Kelsey Schweickert ...discovering beauty...

Rest for your soul...

2012-02-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

In spite of the post-Christmas doldrums, there’s something I love about January/February…it’s the time of year when I get to pursue some personal projects! The photography business gets a little slower-paced, and I have a little more time to refresh and renew those creative juices. Honestly, the whole slow-down thing hasn’t quite happened yet, at least not the way I hoped; I got sick a while ago with The Cold That Won’t Go Away, and for the past six weeks it’s intermittently reared its ugly head. So I’m still catching up, finishing one last big (and wonderful) project—Austin and Jenna’s wedding. (Stay tuned for more of their photos soon!)

Anyways, one of my lifelong simple joys, as you already know if you’ve followed this blog for a while, is the beauty and variety of flowers. Actually it’s not really a “simple” joy. They’re tremendously intricate. And detailed. And unique, and amusing, and whimsical, and comforting, and just…beautiful.

Growing up surrounded by the many varieties in my mom’s garden, it would be hard not to develop a special affection for these lovely expressions of our God's creativity. Think about it—each flower was once just an idea in God’s head. He’s showing us something about himself in these pretty little things.

So last Sunday when I was at my parents’ house, I took some time to wander around the garden and collect a few flower photos. It’s been at least a month since I last did that, and oh my, it was such a treat! A garden is a haven for the heart—a place where your soul can rest and drink in the refreshment of its unique beauty. Hope you’re refreshed by these too…

It's Daphne time! Love their sweet, citrusy fragrance.

Little blue rosemary blossoms

I popped my head in the greenhouse too...

Just look at this pansy-face. Doesn't that make you grin?

Till next time, friends! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jimmy and Lisa - slide show

2012-02-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

I thought a slide show would be an appropriate post for today...I just finished Jimmy and Lisa's album and these images are so beautiful, they were just asking for a slide show. (I wish you all could see the album--Lisa and Jimmy love it!!)

Enjoy...

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Perspective (with thanks to NASA)

2012-01-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

Perspective. How we need it. But how often do you step back from everyday life and see the big picture?

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the barrage of everyday stuff and lose perspective. Take a shower, vacuum the living room, conquer the mountain of emails and phone calls, make dinner, pay the health insurance bill, get the oil changed, get some exercise...yeah, all that stuff. It's real, it's how life goes, you have to take care of it.

The other day my brother showed me some stunning photos from a NASA website. Every day they post a photo with an explanation written by an astronomer. (If you want to blow your mind, just visit that site.) Here's one that particularly struck me:

NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Ed Henry (Hay Creek Observatory)

Explanation: A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, in the constellation Aquarius, a sun-like star is dying. Its last few thousand years have produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. A total of 10 hours of exposure time have gone in to creating this remarkably deep view of the nebula. It shows details of the Helix's brighter inner region, about 3 light-years across, but also follows fainter outer halo features that give the nebula a span of well over six light-years. The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot, central star. A simple looking nebula at first glance, the Helix is now understood to have a surprisingly complex geometry.

A "mere" 700 light-years from Earth? It's so far away, it takes light (which travels at over 186 THOUSAND miles per second) seven hundred YEARS to get there? And the inner region is so big that it takes light three years to get across it?

Our world is huge. Massive. Mysterious. Stunning. Awe-inspiring. And the God with the power to come up with all this awesomeness is very interested in the goings-on of my little life today, Thursday, January 26, 2012. (Designing a wedding album, meeting with seven piano students, sweeping the kitchen and making some egg salad. Ah, such momentous tasks I have today.)

That's enough to make the most important person in the world shrink with humility, and bring honor to the most insignificant. God knows the workings of your heart today...and he cares about every one of them.

Enough said. :) On to my list of to-do's--with renewed gratefulness and confidence!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Tyler - senior portraits

2012-01-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

We did Tyler's senior portrait session on Thanksgiving weekend, so I've been wanting to post these images for quite a while! Tyler is awesome. He's tough on the outside -- he takes his football and baseball seriously, and he's good -- but underneath he's a sincere, kind guy, and what can I say, I admire this kid. Here are a few favorites from his session...

Till next time, friends!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Austin and Jenna - wedding preview

2012-01-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

Austin and Jenna's wedding last Friday was full of so many pretty personal details...from the bridesmaids' cute red heels, to the bride's Pride-and-Prejudice-styled dress, to the red roses and "love" in many different languages on the tables at the reception. I'll do a full blog post later, but here's a sneak peek...

Congratulations Austin and Jenna! More photos to come!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T22:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you! (It's still a "happy new year" if it's only January 2, right?) :)

I've always loved paths. (And path photos.) There's a mystery about them. You know they're going somewhere -- you can't tell where till you follow them. But they are going somewhere. You just have to follow.

It's a new year...I don't know what's ahead. But I know Who designed the path. I know what's behind...last year was a good year, and my Heavenly Father never failed me. And He'll be there, faithfully leading on through 2012.

His mercies are new, in this New Year. And new every single morning of this year. He never fails.

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning."
(Lamentations 3:22-23)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

The Cox family

2011-12-30T00:29:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I met this awesome family in Livermore for a double session—senior portraits for Tyler, and then family portraits! We spent some time downtown, then headed out to Sycamore Grove park.

It was such a treat to photograph Lisa, Larry, and their three sons. They are so genuine, down-to-earth, and pleasant to be with. Not to mention that they're all natural posers—they're so comfortable in front of the lens, they could be a family of models. Seriously!

Trey (I think he'll be modeling for Ralph Lauren soon...)

Tyler (senior portraits coming later!)

Trent has a fantastic camera smile. Love it.

Lisa and Larry are such a great couple...wish I'd been around to photograph their wedding! :)

And then the sun set...so we photographed that too. :) Thanks for the great session, Cox family!

I'm still catching up on photo editing, but I'll post some of Tyler's senior photos when they're ready. Have a great Friday, everyone!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Christmas happiness

2011-12-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

I took a quick trip thru the house with my camera on Christmas Eve...and this is what we saw.

My cute little tree :)

Sparkly Christmas ornaments...

