For myself, one of the personal reward for a shoot well done is the resulting slideshow. What our couples purchase for reprints and enlargement or the photos that ultimately makes it into their wedding album are wholly up to them. But the slideshow is all me. The photos are all culled and edited. The hurdle of picking out the accompanying music is over. The work is over…and the fun begins.

I just love going over the photos and timing the fades, transitions just perfectly. It’s a labor of love but the story of the event start to unfurl with each picture to melody. It’s always the best feeling…(or cheese?)…when the moment and action in the photo matches up to the song’s lyric. I just love it.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy watching Josephine and Robert’s slideshow as much as I did making it. We also sell iPod formatted version of the slideshow for carrying around in your iPhone or iPod Touch. It’s another perfect way to share your photos with friends and coworkers.

I have always had a romanticism for adventure and travel. The notion of visiting a foreign country, but avoiding the tourist traps, to simply navigate through it’s diverse landscape and differing cultures and traditions, is very appealing. As much as the notion of world travel is a fantasy for me, it is very much a part of who James is. Soon, James will have a traveling companion. After the wedding and as soon as the house is sold, Millie and James plans on boarding his sailboat and sailing down to Mexico to live for a few years. The plan is to eventually sail around the world, visiting each country along the way. Hearing Millie’s tale of driving across the country by herself, she will no doubt be a perfect traveling companion for James.

Millie and James, thank you for dinner and kindling my own desire to travel and explore the world. It’s awesome to hear about your travel plans and your desire to allow a job and work be a means to that end, and not become an end in itself. Ham and I look forward to seeing you two again at your wedding and sharing in the beginning of your journey as man and wife. -David

Their romance may have started when Herman was invited to attend an art exhibition where he met Melissa. It makes perfect sense as both are creative artist in their own right. And it also makes perfect sense to start their engagement session at the De Young fine art museum in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Melissa and Herman are so cute together. It would be the first time I get to meet Melissa and Herman but I didn’t have a hard time figuring out which of the park’s many visiting couple simply by the way they walked hand in hand.

We packed our gear light and went inside the museum for some shots before heading outside to explore the park’s grounds. Somehow we managed not to get kicked out while shooting inside the museum. But as we were shooting on the grounds outside the museum entrance, a lady kindly let us know that we are not allow to have professional photography in that area as it was an art exhibit in itself. Ooops and thank you for noticing we were professionals. :)

Loving this wall and sequence inside the museum.

I usually tell my client that Spring is my favorite time to shoot. Everything is buzzing with life anew. The flowering trees are starting to flower and makes for awesome backdrop.

We found this tunnel and set up the remote flash. Because we were trying to keep it on the down low in the museum, I left the Pocket Wizards in the car and toss a couple of the smaller ebay triggers in my pocket instead. We had a difficult time getting the trigger to fire consistently when blocked by Melissa and Herman’s body, but it was worth the hassle as it allow for one of my favorite shot of the day.

The sky was overcast most of the day but the sun did come out for a few minutes to give this scene nice contrast and depth.

Herman did his best to keep Melissa warm when the wind blew, and when Melissa’s feet hurt from walking on heels, Herman carried her instead.

Their outfit match the tones of this house perfectly.

Melissa and Herman – thanks for spending the afternoon with us. We had a blast exploring the museum and location scout in the Mission district. I especially enjoyed the ride to and from the area, including getting lost on the tilted and confusing streets of San Francisco. If I didn’t have to make my flight, it would have been especially cool to just hop out of the car and document that. We can’t wait to experience your wedding day with you two later this year. Until then, enjoy more images in the slideshow below.