Making Waves at Kimpton Mirador in Pacific Grove
Event photography for the Sustainable Hospitality & Tourism Management program’s 10-year anniversary celebration
A Hospitality Community Celebration in the Heart of Pacific Grove
Thanks to a recommendation from Alex Marin of Asilomar Conference Grounds, I was connected with Paige Viren, an executive director for a hospitality program at CSUMB to photograph the big Wave Makers fundraiser event!
The Making Waves 10-Year Celebration brought together leaders, students, alumni, faculty, chefs, hospitality professionals, and community supporters for an evening at Kimpton Mirador in Pacific Grove. The event celebrated ten years of the Sustainable Hospitality & Tourism Management program at Cal State Monterey Bay, with a courtyard full of conversation, local food, music, awards, auction items, hugs, laughter, and the unmistakable feeling of a community that genuinely supports one another. I photographed the evening as a participating local creative partner. It was a privilege to contribute professional event photography to a gathering that highlighted so much of what makes hospitality on the Monterey Peninsula feel personal, connected, and deeply local.
Thank you Alex for the recommendation and to Paige for choosing me as the photographer for this great fundraising event!
Planning an Event on the Monterey Peninsula?
Events like Making Waves show why professional event photography is valuable long after the evening ends. The photos become social media content, website updates, sponsor recognition, donor communication, press material, and a visual record of the people who made the event meaningful. If you are planning a hospitality event, nonprofit fundraiser, awards celebration, conference, or community gathering in Pacific Grove, Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, or elsewhere on the Monterey Peninsula, I would be glad to help document it with a story-driven approach.
The Crowd and Courtyard Atmosphere
Wide event coverage showing the setting, turnout, and energy of the evening
Kimpton Mirador’s interior courtyard gave the Making Waves celebration a strong sense of place. Wide crowd photos were important for showing the scale of the event, the beauty of the venue, and the way guests moved through the space throughout the evening. These images help tell the larger story of the gathering beyond individual moments, showing the hospitality community gathered together in one of Pacific Grove’s most recognizable hotel settings.
Candid Moments and Guest Reactions
The laughter, conversations, and spontaneous moments that made the event feel alive
Some of the best event photos happen between the scheduled moments. The Making Waves celebration had no shortage of natural reactions, animated conversations, laughter, and groups reconnecting throughout the courtyard. Candid event photography helps preserve how the evening actually felt, while also giving organizers a large set of images that can be used later for marketing, recaps, social media, newsletters, and future event promotion.
A Hospitality Community Full of Hugs
A close-knit Monterey Peninsula hospitality community in action
One of the strongest visual themes of the evening was how many people greeted each other with genuine warmth. I photographed hug after hug throughout the event, and those images said a lot about this particular crowd. This was not just a formal industry event. It felt like a reunion, a celebration, and a show of support for the people building the future of hospitality in Monterey County and beyond.
Portraits of Guests, Vendors, and Hospitality Leaders
Intentional portraits mixed into natural event coverage
Along with candid coverage, I also asked guests, vendors, chefs, and attendees for quick portraits throughout the evening. These images add variety to the final gallery and give people photos they can actually use and share. For event organizers, portraits also help recognize the people who supported, attended, and contributed to the event, from students and alumni to chefs, vendors, sponsors, and community leaders.
Silent Auction Details and Guest Participation
Photographing the activity, details, and fundraising moments behind the event
The silent auction was another important part of the evening’s story. Photos of guests signing auction sheets, looking over items, and interacting around the displays help document the fundraising side of the event. These details are easy to overlook, but they matter for nonprofits, schools, and organizations because they show participation, support, and the behind-the-scenes work that helps make an event successful.
Why Event Photos Matter After the Night Ends
A successful event gallery is not just about having photos from the night. It is about creating images that continue to work afterward for marketing, public relations, social media, sponsors, attendees, and future planning. I wrote more about this in “5 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Photographer for Your Event in the Monterey Area”, especially the importance of capturing the full story, showcasing brand and community engagement, creating useful marketing images, and letting organizers focus on hosting instead of taking photos themselves.
Speakers, Awards, and Wave Maker Recognition
Hosted by Paige Viren, with recognition of hospitality leaders across the Monterey Peninsula
The formal program was hosted by Paige Viren, Executive Director of CSUMB’s Sustainable Hospitality & Tourism Management program, and included Wave Maker recognition for leaders connected to hospitality, tourism, education, and community impact across the Monterey Peninsula. These moments gave structure and meaning to the evening, highlighting the people and organizations helping shape the future of sustainable hospitality in the region.
It was especially meaningful to photograph Alex Marin, General Manager of Asilomar Conference Grounds, a long-time connection in the local hospitality community and the person who recommended me to Paige to photograph this event. Other recognition moments included leaders connected with Dametra Café in Carmel, Cannery Row Company, and Pebble Beach Company, giving this part of the gallery a strong sense of local history, leadership, and community appreciation.
A More Complete Approach to Event Photography
For larger events, I focus on creating a complete, connected set of images rather than only photographing the obvious moments. That means a mix of wide venue photos, candids, portraits, speakers, branded images, details, and moments that show how the event felt in person. I wrote more about this approach in “A Different Approach to Event Photography in Monterey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach,” including how I work in a room, when I step in, when I step back, and why a full event gallery should be useful long after the event is over.
Step-and-Repeat Photos with CSUMB and Monty the Otter
Branded group photos and guest portraits from the celebration
The CSUMB step-and-repeat area added a fun branded photo opportunity for guests, students, faculty, and supporters. Monty the Otter also made an appearance, which gave the gallery a lively and unmistakably Cal State Monterey Bay feel. These posed group photos are often some of the most shared images after an event because they give attendees a simple, direct way to remember being part of the evening.
Event Photography for Pacific Grove, Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, and the Monterey Peninsula
The Making Waves 10-Year Celebration at Kimpton Mirador was exactly the kind of event that benefits from complete professional coverage: a beautiful venue, a strong community, meaningful speakers, real emotion, sponsor visibility, auction activity, portraits, and moments that were gone in an instant. If you are planning a hospitality event, conference, fundraiser, award ceremony, business gathering, or community celebration in Pacific Grove, Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Big Sur, or anywhere on the Monterey Peninsula, I would be glad to help create a gallery that tells the full story of your event and gives your organization useful images for months and years to come.