pascale wowak photoblog

Gemma & Nico (in utero)

This past weekend I went up to visit my friend Rosaura (who is a fellow professional photographer) and grab some shots of her very pregnant self, her family and her incredibly happy little girl Gemma.   The weather was really iffy and it was SUPER cold outside but we braved the elements nonetheless and went to the local playground to hang and shoot.  Afterwards, Rosaura and I retreated to her bedroom and spent more time focusing on a bunch of EPIC semi nude maternity shots, which you won't see here, but were a bunch of fun to capture to say the least!  It's always a treat to photograph another photographer because you "speak the same language."  

Gemma is the most joyful, charming and delightful little girl.  She giggled nonstop and ran around the playground bouncing from activity to activity, always on the go.  A feisty, high energy little firecracker and I think I know who she gets that from.... :)   Gemma was extra sweet too because she told her mom that she was going to give her baby brother Nico her favorite bunny and her favorite blankie, both of which we made sure to capture images of her with based on the story behind it and the tender emotional connection.  SO sweet. :)

Rosaura got to pick the images she wanted to show on the blog's sneak peek so here you go!  ENJOY and I cannot wait to meet baby Nico.  CONGRATULATIONS again Rosaura and Scott!

For those who will be asking, Gemma's adorable dress is by ZOZOBUGBABY and her hairband by BLUE EYED FRECKLE!

 

Maggie, Conor & Charlotte

This wonderful family lives several states away but they come back to visit family in California (where I first met them and they became clients of mine) every year for Christmas.  So, we always schedule a family shoot during Christmas week while they are in town so we can continue our annual tradition!  It's such a treat to see how much the children have grown and changed in a year's time span.  Last time Annelys was pregnant and this time I got to meet baby Charlotte!   The poor little thing was under the weather and not anywhere close to her usual effervescent self and yet, despite this, she was BEYOND adorable and cute!  

I was also able to meet their Au Pair, Gretchen, and get some pictures of her with the kids and family as well.   It was, admittedly, a slightly chaotic shoot but with three adults, two rambunctious kids, a ridiculously cute little baby and one high energy photographer, we totally pulled it off!

Annelys and Sean, I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Lily, Maya & Rowan

This is another long time client family of mine whom I just recently had the pleasure of visiting again for the arrival of yet another little girl in the family!  Three gorgeous girls!   I think I captured approximately three BILLION amazing images, so it was really incredibly hard to narrow down the sneak peek.  I had to just accept that many personal favorites would just have to wait for their eyes to see them when they get the CD package.   Lily and Maya could not have been more cooperative and ridiculously cute.  I was able to get an inordinate amount of stunning sibling shots which can be (let's be honest here!) incredibly hard with a 4 day old newborn, a 2 year old and a 4 year old.  But they were DELIGHTFUL and fun and responded so fantastically well to my antics. In fact, mom had warned me that Maya refuses to have her picture taken and when I initially asked her to let me take her picture she responded with an emphatic NO!  Two minutes later she was mugging like crazy for my camera.  So, yeah, that was certainly rewarding!  :)

Kim and Doug, thank you for welcoming me into your loving home a mere 4 days after giving birth to little Rowan!   I had a great time with you all and hope you are thrilled with the images we created that day!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

Kenzi& Bodi

I just adore this family to bits!  We always do our shoots at a new location and since we do several shoots a year, that means we get to go on lots of adventures together!  This just may be my favorite one with them (with the possible exception of our very first shoot together when Elisa was pregnant with Kenzi, which I hold near and dear to my heart).  We did the shoot at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

I need to give MAJOR props to the director and staff at the museum because they were uncharacteristically accomodating and welcoming.  The director even gave us a mini tour to show us some spots with good light seeing as all the gallery areas are obviously too dark for natural light shooting and flash isn't allowed in the gallery rooms.  There is usually so much resistance from museums and I've experienced some really unfriendly staff at other places but they were absolutely wonderful here.  I plan on coming back with my kids during Christmas break because the museum is STUNNING (designed by the same architect who did the Musee D'orsay in Paris, which happens to be my favorite museum in Paris) and the exhibits running right now are fabulous.  So, I'll be back in a couple weeks for personal reasons!

I absolutely loved this venue and although you wouldn't think a museum would be the best place for a almost 2 year old and infant, we somehow totally rocked this session.  Kenzi does this crazy cute stuff with her mouth/tongue and I captured several of what I call "the  many faces of Kenzi."   Her baby brother could not possibly be any cuter either.  Elisa and Peter, I hope you love this sneak peek.  I can't wait til our next adventure!

The M-M families

I've been photographing these two families both individually and together since my first year in business.  I've chronicled all their pregnancies and every new member of the family!  The two moms are sisters and their mom (Hi Grandma Cindy!) gifts her daughters with this "joint" shoot every year for Christmas.  Naturally, I am completely biased here, but is there any greater gift a mom/grandma can give?  Think about it, she gives her daughters amazing pictures of them and their families AND she also gets amazing photos of her beloved daughters, their respective family units, all of them together and last but not least, her adored grandchildren!?  Win-win!

With FOUR boys 6 and under, it can be a bit crazy at times but these kids have grown up together and are more like siblings than cousins.  They absolutely adore each other and there is an incredible comfort level and closeness between ALL the members of both families.  That coupled with the fact that I know them so well and they know me and my style/approach so well makes for an impressively smooth shoot, all things considered.  

Shannon and Adam, Jennifer and Mike, and Grandma Cindy of course, ENJOY your sneak peek!

The P. Family

I go WAY back with this family.  I've known them since my days as a police officer and firefighter and long before I even was a mom or had an inkling of becoming a photographer.  They're my peeps.  I LOVE them and I LOVE being around them.  Our shoots are always playful and fun!  Their family dynamic is such that I am in stitches from beginning to end.   Unspeakable acts are committed.  I am sworn to secrecry.  Sorry.  :)

This year we were able to add two adorable babies to the mix!  Kendra had the most gorgeous twins last year, Ally and Kaylee.   The girls are SOOOOO cute!  They didn't really like the camera all that much but luckily they are so cute it doesn't matter! Ha! 

Debbie and Don are the most amazing folks.  Their marriage, to me, represents what a marriage should be and look like.  They just have it figured out.  They rock.  And their (now mostly grown up) combined kids are such well adjusted, awesome kids.  Have I mentioned how much I enjoy being around them???  :)

ENJOY your sneak peek! It's just a small taste of all the goodies we got during all the craziness!  LOVE YOU!

Quinn, Reilly and Tyler

My long time blog readers will recognize this absolutely beautiful family as I have been photographing them 2-3 times a year since I launched my business 7 years ago now.   It's practically serendipitous that we are now living in the same town as it makes it possible for us to now connect outside of our "shoot dates" as well.   Our kids all have the same energy (read: high) levels and get along great.   I've quite literally chronicled these kids childhoods and I am incredibly attached to them.  I definitely feel like I am part of the family!   When Tyler went through some life threatening medical issues last year I was terribly worried and by that same token I am incredibly pleased to watch her recovery and progress since then.   This family is just as rock solid and amazing as they come.  I am delighted to call them my friends.  Tara & Bryan, so glad we switched the date around in anticipation of rain, PHEW!!!  Hope you love your sneak peek! :)

Adam & Matthew & their fantabulous parents

Yes, I realize that's not a real word so just work with me here ok!?  I first met this family many years ago when I had just recently launched my business and little Adam was this BEYOND gorgeous Gap Model-ish baby with the BIGGEST blue eyes and LONGEST lashes you'll ever see.  None of that has changed and his baby brother Matthew was blessed with the same traits!  You could stare at their eyes for hours on end.  Absolutely mesmerizing.  Several years ago the family moved far away and yet they continue to come down once a year to keep up our tradition of me doing their annual family shoot.  I cannot even begin to express how much of an honor it is for me to be able to do this and to have them dedicate an entire day to traveling down just to see me.  It's pretty much just the most amazing feeling.  And Julianne is just so my kind of gal.  This woman is just incredible.  She's strong, smart and courageous beyond words having slayed dragons left and right the past few years.  I hope she knows how much I admire and look up to her.  I adore the whole family and look forward to our time together every single year.  

This time we went to Henry Cowell State Park and we were blessed with the MOST amazing light.  Just stunning.  We walked around the park and Julianne and I would spot the most delicious pockets of light at the same time.  Marchus was given reflector duty and rocked it out.  He knew exactly what I needed, which comes from years of doing this together, and I didn't even have to guide him through the process.  He just did a magnificent job.  So, between the stunning light, the gorgeous family and the perfect weather.... aaaaah heavenly!!!    I love you guys and I hope you like your sneak peek!!!  *muah*

Michaella, Isabelle & Connor

I love my adventurous client/friends!  Our shoot was scheduled for what turned out to be a very rainy day and due to mutually crazy and conflicting schedules, could not be rescheduled.  But that didn't deter Pam and Josh!  No way Jose!  She set everything up so that we had permits to shoot at the Conservatory of Flowers in S.F. and we met up there to get  this party started!  

