If you had told me that taking my six year old on a trip to show my work for four days would be fun.. I would have laughed at you. But still, that’s what I did. Along with my husband William , we got on the road for our daughter’s school break and drove up to San Francisco.

The first challenge was seeing if we could or should show our work together, that seemed to be better for art buyers and photo editors in a way, two for one. So that was good, but how about the kid? Well, hopefully it wasn’t the stupidest thing I’ve done this year, but frankly I think it was good too. Everyone seemed pretty happy for a diversion in from the normal portfolio show, she is pretty charming ( generally speaking, depending on the time of day ), and it seemed to be a really great way for people who could potentially hire us to get to know us as real people, not just photographers. Now I don’t bring my daughter to shoots, but still it was fun, and lots of people have a kid or two  or maybe even three at home, so it’s not the weirdest thing in the world to see one at work. That being said, we had a busy week, with lots of meetings, so we had to build in some time for fun every day. The first day we were in town, that meant spending the morning at the Ferry building ( AKA Disneyland for Glutons )  my absolute favorite place. We had some morning treats ( Blue Bottle Coffee ) honestly we ate everywhere in that place, and then went straight over to the ferry for a ride to Larksper. Now this was really about the trip on a boat, her first one so far, and it was FUN! We were all tired and cranky from the drive the day before, so being on a boat with the air in your face and the wind shaking you up a little was absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend it.

And another little note on kids. At Goodby Silverstein, we had a chance to meet the daughter of an old friend I worked with many many years ago, in fact the first time I worked with Dan Southwick, his daughter Isabella was about 6 months old. We’ve worked together and kept in touch over the years since, so it was great that we finally get to meet her on this trip. William did this sweet portrait of them at the office. Sometimes things come full circle.

Which was true for visiting my favorite all time cafe with William and Vivienne on this trip too. I LOVE, Cafe Trieste. It’s a spot I used to visit weekly if not daily when I lived in the bay area and went to school at the San Francicsco Art Institute. This place has such an incredible history and atmosphere. Maybe the coffee isn’t as sublime as some of the other hipster joints which I also appreciate, but it is straight up cafe culture, pure and simple. I got a quick image of Paul with my iphone, he’s been pulling shots there since I was a student at SFAI….

Paul at Cafe Trieste, North Beach

Beyond the ferry, we went to the new Coret Children’s playground in Golden Gate Park, which a friend in the area recommended. It is amazing, and slightly horrifying for any mother or parent with a penchant for slight anxiety. The kids can climb this rope structure up to 25 feet in the air… I’m sure it’s safe, but I couldn’t really stand to look.

On our last day in town we had lunch with one of William’s collaborator’s and friends Kevin. Kevin Roberson is an incredible designer and has worked for many of the best shops in town doing design and art direction over the years. These days, he has a design studio in Hayes Valley with a partner, they design packaging for all manor of adult and child beverages.

I loved Kevin’s look, and fortunately, William did this great portrait of him. The white pants and black slip ons are the best part!

Designer and friend Kevin Roberson

William shooting the view from San Francisco Art Institute

The super awesome and very Italian lobby at Venables Bell

The last stop out of town was breakfast with friends Jessie and Mark at Sam’s Log Cabin in Albany. It was delicious, and very child friendly. There were quite literally children lying on the floor in this place at any given time and the servers were so funny, they’d just step right over them. Oh boy, but still it was great.

Here’s to taking your kid, to work once and a while. I highly recommend it in San Francisco for this or any other kind of trip, the playgrounds are well designed and plentiful, the food is beyond your expectations if you do a little research ahead of time, and you can get a great view or cup of coffee just about anywhere.