tibidabo

JiJi and Kevin

2012-01-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

Funny, gorgeous, and delightful are the first words that come to mind when I think of these two. Both are from Seoul, Korea, where their families have apartments across the hall from one another. They were separated for a number of years, but last summer as fate would have it, they were able to spend time together again and fell in love. They had a small holiday-time wedding at The Lodge at Sonoma .

Sarah and Matt

2011-12-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

If you like being out in the middle of nowhere among the rolling hills of the coastal mountains, then you would love Anvil Ranch. Found in California's Alexander Valley wine growing region, it's a beautiful 2.5 hour drive north/west of San Francisco. Sarah and Matt, both Apple employees who met at work, were overwhelmed with emotion on their wedding day. For Bob and me, it was a real treat to be with such a lovely group of people in a beautiful outdoor setting on a picture perfect October day.

Alana and Paul

2011-12-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

East meets west in more ways than one! Both Alana and Paul live in Brooklyn, New York where they work in the television industry. They came out west to get married in the northern California town of Cazadero, where Alana's family owns a country home. On a warm, sunny day in late summer, Bob, Dom, and I joined their family and friends to celebrate and document their unique wedding. Alana wore her Mom's wedding dress, while Paul had his suit tailor made in NYC. Paul's Mom provided a scrumptious Croquembouche for the wedding cake.
In addition to their creative wedding adventure, the bride and groom collaborate on a cooking blog that you can check out here: Cooking by Heart
Others great wedding pros that worked along side us:
Leah Bertoli day of coordinator
The Blue Moon Band

Sarah and Craig

2011-12-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

We hope to do a lot of catch-up with our blog posts now that the busiest time of the wedding season is behind us! Bob and Dom shot this wedding of Sarah & Craig at Madrona Manor which overlooks the Dry Creek Valley West of Healdsburg. The Victorian Manor was built in 1881 and is truly a gem of a place! It's an exceptional blend of grand estate, warm gracious service and historic romance-a perfect mix for many weddings. The mansion is surrounded by eight acres of gardens and woods that are wonderful for pre and post-wedding pictures. Many thanks to Kacie and her team, the day went off without a hitch.

Fleur de Lisa Cakes + Tibidabo Photography = Sweet Success

2011-08-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

We recently got some great news! One of our photographs of Fleur de Lisa Cakes was chosen to be on the cover of a new book coming out soon titled 'The Art of the Wedding Cake' by Mary Anne Pirro. We have many more images of her cakes inside the book.

A little more about the book:
346 images
Hardcover
160 pages
Retail is $29.99
Pre-Order at Amazon

More good news: Our image of an extremely spectacular cake by Lisa and her team of cake makers: Jamie, Scarlett and Heather, was chosen to be included in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Fall/Winter issue.
Here's the cover and spread of the magazine:

Sarah + Bob

2011-05-26T14:34:00.001-07:00

A beautiful day in May at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, Ca is hard to beat for a perfect garden wedding. All those in attendance came from New Jersey, the garden state! A fun note about this wedding: the bride had the penny that her mother wore in her shoe when she was married in 1973, along with a penny from this year, and
taped them into her shoes for good luck.

Many thanks go to Casey the new coordinator at the manor, Fleur de France for the flowers and Fleur de Lisa for the cake!

Good luck Sarah and Bob!

Wedding in Bodega | Maxinn and Luke

2011-04-29T13:13:00.001-07:00

St Teresa of Avila Church in Bodega was the setting for Maxinn and Lucas' April wedding. Under blue sky, amidst high winds, and among friends and family these two came together for a very happy wedding day. Reception at Bodega Bay Yacht Club followed. Amanda Vineyard of Vineyard Events and The Links at Bodega Harbour did a great job of coordinating the busy day. A fun note about this wedding: several people sang beautiful songs as toasts to the bride and groom.

Dylan and Sam: Engaged!

2011-04-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

These two beautiful people are getting married this summer at Healdsburg Country Gardens.

Sophie and Allen: Act 2

2011-02-16T15:22:00.001-08:00

Okay call us indulgent, but these are our kids! Without planning it we ended up doing a reversal of conventional thought by dressing up in the country and vise-versa for down town.

Sophie and Allen Engaged

2011-02-05T12:51:00.001-08:00

My own daughter is getting married! She's marrying Allen in October outside of Geyserville, here in northern California, at the Vineyard Club. I teach a 2 week art class at the Vineyard Club every summer in June. When Sophie saw it she loved the natural beauty and simple surroundings of the place. It's perfect for them!
We all met up at Sophie's place in Petaluma and headed into town for a fun photo shoot.

