I love it when I get to give back to someone who is usually not on the receiving end of such gifts. That’s the case here with beautiful Victoria, who won this session at an auction for a charity event held by the Diamond Springs community earlier this year to help the family of one of the 19 fallen firefighters from the Arizona blazes, Sean Misner. His wife, Amanda, who has roots in the area from her high school days, was just two months away from delivering their first child, Jax, when he died. The whole community came together on…

Graydon is one year old and his light-up-a-room charm has only grown along with his little legs and chubby cheeks. You may remember this playful little fellow from the many other opportunities I have been lucky to capture his smile: birth | newborn | 4 months old | 8 months old I just love this family. Graydon’s parents Tom and Bethany came to me as wedding clients and I love seeing the result of their love in the way they are such caring, adoring, and kind parents to Graydon. They’re also super easy-going which makes them, and Graydon, easy and fun…

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…

Here comes Fall, with it’s golden meadows, dreamy light, and warm palettes. A great time to catch up with the Bila family, who I first photographed back in 2009 (click here to see their session.) Back then their son, Banyon, was just 6 months old but now there is a fourth member to the family, little Avila, and it was time to update the family portraits. Minda and Tyler not only have a new daughter, they also have a new home (and it’s gorgeous — who doesn’t love a turret?) and so we met up where they live in El…

Wow. What a spectacular venue for Madelyn and Justin! Loved this easy-going couple and the breathtaking hilltop backdrop of David Girard Vineyards in Placerville. One of the many wonderful things about this wedding was the relaxed timeline they had created for themselves and our photography. Building in plenty of time to get from one ‘event’ to the next and have cushion to appreciate the special moments can be the difference between a stressed-out wedding party and one that is relaxed and having a fantastic time. This was definitely a wedding of the latter. And having time helps us photographers too.…

Cowgirl boots, stetsons and shot guns. Yeehaw, it’s a country wedding for Briggette and Dean, who married recently on a private estate in Rescue, CA. Briggette’s mom, Sharee, was my daughter, Ember’s, first grade teacher and so I  started off with a special connection to this fun-loving couple. Not that I needed it, I quickly found, during our engagement session at Sly Park Lake earlier this year. This couple is relaxed in front of the camera and willing to try anything for a great shot. This came in extra handy as me, my assistant, bride, groom, and groomsmen tore across…

Welcome to the world, Carter! Born on September 24th at 10:56pm, Carter is the first child to Ashley and Aaron, a wonderful couple whose wedding I photographed almost exactly four years prior (Ashley and Aaron’s David Girard wedding) Carter was ten days past-due when Ashley was induced early in the morning. She seemed to be progressing fairly quickly and so I raced down to Folsom to be closer for Carter’s arrival. Like all babies, however, Carter was moving at his own pace and the timeline slowed down some. So I ran around Folsom taking care of errands (and even squeezing…

When a couple is so in love, drawn together by that invisible string that keeps them touching and looking and smiling, and when those two people are so open and trusting, what happens in a photography session is nothing short of magic. My gosh, I just loved these two! I met Kailey and Matt recently at El Dorado Hills Town Center for an engagement session that was originally a trial run as they considered booking me for the 2014 Bodega Bay wedding. They originally knew one another, would you believe it, back in first grade at Pinewood Elementary School, in…

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…

As the preferred photographer for Wedgewood event centers, I get to photograph brides and grooms at the Sequoia Wedding and Banquet Center quite a lot and I love it. The old-world charm of the white, Victorian home is the perfect backdrop for a ceremony and bridal portraits. But for Christine and Gary, they really wanted a more “garden like” feel for their nuptuals, and so they took advantage of the Wedgewood’s partnership with the gorgeous Seasons Bed & Breakfast (just around the corner) to exchange their vows and then made the short drive to Sequoia for their reception. It’s the perfect combination: colorful…

“Ishi” – is 91. Our society is weird, isn’t it? We celebrate our young children’s birthdays and milestones with such gusto but then, somewhere in our 20s, the enthusiasm sort of dies out and birthdays become (for most of us) pretty ho-hum affairs. This is reflected back at us through the photography world too: lots of weddings, babies, families with young children, and high school seniors. As mothers and fathers we are revered when we have young children, meanwhile older parents and grandparents… where are they in our photographic record? In the trillions of images shared on Instagram, blogs, and…

This was one of those weddings that left nobody with a dry eye, thanks in no small part to Jen and Dave’s long-time friends, Matt and Steve, who led the ceremony with uncommon warmth and compassion. Their speeches had me glued to front of the aisle both emotionally and to capture the myriad of emotions. But they were just the icing on the cake of an intimate, personal, and yet carefree day, where Jen and Dave were surrounded by so many friends and family who were clearly rooting for them, heart first. The American River Resort was the venue – a new…