Heather and Kenneth's Danish-American Wedding Celebration!

March 30th, 2012

Phoenix, Arizona

"Hvor godtfolk er kommer godtfolk til."

"Where good folk are, good folk will come."

I had the recent honor of being in one of my best friend's weddings to a true Danish Gentleman and man-of-the-world, Mr. Kenneth Steiness. It's a dream to see a dear friend embraced with so much love and to be cherished and loved as the goddess I have always known her to be! I was one of three bridesmaids (with Lisa Link Philips and Lizzie Story-Hieronymous) and had an absolute blast being a part of the celebrations throughout the week. I also had the opportunity to play my ukulele during the ceremony which was especially fun. I wasn't able to photograph the whole event b/c of my involvement in the wedding but their super cool photographers--Shauna and Mike--with Visionyard Photography--were able to capture the whole event and will have their photos up in about six weeks.

These are a few of the pics I took throughout the week amongst all of the celebrations that took place over five plus days! I wanted to share the delight of this event with those of you who were there or who know Kenneth and Heather and who appreciate the joy they've brought into all of our lives!

It was my first experience with a Danish wedding and hopefully not my last! Their wedding was the perfect example of how two incredible people can literally bring together so many different groups of friends and family from around the world. They had aunts, uncles and parents flying out from Europe and around the country...and by the end of the week I literally felt that I had been "adopted" into a whole new community of men and women both in and out of the country.

Enjoy the slideshow below!

And to my new friends and "family"~ I'm so looking forward to seeing so many of you again in the coming years whether it's in Santa Barbara, Arizona, Ohio, Denmark or Iceland!

much love and many thanks~

Rachel

Venue and Catering: "The Secret Garden," Phoenix, AZ

Awesome Make-Up: Kelly Wisniewski

Super Cool Photographers:

"The Vision Yard"

Shauna Stansell and Mike Kaal

Live Music:

The Ash String Quartet, Bills Barns and Band, and

The Static Dance Band!

Enjoy the slideshow!!!

If the music doesn't come on when you "play" the slideshow, then please try refreshing your page and clicking on "play" again~

2012 Fifth Annual Santa Barbara Women's Festival

March 9-10, 2012

Honorary Chair & Executive Director; Tracy Beard

Founder and Producer; Patty DeDominic

Co-Founder; Mary Schnack (This 5th Annual Festival was dedicated in her memory)

Master of Ceremonies; Mignonne Profant

*And many, many other men and women who have worked throughout the year to help make this festival happen!

This was my second year photographing the Women's Festival and it was by far my favorite year. Dynamic speakers Kathy Ireland (who graced this month's cover of Forbes Magazine) and Keynote Speaker Lynda Weinman (of Lynda.com) took the stage sharing their life experiences and lessons along the way about being balanced, strong women in touch with living their passions. Local vocal sensation Lois Mahalia sang a tribute during the V.I.P. reception followed by a small but mighty troupe of Girls,Inc. singers who absolutely charmed California Congresswoman Lois Capps who was sitting in the front row for the performance.

Saturday's festival featured dozens of vendors offering health products, consultations, non-profit information, chocolates, glitzy clothing and accessories (b/c what would a women's fest be without things that sparkle and shine?!) as well as a section devoted to local artists (a few of whom donated to the Women's Festival). The afternoon was absolutely gorgeous and the setting was sublime...overlooking Santa Barbara's pride and joy....the Pacific Ocean and outlying Channel Islands. Round table discussions featuring local authors, entrepreneurs, healters, and coaches were held in the afternoon overlooking the whole ocean.

Not that I'm personally biased but....one of the highlights this year, in my opinion, were the dance performances held throughout Saturday afternoon. The Djun Djun Mamas led by Lisa Beck ROCKED THE STAGE...with their thunderous drumming, dancing and singing (yes, I'm a proud member and was seen periodically running around with both my camera and my drumsticks throughout the afternoon). Among several singers and groups were Hip Blessings who drew a crowd with their Middle Eastern choreographies as well as World Dance Workout led by Janet Reineck whose dancers' enthusiasm was infectious! Two Chumash groups performed as well as the frame drumming and dance troupe Gaia led by local goddess Kris Oster. Unfortunately, I missed Jo Williams' early morning "Wake Up!" but know it was fabulous b/c everything she does usually is!