Wedding Cakes in the Wine Country

2011-01-14T17:29:00.001-08:00

If you need to find a great wedding cake maker in the bay area you need to look no further! Check out this sample of amazing cakes made by Fleur de Lisa Cakes. She's located in Santa Rosa, right around the corner from our studios on South A Street.

Perhaps you saw her on the TLC special Fabulous Cake Watch it here.
We've been so fortunate to have worked with her and her amazing cakes on many occasions, and I can tell you they are as delicious as they are beautiful. Our images of her cakes can be found in magazines such as Grace Ormonde, The Knot and Town and Country Weddings.

natalie and jonathon at paradise ridge

2010-10-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

Hawaii by iphone

2010-09-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

We have been in Hawaii to be with Bob's Mom while she gets medical treatment.
The Doctor's office is right behind this beautiful church in downtown Honolulu. Central Union Church was built in 1925
and coincidentally is the same church Bob's grandparents were married in1925!
All I had was my iphone and I got this shot. Nobody seemed to mind that this lady with her iphone, wearing a pair of shorts, was taking pictures of the wedding along with everyone else. Perhaps the fact that it was Japanese wedding had something to do with that!

The Incomparable Cassandra Hess

2010-06-17T21:07:00.001-07:00

summer dress + beautiful evening + sonoma county + lovely Cassandra = gorgeous!

Jai and Jason

2010-05-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

What a fun and interesting wedding we recently covered with Jai and Jason. Like their names evoke, their wedding day was a blend of cultures: ceremonies, traditions, food, clothing, sights and sounds all rolled together into a modern wedding in a modern city- San Jose. We started the day early at Jai and Jason's house where they participated in a Chinese Wedding Tea ceremony with many friends and family on hand. Later, their civil ceremony was performed at San Jose City Hall with a grand reception to follow. Jai wore a total of 4 dresses, her bridesmaids had 2 changes and a 9 course dinner was served at San Jose City Hall's amazing glass and steel rotunda. Also, Dylan was there, whom I really wanted to take home with me!

Dylan (on the left!)

Emily and Mike Engagement

2010-04-15T21:00:00.001-07:00

It's so cool when love finally finds you and it's the right time to say I do. For Emily and Mike, who met on-line and as it turns out lived on the same street but at different times(!), this is what has happened. Such a nice couple. Their September wedding will be a joy to attend and capture!

Anyone getting married in Mexico?

2010-01-28T21:32:00.001-08:00

This gorgeous image Bob shot on the Baja coast, just south of Loreto along the Sea of Cortez. We spent Thanksgiving on that trip with a group of fellow kayakers, camping on the beach as we headed south. Good times!

WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards

2010-01-23T09:20:00.001-08:00

Wedding Wire gave us an award! Nice!

Santa Rosa, Ca January 22,2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Tibidabo Photography has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for wedding photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Tibidabo Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Tibidabo Photography is among the very best wedding photographer within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings.

We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards!

Micah's Haircut

2010-01-12T15:42:00.001-08:00

We love being wedding and portrait photographers here in the beautiful Sonoma-Napa Valley area. But, I must say, taking my grandson, Micah for a haircut is right up there with all great photo-journal assignments. I'll leave the talking to the images.

V.Sattui Wedding with Kate and Jeremy

2009-12-07T14:04:00.001-08:00

Love, beauty, family and friends all came together from far and wide for Kate and Jeremy's
wedding at Napa Valley's V.Sattui Winery.

WinterBlast was a Blast!

2009-11-25T09:56:00.001-08:00

HI All!
We had a great time at our 2009 WinterBlast which exceded all of our expectations. Our remote controlled photo lounge was a huge hit. The link below will take you to the Pictage site where you can purchase them if you want. I've included almost all the pictures taken; it was a free-reeling night and the chair got knocked around a bit, so some of the pictures may be in a soft focus. Go HERE to view the Tibidabo Photo Lounge photos!
More below about WinterBlast 2009. Thanks for coming and hope to see you next year.
Press Democrat

WinterBlast 09

Our 5th Annual Winterblast on South A Street

2009-11-13T15:56:00.001-08:00

If it's time for the holidays then it's time for Winterblast! A time to get out and enjoy some great art and fun people. Not to be missed is our first SOFA parade. Must be seen to be believed! See below for all the details.

