Janet loves the San Francisco Bay Area so much that during a visit many years ago, she decided to move here.  Her love for the Bay Area is still immeasurable, so she chose a special location for her shoot (a precious gift from her sister Julie) that faces her beloved city. Even with high wind weather advisories, Janet and her family didn’t let that stop them from having a memorable afternoon.  Their son had recently returned home after being in the Peace Corps, so they had al

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

What does the flower smell like?  Grape. How about this one?  Cotton candy. What does that one smell like?  Sunshine. I adore kids for so many reasons.  The way they experience the World around them lands somewhere at the top of my list.  Ask 10 adults what a flower smells like, and I’m sure the answers would not be as interesting.  Just try it!  I asked two (that’s all I could handle), and their answers were:  flower and good.  Yup, for real. These two carefree sisters, Oli

I had another fun playdate, I mean, photoshoot with my little buddies, Rory and Dex!  🙂 This time, it was at their mom’s workplace, which was truly the coolest office building ever.  It’s like workplace-meets-Disneyland, a place where innovation and productivity can blossom.  Get this:  there was a Library, gardens, a gym, Laundry Room, THE coolest chairs everywhere, gorgeous artwork, and even a Game Room!  Danny and I had to pick our jaws off the ground and ran around like

[ENDEARING:  adjective.  Manifesting or evoking affection. To give rise to love.  Beloved.] That is the word that perfectly sums up Joe and Yolanda’s family. I’ve photographed this endearing family for 11 years, and there have been many changes — but one thing that has remained a constant, and that is the strength of their bond. For their shoot this year, we brainstormed all week and ended up at a location that was pretty much in their backyard!  What a little gem, and at gol

Roberta and Alex wanted to have their shoot in Arizona where they’d be around cacti and the warm sun. Except we didn’t go to Arizona, and it wasn’t very warm.  🙂 We did, however, find cacti, and it was SO COOL.  It looked like we walked into a page of a Dr. Seuss book.  Oh, two out of five of us got pricked though.  (This story has taken a turn.)  One was to a child’s finger and drew blood, and one was on an old lady (ehem!) who thought the long leaf would bend when she walk

I won’t tell you how much I love this family. I won’t tell you how special it is to have friends who believe in you, encourage you, and support you. I won’t tell you how fun this photoshoot was and how much I laughed. I won’t tell you how smart and cool and humble Alex is, and how teary I get thinking about how he’ll be in College next year. I won’t tell you how talented Sam and Marissa are, and how much they blow me away. I love this family. Shoot, okay I lied.  I WANT T

I think one of the greatest gifts is creating a memory with someone you love, and a bonus would be to have a photoshoot that captures it!  ❤️  Rashmi believes this too (SQUEEEE!) so she scheduled a shoot as a gift for her photography-enthusiast, family-loving husband. It may not have been that big of a surprise to Sat since their very first shoot with me in 2008 was also a gift.  I still remember hiding at a park while Rashmi brought Sat and their then-toddler son on a walk t

When you and your spouse are both turning the big 5-0 AND it’s your 20 year wedding anniversary AAAAND you adopted your first puppy, you have a Day-in-the-Life Photoshoot to capture your life as it is right now. It’s a way to celebrate as well as commemorate a big year! We started in Peter and Jenny’s kitchen with making shakes, cutting flowers, and playing with their pup.  It was a scorching hot afternoon, so the fruit shakes and watermelon smoothies were refreshing.  They p

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

Sometimes my shoots take me to far away lands, like in a dragon’s lair where we were engulfed by the hazy breath of these mystical creatures.  We had to hide in crevices, climb up on boulders, and prepare to fight with long sticks. Kim and Ashish kept their family safe and warm, as usual, and thankfully didn’t encounter dragons… THIS time. Wishing you all great adventures – both real and imaginary.  xo #RedwoodForest #EastBaylifestylechildrenphotography #bayarealifestylefamil

Sure, some things I may ask you to do during your shoot may feel strange or even downright goofy.  To some.  Maaaaaybe.  🙂 That’s where trust comes into play because I promise, there’s a reason for all of that.  During a photoshoot, images pop into my head based on what I see in front of me — the quality of light, patterns and textures in the environment, and the people I am photographing.  The best “directing” is when they feel more like spontaneous ideas between friends th

While I was cramming for midterms one ordinary College day, I received a phone call that broke a long silence.  It was a good friend who lived in the same apartment building.  She spoke so fast that her words blended together.  Huh?  Say that again?  When she repeated herself, all I heard were bits and pieces…. “Big fire” “Coming towards you” “Evacuated a long time ago” “GET OUT NOW!” In complete disbelief, my roommate walked outside “to see if she could see anything”.  Sh

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

Hmmmm….what could the pink balloon stand for?!!  😉 SQUEEEEE!!!  I’m so excited for The S Family! This Lifestyle Maternity Photography session was a relaxing stroll through Louisa’s alma mater:  Stanford!  We went to areas that weren’t as iconic because, let’s be honest, those areas are… “been there, done that”!  🙂  However, we did stumble upon areas that were unknowingly closed for construction, dried up, or scary-looking (haha), but we still had fun wherever we went! #Palo