a few small world moments -

* I got a call for a wedding in Monterey this summer, but the couple lived in Las Vegas, which I was literally on my way to when the call came.  So I met with them in Vegas, they booked me, and I shot their engagement session the second time I was in Vegas.

*In Zion National Park I saw a guy playing with a really REALLY nice 4x5 large format camera.  This of course sparked camera envy in me, so I went over to talk to him.  It turns out he bought an 8x10 large format camera from one of my colleages in Monterey while he was visiting the area.

*  In an animal museum outside of Bryce Canyon I met two gentlemen and their wives who own wineries in Monterey's wine country.

*  Driving around in Arches National Park, I was often following a van with Jim Vreeland Ford license plates from Buelton, CA, which is very close to where I grew up and is the dealership my parents often bought their cars from and one of my HS friend's Dad worked there, etc.


And here's a photo to leave you with... from Sedona, AZ on the top of a ridge at sunset:

Leslie & Matt's Engagement Session, Garland Ranch, Carmel Valley & Pacific Grove.

Meet the fabulous and sweet couple, Leslie & Matt! 

Congratulations, Leslie & Matt!  You two are a great couple!  I had tons of fun on your engagement session!

Julia & Zac's Engagement Sneaky Peek

Here's a little preview from Julia & Zac's smokin' hot engagement session last!  Not all images are this... umm... risque? ;)  There's some just plain beautiful ones too!  But you'll have to wait for the others, for now here is some hotness -

We had so much fun during this session!  Obviously they were enjoying themselves ;)  but I was having a blast too!  Their wedding will definitely be one for the books!

I have a lot I want to post about, including some of the places I visited but didn't get to post about, a wrap up of the trip, etc.  But for now I just want to share a song from the soundtrack of the Broadway Musical of The Lion King.  It gives me chills every time I listen to it... which has been a lot this trip. 

This is just the song set to some video clips from the Disney animated movie, but just close your eyes and sit and back and listen. 

The Snow Incident

Because everyone wants to know what happened - here it is.

Monday after Easter I headed out of Moab, UT.  The plan was to take the scenic route while heading west.  I was going to go through Capitol Reef National Park and see the sites, and then take a route through a bunch of scenic area heading in the direction of Zion National Park where I would camp, or camp somewhere along the way if I got too involved in what I was seeing.  The next day I was going to continue heading west and either reach California and my Grandmother's house that night or the day after.  However.... that is not how it all happened.

I left Moab around noon or so.  Driving to Capitol Reef National Park was really bad for the paint job on my poor truck.  It was like driving through a sand blaster!  The winds were INSANE!  There were some points where the dust and sand were so thick it was like driving through tulle fog.  Fortunately it wasn't that way the entire time.  It was still insanely windy but the sand blasting wasn't a constant thing... just every few miles.  Heh.  I stopped at a few different places in Capitol Reef, saw some 1000+ year old petroglyphs, went to the visitors center, and stopped at an old Mormon historic farmhouse and bought some homemade ice cream.  It was so windy though I didn't want to subject my camera to it so there are no photos to share of this day. 

So... as I'm leaving Capitol Reef I realize that I am leaving sunny blue (albeit windy) skies and driving towards a big gray mass of dark coldness and most likely snow.  So I stop and look up the weather and rethink my plans and route.  I realize that I'd be driving over windy mountain roads in snow and rain and that is a bad idea.  So I figure out a different route, realize it's going to rain all night if I camp, figure out it would only take 4 hours from where I was to get to Las Vegas, find a hotel room at the Hilton for $35 (score!) and decide that sounds like a much better plan.  So I look at the map and look up the weather on all the cities along the path so as to make sure I wouldn't be driving through massive amounts of snow.  It says its mostly ok, just some rain and possible thunder storms but even that doesn't look that likely... according to the weather apps on my phone.

It snowed as I was driving through this long narrow valley, but it wasn't super heavy or sticking to anything so I figured that was okay.  And then it took me to another highway... and that highway starting climbing in elevation.  Normally that is fine... except for when it is snowing.  I figured as long as the snow was sticking I'd be ok.  But then it started sticking to the vegetation.  And then to the dirt.  And then to the side of the road.  Not good.  And then to the road in between the lanes.  Definitely not good.  And why was I still rising in elevation?  Why is this snow here???  There wasn't supposed to be snow!!  So now it is sticking to the road, and I am crawling uphill.  And then I start to feel the panic coming because my windshield wiper is now frozen over and not clearing my window and I'm driving on like 4 inches of snow or more (remember, I'm from the Central Coast, I have never driven in snow before, so 4 inches of snow is a lot for me, this being my first time and all). 

