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…

Diane and Brian are beginning the process of adopting a child and called me to schedule a session that would express who they are as a couple to potential birth mothers and fathers.  Like many of my clients, they found me through referral, this time via a Facebook friend and wedding client. Facebook is so great for turning an otherwise “invisible” connection into a new relationship! I have shot “adoption portfolios” before and what I love about them is the photographer’s challenge to really dig deep and get to know the couple, then bring that out, naturally in the images.…

Oh what a happy little, fun little, cutie-pie was Brooke (or ‘Brookie’ as her parents call her) for her session to celebrate being 6 months old! Mom, Mary, was referred to me through a Sacramento mom’s group and so I made the trip to the McKinley Park area recently to capture the whole family at this special milestone.  Like many of my sessions with children at home, we began our session in Brooke’s nursery, where she is most comfortable. This helped her to get used to the intrusion of my lens very quickly. It also meant that I was able…

Wow, beautiful things just keep on happening at Sly Park Lake! Here is another couple, Briggette and Dean, who embraced the rugged terrain for its breathtaking backdrop during their recent engagement session — and had a ton of fun in the process! My assistant for the day even commented that the most adventurous and fun-loving couples seem to find their way to me, and this couple was no exception. Their session was the perfect mix of personality (loving the goofy faces at the end of the post) and tender, romantic moments. Like many of my brides, I actually have a personal…

When Kayla and Cameron planned their wedding for mid-February in the foothills, I’m betting they did not imagine the weather would be so utterly perfect for them. At 60 degrees with bright sunshine flooding in through the windows of the Sequoia’s upstairs dressing rooms, the light was gorgeous and the temperature perfect for Kayla’s beautiful, strapless dress. I loved this couple’s “first look” prior to their ceremony. There was a real sense of romance in the air, with Kayla and Cameron tenderly touching and nuzzling one another without direction. Although there were several people watching, it felt like we were…

Shanna and Jon will be getting married at the beautiful Wedgewood Sequoia at the end of April and we got together recently for a sunset engagement session. Shanna’s 6-year old daughter, Samantha, was also there to keep the happy couple laughing and this also gave us the opportunity to work-in some family photos. Jon will be adopting Samantha after the wedding and Samantha will proudly be the ring bearer at their wedding. I can’t wait to photograph mom and daughter in their pretty dresses on the big day! A special thanks to Boeger Winery for allowing us to shoot in…

  What a fun and playful session this was! Kellie told me that she and her family wanted their photos taken playing in the snow. In February the white fluffy stuff isn’t normally hard to come by but not so this year. So, it took a bit of searching through up-country to find the setting we needed. We drove up Iron Mountain Road, which snakes between the 50 and the 88, parked and walked in until I found some truly gorgeous light coming through the trees. Ahhhh… I’m so lucky to work in such a beautiful area! Unfortunately, along with…

Another beautiful Sly-Park Lake session, this time to celebrate the engagement of Amber and Aric. I shot Amber’s brother’s wedding back in 2009 and was excited to get the call from Amber to photograph her marriage to Aric, which will be held in September at the Serrano Country Club. In addition to watching the happy couple kiss, dance, and piggy-back ride around the lake, I also got to photograph their two dogs, Rocky and Princess Gizmo – neither of which will actually be in the wedding but both of whom took this opportunity to dress up for the occasion in a…

As a photographer, I spend much of my time capturing young families and early family milestones: from Brides and Grooms, to pregnancies and births and those exciting years as children grow. All too often, however, families stop seriously documenting once their children are grown. Yet, every now and again, something comes along that makes you realize the importance of this moment, your family as it is right now, in all its generations of experience and love and legacy … For me, that moment was when my father was diagnosed with a serious illness. Right away, the photographer in me wanted…