The "music store" in the miniature Christmas Village

Poinsettias, of course...

Advent candles

I love these enormous amaryllis blooms -- stunning!

The reason He came.

I've had some time in the midst of the busyness to stop and ponder the magnitude of Christ's coming. He said his aim was to proclaim liberty to the captives, to heal the brokenhearted, and for that he left a perfect existence in heaven and came here to live and suffer and rise again. It seems impossible. But He did it.

He was opposed at every turn, by people who hated him, by people who just didn't know any better, and by Satan and all his demons (can you imagine the battles that must have raged behind the scenes??). But he came, and he did perfectly everything he came to do. Such great love.

Where shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel’s word,

I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred;
But there is room and welcome there for me,
But there is room and welcome there for me.

In that unlikely place I find him as they said:
Sweet newborn Babe, how frail! And in a manger bed:
A still, small voice to cry one day for me,
A still, small voice to cry one day for me.

How should I not have known Isaiah would be there,
His prophecies fulfilled? With pounding heart I stare:
A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me,
A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me.

Can I, will I forget how Love was born, and burned
It’s way into my heart—unasked, unforced, unearned,
To die, to live, and not alone for me,
To die, to live, and not alone for me?

(This song was written by Jaroslav Vajda in the 1980s, and my choir sang it at our Christmas concert. It's become a new favorite of mine!)

Next posts: a recent portrait session with the fabulous Cox family, and some photos from last week's lovely Jewish wedding. :) Meanwhile I'm going to finish house-cleaning (both literally and digitally), catch up on things, and spend some time with both of my sisters, who are in town this week! Yay! I'll post again in a couple days. Till next time, friends....

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Margin. And some pretty autumn photos.

2011-12-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Here in the San Francisco bay area, winter comes late...so although a pretty little Christmas tree is currently gracing my living room, it still feels perfectly natural to have pumpkins around and an orange-berried wreath on the front door! (Uh-oh, decorating faux pas!)

The last month has been more full than any other month I can remember in years. Mostly a good full. I do love my work! But creativity suffers when the schedule is crammed...can't be creative when my brain gets tired.

Much of this activity has been unavoidable. Moving is a big undertaking (especially when you work out of your home), and work must go on, along with a lot of other commitments. But it's only for a time.

As things have calmed down a little, I've been working on creating a little bit of "margin" in my life. I can't work well if I'm frazzled and worn out. Jesus promised he would give us rest if we come to him and "take his yoke" -- not being lazy or wasting time, but receiving real REST for our souls -- refreshment, talking with him, enjoying being with him, taking delight in the good things he's put in our lives, and yes, taking care of our physical needs like sleep and exercise. He doesn't intend for us to take on more than we can handle. He's the one with the supernatural powers, not us! :)

So on Thanksgiving weekend I wandered around outside for a while with my camera, taking in the pretty late-fall setting, letting my landscape-photog instincts come out and play. I find it both relaxing and stimulating to wander like this...there's always beauty to discover, and this time of year it shows up especially in the little things.

Love the wavy edges of this calla lily leaf...

Fall = pomegranates!

Baby stock plants...they'll have beautiful, fragrant blooms next spring...

Chinese Forget-me-nots

Still a few little basil plants in my mom's greenhouse...

Purple asters spilling out of this big blue pot...so carefree...

Here's to enough "margin" in your life and mine...especially with the busy-but-wonderful Christmas season upon us! :)

- Kelsey
Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Carla and Kevin's engagement session

2011-11-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

And here they are...Carla and Kevin! Enjoy! :)

We started in the beautiful redwood grove on the UC Davis campus. It feels like a slice of California coastline, right there in the middle of the state.

Big trees = perfect fisheye moment. ;)

It did rain a little, but stopped before long...yay!

Such a sweet couple. :) I'm so glad to have Carla as my cousin, and Kevin as future cousin-in-law!

Carla majored in English, and she and Kevin both love to read. So we spent some time photographing at the library on campus...in the Shakespeare section!

"A Midsummer Night's Dream"...

Love this one! So happy together... :)

If you'd like to see more, the full set of photos will be posted here soon when they're finished, and more are coming on Facebook too.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone! Cheers! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Carla and Kevin ~ engagement session preview

2011-11-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we dodged the raindrops at UC Davis to do Carla and Kevin's engagement portraits...and in between those raindrops we found some fantastic photo spots. We had so much fun meandering around the campus. In spite of the forecast, it actually didn't rain much at all, for which we were very grateful!

I'm coming down the home stretch finishing Jimmy and Lisa's wedding photos, so as soon as those are up I'll share more of these. Carla and Kevin are fun, thoughtful, kindhearted people, and I'm thrilled that they asked me to photograph their wedding next year! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Why the blog has been rather quiet this month.

2011-10-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've moved! Same town, different place. It's all very fun and happy...but as you can imagine, a ton of things had to get put on hold for a couple weeks! Back to work now, looking forward to posting again soon...

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

2011-10-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

The past month has been inordinately busy...filled with good things, happy times, work I enjoy...but very, very full. So this past weekend I put a lid on all the busyness and went down to Manresa State Beach with a bunch of church friends.

It was just the thing -- lots of good laughs with friends, quiet moments to reflect, time in God's beautiful creation, and a trip to my favorite Half Moon Bay nursery on the way back! (Hey, I got out of there with only $40 damage to the checkbook, not bad for an incurable gardener!)

The camera came along, of course. I was "off duty" and didn't take a whole lot of photos, but I think you'll enjoy these few... :)

Koob on the beach!

The winning team

Kurt and Jonah bodysurfing

Jordan's awesome pirate kite

Annalisa!

Fisheye moment. Hehe.

It was a gorgeous sunset...

And a beautiful moonrise too...the moon was almost full and incredibly bright that night.

Good times around the campfire

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

- Matthew 11:28-30

Till next time, friends! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Lisa and Jimmy...sneak peek!

