This was my second year (check out year one) in a row judging the Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally, and this time as an official member of the Pacific Grove Rotary Club! One thing I definitely learned from judging the car show last year is that I needed to be much, much quicker at it. There is a limited time window for judging all the cars assigned to me, and then going and talking with the other judges for choosing winners. I did not do the math at all last year and never made it to all the cars. This year, I knew not every car needed a full, deep level consideration if it did not really fit one of the ribbon categories, and if I knew it would not be a candidate for any of the three overall grand prizes.
This was actually not my first time photographing an event inside the underground parking garage at Asilomar Conference Grounds! Another similar event with cars, a DJ, and artists was my first time one+ year ago. This time though, for Monterey Car Week 2026, it was an event called Night Rider, featuring low rider and classic cars, lit up colorfully. As guests moved between the cars, a DJ spun vinyl records, and car-inspired artwork was being created on site. The team at Asilomar created another unique event. Thank you for inviting me to photograph it!
You may recognize Tim and Anna from a surprise engagement drone video and photo shoot from last December (check out the drone video). They returned to the Monterey Peninsula area for their wedding party reception and asked me to be their photographer again which I gladly said yes too! Their family and friends all traveled to Monterey to celebrate with them. Tim and Anna wanted a photo with each and every person, so I had the guest list in my pocket to make sure we did! In between those group photos I searched for candid moments to capture, before making a group photo with everyone (see above). Then it was time for speeches that were very personal, very emotional, and made me emotional as well to hear them and it was truly special to be invited and included in their celebration. Tim and Anna have been so kind to me since the beginning of this photo journey together last year. Congratulations to you both, and thank you for letting me be a small part of the story.
Even after nearly 3 years of living in Pacific Grove, there are still big surprises for me, like, the Pacific Grove Senior Living building is the largest building in PG! I had been in it once before, but this was the first time properly inside for the 100 year anniversary. It was a special event for me from the start, due to the company I had, the reason for that first prior visit, and then the chance to not only photograph a ribbon cutting like I have done many times before for the PG Chamber, but to talk with and listen to the residents and hear their stories. I love to hear stories and thank you to the residents that share theirs!
Photographing the Preservation of History at Asilomar
Photographing this ribbon cutting was especially meaningful because Asilomar Conference Grounds has continued to bring me back for corporate and community events over the past two+ years. This time it was for a ribbon cutting celebrating the Historic Preservation Center where the craftsmanship of the grounds are preserved, from windows to architectural features. Before the actual ribbon cutting, I made a series of group photos and was asked if I was ok being on a ladder as they wanted a high up perspective looking down into the preservation workshop itself. I joked that I am more athletic than the average photographer so no problem to shoot from 10+ feet up! (see the BTS photo below) There were then a series of speakers from Asilomar Conference Grounds, the California State Parks system, and the mayor of Pacific Grove also all talking about the history of the place and what it means to preserve. Then it was on to the lively ribbon cutting! Thank you Alex and Crystal for continuing to choose me as your event photographer for Asilomar Conference Grounds!
Family and Friends Came from Near and Far to Celebrate Patricia’s 70th Birthday
Shandra contacted me about photographing her mom’s (Patricia) 70th birthday party event at Wave Street Studios in Monterey, California. It was a short 1.5 mile drive for me, but I quickly learned that many people came from much, much further away to join the celebration! With roots in Seaside, San Antonio, and Atlanta, this was a cross country gathering. Things started with many emotional reunions between generations of family from siblings to spouses to aunts & uncles to nieces and nephews. There was of course cake, but also a Patricia Trivia contest that I thought was a fantastic party idea! Things finished for me photography-wise with a marathon of family portraits as everyone wanted a photo with the Patricia on her 70th birthday. This was definitely one of the more fun events I have ever photographed. Thank you Shandra for choosing me as your photographer for this family event!
I missed seeing Chalk the Block live in action last year, so put it on my calendar this year, to make sure I caught the artists in progress creating their art on the sidewalks of downtown Pacific Grove for the 4th Annual Chalk the Block hosted by Art Abilities. What is Chalk the Block? It’s an event anyone can register for, with kids and adults taking a section of sidewalk and making it into their own work of art. From professional artists, to young kids, a wide range of creativity was on display. For passersby, you could pick up a piece of chalk and add your own little contribution as well!
