"W" Family SLIDESHOW

We only spent about an hour and a half with this family, but instantly fell in love with them. Stephanie and I used to work together and I remember how happy she was when she announced she was pregnant with her first baby. She now has another beautiful baby with her sweet husband. This whole family was just amazing to be around (Stephanie and her husband were so laid back and let the kids be kids and I loved it!!) and we are so thankful to have shared some time with her and her beautiful family!

I have quite a few favorites from this session and here are just two:

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Jackie & Mike - Engagement Session at CBS Studios

What a fun time with Jackie and Mike! I have to thank my friend Erich for referring them. Erich is such a wonderful friend and I guess wonderful people hang around with other wonderful people...like Jackie and Mike!

Mike was able to secure the session at CBS Studios and we were so excited to be on a studio lot just walking around, talking, taking pictures without anyone even questioning us! It was crazy! The night we went, the studio was actually hosting the Joan Rivers Comedy Central Roast so I was hoping to see some celebrities but they seemed to be inside already by the time we got there. It was still exciting to see all the fancy cars go past us as the valets were looking for places to park. I love all that "behind the scenes" kind of stuff. So we are especially excited to share their wedding day with them at CBS Studios AGAIN! It's going to be a great afternoon/night!

I normally like to process my images with just a few actions so that the bride/groom can build an album if they choose to. With engagement and family sessions, I like to push it a little bit. And with Jackie and Mike being up for anything, I went a little funky with some of their images.

We'll start with something a little "normal":


I think the little sticker below says: WARNING: HOTNESS:


I loved that they were fine to stepping into this cute little pool. It's crazy what they have just sitting around a TV lot. I loved this pool!! I wanted to take it home for Riley!


As Carrie Bradshaw would say, "Heeelllllooooo Loooovvvvaaaahhhh!":


Since we were on a TV lot and most TV is PRETEND, when I look at this image, I like to pretend this was taken YEARS ago of a couple that worked on the lot together and this would be how the photo would look if someone were to find it today among some old scripts. Hey, it's my blog and I can pretend if I want to. :)- I seriously would just need to dress Jackie and Mike in some old clothes and it would work! ;)




Not sure what TV show or movie this house might have been used for, but it sure was cute.


Congratulations Jackie and Mike! It was great getting to know a little bit about you! We're excited to celebrate your special day back on the lot again! This time I know I'll see some stars that day...YOU TWO! ;)

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Welcome to the world, Baby Ella!

What an incredible blessing this little girl is for a beautiful couple. I worked at my last job for over 11 1/2 years and I know that Bobbi was there before I was so that's at least how long I've known her. We don't hang out that often but it's always so nice when we do. She has the most FABULOUS husband. Sweet, handsome and just all-around nice.

I can remember when Bobbi told me that she started seeing this someone special. We were at a manager's meeting and I had honestly never seen her happier. As cheesy as it sounds, her eyes just sparkled when talking about him. When I heard that they got engaged, I was so happy for her...and then when I heard that they were having a baby, I was ecstatic for her!

Welcome to the world, Baby Ella. You are truly a blessing to so many people. We can't wait to see you grow and have play dates with Riley in about a year. :)

I know that pretty much everyone I know says their husband is the best and although I truly believe mine is, Che could probably give Al a run for his money...he's just a great guy and he's going to be a wonderful daddy to this little angel.

Let's face it, not every baby is cute (even though their family thinks they are) but Miss Ella is GORGEOUS...and she's already working the changing table. Next stop, the runway.


Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. - Elizabeth Stone

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Jody & Bobby - ENGAGEMENT SNEAK PEEK!

Holy heck! What an awesome couple these two are! I have to thank my friend Scotty for sending them our way:

"Thank you, Scotty! I'm so glad this crazy internet (and God!) brought us together...you are such a blessing in so many ways!

Warmly, Me." :)

Alright, back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

When I started editing some of these images, I found myself smiling and (although I think this word sound silly when I type it) chuckling a few times. This session seemed to have so many funny (surprise) moments. If Jody and Bobby are reading this, I'll just say: Yabba Dabba Do's (or whatever that word was!!), "Is that how you normally sit?" "Aaahhh...no." and "Let's do Peek-a-boo!". I literally just laughed out loud. :)

We CANNOT WAIT to help document this wedding!! It's going to be a beautiful, and I'm sure, FUN day!!

Thank you, Jody and Bobby, for being such great sports today!



Jody has the cutest toes...this picture reminds me of Jack Johnson's "Bubble Toes". :)


Some funkiness:




And this one is just for fun...PEEK-A-BOO! I smile when I hear Jody say, "That would be silly, Bobby!" right before this happened! Ha!

