My Thank You Card ’14

Thank You, to all my friends, family and “clients” for all of the support you’ve offered me over the years, as I have pursued my passion for photography.

This year marks an occasion of importance: for half of my life, I have been a photographer. That’s right, 16 years ago, after winning a Kodak camera from McDonalds’, I started using film like a photo-junky: taking pictures of everything. Simply put, that’s how I became a photographer! Flash-forward 16 years, and here I am…a curious “kid” with a camera, still taking pictures of everything…though I’ve ditched the McDonalds’ Kodak camera for something a bit heavier.

Amazingly, my passion for photography continues to grow with each passing year. While in the past, I’ve used my camera to pass the time or to get me out of the house to take pictures, even as a means for rehabilitation; this year, my schedule was filled with great photo opportunities!…so much so, that I had to consciously resist the urge to pick up my camera at times, to give myself time to relax and simply take in the world with my two eyes. It’s always refreshing to just enjoy the world using the 5-basic senses (and I’m not talking about Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…social media). In fact, if I’ve learned anything from being a photographer, it is this: it is nearly impossible to perfectly capture a moment in a photograph…(but it’s fun to try!)

Photography is the art of capturing beauty as authentically as possible using a camera…any camera. The “side-effect” of this pursuit is that we are constantly reminded of the beauty that exists all around us because of the beauty contained within us. If this sounds cheesy, go watch the sunset the sea as a nearby mountain dips its toes into the vast blue sea…the feelings that such an occasion evokes are not simply a reaction to an orange & pink sky…there’s a bit more to it than that. It’s as if this experience, at the end of a day, reminds us to be thankful, grateful and happy; so thank you 2014, for an abundance of such beautiful moments! I look forward to what 2015 will bring.

2014 Stats:

• 23 Beautiful Weddings
• 47 Excellent Family Portrait Sessions
• 19 Marketing Shoots (Portraits, Interiors, Etc.)
• 12 Events Covered
• 3 Proposal Shoots!
• Total Pictures Taken: 54,397…and counting 😉
• 1 broken lens, 1 broken flash
• 385 Instagram Posts
• I have to say it was a good year

Throughout the year, I had the great fortune of capturing growing families, newborn babies, people in love…and of course, clouds & sunsets (a few of my favorites from the year).

The finish line in sight at the San Luis Obispo Marathon!

Snowy wedding in Avila Beach…