April and her crazy family!

I've known April a while.  I really dig her.   I'm super close friends with her sister Noelle whom I met years ago at a dog park where our puppies played together while we commiserated about how dog parks were the Bermuda Triangle of common sense.   Needless to say, we instantly hit it off.  And also stopped going to dog parks.  :)

April and Noelle are both ridiculously smart, relentlessly driven, and totally hilarious.  I'm immeasurably fond of both of them.  I knew the shoot would be a blast but I cannot even tell you how many times I nearly peed my pants.   It started off innocuously enough with us shooting the first half of the shoot in April's favorite alleyway in town which houses her "favorite door in all of Santa Cruz."     A couple days prior to the shoot, April texted me that she had (allegedly) lost the attachment I had sent her with all the info on clothing do's and don't's.  She asked for a quick text about what they should definitely NOT wear.   I sent her a speedy reply, partly in jest, about not wearing any crazy Hawaiian shirts, santa hats, or bringing any ridiculous props.  

They show up for the shoot looking all dapper (much to my surprise as I was expecting her to play some trick on me) and we get the first half of the shoot done with a minimal amount of craziness.  Well, there was that one moment where I tried to give them some direction on how to loosen their bodies with a little trick I do and they totally misinterpreted me and all started doing the robot dance simultaneously.... but yeah, for the most part it was smooth sailing.

Then we drive to the second location and they all get out of their car wearing loud Hawaiian shirts, santa hats, plastic swords, light sabers and carrying nerf guns.     They clearly thought they had won some little power struggle with me but OH NO APRIL GRADY, two can play at this game missy... So, naturally, I go and find the most obnoxiously large fallen tree trunk and make them all straddle it in and lean on each other and do the "train" and the whole shebang.   If they want to bring the Awkward Family Photos vibe, I will raise them one and beat them at their own game.  So, yeah, we went FULL TILT on the super awkward.  Which means, you know, in the end, I totally won that round.... lol!   Neener neener!   And just because those shots are SOOO incredibly funny, I have included a few at the end but I will have to add a disclaimer that this is NOT the type of photography I actually take lest anyone get the wrong idea!!!

We finished off the rest of the shoot in NORMAL attire and I was even able to bring them to a grove of what we called Tim Burton Trees, just really kind of creepy and gorgeous and awesome-sauce trees with stunning backlighting that I knew April would love (she did!) and which rocked my world too.  So, in the end, we both won.  :)

OK I need to reiterate that the pictures BELOW are NOT representative of the types of images I take!  I need to find a way to highlight this disclaimer, underline it a few times and maybe make the font gargantuan or something.... :)

Garrett & Madelyn & their amazing mom.

Deardra and I met years ago and instantly hit it off.  We never had much free time to hang out  due to life getting in the way but we did a photo shoot together a few years back and it was a really special thing for both of us.   Since that photo shoot life pretty much got really intense for both of us and we came full circle and reconnected recently.    Deardra is just one of those amazing woman you can't help but hold in the highest esteem and admiration.   She is resilient, steadfast, determined, strong and deeply invested in making the most out every speed bump she encounters in life.  Her daughter Madelyn has Rett Syndrome and while most people would crumble under the pressure and stress associated with this, she makes it look seamless, not to mention while also juggling being a full time single working parent.  She puts the rest of us to shame with her multi tasking and can-do attitude, let's just put it that way.    You can learn more about Rett Syndrome by clicking HERE.  It is sorely under funded and the full potential of those born with this neurological condition is very misunderstood.   Deardra was just recently able to obtain a special computer for Madelyn that could potentially provide Madelyn with a key to communication and expanding her world as she knows it.   Technology is a wonderful thing!   It was super special for me to see Madelyn and Garrett again after all these years.  Garrett was exactly as tall as me now which, you know, GAH.  Not cool, dude.   Teenage boys tend to be such an enigma for most photographers but I just love this age and revel in watching the transformation as they warm up to me.  It's neat-o.  :)

Deardra, I adore you and your family and am so glad we did this long overdue photo shoot.  I have high hopes for Madelyn's computer and am so proud of you for always being such a staunch advocate for her despite the innate setbacks and challenges.  You're an incredible mom and human being.  Love you lots!  