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"W" Family - SNEAK PEEK

I cannot even begin to explain how great this session was. Mom (a former co-worker, now friend) and Dad were soooo laid back and had no problem letting kids be kids. When I asked if they had anything particular in mind, I love how Dad said something along the lines, "If we get one picture with all of us in it and looking at the camera, that would be good!" :) Ha! I can only imagine how hard it is to get a nice photo when you have a family with two kids or more...especially when they are young. I only have one little girl and she hardly looks at the camera! :)

Anyway, a sneak peek of a FANTASTIC family and a fun hour or so!

A little California sunshine, a cute dress and bow and a great Daddy...what more could a girl ask for?!


I love this...I asked this little cutie-patootie if she could twirl and we started out and ended up like this:


A gorgeous family...and as sweet and as fun as can be...that's the very best kind!


What's a day at the beach without some fun in the sand? Seriously...how cool were these parents to not fuss over stuff like this?! These are the moments to remember later in life!!


More to come later. Thank you, "W" Family, for giving us a great start to a long, busy weekend. We only hung out for an hour or so but we LOVE your family!!

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Awaiting Baby Girl...

Wow, I can already feel that baby "B" is going to be a little princess! She's already had three blog posts here! NOBODY'S ever had three posts here except for our little princess. ;)

Speaking of "princess", it's so funny...before Riley was born we always said that we would NEVER call her "princess". We just always disliked when parents called their baby girls that...I think it sets them up for a lot of broken dreams and heartache later on in life when they realize they may not be the "princess" they thought they were - come on, we all knew one of "those girls" back in high school (or even grade school)! LOL Anyway, after Riley was born, EVERYONE started calling her "princess"!! Al and I would look at each other and shake our heads and I hated it at first, but now I've grown to love it and I do believe that I am starting to think she is my little "princess" a little more each day. Ha!!

Anyway, I have already predicted that Baby "B" will be a princess since she has frequented the blog several times in her beautiful mommy's tummy. I CANNOT wait to meet her and take some newborn images of her! And who knows, I just might show up with a little tiara. ;)

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I give up...

I know this pretty little (even with that tummy!) lady has been waiting for her session to be finished and I told her it would either be tonight or tomorrow. Well, after about saying "just a few more" a few different times tonight, I know there is no way they are being completed tonight. I could stop editing right now and just give her what I had because it's already WAY more than what I promised, but if I did that, I'd lose so many other great images that should be included...so I'm publicly asking her for one more night (tomorrow). ;) If little Riley Grace bears with me tomorrow, they might even be completed during the day. But that's up to Riley Grace...she wears the pants around here. ;)

By Friday they will all be set to music in a slideshow for the patiently waiting pregnant "D". And yes, "patient" and "pregnant" do appear in the same sentence. She's not only beautiful, she's just all-around sweet, encouraging, thankful and just plain wonderful...even in the third trimester. :)

A few more to hold her over until Friday:

This image is actually warmer when saved...not sure why it's posting so bright here.


How gorgeous is this tummy?!




P.S. Look at this little action I downloaded tonight. Kinda cheesy if you use it too much, but I might post my favorite from each session in it. This isn't my favorite, but let's christen this fun little tool anyway. ;)

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I feel like I've been editing forever...

I will probably have editing dreams tonight. Seriously. It happens. :/

Time to watch some mindless reality TV. :) But here is a shot that I love from the "L" session. I wasn't sure which one I liked better, so I'm posting both...because it's my blog and I can do that. ;)





More images can be found of this session, my not-so-little-baby-girl, cooking experiments and projects if you're my friend on Facebook. Go to the bottom right and add me if you wish!

Oh, by the way, my baby girl is not so much a baby anymore...she now only has 6, 9 and 12 month clothes in her closet AND her first tooth is breaking through!! Makes me sad but also excited. :)

Just a snapshot on the fly the other day...I made the onesie and tried to get a pic of her in it...no such luck. :)

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Meet my blog (and now "real-life"!) friend, Jim. :)

Jim had followed Al's blog for some time and then I think he started stopping by my blog. I checked out his blog and was amazed by his images. He specializes in sports photography and seriously, he is one of the best that I've seen (and I browse a LOT of blogs!).

Jim is always so encouraging and uplifting when leaving comments on my blog. Not to mention, although he specializes in sports, he does a great job with portraits as well! So when I knew I was going to be photographing his family, my stomach was sort of in knots!