Caroline and Gary Elope in Napa Valley

2009-10-26T14:15:00.001-07:00

When Caroline and Gary, who are both originally from England, decided to elope, they couldn't have picked a more beautiful date or place: early October in Napa Valley at the Brix. Gorgeous in every way! Caroline was a beautiful bride in soft pinks and creams. The Brix is a fine restaurant with a "farm to table" tradition, a cool gift shop , and an incredible view out the back door. Both sides of the family came over from Europe to attend the happy event. In true English tradition, his mother wore a great hat. One reason we enjoy elopements is for the intimacy that comes with being in a small group like this during such a wonderful occasion in one's life.

Tina and Jay Married in South Lake Tahoe

2009-09-22T18:45:00.001-07:00

Tina and Jay made a beautiful couple against the backdrop of Lake Tahoe

Fun and Sun in Portland

2009-08-05T12:33:00.001-07:00

We found ourselves up in the beautiful city of Portland, OR this summer where they're getting all the hot weather that we've been missing here in the bay area. That's where we were when we met up with our friend Joel, who is becoming a Portland staple. We had a great time challenging the laws of gravity as we played a fun game of Jumbling Tower at Tugboat, a funky pub, right downtown. Another fantastic find in Portland, that we highly recommend is the Hotel Modera. The very modern decor was surprisingly restful. Check out there website!

Kristy and Daniel Engaged!

2009-05-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

Kristy and Daniel are a beautiful couple getting ready to start a life together. For our photo shoot we decided to make an afternoon of it and drove over to Napa Valley, where it all began under a bridge. That's where Daniel proposed to Kristy, under a bridge, right outside of the beautiful town of St. Helena. She still gets a kick out of the morning leading up to the big moment with his funny behavior and unusual errands to run. And even when Daniel set up a camera to video tape them that day, she still was taken by surprise as he proposed to her! After hanging around at the bridge, we went over to St Supery winery, right in the heart of Napa Valley.

Anyone Getting Married in Hawaii?

2009-04-06T20:53:00.001-07:00

If the answer to that question is a yes, give us a call! We just got back from a 9 day trip to the islands and we're ready for more. We have family who live on Oahu, (Bob's mom Rita, and my cousins, Dave and Kim) and friends on the Big Island. Our friend is Storm Steiger, maybe you've heard of him? Check out his blog at //seakayaker.tripod.com/ What always impresses me is how diverse the people, places and things are of the Hawaiian Islands. Here are some highlights from our trip.

Early morning on Oahu....

Uncle Joe and Joe Jr. (Bob's Mom's uncle) Uncle Joe is 101 on the very day this picture was taken. Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!

We made a new friend in Waikiki: Stephen Dantzig. We met at a local hang out off Kuhio Ave. called The Shack, right in the middle of Waikiki, which was great to know about -2$ drafts on Thursday nights. Check out all of Stephen's amazing contributions to photography.

Links to Stephen Dantzig Photography:

Signed copies of my books on photographic lighting techniques are available at: www.dantzigphotography.com
steve@dantzigphotography.com
Follow me at http://stevephotohi.blogspot.com/
See my recent articles and ask me a question at www.prophotoresource.com

We visited Kim and Dave up the island toward North Shore where we had a great time out in the country. Here they are on our Jungle Tour, not far from their home. Hi Kim and Dave! Kim's the best cook ever!

Dave surfing at Kahana Bay. He was so nice to take us out to a beginner's site. We did OK until the tide came in.

Believe it or not this is an upside down kayak!

Hearts from the sea are placed all around Kim and Dave's house.

On to the Big Island!

Our friend Storm and me in the warm pools near Kopoho. Nice!

Tide pools at Vacation Land also near Kopoho. Just beautiful!

Ke Hena Beach at night. During an earthquake the whole beach dropped leaving the roots of this tree exposed.

Lava flow at night, 30 sec. exposure. This is as close as we could get...

Here we go kayaking off South Point!

Thanks to Storm who knew where to go on the Big Island.

The Beautiful Tina

2009-04-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

Death Valley 360

2009-02-23T14:19:00.001-08:00

Bob took this shot last week on his way to WPPI.

New Format on our Blog

2009-02-14T15:32:00.001-08:00

We finally got our pictures up larger! This is Sarah and Miki at the Indian Springs Resort in Calistoga..
A nice place for a small wedding. That's a big steamy pool behind them.

