Darrin, Jen, Wesli and Luna

There is no greater honor than to have an artist whose work you have absolutely loved and admired ask you to photograph their family.  Truly.  It's just the greatest feeling.  And then you talk to them on the phone and discover that how you want to photograph them is exactly what they want, too.  And then you meet them and it's like rainbows and unicorns and fluffy clouds all over the place because the whole shoot is magic from start to finish.   I completely fell head over heels in love with this family right off the bat.  There was no "first time" warm up needed.  It was instantaneous WHOOP! THERE IT IS!  (I dare you to say that without also singing the song...)

Literally, the only hard part about this shoot was sifting through the images and trying to narrow it down to "favorites."  Kind of hard when you have a billion favorites.  So, this might be the longest blog post sneak peek I have ever posted - and it may take several minutes to even load all the images, so I apologize for that!  Be patient, it's worth it.

Darrin and Jen, I don't even know what to say.   Your kids are just incredible: warm, engaging, creative, delightful, and utterly charming.   The playfulness, affection, love, tenderness, and intense bond you all have for each other was absolutely heart warming and totally endearing to behold.   It was a pleasure and an honor to spend a few hours with you capturing these images.   It was a dream shoot for me and I hope you love the results!  xoxo  

Kyla

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing this gorgeous young lady for her senior pics.  I know her mama, an equally lovely and beautiful lady, and was thrilled when she told me her daughter wanted me to do her official senior pics.  Kyla picked the location along with a series of absolutely perfectly chosen outfits to match her personality and vibe.  She couldn't have been easier to photograph, with a smile that could light up the entire Western Hemisphere!   It was a slightly foggy day on the coast but luckily still had enough light directionality and warmth of tone to yield beautiful images of this smart, poised, accomplished young lady!  A real joy to spend time with her and her family!   ENJOY the sneak peek, Kyla & Carmen!! xoxo 

Kenzie and Bodi!

I have become so attached to this family.  I get to see them at least twice a year and have been photographing them since Elisa was pregnant for the first time.  It's been a remarkable journey marked with memorable shoots and so much adventure!  Elisa always picks a new, fun location and SUPER bright and bold outfits to match their vibrant personalities.  She loves color as much as I do and doesn't shy away from making a statement!   They are always full of spunk and laughter and everyone was particularly giggly and playful on this shoot.  We were blessed with INCREDIBLE weather at a super fun location and it was just a spectacular shoot from start to finish.  I delight in watching Kenzie and Bodi grow and evolve, and watching their sibling dynamic ebb and flow.  They were really close buddies on this particular shoot, very much in sync with each other, very close in spirit, and I just loved watching that brother-sister dynamic.  They seemed to me to have their own secret little language this time, like I frequently see with twins that I photograph, as though they are partners in crime, Bonnie and Hyde, looking to outwit, outsmart and outplay all us grown ups.  I had a ridiculous amount of fabulous images to choose from and had a really hard time narrowing it down for the blog.  Hopefully this small sampling gives you an idea as to how much fun we had!

Elisa & Peter, thank you for valuing my work so much, for trusting me so implicitly every single time, for letting me do my thing and for understanding the "eye" and the heart/soul that I put into every photo shoot.  It's so nice to have clients/friends who "get" what I do and appreciate it as much as you do.  I absolutely love you guys! xoxo

The real life Energizer Bunny!

