Ponderosa Senior photography

I don’t know about you but when someone says “I’m going to take a year abroad” my mind wanders off into an exciting place; fresh exploration and adventure steeping in cultural uniqueness, interesting conversations, delectable food, and the general aliveness one feels while traveling and exploring new ground. Rylie, is heading to Germany after graduation and plans to travel through Europe on her “year abroad”—just SAYING that gets me going! She’s been in German class for the last two years getting ready and while she admits to a little nervousness, and believe me, we all feel that, she will be…

Aalijah graduates this spring from Pacific Crest Academy with the Class of 2025. I enjoyed getting to know him and his mom, Sarahkay as we moved through the fall wonderland I have access to up in Camino. It’s a spectacular and private location- you’ll love it too. It took me a bit to gain Aalijah’s trust and dig into some expressions that weren’t planned. He’s got a great smile but you had to find the real ones through his politeness. I enjoy that. Aalijah came to me through a local referral, the Coggiolas. He plans to study biology and business…

Beautiful Sofia. We had originally met at 24 Carrot Farm for their gorgeous flower backdrop but we got started a little late. Just as the last little bit of sun was tucking away over the hillside and Sofia drove in, we decided to split her session so we did half of it up at Sly Park Lake where the light lingers a little longer and then came back to 24 Carrot the next day, a little earlier for the flowers and some warm sunshine. It worked out great and I was happy to accommodate Sofia as her family have been…

You studied, you tested, you worked hard for years, and the time is officially here! It’s time to start thinking about senior photographs and I’m eager to collaborate with you to create photographs that you love. As a photographer, I want to make sure you are comfortable and having fun during your session.

It was super fun to get together with the O’Neil family, with Jackson next up to graduate and Hunter back in town from the UK. We spent a lot of time laughing and joking and their family has a casual ease with each other which makes it easy to keep things loose and playful. Instead of just a senior session we did a family session but concentrated on, and celebrated Jackson. Jackson is graduating early. During 2020 and Covid, he tested out of 8th grade and then went to Washington Middle College High School in Sacramento where he took high…

Multipotentialite– new word for me. Someone who has many interests and creative pursuits, and the ability to excel in two or more different fields. Multipotentialites are often very curious, and can find creative ways to combine different ideas. They can also learn, explore, and master new skills, and have the potential to innovate and solve problems. I think this describes Nate to a T! During Nate’s senior session, I realized both in conversation with him and in actual doing…he loves using his hands and also building things. He is currently building a lighthouse for his school prom. He’s also built…

I discovered quickly that I could not move the jumping obstacles to where I wanted them …sigh. I kept sending him back for another loop. He didn’t care. He was stoked that his senior session turned into a photo session showcasing his motocross passion.

Beautiful, Sophia with a gentle, kind and playful personality graduates this May with the Class of 2024. At Union Mine High School she has been the assistant director for their Theater performances. Communication, time management, dedication, enthusiasm, leadership, and the ability to work under pressure-these are great skills to learn in high school and she loves being part of the team that gives a performance shape and brings it to life from the side of the stage. I was so glad when her mom, Annette reached out to me as our kids were together in grade school. In addition to…

On the morning of the eclipse I write this post about Aidan, a future space engineer. Last week, we met up and tromped around through the woods off of Bass Lake Road to a favorite mountain biking spot that this Class of ’24  “graduate to be” wanted to share. While likely Cal Poly bound this fall to study Mechanical Engineering, his plans extend further to a Masters in Aerospace Engineering. One day he expresses, “I want to work for NASA building the habitats astronauts will live in, on other worlds”. THAT, I’d say is a plan! When not shuttling off…