When I saw this, I was amazed. Then, when I was planning my trip down to San Francisco, I knew I had to meet this remarkable man. So, last week, I headed down to Silicon Valley and met him and his lovely family and had a portrait session in the golden setting California sun.

Here is his portrait, below:

Be sure to check out www.khanacademy.org when you have time

Today, I made my way up to Bodega, CA to meet with Natalie Rooney Pitts, who is a trainer, and the owner of Four Star Farm. Bodega is a little over an hour outside of San Francisco, and Four Star Farm is a wonderful facility nestled in the rolling hills of the Sonoma Coast. Natalie is an extremely talented trainer and experienced rider, who has traveled all over the world to compete in World Cup level events, as well as the prestigious Rolex in Kentucky. Eventing is a demanding discipline and I was very impressed with her wealth of knowledge and of course, her beautiful facility.

I was delighted to photograph Natalie and a crew of six girls who ride there:

Thanks, girls, for being so much fun and so helpful with the day

We were also fortunate enough to trailer up one of her horses, Jedi (aka “Jefferson”) and take him down to Bodega Bay. Unfortunately the fog had started rolling in, but it was breathtaking nonetheless. Crashing waves, ocean mist, fine California sand…  I’m so very fortunate and pleased to have been able to photograph here (and, fun fact — Bodega is where they shot the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds” — the chapel featured in the film can be seen from Natalie’s property!).

This is one of my favourite shots from today — and, of all time:

And, a couple more beautiful shots of Natalie on the beach…

There is much more to come. Stay tuned…

Meet Sarah Taylor. She’s recently started as a residential real estate agent in the Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge area with Re/Max. With a radiant personality and sparkling smile, I have no doubt that she’ll succeed. We snapped some photos a few weeks ago to get her going on the path to real estate empire-building (and as we all know, all real estate moguls have great headshots, see below):

Love the Donald.

Anyway, here are some of the shots that I took that day. I love bright, fresh headshots a lot more than the floating-cutout ones that you see on the side of a bus. Agreed? Agreeeeed!

If you’re in the market to buy or sell in the Ridge Meadows area, you can find her RE/MAX listing here.

A hippy at heart, Burgi was right at home with Bacchus and a field of buttercups

You can also check out her website, www.burgirommel.com!

A few images from yesterday:

She’s also a lifeguard, so it’s pretty suitable that we came across this boat:

I looooove this swimsuit:

She’s absolutely gorgeous, and reminded me of Megan Fox, with her dark hair and green eyes. Her man is very very lucky! Check out a few images below… more to come…

Last week, I headed out to Pitt Meadows to photograph Dorothy, who lives on an absolutely stunning property in every way imaginable. I pulled up to a set of black iron gates and immediately fell in love. With everything. The gravel driveway led to a beautifully manicured garden, as I was greeted by her three dogs — Oscar, Kim, and Sonya, and her mischievous cat, Cinnamon. That would’ve been a full house, but then I got to the barn! Off in the distance were the Rockies, with the riding arena and grass field before me. And then, Dorothy. What can I say? She seriously belongs in a magazine. The overall resulting images captured what I see is the essence of the lifestyle — sophisticated, elegant, and stylish.

Above all else — Dorothy has an overwhelming dedication and respect for her horses. I was touched to hear that she views her horses as real members of her family — and I saw that throughout the afternoon, as she could really connect with all of them. All of her horses would speak back, with gentle nudges and ear wiggles.

Dorothy with her beaaaaautiful mare, Amelia:

Kiiiiiiinda fell in love with the huge stack of wood/logs…

Hey Amelia!

With their very beautiful airedale terriers, Sonya and Kim:

Time for an outfit change, posing with Fellow — a member of her family for the last thirteen years, and counting…

Hello beautiful barn and mountains…!

Also, Dorothy’s little yearling Shiraz. She’s still a young one, so I made sure I didn’t stand behind her — she’s a fiesty one and I like hooves to remain away from my face!

Ears, perked, and listening for something off in the distance:

Whoa, hey there Estee Lauder ad!

There is a lot of sentimental value with Kim — he was given to Dorothy as an inheritance from her late Grandpa and was brought all the way over from Holland!

A selection of shots from the day:

What a gorgeous little cowgirl! (Photo geekout moment — I am loving the hair light)

One more outfit change — walking down the road to the meadow. I caught this one as Jaimy was gazing over at Konrad:

My favourite part, by far, about photographing equestrians is capturing the amount of passion and dedication they have — from all of the cleaning to feeding to grooming, it’s practically a whole day’s work before they even get to ride! Also, there is also such style and grace that comes with the sport, and I wanted to be able to bring out the refined elegance of dressage riding. In addition… it was a treat for Laura to actually wear makeup to the barn! (Her words!)

Here’s Laura, prepping Deke up for his closeup:

We casually drifted towards the tall grass field. The colours were so spectacular and vibrant… definitely a perfect day for a shoot:

In the blazing afternoon sun, we sought refuge near the red barn, which also provided a beautiful backdrop for the photos below:

And finally, the shot to the left below is my absolute favourite from the day. I love that she looks like she is stepping off the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad…

Another couple of favourites from this shoot — highlighting the fashion and style that comes with dressage riding! From her custom leather boots to her felt top hat, Laura’s outfit is definitely equine couture. I also think she looks a bit like Carla Bruni in these! The only thing missing is her stock-tie, but I think we get the idea without it:

Thanks again, Laura (and Deke), for welcoming me to your barn!