This fabulous family came to me through a recommendation from dear clients of mine and it's always such a treat to meet new families!  Kristen had "warned" me that her lively boy did not like having his picture taken or not being in motion at all times and I told her not to fret because I was the reincarnation of the Energizer Bunny myself and could handle any degree of highly active child.  In fact, spirited kids is kind of my specialty.  Well, Aaron stole the title of Energizer Bunny from me but I still think I managed to keep up with him!  He was definitely in CONSTANT motion from start to finish!  It was so wonderful to behold his parents so completely in sync with his needs and allowing him the freedom to be his spirited, inquisitive, active self while also providing healthy boundaries and limits.  They really "get" their boy and know how best to meet his needs.  Aaron is clearly very secure in his parents love and a very, very, very, happy and bubbly kid!  Full of spunk and vitality!!  At one point near the end of the shoot I could tell he was starting to "perform" for his parents (which happens A LOT with kids this age and they get all wound up) so I (with their permission of course) sent mom and dad on a short walk and spent some brief 1 on 1 time with Aaron which yielded some much more connected, calmer, soulful images of him.  It was very rewarding to be able to see all sides of his personality and capture them for posterity's sake.   It's much harder to get those kinds of images with kids who just want to GO GO GO!  So, it was a treat to get 5 minutes alone with him and have him concentrate on our newfound connection and bond.  I love when I can get that from new families I've never met before, a real treat for me as a photographer.   In all, it was a very high energy and fun shoot and I slept really well that night... lol!!!! :)

To the T. Family, it was a pleasure meeting you!!  ENJOY YOUR IMAGES!!!

Emry

The story about how I met Delphina is a pretty great one, all about two ladies out walking their awesome (no bias) dogs and one of them (me) getting all excited about this fabulously pregnant mama (her) walking towards me with her ridiculously cute dog.  As is the norm with me, I struck up a conversation with Delphina and we just chatted and chatted!  Next thing I knew I was taking pictures of her newborn Jace along with her and her wife Jennifer.  Two years and two shoots later I just had the honor and privilege of photographing the latest addition to the family, little Emry, who looks EXACTLY like her big brother did at the same age, except with little delicate girl features.   She even has the matching dimples which they both got from Jennifer!  

I just adore this family so much!  They love babies and dogs and surfing and the great outdoors and family and love and laughing and basically everything I love too!  Our sessions are always full of love and laughter, the two essential components to a happy family life.   And it just fills my heart with so much joy to see how deeply happy and fulfilled they are and how wonderful their little family unit is.  They were even blessed with Grandma's presence to help ease the transition from one kid to two and we all know how big of a help Grandma's are!   She was invaluable during the shoot, especially since little Emry was quite particular about NOT being away from the boob, NOT being asleep,  and NOT being naked and NOT being not held! HA!  She definitely is a girl who knows what she likes!  None of the usual tricks were working, she had our numbers dialed.  So, we ebbed and flowed and tag teamed and it was a perfect display of the chaos, compromises, shifting of gears, and teamwork required when it comes to life with kids.  And they handled it effortlessly and with a wicked sense of humor throughout.    Like I said, my kind of peeps.  :)

Delphina & Jennifer, I'm so glad to be able to chronicle your family's journey!  Can't wait to watch Jace and Emry grow up! xoxo

Aliya The Ballerina

I've been working on some marketing materials to promote my dance photography and in the course of putting it all together I realized I had amazing content for adult dancers but very little in the scope of young dancers, which is a group I really want to work with more.  So in my effort to promote my alternative to the usual, standard, boring, kitschy backdrop and artificial lighting that is offered in the realm of child dance photography imagery, I decided to "kidnap" a friend's daughter who is a classically trained (ballet), breathtakingly talented and beautiful dancer.   I specifically wanted a well trained ballerina because the biggest complaint I have heard from parents who have had their dancers photographed professionally (besides the sterile and phony studio settings/backdrops) is that the photographer had absolutely no dance education/know how, resulting in imagery that didn't capture their child in the proper poses.  When it comes to dance, the smallest shifts are critically important, most especially in ballet.  The legs have to be straight on pointe with nary the slightest bend in the knees, no gaps between the legs, sharp and tight, the foot completely perpendicular and angled properly, arms and hands in the precise spot they belong, etc...  There's a laundry list of small details that anyone who doesn't practice or have intimate knowledge of these subtleties would certainly miss and not know the exact optimal moment when the picture should be taken.  Timing is critical in all photography but even mores in dance photography.   I think my organic and authentic approach to dance portraits coupled with my know-how/education means I can offer something really special and unique to dancers out there, both young and adult.  So, this shoot was focused far more on the technical perfection required in ballet rather than the emotive and visceral dancing images I took a few weeks ago of my friend Kia.  (which can be viewed HERE) 

Miss Aliya is a little powerhouse.  Full of spunk, fire, talent, grace and persistence.  She is an absolute joy and delight to not only watch dance but just to be around.  She's one of the best little huggers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing too.   It's amazing how wonderful a power hug from a little force of nature can feel like!  

