I took this black and white shot in Plitvica National Park in Croatia some number of years back.

The color there were gorgeous. I grabbed a roll of slide film out of the bag (remember that stuff?) and was shooting mainly for the colors I saw.

Only when I got back to the USA and had the roll processed that I realized that it was black and white slide film, which is really rare. Most of the roll was just not very interesting. Images that had been framed and composed with color in mind and as one of the main focal points just looked dull in black and white. This shot though, I’ve always loved.

Now, shooting digitally, I don’t have to worry about this mistake any more.

Copyright Alex Schoenfeldt 2001. All rights reserved.

Last year I volunteered regularly at the Campfire after school program in West Oakland. The program gives affordable and enriching education and care to a great group of kids in a low income part of Oakland. They do a really good job with the kids. They help them with their homework (and see that it gets done!), feed the kids healthy snacks, play games (kickball, FTW) and give them a supportive and accountable environment. I was proud to be a part of what they were doing.

One of my duties included portrait photography of the students. Here are some of my favorite portraits of the students.

This first shot, this girl (or teen, or young woman) she was a spunky kid. Strong willed, smart and tough. I love to see her so fiercely happy here.

This last one is one of my favorites. I love how moody and unposed this is.

I recently blogged about my photos of the Esurance Tennis Classic. Well, the photos are making their way into print already, and I thought I’d post a tear sheet.

Wedding Photos from the Rios-Lovell Winery in Livermore California

Melissa and Kris got married in 2006 at the Rios-Lovell Winery in Livermore California. It was a pretty day with a beautiful sunset. The wine country of Livermore, with it’s hills and orchards, is a wonderful place for a wedding.

All Photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2006
San Francisco Bay Area Photographer

I recently bought a digital canon, a D60, that has been converted to shoot infrared. Now, you can’t quote me on this, but here is to the best of my knowledge how this thing works. All digital cameras have a filter in them that blocks infrared and allows visible light to pass. In my new IR camera, someone has taken out that filter and placed instead a filter that does the opposite, blocks visible light and allows IR to pass.

If I’ve got that wrong, let me know in comments.

I first took the camera out to the Berkeley hills, and I loved it right away. I could tell immediately that I had to learn to see in a new way to get the most out of this camera, which as a photographer was an exciting prospect.

Then, I took the camera to the Big Sur River with some friends, and here are the results:

All Photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2010. All rights reserved.
Alex Schoenfeldt Photography.

ERA, or Equal Rights Advocates, had their 35th annual fund-raising luncheon last week. It was a huge affair. Hundreds of people.

The keynote speaker was blogger and pundit Arianna Huffington.

Arianna Huffington at the ERA luncheon

Photo © Alex Schoenfeldt 2010. All rights reserved.
San Francisco Bay Area photographer

Carrie and Ryland got married in December of 2006 at the Summit House in Fullerton California.

There was wonderful soft Southern California evening light for the bridal shots, and Christmas lights everywhere in the evening. It’s really a great time of year for a wedding.

All photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2006. All rights reserved.
Wedding and Event Photography

Here is another wedding from deeper in the stack. Amber and Colin got married at St. Gregory’s Church in San Francisco.

I’ve seen a lot of weddings in my time; Over 600. The ceremony at St. Gregory was pretty unique. It started off relatively similar to most weddings, people in a church, bride and a groom in front. Maybe a bit more colorful. Three officiants instead of one. People sing, which in my experience is somewhat rare these days, but not in the least unheard of. Touches that are slightly different, but not notable.

But then, it got more interesting. Everybody gets in a tight group, and everybody puts their hands on the shoulder of the person next to them, so the entire group is connected by touch.

Then, everybody in the entire church processes to an alter (called “the open table of Jesus”) near the back of the church. Then, and here is the best part, everybody, still touching, does this dance.

Here is a photo panted on the wall of the church of saints and luminaries from human history doing the dance that everybody at the wedding (guests included) do at the end of the ceremony:

Mural of the dance.

The effect was altogether captivating. You can see for yourself.

All Photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2005. All rights reserved.
San Francisco Photographer

From 2005, this is one of the oldest weddings I’ve posted on this blog. (I have a very rigorous process for deciding what to post. I reach blindly into the drawer where I keep all of the old contracts, and pull one out at random.) I was using older equipment, and I had hundreds fewer weddings under my belt (at this point I’ve shot over 600 professional gigs, including weddings, portraits, corporate events, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs etc…) but I am still happy with my work, looking back.

Angela and Steven got ready at Churchill Manor in Napa, had a ceremony at Marsha’s Vineyard in Napa, and a reception at the Pelusi Building also in Napa.

Bride before the wedding, sepia

Bride and Bridesmaids through window

Wedding Ceremony

Please take a look at the image above, and the image below. These are the same image, and the second one has been converted to Black and White. Back in the bad old days, you had to pick which you wanted to shoot, but now,I shoot everything in color and convert the ones I want to see in black and white. I think it words very well.

Wedding Ceremony, Black and White

Bride with flower girls

All Photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2005. All rights reserved.
San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer

Wedding Photography from the Los Gatos Hotel and Spa.

The first interesting thing about the wedding of Reisa and Nino. Nino is from Bosnia-Hercegovina. I did some travel photography there in 2000. If you go to my travel photography gallery page 2 and look at the third photo you see this.

The bride and groom were doing just that, when they saw the photo, and the groom is like “I used to live across the street from that building!” They hired me on the spot.

They got married at a private home is Los Gatos, with a reception at the Los Gatos Hotel and Spa.

All Photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2006. All rights reserved.
San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer