Families

Somehow it doesn’t surprise me that when I posted a few of Jack’s senior photographs to Facebook, they were auto-tagged using Bob(Jack’s dad) in the face recognition. They do look quite a bit alike. Actually, I see alot of Kim(Jack’s mom) in there too, in his eyes. I tell you, what does surprise me is that this 3 month old baby I first met over seventeen years ago when we moved to Pollock Pines, is ready to walk across the El Dorado High School stage donning his royal blue cap and gown, and on his way to Montana State University…

Ok, I sit here in awe that I have been photographing this wonderful family for so many years now…and then just as struck that I can’t exactly remember how many years that it has been. Sigh. (Negar says 13 years- I trust her). I feel like the luckiest person when I get to move through the years with families like the Jamalis’. A very special welcome this year to their newest family member, Charlie, a big ball of curly Labradoodle. As a photographer, it is both the trust in the people you are capturing, and their trust in you, that…

I’ve known Michelle and Tim since their engagement in 2010. Since then I have photographed various versions of their growing family seven times, I think. I added the links below to some of these blog posts because it is fun to look back, and to remember. Life gets busy when you add a wedding, a new home, the birth of a first daughter in 2015 and all the firsts that go along with that. It was time to get out to the Mathewson home and capture some family photographs as we all welcomed Paige Marie, and especially big sister Madelyn.…

On January 4, Baby Mac greeted his Mom, Dad and big sister Stella for the very first time. Back in 2012, I had the honor of photographing Stephanie and Bill’s wedding and also a year or so later, Stella’s newborn photographs.  I was super excited when I was able to go spend some more time with them at their home and capture what their new family of four looked and felt like. It’s so comfortable photographing past clients and they were no exception. As Bill held little Mac and looked around the room at their daughter Stella running around in full-on…

One would think that simply getting your once West Coast, now mostly East Coast, family together for a holiday in Lake Tahoe would be enough reason to celebrate and capture family photographs, the Blair family squeezed so much more in. When Rebekah, their oldest daughter contacted me months ago with an holiday gift idea for her mom(and my old friend), I was all in. I knew Ruthie back when my kids were young and it really seems like forever ago. As I remember (and that can be tougher these days), she was the mom who always made it all look…

The Gray Family. There are many kind people in this town that I have called home for over 17 years, and the Gray family definitely comes in at the top of that list. Melinda is a dear (forever) friend and her heart explodes with endless energy and compassion for others. She’s always there for you, and for anyone, really. I’m not sure how she squeezes in all the life she does, into her own, but she does. She’s an amazingly beautiful friend, inside, outside and all around. Lance and Melinda are raising equally amazing kids and I’ve known Jack, Catie,…

Fall in love with Paisley. I did. Was it those luscious red locks? Those vibrant hazel eyes? Those cute dimples framing that meandering tongue? Was it the way that little cuteness warmed up to me so quickly? I don’t know but there was something about adorable Paisley, celebrating her first birthday in Apple Hill, in that lovely autumn light that just made my day. I’m still smiling. Paisley’s adoring parents were so connected, so enamored (and do you blame them?). Capturing that kind of love and connection is why I have a passion for the work I get to do.…

It’s so hard to believe Graydon just turned five. Having known his parents since 2009 and having had the incredible honor of photographing his birth, I sit back and wonder…5 years ago? Really? It was wonderful to get out by the river with this very busy five year old and his dad, Tom.  Tom is great dad and one of the most genuinely kind people I know. Graydon is awesome and full of big hugs…well, and very busy feet. I spent about 5 minutes capturing Graydon exploring the riverside before I increased my shutter speed 3-4x to make sure to…

When you spend 8 years photographing a family – from engagement to wedding, followed by the birth of their children and all the milestones in between – it is intensely bittersweet to photograph them one last time, in their homecourt playground in the Sierra Nevadas before they move on to new life adventures. But, adventurous friends, adventure. It’s as simple as that. Tiffany and Keith are wonderful friends to me, and working with them and their beautiful children Finn and Freya and all of their like minded friends, all along the way, has been an absolute joy! Saying goodbye to them as they make the…