Blog Masonry - Page 14 of 24 - Hazel Photo Weddings

AWP Conference – Association of Writers and Writing Programs

I had the pleasure of flying to sunny Tampa Florida to photograph the AWP 2018 Conference in March. For the uninitiated AWP stands for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. The annual conference brings together over 12 thousand attendees, almost a thousand literary magazines and journals, and most of the MFA poetry, fiction, non-fiction programs from across the country for a series of panels and readings. The keynote at AWP 2019 was George Saunders who had recently published Lincoln in the Bardo.

The whole three and a half day long conference was thrilling to photograph. I graduated from Oberlin College with a major in fiction writing, and I am a lifelong lover of novels, short stories, essays, poems, and the genre-defying as well. I saw and photographed many of my heroes from all my years as a reader and a writer, including: Lorrie Moore, Edwidge Danticat, Rita Mae Brown, Rivka Galchen, Jeffrey Eugenides, Claire Messud etc. and I even found new heroes! I came home with Min Jin Lee’s novel, Pachinko, which I absolutely adored.

I look forward to photographing AWP 2019 in Portland, Oregon next March.

AWP Conference Association of Writers and Writing Programs Paul Gargagliano

Palace of Fine Arts Engagement Photos – Kristin and Nick

Kristin & Nick met and fell in love when they were living in San Francisco, so it was a treat for them to have an engagement session with the splendor of the city as a backdrop. Nick actually proposed at the Palace of Fine Arts, so this was a return in another sense for the two. The weather did not disappoint. It was San Francisco through and through, toasty in the sun, and freezing cold in the shade, or when the wind blew. After exploring all the nooks and crannies of the Palace of Fine Arts, listening to accordion music, finding the good light on some large green doors, etc. we headed over to the beach at Crissy Field for a few more photos with the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco Bay. A seagull and a frisky dog made cameos. “Karl,” the fog, hung just past the bridge to remind us exactly where we were.

Crystal Springs Golf Course Wedding – Pacifica – Catrina and Brandon

Catrina and Brandon were married in the glorious warm light of the waning sun on an early August day at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, California. The altar at Crystal Springs overlooks the blue waters of the reservoir in dramatic fashion.

I remember having Catrina and Brandon over for a consultation meeting here in San Francisco about a month before their wedding date. I was struck by how thrilled they were with the pleasures of planning and anticipation.

While I was with Brandon and his wedding party as they got ready in Pacifica, whales kept breeching out in the Pacific Ocean. This was apt as I have heard Brandon wax poetic about sea creatures. Somebody produced a pirate telescope. There’s one photo with emphatic pointing, squinting, Pliny the Elder, and a glass of whiskey that tickles me every time I see it.

Meanwhile, my second, the talented Jen Michelson, was with Catrina as she got into her lovely dress a few miles down the road. Catrina’s wedding party included soooo many cute children, and there are some touching images of them playing all over the house, and being dressed in finery. I especially love the one with the teddy bear flying through the air.

The last thing I want to say about this wedding, is that, just as we were finishing up with the couples portraits at Crystal Springs Reservoir, 3 young bucks pranced by. If you look closely at one of the images, you will see one of the furry friends prancing through the frame.

The very last thing I want to say, is that traffic was uncharacteristically busy that day because of the Dog Surfing Championships.

The Hideout at Kirkwood Wedding – Lake Tahoe, California

The Hideout at Kirkwood Wedding – Lake Tahoe, California – Allie & Dave

Allie and Dave held their wedding at The Hideout at Kirkwood near Lake Tahoe up in the Sierra Mountains. It was a very bright and sunny day, and it cooled down pleasantly when the sun went down. The approach to the Hideout is majestic, miles down a winding dirt road, a clearing opens with a lake and a lodge in the distance. This place feels both tucked away and expansive. Don’t miss the night photos that show the natural beauty of the setting.

Allie and Dave have particularly complimentary personalities. There was this one moment where, as part of his vows, Dave painted a picture of the moment he was given entry to Allie’s relaxed side. All the sudden he broke into a lively dance. Allie’s wedding dress was adorned with the most gorgeous intricate beadwork. She wore her hair in wrapped loose braids, which complimented the dress perfectly. Allie’s mother and sister were exceptionally sweet as they helped her into her dress.

