Richard DischlerTaken in a lighting workshop in 2014

My friend and photography mentor, Richard “Dick” Dischler, passed away a few days ago. 

The news of his passing shook Cindy and I to our core. Dick taught us both “how to see”. How to see the world through the lens in different ways. He shared his deep knowledge of light, and “old school” lighting techniques hardly anyone teaches anymore. He shared a lifetime of experience in how to develop an image, honed in the darkroom, and applied to digital photography with the same religious fervor.

He shared his beliefs on the importance of printing a photograph, an art unto itself, as well as proper gallery mounting and framing, to allow the world to see your art, and the importance of personal projects. Those were just the practical lessons. He shared a wealth of experience about life, and people, and appreciation, and Chinese food, and how to express one’s voice in a photograph.

I first met Dick while attending a studio lighting class he was teaching at Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto, California in 2013. His approach was different. It was not enough to learn how, but why. He started every workshop with a few rules: if you were easily offended, you need not be there, if you had a large ego, you needed to check it at the door, and if you could not accept and learn from criticism, you need to learn how to. I knew immediately, he was the real deal. And I also knew immediately he was someone I could learn from. Many of the skills I learned as a teenager, photographing with a manual film camera, and developing and printing in a darkroom, came back to me quickly, and though it was now digital, it was the same, just without the smell of chemicals. 

Cindy and I participated in Dick’s workshops as members for about 3+ years before we relocated to Idaho. Dick’s workshop program was more than a place to learn, it was a place to also teach and mentor each other, and exhibit your work.  A family and a true community, still is, and hopefully will continue to be.

Dick’s short bio read:

A photographer, educator and juror, Richard Dischler studied with Arthur Leipzig who was involved with the “Family Of Man” Project. He also participated in the Ralph Weiss Workshop, an invitation-only workshop conducted by Ralph who was involved with the Time Life Photography Project and was featured in the “Art Of Photography” from 1976 to 1979. Dischler was a member of SoHo Photo and the Jamaican Arts Mobilization (J.A.M.) group, which was instrumental in the creation of Public Studio Project 1, now part of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Dischler has been published in Profile Magazine and exhibited at the Nippon Club, J.A.M. Galleries and various public galleries nationwide. Dischler’s work is held in public and private collections, including the Queens Museum of Art, the JCC Collection and other locations throughout the country.

One paragraph could never do his experience and depth justice.

Thanks Dick for all you taught us. I will always be grateful for what I learned from you, and will continue to learn and exercise creative focus, because we really never stop growing and learning.

Avid Giants fans, Kim & Kevin wanted to do a fun engagement session at AT&T park, home of the San Francisco Giants. More than fans, actually part of the family: Kevin's uncle is Jack Hiatt who played for the Giants, and the Astros, Expos, and Cubs, from '64-72, and the Giants' former Director of Player Development, and still an advisor and consultant to the team. Kevin wanted to wear his uncle's jersey for the shoot, to help make the day extra meaningful. Kevin's Aunt Sherri, Jack's lovely wife, came down from Oregon to be there for the day, and what a great time we had! We wandered around the "sacred ground" for a few hours capturing some fun photos as the day started a bit gray and got better by the minute. We finished off the day with a great lunch at MoMo's across the street and heard stories about how Sherri and Jack met, another great love story! A really fun day! Kim and Kevin are getting married this month in Simi Valley, and we are excited to fly down and photograph their big beautiful wedding. Congratulations Kim & Kevin! Oh, and we are not changing our normal blue color scheme, just decided to go with a little Giants' orange for this post!

Go Giants!

Congratulations Suchi & Karthik on the family addition!

