My camera slapped me a super big high-five when I first introduced it to this family. And then my digital dark room did a back-flip when I showed it the images. But had I not been tipped by Lisa's sister that this family was covered in ink - we may have gone through the whole shoot in those beautiful (but boring) clothes. My vote goes to photograph TATTOOS and SKIN every time! Just Gorgeous you guys! Thanks for giving me opportunity to capture such a cool family. xoxox ~J

Michelle and Abdulla are right at the tippy top of our nomination list for the Coolest Couple Award. If I listed ALL the reasons why they're so cool - people would be like, gosh JIll, why you gotta be so braggy about your clients? So I'll just pick my top three:

1. They're both Architects (Art Vandelay, you wish you were that cool). 

2. They're getting married at the de Young Museum - nuff said.

3. Abdulla and his family reside in the UAE and they're all flying in to SF especially for the wedding.

Tell me this is not going to be a good time? Because it's going to be an awesome time! One thing I forgot to mention....Michelle and Abdulla are kind, genuine and caring people...you can just feel it from the moment you first shake hands. All of that kindness translates into PURE BEAUTY through the camera lens. We feel so blessed that we get to capture your day, M&A. We think you both are completely wonderful in so many ways and we can't wait to share the day with you and your family and all the people who love you!

I wanted to put up a few more images from Meredith and Jeremy's AWESOME Chicago wedding. This was a classy and classic event shot right in the heart of downtown Chicago at the History Museum. Congratulations you two, as you start your life together as husband and wife.  You sure do know how to throw a good party! 

Last month I was given an incredible(ly fun) opportunity to shoot a wedding alongside a photographer that I look up to and a friend that I adore, Joy Marie Smallwood. Joy flew me out to Chicago to shoot as her second photographer for the event. So for the first time I was sent in to cover the guys side of things. This is usually Tony's job - so it was fun for me to see first hand what the vibe is like in the grooms quarters. I'm not going to lie - I felt a little intimidated at first. But I didn't let those guys smell my fear. And you know what? They didn't sugar-coat things too much just because I was a girl. I had so much fun shooting things from the male perspective, and I want to thank Jeremy and his crew for letting me be involved.  Meredith, you got the cream of the crop when you found Jeremy! It's obvious that you married a perfect gentleman and a kind-hearted guy who absolutely adores you!  Stay tuned for part II of this wedding tomorrow.

When I was a little girl, even though I was quite young....I still had a favorite day of the week. No doubt about it, that day was Sunday. Because that was the day that my brother and sisters came to visit. 6 days a week I lived as the only child in a 3 bedroom house, which suited me just fine - but Sunday was the glorious day that the carpet was vacuumed and  everybody got dressed early and a special dinner was planned and I got to have 3 older siblings who doted on me as much as we doted on them that day. The way I remember it, all of our good times were centered around the dinner table with Dad. He always kept us fully engaged in laughter and we always looked forward to the next familiar joke he was going to use to make us laugh again. When I was a little girl, there was no day that could compare to Sunday.

When our dad passed away a couple of years back, I was convinced that he was the GLUE that kept our family together. Now that Dad was gone, who was going to make us laugh? It just wasn't going to happen. But what I'm finding, is that after the time passes and we find that we're ready to laugh again - it turns out we can laugh at each other! When my brother and I get together, we celebrate the parts of ourselves that are just like DAD. And if there's one thing that we inherited from him, it's the ability to laugh at ourselves! That's what this picture sequence is about to me ... my Dad liked to dance and be goofy - so here we are, doin' it BOB STYLE in the Zany Booth.    Love you Big Bro!

~J

We've been spending a lot of time IN and AROUND the Zany booth over the past couple weeks. I'm about to fire off a bunch of pictures of me and this mystery guy in the booth. Anyone care to guess who it is? Here's a hint: he's really really really ridiculously GOOD LOOKING.

Oh, and just for the record: This is Day #220 of our 365 day attempt to make ourselves totally crazy from taking so many self-portraits.

How did I learn to juggle? Well, I have to give all the credit to my mom.  There was a five year period, in early college, that she gifted juggling kits for Christmas.  Each year I would unwrap another mesh bag containing those weighted bead filled balls.  When I finally started practicing it always turned into a launch and slaughter as juggling balls were fired at each other by the other guys in the dorm...but I finally got it.  Actually, my Mom is probably responsible for at least ten people at UCSB knowing how to juggle.  Thanks Mom!          ~T

Late night - here's another picture for ya'll ... the 365 is nipping at our heals.

One day when I hit it REALLY REALLY Big....my husband will be COMPLETELY in charge of this blog and I will stand under a covered bridge and say "Oh ya? You want a piece of this blog?" Oh, I can't wait for that day!

Sometimes I wish I had something to say that was deep and meaningful ..... well, I do  - but I haven't got the courage yet to put any of it on my blog. Instead, I'm just trying to find the humor in this project that's kind of breaking my back right now. Oh sheeze...it's all fun! Who am I tryin' to kid? Leave a comment? ~J

This is just a sneak peek of Michelle and Abdulla's e-sesh in San Francisco. I needed a 365 for today - I should have the rest of their shoot up soon! ~J

Caught a glimse of myself there in the grass while shooting this wedding in Valencia. Just another day knocked off the 365.~J

We stopped at an old foothills fort on the way to Murphys a few weeks back.  Thanks Bill and Allison for the tip!  The small detour was lots of fun.  Well as fun as walking around in 100+ degrees can be...          ~T

I promised I'd talk about our new friends Kristin and Kurt. They are getting married next year at The Parker Hotel....anyone who knows me (even just a little bit) knows that Jonathan Adler is my favorite designer - HANDS DOWN - next to Eames. Kristin and I bonded over both. We're a match made in design idol heaven.  Tony and I  couldn't be happier about the opportunity to photograph their wedding in Palm Springs next year. ooh la la - be sure to check back for some stylistically RIDICULOUS shots from their big day. CHEERS! Kristin and Kurt! ~j