All of the vendors Allie and Dave brought in were lovely, and worked together well. This totally makes sense, because Allie and Dave are genuine, warm people. I was particularly appreciative of Shannon of J Jasper Events who helped us to make time for a couple sunset photos, which are some of my favorite from the day.

Venue : The Hideout at Kirkwood
Wedding attire : Dress: Anna Campbell Suit: J. Crew
Florist : Kathy’s Wedding Flowers
Wedding planner : Shannon Boling of J Jasper Events
Hair : Salon Be (Tahoe)
Makeup : Salon Be (Tahoe)
DJ : Quantum Party Productions
Catering : Mother Lode Market & Deli
Invitations : Minted

Reconstructionist Jewish Wedding – Commander’s Mansion

Reconstructionist Jewish Wedding – Commander’s Mansion – Alex & Adam

Alex and Adam held their wedding on a pleasant cloudy June day at the Commander’s Mansion in Watertown, Massachusetts. The Commanders Mansion is a stately old building dating back to 1865. The history of the building is not without minor controversy, and is certainly worth a read. Take a look at that light filtering in through the old glass windows, that, my friend, is a photographer’s dream. The ketubah signing, in particular, shows off the charm of the building.

Rabbi Alex Weissman and Rabbi Adam Lavitt are both, well, rabbis, so, as you can imagine, the day’s ceremonial bits were very well orchestrated. This was to be expected, but still, the eloquent and heartfelt words of their friends and family during their tisches, and Rabbi Jacob Staub‘s words as he officiated under the chuppah, were overwhelmingly moving.

What I couldn’t have seen coming, was that Adam and Alex would be so delightfully, infectiously, playful. This made our portrait session a total pleasure. The duality of attending to the spiritual realm with intelligence and intention, while holding deep reserves of playfulness, was brought to light metaphorically in their dress. Both wore a harmonious and subtle blazer-shirt-tie-pocket square combo, that matched their boutonnières to a T, but down below, they wore silver and gold Chuck Taylors!

One of my favorite moments of the day happened during a toast Alex’s mother gave. She quoted at length from a beautiful poem, and not until she was through, did she reveal that she was quoting Rabbi Adam Lavitt, her new son in law. I leave you with the poem:

Ma’ariv

By Rabbi Adam Lavitt

This is balance:

The world is entirely consumed by darkness,

then brimming with light.

The seasons approach one after the other,

bring unbearable heat, bitter cold and everything

in between. Joy fades. Loss

makes space for growth and new life.

Balance is not a perfect blend

of extremes. It is something that takes place

inside a larger system. It is a perspective,

an awareness that makes space for us

to fully experience winter and then spring,

light and then darkness.

Darkness and then light.

Life of all Worlds, thank you

for giving us the strength

to allow our world, our heart,

to be big enough for it all.

Venue : Comander’s Mansion

Catering: Cuisine ChezVous

Officiant : Jacob Staub

Florals : Celebrated Flower

DJ : DJ Red Dawn

East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden Wedding Berkeley CA

East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden Wedding Berkeley, CA

Eli and Tobie were married in a shady grove of towering redwood trees in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley, California. They are both super charismatic, and they were great in front of the camera. When the connection between a couple is electric, like it is between Eli and Tobie, my job is easy.

Yes, Eli and Tobie’s wedding was overflowing with glorious colorful outfits, but Tobie’s pants — come on! They brought a burst of color to every image he was in. Tobie’s parents constructed a freestanding chuppah that looked like an erector set in the best possible way. There is one image of Tobie’s dad seeming to summon the chuppah from the earth. Poems were read, songs were sung, Eli’s family staged a production of the Owl and the Pussycat, replete with costumes and props. Eli is a talented musician, namely a singer songwriter. Throughout the ceremony and toasts, there were references to songs Eli had written, including a love song he wrote when he was first falling in love with Tobie. At the reception, guests were served the fanciest, most delicious, vegan barbecue you might ever encounter, especially that chimichurri sauce, yum! It was a typical Bay Area day, sunny and hot in the middle, cloudy and windy in the afternoon. I loved how one couple grabbed their travel quilt and got cozy.

Vegan Catering by It’s From the Garden

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