Thank you Rena for all your guidance during the shoot and for lending me your beautiful little ballerina.  She was SPECTACULAR!  xoxoxox

Peyton

I almost titled this: Future International Top Model Peyton.    I've had the privilege of getting to watch this self assured young lady grow up over the years and become particularly close to her over the past few months so I've gotten to really know her and her vibrant mind on a deeper level and let me assure you that her stunning looks are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to everything this smart, witty, sweet and charming teen has going for her.    I'm not really sure which one of us was more excited about this shoot seeing as we both SQUEALED and clapped rather excitedly when I picked her up for it.    As you'll see, Peyton is a complete natural in front of the camera.  I could not have possibly enjoyed photographing her more.  We completely lost track of time, both of us totally in the zone and LOVING every minute of it.   The bond we've developed over the past few months clearly evident alongside her total comfort and ease in front of the camera.  She understood everything I asked of her and seamlessly executed it, adding her own flair to everything and infusing each image with her own Peyton magic.   It was all around awesome-sauce.  :)

Keep your eyes peeled for this one, she's got a very bright future in whatever she decides to do with her life.  I will be enthusiastically cheering her on from the sidelines!  Love you, Peyton!

Kia - Portrait of a Dancer

I met Kia almost two years ago when I attended my first "real" dance class taught by our mutual "guru" Gina Garcia, the mega talented force behind the WorlDanz approach to community dance and fitness.  I was supremely intimidated coming into the class, with a bad "jacked" ankle handicap and absolutely zero formal dance training whatsoever other than a few zumba classes here and there. I remember Kia's beautiful, warm and welcoming smile on that first day and knew I would be ok surrounded by all these brilliant dancers.  Kia was going through Gina's intensive Dance Instructor training at the time and I always managed to position myself directly behind her in class because I just LOVED how her body moved.  I called her my "rabbit", like a greyhound determined to catch her prey, I was determined to one day be able to keep up with her.   And even though I am now going through the Dance Instructor training myself, I'm still a long, long, long ways away but still always chasing that dream.... :)

Kia is a naturally gifted dancer.  She just makes it look so easy and seamless.  She also trains HARD lest you think she got that body (after 4 kids no less!!!) by just sitting around... HA!  She's an absolute delight to watch dance and a complete joy to be around.  She's become a dear friend and I pretty much adore her.  I was thrilled to do this shoot with her as I've been wanting to photograph her for a very long time.   She admitted to being extremely camera shy but that did not remotely affect the images because the images were not about her "posing" for me, they were about me capturing her doing her thing.  That's the point.

I was blessed a year ago with the opportunity to photograph our mentor Gina and the results of that shoot can be viewed HERE.   The more immersed I get in this dance world the more I am excited to merge my two passions.  In that goal, I have noticed that there is a complete lack of options for serious dance students to have the kind of fine art imagery that I am drawn to.   What I've seen is very much studio based work with fake backdrops and overly smiley jazz hands poses.  I want to explore and offer other options.  I think many teenagers/young adults and all devoted dancers could potentially be seeking something with more depth, more layers, more emotion, more REALNESS.  

Dance is one of the most beautiful but also guttural forms of artistic expression.  At its very best, is is downright RAW.  It is grounded and explosive all at the same time.  It speaks volumes without saying a word.  Capturing that rawness requires not only the right space, the right music, but also a photographer trained and knowledgeable in dance, one who understands the precise timing and positioning that yields the best images.   Someone as passionate about dance as the dancers themselves.