A HUGE thank you to all of you who helped to support the Women's Festival this year either through your donations, your volunteer efforts, involvement as a vendor or performer, or as a guest coming to just enjoy the events. I'm also grateful to Patty DeDominic and everyone on the Board of Directors for including me as their photographer again this year!

I hope that word continues to spread with each year of the festival....and that it only draws in more and more amazing men and women to join in the celebration.

Enjoy the slideshow and feel free to share the link to your friends and other men and women who were involved or who would like to be involved in the Women's Festival next year!

*If the music doesn't come on when you click on "play" then refresh your page and start the slideshow again.

**A special thank you to Lisa Beck's father, Jim Beck, who was able to take my camera for our Djun Djun Mamas performance and get some great shots of our group in action! Difficult to clone myself and do both at the same time...maybe next year. ;)

"The Magic of Mermaids"
Photo Shoot with Local Mermaid Goddess Kris Oster

by r.s.thurston photography

“I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.”
― Anaïs Nin

Since late last summer I've been dreaming and obsessing on mermaids....spending hours online collecting mermaid photos, paintings, and even creating a Pinterest Board dedicated to these magical, feminine sea creatures...completely transfixed by their long, lustrous hair and gracefulness in the water....tails and tendrils swirling beneath the water.

It's incredible how mysteriously our creative minds work....A few months later my good friend, fellow Djun Djun Mama and past photography client Kris Oster called me. She had purpose and intention in her voice.

"I know this is going to sound strange, Rachel, but I have this really wild idea that I want to manifest with you and I think you're the perfect person for it."

Even before the word slipped out of her mouth I knew what was coming.

"I've been thinking about mermaids. Would you be interested--"

"Of course!!!! Of course!!!" I screamed before she could even complete her sentence.

It would be absolutely perfect to work with Kris on my first mermaid shoot. The last shoot we had done together was one in which we had manifested her connection to a tree goddess. Everything had come together so beautifully when we worked together.

Kris began the search looking for the perfect tail and we met a few times to go over her wardrobe. We even enlisted our good friend Ms. Lisa Beck (leader of the Djun Djun Mamas and also a favorite muse and photography client of mine) to assist me in keeping Kris in perfect mermaid form and in moving her along the sand (as mermaids are quite the aqueous creatures but not so adept at moving around on land until their legs have grown back).

We ended up doing two shoots one in freshwater and another in the ocean. We couldn't have asked for better conditions when we shot along the ocean. The light was sublime as the sun set over the Pacific....she looked like an absolute goddess perched along the rocks as the waves broke over her feet and the receding foam wrapped around her legs like perfectly sculpted clouds of meringue.

I had to keep pinching myself. What a joy to be photographing such a dear friend while being helped by another.

Kris is an absolutely amazing being. She is strong, graceful, nurturing, incredibly bright and creative and has zero trace of any ego so often associated with highly successful people. She is a percussionist, an academic, a leader, a teacher and to top it all, she has an entire background in the field of marketing. She's currently promoting her Elite+Fabulous Marketing Sessions to local entrepreneurs.

Anything Kris Oster touches becomes gold. She is a fabulous creature and epitomizes the idea of a goddess. She looks like a true creature of the water in these photos effortlessly manifesting these water deities.

I hope you enjoy these photos as much I we did doing these shoots together. I have to believe that there's a higher power at work during shoots like this. And I certainly hope that this is just the first of many more shoots to come of mermaids and other magical sea creatures!

If you don't hear the music when you start the slideshow, just refresh your page and click on "play" again.

