A Day in the Bay

The week after Christmas, my family decided to take a day trip to the Bay Area and see some of the familiar sights of the city. Of course I couldn't miss an opportunity to snap some photos along the way, so I brought my camera with me and we embarked on the road.
We started off the day by driving into San Francisco, my favorite city in the world.
(vv Taken with my phone vv)

After driving around for a while trying to find a parking space (the post-Christmas rush was still on in the city), we walked around Union Square with the family, popping in and out of random stores as we went.


City life is one of my favorite things to photograph.


Street performer in the city.

The security guard wouldn't let me take my camera into Forever 21, so I snapped this photo of the lavish, intricately detailed ceiling of the store with my phone.




Me, exploring the city (taken by brother Devin)


My little brother took this photo of me overlooking Union Square on his phone.


Then, it was time to leave San Francisco and head off to Palo Alto for the evening. The rolling hills of that drive is some of my favorite scenery.

We drove to Stanford University and got there right as the sun was beginning to set.

Me, taken by Alexa

Sister Alexa looking prettay

Stanford's campus is honestly one of my favorites, so I had some fun wandering around and shooting the beautiful facades of the buildings.



Taken by Devin.


Family, candid




Once the sun had set, my family and I headed back to the car and drove all the way back home. It was a gorgeous day and I'm so glad we decided to spend the day at my birthplace and hometown. The Bay Area will always be the place I call home.

The Things I Am Thankful For

This past week, I was able to go home to California to visit with my family over the Thanksgiving break. My grandparents had planned for us to visit with them in Lake Tahoe, in a gorgeous lodge in the skiing town of the Sierras.

I left Tuesday afternoon and drove from Rexburg, Idaho to Provo, Utah with my friends Tempe, Camille, and Preston.

After spending the evening with my brother Tyler and sister Alexa in Provo, we headed off across the desert of Nevada.

That night we arrived at our hotel, the Marriot Timber Lodge, which was absolutely beautiful. The next day, we decided to explore the area, and walked around a bit, taking in the cool mountain air.

After asking around a bit, we discovered that the beach at South Lake Tahoe was only about a five minute walk from our hotel, so we walked to the beach on that cold, overcast afternoon. It was a great way to spend the Thanksgiving holiday, and spend time together taking pictures on the lake.

Devin on the beach

Me, contemplating the mysteries of life (or something like that haha)

Devin taking pictures on the beach with my film camera

Sister and me

Alexa was my fashion model for the day. I had a lot of fun playing around, pretending to be a fashion photographer. It was great, and the photos turned out just like I wanted.

Tyler

Momma and dad

Grandpa Richard, displaying his Aggie pride

My little cousins collected pine cones on the beach and brought them home to decorate later.

The next day, my little brother Devin and I walked down by ourselves to the beach again and spent a while talking and just spending time together. I miss that kid when I'm away at school, so it was nice to have that time to talk about old memories and joke around with each other.

The next day, my family went to the beach again in the evening to have "family counsel" time. It was a beautiful sunset and a beautiful day, so of course I had to document it.

It was such a great week, spending time with my family and remembering all that I am thankful for. Most of all, I am so thankful for the many beauties of this earth, and the opportunity I have as a photographer to capture them every day. It was a week I will always remember.