2011-10-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Ginilo! They were married yesterday in beautiful Sonoma, CA, and everything was so gorgeous, I can hardly wait to share photos -- so here's a sneak peek for Lisa and Jimmy before they head off on their honeymoon. Actually it's way more than a sneak peek...because I couldn't narrow it down to just a couple photos! ;)

More to come. :) Can't wait!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Byron and Rebecca - the ceremony

2011-09-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

As promised...more photos from Byron and Rebecca's lovely vintage-theme wedding in BC, Canada! Here's the ceremony, and a few of the photos we took just afterward.

A very small but entirely capable escort. ;) It was very sweet to see how seriously Justin took his job!

Rebecca's mother and grandmother

Moshers and Ardrons

Rebecca's little sisters were adorable flower girls!

Rebecca and her father

Byron's first sight of his bride

Lyle Mosher, Byron's dad, gave a wonderful, heartfelt wedding message for his son and daughter-in-law. I love hearing "words of wisdom" from someone like this -- he and his wife have been happily married for over 30 years!

The parents gather around the couple for prayer

Exchanging rings

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Mosher!

Unbeknownst to Rebecca, Byron brought this awesome Triumph and parked it around the corner. After they recessed back up the aisle, he led her here -- talk about a surprised and delighted bride!

Parting shot...haha...this is Kilmeny, Byron's little niece. Wonder what she's thinking? ;)

More photos of the family and wedding party coming...stay tuned!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

NorCal Tough Mudder

2011-09-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of the Tough Mudder? It's a 10-12 mile obstacle course that only the tough (and slightly crazy, in the opinion of yours truly) can finish! The British Special Forces designed the event and it's caught on like wildfire (err, pun intended) since it began last year. Tough Mudder is an official sponsor of the Wounded Warrior Project, and to date, participants have raised over $2 million. With such a worthy cause, and with the event billed as "Probably the toughest event on the planet", well, who wouldn't go?

My brother Chris has done the TM twice, and my dad joined him for the one in Southern California last spring. When Dad saw that there was going to be a Tough Mudder at Squaw Valley in Tahoe, he decided to get a team together. So after months of training, the twelve members of Team MudShark descended on Squaw last Saturday, and tackled the course...and of course this photographer went too!

Gotta say, after skiing quite a bit at Squaw, scrambling all over the mountain in the summertime with a bunch of heavy camera gear made me a bit lonesome for snow and skis. ;) But it was easy compared to what the Mudders were doing, haha! Plus Squaw is so beautiful in the summer. There were tons of wildflowers, several pretty little snowmelt creeks, and of course Lake Tahoe views from higher up. And the weather was just about perfect -- lovely September sunshine.

So here are some of the 16,000+ Tough Mudders who ran the course last Saturday.

Chernobyl Jacuzzi -- tanks full of ice water. The guys had to dunk under the board in order to get to the other side.

It was COLD -- they were constantly dumping chunks of ice into it.

Mt. Everest -- a curved 14' wall that was greased so it was almost impossible to get up on your own. Definitely a teamwork moment.

Some of the teams had hilarious costumes...

Monkey bars (and yes, these were greased too!)

Gotta hand it to this guy, whoever he is. Apparently he did the course barefoot.

There were still quite a few snowfields on the higher part of the mountain.

It's beautiful at Squaw in the summer! :) (Next time I ski there, I'll be thinking of all the wildflowers that lie slumbering underneath the snow...haha...)

Berlin Walls

Walk the Plank

Boa Constrictor

Electric shocks (10,000 volts, I'm told)

Almost there! Joan gives her husband Dennis a high-five near the finish line.

Jay on the balance beam (another obstacle with a cold pond underneath!)

Scott and Caleb after successfully making it across

My mom gives her friend Lisa a hug near the finish line

Dad navigating the nets

Uncle Mitch just rolled across...

Matt

Chris, never one to do things normally, exited the high nets head-first...and then...

...did a push-up at the bottom.

And he pulled off some ballet moves on the way across the balance beam. Grand battements are probably a little harder on a wobbly 2" piece of wood, eh?

Some of the team, alas, ended up in the drink. So in a spirit of true camaraderie Chris joined them.

Chris takes on the final obstacle -- shocks. (Just after this photo, he got shocked and knocked to the ground!)

Marissa

Across the finish line! Bananas, t-shirt, and an official Tough Mudder orange headband.

Vince

Sarah, you were there! :) The team carried this rock the whole route!

Caleb, Jay, and Dennis

Scott's little daughter was passing out flowers...which these guys made good use of...

Chris, Scott, Tom, and Mitch

A very happy spectator with her Tough Mudder daddy

Want to become a Tough Mudder? (Of course you do.) Here's the link.

I'll post more photos soon in the Facebook album and on my online proofing site.

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Austin and Jenna

2011-09-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

When the bride lives a couple hours southeast of you, and the groom lives a couple hours southwest of you, the logical thing to do for an engagement session is to meet halfway, right? So we had Austin and Jenna's session in Livermore. I spent some time scouting out locations, since I've only shot there a couple times, and I think you'll agree we found some lovely spots!

Austin and Jenna are so much fun. I love watching them together. They're best friends who have a lot of respect for each other. And as you can see, they're very in love.... :)

I love late-season grass in California...sunset light makes it simply magical...

And lastly, one of my new favorite engagement session photos...so romantic...

Can't wait to photograph Austin and Jenna's wedding in January! :)

Thanks to Amanda for coming along for this session...she's an awesome assistant!

I'm working on Byron and Rebecca's photos, and will post more of those soon...but first I think there needs to be a post about a certain crazy Tough Mudder event that took place last Saturday. ;) Later....

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Byron and Rebecca - part I

2011-09-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Oh my...there are so many happy photos from Byron and Rebecca's lovely wedding in BC, Canada, I'm in quite a state trying to choose a few for a post. (Good "problem" to have, eh?) So, well, I think I'll just do a series! Post #1, here goes...

The girls had quite the getting-ready party in the morning at Rebecca's house!

Alicia gave Rebecca an elegant French manicure

Alicia's adorable (!!) little girl

Rebecca's veil with her engagement ring

The little flower girls got their nails done too!

Such a beautiful bride...

Even Byron's littlest brothers helped get the reception area ready...