Chenlu and her fiancé, Thai, wanted their engagement photos taken at a place special to them, UC Berkeley, where they both attended school.Thai is currently living in Germany, and flew over for the engagement session, with his sweetheart, who lives here in the bay area. A beautiful April day and a magnificent college campus set the stage for this fun couple who wanted to take advantage of some of the unique features the campus has to offer. Thai had a grin on his face when he told us they wanted to start the session with a dinosaur, a t-rex skeleton to be exact. A great location with beautiful light and dinosaur bones made for some fun photos. We went outside for a few photos, then headed over to the Hearst building, a visually stunning environment for photos, then outside again to one of the campus' reflecting ponds. We could have stayed all day creating photos for this special couple. We can't wait for the August wedding!

Julie + Greg love the ocean and being at the beach. So do we. Cindy and I met Julie + Greg at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, a beautiful resort hotel on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the amazing California coast. It was an interesting weather day, a little sun, a little rain, a little overcast - we had it all. But a little gray can't dampen the love this couple have for each other or their love of being at the beach as we went down to the Half Moon Bay harbor as well. We can't wait for their intimate wedding in November.

Silicia & Alex, a San Francisco couple, picked a winter day for their wedding at an estate perched above the beautiful Napa Valley in the heart of California's wine country. Surrounded by close friends and family and a few deer outside roaming the grounds, they tied the knot with guests ringing small bells to announce the couple's first kiss as husband and wife. You could could feel the love fill the room as wine filled the glasses for a celebration worthy of such a special occasion, all while under the watchful eye of an angel and a merry-go-round horse. Best wishes for many beautiful years together!

Kelsey & Logan were out in California for Logan to play in the Monterey Bay Invitational Golf Tournament at beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Links. Logan's well executed plan was to propose to Kelsey on the 18th green at the end of the tournament. After a long day on the course, the sun setting, and final putts sunk, Logan called Kelsey over to the green for a quick photo. I was there photographing the event, so there was no reason to suspect anything. After a quick photo, Logan dropped to one knee and proposed. The look on Kelsey's face was absolutely priceless! Kelsey was stunned at what was happening - she kept asking, "is this a joke?...is this real?" What a beautiful surprise, a very emotional moment, and a really happy couple! The crowd of people on the veranda of the lodge were applauding, and there were lots of hugs from friends. I don't know how Logan finished in the tournament, but he scored big with an amazing proposal and a lovely fiancé! Congratulations Kelsey & Logan!

Kelsey just about to have the surprise of her life...

The setup is underway...

Step over here for a quick photo...

She said YES!

With the wedding day approaching, we were all anxiously watching the weather, with our indoor wedding backup plan in place. The rain stopped the day before and we could not have asked for a more beautiful fall day at the Sequoyah Country Club in the Oakland hills. Beautiful weather, a beautiful location, and a beautiful couple marrying under fall colors with family & friends close by. It just does not get better than that.

Congratulations Amie & Yucel!

Check back for more images coming soon!

My good friend Brenden had been wanting to schedule a family photo session when her daughter Sam, and her beau Scott's daughter Paige were all going to be in the same place at the same time...busy schedules, and Scott's job as an airline pilot plus our wedding schedule made it tough to calendar, but we finally did it! We decided to meet on a recent Sunday afternoon at the Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto, one of our favorite venues for taking portraits. But this family photo session was even more special as Brenden & Scott were recently engaged. Awesomeness! So we got to shoot a "2-fer"....2 shoots in one. We captured some great family photos, some couples photos, and a few fun photos - you really have to know this bunch to appreciate how challenging it is to get them to all be serious at the same time. What a fun afternoon!

OK, after the serious ones, we let them be themselves...

So when Joan & Scott told me they had a muscle car we could use as a prop for their engagement photo session, I was really excited. We had to postpone the shoot when the car was late from the mechanic, a couple of weekends before, but it worked out great, because we had a little storm come through the morning of the shoot, so the sky was amazing - lots of clouds, and we hoped for a great sunset up on Russian Ridge above Palo Alto. Penny, the dog came along for the ride, and we had fun creating some beautiful images with and without the big prop. Joan & Scott were troopers as we were all freezing waiting for the sunset that developed over the Pacific ocean. When we hurried back to our cars, we were treated to more beautiful clouds to the east, and a couple more quick photos. Life is Good! 

