The Writer Magazine Article on 2013 Santa Barbara Writer's Conference

Super happy to see that an article on the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (as well as one of my photos!) made it into The Writer Magazine in an article by Hillary Casavant in this month's issue (June 2013). This is one of my favorite shots from last year's animated "First Book Panel" featuring SB local and longtime SBWC volunteer and author Melinda Palacio (Ocotillo Dreams) along with Ramona Ausubel (No One Is Here Except All Of Us), Toni Margarita Plummer (The Bolero of Andi Rowe), and Amy Franklin-Willis (The Lost Saints of Tennessee).  I've been involved with the SBWC for the past ten years and have been one of the lead photographers of this national event for the last three.

SBWC has become a truly invaluable and supportive community in my journey as a writer. I am forever grateful to all those who have worked their butts off to keep SBWC going (Monte Schulz, Nicole Starczak, Grace Rachow, and our kick-butt staff!) the past several years. I feel blessed to be a part of this incredible team!

Alpha's "Circle of Life" Annual Luncheon and 60th Anniversary with Dennis Miller

r.s.thurston photography
*Please feel free to leave comments after the slideshow

This is what I love about my job. I get to work with people who inspire and uplift me. And I get to be a part of amazing organizations like Alpha Resource Center who I might otherwise never have know about.

For those of you who only know of Alpha's Thrift Stores in town, you'll be surprised by how much this organization really does and the passion with which they operate in this world. In short, they exist to give support to families and their loved ones who have developmental disabilites. This was my second year photographing their Annual Circle of Life Luncheon and I am never any less moved or touched by the emotion and passion in that room!

From the beginning of the event when Gabe (an Alpha Participant) and his father Jerry Donovan sang and performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to Dennis Miller's funny quips (he's been a passionate supporter of the organization for many years and has donated much of his personal time to Alpha) to another musical number featuring two more of Alpha's Participants and a few community members whose lives have been so indelibly touched by support from Alpha, it was hard not to be moved by the magic and love in the air. 

Since the event took place and while I was finishing up this slideshow, I discovered that a beloved Alpha Participant--Tom Sayovitz--passed away unexpectedly. I would like to dedicate this slideshow to him and to his family and friends at Alpha. My heart goes out to his family and friends and all those at Alpha who had grown close to Tom. 

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To watch the slideshow, scroll to the bottom of this entry and click on "play." If the music doesn't come on at first, just refresh your screen and start again. In order to watch it full-size, just click on lower right hand box icon. 

The Reynolds Family Reunion and Anniversary Celebration

❤ "When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."  ~Joyce Brothers ❤

I was fortunate to have photographed an absolutely lovely and sweet-spirited family visiting from down South recently to celebrate their parents'--Joan and Chet's--anniversary. You never know what's going to happen when there are more than two people included in a photo shoot....so capturing thirteen family members (including 5 children) could conceivably be a challenge with so many personalities. 

I'm happy to say that I honestly couldn't have had a more delightful time with each and every one in the Reynolds Clan. The sky was crystal clear, the air had a sweet spring chill and the sun poured down through the branches of oak trees in a magical way. They were infinitely patient and stood happily smiling through multiple poses, always respectful and loving to each other. 

The whole morning with them made me so incredibly grateful to be doing what I love and to regularly have the opportunity to be a part of families and friends celebrating their relationship with each other. 

Thank you to the Reynolds Family for hiring me to be your photographer for a very special reunion and celebration! I'm sending a big congratulations to Joan and Chet for your anniversary as well~ You all are so very blessed to have such a beautiful family!

I hope I have the opportunity to photograph you all again for future celebrations!

Clara and Mark's Beautiful Beach Wedding

"Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame."  
~Henry David Thoreau

*Enjoy the slideshows at the bottom of this entry. You can make them full screen by clicking on lower right hand corner of the screen. 

Being a part of a wedding is always an intimate experience but being a part of a small beach ceremony even more so. This was such a delight to spend a few hours with Mark and Clara and a few of their closest friends. The day started out so crisply (even though the next day it rained and rained) and beautifully....and only got better from there. 

Not a cloud in the sky. A cool breeze coming off the Pacific....and the perfume of true love all around. I am so happy to have met you both and to have been included in such a beautiful celebration. Congratulations to you two! May every day be as filled with love as this one was!

Mama Toto Baby Photos

*Feel free to leave comments below after the slideshow
❤Mama Toto "Lil Pumpkin" Baby Photos❤
A big thank you to Tessa Lippmann for connecting me with these lovely Mama Toto Mamas and their Lil' Punkins. I've been wanting to connect with more Mama Toto Groups in Santa Barbara and the change of seasons was the perfect excuse to get outside and do a little autumn photo shoot with these sweet little ones....

I can't get enough of these babies...what about you?!! 

Halloween Creekside BASH

Halloween Creekside BASH THANK YOU!
Co-Hosted by King Bee and Gale and Fred Krupica
Saturday October 27th 2012
www.kingbeesb.com

Thank you so much for joining us in our fiendishly PHANTASTIC celebration at the Creekside!

We'd like to thank Al and his staff at the Creekside, our intrepid volunteers for all the time they put into helping us decorate the place up for the party, to Joseph Souza at My Photo Booth for providing the photo booth fun for the night (and Danielle McShane for connecting us)!, and to Alma and Tamara for taking pics of us all throughout the night. 

I've managed to put a slideshow together of pics I took with my camera along with pics that they took. We hope you enjoy it! 

I've done my best to be sensitive to which pics to post but if for some reason I have "slipped on the banana peel" inadvertently and posted a pic which you don't want posted, please let me know asap which one it is and I will take it down~

Thanks again for joining us!

We hope you enjoy the show~ If the music doesn't come on right away, just "refresh" your window and click "play" again. Voila!

With Devilish Delight....
Rach, Gale, Fred and the King Bee Boyz

P.S. Come join King Bee at Red's on Sat. Nov 17th if you're in town! The boyz and I would love to see you all! 

Ann and Amanda's Beach Photo Shoot

❤Ann and Amanda's Beach Photo Shoot

*Please make sure to check out the slideshow at the end~

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

The relationship between mother and daughter, in my opinion, has the potential of being one of the most rewarding relationships in our lives as women. And as a photographer that relationship is one of my favorite to celebrate and honor!

For about a year my girlfriend and fellow Djun Djun Mama Goddess Ann Luan and I have been talking about doing a photo shoot with her and her daughter. And after multiple conversations and life changes, we arrived at just the perfect evening for the photo shoot. We all three agreed that it couldn't have been better timing in any possible way....

What happens when you mix perfect lighting with gorgeous weather, a beautiful mother and daughter, the Pacific Ocean, lots of PINK!, and a violin?

Magic.

*Please make sure to check out the slideshow~ If the music doesn't come on at first, just refresh page and try again. 
*If you'd like to order prints, you can click on visit gallery and individual photos from there.