Pretty in Petaluma

We did these engagement photos in downtown Petaluma, and at sunset in the nearby Kastania Vineyards. The light is so lovely this time of year, and Petaluma is so pretty...and Desireé & André are so fun and in love - it left me with a great collection of shots to give them. A nod to Murray Rockowitz as we walked by his studio, a fellow Petaluma photographer. Outside his studio is this wonderful white brick wall and yellow-leafed tree.I directed Desireé & André under a row of vines for this shot, and only when I followed did I discover the stinging nettle I had asked them to crawl through. Welts on my knees and André's hands, we continued as the sun dipped behind the western hills. I look forward to the springtime when the vines show their new leaves and Desireé and André will be wed.

A Stunning View of the Bay

From Horizon Restaurant's "Ondine" in Sausalito, the view is incredible: San Francisco, Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, Angel Island, Belvedere, and the Oakland & Berkeley Hills... along with "Cecil" the sea lion who sunbathes on the dock below.

Ondine Sausalito

I'm Thankful for My Family

I'm thankful for all the amazing people in my family. I'm thankful for all the family nearby, and thankful that Chris and Christine had mom and dad to cook for in Seattle. I'm thankful that Craig and Gaylene were visited by whales on the Oregon coast. I'm thankful for the telephone, and for the game telephone (a Stephan-de Channes-Miller-Mayahara tradition now). I'm thankful for Claire learning to tie her shoes on Thanksgiving Eve. I'm thankful for Barbara and Al's delicious turkey and Mike's brussel sprouts. I'm thankful for our home-grown salad. I'm thankful for 101, 580 and the San Rafael-Richmond Bridge. I'm thankful for the El Cerrito home that holds so many memories and long-standing Thanksgiving traditions. I'm thankful for the free-to-climb boulders in Berkeley. I'm thankful for the health and comfort we enjoy. I'm thankful that Mike has a job he loves, and if he can't be with us for the Thanksgiving feast, he can be there. I'm thankful for all the kids. I'm thankful for Julien's piano-playing, for stomp rockets, good weather, Ticket to Ride game, apple and pumpkin pie, wine and coffee, and intelligent discussions. I'm thankful for all we learn from each other.

Chloé, Bernadette, Sylvain, Alexi, Giselle et Claude

It was Fleet Week when we settled on Fort Cronkhite for our portrait location. The bridge was not in view, but giant barges were evenly spaced in line, waiting to enter the Golden Gate. But we weren't there for the ships or the airshow or the celebration of U.S. military. We were there to celebrate family.
Baby Chloé was suspicious of the camera and she gave me a furrowed brow almost every time I put the lens between us. But with the happy distractions of sand and water and wind, and loving grandparents, she warmed up. I stood back, and zoomed in.

Alexi was all joy and games - also delighted by his visiting grandparents.Finally, we wound our way up through the Marin Headlands in pursuit of the Golden Gate Bridge, and were lucky to find parking among the gathering crowd. Everyone was waiting for the Blue Angels to begin.Sadly, the Blue Angels were grounded due to fog and clouds. But we left with satisfaction, a happy family and a lovely time together.

Sarah's Bat Mitzvah

I spent this day of Sarah's bat mitzvah wishing I were 13 again. We started early with the morning service, and ended late with a fantastic party at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, Marin County. Sarah was in heels for the first time, while carrying the giant Torah!
Photo booth, crazy hats and mardi gras beads, balloons, sugar straws, sunglasses, all-color of lights in the dance floor, thumb wars, and dancing dancing dancing. This was a rite passage. On the brink between childhood and adulthood, the kids here were swinging between the two.

Kiva loan for a photographer!

My latest loan has been made to a photographer in the Bay Area! Via Kiva I searched "photographer" and found Tasneem of San Jose, CA, originally from Saudi Arabia. Amy and AJ (to be wed April 10th) liked the idea of a loan to Tasneem, and I decided to put the whole contribution toward her loan. She is unable to get a bank loan due to a lack of credit history, and with her funding from Kiva she plans to buy a camera, a laptop and editing software.

You can view all the loans I have made (with the help of my clients) at www.kiva.org/lender/cindi. There is also a link from my web site.

When the kids won't settle down...

The Penney Trio, two boys and a little sister, are so joyful and so free and so not into sitting still for pictures. Luckily they have good-natured parents, with a sense of humor, and a lot of love for them. And luckily I have a good zoom.

I love these photos. I love the spirit of these kids, and miraculously we have a number of photos that include five Penneys (one Nickle?) coming up heads, not tails. Even smiling.

These portraits were taken at Benicia State Park on the Carquinez Strait. I love the color of the water.

4 Kiva Loans to African Women in Business

Thanks to André & Desireé (to be wed April 24th) I have made four Kiva loans to African women. Eugénie of Togo is physically disabled. Desireé served in the Peace Corps in Mali and hoped that I consider loans to women of the region where women are typically hard workers, but less often business owners. There were no available loans to women in Mali at the time of lending, but I will keep my eyes open for the opportunity to lend to a Malian woman business-owner.

Abishyizehamwe Group
Pub, Rwanda

Alice Akanbi
Clothing Sales, Nigeria

Eugénie Gbadago
Food Market, Togo

Oumou Banouna Bâ
Retail, Senegal

Abby & David: A Simple Wedding

Abby & David were married at their home in Muir Beach, surrounded by a small gathering of family. David's daughter and granddaughter participated, and Lily Goodman Freitas performed the ceremony.
David collects and photographs old maps and documents. Here he pores over his own official history-making document...David's grandaughter was the sweet and shy flower girl. But she warmed up to me over a tree limb on the back porch, overlooking the foggy coastline.
The gathering moved on to Cavallo Point at Fort Baker for a wedding reception lunch. We saw the fog fade and reveal a beautiful day for celebration.

Inside, all could easily fit around one table for an intimate luncheon. It was lovely group of people with kind words and support all around.