This vivacious and adventurous family has been with me for over 8 years now. I first met them when the twins were wee little babies. Our first shoot was complete pandemonium and I couldn't help but completely fall in love with Jolene and Peter's fantastic "survival tactics" approach to parenting what with a toddler and newborn twins underfoot. They were true partners in crime and I was then, as I am now, in awe of their relationship - both with each other and with their kids. Jolene really "gets" her girls and honors their unique and individual personalities. I love that about her and it has allowed me to get to really know them over the years. They are so open and true with me. There's no layers of the onion to peel away anymore. This is one of the many advantages of longevity with families over the past decade that I've been doing this and I'm eternally grateful for that honor and privilege. It helps create that magic I talk about all the time. Jolene and I are committed to coming up with fun, exciting new locations every year. I'm always up for the adventure with them and this year brought us to Lands End and the Sutro Baths in San Francisco. We were blessed with a gorgeous - albeit CRAZY windy - day and even though little Sabine had a case of croup, she powered through it like a trooper! My love for this family is hopefully completely apparent as you scroll through these images. They hold a special place in my heart. Jolene & Peter, here's to another successful year under our collective belts! Can't wait for next year!! xoxo
Lucas & Ben
This family always helps me create magic. They are so sweet, loving, authentic, down to earth and playful with each other, they provide me with everything I need to produce genuine and tender imagery that accurately reflects their family dynamic. The last time I saw them it was for Ben's newborn shoot. I had also done Lucas's newborn shoot a few years prior. When I came back for Ben's, I fell head over heels for Lucas's brilliant, musical, precocious, affectionate soul. I was beyond smitten with him and he charmed me beyond words. I was so excited to see how Ben's personality would have evolved over the past 2 years and was delighted to discover that he was just as charming, if not a bit livelier and full of spunk. Lucas, as always, stole my heart. Music plays a big role in their lives so the addition of their guitars was a natural inclusion and I couldn't have possibly enjoyed all the wonderful serenading in the Redwood grove while I photographed them just being themselves. It was a delightful shoot from start to finish and I'm really enjoying watching these boys grow and evolve. Thank you Caroline and Douglas for the privilege and honor of chronicling your family's journey. Much love to all four of you! ENJOY your sneak peek!
Naseem & Aaron
Naseem and I met while dancing together at our much beloved WorldDanz classes under the tutelage of the magnanimous Gina Garcia. If you think Naseem is the most beautiful woman you've ever laid eyes on, you'd be correct, but she is even more beautiful on the inside. And she dances like a sinewy dream. She's just a vision. When she asked me if I would be willing to photograph her small, intimate wedding ceremony with her equally gorgeous fiancé I heartily agreed. Turns out that when she said small and intimate she really meant it. The wedding was held in their backyard and the only people in attendance were the Bride & Groom, the two officiants and myself. The officiants? Our dance teacher Gina and her partner Shane! (along with their adorable pup Galaxy!) I loved this wedding so much I can't even begin to describe how powerful it was to behold such intensity of emotion between two people with absolutely no distractions to take away from the moment. The quiet intimacy of the day allowed for them to get completely lost in each other. The morning was like any other Saturday morning, hitting the Farmer's market together, but with the addition of picking a wedding bouquet while also getting their market goodies. When I showed up at the house they were both totally relaxed, happy and excited to get married but without any of the pressure of worrying about a timeline, other people or vendors. This allowed them to have peaceful moments together leading up to the ceremony as well as during the ceremony where they could just let themselves have the space and time to FEEL the emotions of the significance of this day without being rushed. This allowed them the freedom to just fall into an embrace for as long as they wished. I've got to say that there's something to be said for a small, non traditional marriage ceremony, one where the focus is purely on the love between the two people becoming partners in such an incredibly intimate setting. No distractions. No obligations to anyone else. It was without doubt as beautiful a ceremony as they both are and a huge honor and privilege to have been asked to bear witness to this magical moment. Thank you Naseem & Aaron for trusting me with the delightful task of capturing all these powerful moments on film. I wish you both a lifetime of love, happiness, passion and dancing together. You're an absolute perfect match for each other! xoxoxo
Amy & Dylan
I met Amy about 5 years ago when we first got Kooper and she was my guide in all things Rhodesian Ridgeback. Not only did we become fast friends but our Rhodies did too and we discovered that we had much, much more in common than just the breed of our dogs! HA! Quick wit being one of those things. Amy is a very special person to me, but beyond that, she's just a really amazing person PERIOD. Aside from working hard at her job and taking such great care of Dylan, she also volunteers her time with the Ridgeback Rescue foundation and takes Dylan (who is a certified therapy dog) to the VA hospital with her to make their rounds bringing love and joy to everyone they meet. She's just good people. With a kick ass dog. Their bond may seem unusually strong but anyone who has ever owned a Rhodesian Ridgeback knows that you don't own them as much as they own your heart. It's just the way of the Ridgeback. They become VERY attached to their pack. It's a pretty incredible thing to behold. Amy and I had been talking about doing this shoot for YEARS and stuff was always getting in the way but then the stars aligned and it just happened. She filled in a last minute cancellation I had and VOILA! Serendipity! Amy & Dylan's two favorite things to do are go on hikes (Amy started a ridgeback weekend hiking group recently) and hitting the beach, so NATURALLY we had to incorporate their two favorite activities into the shoot. Actually, their third favorite activity is eating Brie together but I didn't get any pictures of that.... LOL!!!! :)
Amy & Dylan, it's been so wonderful knowing you over the years and I'm so glad you're both in our lives! Kooper and the kids love you too! Thanks for a super fun shoot! LOVE YOU LOTS!!!