Cindy and I love New Mexico. We started making trips there about 7 years ago and fell in love with Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. It truly is the Land of Enchantment, and we were so enchanted, we got married in Taos last year. There is a magic there that is hard to explain, it just calls to us.

We got back for a week to celebrate our anniversary and relax a couple of weeks ago. Even relaxing, we were carrying cameras to capture or re-capture places and scenes that call to us. There are so many amazing places to photograph, but this trip I was a lot more selective on what I was looking to capture.

One of the things that amaze us every trip is the sky - when its clear, the sky is so blue it looks fake. I can spot the New Mexico sky when I see photos in magazines and advertising - I know it's New Mexico. But when the sky is cloudy or stormy it is truly special - especially for photographers. Unmatched sunsets and beautiful cloud formations that compliment the landscape - simply stunning. A beautiful place to get married!

Graveyards, Spiders, Haunted Hotels...Oh My!

I had photographed this old cemetery a few times, but never quite had the sky I wanted. When we left Santa Fe on our way to Taos, it was stormy and raining along the way. Perfect! The dark angry sky I was looking for! When we reached the cemetery, the sun was shining perfectly on the mountain with the dark sky behind it - just the way I pictured it in my mind. 

Old cemetery along Highway 64 near Embudo Station, on the way to Taos from Santa Fe.

Perfect timing around Halloween, fall is the time when the lonely male tarantulas wander around the high desert looking for a mate. If you are creeped out by giant spiders, well, you have to balance that with one of the most beautiful times of the year in northern New Mexico. You will see them crossing the roads out around Taos valley. This "little" guy was hanging around the back yard of the house we rented near Arroyo Seco, outside of Taos. The good news is they are generally too big to fit through small cracks around doors and windows, so you don't see them inside (that is what we kept telling ourselves).

We named him "Zippy" - We left each other alone.

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We took a day trip out to the town of Cimarron, a town along the Santa Fe Trail. It was a rough place back in the day. The St. James Hotel was once described as the nicest hotel west of the Mississippi when Ciimarron was in its heyday. The St. James was a stop over for travelers on their way to Sante Fe, and boasts famous guests such as Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and many other famous western legends. Oh, did I mention the place is haunted? Yep, the real deal. It has a few permanent guests. Google it! We might stay there next time we are in the area and feeling a little adventurous. Cindy grabbed this photo of the hotel.

The Haunted St. James Hotel, Cimarron, New Mexico.

Of course no Halloween would be complete without a cemetery. While in Cimarron, we stopped by the old cemetery. A little creepy we know, but old cemeteries have some great photo opportunities...and the residents usually don't mind - at least that is what Cindy said as she shot this one.

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In Albuquerque, we were able to have brunch with our friend and wedding photographer, Talitha Tarro. We love Talitha's work, not only what she did for our own wedding, but we have been watching her work continue to amaze, as she grows and continues her journey as a photographer. She is a really nice person too! You can check out Talitha's work at www.talithatarro.com

While in Taos, we had an opportunity to meet and spend a little time with a very talented Taos photographer, Lenny Foster. We have admired his work for a while, and seemed to have missed catching him on our last few trips, but caught him in his studio this trip. Lenny creates beautiful imagery, and his work is worth taking a look at. His Healing Hands series is compelling, and his landscapes and horses are very special, plus he is a really nice guy with a great soul. Check out his work in person at his gallery on Kit Carson Road in Taos, or on his website: www.lennyfoster.com

While wandering around Sante Fe, we met another talented photographer, Kat Livengood of Santa Fe. Cindy and I were captivated by her photographs of wild horses. You can check out her work at www.katlivengoodphotography.com or visit her at the Dark Bird Gallery on Canyon Road.

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Finally, we found this Dia de los Muertos diorama in Taos to add to our collection - a wedding photographer taking a picture of a bride and groom. It was the perfect momento of another great trip to New Mexico. Happy Halloween and Dia de los Muertos!

