Ron, Rachel & Grant {Fall 2011 Mini-Session}

I was so glad that this family paid me a visit. Rachel had said that they hadn't had a professional family picture taken since before Grant was born, so I was super-duper happy (and honored) that they'd chosen to come to see ME! And from the moment I met Grant, I knew we'd be buds. High in energy & talking up a storm, he definitely wasn't camera shy. It was pretty awesome. I made him my assistant for a few minutes, and we were off and running.

Grant was a hoot. Here he's showing off his "serious" side... and his super-big silly grin!

To finish up, I incorporated a few of my favorite Beloved techniques, asking Grant to tell each of his parents one thing he really loved & admired about them.

I LOVE capturing real moments like this.

To see even more from their session, click here.

And if you're interested in learning more about my upcoming mini-sessions in November, sign up to receive my Newsletter by entering your info in the sidebar to the right.

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.

glimpses

I sneaked peeks of them when I could. Tried not to be so obvious with the camera pointed in their direction (though I'm sure they still knew). But these girls were beauties to behold. My nieces. I had known each of them since they were tiny. And now they're 11 and 9. No longer babies, no longer even little girls. It's strange to see their bodies stretching and growing. It's strange to see how they move at times; how they hold themselves differently. I point my camera in their direction, trying to catch their transformation as it happens. I can't stop it, but I can study it. And sometimes it takes my breath away. I want to capture each moment and hold it tight in my hand, so that I might remember what they were like at each stage before they pass right through it. And yet, before I know it, they are already onto the next phase. But sometimes, just sometimes, I get a glimpse of the little girl I remember, and my heart is happy.

the Pepin Family {Orange County family photographer}

I've gotta admit, I was SUPER-excited to meet Paula Pepin. We have been Facebook friends for quite some time now... I met her through Ronalyn of R&P Photography, based out of Alaska (yes, Alaska). And Paula is the "P" to R&P Photography. So of COURSE I did a happy dance upon learning that Paula and her family were taking a trip to Disneyland to celebrate her daughter's 5th birthday, and that they'd LOVE to have a family portrait session by yours truly while they were here! EEEEEE!!! (That's my squeal of glee.)

Paula had thought that family pictures on the beach would be fun, but I gasped as she mentioned that they'd probably just rent a cab to get to the beach from their hotel (which was across the street from Disneyland). Oh, no no no... that wouldn't do. I made a quick call to my mother and asked to borrow her van for the day, and another call to my in-laws to borrow a child-seat from them... and offered up my services as shuttle service/tour guide. Hooray, we had a plan!

Meeting Paula and her husband Jean was strange in the fact that it wasn't strange at all. I wandered up to their hotel room, and they welcomed me on in. And it was like seeing old friends.

We all piled into the van and headed over to Balboa Beach (a favorite spot of mine). And their eyes grew a bit larger as they realized just how far away the ocean really was. Jean asked how far L.A. was from there, and I told him it was about an hour and a half. "But how many miles is that," he asked. And I smiled and said, "I don't know." Here in Southern California, we don't measure the miles... we measure the drive time. I never really thought about how strange that was.

But we made it to the beach. And it was perfection. We strolled, we chatted, we played in the sand.

I had a little chat with Kylie  about celebrating her birthday at Disneyland, and then asked how much she loved her parents. I told her to show THEM how much she loved them. So she went running full-speed and launched herself at her momma. Gotta LOVE these powerful moments.

Paula and Jean asked for some pictures of just the two of them together. But, you gotta love it... we photographers are fabulous when we're BEHIND the camera, but find it a bit uncomfortable to be in FRONT of it. So, rather than just pose them, I used a few "tricks" from what I use during my Beloved sessions to help them interact a bit and forget about the camera. And I LOVE the real-ness that shone through.

And of course we had to toss in a few birthday girl shots:

Kylie enjoyed chasing the waves... until one actually got her pants wet.  After that, she wasn't taking any chances with the water:

I had SOOOOOO much fun with this family, and didn't want the session to end. It was just too special.

So, Pepin family... if you ever want to come back again, the California sun and I will be waiting!

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To see even more images from their session, check out this slideshow:

the Bourland Family {Beloved family portrait session}

There's something so incredibly special about being embraced by an entire family... being drawn into the group so you are able to see them not as a stranger would, but through the eyes of a familiar friend or loved one. With all the pretenses and barriers lifted, it was easy to see the beauty that lives within each one, and the love that flows easily between them all. I love love LOVE family portrait sessions. I think there's something spectacular that happens between family members that is awesome to witness. And a Beloved session, where they can be themselves, was a perfect way to be able to capture it all. Upon learning that Nick and Anna had just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, I decided that I wanted to commemorate that by setting some time aside for just the two of them.

We started the session with Nick and Anna in a place that was very special to them both. Way back near the beginning of their relationship, this park had been their special haven. While there, sometimes they'd just sit and talk and other times they'd even sing. And then there were the times when no words were necessary at all. Because they were there together, and that was special enough.

I had asked them to exchange love letters to one another. Being the modern couple they are, they had written the letters via email and read them from their phones.

We moved the session to Nick's parents' backyard so we could play with the kiddos. And play, we did. Scarlet drew pictures of the garden while Aidan drew pictures of his new toy car for everyone... including ME! It was definitely fun to be around them, and I couldn't help but smile a LOT in their presence. From shy hugs and kisses to drawings proudly presented, the genuineness and joy pouring from each of the kids was simply breathtaking to behold at times.

It was soooooo sweet to see how kind they were to one another, and how the hugs flowed freely.

And, of course, it was fun to see their sense of humor, as well.

View the slideshows below to see more from their session:

The Family:

Nick & Anna:

Happy Birthday, Mister Carter!

Local photographer Stephy G's littlest monkey (Carter) was turning ONE YEAR OLD! So of course she and her husband decided to celebrate with a fabulous sock-monkey themed party! They even hired a caricaturist and a clown to entertain the other kiddos (though I think the adults were even more amused). Stephy knew it would be difficult to keep the camera out of her hands for the day, but she really wanted to be able to enjoy her son's birthday...  so she asked ME to take pictures in her stead. It was an honor, and a lot of fun, too.

Here are some favorites of the day:

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.

Smith Family {sneak peek}

I am SO in LOVE with this family. Just a quick peek of what I am currently working on. I'll post more as soon as I can.