jeff & jayita

apparently, hindu weddings come in a lot of shapes and sizes.  my favorite part of this one was at the very beginning when a guest called me over to tell me i can go anywhere i want.  he emphasized anywhere and said at his wedding the photographer was three feet from his face with a lens.  through the entire ceremony - which included feeding, drinking, circling, walking, fire, unveiling, smoke, touching, blessing, and feet - family members crowded the stage, blowing horns and applauding and laughing.  children threw rose petals into the air and danced in the aisle.  it was both the most jovial and baffling wedding ceremonies i've witnessed.  what i'm certain of is the depth of love between jeff and jayita, and the outstanding support of their family and friends.

congratulations, j & j!

the hitch at rimrock ranch

i got to take a trip to rimrock ranch a few weeks ago, just outside pioneertown and joshua tree, to shoot a wedding.  yes, i sweated my ass off for two days, but also yes, i got to leave the cesspools of excitement and take pictures of attractive people awash in a desert glow of love, craft beer, and shaded hammocks.  

lake and alex are two extraordinarily generous, warm, creative, fun, beautiful people who found each other and fell madly in love.  they've been together for centuries.  for them, the desert has always been a sacred place and they used a lot of earthly elements in their ceremony.  the least i could do was leak some light and poke out some stars here and there. 

the images are best viewed large.  click for full frame.  

lady crystal & sir emilio

when a friend asked me if i would be available to shoot a renaissance-style, middle-of-nowhere wedding, i said yes before even looking at my calendar.  i don't shoot a lot of weddings - maybe because they're so predictable - white dress, swearing to god, tight shoes, chicken or fish, and a million combinations of family poses where everyone's expected to be told to "SMILE!" for the picture.  i feel beholden to produce WEDDING pictures - bride looking virginal by the window, ring glinting in the sun;  the barefoot wedding party jumping up in the air together on a beach at sunset; blurry vignettes, impossibly perfect skin, and a really old car to pose with, if possible.

the wedding of crystal and emilio was truly unique, a thousand percent genuine, and a privilege to document.  it helped that the bride and groom aren't young adults, swayed by preconceived notions of what's acceptable or expected.  everyone i met was overwhelmingly open, generous, and buckets of fun.

there were relentless mega-high winds that tore down the guests' tents and kept the cow from being spit-roasted over an open fire.  i had tears streaming down my cheeks all day from keeping my eyes open in the wind to take pictures.  the tent where the ceremony was held shook and rattled and flapped, but none of it seemed to bother anyone.  i was reminded of the whos in whoville after the grinch has taken away all their presents and baubles.  they gather together, hold hands, and sing their cute ass song.  because what matters are people and community, not a perfectly executed schedule of events.  this was the spirit of the wedding and i hope like hell i did it some justice.

i asked these women to do one shot straight-faced because they looked like badass witches to me.