Byron's mother pins on his boutonniere

The handsome groom

Love the hat and stick!

Brothers

Byron with Jared, his best man

Haha...these guys have way too much fun together...

Next up: the ceremony. Stay tuned!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Austin and Jenna - engagement session

2011-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Austin and Jenna and I got together in Livermore and had a simply grand engagement session...complete with a lovely orange sun which I got to photograph just as it was setting behind the couple. Fun people, outdoor beauty + camera = good times!

Here's a preview of the photos...I have to finish another editing job first but will post more later!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Byron and Rebecca...sneak peek!

2011-09-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

It was such a treat to photograph Byron and Rebecca's vintage-themed wedding last Saturday in BC, Canada! Their impeccable taste left nothing wanting...a gorgeous outdoor setting, flowers from the gardens of friends and family, plenty of time for photos, a bright red Triumph, and all sorts of other things that make this wedding photographer's heart go pitter-patter.

I'm in the sorting process right now so I'll post more later, but meanwhile here is a sneak peek for you all. :)

More later, of course! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jeremy and Kendra - slide show

2011-09-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

And now, allow me to present...Jeremy and Kendra: the slide show!

Off to Canada now to photograph Byron and Rebecca's wedding...I'm so happy to see this couple beginning their life together! Looking forward to catching up with my dear Canadian friends, and maybe even sneaking in a few landscape photos. More on that later...

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Slightly random post!

2011-08-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I was doing some digital housecleaning, and found that I never posted the last few photos from the Yosemite Landscape Workshop last March. I got sick in April and a whole lot of things went by the wayside...as you can see, only one blog post made it out that month!

So in an effort to mend my ways, here are those last few Landscape Workshop photos. :) Enjoy!

Erin, on the snowy meadow boardwalk leading across the valley to Yosemite Falls

Sentinel Bridge

Erin again...because she's cute :)

Amanda, across the river at Happy Isles, hard at work with a rock-o-pod ;)

I love the bright green moss and the soft green-brown tones in the water and rocks.

Moss macro...there's such beauty in the tiny details.

Sometimes getting The Perfect Photo means getting into some interesting shooting positions...

Pretty wildflowers along the road, on the way back to the Bay Area

Playing paparazzi in the grass...Bethany probably has a very similar shot of me... ;)

We finished our trip in San Francisco at the Bay Bridge, the Presidio, and of course Ghirardelli. Here's a fun sight at the Presidio:

Yay for some really awesome photographers! :)

Parting "Blue Hour" shot...I just love the light at this time of day...so much gorgeousness.

That's all for now, folks! This weekend I'm excited to be photographing Byron and Rebecca's wedding in Canada, so stay tuned for highlights from that. There's also a slide show in the works from another recent wedding and some new website developments that I'm *very* excited about...more on that soon! :D

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

"Jesus has a body"

2011-08-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a short backpacking trip to Ostrander Lake in Yosemite, and I'll post photos from that soon...but meanwhile I wanted to share something else with you all.

If you've followed my blog for a while you probably know how I enjoy the books and CDs by John Eldredge and his team at Ransomed Heart. You can subscribe to a daily email that contains an excerpt from one of their books, and I've often been struck how an email fits perfectly with the questions and ponderings on my heart that day. Today's email was both uplifting and thought-provoking...so I thought I'd share! :)

Jesus Has a Body

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" . . . When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread . . . Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." (John 21:4-12)

Now think about this for a minute. You're the Son of God. You've just accomplished the greatest work of your life, the stunning rescue of mankind. You rose from the dead. What would you do next? Have a cookout with a few friends? It seems so unspiritual, so ordinary. Do you see that eternal life does not become something totally "other," but rather that life goes on- only as it should be?

Jesus did not vanish into a mystical spirituality, becoming one with the cosmic vibration. Jesus has a body, and it's his body. His wounds have been healed, but the scars remain—not gruesome, but lovely, a remembrance of all he did for us. His friends recognize him. They share a bite to eat. This is our future as well—our lives will be healed and we shall go on, never to taste death again.

===========================

What can I say? I'm excited!!

BTW, that excerpt was from the book "Desire" (check it out here—great book!).

Till next time, friends...God bless!

- Kelsey

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Adria and the girls

2011-08-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

And here are the ladies! They were also fun to work with...lots of laughter and jokes and good times as the preparations took place. :)

Adria's mother helps with her dress

The beautiful hand-designed necklace Adria wore (more here)

Ruth, Adria's mother

Heading outside for portraits! It was soo hot...but everyone got to go back in the air-conditioned house again soon, after we worked some photographic magic. :)

I'm off to Yosemite for a couple days with my family and some friends, so I'll share photos from that when I get back...probably Friday or Saturday. :) Meanwhile have a great week, everybody!

- Kelsey

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jacob and the guys

2011-08-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Jacob has awesome friends! Groomsmen are always fun to photograph, and this group was definitely full of personality. :) They've all known each other for eons. The room was full of good-natured teasing, goofing off, and good friendship as the guys donned some pretty snazzy tuxes (and pretty crazy socks) and got ready to stand in Jacob's wedding.

Jacob's mother helps with the cuff-links

(Sometimes they take a bit of figuring out...)

The famous purple argyle socks!

Kevin, on the left, is getting married next year -- I'm looking forward to photographing his wedding to my beautiful cousin Carla! :)

Jacob and his mother, Gypso

(So...how much longer till I get to see her?)

The girls will be getting their own post soon... :)

More later!

- Kelsey

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Tuolumne Meadows/Yosemite Creek backpacking trip

2011-07-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Summertime with the Schweickerts means backpacking in Yosemite...and we just went on a thoroughly fabulous trip! I went up last week with my parents, my brother Chris and sister Heidi, and our friend Betsy. We spent a night in Tuolumne Meadows, and then headed down the trail towards the top of Yosemite Falls.