Gracie & Daisy
I met Gracie last year a few months before I photographed the breathtakingly beautiful two day wedding renewal extravaganza for her absolutely delightful parents. If you want to see for yourself that I am not exaggerating the incredibleness of that event, feel free to check out my old blog for the slideshow, it truly was that stunning! CLICK HERE
This year the family celebrated the arrival of Daisy, a ridiculously sweet Golden with the most amazing temperament. Needless to say, the whole family adores her, especially Gracie who had been asking for a dog for a good long while!
So, I came by for our annual "date" and grabbed pictures of both Gracie alone and some with Daisy and Gracie loving on each other. Gracie even changed into her much cherished Halloween costume at the end. Kelly and I had to reassure her that this was a Daisy-free part of the shoot so she wouldn't worry about Daisy lovingly jumping up on her and doing any damage to this super special costume! We were under strict orders to keep Daisy at bay! HA!
Gracie is one SPUNKY and whip smart kid. She knows exactly what works for her and what doesn't. Very clear, very self assured, very bright. Basically, right up my alley. We understand each other. :)
Kelly & Wes, a pleasure as always. Thank you for being so good to me, just in general, but also notwithstanding the lovely glass of wine, the fabulous view and great conversation.
ENJOY your sneak peek!
Ava & Bella
This is another family I've been photographing almost since I launched my business 10 years ago. I've really gotten to know these girls and have always been infatuated with their sass and spunk. Over the years the girls have started having much more input on the shoots with me. They are totally invested in the process, they pick the location, they shop with mom for their outfits and during the shoot it's a very collaborative process. I also push these girls a bit and ask more from them than other clients whom I don't know as well because I know what they can do, I know what I can get from them. So, we experiment. They are completely used to my camera all up in their grill and my reflector by my side and any other number of accoutrements that I may bring or use. They are un-phased. So, I take advantage of their comfort with me and my camera and I get to really "play" with them as they are tireless and always enthusiastic about our time together. It always yields wonderful results! This year the girls wanted to go downtown Santa Cruz. It was a miserably foggy and overcast day so the light was NOT my favorite but the girls rocked it out and we gamely wandered around downtown stopping every time we found inspiration. We have already planned out next year's shoot and I cannot wait! Tiffany & Don, thanks for always entrusting your girls images to me. We make a great team! xoxo
Brendan and Claire
Yeah, so there's cute and there's RIDICULOUSLY CUTE OMG ARE YOU FOR REAL?! Well, these two fall into the all caps category of cute. This is my 4th shoot with this adorable and crazy family who stole my heart on our very first meeting. The kids, well, as you will see, they are kinda happy kids... (understatement of the year) and the parents are kinda awesome-sauce. Janice is someone who I would relentlessly stalk to be my new BFF if we lived closer. True story. And she gets my work. She really, truly, deeply understands what I am doing with my art and my approach to family photography. And she loves it, which gives me full creative freedom to do what I do best. At one point I asked them all to sit on a tiny curb against a corner with nothing but ivy behind them and she didn't even blink an eye. I felt the need to explain what I was envisioning and she cut me short saying: "you could ask us to stand in a garbage can and we would do it without reservation Pascale. We trust you, just do you thing." Let me tell you, that is music to the ears of any artist who is commissioned by someone to do such personal and intimate work for them. But part of our magic together is not only that trust and the freedom they give me but the other part of it is that they are just such a fun-loving, easy going and truly happy foursome that you just can't help but revel in their dynamic and interactions. They give me so much to work with. The sibling dynamic is actually SO reminiscent of my two, down to the patient and adoring older brother and the firecracker, spunky comedienne of a little sister, that I just delight in watching their interactions. Have I mentioned how much I love them? Yeah. I had the HARDEST time narrowing down my favorites for the blog sneak peek. I had to edit down from my top 50 images, all of them favorites. I wanted to post every single shot. So here's my hard earned edit of the best of the best. I cannot wait to do this again J & J. xoxoxoxo
An alternative to those dreadful school photos...
