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!
It was great to attend the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting celebrating the re-opening of PG Meetinghouse after a period of renovations and updates to the interior space. As a Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, I enjoy volunteering my photography to help document these community moments. The mayor, other local leaders, and loyal customers gathered to welcome the refreshed space back to Pacific Grove, with remarks from the mayor and a ceremonial ribbon cutting to mark the occasion. It was wonderful to see the community come together to celebrate the improvements and wish the team continued success.
This was for sure the biggest event I have attended of its kind since I started being an ambassador for the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce in June 2024. The grand opening and ribbon cutting for Kimpton Mirador Pacific Grove seemed to have everyone I know from the local business community and city hall there! It was shoulder room only trying to get a photo of the actual ribbon cutting for the PG Chamber. No chance for a posed photo beforehand like usual either. Given all that, I was very glad to capture this wonderful candid of the ribbon being cut to this unique hotel and the newest addition to downtown Pacific Grove. After the ribbon cutting, I enjoyed my first tour of the hotel from entrance and lobby, to the expansive inner courtyard, and then actually getting to see inside a couple of guest rooms themselves. I finished with a sneak peak at the attached restaurant. I definitely look forward to photographing events at this stunning new hotel!
Photographing the PG City Veterans Day Ceremony 2025 for the PG Rotary Club
Joining the Rotary Club of Pacific Grove has given me even more ways to connect with and contribute to our local community. The latest example was being asked to volunteer to photograph the City of Pacific Grove Veterans Day Ceremony for 2025 for which several Rotarians made up the Honor Guard. I was glad to help out and capture through photography this annual ceremony and to get to hear the stories of service from the different speakers. Thank you to all that served on Veterans Day.
Celebrating 30 years of Trader Joe’s in Pacific Grove!
The Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce is really good at celebrating businesses in our community with ribbon cuttings, be they for a grand openings or major milestones like the one Trader Joe’s celebrated — 30 years of being in Pacific Grove! I learned the mural painted on the front of Trader Joe’s, 30 years ago, was to show other things for people to check out in Pacific Grove and give them a reason to stay in town longer, as this was the first Trader Joe’s in the area. PG beat out Seaside to get it largely because it had a better building available for it to move into. It’s so interesting how things like that happen and change how a small town changes because of it.
Write Invite pops up in The Quill in Pacific Grove
Huge turnout for this ribbon cuttingevent to celebrate the opening of Write Invite in The Quill right in downtown Pacific Grove put on by the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce. The community really turned out to celebrate Marian and even the mayor of Pacific Grove helped cut the ribbon! It was truly standing room only. If you like to feel the paper, then Write Invite is the only place around you can come in person to do so in the area for invitations and cards for the holidays, for your wedding, for just saying thank you.
Inside the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting I was able to begin a day of event photography at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque by photographing Mayor Tim Keller giving a live press conference. I have photographed the mayor perhaps a dozen times in the past, but this was the first time to photograph him at a press conference. It was pretty cool! From there, everyone went in to the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque for the formal part of the Greater ABQ Chamber’s annual meeting festivities where the mayor then gave a lengthy speech addressing mostly the issue of homelessness in the city. Being a professional event photographer has always taken me inside worlds I would otherwise never be privy to.