Jim and his family are so different from what I pictured in my head. From what I've seen of Jim on his blog and Facebook, I thought he was this "tough/gruff" type of guy. He may be, but he's soooo nice. So is his wife and so are his kids. Really! (If you're a long time blog follower, you'll know that I NEVER say things on my blog that I don't mean.) His wife was so full of energy and just made us feel so comfortable and his kids are just awesome. They didn't have that "teen" attitude; they were up for anything and they joked around and shared stories. I loved this entire family!

I've made quite a few friends through the internet...and a few that I've meet. Did I mention I met Al on the internet...and that he lived on the East Coast?! Who should I thank for all these wonderful people that have come into my life via technology? Al Gore? ;)

This session was actually a gift to Jim's wife, "C", from Jim and I'll talk about that in their final images post. But for now, here is a sneak peek for our new friends.

One of my favorites. I'm big on focusing on pretty things in nature and fading out the subjects if you hadn't already known. I just love the softness it gives the subject(s) in the image and it's also a reminder for me to focus on the beauty around me...even if it's just a tree branch.


First born awesome teen. How awesome is this hair?!


Second born awesome teen. I love her eyes.


More to come later... :)

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Happy 6 Months, Baby Girl!!

Dear Riley Grace,

Where do I start? I'm already tearing up writing this.

I looked through some of your photos from when you were born and I started crying. You are not a baby anymore. You are a baby, but not a baby. It makes me sad. But on the other hand, I grow to love you so much more each month and I am loving new experiences with you.

You are developing your own little personality and I think you're going to be a bit more independent than I initially thought. You like things YOUR way and if they are not YOUR way, you let us know. :) You still have that fake little cough I already told you about and you have perfected it! It comes out anytime you are done with something, don't want to do something, or sometimes, to get our attention! We always say, "Oh, you little faker!! :)

We went to the fair last night and I can't wait until you are big enough to really understand what is happening. Look at me...first I was sad that you aren't a "baby" anymore and now I can't wait til you're bigger...Mama's crazy. :)

We have your six month check-up on Monday and I'm dreading it. I dreaded it when you were small because I thought it probably hurt you too much and now I dread it even more because I feel you are going to think I'm doing something bad to you. I totally have the "mother's guilt" gene now. Crazy how life has changed for me in the past six months. But I'm so blessed. :)

Here is your 6 month picture...I can't wait to frame every month after you turn one and see how you've changed. I hope you don't hate me later for all the bows and flowers I put on your head. But trust me, when you don't have them on, sometimes you are mistaken for a little boy. :/ Just ask Daddy...it is bugging him big time. :)



And here we are at the fair...another imperfect picture, but yet, it's perfect to me.


And here are some other pictures from 5 months to 6 months:

Story time at the library:




Passing out either on the way to or after Father's Day dinner. Daddy took this with his camera phone:


Watching Mama instead of sleeping one night:


And one of your little friends:




And "third shooting" for Mom and Dad on a photo session. :)


I love you, little Riley Grace.

Love,
Mama

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Baby "B" - SNEAK PEEK

I had a great time seeing a former co-worker and her hubby today. She is expecting a little girl and I am soooo excited to meet her!

I think it's a sin to look THIS good pregnant. Seriously.







And "D", you'll have to have Sheila show you some other comments about how good you look (in my Facebook album). ;)

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"L" Family - SNEAK PEEK

What a nice family. Mom was referred to us by a friend I knew in elementary school and come to find out, Mom is also friends with one our friends from the animal care center! Small world!

I love how both cutie patooties are too cool to look at the camera. ;)

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In my own backyard...

I did some scouting today for a maternity session and I fell in love with a little gem in our own backyard. I have lived in Southern California my entire life and this place is no more than 3 or 4 miles from our place and we have NEVER been here. It is GORGEOUS!! I had Riley in the Baby Bjorn, a camera in my hand, a purse over my shoulder and a phone in my pocket. Boy, was I multi-tasking...but it was such a great hour or so.

I like to put scouting sessions on my blog so that when someone says they want a beach or park session, I can direct them to a different sort of setting. We all know someone that has beach or park photos in their home (even I have some!) so we are trying to incorporate a little something extra or different into those requested sessions. For example, we have an engagement session at a beach in a few weeks, but you can bet we'll be stopping by the main street off the beach for some photos with some color and character! Why not have variety and fun in a session?! :)

So for those that request a park session, I'll be directing them to this entry to show them a park-type background, but with a little bit more character. :)





























And if I didn't know that I hadn't already found the perfect setting for a maternity session, this was the "wink" that assured me. ;)

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