I'm hoping to fill that void by being able to provide custom dance photography which not only perfectly captures the beautiful dance movements and extreme athleticism of the dancers but also accurately reflects their own unique personalities.  Each dancer brings their own essence to their dance, their own style which emanates from their individual personalities.  This is is what I seek in what I do because it's what I see.

To all you devoted dancers out there, I cannot wait to create some beautiful art together!

Forest child o' mine

My girl and I had a rare non-frenzied hour to kill while her older brother was at his swim team practice and we decided to walk down to a wooded area by the pool and do a quick little photo shoot together.   It's my slower season right now so I'm not pulling all nighters editing client images and have a little more downtime to do more personal shoots.  I've got another personal project planned for tomorrow which I'm very excited about.  It's good for artists to have that time and space to just "play."  This isn't to say I'm sitting around eating bonbons and watching daytime TV though!  I am actually busier than ever, getting ready to go back to school, studying to take the CBEST, doing a variety of other jobs, attending advanced training, creating marketing materials and updating my website and forms, and of course raising two children as a single mom.   Slow season for me just means less commissioned work!  

Back to the shoot.  Ellie has always been my "Forest Fairy" child.  She loves the forest, loves the trees, was always hugging them as a toddler (she still does from time to time), and just marveling at them.  Luckily for us, there is no shortage of gorgeous and majestic trees out here and we go hiking with our pup at least once a week together to soak in that magical healing energy of the forest.   As is always the case with Ellie now, I do not pose her anymore.  I pick the location, the lighting and a general "space" for her to be in with a few pointers as to where the light is coming from and directionality etc... but she does all her own body mechanics.  I don't want to call it posing per se.  I basically just let her be.  She moves and talks and twirls and touches and stretches and I offer encouragement but mostly we just breathe in the shared solitude.  It's a happy place for both of us and we will frequently laugh at some of her more ridiculous poses and when she hits a dynamic look that really works for me, I will ask her to just hold it for a moment.  

I shoot almost continuously with her because she moves SO MUCH and SO FAST.  You'd think, judging by the solemn nature of these images, that she was just a sad little child moving at a snail's pace throughout this shoot but I can assure you that this kid is so full of vibrant energy and life and spunk!  When the camera comes out though, she taps into the deeper and more layered parts of herself.  She settles down.  She locks eyes with me.   It becomes our own little language that we are speaking to each other, as oftentimes completely silently as not.  We don't need to say much, it's all understood.   I joked with Ellie about how she is going to remember her childhood based on all these more Fine Art based shoots of her over the past couple years where there are few smiles, and is she going to think her childhood was totally depressing based on these images, and she just laughed at me telling me I was the one who was going to lose my memory long before her so I should be more worried about how I am going to remember her childhood.   Thanks, kid.  :)

My Muse

My sweet, tenacious girl.  She has always, and always will be, my muse.   A couple days ago, I walked past her and observed her lying on her back, by the living room window, lost in a pensive and somewhat solemn state.   I was struck by the intensity of her spirit in that moment.  I could feel it in a very tangible way.  Moved by how she packs that big, powerful personality in that tiny, little body.  She and I have both been struggling with a fair amount of emotional upheaval and stress lately.  Most of the time, we have retreated into each other for comfort and other times we have butted heads with such ferocity you'd think we were imitating two Bull Elks.   She is needing quite a bit of mama love and nurturing these days and as you know sometimes children have a funny way of expressing that need for love by doing things that push their parents' buttons every which way possible.   Ironic, yes.  Yet, it's at those times when I most want to discipline her or reign in her fury that I am finding she mostly just needs a hug.   It's hard for me to always recognize that, when I'm caught up in the throes of my own responses to her throwing down the gauntlet.  But I'm trying.   It's a tricky age and life is giving us a good run for our money right now in addition to everything else.   My sole purpose on this planet though is to give my kids the stability and security they need and deserve, no matter what tornado is raging outside.  I need to be their "basement".   It's a matter of trust.  Even more than love.   And trust is what transforms average portraits into meaningful work.