Becca & Eric {Nevada City, CA}

posted April 8, 2013 in Engagements

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On a personal note, after 8 years of planning, I am now officially 100% a full-time wedding photographer. And I couldn’t be happier to kick things off with this blog post, while somewhat sappy, proves we played with fire.

I thought of Becca & Eric while reading C.C. Chapman’s book “Amazing Things Will Happen.” The book offers thoughts and inspirations on chasing your dreams and served as an inspiration for The Impossible Dream. Chapter 17, “Life Is Too Short for Bad Wine,” discusses the account of Ric Elias, a passenger on Flight 1549 that crash-landed in the Hudson River. I’m not going doom-and-gloom on you, but I recommend the inspiring TED talk, “3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed.” Elias talks about how he wishes to collect only bad wine, because if he is with friends he only wants to be drinking the good stuff.

We shared in the good stuff.

Sangria on a deck under stars, stories of places you see only in Patagonia catalogs, and our personal experiences at Burning Man. Eric, Becca, and I laughed at the small world of those who relish Burning Man where two degrees of separation connects us to Noah and Judy’s wedding in Hawaii last year. Willy, fresh from his trip to the ocean, savored the experience by meeting his first cat, a black cat, with instincts to run up trees just like neighborhood squirrels. Instincts didn’t bring them closer, unfortunately.

“Carpe diem // live life to the fullest // make the most of our time” … We’ve heard all this before.

Yet C.C. Chapman and Ric Elias remind us of the important questions: Why wouldn’t you open the bottle of red you’ve been saving for when your friends come over to dinner? Why settle for a job you are not happy at when you have a dream to be something else? What keeps you from doing one thing you’ve always wanted but have yet to do? While sometimes we have to slave away to take care of commitments, in long term, will this lead to our desired life?

While my brain wizzed and whirled reading these questions, I smiled, remembering my time with Eric and Becca in their slice of heaven called in Nevada City, CA. They get it.

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I brought along the PhaseOne medium format rig paired with the Elinchrom 69” Rotalux Octa Softbox to create a few signature images robust in color and mood. I do love the amazing image quality from the Phase which simply can’t be appreciated from a web size photo (but pops in a massive print).
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Yet the Nikon D700 paired with my 85mm f/1.4 remains a favorite combo I’ve relied upon for years and still produces images I’m proud to share:

You might recognize Becca from Burning Man Fire Conclave. She gives an awesome performance!

I share my secret sauce used to make this photo here.

CLICK HERE to view the slideshow from this Nevada City engagement photography session. CLICK HERE to view and order prints.

Thank you to Angie Johnson at Sapphire Celebrations for introducing me to such awesome clients. Who would have thought shooting family portraits at Burning Man would lead me to meet such wonderful people? I am looking forward to their mountain wedding at the Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado in September. I look forward to meeting their friends and family in peak Colorado foliage season. I look forward one day we might see each other on the playa or up on the slopes. Until then, I’ll savor these images of our rad memories.