Even in California where we don’t get to experience the true four seasons, I still notice the small changes between seasons and spring makes me very happy. I love this time of the year when it becomes warm again, the rains are almost over, the hills are green and there’s this crazy energy in the air!

I found this blossoming cherry tree right under our windows and just had to take some photos of it.

Enjoy!

Natasha

I went to Israel on a 10 day trip; our days were just packed with activities! We visited ancient cities of Acre, Jaffa and Tzfat, climbed Masada at sunrise and floated in the Dead Sea. We also rappelled from Ramon Crater, visited Tel Aviv’s Hall of Independence, took a tour of Jerusalem, and lastly we snorkeled in the Red Sea.

Israel is country amazingly oversaturated with history, and the amount of it per square foot was at times it was overwhelming. I’ve always felt a little strange studying ancient history in school: even when I liked the stories told by the teacher they were always a distant reality. Well, ancient history came alive to me in Israel. I was finally able to touch the stones of ancient cities, see the walls of Jerusalem, and climb the fortress Masada in the footsteps of the Romans.

Israel is not even 60 years old yet but all the Israelis with whom I’d spoken sounded very patriotic. It seems that when the environment is hostile and life has to be fought for almost daily, people work harder and treasure what they have much more. Overall, the people in Israel seemed to be kind, open, loving, hardworking, and although it might sounds strange, very happy.

I also fell in love with Israel’s nature – its deserts, seas and rocky hills. I couldn’t even imagine that this tiny place contains so much diversity! It was a fun and educational experience.

Natasha

The city of Acre:

The Negev Desert transportation:

Streets of Jaffa:

City of Tzfat:

Hiking in the Red Canyon:

A Bedouin preparing coffee:

Wowww, what a special wedding!

It’s 3 days after and I’m still excited about how beautiful this day really was. From the morning preparations at their house in Belmont to the amazing ceremony at the Holy Virgin Cathedral – the day was a photographer’s delight.

It didn’t hurt that the weather had cleared up on Sunday. There were pockets of showers as I was driving up in the morning but the clouds had mostly succumbed to the sun. We had time to hit a few photo shoot locations in SF and the day had a great end at the Fandorin Restaurant in Burlingame.

I am so happy for Julia and Sergei. Thank you for inviting us to share these moments with you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

While most people say we need more rain, and I agree, it certainly sucks to be in the middle of a weekend-long downpour! Tomorrow’s intimate wedding in San Francisco, however, promises to put smiles on everyone’s faces. With guests coming from around the world it’s really promising to be one to remember.

Not sure yet if any outdoor settings will be possible for some bride and groom time, but with so many beautiful indoor possibilities in SF we’ll just make the best of it.

Every cloud does have a silver lining… I just found this beautiful scene in front of my window.