Now, I would be lying if I said there weren't any unexpected setbacks.  Turns out the Conservatory is very small, and VERY dark (especially on a rainy day), and VERY humid (the kind of humid where I had to wipe the condensation off my lenses every 3rd shot), and very GREEN (icky color casts to contend with)... And the girls were definitely feeling a bit like caged animals rather quickly due to the crowds and confined space.... But, despite the "issues", we totally rocked it out and MADE IT WORK (I was channeling my Project Runway mode).  I did have to use OCF flash for the entire session which is not something I usually do but there was no other option because of how terribly dark it was inside the conservatory.  There wasn't even enough light to bounce back with a reflector, so very limiting in scope of lighting options.   

Fortunately, Pam and Josh took it all in stride and didn't let the setbacks get the best of them.  When the rain would let up for a few minutes we would rush outside and grab a few shots and then run back in when it came back down.  We were definitely flying by the seat of our pants throughout this shoot, ebbing and flowing with the best of them!   I think we went through Plan A, Plan B and Plan C within the first 30 mn!  It was all about improvising and working around whatever came in the way of us getting the shot!  :)

Then, after all that hard work they even took me out to dinner (so sweet!) and we had a lovely time enjoying super yummy food and great company.  THANK YOU S. FAMILY for a great time in the city!

I hope you love your sneak peek!  And thanks Connor for indulging me and being so easy to photograph!  Those dimples of yours will serve you well in college....  :)

Love you guys!

Te'a & Remi

Words cannot even begin to express how much I love this family.  I've been photographing them since shortly after I launched my business many moons ago.  We've really gotten to know each other as friends over the years.   Renata and Kevin have been such amazing support systems for me over the past few treacherous months and I just love them to bits for all their help.  Renata has the biggest heart and I just always love spending time with them.  The kids and I spent Halloween with them this year and it was so much fun.

This family just has the greatest sense of adventure and a total Carpe Diem approach to life.  Renata travels a lot internationally due to her work and she's just one of those fabulous people who has such a great global perspective on life and the world at large.  I picked "Big Jet Plane" as my song choice for their slideshow specifically because of how adventurous they are and how when I'm with them I always get the sense that they are on this fantastic journey together, enjoying life to the fullest and having fun in the process.  They think big and they live in the now.  I just love that so much about them.  As a family, they're playful and loving.  As a married couple, they are unequivocally supportive of each other's dreams and aspirations.  Their passion for life is a delight to behold!  :)

Plus, not only do they make me laugh so hard my sides ache the next day, but they also seem to appreciate my own twisted sense of humor so I can always let loose with them, which is incredibly refreshing!   R-K family, I LOVE YOU!  And I hope you love your sneak peek!  Oh, and THANK YOU for the amazing meal you sent home with me to feed me and the kiddos that night, it was RIDICULOUSLY good!!!! *muah*

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW!

 

Cassandra, Zoe and Sabine

This time of year brings along with it my long time clients/friends which is just always such a treat.  I've been photographing the K. Family for many, many years and it's always an adventure!  This year we went to the Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga which is a favorite venue of mine.  The girls, while all so very different in personality, do have on thing in common: they are all forces to be reckoned with!  They have strong personalities and strong opinions and wrangling them can be somewhat akin to herding cats (ergo my choice of accompanying song, hahahaha!) but despite the pandemonium, we always manage to create magic and get those great shots!  Phew!  I love these three girls. Little Zo, in particular, is my cuddlebug and muse.  She cracks me up with her adorable little facial expressions and wise, soulful eyes.  Sabine is quite the character and I love her spirited little personality.  And Cassandra always entertains me with her wicked smart thought process and funny sense of humor.  And yes, Zoe and Sabine are twins, and yes, I have SO many twins as clients! I LOVE TWINS! :)

In fact, the biggest source of chaos this year was MY fault, as I realized at the end of the shoot that I had inadvertently locked my keys in my car, and that the magnetic Hide-A-Key had someone popped open and the spare key was missing.... ARGH.  Jolene and Peter so graciously called AAA for me and hung out with me a solid 30+ mn until AAA got there, even though they had three very hungry and tired little girls ready to go home.   I am SO grateful to them!

I put together this little slideshow to showcase some of my favorites from our session.  J & P, ENJOY!!!

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

Juliette, Adrianna and Joshua

I've been photographing this family for almost 7 years now!  WOW!  That's just pretty darn cool.  I've watched the family grow from one kiddo to three kiddos, from calm to chaos, but it's always a very familiar sort of mayhem!  Reminds me of my own personal mayhem at my house!  :)

Juliette and Anna are always such little hams for me while Joshua, like years past, was just not willing to let me take his picture.  At all.  Little guy had made up his mind!  It wasn't until the very very very end of the shoot, when the sun had set, and the light was gone that he decided he'd let me grab a few shots.  So, I cranked the ISO to 3200, shot wide open at 1.4 and grabbed what I could! Little stinker!  But then you look at that charming smile, angelic curls, adorable face... and all is forgiven!

Deborah and Charlie, I know it was an adventure yet again this year but we always seem to pull it off don't we!?   MUCH LOVE to you all!

Enjoy your sneak peek!  The first two of Juliette are of her in her tennis outfit, SO CUTE!

Alex, Ethan & Olivia

Oh how I love me some Alex, Ethan and Olivia!  Truly no words for how awesome this family is.  I so look forward to our time together!  Then, you include their new 8 month old French Bulldog puppy Xavier into the mix and I was in total heaven!  But wait, there's more!  Try adding their newly purchased historic home in Palo Alto!?  DREAMY!!!  The house was just about to undergo a total, massive renovation so it was in complete disarray and "haunted house" empty which meant we couldn't do much inside (yet) but the porch and doorways were insanely awesome.  I cannot WAIT to come back when the house is completely remodeled.  It's going to be breath-taking....

It should also be noted that due to conflicting schedules and the busyness of life with three active kids, this particular shoot was crammed in in-between picking up the kids from school and rushing them out to their afterschool activities so needless to say we had a whole lot of shooting to do in a VERY short amount of time.   Quite honestly, with any trio of kids other than these three, it probably could not have happened.  And certainly not with these results!  But with Alex, Ethan and Olivia it was a breeze!  

I just wish Allison and I could have had more time to chat about our mutual boot fetish! HA! :)  Alas, I also had to go get my own kids!  Needless to say, the shoot was fantastic despite the time constraints and we rocked it out in record time.  These three never cease to amaze me with their witty, funny, playful, genuine and all around incredible selves.  Xacier just added a whole new element of fun too!  That dog is HILARIOUS.  First, he reminds me of Yoda.  Second of all, he PURS.  Yes, he PURS!  Third, he follows Allison around just like Kooper follows me.  That total adoration boy puppy dogs have with their human moms.  SO CUTE!  His facial expressions were to die for.  I was laughing so hard I blew a few shots with camera shake because of the faces he was making.  Incredibly expressive!

Allison and Dan, enjoy your sneak peek.  Your kids rock!  P.S. I can't wait to see the new house when it's all done!  I'm inviting myself over.  Just so you know.  :)

Tye

I just met this family for the first time, which is a rarity during this time of year as all my slots are already booked up with my long time clients, but it just so happened that I was able to squeeze them into my schedule and I am SO glad we did!  I absolutely adored!   Tye is the sweetest boy.  Very "deep thinker" kind of kid.  Taking everything in.  A little shy at first until he gets a feel for you and the situation.  Very bright.  Very observant.  A true delight to photograph as he is both incredibly photogenic and SO dang cute!

Mom Nicole really wanted to memorialize this year in particular because it marked a huge milestone for them with Tye starting Kindergarten, and I think she suddenly realized that the years are truly whizzing by!  I know when my son started Kindergarten is when it hit me all at once, that sense of this time with him at this stage being so fleeting.  This was the real deal, big kid school, and he was embarking on a new (and long) journey and, as a result, was one year closer to leaving me!  EGAD!  Sooooooo emotional!  :)

I am absolutely trilled I was able to capture these important images for them!  Jerem and Nicole, it was such a pleasure meeting you and capturing this moment in time for your family.   I very much enjoyed our time together and I hope YOU enjoy your sneak peek!

