love // sneak peek of Kari & Maddie

The bubbles were in my bag. My speaker system was on stand-by. And I had my list of poses to hit and interactions to help get them there.

But I didn't need any of that.

These two were magical all on their own.

My props stayed tucked away and I concentrated on the natural beauty unfolding in front of me... snuggling together on the blanket, talking about favorite memories, and even sharing a "secret" handshake.

Watching this family brought joyful tears to my eyes. And I'm thankful to them for allowing me to witness a piece of their world.

Here's a sneak peek from last night's family session:

Like what you see?  Leave a comment to show your LOVE... if 15+ comments are received on this blog post, this family will receive a bonus 8x10 print for their home!

sneak peek // Tomoda family session

Meet new mother Satomi, new father Hide, and one month old baby Kao. Their in-home family portrait session was filled with lots of joy & laughter. And with lots of family members gathered together (both sets of parents were visiting from Japan), I couldn't help but feel surrounded by love.

Here is just one of my favorite images from their session.

Show your LOVE by leaving a comment below. If 15+ comments are received, Hide + Satomi will receive a free 8×10 print to display in their home.

sneak peek // twins

I love to sit back and watch the magic that happens when kids forget that they actually have an audience, and aren't trying to "perform" for anyone. So I was in heaven when I captured this hug shared between 2-year old twin sisters.

More to come soon.

tea party for Jillian

When Jenny and her twin sister were one year old, their mom had their "one year" pictures taken in a tea party setting. So how amazingly perfect was it that Jenny found me in time for her daughter to have tea party pictures for her "one year" pictures, as well? Introducing, the incredibly adorable Jillian...

Jenny even supplied her own special pieces of china for the event. Imagine my delight when she pulled these carousel horse pieces from the blue Tiffany's box.

Appreciating the silly faces that appear at this age.

It helps to have a cheer squad, too. Many thanks to Jenny's friends for coming to play along... armed with books, toys, and an iphone with a playlist ready to go, we were able to coax lots of smiles out of this little cutie.  And many thanks to my own husband, as well... who has tuned out to be a major babe-BABY-magnet!

Click here to see even more images from her session.

Gracie's Incredible 6th Birthday Party // Pretend City

Life throws you all kinds of curveballs. Things you would never expect... like a 5-year old girl having a stroke. Yup, a stroke. Thank goodness this story has a happy ending, with CHOC and Health Bridge Children's Hospital playing a HUGE part in little Gracie's recovery. Because she is now running and playing again like any other normal, healthy kid. But stuff like that makes you think. And it really makes you appreciate all of life's little moments just a bit more. To grasp everything near and dear to you and hold on tightly with both hands.

So when Gracie's 6th birthday rolled around, her family decided that they wanted to celebrate in a big, BIG way. Because what is a birthday but a celebration of the person? And they had a LOT to celebrate.

Gracie's party was held at Pretend City, where she was surrounded by the love of family and friends. Lots and lots of friends. And in lieu of gifts for Gracie, donations were made in her honor to benefit the children of CHOC and Health Bridge Children’s Hospital. Because it was a night for celebrating and giving thanks.

 Let the party begin...

This was my first time at Pretend City, and I felt like I was five years old again. I wanted to run and play and touch everything in sight. So excited, I didn't know where to start. I think I must have pointed and said "ohmygosh" about a million times that night, my voice getting squeakier and my dance getting happier each time.  And that was just ME.... a grown-up.

The kids were fantastic to watch. Lost in the realm of imagination, there was no hesitation. They dove right in and BECAME what each area dictated. Farmer, doctor, grocer, chef, actor... they played all the parts available to them. And then some.

I consider myself privileged to have been a part of the night's event, able to capture a few pieces of their magical play. There was no interrupting the flow and asking the children to pose or smile. I was a fly on the wall... buzzing from room to room, participating in the excitement, a HUGE smile permanently plastered to my face.

I was even instructed by one child to have a seat in the dentist's chair so that he could give me a much-needed root canal. (And who knew a root canal could be so much FUN?)

Welcome to Pretend City...

Happy birthday, Gracie!!! May this year be a FABULOUS one for you and your family.

Love Pretend City and want to PLAY some more? I'm offering a FUN day of mini-portrait sessions coming up THIS SUNDAY, April 22nd, which will be "tea-party" themed... a PERFECT gift for Mother's Day. Click here for full details and to snag yourself a spot.

sign up for the TEA PARTY mini-session!

Kids are magical creatures. There's something about the simplicity of watching them play that touches my heart every time. Those moments are filled with pure creativity, where there are no strict rules or regulations. It's not a performance... it's simply PLAY. And so, I invite you to join me on Sunday, April 22 for a day of mini-portrait sessions where we're having a make-believe tea party! But this isn't just any ordinary tea party... our table is a tree stump and our tea room is a field of yellow flowers.

There will be plenty of props on hand for your child (or YOU) to play with... including a tea set, mini-treats, teddy bears to use as extra guests, flowered hats & pearls for the girls and hats & ties for the boys. (Please note... no actual tea or food will be served... we're using the power of make-believe.)

And... hint, hint... the resulting images will make for some FABULOUS Mother's Day gifts!!!

CLICK HERE to sign up for your very own Tea Party Mini-Session!

CLICK HERE to sign up for your very own Tea Party Mini-Session!

be my valentine?

Since I don't have any kids of my own, I borrow my nieces and nephews whenever I want to play with a new idea. They are more than willing (especially when they get to play with my dog while awaiting their turn in front of the camera). And I love getting the opportunity to capture them in imagery while they're still young. This year, I created Valentine's Day cards for the kiddos to hand out in class. They were super-excited about the idea... especially when they realized that it meant that they'd have EXTRA lollipops left over to share. (Kids will be kids.)

Here is this year's creation:

Love this idea, and want to do it yourself? Here's how:

1. Take a picture of your kid with their arm outstretched and their hand in a fist.

2. Have the pictures printed as WALLET-SIZED prints. (Note: the cards I created were printed as 4"x5" flat cards through Millers Imaging, but the wallet print works nicely, too, and is closer in size to the traditional classroom Valentine.)

3. Leave the photo as-is, or line the back with scrapbook paper (using a glue-stick) to make it extra-pretty.

4. With an exacto blade, cut slits on each photo at the top and bottom of the clenched fist.

5. Slide your choice of lollipop through the paper and "into the fist."

6. Ta-Da!

(Many, many thanks to my friend Paula of R&P Photography for this fabulous idea!)

family FUN in the SUN

Let me just put it out there... I LOVE it here in Southern California for so very many reasons, one of them being the fabulous sunshine. We are so amazingly spoiled with amazing "winter" weather. With this in mind, I was grinning ear to ear when I met up with this fun-loving family the day after Christmas for some portraits at Cabrillo Beach. The beach. In December. How awesome is that?!

The family was totally chill, too... totally up for whatever I suggested... which was pretty much just to wander the area and stop and play here & there. And play, we did.

click here to see even more of their session.

------------

Looks like FUN, right? Want to play, but still aren't quite sure? I've got a FANTASTIC way for you to try out my portrait experience without investing a lot of time and money... with a fabulous MINI-PORTRAIT SESSION! Only $50 and ONE DAY ONLY. Click here for full details.