I eventually get to a summit but going downhill proves to not be a good thing.  I was sliding.  And the way the road and mountain were, I would have slid right into the oncoming lanes or beyond them and down the hill.  Gravity was not my friend.  So when I was able to grip enough ground I pulled over as far as I could (which wasn't all the way off the road because I was sliding too much) and I put my truck in park, emergency brake on, hazards on, and then I cried.  I had no idea what to do, I was in short pants and sandals (it was 70 when I left Moab), I was scared, I felt like an idiot, and mostly I just had no idea what to do... so I cried for a couple minutes... really hard.

Once I gathered myself, I pulled my hiking boots out from the back, dug out some sweatpants from the bed of my truck through the back window of my cab, and pulled my coat out too.  As I was sitting there a truck came up the other side and rolled down his window.  The driver was a man probably in his late 30's or early 40's and asked me if I was ok.  I told him I was sliding too much and didn't have enough control to continue.  He then asked me if "the diesel was ok".  I had no idea what he was talking about... because I couldn't see out my front window.  But turns out a semi-truck had slid off the road and jack-knifed.  Whoa!  So I asked him if I should put my chains on and he said he would help me.  This guy was my guardian angel of the mountain! 

He first put my chains on the front tires thinking it would give me more steering control.  This much allowed me to turn my truck around but I couldn't go back up the hill because my back tires had no control or grip.  So while my front tires held the ground, my back tires spun on ice while gravity slowly swung the back end towards the side of the mountain.  So then, this guy, who's name was Richard, helped me take them off the front tires and put them on the back tires.  At this point a woman in a full size truck stopped by and asked if we were ok.  She said she had a tow strap if I needed help up the hill.  People are so nice.  Turns out I was able to get back up the hill with my chains on the back tires, and had enough control to continue down the other side and get out of the deep stuff.  The snow plows had come by this point too so that helped.  And then... Richard came back!  This time he helped me take my chains off since I could just stay in the snow plowed part and be fine.  This guy had now probably spent at least a half an hour or probably more out in the freezing cold helping me.  This is why he is the guardian angel of the mountain.  Such a nice guy.  I am so grateful for his help. 

Richard also informed me that the storm was worse if I had continued on my original path.  He said the news had said that this was expected to be one of the worst storms of the season and that if I continued I should probably stay in a town called Beaver and probably wouldn't be able to leave until later the next day or maybe even the day after.   That is why I decided to turn around and go the way I came and then south.  We looked at the map and determined that would be a much better idea. 

By the time I got off the mountain it was 8pm.  I left Capitol Reef at 4pm.  I was supposed to hit Las Vegas around 8:30.  That obviously didn't happen.  I took the southern route over, went down to the tip top of Arizona and then over back to St. George, UT, and then down to Vegas.  I got to the Hilton at 1:30am.  I was practically holding myself up on the check-in counter so the guy gave me an upgraded room and a 2pm late check out.  Hallelujah!  So I slept for at least 10 hours, took a hot shower, and headed off to my Grandmother's house. 

So yeah... that day kinda sucked.  And I am very glad that I had chains and that people are inherently nice. 

Also, I will never trust the weather apps on my phone again.  Ever.

I am glad that it wasn't a worse situation and I am safe and everything.  Snow is beautiful and nice to play in and visit, but that just reinforced that I don't really ever care to live in it! 

Antelope Canyon

I have some serious catching up to do!  I haven't posted from Bryce Canyon, Sedona, Horseshoe Bend, any of the scenic stuff from driving, and so many other things.  I think a lot of the photo postings will come after I get home and can see everything on my big iMac screen and not this little wimpy PC (Peice of Cr...) screen.  I sure hope the colors aren't all off on this thing!  Anyway...

I've been in Page, AZ for the past couple days.  I intended on leaving today but I also intended on visiting the lower Antelope Canyon.  However, Mother Nature decided to throw a wind/dust storm this way so I've been hiding from the winds.  I didn't think driving to unknown far off locations with 35mph winds with gusts to 65mpg was the best idea.  So I'm staying here another night.  Hopefully the wind will be gone and I will be able to walk again tomorrow morning so I can go there on my way out to Monument Valley (the next stop!).

