Donna and I took a much needed trip away from the office yesterday. We drove up to Joshua Tree National Park, which is only about an hour drive from our home. It was a bit cold at that elevation (about 3000 feet), not something we're very used to. We took a short trail hike up to an area of the park called Barker Dam and shot a few of the images you see here.

We learned a few lessons on this hike. One was that I really need some good gloves. We also learned that we should never start a hike late in the day on a trail with which we are not familiar! We lost the trail a couple of times, but we managed to find our car just as the sun set. Oh yes, a flashlight would also be a good item to bring along. Lucky for us, we didn't need one this time!

Liz and Nate chose to get ready at Lake La Quinta Inn for their wedding day preparation. The Lake La Quinta Inn resembles a French chateau and is a charming bed & breakfast tucked away by the lake at Lake La Quinta. The thirteen rooms each have different names, evoking a unique ambience for its guests.

The Inn is a romantic location for small weddings that can be held lakeside. Liz stayed in the "La Mancha" room with its dramatic red walls and dark wood accents. The beautiful fireplace and sweeping staircase in the living room are just two of the architectural details that add to the Inn's charm.

Liz and Nate held their ceremony at Shepherd of the Valley Methodist Church, followed by cocktails and a dinner reception at the Embassy Suites La Quinta.

We thank Liz and Nate for honor of capturing their wedding day!

Nader and I are excited about having the first Coobtee family baby arrive in late March. Nader's sister, Muna, and her husband, Ian, are expecting their first son. Muna and Ian live in Los Angeles, so it makes it a little difficult to see them as often as we'd like.

Above are a couple photos taken at Thanksgiving at Muna and Nader's parents' home in La Quinta. Looking forward to meeting the new nephew soon and taking lots of photos! - Donna

The panoramic image above is a shot I took at the Coachella Valley Preserve today. I was told about the preserve by one of our wedding couples, Jim and Trish Feffer. They are both school teachers and they sometimes take their students on field trips to the preserve.

I remembered that Jim and Trish thought I might enjoy photographing the location, so I paid a visit to the preserve right around sunset. The image above is actually a composite of 14 separate images that were pieced together to give a 360 degree view.

I learned how to put together these types of panoramic images in a class I took a couple of years ago and have been meaning to put together more panoramics ever since. Be sure to click on the image for a larger view.

We are honored to have had one of our images selected as the cover image for the 2008 Palm Springs Life Wedding Planner! This beautiful couple, Meghan and Brad, were married last August at St. Francis of Assisi Church in La Quinta.

Meghan plays Cinderella at Disneyland and Brad is a new lawyer-to-be. We love the natural joy and exuberance that they exude in this photo.

To see more photos from their special day, visit our September 2007 blog archive. More Red Lantern photos are included inside the 2008 Planner, so visit the Palm Springs Life website to get your FREE copy!