Air guitar.
Party Rock Anthem.
“That Guy”
Girl attempting the splits. Foolishly.
Diamond Dave.
SHOTS!
Groom licking Blaine (that’s you, Jake!)
Teach me how to Dougie.
Shanni busting a move.

Dancing is, without a doubt, one of the best parts of weddings. The formalities are done, and you are left with people getting down with their bad selves. Young singles and old couples enmesh in a chaos of sweat, drinks, and good music. And if you just so happen to be lucky enough to be in attendance at a wedding Blaine and I are photographing… you might just become victim to dancing with a funky blonde girl only to have her rip a camera out of who-knows-where to snap a blackmail worthy photo of you!

To all those that got freaky with us in 2011, party on.

xoxo,
Shanni (and Blaine!)

I simply cannot believe the rate that time passes. It truly seems unfathomable that just mere moments ago I was awaiting to see what 2011 would bring. If you were to have told me with definitive purpose that it would bring about some of the most poignant moments I’ve known to date alongside some of the happiest, I doubt I would have believed you.

I am literally in a state of disbelief and giddiness reminiscing my professional highs of the year. From being published in the largest wedding magazines and blogs to working with the kindest, most loving, and fabulous couples the world has ever known swells a bubble of joy in my chest. I am consistently humbled and grateful that my couples open such an enormous part of their lives with me and that we become such dear friends.

This past week I had to testify at the sentencing hearing of the man that broke into my home. Sitting alongside the family of the man that he killed was one of the most traumatic, raw experiences I have had in my life. The raw, unsuppressed, and enormous pain that they wept and let flow uninhibitedly is a memory I will not soon forget. His daughters spoke of how he would not ever be able to walk them down the aisle, hold his grandchildren, or even laugh at the simple things in life. My gratefulness that I found him before he was able to harm me will not soon dissipate. Perspective, although often painful and messy, is something that I think is so valuable to have.

As I look through these moments I have been able to capture throughout the past year, I feel so enormously blessed to be able to live this life doing what I do. Getting to immortalize some of the most powerful moments in couple’s lives to empower them to relive is intoxicating. To depict the raw emotion of saying your vows. Capture the smiles of relatives that may not always be there. Show the tear in a mom’s eye watching her husband dance with your little girl. That my friends is what wedding photography is all about.

To my couples this year, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me be part of something so amazing.

xoxo,
SAW

P.S. Best of DANCE PARTYYYYY and Portraits to come!!!!

I hereby fully confess to yet another reason why some consider me kooky with a side of crazy sauce…. I have relationship statuses with television shows. When a show captivates me from the very beginning and leads me to lust and crave the next episode, I am “Fully Hooked”. If a show in the aforementioned category fizzles and takes advantage of my dedication by producing yawn-provoking episodes that leave me wishing I had those 42 minutes of my life back, I “Break Up” with it, and I will forever be resentful of the hours it wasted after it begun to take its tailspin (hello, can I please have all of the hours I invested in “Heroes” back please?!?!).

All that to say, I have recently become an emblazoned convert of the show “Raising Hope”. It is currently in my #1 “Fully Hooked” slot as it often leaves me giggling alone in the dark while watching. Any show that has a crazy great-grandmother who thinks her grandson is her dead husband and attempts to nurse a baby has my blessing. Over Thanksgiving break (during my passionate and torrid 10+ episode watching stints), I watched one episode that I found particularly relevant to family photo shoots, “Say Cheese”.

In the episode, the family realizes the value of authentic family photos versus the contrived, “Olan Mills” type sessions. Like the Chance family comes to realize, I personally abhor “Olan Mills” type sessions. Every year when it was time to take our Church Directory family photo, my sister and I would collaborate on how to make the photo turn out catastrophically much to my mom’s passionate and vocal dismay (let’s just say wigs and matching jumpsuits were involved). I’ll have to share those stories on another day or I fear this post may turn into a novel.

All that to say, I am a firm believer that family photos should be authentic and truly representative of the personality and life of the family. I mean, how often in “real life” did your entire family wear denim and white tops on the same day while smiling on command on a blanket in the middle of your front lawn? Mine sure as heck didn’t! When families are game to allow me to photograph them for who they really are, I am giddy. The moments you are able to capture when you just your let kids be kids in are far more priceless memories to have and treasure.

One of my absolute besties, Lauren, should enter the Olympics for her ability to create beautiful babies. I’m pretty sure that her photo is next to “Mother of the Year” in the dictionary. She makes being an amazing wife and mother of two rambunctious boys 2 and under look like a breeze. The love, joy, and laughter she continuously bestows upon all of her boys (young and old), is something that I am certain every mother should aspire to have. And somehow with all that she does, she finds the time to be a thoughtful and steadfast friend (and make her own laundry detergent!).

Blanche- I hope that these photos enable you to cherish the real moments of your life…. crazy as it may seem at times!

xoxo,
Bev

P.S. Mad props to Blaine, the manny (male nanny) for creating verses to the wheels on the bus on command to help entertain the little urchins. And roaring like a lion.

P.S.S. I have a few last minute family photo slots available in time for Christmas for any fabulous little broods out there… not that I think family photos should only be taken around the holidays!

Jason and Jaimee are like beacons of light on a cloudy day. From the moment we walked into Jaimee’s hotel room and she flashed her brilliant smile and expelled a giddy squeal, I knew we were going to be instantaneous friends.

November in San Francisco does not always amount to beautiful weather, but the sun was out to match the ecstatic moods of all in attendance for the epic day. Jason and Jaimee were surrounded by an amazing group of friends and family, and there was not a moment where the room was not bursting at the brim with smiles, laughter, and happy tears.

Jason and Jaimee got married in the industrial Dogpatch Studios, which allowed them to transform the space into their own unique winter wonderland. From the dramatic uplighting to the breathtaking florals, there was not an element of the day that was not awe-inspiring.

SF glory for the win!

xoxo,
SAW

P.S. You can view their slideshow with more glory {HERE}!!!

I want my photography to stand alone.

I want it to be a being, with enough power to possess and communicate as a human. To initiate emotions, captivate minds.

I want it to immortalize moments.

I want it to empower my couples to relive the joy, laughter, tears, and triumph of their union.

Too visually see the butterflies they felt.

Jake and Brooke- your day was absolutely nothing shy of extraordinary. Any wedding where the groom licks Blaine on the dance floor is one for the books…. the books of awesome. I pray that these photos enable you to relive the day over and over again. We love you guys!!!

xoxo,
SAW

P.S. If you want to see a slideshow of their day, check it out {HERE}!