Little J 9 Months Later | Los Angeles Child Photographer

August 17, 2010

I first met this little guy when he was 3 months old.  I know babies grow fast, but I am in awe of quickly he morphed into an almost toddler.  He may even be walking by the time I post this 🙂  Little J has such a huge personality for such a little dude.  He is talkin’ up quite a storm too!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day…

Great Books! | Los Angeles Children’s Photographer

July 20, 2010

I do not remember a lot from my early years, but one thing I do remember is curling up with one of my parents and reading before bed.  It is something that I will always look back on with fondness.  Going to the Hurleys for dinner every week, I am able to re-live these memories.  Every visit before the girls go to bed, we sit and read.  I have even been known to end a session or two reading to one of my little clients, but only when they ask me to 🙂

I want to begin with one of my most favorite books from when I was a child.  Miss Rumphius is a fantastic book.  The watercolor pictures are beautiful, and it is a wonderful story (especially for little girls).  It took me years to find this book again, because growing up I always referred to it as the lupine lady book.
Another great book from my childhood…
The Jolly Postman is lots of fun, because every place the postman goes, he delivers a letter, a postcard, a catalog that you can pull out and read.  And the book incorporates fairy tale characters to make it even more fun!
A very good friend first mentioned this next book to me last year.  The Blueberry Pie Elf is fantastic!  However, the magic lies in the combination of the illustrations and the story.  So if you decide to get it, make sure you get the version with illustrations by Seymour Fleishman.
I read Library Lion a few weeks ago for the first time.  It is a very sweet story, and it is beautifully illustrated.  I feel in love with it after just one read, and I look forward to reading to the girls again soon 🙂
Every few weeks, I hope to add a new entry with a few more books.   Happy reading!

NAPCP Retreat – Napa, CA | Los Angeles, Children’s Photographer

July 1, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I went up to Napa for a very special event.  The organization I belong to National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) had their first Annual Retreat.  NAPCP was created by the incredibly talented Alice Park and her husband Kyu.  It is a wonderful resource for parents as well as photographers.  They have a wonderful blog with articles ranging from how to dress for your session to recipes.

I was looking forward to the retreat, but it was above and beyond anything I accepted.  I met so many lovely people during the two days that we were there.  I had the chance to listen to both Tamara Lackey and Dane Sanders speak, in addition to Lisa Thomas, Brandy Anderson, Jane Johnson, and Andrea Halsey.  There was just the right amount of information to take in, which was perfect, because it also allowed for us to have some fun too!  Alice and Kyu set up a couple of beautiful wine tastings, and at the end of the first night, there were 15 local models who took part in a perfectly lit shooting clinic up at the vineyard next to our hotel.

Alice & Kyu, Thank you so much for everything!  The amount of time, thought, and detail that you put in to this retreat came through in every aspect of the retreat.  I am very glad to have you and NAPCP in my life 🙂

Before I show some photographs, I just wanted to say thank you to Whitney for making the long drive to and from Napa with me!  Without you and Big Sky Cafe, I am not sure I would have made it 😉  A big thank you to Whitney and Sara Harris for all your hard work that went into helping this retreat happen!

And seriously, if  you ever go to San Luis Obispo, I highly recommend stopping at Big Sky Cafe.  Their food is fantastic!

Beetles & Stripes | Los Angeles Children’s Photographer

June 26, 2010

I had the pleasure of photographing the S family this morning over in the Pacific Palisades at Temescal Canyon Gateway Park. Once again, my session started off with a little critter encounter – this time it was a beetle. 🙂 There is a lot of love in this family, and it was a blast to photograph.

Here are a few of my favorites from the day…

First Clients, Second Session | Los Angeles Child Photographer

May 30, 2010

When I photographed this family in March of 2009 (First Portrait Session), they were my first clients that I did not previously know.  I had a lovely time photographing there girls then, and I had even more fun photographing them this time.  This time around their mom helped me come up with what is now my most favorite location.  Perfect light, lots of texture, such a fun spot to shoot in.

I love the last shot of the post.  I was just about ready to walk to my car when I saw the girls playing on a step.   I am very happy I took my camera back out to capture that shot.  So sweet!

Here are a couple of favorites….

Cameras & Lizards | Los Angeles Child Photographer

May 29, 2010

I was looking forward to today’s session.  I first met their youngest while taking preschool photographs (Preschool Photo Fun!).  A is a fantastic kid, and he LOVES to ask questions.  I had received this email from his mother a while back telling me how A hadn’t stopped talking about me, photographs, or cameras since our photo day at his school.  They had given him an old Pentax to run around and “take”pictures with it.  I knew when I arrived that we were going to have to bring out the Pentax.  We did, and it was perfect 🙂

I wasn’t sure how to break the ice with the three boys, but thankfully, a nice little lizard helped us break the ice.  The first photo is of the that little guy.

I had so much fun today!  I shot a couple of rolls of film, and I cannot wait to get the film back.  I love, love, love the last shot of this post.  Looking at it makes me smile [but it doesn’t make me wanna say cheese 😉 ]  Here are a couple of my favorites….

Pool Party! | Los Angeles Child Photographer

May 25, 2010

I had a blast last week at P’s Pool Party!  My most favorite part of the day was after the kids were finished with the pool.  I was able to get all but one of the kids to sit for me, so that I could take their portrait with an old Polaroid Big Shot.  After I took the first one, K asked “Where is the color?”  🙂

Here are a few favorites…