Why can't I walk, you ask?  Have you ever done lunges for 2 hours?  I don't highly recommend it.  Especially if you don't have quads-o-steel.  Photographing in Antelope Canyon was like doing lunges for two hours because I was down on my knees photographing, then up and moving 2 feet, then down, then up and moving 3 feet, then down.  But so completely worth it!!!  WOW.  That is all I can say.  There really aren't any words to describe it.  It is so breathtakingly beautiful and surreal and totally different from anywhere else I have ever been.

Antelope Canyon can only be accessed with a Navajo guide.  You cannot enter or go to the canyon on your own.  And honestly, if you could I wouldn't recommend going without a guide anyway... especially if your a photographer.  I took a photographers tour... which was only *supposed* to be for serious amateurs and professionals.  There were about 4 people with tri-pods, another 4 or so with point-n-shoots, and a few more just standing around.  Those all kinda ended up going off on their own and finishing in the canyon way before the actual photographers did.  Which was fine... less people to compete for space with and try to keep out of your frame or from walking in front of the camera with the shutter open.  (Trying to convince people that while I was sitting there "doing nothing" that my shutter was actually open and a photo was being taken was interesting.)  Anyway... (See this is why I titled this blog "Random Ramblings" because I tend to go off on rambling tangents!)

My guide (whose name I will find out tomorrow and post here in an edit) was AWESOME!!  I think I had him wrapped around my pinky!  It ended up just being me and one other guy with the guide for the last 2/3rds of the time we were in there.  He was pulling me into all these locations and spots and pointing stuff out to me and stand here, sit here, hoisting me up on rocks, holding people back from my shots, asking other tour guides if he could have them hold on for one minute so I could get the shot, etc.  He even carried my bag for the last hour (his idea... he just did it) because it was impeding me from backing all the way up to the rock walls to get in the shadows enough.  Sooooo awesome.  Totally worth the price, which wasn't even that much considering.  It was 70 minutes longer than a regular site seeing tour and only $15 more.  What?  Um, yes please.

I walked away with about 20 gb's of images... nothing was less than a second exposure time, most were around 5 seconds, with several that were 30 seconds or more.

Did I mention that it was amazingly awesomely cool?  No wait... again... no words really describe it.  Beautiful.  Spiritual.  Moving.  Alien.  Unique.  Breathtaking.  Gorgeous.  All of those work but don't fully describe it.  The photos show some of the scenes but you still don't get the feel of being there. 

Ok, enough rambling... on to a couple sneaky peeks of the images I took there.

Zion National Park in low light.

Some of you may think that wedding photography is my favorite photography... but its not.  Wedding photography incorporates so many different types of photography that my favorite type is often in there.


My absolute favorite type of photography is low light or night photography, long exposures, super small aperture, etc.  I love the detail and richness you get when you have your shutter open for a long time.  All of these photos had long exposures, and were either in the shadows of deep canyon walls or right at sunset.

I found a spring in the desert!  Hana, know what this plant is?  Some guy came by as I was photographing and ate a couple of the leaves.

As soon as my laundry is dry, I'm heading up to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Cross your fingers I can find a place to camp tonight!

Zion National Park

I don't have much to say today.  I've been sleeping and sick all day.  But yesterday I drove around and did some photographing and site seeing.  Here's a couple for your viewing pleasure.

I saw a whole herd of Big Horn Sheep!!

I feel like these two were looking at me like - "What?  You can't scale rock like this?  Pfft.  Lesser species..."

There were more than 10... they were pretty spread out. 

Aren't they so cute??

One of the websites about the park says its pretty rare to see them, but I actually saw 2 other Bighorn Sheep before I saw this herd... so maybe I was just lucky, or maybe the website is wrong?  Either way... it was pretty cool.  Zion is beautiful!  I am looking forward to exploring more tomorrow!
Until then, happy adventures and keep on truckin!

Veronica & Jeff - Engagement Session at Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas, NV.

What a small world it is!  As I was on my way to Las Vegas for the WPPI Convention, I got a call from a bride who is having her wedding in Monterey but lives in Vegas.  What are the odds that I just happened to be on my way there?  So we met up and clicked well.  They are both dog people too, so we have that in common!  And they are fun, goofy and light-hearted and I knew this would be a good couple to work with.  Oh, and did I mention adorable?

Since I knew I was going to be coming back to Vegas in a couple weeks, we planned on meeting up to do their engagement session there.  We met at Red Rock Canyon with their two funny sweet dogs, Kaylee and Otis.  We had a lot of fun and got some great organic images.  Here's a little sneaky peek for ya:

Otis -

Kaylee -

That last one cracks me up so I had to include it.
I'm very much looking forward to Veronica and Jeff's wedding!  It's going to be a blast!

