John W. Farrand Photography Blog

I work with Jeff at the station, and was excited when he and his wife asked for this session.  I knew it was going to be good!  Jeff is always good for a laugh.  He’s a producer at our station who is really great at heckling people.. especially the directors and anchors.  Okay, so he’s a great producer and father too.. but heckling is what I know!  You see, before we stopped using physical tapes for the newscasts, the shows used to be a lot more, uh.. ‘vocal’ on the intercom.  I used to load the tapes for his shows, and he and I used to play off each other upping the harassment of the good-natured directors.  We still find opportunities to harass when it’s called for… like when we find out co-workers haven’t seen movies that ALL Americans should see, like It’s A Wonderful Life!

We decided to meet at the beautiful Hart Park.  I had actually never been there!  I’ve lived in Bakersfield now for a combined 7 years or so, and people couldn’t believe I hadn’t been there.. neither could I!  Wow this place is nice.  If I haven’t been to a shoot location before, if I can, I usually like to show up beforehand to ‘size up the joint.’  Melissa and I made the short trek out there a couple times to figure out a good place to shoot.  I couldn’t decide!  No wonder its a favorite for Bakersfield photographers!

I love the way this session came together.  I hope you enjoy it, we certainly did!

This wedding was so sweet!  Melissa has known Sam and Cheyenne for a long time, and being invited guests was really special for us. Their wedding was at Savior’s Community Church in Visalia.  I don’t have any pictures of the wedding, because Melissa and I were enjoying just being guests this time.  :)  But, check out this photobooth!  It was so much fun!

As a photographer, the thing I love about doing weddings is the opportunity to give the bride and groom a Wedding Photobooth.  Photobooths are excellent additions to any party!  You’d be surprised what people do in the them.  The photobooth itself becomes a conversation piece, and a gathering point for any party.  We have done photobooths at Weddings, House Parties and even Company Parties.  They’re such a surprise to people afterwards.  Every photobooth we do is given an separate online gallery where everyone can visit and see the other guests and their friends being crazy!

This gallery was from a beautiful wedding in Dinuba, CA.  It was in the middle of June, in the San Joaquin Valley.. so yeah, it was H . O . T .  Once the sun set, people let their hair down, so to speak.

Beth and Tim..  I love these people!

Beth and I have remained friends since we first met in a drawing class at Fresno State, years ago.  I haven’t been fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time with Tim yet, but I love this guy!  He’s been so great for Beth, plus, without these two, Melissa and I would not have had a wedding reception!  With little help, these two took the reigns of what would have been a disaster for us.  Rain, wind, rain, and more rain stopped by before we were suppose to ‘arrive.’  Without questions, worry, or stress on us, these two completely saved our venue.  We remember our beautiful reception fondly, and I hope they remember their wedding and reception as they should..  It was beautiful, and fun!  If you’re ever in the need of a beautiful venue for, well anything.. Una Bella Giornata Winery is amazingly beautiful!

Oh yeah.. and their name is Hancock.  Look for the clue in the pictures.  :)

The Stockdale Country Club is just one of those places where you’d like to hang out for awhile, really.  The staff there is amazingly helpful, and the grounds are indescribably beautiful.  I’ll post more on Ron and Cathy’s wedding in a separate post, but their reception was a blast!  Their photobooth turned out perfectly!  These images are a blast from the past.. this was my first photobooth ever.. from August 2009!

We fumbled our way around the breathtakingly beautiful Cambria, California to find the spot.  You know, the one that looks like a little piece of heaven on earth.

Gorgeous sunset, a little breeze, and Bakersfield’s finest—The Short Family. Christopher is a charming one-of-a-kind drummer, and Kate is his perfect match with a voice that belongs in a choir of angels. Together, they are harmony.

And they make ADORABLE kids!

Our second location was a cliff overlooking the beautiful beach and sunset.  It was chilly and windy, but the moment we placed little Emmrie Jane Short inside that bass drum… peace!  Everyone felt it.  Mom and Dad stood proud. Emmrie explored her surroundings, gave us a few big smiles, and a whole lot of drool!

We are so blessed to be a part of this new chapter in the Short family’s lives, and are eagerly awaiting the seasons to come. Here are some of our favorite shots from our day in Cambria…

A few weeks ago, Melissa and I had the pleasure of second shooting a wedding in Stockton with our good friend Laura Tavarez.  I’ve known Laura and her husband Chris for going on 15 years now, so working together “professionally” is not only a blast, but it doesn’t even seem like a job.  Talk about low pressure.  This was an adventurous weekend with stops in Visalia, Fresno, Merced, Stockton, and even Delano!

This wedding was in a beautiful setting (Spanos Park East Clubhouse), and was a TON of fun!  I spent most of the day with the guys who were willing to do just about anything I asked, including standing in the middle of one of the busiest streets in town!  Hey.. do whatever necessary to get the shot!

Here are some of my shots from the day:

“Let’s meet at the Apple Shed.”  I had no idea what that ment.  I thought we were actually going to meet at a shed full of bushels and Fujis.  I’m not familiar with Tehachapi, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I really enjoyed myself that day though!  I got to meet Amy’s son BC who was in town from Georgia.  After the session, we all got to sit around talking about food, prisons, xbox gaming and HyperboleAndAHalf.com.  Now.. If you’re not familiar with this site check it out, you won’t be disappointed.