My fellow Februarians, and peeps of all the months, have a wonderful Leap Day. Among the rarest of days, February 29 only comes ’round every 4.124 years. So make the most of it!

Image of Anastasia+Eric. See their full wedding post here: Anastasia+Eric’s Wedding in San Diego, CA.

- Russell

Here are two images I didn’t show when I posted about this session back in 2010:

Here are my original two posts on their engagement session:

• Anitra + Justin Engagement Portraits, Part 1
• Anitra+Justin Engagement Portraits, Part 2 – Lomo photos!

Merry Valentine’s Day to you and yours!

Thank you everyone who participated in our totally useless Team Sparkle poll!

Though it won’t count, you can still vote: bit.ly/teamsparkle

You can also check out our whole holiday card, if you haven’t seen it yet: bit.ly/sparklecard

Two wigs later, we morphed into a vampire and a not-quite-sure-if-I-want-to-be-a-vamp, and sparkled as best we could for your mailboxes, dear friends and family:

On the back, we’ve asked a very important question. Are you Team Ingrid or Team Russell? Don’t wuss out; pick a side. Click here to vote for your team!

May your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, and even your whole winter, sparkle brightly!

– From Ingrid & Russell

PS: Um, in case it isn’t bloody obvious, here was our inspiration:

PPS: Dear ol’ Turney Burney played the role of brooding shirtless warewolf, but he unfortunately was cut from the final card:

Turney Burney as brooding shirtless warewolf.

Zion National Park - Middle Emerald Pools

Except for one more wintery wedding this year, Russell Gearhart Photography is now on Christmas vacay until Jan. 3, 2012.

I won’t be incommunicado, though … You can still reach me all the usual ways, and I’ll respond as soon as possible. Use the “Contact” link at the top of this page.

Have a safe holiday!

This decision is not to be taken lightly. We now implore you to look deep into your soul (if you have one) and decide which team you’re really on:

• Choose wisely … our polling app only lets you make one vote per computer!
• Don’t wuss out … pick a side!
• If you don’t see the poll below, refresh your browser.

Alt version of the survey for you iPeeps:

Thank you … you’ve been integral in answering the most pressing question in human — nay, vampire — history. We’ll snapshot and post the results on Jan 1.

Leave a comment below, and we’ll let you know when we’ve got the final tally!

And to see our entire holiday card, click here.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all … Thanks for playing, and we’ll see you on the flip side!

So, meow.

Of course, any computer on the carpet has to be surrounded by its ladies and henchmen.

Rumor was, the white carpet was supposed to be like “kitty litter.” I have no idea if that’s true.

 
What a fun event this was, with a great team from TH Productions taking care of all the campaign details!

I got to photograph this fun-lovin’ group with my friend Joe of Vida Dulce Photography … Here are some of my favorites that rose to the top from their beautiful San Diego wedding and La Jolla reception.

 
Even if there are a bazillion bright, loud, and obvious pieces to capture in a wedding day, my favorite moments are the unexpected, quiet ones.

Stuffed in the elevator to the limo, we had four bridesmaids, two photographers, a videographer, and a bride. I saw Anastasia hold her clutch tight, look down, and take a couple breaths to herself. That’s all it was, and it was my favorite moment of the day. Seconds later (and six floors lower), she returned to reality and laughed at a joke with her bridesmaids.

 
Their ceremony was in the airy and bright St. Thérèse of Carmel Catholic Church in San Diego.
 

 
The weather, which had threatened to rain, cooperated with only wispy clouds for a wonderfully atmospheric session (and a little light jogging?) at Torrey Pines State Beach.

 
As an afterthought, Eric wanted a few beach rocks to remember the experience. I wanted a photo while they still had dirt on them.
 

 
Their reception was at Barcino Restaurant in the La Jolla Hyatt. They strutted in, had a steamy first dance, and a great laugh afterward.
 

 
Flamenco dancers treated the audience to some great music and moves.
 

 
Yes, that’s the groom … breakdancing!
 

 
What a great way to spend the day!

I got a chance today to take a journey around my neighborhood (both by car and by foot) to view the cleanup after a massive windstorm we had in Southern California on Wednesday night. Trees snapped powerlines, came down in the middle of major roads, even crashed into homes, and apartment complexes, and businesses.

