Archive for the ‘Children’ Category

Facebook

Thursday, February 7th, 2013

Have you checked out our Facebook page yet? We not only post the most latest announcements and specials, but all of our latest sessions and weddings are posted there, as well! Check out some of our recent favorites:

One of my favorite families ever: I ADORE seeing these two grow up:

And meeting new families is always a bonus!

And meeting the beautiful children of my former brides and grooms is so special to me:

And as always, shooting the Penny Lane Centers charity events is always an amazing thing to be a part of (recognize some of these faces?):

Northridge Wedding Photographer ~ Where should we have our session?

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

With lots of portrait (contact us for more info) and engagement sessions coming up, we are often asked for location suggestions. Now, I have many ideas depending on the type of feel that you’re looking for, but these are just some of my favorites, and a few helpful hints, in no particular order:

1. Try and choose a location that means something to you. It can be anywhere; for example, Brian and I had our engagement session in Burbank, but our first choice was actually the lobby of a gorgeous Santa Monica hotel because that’s where we would go for dinner when we had a special event to celebrate. I’ve photographed sessions at restaurants, coffee shops, new homes…Oh, also: Don’t worry if the location you would like isn’t “pretty,” I truly feel that beauty can be found everywhere.

This photo of Ian is one of my favorites of all time; but it was taken in a local park that may not be considered conventionally pretty:

2. Another area I really like is Beverly Hills, specifically, some of the local parks. They’re typically not crowded, easy to find (which may not seem so when I send you the directions after you book your session, but I promise, they are), have plenty of parking, and, provide a huge variety of backgrounds. The two images below were taken at the exact same park not more than 20 feet from each other:

3. I adore shooting around Downtown Los Angeles. The arts district, MOCA, City Hall, Disney Concert Hall; even the middle of the sidewalk on a busy afternoon…you’re spoiled for choice in the area.

4. It’s a little bit of a drive, and there’s a parking fee, but Malibu Creek State Park is well worth both.

5. And if you’re considering the Malibu area, you should consider Leo Carrillo Beach and State Park. It’s an area with a variety of backgrounds in one place and fairly private if you’re like me, and a little on the shyer side when having your photo taken :-).

6. Now, if you love that beach vibe, but want to keep it a little closer to town, check out Topanga State Beach.

7. If the beach isn’t quite your thing, but you like a more natural setting, I highly recommend the Griffith Park area…there are a few specific spots that I love!

8. If you’re not into the natural setting, and are more of a city person; I’ve got you covered as well! There are some very unique areas in and around Hollywood; some with fantastic architectural characteristics and original, edgy grafitti art.

I haven’t forgotten about my Orange County families and couples! If we’re doing your session in OC, just send me an email or give me a call and we can find the perfect spot for you!

I hope that these suggestions help get you started! When we discuss your portrait session we can talk about what feel you’re going for and go from there! Just a quick note: some of these places have photography restrictions and permit requirements-if there’s an area that you’re interested in, let me know and I’d be happy to look into for you before our session.

And, don’t forget due to an incredibly busy summer, we’re only doing holiday portrait sessions in October and November this year. Weekends are booking up quickly so contact us for more info!

Where do the years go? ~ Los Angeles Family Photographer

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

I LOVE this season. The sites, the smells, the family gatherings, gift wrapping (Really. I love wrapping presents-if I may say so, I make some pretty fantastic bows).

I also love reconnecting with past clients; watching their kids grow, and meeting new families-and I met some of the NICEST people this year. I’m really excited to share a few of my favorite images from this season:

This one was Brian’s favorite – especially when Dante (white Mustang) took Brian out for a ride. Dina, their mom, wanted photos of each of her kids with their Mustangs. Brilliant!

Little Charlotte and Myra:

Can you believe that this is the same girl? What a difference a year makes.

And talk about growing up! I’ve been lucky enough to photograph Sydney and Spencer from the time that Sydney still needed a little help sitting up. And this year, she was running, jumping, and accessorizing! (And Spencer was helping with the shoot!)

And Bella and Dean? Well, go to the second row of this section of my website. Now check this year’s session out:

I can’t forget Hallie and Colin (remember that little girl on the left?):

I also met some of the sweetest kids this year.