 

Samara & Camille

There are many reasons why the Fall is my favorite season and one of those reasons is because I get to photograph my long-time clients/friends.  They are the ones who, come January every year, book me out nearly a year in advance for my coveted Fall session dates.   My Fall sessions are always the first to book up completely and it's ALWAYS my long time clients who know how quickly those slots go so they grab them all!   It thrills me to no end because come the Fall season I get to see all my favorite families, the ones I have watched grow and chronicled over the past 6+ years.  It rocks my world basically.

And this family is no exception.   I LOVE them.  The girls are beyond adorable.  Mom and Dad are super sweet and totally "into" the shoot.  There is always such a happy, easy dynamic with them because we are also close friends and the girls are really connected to me as I am with them.   It's really just like old friends hanging out.  And those are my favorite shoots.  

Samara is a little ham when it comes to the camera.  Incredibly cooperative and not remotely camera shy.  A photographer's dream.  And Camille is a little fiery thing, not as interested in posing but full of spunk and personality.  Together, they just make my camera happy. :)

Heather and Danny are two of the nicest, sweetest folks you'll ever meet.   The first week I moved me and the kids into our new little cottage, Heather dropped by with her girls to deliver two days worth of vegetarian meals for us.  She has a heart filled with goodness and light.  Her caring and thoughtful gesture made my heart swell with appreciation and love.    I'm grateful every day for the amazing friends and clients I have.  Without them there is no way I could be making it as a single working mom.  So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

ENJOY your sneak peek of your BEAUTIFUL family! There are TONS more on the DVD!  LOVE YOU!!!

 

Olin

I met Evelyn when we were both taking the same prenatal yoga class.  She was pregnant with Olin and I was pregnant with Ellie.  We hit it off and have remained friends all these years and I've been able to watch Olin grow up and blossom.   This boy could not possibly be more loved, more charming, more delightful, more happy.  He also happens to be sharp as a whip and is a constant stream of well thought out questions and pointed observations.    I think he may be smarter than me.  It's distinctly possible.   And if I didn't love him so much I'd probably feel bad about that! Ha! :)

Generally speaking, little boys just kinda sorta love me.  I'm not sure exactly why, but I seem to have a really great way of connecting with little boys for some reason.  Olin is no exception to the rule but I think he and I have a really extra special bond.  And it thrills me to no end to make him laugh out loud because then I get to capture that unbelievably dazzling smile of his.  The boy is incredibly photogenic and my camera loves him!

This year Evely and Karen decided it was high time we did a shoot at one of our local landmark beaches.  After all, we live here don't we!?  It was a stunning and perfect day at Natural Bridges and we frolicked for a couple hours just hanging out, playing and enjoying a gorgeous evening at the beach.  I adore this family and am so happy I get to take these annual pictures for them.

ENJOY your pictures Evi & Karen!

 

Estelle and Sebastian

I get to go to this family's AMAZING home and property every year and it's pretty much a photographer's dream.   The house itself if beyond cool, with a converted silo turned into a living space (house was featured in Sunset magazine years ago), and then the house sits on acres and acres of farmland with wild ducks, a Koi pond, fruit trees, veggies, a big dog (Sartaj), a bunch of adorable cats, etc....  Nancy and Daniel run and operate their farm which provides produce for a local CSA called Neighbor Farms CSA.  If you do not belong to a CSA yet and you are local I highly recommend you check them out, it's an incredible program and Nancy and Daniel are two of the nicest, hardest working folks I know.  It's just the two of them and they work their tails off managing the acres of harvesting they attend to year round.  

So, not only is the property nestled atop the gorgeous Los Gatos mountains but Daniel and Nancy have combined their love of nature and art with metal work sculptures throughout the property, an outdoor brick burning pizza oven, tire swings, you name it.  It's just a haven, truly.  

The last time I was there Sebastian was just a tiny little baby so it was truly a delight to see how much he had grown and changed.  He now looks like the spitting image of his father!  And Estelle has matured into a very verbal, poised little girl.   They're an incredble family and I look forward to our shoots every year.  This time we explored a new area of the property and went down into the woods a bit.  The light was GORGEOUS and by using a touch of OCF I was able to get rid of the greenish yellow tint that you get down in there and was able to produce beautiful images.   Poor little Sebastian was not feeling 100% that day so we weren't able to see as much of his normally extremely happy and exhuberant personality but he still gave us a few doses of that beyond charming smile of his.    In the past Estelle has not been all that interested in having her picture taken but this time she was quite the little star.   It was a really fun shoot!

On my way out Nancy gave me home made vegan chocolate chip cookies for my kids.  I'll admit to having eaten three of them on the way home which is fortuitous because when I walked in the door to relieve the babysitter the cookies were gobbled up faster than lightnening with nary a crumb left behind!  Daniel also very sweetly gave me a huge pile of freshly dug up Naked Lady bulbs straight out of his garden, which the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed planting in our new little backyard the next day.  THANK YOU SO MUCH Nancy and Daniel! 

Here is your sneak peek, there are TONS more on the CD!

ENJOY!!!!

Danielle

I've had the tremendous honor of documenting my friends Dave and Kristy's "journey" together from their engagement, to their wedding, then pregnancy, then newborn pics of little Dani, then family photos and Dani photos a couple times a year since her birth.    They are near and dear to me and Dani always makes it highly enertaining.  She is quite the fiesty little thing and now that she is 2 her favorite word is "NO", but she says it SO incredibly sweetly with a little high pitched sing-song voice that you can't help but giggle even though she flat out refuses to do anything you ask her to!  Ha!  

I know Kristy was really worried that I hadn't been able to get anything due to the (very normal) terrible 2's behavior but in between the tears, protests and tantrums we actually had some very lovely, fun, happy and delightful moments!  2 yr olds are all over the place emotionally and it's quite entertaining (when you aren;t the parent of said 2 yr old!) to watch them go through their wide range of emotions and erratic behavior.  It also didn't help that it was almost 100 degrees outside and we were all melting!  And yet, we still got GREAT shots!  How can you not with a little girl who has a smile like Dani's!?

We were able to use the same venue for this shoot as where they were married and that was an extra special treat.  I love the Saratoga Mountain Winery!  Such a gorgeous location!   A couple quick notes too, the picture of Kristy's legs and the pendant is to honor her MAJOR accomplishment of completing the Half Moon Bay 26.2 miles marathon just 3 days prior to the shoot.  Talk about AMAZING.   I could never EVER do that.  Aside from my right knee never having recovered from my big injury last year and me not being able to run anymore, even when I WAS running quite regularly, the most I could ever do was 8 miles and that was on a really good day at a really slow pace on a really flat course!  26.2 miles is superhuman to me.  And so MAJOR props to her.   And, clearly, the end result of all that training is those FANTASTIC legs of her.....I'm insanely jealous.   In fact, with every passing year she just looks more and more stunning and fabulous.  Motherhood suits her well!  

Without further ado, a few favorites from our session:

Aiden, Emerson & Kaisa

FULL DISCLOSURE:  Mama Kirsten is one of my bestest friends and I am very close to her family.  Her kids are friends with my kids.  Even our doggies are friends.  So, yeah, there's definitely a comfort zone there!  But aside from the fact that we are all near and dear to each other's hearts.... I can unequivocally say that this family is just AMAZING.  And I am qualified to say that because I know them so well.

 Side note: Aiden and Emerson are twins and it just occurred to me that I actually have a LOT of twins as clients.  Which is fortuitous because I happen to have a very strong affinity for twins.  /side note.

Kirsten is my rock.  She's the friend you turn to when you're in a quandary and you just don't know what to do, how to cope, what path to take or what to say.  She always, and I mean always, knows the right thing to say to get you back on track.    Maybe it's the nurse in her but she's just the most genuinely caring, thoughtful, considerate, "let me help you fix this" kind of person I know.  They just don't come more authentically GOOD-HEARTED than Kirsten.   But, least you think she is all rainbows and fluffy bunnies, this girl also has a wicked sense of humor and is sharp as a whip.  She looks so sweet and demure (on the outside) and then she'll say something and it will make me laugh so hard I'll nearly pee my pants (ok, admitttedly, that's easier to do these days, post-childbearing, sorry, TMI) mostly because I'm so taken by surprise that my sweet, sweet, sweet Kirsten could possibly say something like that!  I just love her.  :)

So, yeah, I love her, I love her husband, I love her kids.   The five of them look like a Gap ad.  They have personality in SPADES.  Yup, needless to say, the shoot was a BREEZE.  A huge thank you to Valgeen for letting us use her gorgeous backyard for the shoot, it was the PERFECT backdrop.  The weather/lighting went through three totally different stages during the shoot, it started out super cloudy, then the sun came out for a bit and then the fog rolled in really heavily at the end.  It actually rained the next day so we were incredibly blessed with the amazing light and weather conditions that day! PHEW!