❤"Love Letter To My Mother"

Photo Shoot with Ms. Karen Custer Thurston....my beloved Mamacita!

by r.s.thurston photography

It’s hard to express how grateful I am to have my mother in my life. She has become more than that. We are sisters, best friends, travel partners and champions of each other’s passions and creative pursuits. I think it’s so much easier seeing the beauty in those we love than in ourselves. The same is true of my mother. She is radiant, stunning, strong, sensitive, supportive, creative, bright, kind, generous, funny (yes, you really are, Mama!), and overall fabulous. I don’t think she necessarily sees these things in herself all the time and I’m sure I struggle recognizing my own talents and assets. That’s what sisters are for, right? To point these out to each other all the time~

It’s been a dream photographing my mother over the years. She’s the one who gave me an artistic sense of composition. Who taught me to dance when I was only three…something which continues to be a passion of mine. She patiently taught me to sing when she thought all was lost and that I might actually be tone-deaf like my father. Turned out I wasn’t after all. To this day, singing with King Bee is a great joy in my life. She taught me that life is too short to not wear the fun, sparkly things! And she taught me to love and to support women in our journeys to a greater love for ourselves.

And she has always supported me in my artistic pursuits. She is my greatest champion. Period.

Over the years she’s learned to trust my eye and my vision when we shoot together. She’s even grown to trust me enough to change her make-up or earrings when I don’t think they’ll “jive” with an outfit.

She’s one of my favorite muses. The camera seems to drink her up like a cool glass of water on a hot summer day. She has a fierceness about her that’s cut by a deep vulnerability and innocence. And burning through it all is a bright light…her passion for life which I thankfully also inherited.

I love you, Mama.

The greatest gift from you this Christmas is to have you in my life. I’m so excited to spend the holidays with you~

Raquelita

★ Enjoy the Slideshow!

Dave and Yvonne's Wedding at Yosemite National Park

by r.s.thurston photography

Friday September 16, 2011

A Yosemite Wedding in October. One word, two syllables: STUNNING.

A few of the views in fact were almost TOO PERFECT...many people have commented that some of these photos actually look like they were greenscreened. Nope, just nature's perfection and two very happy people celebrating their marriage together with some of their closest friends and family.

If you haven't visited Yosemite or any of our mountain national parks in the fall, put it on your bucket list now. Shockingly blue skies, sweet mountain air, and aspen and cottonwood trees with leaves the color of brick gold. It's a truly beautiful place to celebrate the union of two amazing people.

I've known Yvonne for almost five years now and have never seen her so "right" with someone. It made me so happy to have the opportunity to sing in Dave and Yvonne's ceremony and to play my ukulele (first official public performance..woohoo!) and then take photos of their rehearsal, wedding, reception and celebration which lasted a couple of days. That's one of the greatest joys about away weddings...you get to milk the time with your friends and family and spread the celebration out into several days.

To all of Yvonne and Dave's friends and family: It was such a joy meeting so many more of you and celebrating this great event together in one of the country's most beautiful canyons~ I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I had editing them. It was a fantastic way to revisit such a fun weekend together!

Please share this link with your friends and family. I don't have all of the emails for the guests and would love to make sure everyone gets a chance to check out the pics.

*If you are interested in ordering any prints or canvas prints, Zenfolio (where the galleries are based) only uses professional, archival-quality paper and inks. Their printers are calibrated to match the colors that professional photographers like myself use.

Happy Holidays to you all and enjoy the slideshows!

Ceremony:

Rehearsal:

Reception and Weekend Celebration:

*Please feel free to leave comments at the end of this entry

Friday October 7th, 2011

Cory and Chris's Magical "Wedding on the Beach"

by r.s.thurston photography

Words cannot describe what an absolute blessing it was to photograph this wedding. From the very beginning of the morning, Chris and Cory were so relaxed, gracious, and fun. And the weather was absolutely divine....reminding me of a summer day on the Big Island of Hawaii. The magic continued throughout the day from their private time in a secluded cove along the beach to the ceremony under a crystal blue sky beneath a driftwood canopy to dancing at the reception and body surfing in the afternoon....and who doesn't love body surfing?!

Any wedding where half the bridal party ends up shedding their clothes for wetsuits and getting joyfully slammed in the surf is my kind of a party!

Chris and Cory are truly blessed with a beautiful group of friends and family. Editing these pics has only made me feel closer to so many of the guests I had the opportunity to photograph. I was sad to leave at the end of the afternoon and gave several friends and family hugs at the end on my way out.

Cory and Chris have been an inspiration to me that weddings--like love--can be relaxed, fun events and that during the best times in life--as one of their signs advertised--"If you're not barefoot, then you're overdressed!"

