Michael Tyler Photography

Here finally are a few images from my December trip to northern California. My friend’s grandmother passed away shortly before the holidays, and she came to stay with me in San Diego. On the 27th we drove north, first to San Francisco, and then farther on to her home in the redwoods.

Wendy and I have had a rollercoaster twelve-year friendship. She is close with my whole family and I was glad she turned to us in a time of tribulation. Normally I’m photographing landscapes while on the road, but this time my best shots were portraits of Wendy herself.

And here’s one taken late afternoon on the road to a spot called Fern Canyon. While the canyon shots themselves didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped, this shot fascinates me.

Two months later, I receive a message from Wendy:

Mikey~

Wendy

Starting the year off right. My second wedding of 2009 was just as sweet as the first one. This time we were scheduled for a beach ceremony near sunset, but the weather report was not looking at all promising. I arrived at the La Jolla Cove - like I do - sort of obnoxiously early for when I was supposed to be there, and wandered around the park for a while doing some scenics:

So far, everything looked bright and sunny, with those stunning clouds in the distance. I walked down the stairs to Shell Beach, the ceremony site, and set my bag down on a rock so I could scope out the beach for a minute. When I looked back at the rock there was a juvenile seagull roosting on top of my bag. The early bird. I sometimes think life has a sense of humor.

Liz and Tony arrived with Liz’s mother, two sisters, and two friends (not, I should add, the smallest wedding I’ve ever shot). After putting on Tony’s boutonniere (a cute difficulty for weddings big and small), we walked the beach for a few portraits before their officiant showed up. Still sunny.

Right before the ceremony, the clouds began obscuring the sun, which had grown low in the sky by this time.

Sisters’ excitement. One of my favorites.

A wonderful thing about ceremonies like this is that, with no one to block, I can get close enough with a long lens to see clearly the rings being placed for the first time.

Finishing up paperwork, and still dry:

After the ceremony, we made our way back up the stairs. I offered my congratulations to Liz and Tony, and as I was shaking Liz’s hand, a raindrop hit my cheek. Less than a minute later, walking to my car, the sky opened up with sheer downpour, and I laughed while shielding my camera gear under the “just-in-case” umbrella.

I’ll be on the road for a few days starting the 27th, and returning to normal life on the 2nd. A dear friend of mine had her grandmother pass away recently, and I’m driving with her to the top of California. Luckily this also means some amazing pictures in the redwoods. I’m planning to visit a location called Fern Canyon, and of course I’ll be stopping through San Francisco as well, adding to my California collection.

New Years Eve we’ll be sitting down to a nine-course meal by chef Brian Hopper at The Groves in Myer’s Flat, CA. Good friends and good food, and then New Years morning I’m on the road again, trying to beat a storm that’s coming in from the Pacific (once I get to Sacramento I’ll be in the clear).

To my clients, I’ll have phone/email available at all times, and I’ll be back for meetings starting January 3rd. Happy New Year everyone! I look forward to all the wonderful weddings lined up this year.

Two more for my California series. I hike a lot in the mountains outside San Diego. Today I took a new trail beyond a suburban community. After a quick, steep ascent, I found myself on a long mountaintop road used only for water utilities. To the west were groves of avocado trees tucked in the hills; I’d never seen this before (they must be blocked from the main roads by other hills).