Some favorites from a family session back in September. We explored the Tilden Park Botanical Garden and they reminded me why I love what I do.
Read MoreEast Bay Family Session // Tilden Park
in Families
Berkeley
Prince Family // Tilden Park
in Families
Cookies in pockets! We are not above bribery to get toddler smiles. ;)
This family has taught me more about life than just about anything. I've been babysitting their girls for nearly two years, have spend countless hours in their home, and am still in awe of all the love. I can't say enough how much I'm enjoyed watching these little girls grow and I feel privileged to be part of their story. They have helped me create some of my favorite art over the years and this session was no different. The colors came together so beautifully, and I was pretty much in heaven.
To see last year's session, click here.
Emma, Liz, & Andy // Family Session // Tilden Park
in Families
Emma is at such a fun age. She is so tuned into all the little details and it was really fun getting down at her level and experiencing the magic of the botanical garden through her eyes and fingertips. What a sweet family.
If you are interested in scheduling a family session I am currently booking for fall!
Clara Turns Two!
in Families, Little Ones
This month is flying by. And I'm the happiest I've been in a long time. A lot of angst has subsided and I'm feeling very grateful for where I am. Grateful for the good people in my life, success in my business, and appreciative of beautiful, healthy days. And this little girl is taking up a pretty sizable chunk of my heart.
Clara turned two a few weeks ago, and I snapped these photos at her little birthday celebration at a Berkeley park. I can't believe how fast she's growing up, and it's only accelerated by the presence of her older sister, Nyah, whom she absolutely adores. I have the pleasure of spending a few mornings a week with Clara, usually while Nyah is at preschool, and sometimes I get to watch them both. I can't adequately verbalize how much I enjoy them, but I know they're my absolute favorite subjects to photograph. And they're really so much more than just eye candy.
Welcome to two, sweet Clara Bear! It looks good on you.
P.S. More from last fall, last spring, and Clara's first birthday.
Mother's Day Mini Session
Moms: Do you want photos with your babies before they get even bigger? I'm excited to announce my first mini session offer in celebration of Mother's Day! Mothers and their children are my favorite subject, and I would love to capture you with your littles this spring.
Sessions will take place Sunday, May 4th in Codornices Park in Berkeley. The Berkeley Rose Garden is right across the street, which can serve as a second location. 20 minute sessions are available every half hour from 9 am to 11 am and from 4 pm to 7 pm. The special price includes ten edited high resolution images delivered in time for mother's day. Contact me if you are interested in reserving a session. I will come armed with skittles and m&m's as bribery if needed. Payment is due at time of booking to reserve your session time.
Looking forward to celebrating all you moms this season. Because you're terrific!
P.S. Have you seen this video?
Greg and Suzanne // Hunter's Birth // Bay Area Birth Photography
in Birth
I arrived at the hospital at 8 pm on Thursday, March 6th. Suzanne's contractions were evenly spaced. Greg and the midwives from the Pacifica Family Maternity Center were there, supporting her through her labor. Piano music was playing on Pandora, and the feeling in the room was a mixture of excitement, calm, focus, and anticipation. Over the next five hours we all breathed together.
Greg and Suzanne's moms waited patiently downstairs until they were invited in to meet their grandson (and they had yet to learn his gender).
Greg's mom meets her first grandchild.
Hunter was born at 1:52 am on Friday, March 7th. That was four weeks ago today. Documenting his birth was a powerful and awe-inspiring experience, to say the least. Greg and Suzanne were absolutely amazing. The amount of strength in that hospital room could have moved mountains. I couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of them and invested in the health and well being of the whole family.
Greg and Suzanne, thank you for trusting me to photograph this intimate occasion. It was life changing. Wishing you all the very best!
(To see the images from their maternity session, click here.)
Portraits of Haylie // Berkeley in Bloom
in Portraits
Haylie and I go back a couple of decades. We were born a day apart, and in second grade we swapped our in-class birthday celebrations so that each of our moms could be there. She celebrated on my birthday and I celebrated on hers. We loved it because we got twice as much birthday that year. And I remember in third grade she was a brown and white spotted puppy for Halloween. We both lifeguarded all through high school, and during those summers racked up countless hours in the tiny office of the Willits City Pool, blasting the fan, swatting flies and flipping through the same issues of Cosmopolitan (that magazine brainwashes perfectly healthy teenage girls into thinking they aren't normal, I swear.) She is part of of the small handful of girls that I have remained close with since graduation. And she keeps getting more beautiful. Haylie is good people.
We spent the evening walking around Berkeley and Albany, squatting in people's front yards. It was great collaborating and catching up. Haylie's makeup was done my the talented Jenni Huse. If you live in the Bay Area and are interested in a portrait session, contact me for rates!
Haylie helps raise funds and awareness for Huntington's Disease. You can learn more about the disease and support Team Hope by donating here.
Portraits of David // Berkeley Marina
in Portraits
Brother and Sister // East Bay Family Portrait Photographer
in Little Ones
There was so much love between these two and so many wonderful things in the short time we spent together. Three flies up, climbing fig trees and monkey bars. Mac n cheese with peas. Caterpillars and chrysalises. California fuchsia. A family walk around the neighborhood with perfect light. Sylvester the cat. Happy and active kids may be my favorite subjects.
I'm still offering free family session though the end of October. Please spread the word or contact me if interested!
Cats of Hillegass // Hiking Berkeley Hills
Walking around Berkeley I found these lovelies. The green eyed tabby, "Flower," kept running towards me, proving a difficult subject. I have lived in the East Bay just over a year now and I feel like I am finally starting to really know my way around Oakland and Berkeley. But tonight I went for a run and discovered the Stonewall-Panoramic Train, up above the Claremont Hotel. It was steep. Really steep. It's part of the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve in the Oakland and Berkeley Hills. I have hiked trails in the Preserve before, but none that are walking distance from civilization. It was a popular choice tonight, a couple even hiked some beer up to the top and were enjoying the sunset on a bench at the summit. I do not plan on taking my camera up that high, but I think it is worth another visit. Going down was an entirely different challenge, you kind of have to shimmy and let gravity help you out, but not allow yourself to pick up too much speed. I could feel my feet sliding all the way to the front of my shoes. It was invigorating feeling connected to my body in two different ways. Thighs, calves and lungs burning on the way up, concentration and agility all the way down.
I had three family shoot cancelations the month of July, so I'm hurting for models. If you know of anyone who wants to get in front of my lens, let me know!
(You can check out my portrait series of cats in Norwich here.)