Good evening all! Ok, so I’ve been at the Grand Canyon for 4 days now. Why so long? Mostly because I was taking advantage of the fact that I had a guaranteed camping spot that was comfortable and relaxing so I could relax and get over my traditional post-Vegas cold. Bleh. It’s mostly gone now. I feel much better.

And the other reasons for being here so long is because I had yet to be inspired by this place. “What? How is that possible?” you say? Perhaps this is both the gift and the curse of the artist… but it seemed like everywhere I looked I saw a photo someone else had already taken. I feel like I’ve seen this place before a million times. It was very frustrating because I feel like I should have been awed and humbled by the majesty and beauty of the cliffs and colors and layers and complexity of it all. Was there something wrong with me? Shouldn’t everyone be awed by such a magnificent and “Grand” place? Maybe I was comparing it to my beloved Yosemite, where everywhere you look something different is there and there are a million views and so many photos that have yet to be taken… Either way, I was artistically frustrated. I had shutter-block. (You know, like writers-block.)

So I left my camera in the car, hadn’t even bothered taking pictures for the first couple days. Today I decided to drive a little further. Venture down the road. Get away from the crowds a little. I stopped at a few of the little view points. It was starting to get a little better. And then I stopped at this one place, again, leaving my camera in the car. I went to the look out that everyone was at. Ok. Seen it. Moving on. So I notice there’s some beaten snow, like there’s a path there. Hmm… wonder where that goes. Hey, this is starting to look interesting! A little further, a little further… and then I break through the trees and break through the shutter-block! I have found my place for sunrise tomorrow! I didn’t have my camera with me, but I think if I did, I probably wouldn’t have ventured down there.

Sometimes I think people get so caught up in capturing the moment that they forget to look around and enjoy themselves. I make it a point not to bring my camera out with me all of the time. Or to keep it in my bag for a little while. I find it fascinating to observe people observing the world through a two inch LCD screen on the back of some gadget. Are they really seeing the world? What are they going to do with that video when they get home? Is it going to sit in a drawer? And then 10 years later they will look at it, will they wonder what they missed? Can life really be experienced through a LCD screen? I don’t think so. I don’t think so at all.

Anyway, I got off on a tangent. So I tromped through the snow and over some boulders and I found this amazing vista. I felt renewed. I felt like I could start taking photos again. That there was, perhaps, art left to be made in this place that is so popularly visited. Yay!

Moving on down the road a little, I found a place where I could actually view the sunset (so far it had always been behind my back). So I wandered all around the point, again, without camera, and enjoyed the views of the Colorado River, peaks, cliffs, etc. And then I picked my spot for sunset, grabbed my gear and jacket and thermos of tea and hunkered down. Ok, photos of the clouds, sunset colors, canyon, etc. Nothing too thrilling. So I decided to listen to what one of my mentors said… when you are not being inspired by what you see in front of you, turn around and take a photo of that. So I did. And it was way better!

 









I swear to you I did not tweak the color of the sky. I added a little clarity and contrast to the foreground and a little film grain because with the lowest possible ISO setting, it needed it. This was a 30 second exposure at f25 about 20 minutes after sunset. That is the real color of the sky when exposed that long.


So, lesson for the day, go a little further down the road, venture off the beaten path, look around you and behind you, and experience life as it is in all of its grandness and not through a two inch LCD screen.


Oh, and here's a little something from playing with my new telephoto zoom lens. Mmmmm... it's a tasty lens for sure.

A very personal post as to why I do what I am doing.

People usually give me one of two reactions when I tell them that I am road tripping on my own, camping out on my own, sleeping in the back of my truck, etc.

The first is my favorite - they get all excited and high five me and say "Way to go!" and "Good for you".  Someone even called me a rockstar once.  They say that is so awesome, etc.  I agree with them, I think it is awesome ;)  (And I suppose I'll take the rockstar thing too!  Hehe.)  Those are the people who get it.  They understand.  Those are my people!

And the second reaction I don't mind so much because it just reinforces what I am doing and who I am.  The second reaction is shock, they think I'm crazy, they think I shouldn't be doing it, etc.  I've had people, not quite several but definitely more than a few, have told me that it's not something a woman should be doing.  Some people can't imagine how I could stand to go on my own, that I must get so lonely, etc.  Depending on who it is I might explain a little more or a little less.  But I rarely ever go very deep into the explanation as I will right now. 