Fun in the Sun: Lake Tahoe in December

2009-01-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

   We caught the best snow and weather of the season!
   Family meal at a sushi place in South Lake Tahoe.
   Micah loves fish, especially sharks!
   Maya looking through a fish tank. Cute no matter what!
   Ice on Lake Tahoe

   Becky and Bob

December Wedding in St Helena

2008-12-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

A small intimate wedding in December at some of St Helena's loveliest locations, was the romantic choice for Sara and Rich who flew in from Wisconsin. Bob and our good friend and colleague Dominic Egan had a great time following the eloping couple around town. They began their adventure at The Harvest Inn for pre-ceremony portraits, then on to Tra Vigne restaurant for the ceremony, next stop Merryvale winery for appetizers and wine tasting, and finally back to Tra Vigne for dinner. The officiant was the Reverend Jacqueline, who we were lucky enough to work with again.

Roger and Maya

2008-11-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

I had to put up these pictures of my son-in-law and granddaughter. We have not posted in a while because we've been so busy shooting weddings-5 in October. So stay tuned for a whole lot-a- images. Meanwhile check these out. What cuties!!

Mary and Craig Elope!

2008-09-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

We recently photographed a couple of elopements in the Napa Valley area and got to meet some great people. The officiant was Reverend Jacqueline, a wine country minister who kindly referred us to Mary and Craig, seen here in our pictures up on Mt Vedeer Rd . Mary, a Harvard graduate physician and Craig who works in their home town in the real estate business, were so sweet on their big day. We had a lot of fun getting to know these folks.
We fell privileged to be present at elopement weddings. It is a very intimate and meaningful experience.

Dan, Alison, Jacob, Darla and Mina

2008-09-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time catching up with Alison and Dan recently who were married last summer and we were their photographers. As you can see in the photo above they have a new member in their family, little Jacob. I don't need to tell you how cute he is after you see all of his photos here. The lovely young ladies on their sides are exchange students from the Ukraine and Serbia: Darya and Mina. We had a fun time together that day! It was great meeting the teenagers from eastern Europe and seeing Alison and Dan again.

Katie & Lenny

2008-09-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Married at last. Just like my very own Bob, Lenny was slow to walk down the aisle. But so worth the wait in Katie. What a nice wedding, and lovely couple. We had a great time close to home in Santa Rosa spending the day with these two and their great group of family and friends. Way to go Lenny!

Jaime and Sami

2008-08-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

Check out these photos of the beautiful and distinguished Jaime and Sami who were married at The Vintner's Inn, here north of Santa Rosa, on August 9th. Jaime and Sami are very American in many ways, but their roots go deeply into the history and soil of the middle east. That heritage was evident on their wedding day as they blended the two cultures along with their hearts, families and lives. They had a lovely wedding; we wish you guys the very best!

Irene and John are Married

2008-07-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Irene and John joined hands and families and cultures together this past July 12th in Santa Rosa at the First Presbyterian Church. A wonderful group of people from many walks of life gathered together along with Irene's Grandmother who married them, to wish them all the best and to agree to support John and Irene now as a married couple. Following the ceremony an amazing feast began with a spread of delicacies laid out on three different buffet tables, thanks to a la heart catering. Later, everyone was serenaded by a Mariachi band. We wish John and Irene the very best.

Gualala Wedding

2008-07-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Gualala sounds like a town south of the border, but it's right here along the Mendocino coast in northern California. That's where Jen and Rich got married on the unusually warm day of June 21st. It was a gorgeous setting for a beautiful wedding! Rich's dad, who is a retired minister married them in front of a host of close friends and family at the beautiful Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Immediately following the ceremony, we all headed over to the Gualala Arts Center where Jen's uncle transformed the large room into an incredible reception wonderland. We had a great time! Who wants to get married in Gualala? Thanks Jen and Rich!

VINE ART EVENT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS

2008-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all of you who came down to South A Street last Friday night. Everything was lovely: the weather, the food, the drinks, the people! A special thanks to Ruth of Ruthy's Real Meals, who was our quest culinary artist. Enjoy this small sample of images from the night.Much more later, especially if you go to pictage.com/484303 where we will post all of the studio images we took that night. Hopefully by the end of the week!

MAYA MAKES HER ENTRANCE

2008-06-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Born into the world only moments before!!

The brother sister images are from Day 2.

