Marianne Kasparian Raku Jewelry

Marianne asked me to photograph some of her beautiful designs to submit for an upcoming Lark Books publication. You can read up on the Raku ceramic process, and see and purchase Marianne's amazing work here: http://www.makustudio.com All designs are copyright (C) 2009, Marianne Kasparian.

Tim and Daniela Wedding, Tempe, Arizona

We followed Tim and Daniela on their wedding day, from the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Tempe; over to picturesque Papago Park, for a beautiful monsoon sunset and full moonrise; then on to the Mill Avenue Bridge over Tempe Town Lake; and finally, to the House of Tricks restaurant for their reception party. Tim and Daniela handed out custom keepsake tins of hibiscus tea to their family members and wedding party.

Model Shoot for Kevin O'Grady Art Glass

Our kitchen was temporarily transformed into a dressing room for a recent model shoot. These images were created in our home studio, and will be used to market Kevin O'Grady's beautiful glass bracelets. You can see more of Kevin's work on his website. Heather Wilson provided the amazing makeup and hairstyling. Visit Heather's site here.

Labor Day Scrabble Game

Here's a snapshot of our Scrabble board this past Labor Day. Amanda was the big winner with "xenon" and "quiz" clenching the victory. Sonny wins points for the most "creative" word selection--I'll let you guess which ones are his.

Arizona Society of Glass Beadmakers Postcard

The Arizona Society of Glass Beadmakers (ASGB) asked me to photograph their beads for their annual postcard again this year. It always fun to see such a variety of incredible lampworked glass designs! To see more of their work, visit their website at: www.azsgb.org . You can also visit with the artists and even purchase their work at the upcoming fall Best Bead Show in Tucson, September 11-13, 2009. The beads pictured, from top to bottom, were created by: Lucinda Rave, Nancy Pilgrim, Celeste Sotomayor, Carol Saker, Adiel Garrison, and Jane Praxel.

Tatum and Cory Wedding, Viewpoint Golf Resort, Mesa, AZ

We first met Tatum at the Bridal Fashion Debut show, and photographed her and fiance Cory's engagement session this past March. When they told us they would be getting married in August (our first August wedding in the Valley of the Sun) we knew we'd be in for a warm day! Viewpoint Golf Resort in Mesa provided a beautiful backdrop and comfortable setting for their vows and reception. Personal touches included lavendar and white bridesmaids dresses and a 4-tier fondant cake frosted with romantic script!

New Jewelry by Diane C. Smith

I recently photographed some beautiful pieces for artist Diane C. Smith for her new website. Many of Diane's necklaces feature intricately carved Japanese netsuke (animal figurines carved from fossilized mammoth ivory, naturally shed hippo tusks or ebony wood), semi-precious gemstones, and silver components from Thailand Hill Tribe villagers as well as from artisans in Tibet and Bali.

Diane donates a large portion of her sales to various animal rescue organizations. You can see and purchase her amazing work here: The Artist's Eye.