5 Generations

So, I still haven't taken Milas 2 year old pictures. My goal is to photograph her before the end of the month (fingers crossed). Hey, as long as I capture her while she's still technically 24 months it counts, right? The truth is, life is busy sometimes, and other times... it's not exactly the best time of day (like say, 10pm). 

Right around Mila's birthday I started going through pictures and videos. I opened up all of my "Mila" folders and reminisced (and maybe shed a few happy tears). I did this around her first birthday as well.... I suppose I'll just go ahead and accept the fact that I'll probably do it every year for the rest of my life.

When I came across these photographs, I looked at them a little longer than the rest. Mila had just turned 4 months and the lovely lady holding her is her great-great grandmother (we call her Omi) and I felt beyond lucky to have had the honor of capturing the two of them together. 

I also made my mom get in a frame. I thought having one of her with her grandmother and her granddaughter would be pretty cool:)

I'm thankful to my husband for having me jump in as well, and for taking this picture (below). At the time I remember thinking "eww, I look gross. My hair is still wet from my shower... and I still need to lose like 10 more pounds of baby weight... blah blah blah".  

Now seeing this, I realize how unimportant all of those thoughts were. One day when Mila is older she'll be able to have a photo of her, her mother, her grandmother, and her great-great grandmother. And that is amazing. My Omi (my mothers mom) passed away, but I know she was with us there in spirit. 

If you can take one thing away from this mushy post, take this...
If you have the privilege of being able to take a photo with a loved one, do it. Always do it. No one cares what your hair looks like, or that you're not wearing any make-up, or that you feel chubby. They care about capturing a memory with you, and having that memory to look back on forever. 

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In loving memory of my Omi, Ellen. (pregnant with my Aunt and holding my mom as a baby)

side note: I wore those earrings on my wedding day to have a piece of her with me. She is so loved and truly missed.

Take some time to squeeze your loved ones this weekend!
(Maybe even try to get a picture with them too! ;)

xo

Take Beautiful Portraits Anywhere | 3 Tips

Portraits can be taken anywhere.... no really.

ANYWHERE.  

In this iPhone snap (taken by the makeup artist) you can see the location wasn't anywhere scenic, and that there wasn't a "real" back drop. It was actually just a grey bed sheet!! I know, I know. So professional, right? But honestly, if you're taking close up portraits, just remember... It's not about gear or location, it's about position, and it's about light. (you can see an example HERE of a portrait taken on the modest of cameras)

In this case it was all natural light. We were on a covered patio and most of the light was coming from my left (you can see this in her eyes). I did use a white reflector on my right to give a little bounce back to her hair, but I didn't want the light to be completely even on both sides. 

As you may have gathered in a recent blog post, I am a huge proponent of portraits. Whether you're capturing a portrait professionally or of your sister on a family vacation, a good photograph of someone you love (or someone you find interesting) will undoubtedly live longer than you, and THAT is powerful. 

3 tips to take beautiful portraits anywhere:

 

1. Find the light.

Whether its natural or artificial. Light is what it's all about. Light can truly make or break an image, so try not to depend on post production. Editing the look of light will never feel quite the same as capturing it correctly in camera. 

2. Connect with your subject.

This one is just as *if not more* important then good light. 
Eyes don't lie. If you're subject is feeling nervous, or uncomfortable you're going to see it in their eyes. Give your subject a feeling of calm or happy (or whatever emotion you want to draw out) by talking to them. I generally give a scenario for someone to think about. Like, "imagine you're a *blank* in the *blank* finding *blank*..." It helps them get into "character" if you will, and forget their nervousness in the process. 

3. Play with composition. 

Whether it's with how you angle the shot, how you line things up, or how you fill the frame... PLAY!  Sometimes it means adding things in (like colors, patterns, and textures) and sometimes it's simply taking it all away. 

I hope you've found these tips helpful!

Just remember... light. connection. composition. You got this. 

xo

Project: Free Time | Jess Fong

Free time is such a treasured thing. In a life full of work, appointments, meetings, relationships, and laundry (ugh, laundry), having a moment to stop and do what we love is something we can't take for granted.

