The JOURNAL

This year has been a very full and stretching year for my family and I. We started the year off getting our little kitten Hugo Flash, then he almost died, then he lived and now he’s as spunky as ever! My sister graduated with a BA in Dramatic Arts from Concordia University in May, and […]

When I think about a couple who inspires me, I think of Matt and Erin. Let me explain….. At our initial meeting, we chatted and looked at albums while we sipped our Hidden House coffee. I took inventory of how Matt and Erin interacted with one another and how our personalities all meshed. “Normal, fun, […]

The Gamboa family is one of my favorites to photograph and is one of the sweetest families ever! We all met through Horizon Christina Fellowship in Rancho Santa Fe, and I first photographed their family portraits a few years back in 2009 when everyone was a tad bit littler. Well, Noah’s headed off to college […]

She looked radiant sitting on the porch with some old friends as she got her makeup done. Music from her iPhone played softly and kids could be heard chattering away inside. The morning sun poked through the birch trees and I caught her eye and smiled. Today was the day my sweet friend Laurie would […]

It was still dark out when I knocked on Ash’s hotel room door. Bright eyed and bushy-tailed, she opened the door and greeted me with an excited hug. This was the day she would get to marry the love of her life in the middle of a Redwood grove…. her dream wedding. As she finished […]

So I threw Hugo Flash a little birthday party. Yes, it was just us two, but only because Christopher was at work. I know you’re probably all judging me and writing me off as the crazy wedding photographer who is also a cat lady. BUT…. it’s really a year to celebrate! So he was born […]

Before I begin, I have to share that as I edited this wedding I probably did my happy dance about 3 times, squealed like a little school girl approximately 10 times, and I smiled so often my face began to cramp up. Soooo embarrassing, but it’s all true… just ask Hugo Flash, who was abruptly […]

Fall has fallen in southern California, even though the temperatures are being kind of bi-polar. Fall means school, shorter days, the race to find that ONE changing tree in SoCal, pumpkin everything… and family portraits. Even though most of my work throughout the year is weddings and engagements, I get to change it up a […]

It’s a good rule of thumb to not go looking for lasting relationships in a bar. It’s also a good rule of thumb to never say “never.” Brooke, being a smart and realistic young business woman in Los Angeles made a rule to never date guys she meets in bars. And she stuck to it […]

I finally have gotten around to blogging this wedding and boy has it been burning a hole in my pocket! Meeting Mike and Kristin was a dream come true. In Kristin’s preliminary email to me, she wrote, “Sami has been my best friend since we were in middle school! She has showed me your work […]