John and Michael

I love it when this happens. While walking on the course today, I asked Tom’s sons John and Michael to pose for a quick shot. And I do mean quick. This shot was done in maybe five seconds. I knew instantly that I wanted to give it a retro treatment like this. It’s no surprise…

Photo Booth Goes Mobile

I took the booth on the road this weekend and set it up at one of the season’s best tasting Christmas events – Dinner at Sam and Mari’s. They were kind enough to let me tack a red backdrop to the wall, and well, the rest is Christmas history. Click for more whacky photos!

The Parinos

We had a little time to kill before dinner at Oakland’s finest restaurant a few weeks ago, and the photo booth was set up, so, well, you can guess what happened next.

That’s Just Dandie

Kelly poses with one of Xenophon’s newest therapy horses on a beautiful Sunday morning. Oh – Kelly likes this shot too. Something about Dandie’s ears being pricked.

Sophie

It’s hard not to get a good shot when your subject is as cute as Sophie, but there’s something else I like about this shot, and that is that is was not a posed shot. I saw her sitting there and took two quick shots in the (indoor) available light. Snap, snap! It took three…

Rider in the Rain

Determined to get a look at Bandit under control of a more skilled rider, (thanks, Hannah!) Kelly and Stella brave the rain and fog at Skyline Ranch this morning.

Our New Favorite Shot of Bandit

We look forward to the summer when he’s shed all of his winter coat and the trails have dried up so we can get an even better shot of horse and rider, but we both like this one a lot! This image also marks the first time I used a new GPS device form BlueSLR….

Ion Torrent West

I feel extraordinarily lucky to be working with these fabulous folks every day — without a doubt, the best team I’ve ever worked with. It’s truly amazing what you can accomplish with the right group of people.

2010 St. Mary’s College High School Junior Prom

I was lucky enough to be asked to take a photos of a few kids on prom day. They chose Oakland’s serene Morcom Rose Garden as the venue. We spent some time spent looking for the “perfect spot for pictures”, which turned out to be a waste of time, because as you can see, I…

Cherubs with Face Paint

Andrew caught this fantastic shot of Sophie and Ursula on their first visit to Disneyland. thedude and Kellster like the shot so much that we made a magnet out of it and hung it on our refrigerator. That’s saying quite a lot, because like at least nine other people on planet Earth, thedude also hates…

Magic Camera + ImageMagick

We’ve been spending a lot of time with our neighbors Jack Tres and Olive lately. That’s a good thing. I shot this picture at Flora on Thursday night. The light was provided by a single candle on the table in front of Tres. I used my old manual-focus f1.4 Nikkor wide open, at 1/15th of…

We Had This Idea for a Shot

Olive said she wanted a shot of her jumping in the air, and I had in mind what I thought was a cool way to frame the shot. Olive braved frigid temperatures at sunset tonight, but the wind and the light conspired against us. And though none of the pictures turned out exactly as I…

Burma Bound!

It’s official! Last night over dinner with a group of friends who have all been to Burma several times, we decided that we’re really gonna do it. We’re planning a November trip to Burma! Everyone in the group is very excited – and even a bit jealous of our budding travel plans. Their enthusiasm has…

It’s Olive!

My wonderful friend Olive needed a picture to accompany an article she wrote for a blog, so we went outside with the long lens and had some fun.

I Don’t Do Weddings

However, I will make an exception for Antonio Piccolboni! He’s been a huge fan of my photography for five years, a terrific coworker and friend. I could not turn him down. Antonio and Maria were married in a charming Quaker ceremony in a spectacular amphitheater at the Berkeley Botanical Gardens. Congratulations, Antonio and Maria!

Solari!

It sure was great to see you! We wish you all the luck in the world with your twin boys. Jack and Cole are lucky to have you and Neil as parents. And don’t worry, you will always look great to us – Fred Flintstone feet and all.

Lelah and Lhotse

Lelah found Lhotse in an adoption agency in Saigon about 6 months ago. My hunch is that they’re very lucky to have each other.

MōNO Grand Opening Soiree

The Grand Opening at our favorite new restaurant appeared to be a smashing success. Lots of delicious food, wine and a few of our favorite neighbors. Thanks, Todd and Eloisa! BTW, I went “old school” when I shot these. Just to see what kind of results I could get, I mounted an older Nikkor 50…

Strike a Pose

Olive and an over-abundance of hair products? How could that not lead to some fun?

D3 Saves the Night

I was asked at the very last moment to shoot a few pictures of the new restaurant for an upcoming issue of Bon Appétit. With the deadline literally hours away, I went downstairs to see what I could do. The funny thing is that I was apologizing for the photos all the while I was…

Spring Has Sprung

I thought my friends in Wisconsin – who I’m told are digging out of more than a foot of fresh-fallen snow – might like to share our day at the Briones Regional Park. Yes, we even got a bit of a sunburn! While Kelly went for a ride with Mary, Magic, Chance and Classy, I…

Incredible Synchronicity!

My new friend Jeri is dating my other friend Andrew. Jeri recently took a position at Bayer, whose offices are about 10 blocks from the offices of Affymetrix in Emeryville, where I work. One day Jeri passed by one of the lunch rooms on the sprawling campus and saw this shot of her boyfriend laminated…

Jack and Tres Revisited

As you know, I took my friends Jim and Wendy to Oakland’s Middle Harbor Park a few days ago. Whenever I’m there, I always tell the story of the first time I ever saw the park – at Jack and Tres’ wedding. This reminded me that I was one of the photographers at the auspicious…

Unbridled Joy

My wife has been volunteering her time for the past few years to a really wonderful organization. Xenophon Therapeutic Riding offers special needs children a chance to ride on the back of one of their gentle horses under the watchful eye of skilled instructors. Many of these children must be lifted gingerly out of their…