Thank you to everyone who stepped in front of my camera this year. Your support and encouragement mean so much to me. In 2017 I was able to witness new little lives brought into this world, siblings meeting for the first time, a family’s first photo session in 11 years, swam in a pool of sprinkles, and documented love in so many forms. Thanks for sharing part of your year with me and happy 2018!
Hey L.A.!
I’m saving Saturday, November 4th for you to do Fall Mini Sessions!
The Details : 30 minute lifestyle session, a private online image gallery, and 20 hi-res digital files. $250
Where:
Option 1: In morning in the comfort and convenience of your home where the hard work of parenting is done and real family memories are made.
Option 2: Outdoors in a location near your home; to catch that golden hour light. There will be 2 of these available from 4-6pm.
Send me a note and let me know if you're down!
Cheryl and I have known each other since our days in retail (which feels like a lifetime ago). I was excited when she reached out and said that her adorable family were going to be in town and that they had an extra ticket to the Museum of Ice Cream in Los Angeles! It was a real treat to document a bit of their family vacation. Check out the awesome Ice Cream Tees that the kids are wearing which were made by J la la VIP babes and the ice cream Toms shoes. The beautiful necklace on mama was handmade by Jen Emert Walsh @em_erge designs. Tickets for the Museum of Ice Cream in Los Angeles are currently sold out but if you're in the bay area, it looks like they are moving to San Francisco this fall!
"What is your favorite thing to do as a family?", I asked the kids. "Our favorite thing to do is HUG!" they yelled and giggled. How sweet is that?! I had the recent pleasure of photographing the winners of my free mini session as part of the fundraiser for the Cresenta Sports Association. These 5 year old twins welcomed me with such joy and were so eager to show me around their home. I'm pretty fluent in toddler / preschool kids so we had the best time playing, dancing and telling jokes (Question: What do you call a bear with no teeth? Answer: A gummy bear!) It was great to capture memories from this age before they start kindergarten in the fall (where does the time go??).
If you're interested in my holiday mini sessions, be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to get all the details or contact me to schedule a full session here
We were supposed to go to the beach that day. "Have you checked the weather lately?", my husband asked. Yes, I had been tracking it all week and it said clear skies and no rain until the following day. Half way on my drive down to San Diego the first rain drops appeared. Luckily, heavy rain never appeared so we went to local park instead. It seemed as though every family was there with a photographer taking their holiday photos! Thank you to this sweet family for waiting so patiently with me, being so open to my ideas and for sharing their afternoon with me!
I always ask for the names and ages of the kids before a family session. Knowing the ages and stages helps me prepare with children's characters references (e.g. Thomas the Train) or silly jokes that help break the ice with kids so that they feel more comfortable with me. When mama Allison wrote back that she had 4 children (ages 9 -2), plus a newborn and grandparents who would be in a few frames, I started to sweat! This family couldn't have been more fun to photograph though. They trusted me, played and shared some of their favorite spots around their neighborhood. The fun they have as a family really comes through in these snaps. Welcome baby Dylan, you are so loved!
the new family of seven
grandfather and grandson
I love it when grandparents are a part of a session
the brothers!
I'm constantly amazed when I see animals in the middle of L.A.
proud grandmother
We had never been there before but decided to make the drive and explore. When we arrived Stella woke up grumpy which I was not expecting. "I'm her aunt, she'll be SO excited to see me!", I foolishly thought. Ha! Toddlers. After some animal chasing and other silliness she started to take in her surroundings and have fun. Some of my favorite photos from this session are of those where Stella is looking back for me with that smile of hers.
This sweet family moved into their new home only months ago and also welcomed a new baby named Alexandria. In addition to being awesome parents to their son Tommy and now Alex, Tom and Jennifer are also exceptional musicians (they both play trumpet!). Look for Tom the next time you see the L.A. Phil as the principle trumpet player. You'll see Jen all over L.A. too as she teaches and performs throughout the city. You can also learn more about resources for musicians on Jen's site Ask A Performer. Congratulations to this family of four!
This little cutie recently turned one! To help commemorate this milestone, this sweet family had me over to snap a few photos of life at home. Photos at home are quickly becoming my favorites. I love documenting family memories in the space that you love and feel most comfortable in. Here are a few of my favorites from their session!
Lindsay is my dear, dear friend who I first met back in 6th grade! Even though we live in different states now, we keep in touch and try to make a point of see each other whenever the opportunity arises. When Lindsay mentioned that she and her adorable 9 month old son would be in Ojai, I couldn't wait to meet up with them! Oliver came as well and we had a mommy and sons double date taking the boys to the pool and walking around the resort. I'm happy to share some of the images we captured during our fun day together at the beautiful Ojai Valley Inn and Spa!
So excited to have my first family session of the year! Life is busy and kids grow up way too fast so document your family as often as you can. Here are a few of my favorites from our session at Eaton Canyon.