I'm looking forward to continuing my connection with Chris and Cory in the coming years and watching their relationship continue to flourish. I would love to approach every day of my life with the same joy that I saw Chris and Cory basking in on their wedding day!

I've put together the Five Following Fabulous! Slideshows from Chris and Cory's Wedding: ♥

1) Getting Ready/Chris and Cory's Love Pics

2) Group Pictures

3) Ceremony

4) Reception and Dinner

5) Bouquet, Garter Toss and Money Dance Reception

Please be patient and wait a few minutes for the slideshows to load. Also make sure when you click on "play" that the music is comes on (carefully and obsessively chosen by moi!). If it doesn't, then refresh your web page and click "play" again. Enjoy!

If you'd like to purchase prints or any other items from the following pictures then follow these steps:

1) Click on "gallery" in upper left hand corner of slideshow

2) Once in gallery, select photo you'd like to purchase

3) Roll cursor over upper lefthand corner of picture and select "buy." Choose prints or other products from there.

Voila!

Getting Ready/Cory and Chris's Photo Shoot Slideshow/Gallery:

Group Pictures Slideshow/Gallery:

Ceremony Slideshow/Gallery:

Reception and Body Surfing Slideshow/Gallery:

Money Dance, Bouquet and Garter Toss Slideshow/Gallery:

Thanks again~

Cheers,

r.s.thurston

A huge thank you to Cory and Chris's Vendors:

Catering and Rentals: DJ's California Catering, Contact: Doug. Website: http://www.djscatering.com/
Music: Coastal Events, Contact: James. Website: http://www.coastalevents.net/
Desserts: Gift of Kate Dunbar, owner of Petite Rêve Cafe and Chocolates. Website: http://petiterevecafe.com
Coordination, Day-Of: Debbie Echevarria. Email: debbieehey@gmail.com
Cory's sister Lauren made her bouquet and dress. Her website for her art is here: http://www.laurentannehillart.com/

Luke and Kelly's Wedding

Dos Pueblos Ranch, Gaviota Coast

pics by rsthurston photography

So I recently had the pleasure of playing for a wedding of some long-time King Bee fans...Kelly and Luke. It was probably one of the most gorgeous wedding venues I've seen in the many years of playing with King Bee. Both Kelly and Luke lended a sweetness to the celebration that was definitely unforgettable.

Even though I was "off the clock" as a photographer I couldn't help myself (for more details read below). As the sun goes down, the place turns into a wonderland like something from "Sleepy Hollow." The only lighting comes from hundreds of votive candles, giant chandeliers made from driftwood, and sparkling white lights....it's truly a magical place at night.

The whole event was a true team effort. Tricia Fountaine Design was in charge of decorating for the event.

The bride and groom (Kelly and Luke) contributed hand-made gorgeous centerpieces made of manzanita branches and wire-wrapped glass lanterns. By candlelight, we all dined on a divine filet mignon and salmon dinner served by Country Catering based in Goleta. Their official photographer was Emily Hart-Roberts (who will be posting official pics in the near future) and their event planning was spearheaded by Danielle Laudon.

The reception was an absolute blast and I wish I could have had someone photograph "King Bee" as well but I can only do one thing at a time. Just try to sing, play cowbell, and photograph at the same time and you'll see what I mean. ;)

I'm grateful to Luke and Kelly for having included us in on such a fantastic celebration

and show of love, creativity, and magic!

*Oh yes, and they had a vintage cupcake trailer....I mean, come on! Who doesn't LOVE CUPCAKES?! Cupcakes by "Enjoy Cupcakes" which is based in Los Olivos.

Enjoy the slideshow and feel free to leave your comments below~

August 12, 2011

Photo Shoot with Cynthia Ziemer

Friend, Superstar, and Fellow Djun Djun Mama~

by r.s.thurston photography

"There is just one life for each of us: our own." ~Euripides

*Feel free to leave your sweet comments at the end of this entry~

It's a dream to have the chance to photograph more girlfriends and among those a very special group of women: the Djun Djun Mamas. I've photographed both Lisa Beck, our leader, as well as Kris Oster another phenomenal woman in her own right.

