*of love and thanks*

I love that I get the chance to meet all different sorts of people. I love that I get to hear their stories and really get to KNOW them. I love that they are able to let their guard down and allow me to see their real emotions. And I love that they trust me to capture these special moments for them in imagery. I love that people gift me with this opportunity. And in return, I love gifting people with a glimpse into the beautiful love and lives that they possess.

As I'm still wrapping my head around the craziness of my recent trip to Las Vegas for the photography convention, I just wanted to take this moment to thank all of my fans and clients (past, present and future)... thank you for sharing the passion for what I do. Thank you for allowing me into your lives, if even for those brief moments, to capture a piece of your joy & beauty.

My life simply wouldn't be the same without all of you.

sneak peek: Field of Dreams

In celebration of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share just a glimpse of this modern day love story with a vintage photographic twist. Theirs a love story 12 years in the making.

Full story of Duy & Grace (and many more photos from their session) to come soon.

In the meantime, please help them out by leaving a comment below. If this blog post gets 20+ comments, Duy & Grace will receive a bonus 8"x10" print of their choice!

Want to see even more? Sneak a peek at a few more of their images before they get posted here... iPhone, iPad and Android users can download this app from their mobile device to see more images from this session. (Yes, a custom app! Now a part of my digital package... click here for more details.)

boy and girl

During the family portrait session, Jen's parents had taken their granddaughter a short distance away, leaving just Jeff + Jen left standing on the shore. And I could have watched them for hours.

Jen + Jeff... Jeff + Jen.

Suddenly, it was as if they were in their own little world. Relaxed & comfortable in one another's presence. Sharing looks, gestures and touches that were probably so familiar to one another.  The way her body curved towards his. And the way his hand reached towards her in response. It was magical.

And they probably had no idea they were doing any of that.

I have to admit, I fell in love with that moment a little bit. I love getting the opportunity to celebrate the couple within the family, and to see their relationship unfold before my eyes. To be able to see that they are not just mom and dad, but husband and wife...

and still just a boy and a girl.

Matt + Jess {2011 fall mini-session}

Jessica is super-duper awesome! We originally met through the OC SMARTY group, where she quickly became one of the head-honchos. She also runs her own ah-MAZE-ing interior design company. In a nutshell, this girl is fabulous! So it was a total honor when she signed up for one of my mini-sessions. And I felt even more honored that I got to see this other (more personal) side of her.

At the mini-session, I had the chance to meet her husband Matt and fur-babies Chloe & Lola. And then we played. And I found myself smiling a LOT.

Jessica was a complete crack-up, while Matt (more than used to her crazy ways), would smile and shake his head a bit. It was endearing to watch the two of them interact... full of inside jokes and little gestures that were theirs alone.  Because that's what happens when you're together as long as they've been... and you're family. It's as if you have your own language. And I'm happy that they shared it with me for a little while.

Here are a few of my favorite images captured along the way:

I love that Chloe & Lola were part of the shoot. Because anyone who has dogs knows that they're not mere pets... they're family.

To see more from their session, click here.

And for anyone who might be interested in a mini-session of their own, I'm putting together another round of mini-sessions in November!!! To be the first to be notified of all the details and have the FIRST opportunity to reserve your spot, make sure to sign up to receive my e-newletter by signing up in the sidebar to the right (under "Newsletter").

location spotlight: Balboa Beach

When you think of taking portraits by the beach, you probably picture the sand, surf and sunset. But the beach is sooooo much more than that. One of my favorite locations to shoot at is the Balboa Beach area. From the wood paneled buildings to the brick walls and painted murals, there are plenty of places to give you a variety of backdrops for your pictures. Let me show you how...

It starts with a walk on the pier, where we can grab some amazing pictures of the sky and water, and incorporate the wooden texture.

Next, we'll wander the area and explore the various walkways and alleyways, which are FULL of awesome textures (which make fabulous backgrounds).

If you're up for a stroll, I like to then head over to the boardwalk area. We can even stop for a snack at the Candy Shop or Ice Cream Parlor. I just found out that the carousel is no longer there, but the ferris wheel is still available, and makes for some FABULOUS (and colorful) pictures.

If you've got small tykes, this might be a good time for a play-break... 5-10 minutes on the jungle gym keeps the little ones' energy from getting out of control before we move onto the next set of shots.