Thanks for checking out our blog! Now back to work...we have engagements and weddings to photograph!

Kevin & Cindy

when we photograph a wedding, our clients become like family. we were so happy to hear that one our wedding couples from last year were having their first child. i happened to be coming home from a recent engagement photo session a few days after the birth, and since I was close to their place, I called to congratulate them and said, hey, i'm your neighborhood and i have a camera with me. they told me to stop by. after giving them both a congratulatory hug, i took a few quick photos of the young man. mom laughed as i was shooting photos of those little feet, and i told her that the photo of those little scaly feet would bring her to tears in 20-30 years. thats what a moment in time will do. welcome to world liam - its going to be a great ride.

Photographing moments in time and creating memories to be seen and cherished for generations is what we do. While weddings are our primary focus, we also are honored to be invited to document other moments. One such recent event was a family get together which would have 4 generations present, from ages 6 months to 96 years. Linda contacted me to capture a simple family photo to document this special family gathering, which allowed me to share a few special moments with this family of interesting and fun people. They loved the results, and I'm happy that I was able to capture a memory that will be part of their family for the next generations.

I cut my teeth with a medium format film camera, a Yashica-D. We shot black and white photos, and had to develop and print our own photos. I spent a lot of time in darkroom back then, learning every aspect of developing the film, using a variety of enlargers and creating prints. Instead of "dodging" and "burning" in photoshop with the click of the mouse, it had to be done using various techniques when making the print. Side note, In those days, I wish I had the school age pickup line for girls I heard years later...so you want to go into the darkroom and see what develops? (OK, stupid now, but way cool back then, trust me)

After many class projects completed, and being the responsible young kid I was, they let me start taking photos for the school. Mostly for the newsletters at first, then eventually for the school yearbook. Looking back, I guess that was the first time my work was published. I wanted to include a couple of those photos in this blog post, if I can only find those yearbooks, maybe I'll update this. Anyway, I took all the team photos for the sports teams, the clubs, football games, candid photos of the teachers, and so on, all published in multiple years of yearbooks. It was really fun, and the bonus was that it got me out of class a lot. As it turns out, it was better education that what I was missing in history or english.

So after leaving that photography store last month, I left there wondering if I could find that same model camera for sale on eBay. Sure enough, there were a bunch of them available, many in bad shape, but when I started looking I was thinking to get one to have on the shelf, so it don't matter. After a bit of searching, I found that the working versions were actually not that much more than the old broken down ones. A quick look around, and you can still get 120 roll film easily, so why not get one that works? After a fierce bidding war with some person in New York, I won the bid on a working Yashica-D camera from some guy in Albuquerque. It arrived a few days later, and the first thing I did was use my work-horse Canon 5D/III and took the photo below of my newest/oldest camera.

A bit of a strange feeling...taking a photograph of a camera. As I clicked the shutter, I wondered what that old camera had seen, what memories it created, what moments it froze in time, what parts of the world had it been in, and how many lives it touched. Pretty deep thoughts about an old camera.

I can't wait to get some120 film and capture some new memories with it. Stay tuned for a future blog post with images from that camera.

Oh, and thanks to my photography teacher, Mr. Jay Brewer of San Diego. You changed my life.

1. Wedding photos should be seen and be a daily reminder of your love for each other, a reminder of your wedding day, a reminder of your identity as a couple.

2. Wedding photos should NOT be held captive inside a computer, on a DVD, or a USB drive.

3. There will ALWAYS be an excuse to not have your wedding photos turned into something that you can see and touch, an album, a framed print, or a beautiful piece of art - you will always be busy, you will always have other things to spend money on, you will always have other priorities.

4. You SHOULD have digital copies of your wedding photos - but they should be just that, COPIES, digital negatives of the prints, albums, and wall art you have. 