Adventures with IN CAMERA double exposure.

20 years ago when I started experimenting in earnest with various photography techniques, and this was back in the "old days" of film mind you, I developed an affinity for double exposure imagery.   I eventually outgrew that stage and focused on other styles and techniques.   A month ago, though, I saw a double exposure image that really grabbed my attention and re-invigorated my lust for the medium.   I did some research to learn how to merge files in photoshop to create that double exposure look and found it to be a rather convoluted process requiring hours of experimenting and layers upon layers of editing work.  I was quickly disillusioned and longed for my old film cameras... only to discover by a fluke you tube video that my Canon 5D Mark iii actually has a function allowing me to create double exposure images DIRECTLY IN CAMERA on the spot.   EUREKA!!!  I loved that this was essentially the same thing as how I used to do it with film, requiring two images to be taken immediately one after the other with all the exposures and composition and lighting etc.. to be figured out on the spot at that exact moment.  This was far more appealing to me, especially since I create better under pressure.   I watched several instructional videos to get some tips and tricks and get  my head in the game and then today I took my daughter out into our backyard to practice what I had learned.   Turns out, it's not quite as simple as I thought....  Understanding how the camera merges the files (and there are four different ways to make that happen) and how to compose/frame each shot stacked on top of each other and calculate the exact precise exposure to yield the most attractive result is actually not simple at all!   I was blessed with a VERY patient model who allowed me take after take after take after take.... a continuous string of epic failures... Two hours later I had only 6 images I liked... so needless to say this will take far more practice for me to feel adept enough to incorporate it into my client shoots, but I'm excited about the idea of creating a new artistic style for my clients as an "extra" in their shoots if they are as attracted to the look as I am.    Here are the final 6 shots (plus a simple B&W of my love bug because she's so darn photogenic) all taken in my backyard with limited scope of material and yet I am really delighted with this first run because I know I can become INFINITELY better than this mediocre attempt... I can just FEEL the endless possibilities!  ENJOY!

Happy New Year!!!

2014 was a most eventful year. More major transitions and challenging obstacles than I could even keep count of. And so many "feels".. Oh the feels... And yet, while it managed to provide some of my lowest low's it also graced me with some of my most meaningful connections, genuine interactions and deeply emotional moments. It was a year of tremendous personal growth and hard-earned clarity. As I continue to evolve as a human being, a mother, a photographer, a friend, etc. I ease further and deeper into a place of complete authenticity, vulnerability & openness. I still don't know how to make this working artist single parent thing actually work in a sustainable long term way but somehow I miraculously keep pulling it off.  Pretty much exclusively thanks to those remarkable devoted souls who keep hiring me year after year in addition to the generosity of my beloved friends and family who are always looking out for me.  I have had to lean on my friends/family more this year than ever before and in this humbling process I have gained such an incredible degree of appreciation and gratitude for the immeasurable power of love.  In all its varied forms.   Ultimately, life is both good and hard.  And it's equally magnanimously beautiful both when it's good and when it's hard because what you gain from the experiences in both of those extremes is absolutely invaluable. The more "hard" I experience the more nuanced, perceptive, sensitive and layered my soul becomes and in turn, I become a better person - and a better photographer.  
I want to wish you all a 2015 filled with depth, meaningful connections, love, unbridled joy, stolen moments, clarity of purpose, random acts of kindness, fulfilling work and exciting adventures.   May it all be hard and good.  

P.S.  Every year, in lieu of sending out holiday cards, I create these retrospective slideshows for my close family and mostly for my kids, who revel is watching their "special annual slideshows" from years past.    I tend to only reveal the best of the best in these slideshows, there's no mention of hour long meltdowns and tantrums or emotional heartbreak and physical pain from injuries/surgeries/ailments etc...  I keep it light, but it is still a good representation of our lives in our nutty little family unit.  If you are so inclined, you are welcome to watch it, my kids are kind of cuckoo for cocoa puffs so be prepared for some wackiness...  Password to view is:  happyholidays

HUGE thank you to all my clients who single handedly sustain me and make it possible for me to provide for my children doing a job I could not possibly love more.   I continuously strive to create for you the kind of artwork and memories that will stand the test of time and consistently make your hearts flutter years from now when you look back on the magic we create together.   Much love to you all.  xoxoxo