Ok, I could go on and on and on about how much I love this family but I'm going to let the intimacy of the images I took speak for themselves.  I hope you can see/feel my love for them in how I captured them and engaged with them.   I actually used two fixed lenses for this entire shoot (something I rarely do with kids, especially 3 active kids) because I know them well enough to be able to predict where they'll be and how they'll react.  I also knew when to direct, when to pose and when to step away (far away) and just be an observant documenting the events as they unfold.  At the end of the shoot they had an impromptu, HUGE leaf-battle.  I got far out of the way (hey, I'm no dummy!) and sat on the ground and just captured it.   I loved how Kirsten wasn't worried about ruining her perfectly coiffed hair or how the kids were going to get covered in dirt and bugs and leaves and get tons of stuff in their hair.  She just lives in the moment and rides the wave.  Best mom ever.   When I'm having issues with one of my kids I always ask myself: "what would Kirsten do?!"  No joke!

Anyway, enough blabbering, click on the link below to watch the slideshow.  Be patient, it's a REALLY long one so it takes a while to load but trust me, it's worth it.  :)

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

Norah, Leah & Caleb

This is one of my long time favorite families!  I just lurrrves them so much!  Norah and Leah are always in RARE form and I can predictably expect a FULL array of expressions and antics.   The girls are lively, funny, witty and always give me more than enough "material" to work with.  They feed off me and I feed off them and together we create magic!  Also, as you will see, the girls have the most INSANELY GORGEOUS eyes you will probably ever see on this planet.  I have NOT in any way enhanced the color of their eyes.  This is the real deal folks.  Truly mesmerizing.

Also, this time there was a new little brother in the mix!  The family welcomed little Caleb just three weeks prior to the shoot (which is not an age I usually photograph for newborns for a variety of reasons, one of which we discovered when this big boy couldn't fit in any of the baskets, hahaha!) but Amanda didn't want a highly stylized newborn shoot, rather she wanted images of Caleb seamlessly integrated into the family shots and a much more natural, intimate approach, so that's what we focused on and I loved it.

Amanda & Andy, I know you know how much I adore you guys but thought I'd mention it again here just to make it all official-like.  :)

I hope you love your sneak peek!

CONGRATULATIONS again on Mr. Caleb, he's absolute perfection.  May I have him?  (*smile*)

*** CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW ***

McKenna & Shane

I've had the pleasure of photographing this family a few years now and besides the fact that they LOOK like a Gap Campaign ad, they also happen to be the nicest, sweetest folks ever!  I love them!

Our original shoot location was deeply entrenched in fog so we turned around and quickly decided to head to Natural Bridges which looked like the ONLY spot in all of the Santa Cruz/Monterey Coastline that wasn't fogged in.  And by some incredible miracle, it remained for most of the shoot the only little pocket of sunshine while the fog merrily rolled in ALL around us, just feet from the coastline.  It was almost freaky to have a full 360 degree circle of fog all around us and to be in this little pocket of glorious light.  On a few occasions the fog did roll in a smidge at which point I busted out some off camera flash but soon enough, that soft, stunning, slightly diffused light was streaming back in and we worked it!

The kids were a blast and McKenna, as always, was my little muse.  She is such a delight to photograph!  She's really grown up so much since the last time I saw her.  *sigh*

Michelle and Scott, thank you for a magical afternoon of light and laughter.  I hope you enjoy your sneak peek.   And I'm already getting excited about our location plans for next year, it will be AN EVEN GREATER ADVENTURE!  :)

In this first little series, I wanted to play with their shadows right off the bat while the sun was still strong enough to produce shadows because I could tell it would simmer down in just a matter of minutes (which it did) so each family member had a chance to strike a pose when it was their turn and then I created a little collection of those 4 images for the 4 family members.  I think it would look really fun framed with the 4 individual shots all lined up consecutively!

 

Ryan & family

I've been photographing this incredibly photogenic little lad for a few years now and it goes without saying that you simply cannot take a bad picture of him!  At least, you can't as long as he is willing to look at you! Ha!  Ryan decided early on that it would be loads of fun to hide his face in any way possible whenever the camera was pointed at him so it took some maneuvering to get him to show me that mesmerizing and charming smile of his.  But, despite his goofiness, we were able to capture some truly delightful candid and posed shots of this very handsome boy.    We started off at home and then headed out to the beach, where Ryan is truly at his happiest.   For all you locals, you know that we have had a pretty miserable summer here in Santa Cruz with constant fog so it was an extra special treat to have such a GORGEOUS sunny evening!  With Ryan's luscious golden skin tones combined with the setting sun, it was like the boy was GLOWING right before my eyes.  Add that dazzling smile and BAM! Fabulousness!  :)

Ryan is definitely the apple of his parents eyes and they adore him to no end so I wanted to make sure I captured how he is truly the center of their world and without doubt the most important thing in their lives.  He so very, very loved!  :)

Elisa, Peter, Kenzi and.... ?

Kenzi's little baby brother doesn't have a name and it's killing me because I WANT to KNOW!  Because, clearly, it's all about me....  Hahahaha! :)

My devoted blog followers will instantly recognize this beautiful family as I get to photograph them at least 3 times a year.  I captured Kenzi in utero, so to speak, and then as a newborn and every few months afterwards.  SUCH an honor and delight to be able to do that.  I feel like I really KNOW Kenzi and her parents and we are all so comfortable around each other, it's just a whole lot of fun!

For their second pregnancy shoot we decided to go to Stanford University as they are both alumni and the campus holds special meaning to them.   It was a gorgeous day and not too packed with tourists.  Elisa has a knack for making pregnancy look GOOD.  She is so glowing and at ease and confident well into the end of her pregnancy.  She just exudes such calm confidence about it.  She's a natural.  I joked that she should have "plenty more babies" and I think I saw Peter clutch his chest in a mock panic attack... :)

Elisa and Peter, here's your little sneak peek, I hope you love them, and I cannot wait to meet Kenzi's little baby brother!  I hope he has the same amazing head of hair that Kenzi had!  See you soon!

Side note:  the picture of Kenzi pitching a fit near the end is hands down my favorite image I've taken this year.   Seriously, if that doesn't perfectly represent the terrible two's then I don't know what does.  I particularly LOVE how Elisa is cracking up watching Kenzi's little drama-fest.  Fantastic!  :)

Mia & Chiarra

I've been photographing these girls for several years now and they are such cuties!!!  Their mom is absolutely stunning (if I could make my curly hair do what her hair does I wouldn't want to chop off all my curls) and we have such a good time observing the girls' dynamics with each other and trying to figure out the emotional minefield that is little girls and trying to gain their cooperation but making them THINK it was their idea! Ha!  Things were a little touch and go at first but the day was saved by a bunch of dandelions.  PHEW! :)

Mother nature seems to be confused because the coastal June Gloom has extended well into August now.... major bummer.  So, we did not have an iota of sunshine to work with but we made the most of it.  Little Chiarra was SO COLD and it was breaking my heart.  When you weigh as much as a small sack of potaties and have 0% body fat, you can get cold fairly easily!  Poor little bug.   She was a trooper though and powered through until the very end as we were losing all our light and her sister Mia was running through the waves in her dress.  

I adore this family and look forward to our shoots every year.  Victoria, I hope you love your sneak peek!  Give the girls kisses from me!  :)

 

Five delightful kids and their wonderful parents!

I had the distinct pleasure of going down to Carmel last week and meeting a family of SEVEN (!) in order to photograph them in and around their home and grandparent's home (just down the street).  Not only do I love meeting new families, but I particularly enjoy BIG families!  It's so much fun getting to know all the uniquely different personalities and dynamics within the family with five kids.  Ellie (16), Ben (12), Annabel (10), Beatrix (8) and Teddy (6) were absolutely the most polite, well mannered, and easy going kids!   Besides being incredibly photogenic (it would be practically impossible to take a bad picture of these kids), they were so genuinely loving and sweet with each other while still being playful and acting like real siblings do.  It was a pleasant surprise for me to have mom and dad (having never done a shoot with me) completely trust me and leave me to my own devices and inspiration.  They always seemed to know when to "disappear" so the kids would focus on me and not be distracted by them.  I LOVE parents who trust me right away like that.  Thanks Joanna and Ned!

Carmel is, of course, a superbly beautiful area with gorgeous homes and a stunning beach.  Sadly, that particular day was frought with icky, foggy, overcast weather, the kind of light which has no warmth, tone, richness or directionality to it.  Not my favorite but with some handy dandy reflector work and supplemental flash, in addition to finding good little pockets, we were able to completely overcome the bad light situation.  It certainly helped that grandma and grandpa's house had AMAZING areas with texture and rocks and doorways, steps, windows etc... LOVED it!