We had grand times, and I have way too many photos to share here...heh heh...I'll post more in a Facebook album and link it here soon. The weather couldn't have been better (no rain, hail, and lightning like the rather memorable trip two summers ago!) and although the mosquitos were rather nasty (I still have a few dozen large red dots all over me) the company was superb, the views sublime, and the photos...well, I will leave you to judge. ;)

My "happy place" canteens. :)

Had fun shooting some rather abstract water photos...I love all the brown-green tones.

The Tuolumne River is flowing profusely right now, with all the snowmelt!

I don't know this fly fisherman. But he was awfully photogenic. ;)

The Keens Club. ;) (Betsy, Heidi, and my mom...I'm not a member...yet!)

Betsy fording a creek. We decided the most fun way to get across was to just lose the boots. Ahh cold water on tired hiker-feet...rapturous...

Hehe. ;)

Chris loves his Five-Fingers.

OK, so I really like to stay [relatively] clean on backpacking trips, but this water was just tooo cold.

My parents are tougher than I am!

Ant real estate. For big (but apparently harmless) black ants. They were all over our campsite by the creek.

For the coffee connoisseurs on the trip, Betsy brought a French press -- from they were all raving about it, the coffee must have been pretty good!

OK, so this one probably needs some explanation. ;) Ever smelled a Jeffrey Pine? Their resin has a wonderful fragrance -- it's like the best butterscotch you've ever had! Mom vowed she'd go to See's and buy butterscotch candy as soon as she got home.

At the top of Upper Yosemite Falls, 3,000' above the Valley Floor...right behind us. (I set the self-timer on the camera and verrrry sloooowly walked over to join the rest of the group. Haha.)

Went down to the viewing area just above the top of the falls, where the water crashes over the edge. I was very careful. So was my camera. We are both still alive.

A beautiful cascade by our campsite

There are a bunch more photos going up in the Facebook album. :) I'll post a link to it in this post soon!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

A special "Happy Birthday" wish for my sis! :D

2011-07-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

My sister Molly lives in Washington D.C. right now, and her birthday was last Thursday -- while I was in Yosemite. I wanted to tell her we were thinking about her and wish her a special "happy birthday", so that night around the campfire Chris, Betsy and I did a little light-painting!

Happy birthday dear sis...I love you and can't wait to see you soon! :)

Oh and I think this little marmot wanted to wish you Happy Birthday too. At least, that's what he told me.

More Yosemite photos coming in tomorrow's post!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jacob and Adria...part one!

2011-07-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jacob and Adria were married last week in a lovely outdoor setting in Lincoln, CA. I've been trying to finish this blog post for over an hour now, but it's so hard to choose which of these gorgeous photos to share -- there are SO many! Outdoor weddings are the best! :D

I'm impressed that Adria chose late-afternoon for her wedding because she wanted the light to be good for the photos. Way to go, Adria! :) It was just perfect! Warm, golden California late-afternoon light is the best...especially in a lovely outdoor setting with oaks and green grass and all sorts of beautiful decorating details. Doesn't get much better than that! We all would have appreciated cooler weather (especially Adria in her very lovely, but very warm, dress!) but thankfully the heat gradually moderated and we enjoyed a warm summer evening.

Here's a sampling of photos from their day. Like I said, there are so many awesome ones, it was NOT easy to choose just a few for this post! :) There will be many more coming as I work through them -- can't wait!

The wedding was held at the home of Adria's uncle, Jim. I love all the big oaks on his property!

Jacob helping Adria's dad with his tux (these things are complicated!).

Adria has a knack for finding beautiful jewelry! She got this lovely bracelet, and her necklace, here.

Jacob and his sweet mother, Gypso

The famous "Father of the Bride" hat! :)

Getting ready...Adria touching up Gypso's makeup

Adria's friend Christi designed this beautiful hair piece for her:

The bridesmaids also wore pretty hair ornaments -- so fun!

Adria also makes and sells lovely jewelry herself, and she designed bracelets and necklaces for her bridesmaids to wear for the wedding. (If you'd like to see more of her work, you can visit her online storefront here!)

Adria's grandmother performed the simple, heartfelt ceremony. Here she is with her daughter Ruth (Adria's mom) and Jacob's mother.

Adria made the pretty floral/manzanita arch behind her and Jacob. So creative!

Such a fun wedding party! :)

Uhh...? ;)

Eek! Kissing!

And there are many, many more photos! Stay tuned! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Dan and Julie ~ engagement session in San Francisco

2011-06-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

It's so much fun to photograph people who are clearly meant for each other! :) I'm so happy for my cousin Julie Thompson and her fiancee Dan...they're awesome together.

I love engagement sessions because I'm not just taking pretty photos, I'm portraying a couple's relationship. And I love how these came out...you can really see the deep friendship, trust, and love that Julie and Dan have for each other. :)

Dan plays the guitar beautifully -- the acoustics here were amazing, and I wished we'd had time for him to play longer. You should have heard the music echoing through the huge brick hallway.

Drama...

(Well, yes, this one was a bit of a damp experience for all of us...but I think you'll agree the photo was worth it!)

And lastly, one of my favorite engagement session photos ever! So romantic!!

I'll be posting more photos on Facebook as well. :)

Till next time, friends! God bless!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Hastings family portraits

2011-06-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Meet the Hastings family! Every now and then, I still do some family portraits in between weddings and engagements. It's a lot of fun, especially when you're already friends with the family, like this time!

A couple years ago, I did portraits for the Hastings right before Christmas...and since then everybody's grown up so much. Natalie is nearly a teenager, Adam will be a senior in high school this fall, and Jordan just finished his second year of college. And the dog, Tyson, has grown quite a bit since last time, in both size and maturity! ;) Adam and Natalie have also been my piano students for the last few years. They're both very talented and it's a lot of fun seeing them grow into accomplished musicians. Adam recently soloed with his high school band, playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" -- it was awesome!

We had a great photo session at the park first thing in the morning. I love shooting in morning light -- everything's so fresh. Tyson was very well-behaved, and he and Jordan took it upon themselves to keep us entertained...

Well, so Tyson is almost always well-behaved. ;) He's just a bit big for someone Natalie's size!

Check out this cute couple!

Jordan

Natalie

Adam's pretty good at this.

The guys...being Very Serious. Or at least trying.

