A-SESSION LOCATIONS- Mountains

A ballerina in the woods = magical. There is just no way to not say “ahhh” when you look at these images of beautiful Rebecca, during our session to celebrate her upcoming graduation next year. Just a couple of short years ago I was photographing her brother, John, as he prepared to join the Marines. Becky is considering the US Coast Guard Academy as well as Geneva college in PA,  Montana State, and Tulane. Her plan is to study chemical engineering and pre-med. High school has been busy for Becky, where she has competed in track-and-field (her specialties being long…

This session was the best: an old Beetle, paddle-boarding, a glass-like lake, a stunning sunset sky, and a handsome Senior, Sawyer. This photographer’s dream! I have known Sawyer’s family for many years and have been photographing them for just as long. It all started with a lifestyle, anniversary session at their lovely home in Camino, and most recently I photographed their son, Colby, before he left for college (Colby’s session from 2011.) They are some of the kindest and most generous people I know; playful in spirit, sensitive and warm. This year it was Sawyer’s turn in front of the…

A stunning, private camp in the high Sierras and an amazingly warm and welcoming family – what a dream session! The Veerkamp family and I have been colliding since 2009, when I photographed Gretchen and Matt’s wedding. Since then, the happy couple have been in the wedding party for a few of the weddings I have photographed, and then I ran into Lori and Doug (Matt’s parents) at another wedding last year. Finally, when I saw Lori and her mom at the movies recently, she decided it was fated and scheduled an extended family session at their property up-country. This…

Jen and Dave are getting married in August, with a weekend long celebration at the American River Resort in Coloma. And, as you can see, they enjoy kayaking. Living in the Sierra there are so many beautiful slopes to ski, trails to hike, and lakes to explore. I just love it when I run into couples like Jen and Dave who enjoy outdoor adventure as much as I do and want to incorporate that into their session; it’s the perfect blending of my two passions plus it makes their session so much more unique and personal. The “Just Engaged” signs…

Beautiful Cammy is graduating this spring and heading to California Baptist University in Southern California to study drama. She is currently in the El Dorado High School production of “Cats” and so she is no stranger to the stage. We met up recently to commemorate her graduation at Sly Park Lake, where we talked about her summer plans to run, hike, and camp with friends and family. I loved Cammy’s sweet and playful nature, making goofy faces in the field and splashing in the lake. She definitely has enough personality to light up the stage, the same way she does the camera,…

    Oh what beautiful light we had at Alder Creek Tract for Emily’s Senior session! With Emily’s beautiful hair blowing in the breeze, her rosy cheeks and warm smile, it made it almost impossible to take a bad photo this evening. Emily’s parents, Barb and Steve, are both teachers in the Pollock Pine School district and I first met Barb when she was recruiting volunteers for the new school community garden at Pinewood. As soon as I met her, I know I would like her! So, when she called me to schedule a Senior session for her daughter, I…

While my photography is always about capturing emotion, something true and personal about my subject, it is also about the artistry of light. This is never truer than during sunset sessions, like this one with Senior, Kyle, at Alder Creek Tract. The light is so perfect during that hour or so before the sun goes down and it’s so fun to walk through these gorgeous settings getting to know my clients while eyeing the scenery for the most dramatic backdrop. Kyle is the son of a family I got to photograph a few years ago and he is graduating from…

I love Senior session time! As a mother myself, I feel the mixture of emotion and excitement for these “coming of age” photos. It’s such a great opportunity to mark the first step into adulthood and, quite often, one of the last times that parents get to celebrate their sons and daughters as they were when still living at home; so much changes from hereon out! This session was all about Dylan, whose brother, Ryan, I photographed a few years back for his Senior portraits  For Ryan’s session, mom attended the session but shied away from the camera.  But this year…

I have been photographing Wyatt and his family for some time now; he is the last Nickel son to graduate this coming May. Over the years, I have photographed his brother, Matt, on his snowboard, and Hayden on the golf course,  so it seemed fitting that Wyatt and I would take advantage of whatever late-season snow was still around, to get in jumps over at Sierra at Tahoe. I’m a BIG fan of Senior sessions that capture the personality and vitality of the guy or girl I’m photographing. You’re only a Senior once, at your physical peak and with so…