Here are some facts about digital wedding photos:

• Digital files stored on a CD or DVD have a limited shelf life. So do USB drives and media cards.
• File formats created today are NOT guaranteed to be compatible with technology of the future.
• Computers get lost, stolen, damaged - hard drives fail. 
• Your photographer may NOT keep a copy of your digital files after they are delivered to you.
• If YOU do not take proactive steps to ensure the safety of your digital files - you will lose them. Its just a matter of time.
• You will need to have them backed up in a safe place forever.

We hear a lot of stories about digital files, some more severe than others. 

• We have seen couples do NOTHING with their wedding photos for YEARS after their wedding. This saddens us. After a couple spends so much for their wedding, and hires a photographer, they wait anxiously to see the photos, only to receive them and put them in some dark place.
• We have heard of clients that have had their homes burglarized. You know what was stolen? Their computer with their digital wedding photos on it. You know what was NOT stolen? Their wedding album and the wedding photos that were hanging on the wall.

We want to help you enjoy your wedding photos.The beautiful wedding albums we create for you are heirloom quality, and with reasonable care, will be here long after you.

We work with the best professional labs in the country to create amazing works of art from your photos. We will help guide you through the choices and options to get something that you and your family will enjoy. Every. Single. Day.

We will also provide guidance on how to protect those digital copies.

We understand that wedding albums, prints, and wall art can seem expensive when you buy them - but besides your wedding ring or a solid house, what else do you buy that is destined to last 100 years?

Thats what we believe. Tell us what you think.

What is a timeline? A timeline is basically a schedule for all the things that need to come together on your big day. It is important to have a timeline to make sure your day unfolds as you planned, to help reduce stress, and to make sure all the people helping you,  including your florist, your photographer, and your vendors - even your wedding party know where they are supposed to be and when. A timeline can be simple, or very detailed depending on the complexity of your wedding day - are you getting ready and having the wedding and reception at the same place?, or, are there multiple changes in location requiring travel between locations for you and your bridal party?

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For your wedding photographer, the timeline is really important. The photographer needs to know where to be and the flow of your day. It is also important to have your photographer involved in building of your timeline, or minimally be able to provide input to it. Why? If you want the best wedding photos you can get, and not have anything missed, your photographer needs to know things like where are the bride & groom getting ready, when the flowers are going to arrive so they can be in photos, the flow of the ceremony and reception, and how much time will be needed for family photos following the ceremony. Your photographer can also spot challenges with your schedule to avoid things like over-lapping events, or not enough time allotted for the photographs you want. While your timeline can slip a bit during the actual day, you don't want a single moment missed!

If you are using the services of a wedding coordinator, one of their primary jobs is to help you develop a timeline for your wedding day, and help coordinate with your vendors to make sure your special day flows smoothly. Many times there may be a coordinator for your wedding venue, and another for your reception venue, each will have their own parts of the timeline.

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Your wedding day timeline will probably start in the morning of your wedding day, with the schedule for when the bridal party is supposed to show up to get ready, and end with the close of the reception. It should include the small steps and events along the way. While no two weddings are the same, here are some basic steps in typical wedding day timeline:

• Bride preparation start time & end time
• Groom preparation start time & end time
• Groom & groomsmen photos start & end (boutonnieres need to de delivered by then)
• Bride & bridesmaids photos start & end (flowers need to be delivered by then)
• "First Look" start & end (where the Bride & Groom optionally see each other before the ceremony)
• Travel to the ceremony start & end
• Ceremony start & end
• Formal photos start & end (families, then Bride & Groom)
• Travel to reception start & end
• Pre-reception cocktail hour start & end
• Reception start
• Bride & groom arrival & announcement
• First dance
• Parent dances
• Food service
• Cake cutting
• Bouquet toss
• Garter toss
• Dancing begins
• Reception end time

When working with our clients, we will help you create a wedding day timeline, and continue to refine and validate it up to and including the wedding day. We also check with the venue(s), coordinators, and other vendors to ensure everyone is working from the same schedule - that way we won't miss an important moment, or the photographs to go along with them. Not all photographers will do this level of help, so if you don't book us as your wedding photographer - be sure to ask them about it!