Ellie and Annabel were PROS with the reflectors and it was wonderful having them as my official assistants, and it took all of me not to speak to Ellie in a sing song voice like I do with my OWN Ellie! Ha! :)

Needless to say, with a family of seven, I just ended up with WAY too many great pictures for me to do a regular sneak peek, and I had to put together a little slideshow of my favorites.   To the S. Family, I hope you and the kids had fun at the shoot.  ENJOY your images!!!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW!!!

Elliott, his mom & a lavender farm in full bloom....

Sounds pretty dreamy huh!?   Well, it most certainly was!!!   This was one of the most magical shoots I've been on.  Everything about it was just pure joy, light, happiness, love, and sheer beauty from start to finish.  Driving up to this private lavender farm near Carmel I was mesmerized by the wild turkeys crossing the road, the rolling hills, the beautiful horses etc...  And then after the final turn on this 100 acre piece of property, I landed at the lavender fields which were in FULL bloom and about to be harvested (the very next day!).   I could SMELL the lavender before I could actually see it.  I was in heaven!

And then I walked up the steps to the adorable little green cottage at the top of the lavender farm field and was greeted by the adorable 20 month old Elliott and his super sweet mama.   Elliott is SUCH a happy boy!  He was absolutely delightful the entire shoot and just charmed me beyond words.  Nicole and I instantly hit it off and I ended up spending two hours just having a wonderful time photographing them and wandering around the property on this fantastic little Kubota RTV that the property owner graciously let us use for the shoot.   The whole session was just TOO much fun.  

Elliott was one of the most expressive and communicative little toddlers I have ever met.  Very focused and attentive and SO receptive to our direction and engagement with him.  Nicole and Elliott are incredibly in tune with each other and I really enjoyed watching their loving and playful dynamic.

I ended up with a RIDICULOUS amount of FANTASTIC images from this shoot so it was very very hard to narrow it down to just a few favorites for the sneak peek blog post!  Hopefully this will give you and idea as to how fabulous the shoot was!  I was able to really play with a variety of different lighting techniques and at the end I just relied on nature's gorgeous, perfect, natural sunset light.

A few notes:  

1) The little green house at the top of the hill in the last few shots is their cottage and I positioned everything so that it would be in the frame, I love including elements that have personal attachment/meaning.

2) No kittens were harmed in the process of taking the kitten shots, PROMISE!

3) If you don't know what a Kubota RTV is, google it, it's like the coolest thing on the planet and I want one.  Well, first I need 100 acres of land, but then, once I have that, I want a Kubota too.  HA! :)

Nicole, enjoy the sneak peek! 

Quinn, Reilly and Tyler

This family was my SECOND ever "real" clients when I officially launched my business 6+ years ago.  I *instantly* fell in love with them and hoped beyond hope that they would love their pictures enough to hire me again (even though I truly had a lot yet to learn about photography).  Fortunately, there was enough "heart and soul" in my image creating process to make up for my lack of technical expertise and they did hire me again.  Phew!  In fact, I've been able to photograph them a few times a year every year since that first wonderful shoot.  I've been able to chronicle and document every major milestone for their now THREE kids (!) and it's been the biggest honor for me to be able to do that.  I am VERY bonded to those kidlets and simply adore mom and dad.  I consider myself very blessed that they found me.  :)

Little Tyler has gone through a really rough year medically speaking and so it was just so fabulous to see her bust out some of her famously HUGE smiles.  They are truly contagious.  You can't look at that girl smile and not be grinning ear to ear yourself.   She still has a long recovery ahead of her but she just keeps getting better each time I see her and it warms my heart to witness the undeniably strong and powerful love there is in this family, across every family member.  And it also extends beyond their tightly unit family unit, so much so that the grandparents have been huge sources of emotional support throughout the stress of the past year.  It just so happened that Bryan's parents were in town when we did this shoot (they had been visiting for several weeks all the way from South Carolina!) so we were able to include them in the shoot as well!  It was a pleasure meeting them and I hope they love the images we captured despite all the chaos! Ha! :)

Bryan and Tara, you know how dear your family is to me.  Thanks for letting me play the small role I get to play in the journaling of your family's memories!

ENJOY!

 

Kenzi

It is such a special blessing when I get to see a family as often as I get to see Kenzi and her parents.  I've had the unique privilege of being able to photographically chronicle her journey in life, every major milestone, since she was in uteri! Being able to capture her every few months has allowed me to really get to know her, her family, and watch first hand as her personality (and her chunky little body) grows and changes.  Kenzi has always been the quiet, composed, introspective type.  She was an amazing newborn to photograph because she was so calm and mellow.  When she looks at you, she doesn't just look at you, she GLARES INTO YOUR SOUL!  She is a very self assured little girl and you can always tell that she is processing everything that is going on around her.   This session, I particularly enjoyed watching mom and dad communicate with her in sign language (something I also did with my first born) and seeing how well it worked to ease her communications.  She has so much to say and the sign language is vital to her being able to feel "heard."  Kenzi's smiles don't come easily as she is far too busy taking in everything that going on around her.   She is not easily distracted from the task at hand (in her case, exploring) or her own agenda (which rarely coincides with her parent's agenda! Ha!)  I know this personality type well.  Ellie was very much like that too.  Smart, passionate, willful little girls who will eventually rule the world....  :)  

Kenzi is unknowingly expecting a little brother in her life fairly soon (the pregnancy shoot is in just a few weeks!) and I'm incredibly excited to be able to continue chronicling this family's journey as they welcome a new family member into the mix!  Elisa & Peter, enjoy your sneak peek and I'll be seeing you guys again real soon! :)

Taj & Levi

The last time I saw this family, Levi was a tiny little baby and the time before that older brother Taj was a newborn!  It never ceases to amaze me when I see families grow and evolve over the years how children's personalities remain essentially the same as they navigate through life.  It's something I get to experience even more dramatically when a year or more goes by between shoots and then I see just how much they have changed and yet how much they have remained the same.  It's a really cool thing, actually.  

Taj and Levi are really fantastic kids and it's no surprise considering how amazing their mom and dad are.  I so enjoy our time together and even though Levi kept me on my toes, we worked some serious magic thanks to the most incredible lighting (it was *perfect* that night) and everyone having a really chill vibe throughout. 

There's LOTS and LOTS of love in this family and I hope I was able to showcase this with the images I took.  Every interaction between mom and dad was one of loving, tender, supportive teamwork... just the way it's supposed to be.   At the very end, when the shoot was over and we were walking back to our cars, I spotted a little trail and a big arrow and I had to ask them to give me 5 more minutes (even though the kids were practically falling asleep at that point), and they indulged me.  I love the series I got here.  I especially loved the lemon we found and had fun rolling down the hill.  After all, when life hands you lemons... just send them rolling!  :)    Adrienne and Dan, it was a pleasure, as always.  ENJOY your sneak peek!

 

Oliver

I've been photographing this family for a long time.  I've literally watched Oliver grow and with every passing year I get to see his transformation from baby to a now busy, bustling 4 year old.   It's always a delight being around this gorgeous little boy who, with his charming smile, dimples and big doe eyes, makes my camera very happy.  :)

Mom had planned the shoot to coincide with his actual 4th birthday so we really wanted to make it fun and special for him.  Fortunately, a dear friend (Hi Marci!) of theirs had access to a horse ranch just north of Santa Cruz where he would be able to feed the horses, ride the horses, and run around the ranch with the Marci's two adorable twins.  Mom even brought his birthday cake and we took a break midway through the shooting/playing to enjoy a slice of YUMMY marzipan cake, the exact same cake that my own family buys to celebrate OUR birthdays, so needless to say, I didn't pass on enjoying a slice....  :)

Here is Oliver on his 4th birthday enjoying a gorgeous day at a beautiful horse ranch.  At the beginning of the shoot the ominous clouds were overhead but they completely disappeared and we had blaring sunshine the entire shoot.  It had rained the day before and it has been raining ever since the shoot so I'm relieved the ONE day of sunshine was for his special shoot!   Thanks again Marci for letting us use your ranch!

