No. This post is not promoting incest. Though I did marry my brother too. In fact, Sarah and Dan asked if I might officiate their wedding, and I was honored to do so. A few weeks later this ordination confirmation from The United Life Church lands in my inbox. “Impress your friends, family, and peers with your new official status!” Needless to say, impress I did, and also managed to document a few moments along the way.
More wedding after the break. Continue reading
Lauren has heard every story from my childhood trips to Yosemite. 17 times over. For my birthday this year we decided to add new chapters the mythical canon. Highlights included hiking Vernal Falls. Turning around while hiking Vernal Falls (sadly, the mist trail was closed). Following the river to the Ahwahnee. And the 18th telling of childhood stories.
More Yosemite after the break.
I sold myself short. At the end of Blackwelder St. Shapour sits outside at 3pm waiting for his driver. Rain or shine, torrid or tepid, he’s always out there. Dressed like a boss. One day I time it right and ask to take his portrait. Weeks go by, I print a few in the darkroom, and hope to give them to him the next time I see him. When I finally do, he asks “How much do I owe you?” What a sweet heart. I tell him nothing, and that it was a pleasure to take his photograph. He smiles and thumbs through the prints, stopping at the last one. It’s my favorite. An artsy little number that doesn’t include his face. “This one’s no good,” he says. I think to myself, “that’ll be $50.”
More CONTACT after the break. Continue reading
Diving into the archives for back-to-back birthday posts, this one a few years shy of the ole one-six. If memory serves we spent the long weekend holed up in a killer farm house, eating epic meals, driving back roads, and searching for photo ops. Sounds like any Elliott trip worth taking.
More Robles after the break. Continue reading
There’s lots of fun to be had in Vancouver. Walk Stanley park. Visit Granville Island. Watch the Canucks lose to the Kings. Yes, these are cool. But nothing compares to the skill and endurance required to land a penny in the narrow opening of a frozen swill pot. For this memory, and the many attempts at ultimate success, I will be forever grateful.
More Vancouver after the break. Continue reading
For Leslie’s 60th birthday the gang surprised her with a long weekend at the Turtle Conservancy in Ojai. Before you ask, it was amazing. Both the celebration and the turtles. We really could have spent a week on the compound, but managed to make ourselves at home in just three short days. In fact, I now consider myself a de facto tour guide after cruising through each and every greenhouse and turtle terrarium on the property. I like turtles.
More Ojai after the break. Continue reading
Heartland Quality, Baja Barbecue. That is not the slogan for Omaha Steaks (at least not the second part). But it should be. After this Mexican vacation, I can scarcely imagine another adventure without a $600 mail-order meat medley. If you read the preceding sentences and felt lost, don’t panic. You were not part of the Adventure Crew. And if you were not part of the Adventure Crew, you don’t drive matching champagne Volvos. And if you don’t drive matching champagne Volvos, you don’t caravan deep into foreign territory. And if you don’t caravan deep into foreign territory, you miss out on celebrating Chloe’s epic Baja birthday. And if you miss out on celebrating Chloe’s epic Baja birthday, here’s a few photos to keep you in the loop.
More Baja after the break. Continue reading
41 minutes. That’s how long our GPS estimated it would take to get to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. Problem was, it said 41 minutes every minute after passing Magic Mountain. Without technology or a concept of time, we looked at each other and wondered aloud if we’d made a massive mistake. Perhaps we took a wrong turn? What if we arrive to only patches of dirt? Who visits Lancaster anyway? Or, what if we hang in for five more minutes, round the corner, and stare down at a valley of glorious orange as far as the eye can see?
More poppy after the break. Continue reading
What did we do? That was the name given to the Sunday BBQ after Lauren and I made it official. While the question was rhetorical, it didn’t really matter as the younger generation wasn’t ready to answer morning after, about the night before. Luckily, there’s no better remedy than pulled pork and shenanigans.
More Day After, after the break. Continue reading
I don’t often take selfies. But when I do, I get married shortly thereafter. Six months have passed since I took this photo and the emotions are still there. In fact, I had to stop writing this post just to sit in memories (which was a bit awkward as I’m currently on a plane filled with 300 of my closest friends). Now, we’ve all seen the beautiful work that Jean-Laurent captured, so I won’t try to reproduce what some have deemed “the most photographed wedding ever.” What I will do is share the few frames I managed to capture that day, and the thoughts that went through my mind. Hope you enjoy them as much as I still do.
More after the break.
[gwu] Graham Whitaker Unterberger 