When I'm not shooting photography, chances are high that I'm second shooting video with Matter Video, a company owned and operated by one of my best friends Dan Bowen. Specializing in wedding videography, there's a lot Matter Video offers when it comes to documenting moments that matter to you in a really gorgeous and spectacular way. Be sure to check out his website and portfolio. This past weekend, we traveled down to Paso Robles to film the wedding of Kevan and Stacey at HammerSky vineyards, just 30 minutes away from San Luis Obispo. We even got to work with the ever-talented Ken Kienow who photographed the event. Here are just a couple snapshots I took of the wedding while I was there! (It was too pretty not to!)

It was an undeniably attractive location. Reminiscent of older-styled buildings, the entire venue held quite a bit of charm. Certainly it left a memorable impression. It also helps when the bride and groom are awesome and have great family members that insist on having you eat their amazing wedding food. I don't say "amazing wedding food" lightly. Most wedding dinners are awesome, but not--gourmet tacos with a margarita, perfect weather looking out into the vineyards--awesome. Pictured below:

Joining the Matter Video gear arsenal is the Sony A6300. Don't be fooled by the crop sensor it uses; it can practically see in the dark and has 4k capabilities. In less technical terms, it's face-meltingly good and a welcome addition when it comes to documenting your special day. Pictured above is our new gadget in action.

On our way home from the wedding, it was naturally a good idea to drive the 30 minutes out to SLO to visit the local favorites such as Scout Coffee & SLO Donut Company. Sure enough, at the break of dawn the next day, we hit the road and were on our way to Scout Coffee's newly established second location off Foothill Blvd. to meet up with our friend Mason, the local legend and owner of Mason & Megan Photography.

Right off the bat, I could tell that Scout Coffee was a community place; a vibe they seek to represent and do well without trying. Owned and operated by Jon and Sara Peterson, these two are coffee gurus and it shows. What I appreciate about Scout Coffee is their ability to bridge the gap between specialty coffee and community. Offering a wide myriad of options to satisfy the sweet-tooth, house-made syrups are readily available that provide a deliciously sweet take to your favorite beverages. If you're feeling more like ice cream or soda, look no further as they have that as well. There is literally no reason or excuse why you would willingly visit a Starbucks or Peet's if you have a Scout Coffee location in your neighborhood. Offering Honey Co. coffee, the sister company of Scout Coffee, they do an excellent job at delivering high quality coffees from all over the world without necessarily putting themselves in a box when it comes to roasting style or regions of which their beans derive from. This sort of diversity and variety in their offerings is unmistakably valued, but even better than that is that all roasting is done in town!

Other than offering excellent coffees, they also have amazing pastries and trinkets to check out at the new location. I got to try out a "wilderness" (one of their cleverly named syrups) cappuccino, and scone during my visit. All of which were consumed ravenously within seconds within receiving due to how delicious it all was.

Yep. I definitely drank it in, all of it. Oh, and there's Mason in the corner of the frame. Almost like a yeti sighting. Check out the rest of the snapshots I got while I was there. It's definitely a must-visit if you're in town. Go and enjoy yourself a cup of happy coffee! Below is the address and hours:

880 Foothill Blvd., San Luis Obispo, CA
HRS OF OPERATION: 6:30a-8:30p Everyday.

As we finished catching up with Mason and consuming our amazing coffee drinks, we set our eyes on SLODOCO, also known as the San Luis Obispo Donut Company. With an eclectic selection, there was a little bit of everything there to satisfy any craving you might have when it comes to donut desires. I'll let the photos speak for themselves in this segment.

Truly, what hasn't been said about donuts that hasn't already been said about the creation of the wheel, or the advent of fire? To make things more epic, they have vibrant flavors and topping combinations. How could you say no to something as amazing as a maple bacon donut? I mean, REALLY?

They're open 24/7 and located on 793 Foothill Blvd. San Luis Obispo, CA.
In Parks and Rec fasion, I'd like to cordially invite you to go to SLO and treat yo'self. You've earned it.

With warm regards,
Your friendly neighborhood Johnny.

Weekend with Matter Video in Paso Robles + SLO