Patricia, Leonardo and Oliver, ENJOY your images and see you next year! :)

Cameron & Chloe

I just love photographing this family.  For starters, they're all gorgeous, which makes it easy, and they're really laid-back and chill, which makes it pleasant, and the kids are full of spunk, which makes it fun.  I just always know it's going to be fun and that as a group we will just all roll with the punches so to speak.    This was of particular importance for this specific shoot because despite an only 1-% chance of rain and sunny skies when I left the house for the shoot....yup, right in the middle of our shoot, when we were in an open field, a solid mile into our hike, it started to rain.  At first, it was just a light drizzle, which quickly turned to a sprinkle and then, rain.  So, here we are with two cold, wet kids.  And two cold, wet dogs.  And three cold, wet adults.  And yet, despite all the weather-induced adversity, we still had an absolutely lovely, fun shoot!  How is that even possible!?   The biggest surprise for me, having photographed this family for years at a variety of locations, was seeing how INCREDIBLE their house was and being in awe of mom's amazing decorating skills.  Each interior wall was a different color and yet they all blended in seamlessly, beautifully and with perfect integration of the wall art and ousted photographs.   The architecture, layout and decor of the house was a photographer's dream and I'm pretty much going to have to beg them to let me do the shoot at their house next year when we have sunlight so I can take full advantage of it!  :)

We were also incredibly fortunate that I had grabbed some fabulous indoor shots at the house before we took off for our hike (or, in my case, my hobble, since I'm still dealing with my knee injury) and that when we returned, even though it was dark and dreary outside, I was able to boost my ISO to 1600 and move some furniture around and use what was left of the window light to grab some more fun shots at the very end.

We also brought their two dogs on our hike which, as a big dog lover, was wonderful for me.  Hunter is 11 yrs old and sweet as can be, allowing 5 month old puppy Skylar to romp all over and use him as a constant chew toy.    The light outdoors was far from ideal and yet I still really enjoyed shooting in the forest, as there is just something magical about those redwood trees.  When we got to the field, I used some OCF to counter act the dreariness.  You'd never know it was sprinkling on us when we took those images!   

On the speedy-gonzalez trek back to the house, little Chloe insisted on carrying some of my equipment for a short period of time.  I assure you that I do not commonly employ child labor.  But she sure did look cute being my little 2 yr old assistant! 

I love watching the dynamic between Chloe and her older brother Cameron because it reminds me so much of the dynamic between my two.  The quiet, patient, introspective, philosopher-ish big brother and the crazy, lively, independent, willful, spirited baby sister.  They balance off each other really well!

Jennifer & Stephen, thank you as always for a superb time together.  I always look forward to our shoots!  ENJOY your images!

Alice, May & Baby Clara

It's become quite clear that every time I get to photograph this family, magic happens.    The entire family is an absolute delight to photograph but my relationship with the girls is truly something special.  It's just seamless from beginning to end.  The girls are full of vibrancy, joy and BIG personalities.  I can't get enough of them!  This time was particularly bittersweet for me because I was able to meet the latest addition to the family, little baby Clara, and also say goodbye to all of them as they are moving back to England in a few short weeks.   This just gives me one more reason to visit England next year, as far as I'm concerned....

We started out at their beautiful home and then headed over to The Elizabeth Gamble Gardens and finished off at Stanford, which has special meaning to Richard and Marta.   I was also blessed to have my own personal sherpa on-hand as Marta's brother was visiting from Europe and he graciously lugged all my equipment to alleviate my knee (which is in a brace from my knee injury/fracture/nerve damage etc..)   He was an absolute sweetheart, and so amazing with the girls.  He also happens to be Clara's godfather so we had to get some shots of the two of them together.  The girls clearly ADORE him so it was extra fun having him around.

We had so many amazing images that I put together another slideshow for them, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.   I am definitely going to miss you guys!!!

ENJOY your images! (be patient with loading, it's a biggie)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW.

 

Agnes, Manon and Lucas

Today's post is the mini shoot I did for my friend Agnes and her two amazing kids, Manon (pronounced as best I can generate american sounds to a very french name: "mah-know" and Lucas (pronounced Luke-ah).  I absolutely adore these kids.  If my kids turn out HALF as wonderfully as these two have, then I'll be one happy mama.   They are super close and sweet and loving towards each other and yet still have that wicked sense of humor and edginess that their mom has.  It's a perfect combination.   Ellie and Manon were especially adorable together, as they progressively became glued at the hips with every passing day.  In fact, both girls (who both started off the week with super long hair) ended up getting the exact same haircut just one day apart while we were there!  They kept calling each other "twin".  It was SO sweet.  Manon was especially helpful as she would take time out of her day every evening to translate french kid books for Ellie so I could take a quick bath and then help Agnes get everything ready for dinnertime.  SO helpful!  

We decided to do the mini shoot at the park just down the street from their house.  It's a lovely, colorful, beautiful park and while the location was absolutely gorgeous; next time I want to do their shoot at one of the huge, impressive cemeteries in Paris.   Not only am I just slightly obsessed with the sheer magnitude and history of these cemeteries but I also think that locale would better match Agnes's personality.  So, that's the plan for next time! 

The afternoon of our shoot was tricky weather wise as we got rained on TWICE during the shoot during which time we had to seek shelter while we waited for the showers to pass.  In between the rain showers it was sunny though!  So, we had cloudy light, sunny light, rainy light and drizzly light all in the span of an hour.    Ellie was my assistant and as much as I adore her, it was clear why I never bring my kids to work with me!  She kept wanting to get into the shot!  Silly girl.  Regardless, we all had fun with this mini session and I hope Agnes likes them!  Here are just a few favorites from our shoot.

I was testing the light here, which I didn't end up liking, but I did like this sweet kiss. :)

'

The D. Family

I love meeting and photographing new families.   Because my beloved, loyal, "regulars" book nearly all my slots practically a year in advance, I only have a handful of free slots for "fresh blood" (hahahahaha!) every given year.  So, while I absolutely cherish the familiarity, joy and comfort of photographing clients I have known and watched evolve over the past 6+ years, I also like the surprise of the unexpected while meeting new clients.  And this family definitely did not disappoint in the "excitement" department!   Nathan and Jacob are two HIGH energy boys and total BOYS with a capital B!

I joked with Jennifer that Jacob tricked me because when we met in the parking lot, he jumped out of the car and came running up to me and quite literally threw himself into my arms giving me the BEST bear hug on the planet.  I looked at Jennifer and said "is he for real!?"  After all, he'd never met me and this is how he greets me!?  What an angel, I thought!  She tried to warn me about his mischievous personality... but it was too late.  I was completely and totally smitten.    Well, needless to say, mom was right.  He has a BIG personality in that little 5 yr old body and is quite the character.  Both boys kept me on my feet.  Literally.  Chasing them.  Trying to convince them to stop their bodies for a nanosecond.  To not cause injury to each other if within a foot of each other... ha!  But throughout it all, they had fun and I had fun and we all laughed at their crazy antics.  I can imagine that there is never a dull moment in that household!

So, thank you D. family for bringing some spice to my lazy Sunday afternoon!   ENJOY your images!

Alastar, Odin and Zephyr

Alastar is a beloved client who moved away to Connecticut a couple years ago.  She was in town this week visiting family and friends so we made sure to get a session in for her and her boys.  They are embarking on a new chapter in their lives and this shoot is a way to commemorate their little threesome and to celebrate their new beginnings all at the same time. :)

They had just flown in from the East Coast the night before and were all sleep deprived and jet lagged not to mention worn out from a long day of traveling but you would have never known.  Everyone was full of smiles, high energy and showing me their vibrant little personalities!

Due to scheduling we had to do the shoot mid morning, which as you may know, is not the best light to work with outdoors.  So, we did a little bit of shooting at the beach (just a block down from where they were staying) and then headed back to the house to do some indoor shooting in a little bedroom that could not have been more impeccably designed for that purpose with big windows on two sides and a plain white bedcover to beautifully bounce the light back on their faces.   Yesssssss.  That stuff makes me giddy-happy.   A good time was had by all!  

Alastar's nickname ('Star') perfectly suits her and I would even venture to add a "super" in front of it to truly represent her.  She rocks.  Love you, Star!

Here is a sneak peek of our morning together.

Kassidy Rose

My shoot with this lovely family had been rescheduled a couple times already due to bad weather and on this particular day, although the entire previous week had been a torrential downpour, and the entire following week was also supposed to rain, this day was supposed to have sun!  In fact, when we arrived it was BLUE SKIES ABOVE and I was utterly convinced we would be *just fine*.....

Within moments of starting the shoot, the blue skies were quickly replaced with dark, dreary cloud cover and drizzle.  This quickly turned to RAIN.   In the 6+ years that I have been shooting professionally I have NEVER been rained out.   I have to give HUGE credit to Boris and Briana for not panicking and being willing to go hide out in a lobby for about 15 mn and wait out the rain.   I don't think most people would have been that optimistic or willing to just roll with it and see what happens.

As luck would have it, that series of rainclouds DID pass through and we expeditiously ran outside and down to the beach to grab whatever sunlight we would be granted!  Turned out we only got about 20 mn of sunshine but boy did we make the most of it!  

After that, another series of stormy clouds and freezing cold winds swept through.  By that point poor little Kassidy was chilled to the bone and none too happy about everything that we had put her through (including outfit changes! Sweet thing!).  I have to point out that Kassidy is hands down the happiest baby I have ever encountered.  ALL smiles.  Despite the fact that she was so cold and her nose was running from the frigid temps.  I don't know many babies who would have been so pleasant under the adverse weather conditions that we had.   That sweet little girl was an absolute ANGEL.