For my first personal project (that I'll be blogging) I chose free time as the theme, because let's face it... sometimes "free time" is more like a magical unicorn... it's just no where to be found. 

Subject : Jess Fong  |  Free Time : Painting

Jess is a Campus Minister with Epic Movement and is based out of southern California. She has a beautiful soul, an adorable dog, a huge talent in the arts (featured below:), and makes the best breakfast evvaaaahh! 

Oh! and she has blue hair... so she's basically the coolest. 
 

What do you do with your free time? 

Let's swim with Manatees + 3 Tips!

On our most recent trip to Florida we swam with manatees... and it was amazing.

Now, I have done this once before, but I saw like two, maybe three...

Maaayybe. 

B on the other hand had not done this before, and I honestly wasn't sure how he'd like it. He's not the "swim in open water where there may be large animals" kind. Especially in a state that is known for gators. I mean I get it, but without really planning it too carefully with him, I booked it! (And he loved it!!)

One of the things I wanted to avoid was a touristy excursion where there was no respect for the animals, so I'm very happy to say that our captain and guide was wonderful with this. He was pretty clear that we were visiting their home, and all interactions were up to the manatee. He was also great about educating us on all the animals we came across, and he and his partner even greeted us with a "manatee mocha" after coming out of the water (into the FREEZING air!). 

Thinking about taking a dip with these gentle giants?

Here are my 3 tips:

1. Go Early:
We woke up at 5, hit the road, and arrived around 6:45am. (for a 7am depart) Now before you roll your eyes.... the first reason I say this is because you will have a gorgeous sunrise to watch from the boat as you make your way out. And secondly, there will (probably) be less people! We were literally with 2 other people on the boat. And that was a total win to me! 

2. Embrace the cold:
When I first realized that the day I had booked this experience was going to be the COLDEST of our whole trip, I was pretty bummed. I mean 38 degrees is pretty ridiculous if you are from Florida, and going in the water was not what I wanted to do when I woke up that morning (hint: I wanted to hide under a heated blanket). BUT as far as increasing your chances of seeing more manatees, the coldest day of the year is your best bet. And it's totally worth it.

3. Have respect:
While we were out near the springs, I did notice another group approach the manatees. DO NOT DO THIS. Our captain was super cool with us touching them, BUT only if they approached us. He suggested that we just swim (with out kicking too much) and observe. So, B and I kept our distance, but that didn't mean we didn't get up close and personal. 

The manatees were very friendly and curious, and quite a few would swim right up to us... like REALLY close. At first I would try to back up, but our guide told me to just stay calm and still and let them do their thing. It was almost like the people who approached them got less interaction, because the manatees were likely to swim away. Actually several of the manatees that came right up to me (like to my face! or directly under me!) were ones that were trying to steer clear of grabby visitors. So, just keep chill and they will come. Besides, there's nothing like the organic approach of a large wild animal that's just as curious about you as you are of them. 

Special Thanks to Gulf Coast Expeditions for an awesome time!

(See the travel diary video HERE)

The Masciandaro Family

Had a quick session with this lovely family a little while back. I've realized I don't share all of the shoots I do! So, I figured I'd change that and start with sharing a few shots of these cuties. I mean... how adorable are these boys?! It's like they came straight out of a Polo ad, I swear.
Loved working with this beautiful family.

So here's to sharing more work with you all! 

Have a great week!

Camping in Big Sur

After being away for over a month, I'm just getting into the swing of things here at home, and it feels like 2017 has "officially" begun.

I've been taking a little time to reflect on last year, as well as make plans for the year ahead. And I couldn't help but think back on one of my favorite days in 2016... Thanksgiving Day.

We took a road trip up to Big Sur for the long weekend. It was a way for us to just enjoy nature and each other and not worry about what to cook, and where to be. It was simple, and beautiful and I couldn't have asked for a more special day to give thanks. 