Perhaps I am a little crazy.  It's ok, I'm at peace with that.  I would rather live my life with a little crazy in it that play it safe all the time and not have any adventures or experiences.  I don't like to set limits for myself.  I like to stretch my limits and see what I am really capable of.  I like to know that I can live out of my truck for a month.  I like to know that I can be independent and not relying on someone all the time.  I don't think that someone shouldn't do something just because people don't think a woman should do it.  If anything that's reason enough to DO it!  Prove them wrong.  Prove to yourself that they are wrong.  Prove to yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Also, when I go by myself I only have myself to answer to.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE traveling with my friends and loved ones.  Especially those fun all-girls trips!  However, it's always a completely different type of experience.  Both are excellent experiences and both have their place.

When I am by myself, I often let my heart and eye and camera lens lead the way.  When I see a scene or see the direction of light or amazing clouds, I follow my heart and eye and guide my camera to where my eye leads.  That is a freedom of vision and art that just does not happen when traveling with others.  It usually makes others annoyed with me, actually.  ;)

 But really, this time is about art, vision, photography, perspective, life, and freedom.  It is time used not only to see new places that I've always wanted to see, but also to refresh my soul, re-energize my spirit, and remind me of what is really important in life.  I know that I will go back home a changed person.  Every experience changes us.  What is important is how you embrace that change.  I know that when I go back, I will probably sleep for 3 days straight.  But when that's over, I will be so ready to tackle the next challenge with so much more vigor than I would have before I left.  But for now, I am not thinking about the future.  I'm focusing on the now.  Being in the moment.  Experiencing all there is to experience on my little adventure.

I sincerely hope everyone gets a chance to follow their feet/wheels and heart and eye and whatever leads you. Don't be afraid to do what you want to do.  Don't listen to the limits other people apply to you.  They don't know you and they don't know your limitations.  Be your own rule maker!  :-D

And with that... I am off to the Grand Canyon.

I wish you all a week (and a life) full of adventure and heart and passion!

Keep on truckin!

Update - WPPI Convention until now.

I seem to be having some trouble with my memory card reader and/or external hard drive and/or usb ports on my old lame laptop.  So unfortunately I have no photos to show on this post.  Hopefully I will have it remedied soon. 

I was hoping to have updated more during the course of the convention, however wi-fi was either limited or ridiculously expensive for not spending much time in my room.  I'm sure more details will come later... but for now, here's the general run-down.  Feel free to skip it, I won't take it personally ;)

- Tuesday - Got to grandma's, hung out with cousin
- Wednesday - oil change and breakfast with grandma, couple of errands on my way out of town and got to vegas around 3:30.  Welcome reception that evening and some hanging out with peeps.  Stayed at Hooters with a friend of mine.
- Thursday - day one of workshop - really great.  Worked with a model bride and groom, learned a lot, really inspiring and informative.  Then was standing around the casino in MGM and someone gave us free tickets to KA.  :-D  So got to see that again.
- Friday - day 2 of workshop - also really great.  Learned alot, inspiring, etc.  Then first session of the "Business Institute" that evening.  Pretty wiped by the time I got to my hotel.  Moved to the Tropicana because my friend went to LA to do a wedding.  Got my room upgraded to a "mini suite" for free just because I asked ;)  It wasn't much to write home about... still pretty ghetto, just  a little more space. 
- Saturday - full day of Business Institute classes.  Had to take a nap and miss one because I was so dead tired.  But then I felt human again so that was good.  Sat night - met with a couple who called me on tuesday about a wedding in Monterey and they said they lived in Vegas.  Coincidence!  Meeting went well, very sweet couple :) 
- Sunday - slept in (YAY!), checked out of Trop, went to Miracle Mile Shops, wandered aimlessly for a couple hours, only bought some $5 nail polish at sephora.  Then checked into the Signature Towers at MGM where me and 3 other people shared a suite.  It was sooooooooooo choice.  They had Villeroy and Boch dishes... !!!!!  Then went to opening program/reception thingy.  Danced away with some friends till 1am then showered and crashed...
- Monday - 8am class!  *yawn*.  Went to classes and tradeshow all day.  Nothing super exciting to report other than it was all pretty good and very busy.  Met with the bride from Saturday night to sign a contract!  Yay!  Don't think I did anything mind blowing that night.
- Tuesday - classes and tradeshow again.  Really good stuff.  Chillaxed with some friends that evening in the food court then went to go to my room to change and go to some awesome parties that were happening... only to find out that one of my roommates got so drunk that he stayed in the room to pass out (literally) early and in his drunken stupor decided it would be a good idea to lock the nightlatch when his 3 other roommates were outside the room.  .................  I won't go into detail, but lets just so no amount of noise woke this guy up... so an hour later security and maintenance jerryrigged the latch off the wall and let me in... and he still never woke up.
- Wednesday - Checked out of my room before 8am - went to class, then tradeshow, bought some stuff, went to more classes, heard a landscape photographer speak (would love to tell you how amazing his images are, but i never got to see any because his projector wasnt working).  Met up with some friends for dinner, chatted, networked, went to awards dinner, laughed my tooshie off at the spoof film, felt really inspired by the images that won awards, and cried at the album that won.  Then hung out with friends all night... bed around 3am - sooooo tired.  Stayed at Hooters again - $20 a night.... ghetto but it works.
Thursday - Checked out of Hooters.  Went to morning closing session which was called Photographers Ignite.  25 photographers were each given 5 minutes and 20 slides that advanced ever 15 seconds.  One of my local buddies spoke.  Over all it was a really great session.  There were some great speakers and it was closed by one of my favorites singing (yes, singing!) a photographers rendition of "I Will Survive".  It was classic.  Then left the MGM for the last time.  Went in search of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and an REI looking for a beanie.  Didn't find one.  Apparently they all think winter is over.  Got to Mandalay Bay around 5:30 ish... and again... got my room upgraded just because I asked... but this time - to an "Skyview Suite".  WOW!!!  Was this place nice!!!!  Went and saw "The Lion King" which was A. MAZING.  I laughed, I cried, I stopped breathing.  It was sooooo good.  Highly recommend it.  Then grabbed some dinner to go and bought a bottle of wine at the little store of sundries and chilled in my phat suite and jacuzzi tub and enjoyed life and got totally relaxed and slept like a baby. 
Friday - Packed up, got some free breakfast (- I know how to work the system ;)  ), checked out, and now I am doing my laundry at a ghetto laundromat.