Little Alex (whose mother referred me to the BEST sitter ever. We’re talking “friendly and effective extra grandma” sitter, people):

Mackenzie, Drake, and Brandon:

Lily, Andrew, and David:

And, well, little Ian: ;-)

What we’ve been up to

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Ah, my sadly neglected blog…so, so many weddings and sessions to share! But, I’d like to introduce you to the best reason anyone could ever have for a delay:

Baby Ian:

Dad’s eyes (whoo hoo!)
Mom’s Chin (sorry about that, little man)

And for all of you that have asked: Thank you – we’re doing great! (Except the cat. Who knew cats could get jealous? We’re trying to buy her love back with treats and new toys). I can be kind of a private person about some things (I can hear some of you snickering…but, it’s actually true.). However, I wanted to answer some of the questions I’ve been getting from friends, clients, moms, and moms to be:

~ Ian was born at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital and they were amazing!

~ Not to be TMI, but I’m getting this question a lot so here’s the very quick answer: The birth went well, thank you. As far as the labor: I didn’t go though labor. For various reasons we had a scheduled C-section-it went well and we were shooting our first wedding within 2 weeks.

~ His personality so far is incredible. I have no idea what I ever did to be this lucky. He only wakes up during the night when he’s hungry (and, because he also seems to have his mother’s build this is every 3-4 hours) and really only cries (rarely) for specific reasons. This may change (especially since I’ve put it in writing), but at this point I’m just cherishing it.

~ Thank you for the various offers to bring Ian to portrait sessions this season; I really appreciate them. But, mommy needs to work and focus on her awesome clients (and he has Nana and Granddad visiting from Ireland. It’s awesome: I come home, and the baby is sleeping, my laundry is folded, and stuff around my house-including a shattered decorative cinderblock from the 1950′s we thought we would never be able to replace-is beautifully repaired. Nice)!

~ The best book I purchased was: The Wonder Weeks. Thank you SO much to Petal and Thorn for mentioning it on your blog; it’s been a lifesaver.

~ The best baby product purchase: that’s a tie between the Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker and The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. If you’re expecting and aren’t familiar with this-buy it. Buy it now. And get these to go along with the DVD.

~ Surprisingly, he is not the most photographed child in the world. Sadly, he’s an iPhone baby. We had a portrait session with Schlick Photography when he was a newborn and honestly, Courtney has to be the most patient person on the planet. The one day Ian decides to “voice his opinion” about being naked and photographed was, of course, at his newborn session. Despite that, Courtney did an amazing job and we love the photos. Our favorite from the session:

A few days before that, to prepare Ian, (and because he was asleep and we could get away with it) :-) mommy and daddy decided to take a few (and show off the beautiful Etsy and handmade by Nana hats he has-Besides, when else would I be able to get my wee man to wear bunny ears?):

~ Motherhood is…humbling. I can explain it best with a photo. When I found out I was pregnant with a boy (and we knew from very early on) I did 2 things: 1. Cried (sobbed, actually. Pulled over to the side of the road and absolutely sobbed) with relief that he was healthy as far as anyone knew and 2. started looking at boy things. Boy things aren’t as cute as girl things-fact. I swore I wouldn’t be one of those mothers who dressed my son in “silly cutesy things with dogs on the butt.” Fastforward a few weeks later:

This photo just breaks my heart everytime I look at it. It was taken when he was about 3 weeks old-notice the frog theme. I don’t even LIKE frogs but for some reason, seeing my wee man with a little froggy hat and little frogs on his feet just kills me. I was SO sad when he outgrew this. Motherhood has changed everything I thought about myself…an absolutely humbling experience.

~ Yes, we wanted to know the gender…well, I wanted to know the gender and Brian wanted to be surprised. We got the call at about week 12 (we had CVS testing done and a small bonus is that you know between weeks 10-12 the gender of your baby. No waiting for 20 weeks in this house) that Ian was, well, an Ian as opposed to say, the girl name we picked out. I called Brian to give him the good news and asked if he wanted to know the gender. He paused – and about 4 seconds later caved (my mother didn’t even pretend…she wanted to know immediately). Arsenal baby products were purchased soon after.

~ And finally, please don’t feel bad about offering unsolicited advice-even about baby weight. I welcome any and all advice. :-)

We can’t wait to share some of the weddings and sessions we’ve been working on over the last few (er, many) months…and maybe a few more of our wee man along the way.