Ruby

Santa Barbara, California Photographer

Being a photographer – or any kind of artist – requires you to be a bit unconventional. Breaking social boundaries is a part of what I do, by bringing people out of their comfort zones (while simultaneously being out of my own), getting in their personal space, slyly trying to capture strangers when I have no models around, etc. Often times I see people with an unusual look or interesting style and wish I could just ask them on the spot if they'd be my model (thankfully I haven't gone this far – yet!). Well, this a great example of that. I had seen Ruby around campus and admired her wonderfully vintage style and was always thinking, "I'd love to take photos of her!" Creepy, right? Well, bringing creepiness to the next level was when I saw her tagged in a photo with one of my other Facebook friends and decided to message her. Luckily, she wasn't totally creeped out and agreed to work with me! So thanks, Ruby, for going along with this unconventional arrangement and creating some beautiful images with me!

This shoot started out with some bright and cheery mustard, and the images got moodier as the sun was setting.

Ariella

GAVIOTA STATE PARK, CALIFORNIA

Thanks to Ariella for our '20s soundtrack on the way to Gaviota, for helping me not fall off miniature cliffs, and for entertaining this ridiculous bird-lady dress.

Berry Beard

CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHER

B E R R Y  B E A R D

step 1: find man with beard.

step 2: find berry bush.

step 3: apply swatch of berries to said man's beard.

step 4: profit.

Rachel

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

I was so excited when Rachel told me what she had in mind for this shoot. She is an esthetician, massage therapist, and yogi, and she wanted some photos of her in action for her website. The Presidio was the perfect location, and since we got there at 7:00am, we had some beautiful early-morning light. Rachel is awesome, and I think that is evident in these photos. Enjoy!

Hair by Nea Devina

Lindsey & Bryan

STOW HOUSE | GOLETA, CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHER

This shoot was great for so many reasons: the colors, the lighting, the fresh green grass from the recent storms, but most of all, the two amazing people I got to capture. I love shoots where people say things like, "Can we dance?" or "This might be weird, but..."

Thanks again, Lindsey and Bryan, for being so enthusiastic and fun to work with!

Sydney

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

A sailboat washed ashore near the UC Santa Barbara campus recently, and Sydney (also a UCSB student) was nice enough to come explore it with me before it's gone. It was a beautifully overcast day, so I couldn't resist getting some shots along the way. We gathered a "bouquet" of dead brush and had fun incorporating it into some shots (and discussing the fact that it belongs in a mason jar at a hipster wedding). Thanks again, Sydney!

Katie

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA

Katie (owner of La Rousse Photo) and I have gotten together once before to take some "floortraits" (click here to see those photos), and I was happy to meet up again and get some shots of her for her fashion blog, Amy & Kate. We went to Cold Spring Trail above Montecito, where there were a few fall leaves (hard to find around here) and a dry, rocky creekbed that we explored and used for most of the photos. Be sure to check out her blog! There's a lot of pretty photos and cool fashion posts.

Laura

Knapp's Castle // Santa Barbara, CA

Laura and I had a great time exploring these ruins. The Knapp mansion burned down in 1940, so anything that was made of stone is all that remains. I always love exploring places where people once stood, people whose lifetimes have long since passed. It's like time travel to me.

Zoe

Presidio - San Francisco, California

I was chasing fog for this shoot, hoping to catch what was left of the summer's morning gloom. I even left my house at six in the morning. Unfortunately, I chose the one day the fog decided not to show up. But Zoe and I had a great time nonetheless.

dio