When the second set of rainclouds came in we decided to take shelter indoors at a local pub/restaurant where Briana used to work a long time ago and a place that has a lot of personal meaning to both Boris and Briana.   It was like walking into the Cheers bar, everyone saying Hi to Boris and Briana and fawning over Kassidy!  Absolutely adorable.   I moved a table into a spot with some window light, boosted my ISO to 1600, changed lenses in order to be able to shoot wide open at f1.8 and basically, just made it work.   I'm delighted with what we were able to capture in there and Kassidy was much, much happier after thawing out a little bit! Ha! :)

Boris and Briana, thanks for being so incredibly flexible and just going with the flow and trusting me to make it happen.  We are a great team!  Kassidy is absolutely precious, you are very blessed! :)

ENJOY your sneak peek!

Mason, Preston & Regan

Andrea has been waiting soooo patiently for these images!  It's been a hectic week for me and I was not able to provide my usual lightning fast turnaround time.  I hope she forgives me after seeing the images.  These three were *quite* the lively set of siblings.  Which, naturally, is to be expected with this age range and set of twins, AND boys etc...  Still, they definitely kept me on my toes, let me tell you! :)

The boys were determined to look at the camera only IF they were making a crazy, goofy, silly face.   I had to work HARD to get those real smiles.  But, we succeeded despite their best attempts to derail our agenda! Ha! :)

Sweet Regan was a complete poser and definitely my muse for the day, as you will see.

Andrea is not only my neighbor but also my carpool partner and occasional running buddy.  I was so happy to be able to photograph her family.  The weather was PERFECT and the location was ideal and the kids were so very animated!   And you know what, animated is way better than boring.  And this shoot was NOT boring! 

Andrea, enough jibber jabber, I know you want to see these since you might somehow have felt that I could not possibly have gotten a single decent shot with all the craziness.  Well, look for yourself, your children look positively angelic!! :)

Jonathan and Andrea, ENJOY!!!!

Samara & Camille

I've been photographing this family for nearly half a decade!  Woah.  I absolutely love them to bits.  It helps that I consider them friends and look forward to our time together as a chance to catch up and hang out.  I also very much enjoy photographing them and their two adorable little girls.  Heather (the absolutely gorgeous lady in these shots who doesn't even know how stunning she is) is an incredible mom.  She makes it look easy.  The whole family is just really fun and easy going and it's always a pleasure to hang out with them.

Those of you who follow this blog know that I am not into heavy post processing and "overdone" images.  I like my editing to be subtle.  I'd rather let the authentic image do all the talking rather than covering it up with a bunch of random actions.  Having said that, there were a few images in this session that I really felt a tug to manipulate and give a somewhat "polaroid-y" and classic film feel to them.  I had fun with those and think they turned out really great but my style and approach to post processing will always be on the more minimalistic side.  Every so often, an image will tell me it needs something specific though, and I always listen. :)

Heather and Danny, thank you for spending time with me on that GORGEOUS afternoon, sandwiched in between two rainy miserable days... How lucky we were!  I love you guys and I hope you really enjoy this sneak peek slideshow.  

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW!!!

 

Easton and the grown ups who love him!

I met and photographed little Easton two years ago when he was just a newborn so you can imagine how wonderful it was to see him again and behold how much he had grown over the past two years!  This little boy is surrounded by a whole lotta love!  As with the newborn session, grandma and papi were a part of it, except this time they were also in the pictures!  Such a delight being able to shoot the whole family and watch how Easton brings so much joy to his parents and grandparents alike.  

As we all know, 2 can be a somewhat challenging age to photograph.  They have their own agendas and very strong little wills to boot.   We had to work around some very typical and age appropriate 2 year old tendencies!  Thing is, I'm just as obstinate as your average 2 yr old so I wasn't about to give up on getting a REAL smile from him and bringing out his joyful, effervescent little personality, which we clearly were able to do thanks to some wonderful teamwork!

The weather started out very iffy that morning but suddenly cleared up as the session began and we ended up with the most stunningly beautiful sunset and gorgeous lighting!  A true photographer's delight!

Thank you D. Family for letting me capture these memories!  Such a pleasure seeing you all again!  ENJOY!!!

Maggie & Conor

These are long time clients of mine who moved away to the midwest at the beginning of the year.  I was quite sad that I would miss out on our annual photo shoot tradition.  But then they emailed me saying they were going to be back in the Bay Area for a few days at Christmas and could I squeeze them in?!  Even though I was technically on Holiday Break there was no way I was going to miss our annual shoot!  Especially since mom was nearly midway through her pregnancy with Baby #3 (and looking ever so stunning might I add)!

We met up and had an incredible shoot.   Even though the weather has been iffy, cold, wet, windy and all around awful, that one day was very mild and at times even sunny!  When the sun was hidden I busted out my off camera flash and with my little control freak tendencies I was able to totally control the output, direction and ambient light to create exactly the look I was going for.

Maggie and Conor were awesome and we all had a blast!  I am so grateful I was able to spend this time with them during their short stay in California.  

Annelys and John, hope you love these! ENJOY!

Audrey (aka The Gerber Baby)

I defy you to look at this 6 month old baby and not immediately think of the Gerber baby.  I mean, it's uncanny.  Down to the dimples and melt-your-heart smile.  It's fairly easy to see where she got her adorable good looks!  I had such a wonderful time photographing this new family.  The love they all have for each other is absolutely palpable.  Watching the joy in their eyes as they looked at their daughter was so touching.  Nat is so tender and sweet with Audrey and Kelly lights up around her little girl.  As a unit, they are just completely in sync and over the moon for each other.  It was quite adorable to watch unfold as I documented their interactions.  Needless to say, Audrey was just about the easiest baby I've ever had the pleasure to photograph.  That, combined with her super sweet parents and perfect weather/light, resulted in a most delighted shoot!  The best part, perhaps, was that Audrey has *just* mastered the art of sitting up alone.  The timing on this shoot, which had been scheduled months ago, was absolutely perfect! :)

Nat and Kelly, thanks for hanging out with me on such a gorgeous day and letting me capture these images. Here is your sneak peek (and there's TONS more on the CD's)!  ENJOY!!!

(as a side note, this shoot was gifted to them by someone who loves them very much.  I can truly think of no greater "tangible" gift to give a new family!)

The M & M families

These are two more families that I have been watching grow over the past 5 years.  Every pregnancy, every newborn, every new sibling...  These milestones are so precious and it warms my heart that these two families value my work so much.  The two sisters here hire me for the big milestones and then every December for Christmas their mom, grandma Cindy, gifts her daughters with this combined shoot.  I can honestly think of no greater gift!  This is a very tight knit family and the little cousins are growing up more like brothers than cousins.  It's really cool to see grown sisters so incredibly close not only to each other, but also to their mom, and to their nephews.   It's obvious that family is the most important thing in their lives.  And I get to document these memories and this journey through parenthood for them!

Our shoot was rescheduled due to the rain but it worked out for the best because the day we did finally do it was an absolutely stunning day.  The light could not have been more gorgeous (even though it was playing peekaboo between the clouds!) and the boys had fun romping in the mud and being boys.    As you can see, Jen is just a couple weeks away from her #2 being born, which will bring the tally of grandkids to FOUR boys under 5 for grandma to enjoy!  Woohooo!  Let the games begin! :)

I love watching the boys' unique personalities shine through even more with every passing year.  AJ is definitely coming into his own as the oldest.  He is super responsible, mature, and always looking out for the younger two and making sure everyone is following the rules.  He was incredibly polite and sweet as could be.   Easton (his little brother) is the total comedian.  He had me laughing so hard my sides were aching.  He was striking poses like you wouldn't believe, not to mention impersonating superman and, get this, Spanish Buzz.  I think I was practically in tears I was laughing so hard at his perfect rendition of his "Ole!"  He is quite the character.  And Chase, who is about to become a big brother, is a gentle, sensitive soul.  His fun little spirit was able to really shine through when he had some alone time with me.  His smile is knock-your-socks-off charming.  Watch out, ladies!  I can't wait to see what #4 is like!

Here's just a few favorites from our awesome shoot.  I had a ridiculous amount of "keepers"!

The 3 cousins!