Now, three days on, the cities and residents have gotten a grasp on the cleanup. Most roads are now clear in my neighborhood, except for some streets where power lines and tree limbs are still entangled on the ground. One of those closed streets is just around the corner from my home.

Some images from this afternoon:

A tree leans against power lines and blocks the western end of Villa St. in Pasadena on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, three days after a massive windstorm in the area.

Sarah Falls, 6, draws with chalk in front of her home, near a fallen tree on Villa St. in Pasadena.

A tree crashed through a fence and landed on a structure on Howard Street near Lake Avenue in Pasadena.

Joggers pass debris blocking the sidewalk on El Molino Avenue near Villa Street.

Workers clean up branches of a tree that snapped and fell on a home on Villa Street.

Manuel Angulo Nunez, left, Carlos Ayala, and Jesse Nunez clean up branches of a tree that snapped and fell on Ayala’s sister-in-law’s home on Villa Street.

Jesse Nunez chainsaws a fallen branch on Villa Street.

Manuel Angulo Nunez pulls on rope in a attempt to bring down branches that snapped and fell on a home.

My inner-photographer may be biased, but the true experiences of a close-knit group of conflict photographers during apartheid was very properly brought to life.

The film is based on a memoir written by two of the actual photogs, Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva. I was quite impressed upon learning that the two men were on hand during filming. The behind-the-scenes featurette shows them — cameras shoulder-slung and ready like any proper news photog — coaching actors (including Ryan Phillipe and Friday Night Lights’ Taylor Kitch) through emotions, split-second reactions, and even how to shoot a camera.

Bang Bang is director Steven Silver’s first feature-length narrative … and I haven’t pointed that out as a discredit. He’s an experienced, award-winning feature documentary filmmaker, and I see the doc influence in his direction. The show chose to shoot in the actual South African locations where the apartheid action happened in the early 1990′s. That touch of authenticity is an ingredient for great storytelling.

Then with a single Google search, I learned some news. In October 2010, Silva, one of the real-life shooters, was injured. On assignment in Afghanistan with the New York Times, he stepped on a land mine. On the ground and critically injured, he continued to shoot until he couldn’t hold his camera. Both of his legs were amputated, and he’s since endured a whole host of surgeries and a long rehabilitation, according to the NY Times stories I found. But that isn’t the end of the story.

A patient at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Silva photographed its’ closing for the Times.

In September, Silva again picked up his camera for a NY Times “test” assignment. He photographed a medal of honor recipient at the White House, then chatted with President Barack Obama.

And now, his camera slung around his neck, the man completed the New York City marathon yesterday.

An ongoing story like Silva’s new-found challenges is intriguing to me on two levels:

First, photographers who document life typically stay invisible behind their work. I believe most exceptions to my sweeping generality are seeking a spotlight — but not all of them. Some photographers, like Silva, are just working with the hand they were dealt, and that story is compelling enough for primetime. What happens when you know a photographer’s own story? How does your perception of a photo change when you know so much about the shooter himself?

Second — on a more personal level — I often think about what changes when a photographer’s body limits what he/she can do. I’ve joked that if my right index finger were chopped off, well, I always have my middle finger. If I lose my left eye, well, I always have my right one. But I’ve experimented with both alternates and failed miserably — my timing is wayyy off, and I can’t “see” what I’m anticipating. What happens when a photographer must walk with prosthetic legs or use a prosthetic limb?

Check out this smattering of links and articles (mostly from the NY Times Lens blog). These are what got me to ask all these questions in the first place:

• Greg Marinovich’s Blog: Joao Silva post – Oct. 24,2010 – Fellow Bang Bang Club photog and author comments on his friend.
• NY Times Lens Blog: ‘It’s the Photographer’ – Nov. 29, 2010 – The photos on Silva’s memory card when he stepped on the land mine.
• NY Times Lens Blog: Twenty-Six Miles Along Recovery’s Road – Nov. 6, 2011 – Silva completes the NYC Marathon.
• NY Times Lens Blog: All stories tagged “Joao Silva” - Ongoing posts
• The Bang Bang Club Film – Blog - Ongoing posts