Posted on April 5, 2013
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Me again! I wanted to share a few frames from this session I shot last year with a pair of adorable siblings. We started the session at their home where I got a feel for S and G’s personalities, and then we headed to a local park to capture some traditional portraits. I was loving how the light poured through the trees– and then there was the perfectly green grass. Ugh…I am a SUCKER for that combination. Nothing makes me happier as a photographer than nature’s palette…
Posted on January 22, 2013
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I have a super sweet spot in my heart for baby girls. When I was pregnant I prayed for a boy, and I got exactly what I wanted. I got dirt and boogers and swords and action heroes and wrestling and bugs. I’ll admit, I love it. But sometimes, just sometimes, when I’m folding countless Spiderman t-shirts and Batman underwear, I yearn for a baby girl. I’m guilty of wandering the aisles of pink tutus and bows every once in a while, dreaming of having my own little miss. Luckily, I have a job that allows me to get my baby-girl-fix pretty often. Like this session with Madison. I could have just died for her chubby cheeks and big, sparkling eyes. And then we broke out the pink and ruffles and flowers and all things precious, and I was in my own heaven for a few moments. Madison was the perfect model and just so gorgeous. I feel honored that her parents invited me into their home to photograph this little angel, especially since there was no way I could ever forget her after meeting her at her Daddy’s homecoming just a few months before. I’ve been smitten ever since and I can’t wait until I get her in front of my camera again in just a few days for her 9 month photo session. Yes, time flies. But for now, let’s take a peek into the past when Madison was just 4 months old and still so fabulous 
Posted on January 22, 2013
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A little girl loves no one more than her daddy, and lucky for this dad he has two baby girls to shower him with countless hugs and kisses. My first session with these little ladies was several months ago while dad was deployed, but this time around he was live in person and ready for the camera. I love how all three of their personalities just shine! And I think it’s pretty obvious where these gals get their smiles from
Posted on January 22, 2013
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My favorite newborn sessions are the ones where I feel like I’m taking a peek into a family’s life for a few hours. It’s business as usual, only I’m there to document it with my camera. The hugs and kisses, the sweet little details– even the dirty diapers and sometimes fits of crying. That’s real life, right? It’s fresh and new and wonderful and it deserves to be remembered just the way it is. That’s how I want to approach newborn sessions in 2013. I want to be invited into your home to share just a small moment of your history as a family.
This is a session I shot a few months ago with a sweet little family that just happened to include one very crafty mama. She decorated baby Emily’s nursery all on her own and made almost every element you see pictured, from the curtains and wall art, to crib bedding and the mobile. I was super impressed and there’s no denying all her hard work paid off because these photos are simply darling.
Here’s a little peak into the time I spent with the R family at their home, and finished up at a local outdoor location with an amazing fall sunset. Enjoy!
Posted on January 14, 2013
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When I decided to start a photography business, I had big dreams. I wanted to be published in print magazines. I wanted to shoot weddings every weekend. I wanted my phone to ring off the hook. I wanted to be a “rock star”. And once the dreaming faded, making way for follow-through, reality set in. I probably would not be the second coming of Jasmine Star. I probably would not be commissioned to shoot a cover. But slowly, I realized that’s all OK. It’s OK because photography is my own personal journey. Running a business has forced me to learn so much about myself and what I’m truly passionate about. As it ends up, my passion is not money or fame, or attention; my passion is people. And I guess it always has been. From the beginning of my professional life as a news writer and to the awkward years of working at a country club when my writing contract expired, I’ve always loved people. I even loved them when I was on the receiving end of angry phone calls riddled with curse words when I had ordered someone’s water to be shut off. Yep, I was that lady. But I always prided myself on the ability to connect and empathize. I care about people, sometimes a little too much, but that’s what drives me. I want to make people happy. I want to be a part of their history, a part of their story. I love being a storyteller.
Like I said, photography is a journey. It’s a journey that continues to evolve every day. I’m not sure where it’ll take me in 10 years, or 5 years, or even 2 years. But I know where this journey was born– it was born in my heart where the passion for people lives. I might have had it all wrong in the beginning, but I think I’m headed in the right direction now. And I am so excited.
This session with the H Family encompasses so many of the things I love about my job. But mostly it’s a a perfect reflection of photography providing me the opportunity to be a part of a life and witnessing some of it’s greatest moments. I first met this family the night Adam returned home from Afghanistan to his wife Stephanie, who was pregnant with their daughter Audrey. Then I got to photograph Audrey’s newborn session where it was as clear as day that both sets of her grandparents are over-the-moon-in-love with this little girl. And then I photographed just the three of them one last time before the good ol’ Marine Corps sent them east. We used the San Diego Harbor as our backdrop, a more than perfect setting for a final farewell.
This session felt organic, authentic, and all things real– like buying tickets for the ferry to Coronado and killing time before our departure. Like watching Audrey take in the sights during her first trip on a boat and her parents doting on her like a living doll. Real things like killing more time at a pizza joint and drinking a beer, waiting for the ferry to take us back to San Diego. And then there was the head scratching when Stephanie couldn’t find her ticket and Adam bought another at the automatic kiosk. And finally, the chilly trip back to the other side of the harbor, watching this little family of three cuddled to keep warm, taking in America’s Finest skyline.
Now that you’ve read the outline, here is the H Family’s story as told through my eyes. And to Adam, Stephanie and Audrey– thank you so much for letting me be a very small part of your history. Enjoy!
xoxo