Quinn, Reilly and Tyler

My fondness and affinity for this family runs deep.  They were one of my very first clients and I have had the distinct honor of being able to photograph them 2-3 times a year for the past 5+ years.  This has allowed me to be able to document virtually every single major developmental milestone for each of the three kids from infancy on!  It has also allowed me to really get to know the kids in such a way that when I come over for our shoots, it's practically us just "hanging" out and playing and chatting, just like any other visit from a family friend.  Mom and Dad have it all down to a science by now and absolutely NOTHING phases them.  In fact, within two minutes of me arriving, Quinn fell down on the cement and literally split his chin open.   There was equal amounts of blood and tears.  But within minutes we were back on track without missing a beat.   

This shoot was almost a celebration of sorts.  To say the family has been through the wringer the past few months is an understatement.  Little Tyler recently had a severe medical emergency resulting in 90 days living at Stanford and unimaginable stress for Tara and Bryan.  When I saw them, they had just celebrated being back home and out of the hospital for a solid two weeks.  Tyler's recover will be a slow and arduous one but this kid is a little firecracker, just like her older siblings, and with incredible parents like Tara and Bryan to guide her along, she will make a FULL recovery and be back to herself in no time!

Tara and Bryan, this shoot was extra special for me.  You are a remarkable family and it's not only an honor but truly a pleasure to get to chronicle your family's journey over the years.   ENJOY the sneak peek!

Dave, Kristy & Dani

If this family looks familiar it's probably because they've been on my blog many times over the past three years!  For starters, they are dear friends of mine for whom I've had the opportunity to document some pretty momentous occasions.  I've captured their engagement, their wedding, their pregnancy, their newborn Danielle, her first 6 months and now, her *almost* 1 year old family images.   

They know how much I love them so I'm not going to go wax poetic here and get all mushy and sappy on my blog.  They better know how I feel about them.  :)

We were blessed with a very sunny, crisp, clear day but the temperatures were SO COLD!  Poor little Dani was FREEZING.  In between shots we bundled her up in a blanket but we know she was getting cold fast so we didn't do our usual, slow, chatty, meandering pace.

Dani is a very bright, aware, adorable little girl.  I tease David because she looks just like him and I don't know HOW he did it but he made one heck of a gorgeous little girl... I'm sure Kristy's good looks made that possible....  :)

SO, without any further delay, here is a sneak peek of your images Dave & Kristy.  I love you long time.  ENJOY!

The N. Family

This was my 5th year photographing this lovely, fun, gorgeous family. I first met them when Adam was just a tiny little baby.  Fast forward 5 years later and I've been able to chronicle their journey as a family, including the addition of baby brother Matthew.  Obviously I'm a staunch advocate of not only the tradition of taking annual family photos but mostly just making sure people understand the value of documenting each passing year, each milestone, each blessed event.  The flip side of that is honoring the challenges we must also overcome in life.  This family was dealt quite a blow this past year.  In February, Julianne, who is a young, healthy and vibrant mother to two young children with NO risk factors at all, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer.  (note: Julianne gave me permission to share her story and link to her blog which you can read here.)  Since that day, she has undergone 18 rounds of chemo.  That's a whole lot of chemo.  And while the chemo is over and the cancer has left her bones (yipppeee!) she still has major surgery and further radiation to undergo.   All this to say, it's been quite a journey for them and in particular for Julianne and Marchus who kept all of it far from the kids' radar.  No small feat.  These are remarkable folks and I am honored to know them and even more honored that they choose to pack up their brood and drive 2+ hours to come see me for our annual visits.  My gratitude to them is endless and my heart swells knowing that I am able to capture these precious moments for them.  For eternity.  It is, perhaps, a gift we give each other, no?  :)

Julianne and Marchus, enjoy your sneak peek.   Much love to you all!

 

The K. Family

This has become quite the highly anticipated annual tradition for me and the K. family.  I particularly enjoy these sessions, not only because I have been photographing them for years but also because I get to see these girls outside of "work" so I feel like I really can engage with them with a strong sense of familiarity.   We have our own special brand of crazy...  :)

This year's shoot was held at The Legion Of Honor in S.F.  We had planned it long before the SF Giants won the world series and before we knew there would be a MASSIVE parade in the city THAT particular day...  But we stuck with our plans and it served us well because we literally had the entire place ALL to ourselves!  And there was surprisingly zero traffic on the way into the city (although the drive home was a different story).  And it was quite possibly the WARMEST day in SF that year!  Just perfect in every possible way.

Cassandra, Zoe and Sabine wore custom CourtneyCourtney dresses which were the perfect bright and colorful complement to stand out amongst the monochromatic Legion of Honor columns and walls.  The shoot was full of wackiness and fun and chaos and joy and tears and falls and laughter.  All in a day's work in the K. household! :)

Jolene and Peter, I hope you love this slideshow as much as I do! 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW!!!

Hannah & Daniel

Some families just make it SO easy!  This is definitely one of those families.  Hannah and Daniel are two of the most delightful, fun, interesting, and polite kids I have ever met.  They are just all around GREAT kids.  Every time after our shoot I think about how I hope my son and daughter turn out just like them.   In the simplest terms, I basically just really enjoy my time with this family.  It's fun and easy and relaxed.  And every single member of this family has a great sense of humor which, naturally, I play off of.  It's a very symbiotic relationship! :)

We bumped the shoot up early due to the upcoming storm and I'm SO glad we did because I sat at the computer today finishing the last of the editing while it rained ALL DAY LONG.  Phew!  

Here are just a few favorites from our exceptionally fun shoot on what turned out to be a stunningly sunny day!  Yippeeeee!

Lesley, Augustin, Hannah & Daniel, thank you for a delightful time!  ENJOY your images!

 

The W. Family

I met this family several years ago when they had just given birth to their first son, Louie.   I was blessed with the opportunity to take his newborn images, which led to continuing to chronicle the family's life ever since then.  Little Owen came soon thereafter.  For the newborn sessions, I would drive up to their house in the East Bay but the past two years they've come down to visit me and I so appreciate the long drive with two small children, I know how that can be! :)

We had some crazy clouds for our session so the sun kept alternating between blaring at us and then disappearing all of a sudden.  I had to change my settings every couple minutes!  

The session was incredibly relaxed and fun, especially considering we had an almost 2 yr old (cough*owen*cough) who had his own agenda (which did not include having his picture taken but I'm sneaky and stubborn and obstinate too, so there).  Mom did an AMAZING job styling the session and the backdrop could not have been more perfect for it.  I had shown her pictures of it in advance and she got THE BEST outfits to go with it.  Love that!

Everyone looked adorable and had lots of fun during the session, which I really hope comes through in the images.  I had a hard time narrowing it down for the blog but here are a just a few favorites.

Allison & Louis, I so very much look forward to our sessions and the time we get to spend together, THANK YOU for making the long trek down to hang out with me! :)

ENJOY your sneak peek!

The S. Family

I've been photographing this family for many years now and it's an honor to have them choose me year after year to capture these memories for them.  They are, as you will see, a lively and vivacious bunch.  The shoots are always full of chaos and laughter.  This year was our easiest shoot yet which I attribute to the girls being older but even more so to the fact that there is just such an ease and comfort between me and this family.  We share much in common and have a strong appreciation for joy and laughter.  Which is why I picked the song Heart of Life by John Mayer to accompany the slideshow I put together for them.  I love the refrain of "I know the heart of life is good" and how it mentions that no matter what sadness and challenges come your way, the bottom line is Life is Good.  And mostly, life is what you make of it.  This family embodies that.  They always have a happy and vibrant "go get 'em" approach to everything.   There's just a great deal of love and joy and I hope I was able to capture that for them.

Thank you S. family for our very fun time together.  I hope you enjoy the slideshow which is just a small sampling of all the amazing images we got that afternoon!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW!!!

Estelle and Sebastian

This shoot was scheduled to be Estelle's annual shoot to celebrate her 3rd birthday.  We had planned it to happen just before her baby brother's arrival but *someone* decided to show up quite early!  So, we decided to make it a family shoot instead!  And while baby brother was only 2 weeks old and as fresh as they come, mom and dad did NOT want a "naked baby newborn" shoot.  They wanted the focus to still be primarily on Estelle and to also capture some images of the new family unit as a whole.  No solo baby posed shots desired.  Rather, capturing some loving, tender moments of the new family and especially Estelle and Sebastian together connecting with each other!

This family lives in an amazing house that leaves me spellbound every time I visit them.  You can check out their site HERE.  Daniel and Nancy produce every conceivable fruit and vegetable on their acres of land in the Los Gatos mountains and have all kinds of animals roaming on the property as well including their beloved dog Sartaj whom I first met as a tiny little puppy when Estelle was just a little baby herself.

Here are just a few favorites from our session.  CONGRATULATIONS to the family on the early arrival of Mister Sebastian!  He is absolutely adorable.  And a big thank you to Grandma who was visiting.  Her extra set of hands were incredibly helpful during the shoot! (and I'm sure the rest of the time too!)