I had the pleasure of photographing the Equality California Charity Event last week and it was a great time for all.  Held in the ballroom of The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, the charity event raised over $45,000 to support the LGBT community.

Senator Dianne Feinstein received an award from the group honoring her support of the LGBT community.    The adorable Wilson Cruz of film and TV fame did a great job hosting and the crowd just loved Thelma Houston.  Ms. Houston sang all her old signature songs and just had people dancing in the aisles.  It was a fantastically fun charity event to photograph and I hope the photos show that!

I had a truly life changing experience in South Africa and I’d like to do something in return. The Le Sueur Cheetah Project was just truly an amazing experience for me. They need money and more so now because one of the cheetahs is pregnant which is wonderful. Please consider purchasing one of my images. All profits will go to Le Sueur. They really need support and I hope to do just a little bit. Thanks a ton!

Purchase images here… Help Le Sueur Cheetahs.

I met Angel and his family back in February to do family portraits.  Mom had him dressed just like a little man!  He’s the sweetest little boy and takes everything in stride quite well considering most of his time is spent in hospital.  This session was set up by Moment by Moment and I’m happy to be a part of the group.  Mom asked me back recently and it was great to see how much he’d grown.  Once again he was looking quite dapper!  All the best to little Angel and his family.

Interested in seeing more photos and links and ideas?  Check out my Facebook pages and become a friend!

I recently watched the movie The Cove and it wasn’t easy.  I’ve always loved dolphins since I grew up watching Flipper.  My mom after a while though wouldn’t let me watch anymore because I would always end up crying!  Well, this movie is well done and utterly important and it’s crucial that change happens and soon.  I’ve grown up with animals and not known a day without them since a child.  Whether dogs, cats, cows, horses, birds they are just a cause that is important to me.  Dolphins too.

I have to admit I did do the swim with the dolphins before I knew any of this was happening.  It was the most amazing experience and while I will never forget it I do regret it.  I felt so at peace with these creatures and I know they felt my feelings, admiration and love.  For most of the “swim” there were 3 dolphins that chose to stay with me and 2 that were with the 12 others.  It was amazing, incredible and one of the most inspiring moments of my life.  I know these creatures need to live and breathe and commune in the world with us. Looking into their eyes is a memory I’ll never forget.

Please, please take a moment if you care to The Cove site.  Spread the word!  The sad irony here is that many Japanese don’t know the dolphin kills even take place and sadly dolphins are laden with mercury and their flesh is eaten by their own children and disguised as expensive fish.  Mercury poisoning is preventable and an utterly horrible existence to suffer.  Please take action and share on Twitter, Facebook, your blog and anywhere you can.  Thank you!

I recently had the absolute pleasure of photographing little Angel this week.  He’s a total charmer!  He’s a patient at UCSF unfortunately but they are taking great care of him.  His older brother and mom visit him every day and the nurses just love and pamper him like crazy.  He has the most amazing temperament being confined in a hospital.  I’ve been working with Moment by Moment for years and so highly recommend them and the idea of giving families a chance to photograph their kids in sometimes very difficult situations.  I wish all the best to this wonderful family.  Please visit www.momentbymoment.org and your support is greatly appreciated.

This one was a lot of fun to be sure!  The event celebrated wines from many different places and brought together people from near and far.  Arista Winery in Healdsburg is a fantastic location.

I had the pleasure of photographing the Bloom Gala at the San Francisco Design Center for the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Benefit.  It was definitely a successful event with an auction and speakers that ranged from Dr. Sanjay Gupta from CNN, local AIDS awareness spokespeople and politicians Fiona Ma and Phil Ting promoting health in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.  It was a night of great food from Yank Sing, Anzu, Jasmine Gardens, KC Catering, Le Soleil, Mercury Lounge, Patisserie Phillipe, Poleng Lounge and Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Cuisine.  The entertainment–Good Asian Drivers–was truly unique with a mixture of poems, rap, singing and laughter.