You have found my BLOG where you can see my recent images from weddings, portrait sessions and my art as well. While you're here you can learn a little more about me and my family. If you're interested in having some beautiful portraits of your loved ones or someone with a creative eye to photograph your wedding or next event, please drop me a line and we'll work together to find a package that will suit your perfectly!.
When my children were born, my passion for photography was reignited as I began to capture their every move, and I mean every move. My kids have been a huge inspiration for me in the development of my photography business. There are few things more rewarding than having a mother call me and say that my photos of her kids brought tears to her eyes.
Which is what my photography is all about. I want every picture to evoke an emotion. It's not important to me that every picture is perfectly posed but that I am able to bring out those characteristics that makes my subject who he or she is. When I photograph a wedding, I like everyone to have fun taking photos and not dread the guy with the camera coming back around! To preserve the memories of your day in a manner that will allow you to relive every moment over and over. To blend in and record people being themselves. To use humor to bring out a smile rather than yelling, "say cheese!". Of course, that might be funny. Simply put, my goal is to photograph the real person that walks around in your skin all day. The person that smiles because they're happy, not because they're told to. I love to photograph kids being kids. If you're looking for a guy to haul 100 pounds of lighting equipment down on the beach so you can torture your little darling for an hour, trying to get her to sit just right next to the pretty water, keep looking!
I live in Orange County, California with my wife and two beautiful kids. I also work as a firefighter paramedic, ride my mountain bike, play guitar, laugh a lot, make other people laugh and spend as much time with my family and friends as I can.
If you want to talk about photos, please email me at gshawphoto@mac.com or visit my portfolio site and use the contact form.
One of my favorite things to do is go to the park about an hour or so before sunset. First, it gives you a built in time frame for exactly how much time you’re going to spend at the park since the sun setting pretty much shuts the place down for you. It’s obviously cooler and the crowd is a bit thinner. But it’s just a great way to finish off your day with the your family and good friends. And of course, once in a while, I bring my camera.
Today I was at Disneyland shooting an event for my buddy Noah. Today is Disneyland’s 55th Anniversary, so he painted 55 original Vinylmation characters to commemorate the occasion. They looked absolutely amazing. I did wander the for a bit and grabbed some shots of the park as it is today. When you look at photos from opening day, July 17, 1955, you get a true appreciation for what an incredible visionary Walt Disney really was. I’m convinced that he saw the park not for what he had created at that time but what it was going to look like 55 years later. 
Yosemite is one of my favorite places that I have ever visited. Every time I go I am with my family, which is awesome. But, I do have to balance taking photos and not ignoring the ones I love! One of these days I plan on doing a solo trip where I can really focus on the landscape and capturing the beauty. But, then again, it’s pretty hard to take a bad photo in the valley. It truly is one of God’s most incredible creations and I never get tired of staring at the granite peaks, waterfalls, and beautiful meadows.
Half Dome seen from Glacier Point
El Capitan
This is the face of El Capitan. If you look real close, you will see a tiny yellow dot about dead center of the photo, which is the yellow equipment bag of a climber.
The Merced River with upper Yosemite Falls in the background
Half Dome with a obscured view of Royal Arches and North Dome
On the left, Royal Arches, Washington Column and North Dome. On the left is looking downstream from Cascade Falls.
Yosemite Falls
We hiked the John Muir Trail to the top of Nevada Falls, then descended the Mist trail to Vernal Falls and back to Curry Village. There was so much water that along the trail you had small waterfalls from the granite cliffs above. Fortunately, it was pretty warm so the showers were refreshing!
Almost there! The first view of Nevada Falls with Liberty Cap to the left.
Still plenty of wildflowers along the trail
Taken from the foot bridge that crosses over the Merced River, just before Nevada Falls. The person walking on the left gives you some perspective as to how big the falls are.
The opposite view looking up the Merced River.
Close up of the Merced
From the top railing, looking over the side of Nevada Falls. This picture doesn’t even remotely capture how breathtaking this view is. The water is thundering over the edge and plummets 594 feet to the rocks below.
Savannah and my nephew Jack taking in the view
The family with the falls behind
This is where the hike got interesting…
Starting the descent towards Vernal Falls
A few moments after the picture on the left was taken, my daughter slipped and rolled her ankle so bad she couldn’t stand….with about 3 miles to go! Happy Father’s Day!! That’s me pretending that she’s not that heavy.
My son Ian standing where you can see why they call it the Mist Trail. Savannah let me take a break once in a while so I could still snap a few photos 
First glimpse of Vernal Falls
And here’s the view that makes the whole hike worth it…
The Awahnee hotel with Yosemite Falls in the background
Probably the most famous view of Yosemite Valley, known as the Tunnel View, right off Hwy 41 coming from Glacier Point. El Capitan is on the left, Bridal Veil falls is on the right and you can see half dome in the middle of the photo.
The Valley from Glacier Point
I shot this through the viewing telescope at the top of Glacier Point. This the outlook above Vernal Falls. When I turned around I was getting a very dirty look from some old lady. Apparently she wasn’t nearly as amused with this as I was.
Thank you to the nice lady from Texas for taking this photo.
I have had the opportunity to visit Yosemite many times. But I don’t ever recall an early summer visit quite like the one we just had. The heavy snowfall and mild temperatures have created some of the most awe inspiring waterfalls that I have ever witnessed. It truly was an incredible feeling to stand at the top of Nevada Falls and hear the roar of the rapids as they shoot over the ledge and to feel the rush of wind that it carries with it. So here are some of my favorite shots from our last visit.
Cascade Falls. This beautiful site can be seen from Hwy 120 as you enter the west end of the valley. I didn’t have my tripod handy, so I steadied the camera on the railing along the roadsie.
One of the many beautiful meadows that line the valley. The Merced River runs through the stand of trees in the distance.
Tuolumne Meadows. Normally by this time of year, green grass is covering a good portion of the meadow, but the late winter has kept the grass down. But the Tuolumne River is wider than usual and there is still a lot of snow on the ground in the shady areas.
John making his way to the top of Olmstead Point
Jeffrey Pines and the kids
Tenaya Lake from the top of Olmstead Point
Jeffrey Pine
Just enough snow at Olmstead to build this majestic, four inch tall snowman.
We did do some hiking while we were there. Though we intended to do a little more, the hikes were cut short due to a severely sprained ankle by my daughter coming down the Mist Trail. Word of advice; if you’re hiking the Mist Trail and you broke your ankle six months prior, wear high top hiking boots!
I’ll finish up with the rest of the photos tomorrow…
Summer at last! We returned home last week from an awesome trip to Groveland and Yosemite. I thought I’d post some of my favorite shots from around the ranch we stayed at in Groveland first. In a couple of days I’ll post the Yosemite shots.
I loved watching this wood pecker every day. He’d go to a nearby cherry tree, pick a cherry and then stash in the top of the fence post.
My niece likes horses… a lot.
Somebody was missing his puppy back home.
My beautiful girl
The dude.
My dad…chillaxin’
I love this shot of Savannah. The ranch owner’s cattle wandered into the field behind the house one evening. So she of course runs inside, grabs a clip board and some paper and starts sketching cows.
The kids on their way to feed the horses carrots and apples. Except for Ian….he decided to eat his apple on the way.
The horse whisperer.
We also visited the Moaning Cavern which is in Vallecito. If you are in to stuff like this, it is really cool. The tour takes you to a depth of 165 feet below ground and features this 100 foot spiral stair case that was built in 1922. The entrance to the cave is through these tight cracks with wooded stairways. Very cool…