If you're anything like me you have always HATED the standard dreadful school pictures you get every year. They never seem to capture your child's real smile or authentic essence. They've got ugly fake palm trees in the background or slightly psychedelic backdrops that make you want mildly nauseous. But that's just me. I'm kinda particular. :)
Would you like an alternative to that??? AHA! Here's your solution. Have me come over and do a mini headshot shoot of your child. It takes about 20 mn. We will use two classy non-vomit inducing backdrops of your choice which also allows for your child to wear two different outfits, if so desired. You also get the digital negatives, that means no "packages" and having to find one that meets your specific and unique needs to satisfy all your extended family. AND, you get the images in both color and B&W. The mini headshot shoots includes post processing and are fully edited without any additional fees. I use a blend of all natural light shots and supplemental light shots. It's pretty much a win-win. I had two such individual child mini headshot shoots this week with two absolutely adorable kids. I also guarantee that you will LOVE your images, not only because I capture your child's REAL smiles, but also because you get 20 images. How can you not love 20 images of your kid??? Thought so. :)
Contact me if you want to do something a little different for your child's school portraits this year. Or want to supplement with some really incredible shots that will stand the test of time. I love kids and they much prefer this process, in the comfort of their home, completely at ease. Here's a sample from this week's shoots. Gorgeous kiddos!
Lest you think I only love girls with freckles.... I also love boys with dimples. I'm equal opportunity in the love department... :)
Cameron & Chloe
I just delight in photographing this family, and not just because Jen is a friend so I enjoy her presence (she's mellow and super sweet and I love her lots) but also because her whole family dynamic is just an absolute pleasure to be around. No false pretenses, just showing up as they are and presenting their true authentic selves to me with nothing but complete trust in me. Jen and Steve have this easy, genuine, affectionate and tender relationship that always makes my heart swell watching them interact. They've been together 15 years and while it shows in how completely at ease with each other they are, and how deeply they love and respect each other, they still have this amazing spark. You all know what I'm talking about, the way two people who are completely crazy about each other look at each other? Yeah, they have that. Totally in sync. It's a really special thing to witness. And they adore their kids and really KNOW Cameron and Chloe and give each child the space, freedom and safety to be their own unique and individual selves. Cameron is very quiet, shy, a perpetual thinker. He's much happier just off exploring on his own. When I look at him, I can see the wheels turning at all times with him absorbing and analyzing all the data the world is presenting him. Chloe is a little fireball of energy, joy and outright spunk. A girlie girl-tomboy hybrid who can climb trees in a fancy dress and sandals with the best of them. Outgoing and exuberant, she was always at the ready in front of my camera. Their sibling dynamic is one of extreme patience and tolerance on Cameron's behalf coupled with an entertaining and engaging little sister who won't let her big brother forget about her as he goes about his analytical day. Basically, they're all adorable and I'm crazy about them. We did the shoot at grandma's house because she has this amazing property with incredible oak trees and this is a very outdoorsy family so they were totally in their element. We wrestled with the fog the entire time with only snippets of good light here and there but lucky for me, their effervescent selves shined brightly! Steve and Jen, enjoy your sneak peek! xoxo
Ellie and Kooper
Our dog Kooper turns 5 next month. Throughout all the turmoil of the past few years, my divorce, all our moving around, and immeasurable stress the kids and I have been through, Kooper has been the greatest source of comfort and stability for my kids. He is, quite frankly, the worlds greatest dog. He is especially bonded to my two kids and has become a therapy dog for them both. Watching their connection reminds me how amazing the power of true, full, authentic, open, unconditional love. There's nothing there but pure love. It's pretty magical. Two nights ago Ellie and I decided we needed some fresh air and "nature therapy" so we took Kooper for a walk. The words of my cherished mentor ("take your camera everywhere") were ringing in my ears so I did something I never do and I loaded myself up with my big ole camera instead of just my iPhone and off we went for a nice walk with Kooper. In the process of our walk I was able to capture images of Ellie and Kooper interacting in the way that they do. Very loving, loyal, playful and tender. Their bond is special. I'm glad I was able to capture it. I also got some killer shots of Ellie but that's always easy because she inspires me to no end and is my absolute favorite muse of all time. I can't help but want to photograph her ALL THE TIME. Sadly, I just usually do it with my iPhone, especially during my busy season. I'm so glad I went outside my comfort zone (physically and mentally) and brought my gear with me on a simple evening walk or I would never have gotten these images. And I know that Ellie will cherish them now and forever. So here's to honoring the bond between canines and their little human companions. It's a beautiful thing.