The girls. :)

And Tyson, with his favorite jogging partner!

Till next time, friends! All the best! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jeremy and Kendra's wedding

2011-06-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and Kendra got married last Saturday! It was so much fun photographing this relaxed, kind-hearted couple. Kendra is a nurse and Jeremy is a...well, a brainy computer guy who does things I can't really explain, not being a brainy computer person myself! ;)

They were married in Pleasanton, CA, and we began with photos at a park nearby, continuing on to the downtown area (more on that later!). Enjoy...

More later! Have a great weekend, friends! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

San Francisco in blue

2011-05-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

You all know I'm crazy about Yosemite, and the outdoors in general...so it would seem that urban scenes aren't always my favorite. While that's sometimes true, there's a certain time of day that I LOVE urban photography: blue hour!

Blue hour is a magical time that comes every evening after sunset. The sun goes down, the colors fade, everything looks drab...and then as the sky darkens, it passes through the most sublime course of blue shades any connoisseur of color could ask for.

I'm too indecisive to settle down on a particular favorite color -- I have a whole repertoire of favorite colors -- but these deep, rich, magnificent blues definitely rank high on the list!

Everything around turns blue, reflecting the sky, and when you combine that with incandescent lights, I think it's just gorgeous. Here's an image I took in San Francisco a few weeks ago during blue hour:

This was during Julie and Dan's engagement session, and yes, we did some photos of them at blue hour too! Looking forward to sharing those with you soon! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Some "fun stuff" and "pretty stuff" from our Yosemite Landscape Workshop

2011-05-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

This last week has been so full of fantastic photos, I don't know where to start! But a while ago (before I got sick, ha) I did promise more photos from the Yosemite workshop, so those will get priority. Not to mention that they're pretty awesome photos of really awesome people in a thoroughly awesome park!!

First, you should meet the cast of characters (and yes, we are characters). Here we are posing very seriously after dark on a ridge overlooking Yosemite valley. (Unfortunately, I moved, so I'm kind of blurry. But blurry is kinda my norm...so there ya go.)

And here's the photo I annoyed you all with last night on Facebook. Don't you want to see what they were shooting? :)

Here it is! We found this beautiful cascade as we exited the Park, on our way back to the Bay Area. Perfect spot to work on blurred-motion, using neutral density filters to slow our shutter speeds.

The day before, we found a lovely mossy-green wall near lower Yosemite Falls and did a few portraits...here's Amanda! :)

She has great expressions. :D

We found this beautiful late-afternoon rainbow in the clouds of mist below Bridalveil Fall...

Here's something that half bothers me, half makes me laugh. Have you ever noticed this tree before? It shows up in a TON of the images taken from the Tunnel View, near Inspiration Point. You can often spot those goofy flat-topped branches in people's photos, over on the right side near Bridalveil Fall. Next time you see a photo from this famous spot, check the tree!

Night view from the same spot...with my fisheye. (Presumably that silly tree is here somewhere...just too dark to spot it!)

The obligatory crazy waterfall-hair self-portrait. (Not too crazy this time.)

The students picked up on all my bad habits. They take self-portraits all the time now...

...and they have a similar infatuation with sun stars...

...and they can frequently be seen taking photos of their feet. Hahahaha.

They even do it when they have snowshoes on.

(We snowshoed partway out the Dewey Point trail -- it was a blast!)

Food makes us happy.

Erin is a true photographer...she'll do whatever it takes to get that awesome photo! (This can't have been a comfortable position!)

Sometimes we use tripods...

...and sometimes, we use bag-o-pods. (My faithful Tamrac Velocity 9 has served me well in this capacity for several years. It's the real reason I carry a camera bag around -- to put my camera ON, not IN. Haha.)

(Sometimes we also use friend-o-pods, but I didn't take any photos of that phenomenon.)

We did lots of blurred-motion water photos:

...and stopped-motion studies. This is one of my favorites. I love these colors, and how the image caught the water's motion.

A pretty pathway at Happy Isles

This woodpecker was very busy making holes in the oaks in Sentinel Meadow.

The little guy (and his friends, I guess) have been quite industrious, as you can see...

Perched on a rock above the Merced River, Cathedral Rocks in the background...

I'd been trying to decide which highway to take home, and asking the Lord about it. Finally decided at the last minute to take highway 140. In true Father-who-loves-us fashion, God had a surprise waiting for us! As we headed into the central valley, we came around a bend and there was a huge patch of stunning wildflowers. (I think I'll post a few more in the Facebook album.)

We went to San Francisco that afternoon, drove down Lombard Street, and made good use of certain famous items for sale at Ghirardelli Square. We finished the day on the Embarcadero with some "blue hour" shots of the bridge...but I'll save those last couple images for another post.

And the workshop ended. And we returned home with many CF cards full of photos. And we downloaded them all and were very happy. The end. ;)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jacob and Adria - engagement session slide show

2011-05-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Jacob and Adria are so much fun! They're getting married in July and I can't wait to photograph their outdoor wedding. It's going to be grand!

Their engagement session in Pacifica was a hoot -- goofing off in the rain with umbrellas, posing in a playground, avoiding (sometimes) puddles and impromptu streams, and just joking around with each other and having a good time. As you can see from the photos, they have tons of personality and are very comfortable in front of a camera...I love it! :)

Hope you all have a happy Friday!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

His yoke is easy

2011-05-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, everybody! And hey, "happy Monday" is NOT an oxymoron! :) I woke up to sunshine coming through the window, a day filled with the work I love, and the health to do it...what's not to like? ;)

See, I've been sick for a few weeks. Again. Grr! I don't get sick like this. It was some sort of bronchitis, a deep chest infection, the kind where you spend all your time in bed because you just don't have the energy to do ANYTHING else. Not even watch movies or read books. I coughed all night and slept all day. My chest hurt and my voice sounded froggy. And when I did get better enough to watch movies and read books, I quickly learned to avoid funny ones, because laughing set off the coughing again!

