Janelle and Tim's Engagement

I get a text from Rose at 4:30AM. "Hi Ry, R u up?" I reply back, "Two, just got up." I don't remember the last time I was up that early and have no recollection of that text message. So she calls me and I quickly snap out of it and wake up. I drive over to Rose's still half asleep and her, DJ, and I make our way to Baker Beach to meet up with Janelle and Tim for their engagement session. We've never had this early of an engagement session but getting up that early for this one was totally worth it. I had so much fun and I'm pretty sure everyone else did too.











Be sure to check out the slideshow:




Janelle and Tim we had so much fun and can't wait for May 30th!

National Charity Model Search

Thank you for your support of my participation in the National Charity Model Search. I've enjoyed submitting many wonderful portraits of our community's beautiful children to the contest, and I'm proud that by working together we've raised over $94,000 for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.

The date to enter portrait submissions has passed, but there's still time to rally the final vote and raise more money for charity, as well as voting to keep your model in the standings. If you've been putting off placing your vote, please do so now. Also, please urge your family and friends to vote. The contest selects America's Cutest Kid, and the winning child receives great prizes, including a $5,000 US Savings Bond and a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera. Remember, each dollar generated by votes goes toward providing infant bereavement photography to parents who have lost a child.

Interested in casting your vote? Click here. This link goes directly to the Sacramento region voting gallery where I have several entries posted for the following children: Lola Bernhardt, Natalie Sarley, Andrew Tomczak, Alex Wacker, and Aaron Wacker. You can search for each photograph by the child's last name. Lola's photo is currently in third place and Andrew's photo is currently in sixth place. Voting ends at midnight on April 2, 2009.

If you didn't participate in this year's contest, I hope you'll join in the fun next year.

Thanks again for your support and your vote!

New Virtual Background Scene Machine

So, I have gotten way behind on the blogging again. I received my new Virtual Backgrounds Scene Machine and was busy trying to get it all set up so I could play. I was very excited that it was finally here as I ordered it when I was in Las Vegas at WPPI (Weddings and Portrait Photographers International) convention. Then I managed to catch strep throat yet again so I was down for about a week. Now I am playing catch-up on everything.

I had a chance to do some work on it over the past week so this is going to be a long post with most of the first images I captured. There are a few more that I will add in the next couple of days. (Beth, don't worry, yours will be posted soon!)

Without further ado, here are some of the incredible people I photographed on the VB Scene Machine recently:

Emily, all the way from Oregon:






Little Lola, such a sweet angel. This image is entered it the National Charity Model Search benefitting the NILMDTS (nowilaymedowntosleep.org) foundation. If you would like to donate to a wonderful cause and vote for Lola to win, please click *here* to link to the voting site.


The lovely Shannon, my office manager:




Miss Natalie as a fairy and a ballerina:

Make a Referral Week - Help Jump Start the Economy

Although this post is not photography related, supporting other local small businesses is important to me. I'm pledging to make a referral to a business I want to help as part of a national campaign to make 1000 referrals March 9-13. It's a great small business stimulus plan. Click the badge below for more information about this event and to pledge your support.




Make a Referral Week is an entrepreneurial approach to stimulating the small business economy one referred business at a time. The goal for the week is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses in an effort to highlight the impact of a simple action that could blossom into millions of dollars in new business. Small business is the lifeblood and job-creating engine of the economy and merits the positive attention so often saved for corporate bailout stories.