She came in like a lamb, all sweet and soft. That's how it went. Everyone was thrilled, not only because we got to go home and get a full night's sleep ( doctors included), but because it all went so well! Maya Caridad came into the world at 9:56 on Wednesday night, May 28, weighing 7lbs 3 oz.. Leah, Maya's mom , who is my first born, is recovering nicely. The baby's darling and Micah is taking it pretty well; only one request to send her back!

She Said Yes

2008-05-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful clear morning it was last Sunday when we took these engagement photos out on Bennett Valley Pd. at Matanzas Creek Winery It was 100 degrees last week and we wanted to get an early start at 10 AM. Lenny grew up out in Bennett Valley and when he was a kid they would race up to the top of the hill now where the winery stands. Bob and Lenny both grew up out there so they did a lot of reminiscing about those old high school days. Katie and Lenny will be getting married in August at St Eugene's church here in Santa Rosa. I'm looking forward to it, these guys are great!

Jaime and Sami Engaged!

2008-05-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

"A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou". This is the saying I kept thinking of as I was looking at Jaime and Sami's photos, and as it turns out that quote comes from The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam, who was an 11th Century Persian author and poet. What's sort of amazing is that these guys are from that part of the world, both Arab-Americans. They will be getting married this August at the Vintners Inn in Sonoma county, California. We're really looking forward to it because they will incorporate many of their Arab traditions into the day's celebration.

Kelly and Will

2008-04-30T08:48:00.001-07:00

Kelly and Will at Trentadue Winery.

DeeDee and Dennis

2008-04-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

The setting, the weather, the bride and groom... all beautiful. Deedee and Dennis decided to get married after being great friends for some time. (That's some good pre-marital advise!) Their families and closest friends gathered together in the intimate setting of the private Wild Oak Saddle Club, nestled in the gorgeous Valley of the Moon. After an outdoor ceremony under a magnificent oak tree, the group went inside for a wedding lunch. It was such an enjoyable day.

las vegas

2008-03-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Las Vegas after attending the WPPI convention. In the above photo it shows one of my favorite experiences there, the First Ladies of Photography forum. It was so great to hear the wisdom and funny stories of these photography sages, some of whom have been in the business for over 30 years. Others not so long, but plenty smart! Woman such as Sandy Puc, and Nancy Emmerich.
On the way back to my hotel room I did some window shopping. Everything is over the top in Vegas. You can go for days and not get outside. It's always good to get back home!

Company of Men

2008-03-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

For many years my immediate 'circle of influence' mostly included women. Two daughters at home, all women co-worker teaching staff at work, and girlfriends in between. Not any more! God in his infinite wisdom (and goodness) has given me BOY now. Boy in the form of Husband and Grandson, otherwise known as Bob and Micah. They are both 'all boy' and extremely mysterious to me, but therein lies the intrigue. In other words, I'm crazy about them!
When Micah brings me a flower, well it's as good as it gets!
When I see Bob do stuff he was born to do, it's like watching destiny, it's magic!

South A Street is Open

2008-02-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

We're getting real organized down here on South A Street thanks to the new kid on the block. Lise Carlson has brought her tremendous expertise and organizational skills to galvanize this great group of talent. For one, we now have a blog: //saartsa.blogspot.com/ . Along with her administration skills, Lise's also a great artist. You can see her work on the web click , or better yet in person right here on South A Street this weekend! Check out this beautiful card for their show. Joining in are many of the other artists in this district. Please feel welcome to come by between 5:00 and 8:00 this Saturday evening.

Now Married

2008-01-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's a done deal, Heidi and Giuliano got married!
Bob and I were really looking forward to the wedding of these two lovely people because we knew how creative and interesting they were. It was another gorgeous 'wedding Saturday' here in Sonoma county, even though we're in the middle of winter! And everything went beautifully on their big day, despite having no electricity the night before at the rehearsal. I hope you enjoy these photos, we sure enjoyed taking them.

Heidi and Giuliano

2008-01-14T21:14:00.001-08:00

Simpleology Multi Media Course

2008-01-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

I belong to a business networking group who has a member that recently taught a class on blogging. His name is Ed Mills and he has a great blog titled Evolving Times, check it out here.
He directed me to a link on his blog that gives you a shot at a free course by Mark Joyner. Free is a powerful word! Below is what he has asked me to paste on my blog.

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Mark Joiner is the founder of Simpleology. He sets forth principles that can help you out with your daily tasks. Worth checking out here.

