A year ago, one of my closest friends returned from a trip to the British Virgin Islands. She came back with countless stories, amazing friends and an enviable winter tan. Naturally, that was more than enough to convince me to get myself a spot on the annual winter break trip.

While on a trip to Nepal, Sal Ingram stumbled upon a multitude of portrait opportunities, leading to a beautiful array of photographs that capture the realism and mysticism of the land.

Staff Photographer Prescott Watson presents a sampling of his recent portraits of friends and family.

This week in photos, take a look at the historic buildings and a trail with a coastal view at Wilder State Ranch Park.

This week in photos, follow UCSC alum Brian Repp up the coast on a spearfishing expedition on the sandy beaches of Davenport.

It started with what looked like the settling in of fall. The rain was heavy and constant, providing freshmen a wonderful opportunity to open their textbooks for the first time. Students in raincoats and umbrellas scurried along the walkways of campus. And buses became packed fast. But less than 24 hours later, the sun returned. [...]

The smell of minced garlic. Baskets of produce fresh from the Farmers’ Market are unloaded onto the cutting board. Steam rises from pots of boiling water on the stove. These are the sights and smells at the kitchen of Soif Restaurant and Wine Bar as chef Santos Majano leads his culinary team in prepping for another packed Saturday night.

In this week’s This Week in Pictures, photographer Andrew Allio takes readers on a bus tour of Copenhagen, where he sees similarities to riding the Metro buses in Santa Cruz.

This past weekend brought what everyone was hoping for — an end to the rain, and the start of summer. As temperatures soared, students and community members were able to kick back and fully enjoy all that Santa Cruz has to offer. Tourists flocked to the beaches and boardwalk, marking the start of the summer [...]