I'm still coughing a bit, but I'm awfully happy to conclude this unplanned hiatus from normal life (and blogging). I've gotten behind on pretty much everything one can get behind on, haha... :P Honestly, I was behind before getting sick, but now it's reached such epic proportions that I'm really kind of beyond worrying about it, if that makes sense. I'm just working through the tasks as I can. Everything will get done...all in good time. I just don't have the health to push too hard. No more late-night photo-editing sessions for a while!

OK, moment of honesty: in spite of the nuisance, it was good to be sick. God had something He wanted to talk to me about. No, He didn't want me to be sick and hurting and tired, I pretty much brought that one on myself! But the situation was most convenient for Him to raise an issue with me. He is never so near as when we are at the end of our rope, for whatever reason -- whether we brought it on ourselves or not. And He wanted some time with me.

All my adult life I've struggled with over-committing myself, taking on too much, trying to squeeze more out of a normal 24-hour day. (For that matter, I was always busy when I was a kid, too, just ask my mom.) As if the Creator of both me and that 24-hour day didn't know best! But no, I pack those 24 hours like sardines in a tin, with similar results -- things come out of that tin kinda squashed. And I end up exhausted, bogged-down, burdened.

I'm pretty sure that's not how He meant life to be. I'm pretty sure there's no Bible verse that says, "He leadeth me to exhaustion; He runneth me ragged." That's not His design for us. He says "my yoke is easy and my burden is light." He knows what He designed us to carry. Would the creator of a fine Swiss watch try to use that kind of clockwork to drive a truck? Not likely.

Instead...resting in Him. Giving Him my schedule, my time, my strength, my willpower. Slowing down. Stopping not just to smell the flowers (hey, I do plenty of that already...and then photograph them!) but to talk to their Maker and enjoy His presence. And releasing my heart to Him in that moment, inviting Him into it, and giving Him control over my day.

Why? Because He knows what will make me happiest. He knows what He created me to do, and what I can do in a day. And His companionship throughout my day is what makes any job come alive. Like Brother Lawrence in his kitchen -- even if he was just washing dishes, he was in the presence of the Lord of all the earth, enjoying His company. His presence sweetens any task.

So I've begun to break the habit of taking on too much. My loving heavenly Father is the one who should get control of my schedule. I'm leaving time to breathe...to play the piano, take a swim, whatever. As Matthew West says, in this song I recently came across, to "Stop the World" and have some time with Him.

I'm learning to set down burdens He doesn't intend me to carry, and to come to Him...and find rest for my soul. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Jimmy and Lisa...sneak peek

2011-04-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know I said this next post would be more Yosemite workshop photos, but I can't wait to share a sneak peek of Jimmy and Lisa's engagement photos first. When you combine model good-looks and fun, easygoing personality, engagement sessions are sure to be a blast -- and Jimmy and Lisa's was way too much fun! I have so many good photos I'm in major indecision about which ones to post. So here are just a few to whet your appetite while the indecision runs its course. ;)

More later...as always!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Yosemite workshop...part I!

2011-03-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

We left my home Friday morning and headed for Yosemite, but we took our time getting there...because there were some beautiful almond orchards along the way. I figured we'd be past the peak, but I was praying the Lord would keep some of the trees blooming for us. And he did. We spent a lovely half-hour in this orchard discovering beautiful things!

Erin

Bethany

(Sorry, you know me, can't help a foot photo... ;)

We also hit In-N-Out burger, a requirement of Erin's. And found some cute shadows to photograph. ;)

It was sunny as we drove through the central valley, but the closer we got to Yosemite, the thicker the clouds got, till it was completely overcast by the time we reached the Big Oak Flat entrance to the park. The place where you can normally spot Half Dome for the first time was totally cloudy. No views. But as we drove down towards the valley, the clouds began to clear...so we went straight to Tunnel View near Inspiration Point. And what a view!!

Unpredictable. That's landscape photography. And any sort of photography, really! You have to adapt to the situation, find the best light, expect the unexpected...essential skills for any photographic genre. I love photographing landscape for a whole lot of reasons -- but one important reason is, it keeps my skills sharp!

It's funny, we talk about those "perfect sunny days", but clouds can make things way more interesting. I love the mystery in these images. (Oh yes, there's a future blog post here, the analogy's too good to pass by.........)

I had a blast working with each one who came! Good times upon good times! ;) Here's Amanda, at the Tunnel View (where these last few shots were taken):

And we ended the day (and, err, started the next day) with some awesome night photography...next post!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

I'll post more later...

2011-03-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

...but for now, enjoy this close-up shot of the beautiful Merced River, taken today at Happy Isles! We were working on blurred- and stopped-motion images, and even though it's been cloudy all day there were the loveliest shades of soft, sparkly green in the water.

To see more of the workshop images I've uploaded in the last couple days, click here. And there are more coming! We're having an awesome time! :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

The Yosemite workshop is underway!

2011-03-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Hey friends! I'm leaving in just a few minutes for Yosemite -- one of the greatest places ever -- with a carful of photography students! Let the good times roll! :D

I'm excited to see what the weekend has in store for us. If there's anything we can be sure of in landscape photography, it's...that we can't be sure of anything! Some things we can anticipate, but a large part of it we can't. You just never fully know what the weather or the scenery or the light will do. Or what unforeseen events will happen. Or what God will give you to photograph.

A few years ago I went to Yosemite with my family, anticipating a nice cross-country ski trip together and some great photo opportunities. I woke up that morning with a terrible sore throat. Then I dropped my expensive 24-70mm lens on the concrete and broke it. Not a good start! But that was the day I took this pretty image:

...as well as the first image in this post, and also this one:

Unpredictability, and awesomeness -- that's landscape photography! (ALL photography, really!) You just have to walk into the situation and use all your creativity and skill to make the best photos you can. And when you walk with God, unpredictability is par for the course...He loves to bring along surprises that are tailor-made for each one of us. It's going to be awesome to see what He does this weekend.

Can't wait to share with you some of the good times ahead. Stay tuned!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Raindrops

2011-03-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

I love flowers. Anybody who knows me knows that. But when it's raining...I really love flowers. The colors come out more vibrantly than in the sunshine, and the rain scatters lovely jewels all over.