And finally... we move to the surf & sand. I always save these pictures for last, just in case anyone gets too close to the water.

Finish up with a walk along the beach, and the glow of the sunset upon your face!

Three tips to make the most of this location:

1. Bring a towel/change of clothes for after your session, in case the waves get too close!  
2. Be prepared to walk a bit, to utilize all this area has to offer.
3. For some extra fun, bring some beach toys. Let's build some sandcastles. Let's fly a kite. Or sit on your favorite beach blanket and strum on your guitar. Let's play!

Wardrobe for this location:

1. COLOR! The beach itself can sometimes seem a bit drab, so let's dress things up a bit with a POP of color when we can.
2. Lots of layers. This lets you achieve several looks without the hassle of an actual outfit change. You can start by looking dressy and peel off a layer or two for a more casual look by the time you hit the sand.
3. Make sure to wear clothes you can MOVE in. For the best photos possible, make sure you not only LOOK good, but are comfortable in your clothes. We'll be sitting, standing, jumping, and moving around quite a bit. And what's a trip to the beach without bringing a bit of the sand home with you?

Summer might officially be over, but it certainly doesn't feel like it here in sunny Southern California. Take advantage of the sun (and make distant relatives just a weeeee bit jealous). Book a session with me and show off your beach pictures with some new holiday cards! Check out the 2011 holiday card designs here.

Jack & Georgina {beloved session}

I am SO incredibly excited to be able to finally share this here with you all. These are images of my first Beloved Session, and I couldn't have asked for any better muses to start with. {...just a quick reminder... Beloved Sessions are a new offering of mine. Think of a Beloved Session as an actual experience... with the pictures being the souvenir... They take my standard portrait sessions up a notch with more play, intimacy and even less posing. In fact, I am actually proud to say that I didn't pose even ONE of the images during this session; this was all authentically them.}

Georgina was the winner of my Beloved Session giveaway, and was so very excited. Jack, her husband, was there to support Georgina and give her the pictures she wanted. As he laughingly told me before we began, "I'm a prop. Put me wherever you'd like." I smiled and told him it would be a lot more interactive than that...

The session took place at one of my favorite locations in Irvine. We carved out a nook in the tall blossoms, and it felt like our own little flower cave. Other people occasionally passed us by (including hikers, as well as other photographers), but it didn't matter... it felt like we were in our own little world, especially with the music blaring from my portable speakers (set to a new Pandora station tuned to "the Replacements"). Everyone and everything else melted into the background as we began to play.

Jack and Georgina  started and finished their session in a similar way, by looking at pictures and tokens from their life together... a framed picture of their first date together at Disneyland, an empty wine bottle from their wedding day, favorite records, photos of their two sons, and even a book they read to them before bed: Donde Viven los Monstrous. And start to finish, I was witness to something absolutely magical: two people reconnecting in a way that brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. I didn't hear the actual words spoken between them during the session, and sometimes no words were spoken at all... but I still heard their message to one another loud and clear: I love you.

Here are some of my favorite images from Jack and Georgina's Beloved Session:

And check out this slideshow to see even more images of their afternoon together:

Jack & Georgina - Beloved Session {sneak peek}

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I'll let this one speak for itself.

More to come soon...

Smith Family {family portraits}

We met up near the carousel at Griffith Park on Saturday, the sounds of the calliope following us throughout the shoot. Never having met the Smiths before, I wasn't sure what to expect. But when Jen wandered towards me and waved enthusiastically, I knew it was going to be all good. From the instant we met, it felt like we'd been friends for awhile, and we were merely spending a breezy Saturday together in the park.

As a lifestyle portrait photographer, I pride myself on being able to capture the real moments and interactions between people. That's always been my favorite thing to do. I love, love, LOVE being able to capture moments like this for people. The REAL moments. The honest ones. Look at this... just LOOK. That's all them. I was simply there to capture it as it happened. The beauty that I witnessed between this family was a magic all their own, allowing me to step away and watch it all unfold, all with minimal direction on my part.

And check out this lil guy's tiny legwarmers that his mama made for him. So adorable! (Diego was absolutely fascinated with them.)

I count my blessings when  I am able to be witness to something as beautiful as this. To see more images from the day, click here for a slideshow.