We truly enjoyed it so much. Buddy even looked at me while we were driving home and said "let's do that again next year"... and you know what? We may just have to. The only thing I would do differently is pack a few extra blankets, because I tell ya what... that gorgeous place gets COLD at night. 

Little babe in our tent.

Our home for the weekend. 

The colors in our tent at sunset were seriously magical! 

My babes.

Smooches from my girl. 

This little girl picked purple flowers every morning.

Hiking...

This hiking path was seriously amazing! So so pretty!! 

Ocean love!!

Thank God for a sis-in-law who brings a bunch of pre-pasted, disposable tooth brushes.... and thank God for that view!!!

She did this a lot. Afternoon sun soaks with Story dog.

Thanksgiving dinner! Rosemary turkey sandwiches on pretzel rolls, garlic stuffed hasselback potatoes, stuffing, and mac and cheese. Just writing this makes me want a do over on this meal... pretty please. 

So thankful for them. 

(You can find the video diary of our weekend here!) 

Hope you all enjoyed the first week of 2017!

Here's to you and all your beautiful weeks ahead!! 

Cheers!

Harsh Light Is Your Friend

Every once in a while I'll plan a creative shoot just for the heck of it.
Here are 3 reasons why I do (and why you should too!)

1. To try new things 

2. To stay inspired.

3. To learn something new

Something I was wanting to work with on this particular shoot was harsh light, since it's not what I normally shoot in. A lot of my portrait work is shot in that "perfect", golden light. The stuff you find at the beginning and end of each day. The pretty stuff. The stuff portrait dreams are made of! But lately I've been testing myself with the not-so-perfect light. The harsh, direct, and (gasp!) mid-day light. To be honest with you that light scared me for a long time. I avoided it at all costs, and when I had to face it I would make it look like what I was use to, using scrims and diffusers and what not.

But to change my thinking I told myself "You got this, girl. You got this. Harsh light is your friend." 

And so it was.

So here it is... a shoot all about uneven light, weird shadows, and moody "imperfect" portrait conditions. And of course some seriously gorgeous faces.  

So whether you are a photographer, artist, writer, musician, or something in-between. Go create something for the FUN of it and end the year feeling inspired.  

Big thanks to my beautiful models, Taylor and Allison! And my wonderful assistant Whitney! You girls are the best!

p.s. This will be my last post of the year! I'm taking the rest of the month to enjoy some quality time with my family and I'll be back in January! Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! xo 

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

I love photographing people. It's a love I've had for a long time. And because of that. I'm pretty comfortable doing it. Which is awesome!

But also, not.

Being in a position where we feel comfortable is nice.
We have confidence in our ability to do our jobs and we generally know what to expect, and that's great! but there's a catch... we can't reach our full potential by hanging out in our comfy zone.
We just can't.  

Stepping out of my photography box forces me to think in a different way, and almost always teaches me something new in the process. So it's important for me to change things up every once in a while. And although it's not always easy to get up and out of my comfort zone, it is vital in order to move forward. 

Photographing matcha isn't something I ever thought about doing until I was asked by Transcend Matcha to shoot their line. I have photographed products before, but it's definitely not in my (professional) comfort zone. Either way, I said yes. 

Since Transcend Matcha is based out of Austin, TX and I'm in Phoenix, AZ they mailed me a package of their amazing matcha teas, and I got down to business. Handling the green tea powder, and playing around with the style of the shots was definitely something new for me. I was doing little things that I would've never thought about, like having to whisk the matcha every 30 seconds to give it that "I just made matcha. I promise this is still hot." look. And trying not to get the green tea powder everywhere? umm... yea, about that... I have a whole lot of respect for food and photo stylists. Seriously. 

If you're feeling like you're not where you want to be, or you could use a change, or you're just in a creative rut.

Step out of your box!

Try something new, and embrace the uncomfortable. Because as we know, THAT is where the magic happens. 

So go talk to that cool stranger. Take the dance class. Write the book. Climb the freakin' mountain! 

