I was about 19 or 20 years old when I became serious about photography.  I scraped up money to buy my first SLR camera, which was thrilling to achieve as a poor College student.  My preferred film was a roll of BxW Ilford 400s.  The following Summer, I took a film photography class at UC Berkeley, so I could learn how to develop/print my own film and have unlimited access to the darkroom, which absorbed a good part of that year. BxW can look really moody, which I love, but th

Even through the chilly dense fog, I Tigger-esquely bounced over to greet Julie and her family when I saw them walking towards me. That is what happens when you’ve been photographing the same family for 10 years.  A DECADE is a long time and also the exact age of their son, Ian.  Ahhh, I still remember photographing their blue-eyed baby’s face on a blanket with blue polkadots! I had the joy of hanging out with this long-time clients-turned-friends one foggy morning, and it wa

So a few years ago when my youngest was in Kindergarten, her class had a project to make a 3D Dr. Seuss character.  While most made their favorite character, like Horton and Thing One, Ava made up her own, named Pig in a Wig.  It was light pink, her favorite color, and even had a cloth piece over the head that was made of yarn and could be removed and attached with velcro — hence, a wig. In light of Pig in a Wig, who still exists today and is prominently sitting on a counter,

I started writing this loooong blog post about why Mini Sessions don’t work, at least not for true Lifestyle Photography, but it became kinda, well, long.  Even this sentence is long — DOH! Plus I don’t want to sound like I’m poo-pooing Mini Sessions because it can work for some people, especially those who are great at posing subjects.  It’s just not my style of photography or cup of tea.  Hey, I’m actually sipping tea right now, but I digress.  I’m like a puppy right now wi

Life is like a Conga dance.  It is rhythmic.  It moves in a direction — can be right or wrong, and sometimes moves erratically.  You’re part of a larger group, made up of family and friends.  Even when you’re not in the mood for it, it always turns out alright. Jennifer and Jonathan and their J-kids are first-time clients, and they arrived with THE best attitude:  willing to try anything! This is what I sounded like throughout their shoot:  “Ooh ooh, I have an idea!”  And som

Now, onto Part Two of last year’s winning images.  This one is about moments! A “moment” is defined as a split second of time ~OR~ a moment that tells a story, whether sweet, emotional or humorous.  My all-time favorite images are the ones that capture a story and have incredible light, so some of these have both! ❤️ *swoon* BEST MOMENTS OF 2018 #1 A Father’s Love #2 This Way, Together Tied for #3 Too Many Kisses Cracking Up Tied for #4 Left:  Happily Married Right:  Teachin

It is time to reveal the winning images from last year! The photos that made it into this category were chosen based on the role light played in the image. Specifically I answered the questions: “If the light was different, would I like it as much?” “Did the light effect the mood or story of the image?”  Then that collection of images went into a Facebook album for public voting during a set time period. Aaaaaaand the winners are….. ☺️ MOST DELICIOUS LIGHT of 2018 #1 The brow

I know I sound like Cheesy McCheeserson, but some shoots feel more like I’m playing and hanging out with friends than a job.  Nah, let’s be real, it’s almost every shoot. From the time Danny pulled his car into the parking lot, I hopped out of mine and saw little Rory’s excited face pressed against the window.  Then Emily drove in with Dex who looked like he grew a foot taller than the previous year. SQUEEEEE… There was no time to waste.  We all darted into the arboretum, so

Family is like a puzzle.  It can be a big puzzle with lots of pieces, a small puzzle with big pieces, or anything in-between.  The pieces can be made up of individuals who are blood-relatives or individuals who are close to your heart, but not related to.  The puzzles can be complicated or simple, serious or fun. We are all a part of a puzzle and our puzzles are all unique. Sometimes, just sometimes, I get to photograph a family that visually fit together like pieces of a puz