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW

Quinn, Reilly & Tyler

This family and I just celebrated a decade of shoots together.  I'm still absorbing that!  They were my very first "real" clients (i.e.: not a friend or family member hiring me) when I launched my business ten years ago. We have grown incredibly close over the years, my children as well, and I just absolutely adore them.  I've had the privilege of being able to chronicle their family's journey since the birth of their first born and the subsequent addition of two more siblings into the mix.   It's been a wild ride!  They've been marvelous friends to me and incredibly helpful and supportive as I've navigated through some challenging times the past few years.  I'm deeply attached to their kids whom I feel I know almost as well as my own and who are always as excited to see me as I am to see them.   They're very active and spirited kids so there's not much sitting still going on but the inherent joy in this is that I get their real selves, wild and crazy and full of spunk and life.  There's no pretense.  Just silly, exuberant and fun, which is how I like things!   I've literally watched these kids grow up, both while photographing them and also just hanging out.  Have I already mentioned how much I adore them?   As a side note, the pictures of the three siblings together were so cute and special to me because they were initially just supposed to be shots of Tyler alone but Quinn and Reilly swooped in and made a little Tyler sandwich!  They were like little bookends for Tyler, which works so well metaphorically too.  They love her and support her and encourage her every conceivable way.   If you'd like to know more about just how special this family is you can read last year's blog post HERE but rest assured, they are just the most incredible example of love and teamwork and perseverance that I have ever witnessed.  They pretty much rock.  I wuv them.   Dakota (the sweetest, calmest, most gentle dog on the planet) even made an appearance this year since we did the shoot at their new house!    Tara & Bryan, here's your sneak peek, super hard to narrow it down but you'll get them all soon enough!  xoxo

Kenzi & Bodi

The weather has been SO not California like for my last few shoots!  BOOOO!  On the day of this shoot it was dark, foggy and BLAH BLAH BLAH.   Luckily, my clients showed up and they were BLING BLING BLING!  Ha!  All glittery and shiny and sparkly!!!  I knew everything was going to be A OK!  Plus Elisa brought a ton of props for the kids which we incorporated throughout the shoot.   I've been photographing Kenzi and Bodi since Kenzi was in utero and I get to see them twice a year so needless to say I am quite fond of them and deeply attached to the whole family.  Kenzi and Bodi have a very affectionate sibling bond and are always kissing and cuddling, which is especially adorable because they have the post puckering lips I have ever seen.   It's just crazy cute!    The light might have been dreary (requiring lots of supplemental light and reflector work) but the shoot itself was anything but!  Smiles and giggles throughout!   Elisa & Peter,  thanks for making the most of this yucky weather and hanging out with me!  I love you guys so much! xoxo

Laila & Ricky

This is only my second year photographing this fantastic family but I'm already so attached to them!  These kids are just RIDICULOUSLY cute! I mean, they throw the cute meter way off the charts.  Laila has this little scrunchy nose smile that kills me every time and Ricky has these awesome dimples on his upper cheeks that only show up when he's smiling his real smile.  So, you KNOW I love seeing those!   Plus, as an added bonus, mom and dad are pretty darn awesome sauce too! HA!  Mom has a great sense of style and dad is so sweet and so proud of his beautiful family.  They're just a complete joy and delight to photograph and I always look forward to our session.   I was admittedly totally bummed out about the dreary, drizzly, dark, foggy weather (not my favorite light to work with to say the least) but when they showed up - all of them happy smiles from ear to ear - I perked right up!  They were all the sunshine I needed!   Magaly and Rafael, thank you so much for spending your afternoon with me and letting me capture these memories! I adore you family and hope you enjoy your sneak peek!  Much love!

Maggie, Connor & Charlotte

I've been photographing this family since their eldest was a wee baby.  It's been a very long relationship and an absolute commitment on their part because they moved away several years ago but they always come back to the Bay Area every year for Thanksgiving and we basically have a standing date that week to keep up our annual tradition.  It absolutely means the world to me that they keep squeezing me into their short visit and that I get to keep chronicling their journey as a family.   These kids are just THE CUTEST!  Between Connor's two missing front teeth, Maggie's freckles and Char-bear's absolutely infectious smile and spunk....  A photographer's delight!