What ever it is that intrigues you, but also gives you that slight "um, maybe one day" feeling because you're just the tiniest bit scared. Take what ever the next step is towards it and face it head on. 

You can do it if you choose to. Pinky promise. 

The Importance of a Portrait

+ THE STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE

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I've always seen value in portraits, and started taking them of my sisters when I was really young. My mom always joked that she never had to take pictures because I was always already doing it. I loved seeing the progression of how my sisters would change, but I never TRULY understood how important photographs really are until about 4 and a half years ago when I lost my father. All of a sudden it was like I was in search for pictures of him, and pictures of us together.  It was like the few photos I had of my dad, the ones that were sitting in a box gathering dust were invaluable now that they were all I had left of him.

I again became aware of this importance when it came to having a baby of my own. At just a year and a half she has grown and changed so much already and I want to remember all of these beautiful little moments that could easily escape my long term memory.

I realized how important it was for me to have photographs of my loved ones. To remember the sparkle in their eyes, the smile lines, the freckles.... to capture who they are this very moment in time. To leave a legacy that can be held onto for generations to come. 

And really, it is not the photograph itself. It's what the photograph represents. A beautiful being that has lived a life to remember, a father, a mother, a best friend, someone who sings in the shower, or snorts when they laugh, or the little tot that refuses to eat vegetables, but knows how to make your heart skip a beat.
The people who make us who we are, and who we want to be.
The ones we'll never forget. 

This. This is the importance of a portrait.

And this is why I do what I do.  

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The story behind the image:

This photo was taken of my (then, 5 year old) sister over 11 years ago in the back seat of my dads old '57 VW bug. The widows were down, the wind was blowing, and it's safe to say the sunshine state didn't disappoint that day. I was sitting in the front seat while my sisters were in the back. The light was good, so I turned around and snapped a couple shots of my littlest sister looking out the window. 

The quality of this photo is not the greatest, as it was shot with my first ever digital camera. It had a whopping 3.2 megapixels... yes, your iPhone has almost 4x that amount. I also had to scan it into my computer, because all I have of this picture is an old and slightly wrinkled 5x7 print. But, despite the low quality of this image, it's one of my favorites because it reminds me of a bright, happy summer day as a young teen. And also because it reminds me of how cute my baby sis was. A sweet, beautiful, quirky little girl who loved life.

If you see a beautiful moment happening in front of you, a moment that you want to remember, whip out a camera and capture it. And if you're a little hung up on "what kind of camera" you have. Try to remember this wonderful piece of advice that has stuck with me from the moment I had heard it...

"The Camera is the Least Important Element in Photography".
-Julius Shulman

Because the truth is, if you find the right light and the right composition you'll find a beautiful photograph.  

There Are No Rules

This summer has been fun, busy, and a little crazy. We sold our house, moved across town, traveled to see family and friends, and are just now (finally!) trying to get settled into our little rental. 

Recently, I've gone back and forth on keeping this blog strictly about my work or sharing some personal posts as well. Up till now I had only blogged about photo shoots and "behind the scenes" stuff, and since I had taken time away from work over the summer (with all the craziness), blogging definitely went on the back burner. 
I asked for friends opinions, and even googled what the "right" thing to do was. what's better for my business? or my time? should I have separate blogs? does it even matter? blah blah blah... and even though my friends loved the idea of combining the two, I still felt just as lost with all the research as I did before hand (Google can do that sometimes).

but then I realized...

THERE ARE NO RULES.

It's funny that the idea of what something is supposed to be can limit our thinking. We put someone else's standards on ourselves, all for an idea we weren't actually sure about to begin with. 

So, I'm going with gut over google and decided that along with sharing my work, I'll also be sharing more personal thoughts and experiences about photography, business, inspiration, and home life. My goal with this is to be more open and honest and helpful. 

Stay tuned! And also, stay true to yourself. (too cheesy?? MmmK.) 

UPDATE: I've moved the journal over HERE!

           (one of the last photos taken in our house before it sold)