Last weekend I took a trip to San Luis Obispo. I recently upgraded my camera to the Nikon D750 and had so much fun trying it out for the first time. I loved getting to explore the town of San Luis Obispo for a little while, especially trying the amazing coffee at Kreuzberg. On my way home I stopped for a few hours at Avila Beach.
DN Apparel
A few weeks ago my good friend from college was in town and asked if I wanted to help her take some photos for her clothing line DN Apparel. It's been so cool to watch her clothing line grow to where it is now.
Montaña de Oro State Park
Last weekend I took a trip to the Morrow Bay area. We rented a little house off Airbnb in Los Osos and did an easy and beautiful hike through Montaña de Oro State Park.
Bozio Family Portraits
A few weeks ago I took some family portraits at the Sacramento State Arboretum. I had taken portraits for this family last year and it was crazy to see how much the kids had grown!
Santa Barbara
Last weekend I took a little trip to Santa Barbara. The weather was perfect compared to the 100 degree heat we've been having in Sacramento. I visited the historic Santa Barbara Mission and the cute little beach town of Carpinteria.
Preston Castle
Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph Preston Castle located about 45 minutes south of Sacramento. Twice a year Preston Castle hosts a photographer day where photographers can self tour the property for 4 hours. Preston Castle was originally used as a reform school for boys and has quite a creepy history. Unfortunately the property was once in danger of being demolished thus there is almost nothing of value left. The castle is quite large however there are many areas that are not safe to view. Estimates to fully restore the castle would cost millions of dollars. You can check out more about the castle and its history here!
Washington D.C.
A few weeks ago I attended Playlist Live in Washington D.C. with my friend Brittany to help her sell her clothing line DN Apparel. We got to do some touristy stuff as well and explore a little bit of D.C.
Sacramento Railyards
This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to check out the Sacramento Railyards that are currently closed to the public. The railyards are located just behind Sacramento's Amtrak station. They've been around since the 1800's and were part of the transcontinental railroad. The owners have plans to develop the space for retail and housing.
Filoli
Last weekend I visited Filoli, a gorgeous estate near San Jose. Filoli was only owned by two families before given to the state of California. After the movie Heaven Can Wait came out, Filoli's popularity went up. Suddenly tons of people wanted to see the beautiful grounds where the movie was filmed. Today you can take tours of the house and their gardens.
California State Fair
This week I went to the California State Fair, located at Cal Expo in Sacramento. I had a great time riding the ferris wheel and taking photos of the adorable baby farm animals.
Adventure Bus: Grand Canyon & The Wild West
Last month myself and my family took an amazing trip to Utah and Arizona with Adventure Bus. Adventure Bus does a bunch of week long trips to various national parks. We visited Zion, Bryce, Arches, The Grand Canyon, Moab, and Monument Valley. Although I'm not too big on camping, I had a great time seeing some of America's most beautiful national parks.
Check out Adventure Bus: http://www.adventurebus.com/
My video of the trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfIbtj_goy8
Pismo Beach
A few weekends ago I took a spontaneous trip to Pismo Beach. I had never been before but already want to go back. While you're there I definitely recommend heading to the Madonna Inn for some cake, it's amazing.
Portland
A few weeks ago myself and my family took a trip to Portland. We were mainly there to look at Portland State University for my little sister. I had never been to Portland before and I had an amazing time. We stayed at the Inn at Northrup Station which I would totally stay at again. We also took a little road trip to Cannon Beach. It's about an hour and a half drive from Portland and the views/drive there are breathtaking. My favorite part of the trip would have to be exploring Powell's Books. I could spend a whole week there if I had the time! Blue Star doughnuts is a must as well (Voodoo is overrated...).
Israel
I'm currently sitting in bed with a cold I that I most likely caught on one of the three flights I took yesterday, trying to process the insane adventure I just got back from. Going on Birthright was hardly anything like I expected. There were a lot more feelings and a lot less propaganda. Prior to leaving I read a previous participant's trip blog that really stuck with me. She mentioned that there was a lot of pressure to feel like Israel was our home and to have this unconditional love for a country most of us had never been to before. Another participant felt angered that they were only getting the "pro-Israel" side of events while being in a country with a very controversial and complicated history. It makes sense that Birthright would only show participants the very best of Israel, just like tours in the U.S. take people to places like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building, not inner city Detroit or Stockton. On the last day of the trip we were asked to share what we would be taking away from this trip. Many people got emotional and shared how connected they felt to Israel. I mumbled something about having a new love for travel because I'm still not sure how I would answer that question. I do however know that I'm eternally grateful to have visited Israel, and for the friendships I made and the places I experienced.
Holidays
This Christmas I spent a lot of time taking photos of my dog (she's too photogenic!). I had a really nice holiday weekend spending time with family and friends. Now it's time to prepare for 2016! In less than two weeks I'll be going to Israel on Birthright. I'm really excited and can't wait to take lots of pictures.
Weekend in Truckee
Last weekend myself and some friends took a trip up to Truckee. On Saturday we went to Boreal. The boys went snowboarding and myself and my girlfriends went tubbing. That night we went to Boomtown Casino and sadly did not win anything however we still had a great weekend. We even had time to build a snowman!
Black Chasm Cavern Day Trip
A few weekends ago myself and my boyfriend took a trip to Black Chasm Cavern, a small cave located on a national park with tons of awesome formations inside. We took a guided tour and stopped for lunch in Sutter Creek on our way back.
Sacramento Zombie Walk
The Walking Dead is one of my favorite shows so when I found out there was going to be a zombie festival right down the street from my house, I decided to go out and take some photos. Super fun family friendly event! Check out their page
Walmart Black Friday Protests
With the holidays coming up I wanted to post some photos of how I spent my black Friday last year. While browsing the photographer wanted posts on Craigslist I came across a media group looking for a photographer to cover a protest. Growing up my family never shopped at Walmart. My mom would tell me of how badly they treated their workers and how they were underpaid. During college I took an introduction to business class were I wrote a paper on how Walmart's actions go far beyond underpaying their employees and their mistreatment. While covering the protest I listened to the stories of current Walmart workers as well as those that supported them. This holiday season I ask that you look further into the companies you directly support.
Summersalt
Last year's experience at Summersalt in San Francisco was interesting. I went with my friend to help her sell her clothing line. I’m not a huge fan of EDM but I did enjoy some of the people that played. Seeing G-Eazy again was awesome and I liked walking around seeing the different vendors and cool graffiti art.
