Guide Dogs for the Blind

My wife and I both love animals, so we decided to get involved with the Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) organization. GDB places guide dogs with needy blind individuals who would benefit from the help of a guide dog.

Volunteers typically receive a puppy at 16 weeks old and provide them with obedience training until they are a year and a half. At this point they head back to GDB for an intensive 3 month training program. During these 3 months they learn all they need to know to guide!

So far we have had the opportunity to work with numerous dogs, including Chester, Elaine, and Mansfield, who are pictured below (photos taken with iPhone!).

GDB is a great organization and we've had a lot of fun. Currently we are working with Mansfield, who is about 1 years old. I'm puppy sitting Mansfield for the month of January until Elaine turns 16 weeks old and is ready to see the world!

Mansfield loves to be pet and craves people attention (probably a little too much!) but he is a sweet pup. My wife calls him Mr. Wiggles because when he gets excited his whole body wags! Very cute...

- Scott

Bear & Penguin Visit Washington DC!!

The philosphy of most photographers is to capture a scene in a unique way. It is something I strive for every time I put the viewfinder to my eye.

I love Washington DC. As this was my eighth trip to the nation's capital, I had already shot everything in the Mall. So my goal was to capture Washington DC with a different eye and try to frame my shots differently from the other seven times I had been there. The only reason I allowed myself to shoot a picture I had done before was to give myself a second chance to make it better.

 

View from the WWII Memorial back at the Washington Monument.

 

OK so maybe these aren't totally unique shots but they were a variation on what I had done before at the Vietnam Memorial (and this time I had a way nicer camera).

 Loved the colors in the sky! And the moon! Maybe not totally unique, but oh was it pretty!

On one of our strolls we ran into this little guy sitting on a trash can. He had totally scored the jack pot in finding a big bag of kettle corn! Yum! This would be the trash can I would hang out in if I was a squirrel. He was perfectly fine posing for a bunch of pictures.  What a celebrity!

 

Utilizing the articulated LCD screen. Normally, Scott is very adept at shooting a photo of us and keeping the framing correct. But with the Washington Monument looming close in the background it probably would have been a bit more difficult. The articulated screen was quite helpful although we seem to be staring at the screen and not at the lens. Oh well!

 

~Julia

Danae & Jacob

Phew ... between waiting around (and still waiting around) in escrow on our first house, Halloween, a trip to Washington DC to attend a friend's wedding, Thanksgiving, this entry is long in the waiting!!!

Danae & Jacob's Wedding

Date: October 22, 2010

Venue: Admiral Kidd Conference Center, San Diego, CA

Caterer: Admiral Kidd Conference Center Catering

Florist: Flowers by Bonnie

DJ: Ian Layosa

Admiral Kidd had a great cityscape view, which the guests enjoyed during the outside ceremony. As the afternoon slowly turned to dusk, a beautiful big full moon began to rise (I swear Danae planned it that way).

 

Bonnie Woelfel's flowers (Flowers by Bonnie) were stunning. The bouquets went perfectly with the bridesmaids' brown satin dresses. I loved how colorful they were and how wonderfully they complemented each other. She has a wonderful eye.

The food was banquet style and featured a stuffed chicken that was fabulous! All the food was great but Scott and I agreed that the chicken was the highlight (I wished I hadn't taken so much beef so I could have had more room for the chicken!) The catering is great at Admiral Kidd's and the staff was friendly and helpful! And of course, what girl can resist a chocolate fountain?? It was filled with tasty treats and it was lucky that my hands were full with my cameras or I might have done some damage there.

The photo booth was tons of fun and a great way to create a guest book.

Ian Layosa, a family friend of Danae & Jacob, kept the floor pumping with people and allowed us to capture some great antics.

 

Julia's highlights ....

Taylor, Danae's niece, was an adorable flower girl wearing a dress that looked like Danae's in miniature. She loved shoes and showed off her talent of walking in high heels (geeze, I can't even do that). When I took this picture I really meant for Taylor to be close to Danae but she had a mind of her own and scooted to the other side of the couch. She's looking at Danae's dad in the photo. After I snapped the picture, I realized that the juxtaposition was actually kind of neat (thanks Taylor!)

 

The looks between daughter and father. Priceless. Love it.

 

Mom and daughter. Also love it. These photos were captured in between the normal, posed shots when I was "playing with lighting".

 

 

Some fun detail shots. At first I was a little concerned about the decoration in the hotel, but it actually turned out making the shots interesting. I don't think Danae ended up wearing the necklace but I like the shot.

OK, so father of the bride whispers to me quickly before the ceremony that he had a surprise to reveal and to be ready for it. Next time, I'm asking what the surprise is!! After we did a shot of all the wedding guests, he pulled out a box and had Danae and Jacob open it. Butterflies came tumbling out and Scott and I snapped away as quickly as possible. I was definitely NOT prepared for this shot ... YIKES!

Here's before the moment ... what's in the box?

And then after (Scott actually got this shot) ...

 

Congratulations Danae & Jacob!!

 

~ Julia

Chris & Amy's Save the Date

I love seeing my work in print. I guess I get so used to seeing everything on the computer screen that when I get to feel it in my hands, it becomes something completely different. I literally squealed when I saw the postcard.

This is the picture Amy and Chris chose for their Save the Date postcard.

This was one of those perfect lighting scenarios. It was late afternoon (this was in the summer) in Ellwood Preserve. Everything I shot here just seemed to sing.

Chris & Amy are a way cute couple. We are totally bummed that we can't be there for the big day ... :(

 

Julia