Each of the women in this group are extraordinary. Accomplished. Creative. Kind. Generous. Wise beyond this life. And radiant.

Cynthia is all of these and more. I continue to learn more about her through moments together like this shoot. How she is capable of giggling and smiling most any day of the week. How she loves bringing coconut water to our Djun Djun Mama potlucks. How she adores driving her '64 Red Corvette (which has a story of its own). How she loves music concerts and volunteering locally. And how gorgeous she looks in jewel tones like purple, green, and turquoise!

We had originally planned this shoot b/c she'll be featured on the back of an upcoming issue of Casa Magazine with her company Prospect Mortgage.....but it gave us the opportunity to have way more fun with it and get a little more artsy.

And not surprisingly through the process of working with her, I learned that Cynthia is truly a beautiful woman inside and out.

And now for the slideshow...

If the music doesn't come on when you play the slideshow. Refresh your webpage and restart the slideshow.

Enjoy!

Alpha Resource Center’s Circle Of Life Luncheon
With Host Dennis Miller
rsthurston photography

April 3, 2011

I had the honor of photographing Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara’s Annual “Circle of Life” luncheon this past month which was hosted by comedian and talk show host Dennis Miller. I was truly touched by the amount of love and dedication in that room.

To many people, the name Alpha evokes images of their favorite thrift stores throughout town. But many Santa Barbarans may have no idea that behind these nifty threads lies a much bigger cause: Alpha is a non-profit devoted to empowering “individuals with developmental disabilities, supports families and fosters a community that values the contribution of all people.”

Many of the top sponsors have had personal friends and family members with disabilities so the organization’s mission is close to their hearts. It's an incredible organization to become involved with here in Santa Barbara driven by a very hard-working group of individuals.



Alpha will be holding a fundraiser and party this coming fall on Saturday, September 24th at Molly Houston's that will be a party not to be missed! For more info visit www.alphasb.org~

*For the slideshow, I picked the music track "One Tribe" by The Black Eyed Peas which I thought especially captured the love felt in the room that day~ If the music doesn't play with the slideshow, make sure to refresh your web page and click play again~

Enjoy!

"Bliss Salon & Spa" Photo Shoot by rsthurston photography

Santa Barbara, California

Among many goals for my business, I’ve been wanting to expand my business and network with local salon owners this past year (for what better place to find cool local women?!)

My good girlfriend Kimi Vandyk recently connected me with a sweet, beautiful little salon on Mission Street aptly named “Bliss Salon & Spa” and owned by Santa Barbara local Tracy Grossmann. Beautifully decorated with Buddha statues and warm colors, it’s a very inviting place to spend a couple of hours feeling pampered.

Tracy is looking to expand the look on their website with more colorful, artsy images as well as to celebrate their upcoming one-year anniversary with an ad in The Independent.

The eight of us were lucky enough to catch a break in this crazy spring weather last week on the morning of our shoot.….relishing the early morning sunshine pouring through the windows of the salon then tramping about at one of my favorite local gardens where you can assured something will always be in bloom!

I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship with the women at Bliss Salon~

Check them out…it’s a gorgeous place to spend an hour or two feeling doted on…

Pictured in these images are the following gorgeous women:

Tracy Grossmann, Mimi Anderson, Laurie Campbell, Alison Fuller, Angela Ireland, Laura Weidl, and Lauren Woodard.

Note: If the music doesn't come on when you click on "play," try refreshing your screen and clicking "play" again.

Viva La Santa Barbara Women’s Festival 2011!

Founded by Patty Dedominic

Santa Barbara, California
http://www.womensfestivals.org/womens-conference-santa-barbara-producer.php
Organized by a host committee and an intrepid group of volunteers…
March 5-6th 2011 at Earl Warren Fairgrounds

I’ve lived in four states, along both the Canadian and Mexican borders, and spent a few years of my life living and traveling abroad. I’ve spent countless years working in male dominated fields of river guiding and the testosterone-powered world of rock n’roll (King Bee) but since coming to Santa Barbara I’ve been surrounded by the most magical amazing women of my life!