This morning it was sprinkling gently outside, and I couldn't resist heading out with my camera. Who cares if in the process I ended up getting as wet as all these little bejeweled beauties...being out in the rain does a body good. ;)

Crocus (I think this variety is named "Mr. Pickwick"!)

Rose leaves (yes, they ARE this purple right now)

An elegant calla lily about to unfurl...

Calla leaves

Tiny Forget-me-nots

Snowdrops...look at these little green dots on the petals. So fanciful!

Blueberry flowers

And my favorite image of the day...delicate pea tendrils:

May you rejoice in the little things God sends your way today. :) Keep an eye out for His sense of whimsy too!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

A little spring happiness at f/2.8

2011-02-15T23:58:00.000-08:00

The garden is waking up...and today in the midst of email and editing and preparing for students and wedding album designing, there came a moment when the call became too strong to resist. A rainstorm was whipping itself up, and the breeze was rushing past my window, and the daffodils and pansies were saying, "Come out and play!"

So I armed myself with a suitably wide-apertured lens (is that a word??) and spent the next fifteen minutes happily wandering among fresh sprouts poking up from brown earth and tiny flowers unfurling.

Nothing says "spring!!" like a brilliant yellow crocus.

And around here, this yellow means spring, too. ;) And lemon bars and custard and other yumminesses.

Forget-me-nots...

These humble sprouts will be incredibly ostentatious tulips in a month or two. Small beginnings...

I think kale is awfully artsy stuff. I guess maybe I can identify with its curly-ness. ;)

Calendulas

This incredible beauty is helleborus, commonly named "Lenten Rose". They're very modest little flowers, blooming with their heads bowed downward.

To me, this says "hope": an old rosebush, pruned in early winter, putting out sprouts. In May the bush will be covered with apricot-pink roses.

I love shallow depth of field. All of these photos were taken at f2.8. A wee bit of sharp focus, with blurriness before and behind...truly entrancing. I think it's the blurriness that I love so much. It's soft, smooth...and mysterious. You can make guesses about what it is. But usually you don't really know. Just something that looks good, blurry.

Isn't that life? Sometimes the blurry things make other things stand out in sharp focus. When you're sick, you appreciate the gift of health so much more. When someone is unkind to you, you're all the more grateful for those who ARE kind. When you see how much you need God's mercy...you see what a merciful, faithful, infinitely patient God he is.

Till next time, friends! Happy spring!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Peter and Evie slide show

2011-02-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

It's been hard to choose which images to include in this slide show...Peter and Evie's day was wonderful and it's a challenge to condense hours of tremendous happiness into three minutes. But I think you'll agree, the results are gorgeous...and very Narnian. ;) And they have years and years ahead of them to enjoy all this happiness!

To view the gallery containing all of Peter and Evie's wedding photos, click here.

Peter and Evie, I'm sure your life together will continue on with the same happiness as I saw on your wedding day! Blessings!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert | San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Like my photography on Facebook

Yosemite workshop details

2011-01-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Hey friends! I'm so excited about the upcoming Yosemite workshop! This is going to be a great trip! I can't wait to see what surprises our Creator has in store for us. There's no place like Yosemite -- and in winter it's even more spectacular. If you want to see Yosemite without the crowds, sharpen your photography skills, and pick my brain, now's your chance! :)

Here are the details:

DATES: March 4-8 (Friday morning through Monday evening; optional Monday night stay for participants who need to fly out Tuesday morning)

COST: $475 (After February 4, $525)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 8 (Lodging needs to be booked at this point, so this is a solid deadline!)

Airport pickup will be provided free of charge, as well as all transportation during the class. If you're flying in, the best airports are Oakland or San Francisco.

And here's a sweet deal for you...bring a friend and you'll get $50 off your tuition!!

As to required gear...you just need a DSLR camera and basic knowledge of how to use it. This is not a beginner course, but everything we'll do is adaptable to a wide range of skill levels!

Out of all the great things about doing landscape (and there are tons!), I think the best is that the skills you learn here apply to EVERY area of photography. I'm a wedding photographer. But I love to shoot landscape. I've done it since I was a kid. Landscape strengthens and refines so many skills I need -- watching the light, composition, perspective, and of course exposure and just hands-on time with my gear. Not to mention tons of fun and adventure...which are important parts of life with a camera. ;)

Let me know if you have any questions, friends! Email, Facebook message, comment here, or just call me...looking forward to seeing you there! :)

- Kelsey Schweickert

Discovering beauty...

Visit my website | Email me | Follow me on Twitter | Facebook fan page

Kelsey Schweickert ...discovering beauty...

Rest for your soul...

Jimmy and Lisa - slide show

Perspective (with thanks to NASA)

Tyler - senior portraits

Austin and Jenna - wedding preview

Happy New Year!

The Cox family

Christmas happiness

Margin. And some pretty autumn photos.

Carla and Kevin's engagement session

Carla and Kevin ~ engagement session preview

Why the blog has been rather quiet this month.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,for I am gentle and lowly in heart,and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Lisa and Jimmy...sneak peek!

Byron and Rebecca - the ceremony

NorCal Tough Mudder

Austin and Jenna

Byron and Rebecca - part I

Austin and Jenna - engagement session

Byron and Rebecca...sneak peek!

Jeremy and Kendra - slide show

Slightly random post!

"Jesus has a body"

Adria and the girls

Jacob and the guys

Tuolumne Meadows/Yosemite Creek backpacking trip

A special "Happy Birthday" wish for my sis! :D

Jacob and Adria...part one!

Dan and Julie ~ engagement session in San Francisco

Hastings family portraits

Jeremy and Kendra's wedding

San Francisco in blue

Some "fun stuff" and "pretty stuff" from our Yosemite Landscape Workshop

Jacob and Adria - engagement session slide show

His yoke is easy

Jimmy and Lisa...sneak peek

Yosemite workshop...part I!

I'll post more later...

The Yosemite workshop is underway!

Raindrops

A little spring happiness at f/2.8

Peter and Evie slide show

Yosemite workshop details

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."