tess

we had a bridal photo shoot a couple nights ago here in seattle and it was AMAZING. we were going for a vintage/old look since her dress is from the early 1900's. I found a great apartment lobby and some blooming trees. enjoy this little taste. more to come.

some favorites

here is a screen shot from the macbook with some of our favorite wedding images.

thanks jon. you did us proud.

sea-tac airport

sunday in seattle

laura and courtney -look look

This San Diego wedding and the couple were totally bomb! (Laura, love that dimple!!) I'll post more this week.

Question: sometimes I like to post one photo from an event while I am working on the rest, just to give the client something to get excited about. I really don't want to call it a "teaser" and I don't want to call it a "sneak peek". any ideas on what I could title those? today it was "look look". what does that even mean?!

Leaving for Seattle today! please email me with any questions while I am away.

I will miss blogging from ginormous imac but I will continue faithfully from the mini macbook. xo.

love burger

the "fellas" have frequented this spot for quite some time. right next to some of their favorite surf spots in san clemente, love burger has become the breakfast spot of choice after a morning of peeing in wetsuits. love those boys (one in particular).

what you order is the breakfast special with french toast, 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon. if you are "bunker" you order it with an extra slice of french toast.

It may look greasy...because it is and it may look calorie ridden, because it is, but it also looks extremely tasty...because it is!

wow, looking at the close up makes me seriously hungry.

breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. going out for breakfast is my favorite morning activity. makes me feel like I still live in new york city.

pumpkin ravioli w/ gorgonzola cream sauce

(photo by cooking light)

I clipped this recipe out of the magazine a long time ago and it has just been sitting in my recipe binder waiting to be made. I know it's kind of a fall/winter dish but my man requested some sort of pumpkin pasta dish awhile back, and he gets what he wants.

truth be told, it was a bit weird. If I made it again I would add more cheese to the filling and maybe something sweet. I would also make my own pasta. the wonton wrappers are pretty tasteless.

the sauce was pretty delicious, but it has gorgonzola in it?! how could it not be. I added a little pepper and salt to the sauce and used half 1% and half heavy whipping cream to make it creamier. I also fried some whole sage leaves in browned butter for a garnish.

overall I have to say I was pretty disappointed.

Recipe online here.

You can assemble the ravioli a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The ravioli will float when they are perfectly cooked.

Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 30 round wonton wrappers
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Preparation

Spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, minced sage, pepper, and nutmeg.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into the center of wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing edges firmly with fingers to form a half-moon. Place on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers and pumpkin mixture.

Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a simmer. Add half of ravioli to pan (cover remaining ravioli with a damp towel to keep from drying). Cook 4 minutes or until done (do not boil), stirring gently. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon; lightly coat with cooking spray, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.

Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Gently stir in Gorgonzola.

Place 5 ravioli in each of 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

carlsbad strawberries

(obviously the photos of me are taken by grntl...pretty good if I do say so myself, oh and dude, I think you have something in your teeth)

we took a break in between shooting emily and steven's wedding and treated ourselves to some strawberry shortcake.

the flower fields in carlsbad were beautiful. I didn't take any photos because we didn't have much time and didn't want to pay the entrance fee.....but we did have time for some delicious strawberries.

the man helping us told us that they let people go and pick their own strawberries at the fields during the summer. wouldn't that be great? we totally want to spend an afternoon picking berries and then make homemade jam.

oh earth..

(photo taken on the lawn in front of little blue house. this is what I have instead of grass)

..what would I do without you? happy day to you.

check me out

my rachael yamagata photos are on indie rock reviews.

selective editing

ok, so you all know what I'm talking about when I bring up "perfect life" blogs....right? the blogs out there that make you think you seriously have problems. the blogs that make you wonder why you're the only person that has a bad attitude and cellulite. "perfect life" blogs show only smiles, and bliss and good looking people with perfect fashion and loads of money and endless supplies of creativity. "perfect blogs" are not perfect. they lie.

so, I know this blog of mine is mainly used to showcase photography with occasional personal information. because of this I don't usually vent all of my frustrations or woes through my blog....I don't know...I guess I think it might not be, professional?

well, it's been a pretty rough week, and not from the outside, but from the inside. I have thought a lot about the meaning my life has...or doesn't have. I've struggled wondering if I'm doing enough, doing the right things or if you can even call what I'm doing, "doing". I have been bugged with work, home and husband. SHOCKER! my life is not perfect...at least not this week.

I just thought you all should know, so you won't ever mistake my blog as a "perfect life" blog. It's easier to show the happy and sunshine, and I think that's the stuff most people want to see, but I know sometimes it's comforting to be reminded we are all editing. we bloggers select what you see and read and what you don't. remembering that already helps me feel better.

here is to being imperfect! cheers!

(this is maybe the most hideous photo I have ever seen of myself....for your enjoyment. taken on my imac a few years back to document an extremely ill moment. believe me it took some courage to post this...I don't even know who reads this blog...except for noelle and my mom. I hope this cheers someone up.)

emily & steven- san diego, ca

I like shooting weddings for "kind of" family. emily is my sister in law's sister, but their whole family feels more like cousins to me. confused enough? let's just say I love them.

It's not half bad spending a work day shooting some of my favorite subjects.....delectable nieces and nephews and a dashing new couple.

favorites of the day, the DJ (by far), overcast then sunny skies, hawaiian haystacks, grandpa and his best friend, babies making-out on the dance floor, my assistant, poop in the grass...need I say more? awesome day.

to see more of this wedding and to order prints, visit here.