Life is such an adventure.
One typical Thursday morning I am sitting at my computer, editing (and feeling a little down because a destination wedding we were looking forward to had just cancelled)… and then I get at text: “What do you have going for in the next 6 days?”. It turns out that my amazing, sweet, talented friend Amalie and her awesome husband Jeff had planned a trip to California for Amalie’s birthday (and to attend the FOSTER workshop with renowned photographers Ben Sasso + Benj Haisch). That morning, Jeff fractured his leg skateboarding and was told by the doc that he could not fly.
To say that I am grateful to have been able to fill in could be the understatement of the decade.
Less than 48 hours later we were on a plane and heading for San Francisco! Cameras in hand, we walked around that amazing city for hours. Union Square, Chinatown, Lombard Street, Fisherman’s Wharf – check! We ended the day by celebrating Amalie’s birthday with a glass of wine and a fat steak.
The next morning (after a huge and wonderful breakfast with my wonderful Mom who came down from Santa Rosa to say hello!), we drove the Pacific Coast Highway for hours in a torrential downpour, heading for the Treebones Resort in Big Sur. We checked in to our super-cool yurt, had a delicious meal, and waited out the rain.
The next morning could not have had a more beautiful sunrise. We walked the property and took in the mountainous beauty with wide-eyed awe. After a belly full of waffles, we climbed back into the car and headed south, stopping along the way to photograph the coast and each other 🙂
Our final destination was the Frazier mountain wilderness within the Los Padres National Forest outside  of LA. We stayed in a large home with like 25 sweet, creative ladies and 2 dudes (who were also sweet and creative) for the Foster workshop. 2 days flew by with a ton of great info, and some amazing new friends.
The inspiration received from the photography community continues to astound and humble me.
So thank you thank you thank you Amalie Orrange. You are my favorite travel buddy, an unbelievable talent, and a wonderful human 🙂