Gala Photography at the Grand Del Mar for Liver Foundation

It was my pleasure to again donate event photography services to the American Liver Foundation for their 11th Annual Flavors of San Diego Gala at The Grand Del Mar Resort. The gala photography included five hours of onsite shooting plus another 10 hours in image processing time.

Flavors was a culinary experience that went beyond the traditional gala by providing each table of attendees with a local San Diego chef who prepared a multi-course dinner tableside. The meals showcased the signature dishes of culinary experts, going beyond the usual restaurant fare. Like the food, the tables themselves were also a feast for the eyes because of the many wonderful and creative place settings, themes, and centerpieces.

Pictured in this article are some photographer favorites of the gala photography for the American Liver Foundation. What you’ll also see are event photography shots of the silent auction that took place earlier in the evening. The complete gallery of all photos is available on my San Diego Event Photographer Client Galleries page. You can also the last two events that I donated photography for the American Liver Foundation, including the gala photography for the 2013 American Liver Foundation Flavors Gala and event photography for the American Liver Foundation Life Walk 2013.

There were many highlights that the gala photography captured. These included activity of the bidding and auctioning of numerous wonderful items, the flurry of activity of the chefs and staff preparing and presenting their creations, plus the speakers and presentations. The speakers included Erica Fox of FOX5 San Diego, the national and local directors for the American Liver Foundation, and a special honor given to Tarek Hassanein, MD. Dr. Hassanein was recognized for his dedication and pioneering work in gastroenterology and liver hematology.

It was noted that Dr. Hassanein has worked closely with the main pioneer in liver transplant ion, Dr. Thomas Starzl. That point was of personal interest because it was Dr. Starzle who encouraged my father (George Abouna, MD), also a pioneer in liver and kidney transplantation, for our family move to the United States from England decades ago. In fact, I recall meeting and having dinner with Dr. Starzl when I was a young boy many years ago. Interesting how I’d fast forward to providing gala photography for the worthy American Liver Foundation.

For more information about event photography, please contact me.

Over 25 chefs were present at the 2014 Flavors event, including:

Chef Chair Kevin Templeton, barleymash

Jake Andrews, Sally’s Seafood on the Water

Christopher Gardner, Volunteers of America Southwest Division

Conor Ball, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Chef Chair Jeffrey Strauss, Pamplemousse Grille

Christopher Spayde, Blue Wave Bar & Grill

Mario Cassineri, Bice Restorante

Carmine Lopez, Great Maple

Dennis Cortez, The Grand Del Mar Culinary Team

Drew Deckman, Deckmans en el Mogur