Paul & Caitlin- Part 1/ Out of the office

I'm going to be out of the office until Monday, August 31st. If you need to get ahold of me, please send me an email and I will respond on Monday morning.

I wanted to get a few teasers to these guys though before I left. I know I told you guys that I wouldn't get a post up until my return, so SURPRISE ;) enjoy!

Their new little puppy, Cindy Lou, joined us:

They wanted to do a split shoot, and do some pics at the beach...but we were running out of light, so they opted to just play in the fountain....it was....awesome! Many more fountain pics to come in a future post :)

Dave & Shelley- Part 1

It seems like forever ago that I first met with Dave and Shelley. Well, I guess it was.....it was about a year ago. I had just started wedding photography about 6 months before, so I was still just a newbie. I let them know that I had only been doing wedding photography for a handful of months, and I think they were a little hesitant at first....but she let me know that she had complete faith in me, and was excited to have Brian and I as their wedding photographers.
We love Dave and Shelley. Sometimes you meet couples that are just like you, and you just click...they are one of those couples.
Dave and Shelly's wedding was gorgeous and so romantic. It is obvious how crazy these two are for each other! Here are just a few teaser's for them to see when they arrive home from their honeymoon....enjoy!

GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!

J & J- Part 1

These two couldn't be any cuter. What lucky parents these guys have to have two of the sweetest, cutest, and most well behaved kids!
Their parents must of thought I was crazy when I told them to meet me in an alley way in Escondido. She had told me that the older boy played guitar, and I immediately thought of a street in Escondido that I had been dying to shoot. I love, love, love urban shoots and these guys didn't let me down with their awesomeness!
Here are just a few teasers. There will be more to come in the next few weeks.....enjoy!

Getting back to normal

We buried gramp yesterday afternoon, and now it's time for life to go on. I have taken the past week or so off, and will be back to my work tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who has been so patiently waiting. It means alot to me that everyone has been so understanding :) I will be working full steam to get everything out as soon as I can.
I leave you with a picture I took of Maddie doing her makeup....enjoy :)

Why?

I know this is my business blog, and not everyone wants to read about my personal life....but I not only have this blog to share stories of the one's I photograph, but to also document the lives of me and my family. What I'm about to write is going to be a bit to deep for some, but I will feel a great load off if I write it here to share with everyone that reads my blog.

At first I couldn't stop crying why? why him? I believe God took my Gramp to show us all an example of how we should be living our lives. Gramp lived his life just as Jesus did, and how we all should. Putting God and those around you before yourself. For Christmas I got Brian a daily Bible that he reads certain parts each day. I was laying with him while he was reading it a couple of nights ago, and asked him to flip to the day gramp was killed. The verse was Romans 15:1:

1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."[a] 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

The verse is everything that Gramp stood for. I think that God absolutely took Gramp on THAT day to send me a sign to teach me and to help show others to live on as my Gramp did :)

You can read his obituary here, if you are interested in seeing what he did to help the public and more about his life.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nctimes/obituary.aspx?n=billy-don-viele&pid=130957712

There is also an article about him and the accident here:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/aug/04/1m4viele231330-devoted-family-man-hit-car-mourned/

My parents were always real busy with school and work, so I spent most of my younger childhood years living with my grandparents. I vacationed with them every year.

This picture was taken when I was 7 when were vacationing in Arizona.

I can't remember where this was taken, but I was probably 10 years old. This was my gramp's favorite shirt. He was a regular blood donor, and had a ton of these different shirts they gave him for donating blood. I went and took it out of his closet a few days ago to keep.

I took this of my gram and gramp when I was in highschool.

This was in Central Park, New York City.

This was at my graduation.

This was taken at our wedding. He gave the most beautiful speech!

This was right after Maddie was born.

I took this just a few months before he passed. It is my favorite picture of all time ;)

Thanks for reading and thanks for letting me share :)

My Gramp- RIP

It still doesn't even feel real. It still feels like I'm going to wake up from a bad dream. I was just thinking last week that with all of the tragedies that happen every day to so many families in this world...the odds are against us....it will happen to us one day, and I was scared.
It happened on Saturday morning- August 1st. My gramp walked his dog Brandie and the neighbors dog Freddy every morning. He was making his usual move across the very busy Rancho Bernardo Road when he was hit and killed by a car. Even as I'm writing this it doesn't feel real...it feels like I'm remembering a story I watched on the news that happened to a different family.
My gramp was honestly THE best man I have ever met, and I am SO honored that he was my gramp. I can't say that he was more than a grandpa to me, but he was....he was the BEST grandpa. He was there for me WHENEVER I needed him without any questions asked. There was no question that he loved his family and his friends....he would do anything for anyone. He was so generous and giving as well. He donated all of his life to helping people....that is what he was truly passionate. Though it is hard to see what good has come of this tragedy...I believe that more will see his good deeds and how generous and good he was, and wish to follow his lead. I miss you very much, Gramp! I love you!

Maddie and Gramp 2009