After this I am heading to the Grand Canyon, where it will be a whopping 18 degrees tonight.  I'll be there for 3 nights and then I haven't figured out what I am doing after that.  I'm sure I'll be spending a few hours re-organizing my truck (aka: home) and studying maps and books to figure out what I'm doing. 

Over all it has been a great time.  A few mishaps here and there and a runny nose as a souvenir as I depart... but overall, the amount of knowledge and inspiration and tools I came away with will really help me raise my business to the level I would like it to be at.  I'm on my way, folks!  With a lot of hard work and dedication, this almost 4 year journey I have been on to get this business set up and going will get there eventually.  Hey, look how far I have come so far!  Ok, laundry almost done, off to the wilderness I go I go!!

Love you all!  Hopefully there will be more frequent blogs in the future.

My Baby Brother Got Married!!!!!

Today was a good day.  The weather was nice.  The family was all together.  The dogs got to play on the beach.  And I gained a little sister :)

My brother, Jonathan, married his high school sweet heart, love of his life, and soul mate, Brittany, today in a lovely intimate beach wedding at Jalama Beach with a Chumash Indian ceremony.  There was white sage, succulents planted in driftwood, dogs wearing lace, flip flops, feathers, tears, laughs, and a whole lot of love.

Here's a few images from the day.  (More will come after my road trip!)

         I love this one - 

      First kiss :)

I love you both!!!  Welcome to the family, Brittany!  Your a Rodgers now, God help you ;)

The very first post!

Hi everyone!  I *FINALLY* have a blog!  About time, eh?  This is just the quick beginning.  I will be personalizing it and making it look more interesting, so please pardon the simple layout and lack of flair.  I'm sure I will have several posts that I will catch up on in a couple months in regards to my professional life and some of the work I've been doing, but for the next month or so I will be traveling and experiencing a lot of life, so for now it will probably mostly be personal.

Tomorrow (or much later today seeing as how it is already 1am) I will be heading down to southern California to see some family, and then Wednesday it's of the Vegas for WPPI!  WPPI is my favorite time of the year!  I get to see all my long lost friends, make new friends, learn, get inspired, share, live it up, and never sleep!  I can't wait!!!! 

After 8 crazy days of that, I'm going to hit the laundrymat and the grocery store and head off for a completely different type of adventure - road trippin' the southwest!  I don't have an itinerary just yet, but I know there will National Parks, Monument Valley, and who knows where else!  I'm just gonna kinda roll with it and see where it takes me :)  Doesn't that sound just about perfect?  Eek!  Exciting!!!!

In the meantime, check out my website if your looking for me as a photographer and friend me on facebook!