Happy New Year & Thanks for a Great Year

2007-12-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

A wedding ceremony held at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Mazatlan, Mexico.

We had fun taking these photos of Sophie and Jaymie.

We send out our thanks to all and best wishes for the coming year!

Mexico

2007-12-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

The two beauties of Mexico! Sophie and Jaymie.

This is our last taxi ride along the busy beach road in Mazatlan.
A roadside stand.
Tortilla soup, yum!
In San Blas more people had bikes than cars.
On the estuary outside of San Blas.

There are a lot of fresh water crocodiles found in the waters of the estuary. This one at a farm had a butterfly on his nose! See they're perfectly harmless( not!)
The view from our hotel room! The sunsets were amazing almost every night.
Jaymie, Sophie and Becky (me) watching seals swim in a tank at the Aquarium in Mazatlan.
Outside the cathedral of San Blas.
Inside the cathedral of San Blas.

We just got back from Mexico! Our intention was to blog from there, but we had trouble with internet connections. We had a great time visiting Mazatlan and San Blas. Both towns are found along the western coast of the mainland. We went with Sophie, my daughter, and her friend Jaymie. We took lots of photos which I plan on spreading out over a few posts. I'll get one up of Bob, too. Stay tuned. Hope your holiday season is a happy one!

Here I come....better watch out!

2007-12-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Micah, our beautiful grandson. He has so much fun and life in him! We think this picture captures his happy and fun-loving personality. Give him the outdoors and room to run and this is what you get! Kenny Rogers, the singer, who has raised 4 boys, said that if you keep little boys busy you're fine , but if you don't, they'll dismantle your home one board at a time! Somehow I believe that.

Help the Kids of the DD Dliwayo School

2007-11-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

I just found out about a wonderful opportunity for us thankful folks here to help bring hope and opportunity to kids in South Africa. A fantastic wedding and portrait photographer known as A Bryon Photo www.abryanphoto.com/blog , based in Birmingham, AL, is traveling with the music group Hanson (remember them, an all brothers band from the 90's?) They're making music and bringing TOMS shoes www.tomsshoes.com to children, many of whom have lost parents to AIDS. Please go to his blog site and check it out! He explains in much more detail with words and photography what they're up to. If you donate $30.00 you get this really nice t-shirt. It's worth your time!
Tom shoes have an amazing story, too.( this link goes to myspace see above for Tom shoes link)

A Street Winter Blast

2007-11-19T14:47:00.001-08:00

Each year it gets better and better!
This past Saturday night at our 3rd annual Winter Blast celebration, we had the largest turn out yet. "I didn't even know this was here!", was heard again and again as many new faces came to check out this unique corner of downtown Santa Rosa.
Alongside our myriad of art studios, there were magicians, musicians, fire dancers (!) , mime artists, folks on stilts and a furry Frosty the Snowman.
Bob and I have a tradition of taking fun studio portraits on these occasions. Along with our studio portraits, we captured the carnival-like atmosphere of the street. Cool!
I have included a list of artists (see below) found on our street along with some of the images from the night. Check back for more events!!!
To see the rest of the photos go to: (see below for link)
www.printroom.com/pro/bstender
A Street Winterblast 07

ARTISTS
Cafe Saint Rose (yummy lunch and dinner)
Atlas Studios Jesse Wickman (music teacher)
Pazzo di Capello (hair salon)

gallery 300
Barbara Elliott
Jennifer Hirshfield
Mary Vaughan maryvaughan.com

A Street Gallery
Andrea Speers Hibbard
Don Bishop
Dominic Egan
Laurence Glassworks
Maggie Gallimore
Virginia Harrison

Laura Hoffman laurahoffman.com
Molly Perez

Mario Uribe Studios mariouribe.net

Ron Pearson Photographer
Skirt Chaser (vintage clothing)
Saga Graphics&Multimedia
Natural Home
Peace and Justice Center

WinterBlast on A Street!

2007-11-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

Lisa and Chris

2007-11-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

Lisa and Chris had a beautiful wedding held in the coastal towns of Bodega and Bodega Bay up here in northern California. They were married at St Teresa's Church, the same church that is in the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds". Their reception followed at the Bodega Harbour Yacht Club where it was decorated in a Chinese theme. So cool! You always get to know a bride and groom better during the toasts. As Lisa and Chris' friends and families got up to toast them, it was clear how much they were loved and how fun they are.

