Tara Arrowood's Online Journal

I LOVE FASHION {Atelier Emmanuel Ads}

Tara Arrowood — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:40:00 +0000

"Will work for highlights." 'Tis no joke: For the past five years, I've been photographing for Atelier Emmanuel Salon. We come up with amazingly creative and fun fashion shoots (be sure to look at our Alice in Wonderland-themed hair shots) with a wide range of inspirations. This year's Atelier Emmanuel ads included themes inspired from the 50's, retro, space-aged, line drawing, and more. All thanks to graphic desinger extraordinaire, Felix, who turns my photos into promo cards, prints for the studio, invites, etc.

Here are some files before they are placed into ads.

The Grady's New Year's Eve Wedding at The City Club of San Francisco

Tara Arrowood — Thu, 20 May 2010 03:48:00 +0000

While some people decide to get married on anniversaries, three-day weekends or simply because the weather is warm, other couples decide to get married on one of THE most festive days of the year: New Year's Eve. Even though San Francisco weather can be dark and dreary in December, the Grady Wedding was anything but.....Oh - and look out for Elvis!

Vendors:

Venue/Food: The City Club of San Francisco (Alison Angelo)

Invites & Programs: HelloLucky!

Cake: Have Your Cake by Maralyn Tabatsky

Flowers: Stacey Miller Designs

Brass Band: Brassworks by Frank Beau Davis

DJ: Denon & Doyle

Linens: Napa Valley Linens

From the HEART

Tara Arrowood — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:20:32 +0000

One of my darling little kitties is sick, and I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that he might not live very long. Yesterday I panicked and rushed home and photographed him until I felt ashamed. When I stopped taking photos and looked into his eyes, I felt his relief…..like he was saying: “Just love me and please stop taking my photo.”

The hardest thing is that you can’t stop time. And an even harder thing is that you can’t go back in time…EVEN harder – you can’t bring back the dead.

The pain that comes when I look at these photos is so great – it’s full of so many fresh memories, regrets, and sadness. My father died over 18 years ago. I just took out some photos of him to see how it makes me feel. It’s easier – the feeling is more about happy times, but it’s still sad.

When I’m asked the question: “What do you do for a living?” and I respond: “I’m a photographer.”, I’ve never given it much thought. I’ve been making my living taking photos for the last eight years. In light of this recent experience I have mixed feelings. Part of me wants to shout out to all my friends and family: “TAKE MORE PHOTOS!” The other part wants to put my camera away forever and live in the moment.

I suppose once the pain subsides these photos will mean a great deal to me. I also want to search every hard drive for every single photo ever taken of my kitty so I can hang onto him as long as I can.

I am humbled. It is truly an honor to take photos for a living. I often hear: “There is so much emotion in your photos.” I can see and feel the emotion in my photos, but I’ve never been able to explain why. I’m a sap – I feel things that might go unnoticed. Finding the balance between capturing (the moment) and feeling (the moment) is easy – it’s second nature to me. Perhaps that’s why I don’t push my clients – its not necessary….it’s important to be in the moment and help make them feel comfortable.

Yesterday my kitty looked at me like he had enough – like, “Mom, it’s time to let go and love me.” This is probably the most important lesson that I’ve ever learned in my career as a photographer.

TWINS! Dante + Makena

Tara Arrowood — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Photographing toddlers is fun enough, but twins? Double the fun! Twins Dante and Makena were great models-in-training (they're only 18-months old). There were a few meltdowns durning the two hours of shooting but you'd never be able to tell with the photos below. The secret weapon of photographing twins is definitely a combination of juice boxes and goldfish crackers! Thank you Heather and Tony for sharing your beautiful children!!!

The Wood's "Cowboy Wedding" in Fresno

Tara Arrowood — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:21:00 +0000

Can I be two places in one day? Not that I’m aware of, so I was lucky to hire another team to photograph this ‘Cowboy Wedding’ at a privae ranch in beautiful Fresno (yes, it was very beautiful!). There was not a whole 'lotta hay & horses - quite the opposite! Check out the swanky decor by Robert Fountain. Dinner was a RAW bar, Prime Rib and lobster for EVERYONE! After all - it was the wedding of the owner of HARRIS RANCH!!!

Vendors

Wedding Coordinator & Desinger: Robert Fountain

Gutierrez Wedding at Solage Calistoga

Tara Arrowood — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:57:00 +0000

I photographed the Gutierrez's in San Francisco for their engagement session and three months later we were at one of Calistoga's most beautiful hotel properties: Solage Calistoga. The wedding......

Vendors

Venue: Solage Calistoga

Food: SolBar Napa Valley (Solage's on-site restaurant)

Wedding Cake: Sweetie Pies

Flowers: Valley Flora

Groom's Cake: Alpine Pastry & Cakes

String Trio: San Francisco Conservatory of Music

DJ: Party Professionals

Hyun-Yi + Edwin's E-Session

Tara Arrowood — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:07:15 +0000

We had so much fun with Hyun-Yi and Edwin! Edwin is from London and soon after the wedding, Hyun-Yi is moving to join him! Here are photos from the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.

The Chetal Wedding at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Tara Arrowood — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:19:14 +0000

What do you get when you combine a traditional Indian wedding at one of Northern California's most spectacular oceanfront hotel properties? One spectacular (and spectacularly colorful) wedding. The Half Moon Bay morning fog gave way to a perfectly cloudless day as the groom arrived on horseback in traditional Indian wedding garb. The bride was adorned in traditional Indian henna (don't miss the henna-dyed hand detail shot below) and accompanied by her bridesmaids, who wore aquamarine saris.

Vendors

Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Wedding Planner: Elisheva Besseri of A Bride's Best Friend

Cake/Cupcakes: Dolce

Florist: Floramor by Laura Little

DJ: Harry Datwani

Videographer: Jarred of Spotlight Digital Creations

Horse Carriage: Fancy Wheelin'

Jackie's Bat Mitzvah

Tara Arrowood — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:05:57 +0000

After meeting with Jackie and her mom Dorothy, her mom sent me an email:

"My brother's photographer was oatmeal. Tara's chocolate cake!" I loved working with Jackie - she's not only beautiful, but she's fun and interesting!

Jackie's Bat Mitzvah was not only a beautiful ceremony celebrating a Jewish rite of passage, but was also filled with tons of bright colors—from the stained-glass window inside the synagogue to the brightly colored Torah scroll covers to the neon-colored Ray Ban sunglass-esque party favors. It's great photographing 13-year olds!

Vendors

Ceremony: Congregation Rodef Shalom

Location (Reception) and Catering: Marin Country Club

Catering (at Temple): Taste by Two

DJ: DJ Miguel "Hightop" Fonseca

KC's V-day B-day!

Tara Arrowood — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:57:40 +0000

For a birthday celebration during the week of Valetine's Day, it's pracitcally mandatory to have hearts as a theme–and that's exactly what KC's birthday party was...a "Gold Hearts" theme to be exact. And when I say hearts, I mean lots of hearts: from the hanging all-gold decor designed by Rafael Campos of Spiral Hand Design to the heart-shaped cookies from Food by Eric Litzky to the meticulously carved heart-shaped lemon rinds in the Cosmos.

Vendors

Decor: Rafael campos of Spiral Hand Design

Food: Eric Litzky, 510-769-2087