Sly Park Lake

You know when you just click with someone? As a photographer, this is pure joy, especially if they are your subject. Nerves go away, trust prevails and that creative flow just happens- where you move from one idea to the next gently and confidently, and maybe a little giddily too. The Gimpel family came referred to me by the Little family(thanks Bob and Kim). Alison, Ross, Ayla(6) and Sage(4) said this was their first “real” family session. So, off we went climbing to through the bear clover to get to the top of the hill overlooking Jenkinson Lake, well, because there…

Ahhh… and thus begins 2014’s engagement season! Engagement sessions are such a fabulous way for me to get to know my couples before their wedding day (and visa versa.) Not only can we become more familiar and at-ease with one another but I can work with them to see how they like to be photographed. It really pays off on the wedding day because all that initial awkwardness is already out of the way. In this case, there was no awkwardness at all since Sallie Grace and I attended the same boarding school, Chatham Hall and so had lots to…

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,…

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.…

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…

Getting a family of five together in one place as children head into their teens – and beyond – can be a tough task. It can be even harder to get that dedicated, relaxed family time without the stress and distractions of daily life. Which is why it was a privilege to be able to capture the Butler family at-play and just enjoying one another’s company recently at Sly Park Lake. Eldest son, Josh, was heading off to Air Force boot camp not long after our session and so his mom, Tracie, was especially emotional at having all her” babies”…