I did it!!!!!

So today was the day to test my biking legs. Before today the farthest that I have gone in one ride was something like 62 miles. Well today I rode around Lake Tahoe on my road bike. It was so beautiful and at the same time a work out. From what my bike computer said it took me 3:59’22secs to ride around the lake with an average speed of 17.8 mph a max speed of 41.5 mph and a total distance of 71.12 miles. I only stopped twice once to go to the bathroom and rest for about 3 minutes and the other to fix a flat tire which took about 6 minutes. I would like to add that the 62 miles was at low elevation and not up in the 6,000-7,000 foot range. I usually don’t pace myself that well when riding but today I actually did a good job and didn’t even bonk or hit the wall. I remember as a kid my P.E. teachers always talking about the runners high and I always thought that they were on crack. But since I’ve been riding my road bike I know what they are talking about now. On these long distances you get in the zone and from time to time you almost have an outer body experience and then just ride for miles likes this without pain and just hammer it down. I hope this made sense but it’s really hard to put into words. But anyway my legs are sore now and I will be going to bed early tonight. My next task is to ride 100 miles all in one ride. I think that might have to wait until next year.

HOLY BUCK!!!!

So today after I was done working I went up to Woods Lake to do some fishing. I had been there for about a half an hour and had already caught one fish. When all of a sudden I heard the craziest noises coming from the forest behind me. It sound like Bigfoot or a bear running through the forest breaking branches off of trees and a loud running sound. So I put my fishing pole down and thought for sure a bear was going to come running out of the bushes as the sound got louder and closer. Then all of a sudden this huge buck came sprinting out of the bushes and ran right by me. When the buck ran by me it must have only been like 15-20 feet away. Then it just took a huge jump from the edge of the shore into the lake and started swimming around. It all happened so quick and scared the shit out of me that luckily I was still thinking straight and ran to my backpack to grab my point & shoot camera to snap some photos before it swam off. After it was all over I was shaking for probably 10 minutes or so since my adrenaline was going. I thought for sure it was a bear and then it turned out to be a buck that almost ran me over. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life and probably will never again. Here are some of the photos that I snapped off.

Sam's Place

Ok, so this blog is for my cousin’s husband Aaron. Every time we talk about Tahoe he has asked me if I’ve ever been to Sam’s Place and I always replied no. Then he would proceed to say that it’s one of his all time favorite bars or even places on earth. WOW!! I guess you can say that he has some fond memories of Sam’s Place. So last week my mom was up visiting again and we finally went to go experience one of the happiest places on earth AKA Sam’s Place. We had lunch there and Aaron wasn’t lying about this place it’s one of those cool dive bars with really good food. It’s pretty much a local hang out. So Aaron I risked life and limb taking pictures in there for you. Pretty much all the local construction workers that were having lunch looked like that wanted to kick my @$$ for taking photos in there. So if you are ever in South Lake Tahoe you should go to Sam’s Place for some food and adult beverages.

Arlynn & Lucas

Yesterday I was honored to photograph Arlynn and Lucas’s wedding over at Vista Point on the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe. I’ve been looking forward to this wedding ever since I did their engagement shoot down in Manhattan Beach in July. The wedding ceremony at Vista Point was breath taking. After that we went down to Zephyr Cove to take some more photos, which turned out stunning. They were one of those couples that were so easy to photograph. Arlynn and Lucas, congratulations and the best of luck to the both of you. Here’s the link to their slideshow.

On Monday I was thrilled to photograph Anna and Jeremy’s intimate wedding at Emerald Bay. It was just them and their kids and their new 6 week old baby. They had a family friend there to watch the baby during the ceremony. We met the wedding officials at the Millers Outpost parking lot to do all of the paper work and finger printing which was pretty cool. Just a side note, I think South Lake Tahoe has one of the last Millers Outposts in the U.S. It was pretty surreal to be there as they got married at one of the most beautiful places on earth. After the ceremony was over and we were done taking photos there, we headed down to the Tallac Historical site to take some more photos by the beach and around Talllac. Here’s the link to Anna and Jeremy’s slideshow.

Lacey and Louis

Yesterday Lacey and Louis got married in front of their close family and friends. The wedding was small and very beautiful. It was held at a private house in Lake Tahoe with absolutely breath taking views of the Lake. You could definitely see the love that the two of them had for each other. I had the greatest time photographing the wedding. Everyone was super nice which made for an excellent wedding day. I also had a blast shooting with Denise Neufeld. Have fun in Cabo San Lucas Lacey and Louis. Drink a margarita for me. Here’s the link to the slideshow.

Arcara Family

On Wednesday I had the privilege of photographing the Arcara Family at Sand Harbor, which is on the east side of Lake Tahoe. The Arcara Family traveled all the way out here from New Jersey. John and Lovina are super awesome photographers, so I felt very honored that they chose me to do their family portraits. I had such a good time with them. It was also one of those great summer days to be out at a Tahoe beach. On days like this I can’t believe that this is my job. Thank you guys again and here is the link to the slideshow.