Jen and Mike

2007-10-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Jen and Mike, who live down in southern California, decided to get married up here in northern California closer to their immediate family. So, on yet another beautiful October Saturday afternoon, they gathered their clans for a intimate wedding at a private home. This small wedding was to be following by a big party out on a boat with all of their friends down south. Hope it was a blast you guys!

Gretchen and Joe - October 6

2007-10-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were up in beautiful northern Sonoma county. We started in Asti, went down to Healdsburg, and ended up in Alexander Valley. Gorgeous! And speaking of gorgeous, so was Gretchen, the bride, and the rest of the wedding party. The bride put together a beautiful collection of attire, flowers, food and fun. Way to go. Hope you're having a wonderful time on St. Lucia!

Grace and Matt Part 2

2007-10-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Grace and Matt, who were married in a small ceremony in the spring, held their reception this past weekend in the backyard of their parent's house in Sebastopol. Just like at the ceremony, Bob and I felt like one of the guests as we joined in the fun of playing games and getting to know the extented family and friends of these fine folks. Under a warm and beautiful sky we spent the afternoon taking family and candid portraits, including those of Pepsi and Molly, the resident pot belly pig and new puppy. All the best to everyone!

Maha and Brandon Tie the Knot

2007-09-20T15:46:00.002-07:00

The lovely bride Maha.

Whew! They got through the ceremony!

These two make a great couple who have a wonderful group of family and friends that surround them. We've never seen so many great dancers of all ages in one place!

2007-09-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe how fast times goes by! September already? Where did the summer go? Bob and I are in a busy wedding season right now. We have lucked out with such a great group of brides and grooms. We really come to love these folks. Here is a collection of images Bob and I have most recently taken. When you hear that familiar saying that the bride was glowing, it may be a cliche, but it sure is true.

Looking for a way to give back?

2007-08-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Recently Bob and I spent time on Angel Island with a wonderful organization called Volunteers for Outdoor California, or V_O_CAL. As the title suggests, this organization engages communities in the maintenance and preservation of local, public outdoor habitations, such as Angel Island. On their website they proclaimed that the Angle Island project would, "...provide breathtaking views, a great workout and a genuine sense of accomplishment." That couldn't have been more true! If you are interested in maintaining California's beautiful outdoors, and spending time with a bunch of great people who also care, then check out their website for more information at : v_o_cal.org V_O_CAL is a fiscally sponsored project of Acterra whose mission statement is: To create local solutions that foster a healthy natural environment. Check them out at acterra.org

To view all the final images of the day, look for VO Cal Angel Island Adventure Gallery
at : tibidaboprints.com

Valley of the Moon Wedding

2007-07-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Sandie has 3 great boys. One of them, Kelly, just got married to Danielle, in a beautiful garden wedding in the Valley of the Moon. It was a great time to just go and hang out with friends and take fun pictures.

San Juan Islands

2007-07-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

We didn't think it was going to happen, but we lucked out and joined fellow kayaking club members (bay area sea kayakers at bask.org ) on the 4th of July, in the San Juan Islands. Bob has been kayaking since he was a teenager, first on rivers, then river raft guiding, and now mostly ocean kayaking. I'm relatively new to it, and for me the best part about kayaking is spending so much time in nature. BASK is known for its great food almost as much as for its kayaking. Some people call BASK an eating club with a kayaking disorder! The San Juan Islands are found just northwest of Seattle, WA in the Puget Sound. It's gorgeous up there. Go someday, even if you think it can't happen.

4th of July picnic at Spencer Spit Camp.

Lopez Island farmland.

On the water in Puget Sound.

Country Wedding

2007-06-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

Nothin' like a good ol'country wedding! A warm day in June brought these two together for a beuatiful time of matrimony. Friends and family along with horse and carriage, daisies and strawberries, and children running around, made for a day filled with many good memories.

Laughter and Tears

2007-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to join fellow photographer Brenda Focci of Hawkes Photography shoot a wedding. It is so great when the toasts at the reception are funny and emotional, and that's exactly what happened here. The bride's brother was reminiscing about their childhood, and how much she has meant to him over the years. He could hardly get through it because of his tears. What we see in the portraits are the reactions from the bride, groom and other sister. It was beautiful!

