us, california-style

... And this is precisely why we prefer taking pictures of other people. We try so hard to look nonchalant. So cool. Oh well -- we have fun doing it.
Picture 1: on the grounds of the Oakland Temple. Pictures 2 & 3: the magnificent lighthouse at Point Reyes northwest of San Francisco.

love. synonymous with family.

All this talk about travel and family, we figured it would be downright dumb not to post at least a few pictures from our western adventures during the month of December. And so, with that:


Ahh, these crazy, sweet kids. Love them and their beautiful smiles. Funny that it was colder in California (the bottom pic) than it was in Utah (top pic). Who woulda' thought?

as promised... and we hope it was worth the wait

Top to bottom, left to right: proof that you can get amazing results from a huge range of lighting scenarios with a little patience and selection of the right lenses. If you're interested in the numbers... #1: f/4 @ 400 ISO, 70-200 lens; #2: f/4 @ 1000 ISO, 70-200 lens; #s 3 and 5: f/4.5 @ 100 ISO with a studio light, 17-40 lens; #4: f/4.5 @ 100 ISO with a studio light, 70-200 lens; #6: f/4 @ 100 ISO, 70-200 lens; #7: f/4 @ 400 ISO, 70-200 lens; #8: f/9 @ 100 with a studio light, 70-200 lens; #9: f/4 @ 1600 ISO, 50mm lens; #10: f/4 @ 100 ISO, 17-40 lens; #11: f/2 @ 400 ISO, 50mm lens; and #12: f/4 @ 100 ISO, 70-200 lens. (No flash used, except as noted.)

Thanks to Pasadena, Venice Beach, and a family we love! Up next: we have got to do a mini-shoot of our growing-up-all-too-fast niece Aubrey! Stay tuned... (But while you wait, check out our travel blog, where we have a few more pictures on display from the trip!)