Among a million other reasons why Santa Barbara is the most amazing place I’ve ever lived is one very surprising and unique quality. The women. I’ve never lived in a place that had a greater concentration of seriously rockstar diva goddess uber-talented gorgeous amazing creative female spirits than I’ve found in Santa Barbara

Enter the Women’s Festival. We couldn’t find a greater way to celebrate International Women’s Day (3/8) than by rubbing shoulders, sharing ideas, laughing, networking, and cavorting with a few of the yin-spirited (?) movers and shakers from Santa Barbara.

Because of a connection with a good girlfriend of mine who was involved with helping to promote the event this year (the ever-so-marvelous Kimi Vandyk!) I had the honor of being one of the photographers this year for the Women’s Festival (I had great fun sharing the role with Kenji of Kenji Photography…I think we’re two of the most extroverted photographers you may come across). Earl Warren was positively abuzz with creative energy as men and women shared ideas, sampled products, attended roundtable discussions, watched some beautiful dancing (Tribal and Middle Eastern) outside, sampled chocolates, coffee, beauty and health products, and had an all-round blast basking in each other’s energy.

It was my first year experiencing the festival and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow in the coming years. I celebrate living here in Santa Barbara but more importantly, I’d like to celebrate what an incredible group of women (and men!) live in our beloved town!

I’ve put together a slideshow of a few of my favorite shots from the weekend…

Enjoy!

Alpha Resource Center Holiday Thank You Party, Montecito, California

Photography by r.s.thurston photography

What do you get when you take a beautiful Spanish-style Montecito Home, mix in mini-cupcakes, a make-up artist, jeweler, Artiste Wines, a tarot-card reader, masseuses, loads of scrumptious plated cheeses, breads, and stuffed mushrooms, and a costume room full of hundreds of alter-ego possibilities?

A dang good time right before the holidays!

Alpha Resource Center wanted to give back this year and thank some of their top donors for their generous support. For those of you who wonder what Alpha does besides operate those killer-good-deal thrift stores around town, they're a Santa Barbara based non-profit committed to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities. The rewards event was spearheaded by Alpha’s Outreach Coordinator Marisa Pasquini. My good friend Michele Sakakibara was in charge of helping to orchestrate the night at Molly Houston’s gorgeous home in Montecito (she generously donated her place to be the event venue).

In my humble opinion, I think I had the coolest job of all! In my photography I absolutely love to “style” my clients and I’ve always been a glutton for costumes. I’m known for bringing several pieces of my own clothing, accessories, and props along to pump up fun in the shoot. Molly’s costume room is an absolute dream for anyone who loves to dress up…for all of you who love to try-on different personas….you wouldn’t believe the quality of costumes she’s both collected and created over her past many years in theatre and events….hand-beaded mermaid dress with matching slippers, Spanish dresses with layers of ruffles and matching hats, Chinese headdresses, weighty beaded flapper dresses, and whimsical chiffon princess skirts and bustiers…..and there’s a room full of Tupperware packed to the brim with every color feather boa and wigs you could imagine and hope for.

For four hours I helped to style, dress, and then photograph the guests at the party. I know, I know, it was rough work but we made it through the night….laughing, cajoling each other, and having a ball encouraging these beautiful women live into their alter-egos.

Of course, we had to have a costume contest and the winners were given some fantastic prizes. I’ve posted the top three winners here but definitely take time to check out the slideshow as well!

Molly is hoping in future years to grow this event and possibly hold a fundraiser here. Her place is an absolute dream to celebrate in and I hope to be a part of it next year~

Thank you again to all of Alpha’s Donors as well as to Marisa, Molly, Michele and the rest of the amazing men and women who came together to donate their time and help to create this event.

Happy New Year~!

Enjoy the Slideshow~

r.s.thurston is available for events and private portrait sessions. To see more of her work, just click on “portfolio” above or check out some of her photo sessions here on her blog. You can contact her at rachel@rsthurston.com

*The slideshow does have a music track. If the sound doesn't come on within a second or two, refresh your page and then click "play" again.

For those of you who attended the party and would like to download some of these photos, please follow these easy steps:

1) Click in the upper right corner to “visit gallery.”

2) You will be redirected to my Zenfolio Professional Gallery. Double click on the picture you would like to download. Roll your cursor over upper left portion of picture and select “Download Original.”