A is for south A street

2007-05-28T11:49:00.001-07:00

A is for All of us on South A St who want to thank everyone for coming to our street walk last Saturday evening! We opened our doors and hearts to all who could come. This community of artists is made even better when we can share our art and wares with all of you! I would like to include the names and websites of fellow artists in this district, along with some fun photos from the night (see below). If you are interested in seeing the whole collection of studio portraits taken that evening go to:
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGallery.asp?userid=bstender&gallery_id=700843
Please feel free to contact us with questions or requests regarding the portraits. We do it all for fun, without a lot of post production work (read photoshop :); but we want to make the images available to everyone. Please contact us so we can send you notices of futher events. Thanks again for coming!!!!

South A Street Art District List
Jennifer Hirshfield
Mary Vaughan maryvaughan.com
Barbara Elliott
Andrea Speers Hibbard
Don Bishop
Dominic Egan
Laurence Glassworks
Maggie Gallimore
Virginia Harrison
Laura Hoffman laurahoffman.com
Molly Perez
Mario Uribe mariouribe.net
Bob & Becky Stender tibidabophotography.com

Mary Vaughan made us each a large wooden A

Inside A Street Gallery

Laura Hoffman in her studio.

On South A Street

A New Face in Town

2007-05-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

David talking shop at Bob & Becky's

For me one of the best things about being a photographer is getting to know the wonderful community of fellow pros in this business. There's a great trend going on in the industry right now of openness and reciprocity among us. David here is a great example of this. He has newly moved up to Santa Rosa from Newport Beach with his wife and 2 year old son. The other night he came over to dinner and we had a great time sharing information and ideas. When it comes to technology, he talks circles around me! Another interesting fact about David is that he works closely with Mike Colon -- mikecolon.com , who is like a rock star in the world of wedding and portrait photography. We're thrilled to know him and look forward to supporting each other on our journey as photographers. To get to know David even more, check out his blog at: davidescalante.blogspot.com

Day at School

2007-05-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

School was never like this for me, but the following photos portray a day at school for these 4 lucky kids. They represent Annie Ruge's Sonshine Christian School who hired me to take their class photo. We had a great time as we cruised around the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa. They get together once a week with Annie, and the rest of the week their folks home school them. They shared with me that they enjoyed going out for hot chocolate and coffee as part of some of their days together. They recently went to San Francisco on a field trip to visit art museums. We had a lot of fun, too.

Keep It Simple

2007-04-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we attended and photographed a wedding at a nearby Sonoma County winery. I say attended because the gathering was so small and intimate we felt like guests! On this warm spring day, as you can tell by the couple's pictures below, all they needed was each other. It was a beautiful and simple ceremony officiated by Dale Flowers of the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa www.fpcsantarosa.org

Come on down...

2007-04-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

....and get down on South A Street in Santa Rosa! I think there are more artists at work per square foot than anywhere else in the county right here on South A Street. Every so many weeks, we all welcome visitors into our studios here in the neighborhood. We coincide these special evenings with the openings at the A Street Gallery. This past Saturday the show titled eBlue opened. (Please check back for more information on the artists and their websites of this community, and upcoming openings and streetwalks) Here are some of the sights from that evening.....

This is Bob outside of our studio on South A Street that night of the eBlue Opening. He's having his usual good time of taking pictures. Bob's the best!!

2007-04-17T21:17:00.001-07:00

Did you say nappies?

2007-04-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yep. Even though we all did need a nap, that is not what nappies is about. A couple of times a month, a group of photography and photoshop pros get together at our house and talk shop. The best thing about it is that everyone seems to learn something new because everyone else has something new to share. It's KOO! (Koo means cool! in Chinese, I think!) More on that later as I have an email request to a specialist on the subject. Go to http://definingcharacters.com/blog/about/

The real reason to meet: to see Micah pictures!

WPPI Is Good To Us

2007-04-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Our recent trip to the annual WPPI meeting in Las Vegas was great! We met so many interesting and smart people! Nice people, too. The whole experience was kind of surreal, being in Las Vegas with its sights and sounds and all. Our hotel room became a quiet sanctuary away from all of the stimulation, not only from the wonderful world of information at the WPPI workshops, but of course, from Las Vegas. If you are a professional photographer, I highly reccommend this annual event. You learn so much and make good friends along the way.

Has Teeth!

2007-03-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

We might as well get this introduction over with! This is Micah, our favorite subject to photograph. We have, oh, say, something like 15,000 pictures of him! If you're a digital photographer, then you know that's actually possible. Our grandson Micah belongs to our oldest daughter Leah and her husband Roger. There are no words that can describe the joy that this little one has brought to so many.