It rained for several days prior to our shoot and it POURED the day after our shoot.  How we got so lucky with the weather on our shoot date is an absolute miracle but a blessing we all were supremely grateful for!   

The kids were having a blast running around and we basically just played and interacted and romped around and took pictures.  I got to joke around with mom & dad who both have wonderful senses of humor and it was all just a jolly old time.  Until, that is, the very very very end when we were trying to get pictures of Annelys with her kids and Connor decided he was just NOT going to smile for the camera.  But, of course, I'm completely irresistible so you can see him trying his DARNDEST not to fall for my tricks, to no avail.   That facial expression at the end just slays me.  He is trying soooooo hard to resist my charms.... lol!!!  

Annelys & John, I hope you love your sneak peek! Can't wait til next year! xoxoxo

Mama Michelle & her brood

The story behind how Michelle and I became acquainted has a painfully sad story attached to it so to save you all, (and both of us) from the guaranteed onslaught of tears, I'm going to stay focused on the joy that is a certain Miss Michelle.    Michelle had been thinking about doing this shoot with me for YEARS.  Like, for reals.  YEARS.  And it just finally serendipitously happened.  Her two oldest (college kids) were in town for Thanksgiving, her adorable 13 year old daughter at the perfect crossroads age for some beautiful images, her three dogs and her brooding husband.... lol!!!  Oh dear, I had so much fun with him!  You know how you generally just kind of know what you can and cannot get away with with strangers?  Well, I sort of pushed all the normal boundaries on that completely out the window.  Poor guy.  What a fun group this was!  They let me torture their dad, and they completely indulged all my crazy requests.   At one point I had them tramping through a muddy swampland of sorts (all of them barefoot no less) and as we are making our way deeper into the abyss dad deadpans: "and this is where she robs and kills us.... she looked so innocent..."  Yeah, it was that kind of shoot.  All of them were fantastic in their own special way but I'll admit to being partial to Mateo's brilliant quick wit, Sophia's quiet "fly under the radar" charm and of course Michelle's intensely effervescent personality.  That woman's smile could light up the entire universe.   I'm so used to dealing with really little kids that I have to get into a totally different groove with practically all adults type of family shoots.   The dogs made sure that we weren't without at least SOME degree of pandemonium.  Thanks, pups, I knew I could count on you. :)

Michelle, I hope you LOVE these and it was worth the wait!  I am so delighted we finally got to hug in person and I'm so happy we were able to do this for you.  xoxoxoxo

Manuela, Gabriella & Nico

This time of year my schedule is completely booked up with long time clients who have booked me nearly a year in advance so it's a rarity to be able to squeeze in a new client but I had a client who needed to reschedule their date due to a family emergency and I was able to get this family in (switch dates) and I'm SOOOOOO glad it worked out!  First of all, they were SUCH troopers because they'd gotten very little sleep the night prior and yet everyone showed up with bright smiles and an incredibly positive attitude, which naturally permeated the entire shoot.   Second of all, you know how you meet some people and you decide within about 2.1 NANOSECONDS that you absolutely adore them? Yeah. That's how this all went down.  Normally, 3 kids 5 and under means you're pretty ready for just about anything but the entire shoot was SMOOTH sailing!  These kids were just 100% happy, spunky, cooperative, whip smart, playful and clearly deeply loved by their completely devoted parents.   The whole family dynamic was delightful, so real and genuine, easygoing and mellow, loving and tender.  I just completely fell in love with them.   It had rained the entire day prior but the day of our shoot was beyond GORGEOUS, which was only outmatched by their beautiful smiles.  At one point the "diva" of the family (we won't name names...) decided that she didn't want her shoes to get wet walking through the wet grass.   She didn't whine or complain, she just quietly dug through mom's bag, found two paper bags and put her feet in them to walk around.  How can you not love that!?!?!  *swoon*   I had a hard time narrowing it down for the blog post but here's a few favorites!

Andy & Isabela, THANK YOU for being so wonderful!  I hope you LOVE this sneak peek!