Family Portraits at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California
Fall has been very busy, and every time I think it’s going to settle down, another family books a session. I am not complaining, I love this job so much! Last week I photographed six separate families in the rain in San Francisco. Every time it would start to pour, we would run under the dome at the Palace of Fine Arts. The kids were such good sports! No one complained, and we all did our best to have fun despite the cold rain and wind. I’m so lucky to do this as a profession, and so thankful to families for trusting me to photograph the most important people in their lives.
Family Portraits in Saratoga, California
I recently photographed one of my favorite families in Saratoga, California. This was the fifth time I have photographed them, and each visit just gets better and better. It’s such a joy to watch kids grow and change, and it’s such an honor to capture important milestones in people’s lives.
Camellia Waldorf School photo shoot in Sacramento, California
Camellia Waldorf School needed new pictures for their website and social media. They know how important it is to have a large library of images at their fingertips because social media never stops and figuring out what to post every day can be so stressful. My job is to make sure you have beautiful, eye catching images, that stop people from scrolling and want to learn more about your business or nonprofit. I worry about the content creation, so you can focus on what you do best, and in Camellia’s case, it’s inspiring young people to enjoy the process of learning, not just now, but forever.
Waldorf campuses are so beautiful, and Camellia is definitely one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. It was hard to take a bad picture. Here are a few of my favorites from our photo session in Sacramento, California.
Branding Photo Session at Yoga Nyla in Folsom, California
Yoga Nyla in Folsom needed new pictures for their website and social media, and I was more than happy to help. Yoga Nyla, formerly, Zuda Yoga, has been my studio for 13 years, and it has completely changed my life. Their classes are extremely intense, and you get a hard workout for an hour, and afterwards you feel absolutely amazing, like you’re walking on air! I highly recommend them for new yogis and those just looking for a different studio. I know you will love it as much as I do.
Branding Photography Session in Sacramento, California
I spent over a year and a half documenting the daily life at Sacramento Waldorf School in Sacramento, California. There is so much joy, hope, and love on a Waldorf Campus because the curriculum is designed to help each individual discover their own unique gifts. There are no test scores or homework until middle school, but most importantly, and probably most noticeably, there is no technology in the lower school. The end result is middle schoolers who are bursting with creativity and ingenuity; they make eye contact and are great conversationalists, they want to hear your opinion! Waldorf kids are used to adults treating them with respect and love, therefore they trusted me to be in their space. I could go on and on about Waldorf education. No, it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close, in my opinion.
High School Senior Sessions at The American River in Fair Oaks, Ca
I remember taking my senior pictures like it was yesterday. My mom had died a few years earlier, so I was still completely reeling from her loss. The last thing I wanted to do was get dressed up and take pictures, and you can see my discomfort in the photos. I remember that vividly, and understand that everyone is coming to their Senior Session with their own feelings. Not everyone is happy to be there, so I do everything I can to keep things light hearted and extremely laid back, both for my clients and their parents who are often feeling very emotional about their kids’ leaving home. I have a senior and I can attest that the feelings are heavy and bittersweet.
Senior Sessions are typically done outdoors, but please let me know if your envisioning pictures indoors as well. The experience is light-hearted and fun, and I promise everyone will laugh a lot!
If you’d like to hear more about the Senior Sessions I offer, feel free to reach out here. I’m happy to tell you all about the process, and I’m eager to hear how I can help create timeless images you will love and cherish forever.
Branding Photo Session in Midtown Sacramento
These are some recent pictures of Grateful Dog Daycare in Midtown Sacramento. The owner needed new pictures for social media and his website, and I was so happy to help. Grateful Dog offers cage free boarding, and is the only place I feel comfortable leaving my dogs when we go on vacation because the staff is so great, and the owner, Robert, is amazing! I highly recommend them!
Family Portrait Session in San Jose, California
I have photographed these boys many times, and I love them so much.
Nyla Yoga Branding Photography Session // Folsom, California
My favorite yoga studio was recently purchased by a new owner, and she needed updated photographs for social media and their website. It is a privilege to help small business owners grow their businesses using photography. If you’re a small business owner looking to strengthen your brand and grow your business, drop me a line here.
Zuda Yoda in Folsom is now Nyla Yoga, and you should definitely check out the studio! Yoga will truly change your life if you let it, I promise!
www.nylayoga.com
Branding Photography Session in Old Fair Oaks, California
Photography makes me happier than almost anything, and it introduces me to the coolest people. Jeff was visiting from Norway and needed new marketing pictures. As an entrepreneur, he knows it’s important to have a gallery of images at his fingertips to share on social media.
He asked for pictures with a ‘Northern California feel’ to add a bit of warmth during those cold winter months in Norway. We took pictures at The American River in Fair Oaks, California.
If you’d like to inquire about an editorial session for your business, please contact me here, and I promise to get back to you within one business day.
Family Portrait Session in Sacramento, California
I photographed this family at the American River in Fair Oaks last year. This was the sixth time I have photographed them. It is such an honor to capture family milestones throughout the years and something I take very seriously. Thank you for trusting me with such an important task.
Dog Portrait Session in Sacramento, California
I recently wrote a short post about my dog. She made quite the impression on my family. I shared the essay online, and the last time I looked, it was shared over 5,000 times. Hundreds of people emailed me personally or sent private messages to send their condolences and tell me about the dog or dogs that they've loved and lost. It was so incredibly heartwarming.
Here's my story ...
She arrived in a van full of unwanted castoffs, most of which had been abused in some way; a three legged pit mix, an elderly chihuahua, an extremely anxious husky that never made eye contact, a chubby bulldog, and her.
The pack burst through our side gate with tremendous enthusiasm, and I loved watching them play in the back yard. They were finally safe and they knew it. My job was to take pictures of them, so the woman running the dog rescue could find them homes. Better pictures meant a better chance of being adopted, so I volunteered my services as much as possible.
She waddled through the gate, and it was her big honey-colored eyes and long eye lashes I noticed first. She was an overweight, middle aged, Pit Mix that no one wanted, scheduled to be euthanized a few days prior, but pulled just in time.
The dogs swam in our pool and romped happily in the sunshine, except for her. She snuck in our back door, where I eventually found her passed out among my two children who were just toddlers at the time. The yelling and giggling did not deter her, and she fell fast asleep beside them, snoring like an exhausted 70 year old farmer who had been working the land since dawn. In our home she would remain until her passing 8 years later.
Dogs come into our lives for a reason, each one with a special purpose. I've loved them all with every fiber of my being, and I've grieved their passing with the same intensity, however there was something special about her. She was my soulmate. I lost my own mother at a young age, and have never felt comfortable in the role. I know how to love unconditionally, but raising children is beautiful and terrifying and so confusing, and I often felt like I was falling short. Her presence kept me calm. She was one part fierce protector, one part organic pillow, and one part wise sage Indian warrior. Her knowing glances said: you are doing your best.
It's hard to explain such a bond to those that don't love dogs like I do. Over the years I've stopped trying; you either get it or you don't, and it's perfectly okay either way. They are the epitome of pure love, pure joy, pure patience, and with all of our lofty aspirations to imitate them, we continue to fall short. There is simply nothing like a dog.
She arrived in a van full of unwanted castoffs, and my job was to photograph them so they could be adopted. I never took a single picture of her that day. What would have been the point? She was already home.