Foothills

How cool is it to be a high school senior and working towards your pilot’s license? I know I’m impressed but definitely not surprised. Jack- serious and goofy, bright, humble and funny… gentle and kind ALL in the same breath. Jack’s the oldest of those  and talented Gray family kids. We all love them. Having known Jack (my oldest is the same age) since he was a pre-schooler at Miss Ruthie’s Emigrant Trail and to see him now navigating the airspace around the Cameron Park Airport- is a blunt reality check. These amazing kiddos are all grown up and getting…

I’m just going to come right out and say it. This was such a fun session. I’ve known Naomi since I photographed her in preschool and she and my oldest daughter participated in several activities together over the years before The Higgins Family moved to Folsom where Naomi now attends Oak Ridge High School. From an early age Naomi was all about swimming. She swam 6 hours a day(except Sunday when her family went to church). When she told me this, I kinda shook my head in disbelief and asked for clarification. She said, “from 4-7am and then again from…

When Megan contacted me about her upcoming marriage to Avery I was so excited. Not only for her, not only for Avery and not only for me (as I was obviously hoping to be asked to photograph the celebration). I was so excited for the joy that this occasion would no doubt be bringing her family, his family, their families. That made me happy. I’ve been friends with the Byers family for years and got to capture both Megan’s and Travis’s high school senior photographs. It’s connections like these that make the experience of photographing a wedding that much more…

And there really is something about Meg. She’s an easy going, sweet and vibrant high school senior. She’s also president of the Union Mine drama club. Her college application was just submitted for early decision to Dartmouth because well, she knows what she wants and where she wants to be. Love a girl like that! My session with Meg had her adoring Mama taking it all in while we both enjoyed being serenaded, hill top, by Meg… “somewhere, over the rainbow”…..a session with a soundtrack. YES! Singing really allowed me to see Meg and allowed Meg to be in her…

While Ashley and Adam are getting ready to welcome their second son, Braxton is getting ready too- to be a big brother! Come Thanksgiving time the Wells family will be four strong and Braxton, no longer the baby. It all goes by so quick. I loved getting to make these photographs for Ashley and her family out in the late afternoon sunshine as the last time I photographed them was when Braxton was in her belly. And Braxton ….oh and Braxton, I fell in love with Braxton….those eyes, his sweet and playful personality, his cute expressions….as you’ll see from ALL…

Quick- we have power, we have internet! Upload, upload, upload images, run laundry, run the dishwasher GO!  You think I’m kidding? That’s the reality around here at the moment…how long will we have power? No one knows. The last time I got to photograph the Valdez family we were at Sierra at Tahoe and along with my “sherpa” husband, we chased them around the snow slopes making captures of their favorite winter sport together. This time around, instead of a winter theme, we went with fall…because fall is really the best around here and you don’t even need any power…

I got a chance to reconnect with the Heather family at their new home in Camino earlier this month. Well, then insert a couple power outages and a mean flu-like illness for over a week and I am just getting to these images that made my heart smile the whole time I was capturing them. Little Miss Sassy Pants is truly a heart melter and Megan and Robert are so kind. Sessions like this remind me why I love my job- it’s the people. It’s always the people. I have the best clients…thank you Megan, Robert and Paisley for a…

When you are seven years old and slip into the lake upon arrival for photographs gently soaking your blue jeans, what do you do? Well, you just roll with it…or run with it, or jump with it, or ride with it. Does it matter to a seven year old? Not really, well…..perhaps a nudge on the knee and a nudge on the ego but after that, did it even happen? I’m grateful for Tom and Graydon and getting to capture this father and son. Tom has an amazingly big heart that his son has clearly inherited. Grateful for Graydon, grateful…

Andrea and Paul have been married for 22 years and in that time they have opened their hearts and their home to grow their family in many ways including through the foster program. I met Andrea and Paul through my amazing neighbor Leslie who also opens her heart in so many ways to help the community. They all met through Westside Church about 15 years ago and it was Leslie who said to me, “this family needs some photographs.”  And they did! Andrea and Paul got into the foster program for the simple goal of wanting to keep families together.…