The trip was incredible and I came back with so much more than I had hoped for.  I had a chance to visit the schools my parents attended and the homes they grew up in.  At one point, one of my dad’s childhood friends and I walked right into a home my dad lived in when he was a young boy (new tenants lived there now) and started looking around.  It felt a bit strange and uncomfortable to just walk into a strangers home but we were greeted kindly by the new owners who offered us tea and snacks.  I thought that was amazing.  The absolute kindness of strangers was a reoccurring theme throughout the trip.

I met up with my dad’s old college buddies who told me stories of how popular my dad had been in his college years as well as stories of my parents as children and how they knew each other from a very young age.  Meeting all the families and close friends that knew my parents growing up and hearing everything they had to share was priceless.

This is a trip I will never forget.  I’ve come back completely transformed with an entirely fresh perspective.  I can’t wait to go back again with the entire family.

So as I walked, rickshawed, and bused my way around Ahmadabad with my grandparents, I of course had to take some pictures.  Below you’ll find a mixture of images shot on digital and film.  Most of the square format were shot on my Fuji GF670 and the 35mm on a canon A35 rangefinder.

Music by A.R. Rahman

Music by Ray Lamontagne. 

This experience was unique to how I’ve approached family sessions in the past.  I usually don’t get to spend a good amount of time with the families getting to know who they are.  Being greeted early in the morning with hugs, making pancakes together, playing tag on the street, and putting the camera aside for a bit to just talk about life.  After spending a day with them prior to the shoot, I felt like I could actually see certain signature characteristics of each person which helped me capture their true personalities.  I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend with them.  My favorite part was when all of the kids hugged me and told me they loved me.  My heart melted.  I love you guys too.

Day 1.  Meeting the family.

Day 2. Adventures in the city.

Music by Andrew Bird (who was born in Chicago).

Chicago is actually where the American dream really started for my family.  My uncle and aunt ran away from India to get married because their families disapproved of the marriage.  My uncle worked as a civil engineer here for several years before they eventually moved to California.  Once they were established, my parents were able to move in with them from India and so started our life here in America.  It was amazing to see this place… where it all began.

Huge thank you to Ever Ours for featuring this session.

Music by Broken Social Scene.

 All images were shot on film using a contax 645, canon 1v, canon AF35, and Fuji GF670 w the exception of the mountain range which was taken on my iphone.  Music by the incredibly awesome Horse Feathers.

For this adventure, we decided to spend the day in Mendocino, CA taking a canoe trip down Big River.  It was such a peaceful trip and we had the opportunity to spot various wildlife along the way.  Ryan and I swear we saw a crocodile in there but everyone else thinks were crazy.  We did see one though.   We ended the day by taking a stroll down to the coast line to witness a beautiful sunset.  Then it was off to find some hot chocolate and make the journey back home.  By the end of the day, I had made two amazing new friends.

While paddling down the river we listened to this song.

Music by Goldmund.

The CYOA session was inspired by the classic storybooks from my younger years that gave you the option to select your own alternate endings.  The idea of the session is that you, the couple, get to decide what adventure you’d like to go on.  It could be anything from a walk through the forest, staying in a yurt in Big Sur, hip hop dance lessons, or whatever your creative minds can come up with.  I recommend doing something you’ve been wanting to do for a while now but haven’t been able to because the busies of life have taken over.  My job will be to capture and tell the story of your adventure together.

So what does this session look like?  That’s where Chris and Alice come in.  Chris contacted me about shooting his wedding and we had a chance to talk for a bit over the phone.  Turns out Chris was also an engineer but has decided to pursue his passion for film.  I, then, exchanged emails with his fiancee Alice who’s an art director for WIRED magazine and all around amazing person.  I knew they would be a wonderful couple to kick off the session.  They emailed me immediately with ideas of things they wanted to do and I could just sense their excitement.

The final plans came through and we were set for our adventure.  Chris and Alice love to surf but have never tried paddle boarding which was the first stop.  They were naturals at it and after they took a couple spins, I decided to try my luck as well.  We all managed to stay dry so unfortunately I didn’t get any outtake photos.

Next we payed a visit to Chris’s grandparents who own an incredible hill top home in Sausalito.  I could have probably spent weeks listening to the stories Edith and Tibor had to share and looking at Edith’s amazing artwork and Tibor’s architecture from Hungary.  You’ll see this gorgeous sketch of a flower Edith did below which I believe she originally sketched on a napkin.  Just one immensely talented and artistic family.  Although we had never met before, I was treated like the closest of family during my entire visit.  It was truly an incredible experience.  We didn’t leave without trying some homemade Hungarian desserts.

We spent the final leg of the adventure in the Marin Headland at a beach that Chris and Alice enjoy surfing at.  It was an astonishing day and I’m extremely blessed to call Chris and Alice my friends.  Thank you both for letting me into your life and trusting me.

I want to thank all the people that are embracing and supporting me in trying new things.  Especially my clients that have been open and excited about the ideas I’ve been sharing with them.  It means so much to me.

Also, thank you to June Bug Weddings for featuring this on their site here.

Music is by two of my favorites, Grizzly Bear followed by Peter Broderick.

I want to thank my talented friend Hugh “Hug” Forte for having me along to photograph this day with him.  Music by Goldmund.  Big thank you to Marry Me Ink for featuring this wedding.

Working with Eric was also quite the awesome experience.  We had a few days to wander and take in the scene.  The funny thing is, we both couldn’t think of anything better or more exciting to do than take photographs constantly.  We spent days just exploring the city and the people.  This truly is our passion.  So hats off to my friend Eric who absolutely loves what he does and it shows in his work.  Thanks again for having me my friend.

Music by my favorite artist of all time Jeff Buckley.  Twelfth of Never is actually a cover of a Johnny Mathis song but Jeff always added a special touch to any song he touched.

I already miss shooting, but taking this time to step back and reflect on what I want to do and where I want to go has been amazing.  I’m definitely looking to try several “new things” in the coming year.

This shoot also gave me a chance to get to know and see how Heather works as she will be helping me as a dedicated 2nd shooter next year.  I simply love her vision and am looking forward to seeing her fresh perspective.  So happy we meet each other.

Here are a few of the things I witnessed on this beautiful foggy day.

Music by Peter Broderick.