Best of 2011

It's been a busy year of shooting here at Funcrunch Photo, with over 25,000 images in my Lightroom catalog. Here are a dozen of my favorite photos from 2011.

1. Colonel Angus, Blue Bear School of Music Showcase, Cafe du Nord, San Francisco

Taken in March at my regular gig shooting the Blue Bear showcases. I liked this photo so much, I got a model release and now have it as one of the four images on my business card.

2. Tomoko Funaki, jazz bassist

Detail shot from a portrait session in April with upright bass player Tomoko Funaki. I really like how she incorporated my photos from that session into her web site.

3. Sparky Grinstead, Get Off the Stage, Ex'pression College, Emeryville

Taken at a live webcast of Sparky's Rodent to Rodent album concert with his band "Get Off The Stage" in April. Some very original music there. Ex'pression College offers free student-run recording sessions; a great community resource.

4. Bear sculpture at UC Berkeley

Occasionally I do shoot a non-human subject! I shot this sculpture at the base of UC Berkeley's Campanile tower during a Berkeley campus photo walk with Thomas Hawk and other Google+ photographers in September.

5. Marriage equality rally, San Francisco

I am a strong supporter of equal marriage rights for everyone, so I attend and photograph as many local marriage equality rallies as I can. This shot was taken outside the California Supreme Court in September.

6. Collision, Blue Bear School of Music showcase, Cafe du Nord, San Francisco

One of the talented student bands at my music school, performing at the September showcase. I was performing on stage myself directly after this set, and almost skipped shooting this act as a result. I'm glad I made the time as I would have missed out on this and some other great shots otherwise.

7. Sputnik's Last Stand, Blue Bear School of Music showcase, Cafe du Nord, San Francisco

One of the singers from the final workshop led by Tubes guitarist/songwriter Bill Spooner, before his retirement from Blue Bear teaching duties in September. I really like the lighting, sharpness, and composition of this shot.

8. Sam Bass, Cello Bazaar, Bazaar Cafe, San Francisco

I love the cello. My father is a professional cellist, so I grew up enjoying the sound of that instrument. Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco has a monthly recital celebrating cellists and their fellow musicians. I heard lots of great music at the October concert, spanning many styles and genres.

9. Auros and Christa wedding, Orson Restaurant, San Francisco

In October I had the pleasure of photographing the elegant gothic wedding of my friends Auros and Christa, a very fun and photogenic couple. The newlyweds liked this photo a lot too, and used it on their thank-you cards. The event was catered by celebrated local restaurateur and Next Iron Chef runner-up Elizabeth Falkner, who created an absolutely off-the-hook "Cakethedral" for the occasion.

10. Young guest at Auros and Christa wedding, Orson Restaurant, San Francisco

One of my favorite photos from the wedding, captured while my husband/assistant Ziggy was setting up lights for the formal portraits after the ceremony. I love shooting candids.

11. San Francisco Boys Chorus Winter Concert, St. Dominic's Catholic Church

For the third year in a row, Ziggy recorded the sound for the SFBC winter concert while I shot photos of the rehearsal and performance. These young boys are highly talented!

12. Damage Control, Blue Bear School of Music showcase, Cafe du Nord, San Francisco

My favorite photo of the year was shot during the busiest week of the year, with events on six consecutive days. I absolutely love this shot; it captures exactly why I specialize in concert photography.

Here's to more photo memories in 2012!