Her grandmother had just passed away, and she needed to be with her mother, but she was scheduled to photograph a baptism later that afternoon. I responded to the request letting her know I was available, and the baptism was close to me. She called me back right away, and with a sense of relief in her voice, put me in touch with her client.

I called the client who was in panic trying to find a friend or relative with a camera - they were happy and amazed that someone could step in with about an hours notice. They gave me the address of the church, I threw on a suit, grabbed my gear, and headed out the door.

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We made it to the church with 10 minutes to spare, and began photographing the waiting family immediately. The baptism proceeded on time, and we were able to capture a very important family and life event. Since most of their family were present for the event, we were able to also capture photos of them all, something they had been wanting to have. 

We came away from the event with a sense of satisfaction that not only were we able to help out a fellow photographer in need, but  also made some new friends, and had the privilege of being part of their family for a little while. Most important, we were able to create a collection of beautiful memories they will cherish for a lifetime.

Some Sundays are a little more exciting than others, some more rewarding.

Brides will often have a style in mind or say they want a photojournalistic or candid style of photographs for their wedding photos, but when it comes down to it, you will probably want to have a mix of formals and other styles.

Here’s a little secret - many of the wedding photos you might see in wedding photos, your friend’s wedding albums, on Pinterest, Facebook, or websites that look candid are actually carefully posed…to look candid. A good photographer doesn’t TAKE photos…they MAKE them.

The photographer you choose should be flexible and capable of creating the photos you want, though your photographer’s style should be present. You certainly may want to choose a photographer for their style of photography, but you may not want a photographer that is so rigid, that they tell you “they only do photojournalistic” or any one style. Your wedding photos are for you, not the photographer. So when choosing a photographer - communicate with them! Share your vision with them, and help them give you what you want.

If you check out a photographer’s work, and you don’t see some variety in their work, be sure to discuss your concerns with them - maybe you and your photographer are not a good fit…it happens. If every photo taken of your wedding is nearly exactly like all the rest, your wedding photos and your album are going to be really boring.

When we meet with our wedding clients, we really get to know them, and understand the photos that are going to be important to them. We talk about the makeup of the bride & groom’s families, who they want photos taken with, what combinations of family members together, what special family members and friends will be there. We capture that information and will have it handy on your wedding day, making every effort to not miss important photos. Things can get crazy on wedding day, so if someone important to you wonders off before we are able to get their photo, we will try and catch them later at the reception.

Another important reason to understand the family and wedding party photos wanted, is to help your wedding day flow smoothly with less stress! You will have enough on your mind :) It also helps us estimate how long you will need to allow for those photos to be taken after the ceremony and factor that into your wedding day schedule. We know there will always be last minute photos you want taken, and we will always check with you during your day to see if there is anyone you forget about that you want a photo with.

We look forward to working with you to create beautiful memories of your wedding.

Let us know what you think!

Getting married is one of the biggest events of your life! Our job as wedding photographers is to help document your special day with beautiful photographs, capture moments and memories that you, your children and grandchildren will cherish and treasure forever.

Friends and other photographers often ask me why I would want to be a wedding photographer... the stress, the hard work, the pressure...why would you want to do that to yourself. I answer that question from two perspectives. First, being with a couple on what is most likely the happiest and most special day of their lives, and, being able to share in that is an amazing feeling. It is also a huge sense of trust and responsibility to be chosen to document that occasion. Secondly, when I look at my own parents wedding photos, and though I have seen them hundreds, maybe thousands of times, they remain a source of wonder for me. Seeing them frozen in time on the happiest day of their lives, seeing the relatives that are no longer with us, imagining what is must have been like that day - That is a very special thing!

 Carl & Carol Block on their wedding day, memories captured.

If you are a prospective client, know that we would love to capture YOUR moments in time, it would be an honor to document and share your happiest day. Let's chat about your vision for your wedding photos. You can click here to contact us.

Thanks, and enjoy our blog.

Kevin & Cindy Block