The JOURNAL

When it comes to my photography business, I really appreciate the convenience and speed of Amazon Prime for purchasing all my last-minute gear before a shoot (or when Kai has caught another pre-school bug and I just can’t make a trip out). With the annual Prime Day coming up on July 11th and 12th, I […]

Those who teach 6th grade together, stay together. While this might not be the original saying, this adaptation is probably one of the truest forms of the saying BECAUSE somewhere in the jungles of pre-teen education and subconscious teacher die-cut competitions, Jared and Hilary found each other. How amazing is that?! These two are a […]

“Top Gun falls in love with Wonder Woman” might be how I would describe Tim & Laurie. They’re both extremely accomplished in their fields, and all around wonderful people. She’s adventurous and brave and takes on challenge with the grace and poise every woman wishes they had (read: Kate wishes she had.) He’s a strong and […]

They met in teacher training. There was a group of them that went line dancing afterwards and she came and danced and laughed. By then end of the night, he was smitten by her in all the ways a girl dreams about. She was beauty and joy, intelligence and wit, and he couldn’t believe that […]

“You know, I didn’t realize creating something and sharing with others could make you feel so vulnerable,” he said. The anecdote was acknowledged by my half-paying-attention nod of agreement. He had been sharing about his experience being entrusted with a project that would be shared with a few hundred colleagues. Conversation changed to other topics and the evening […]

There’s something wonderfully intoxicating about getting engaged in the winter. The world looks different covered in snow. Earlier sunsets each day offer a sense of urgency, and every plan must be carefully thought out due to the cold. It’s as if the world conspires in winter to bring people together. The cuddles and huddles, the coats and sweaters, the […]

It finally happened. He got down on one knee and asked me the question I had been waiting my  whole life to hear–“Will you marry me?” As silent fist-pumping crowds of angels cheered and invisible confetti fell from the heavens, I said “yes!” Finally, it was my turn! After the celebrations had come and gone, and the shock […]

Some friends and I were having a conversation recently about light and dark. There are so many levels and applications we could mention and you’re probably naming five to yourself as you read this, but in this particular conversation we correlated just two. In photography, there must be both dark elements and light elements. A photo […]

For David and Crystal, San Francisco is a place of beginnings and deep and meaningful memories, so it seemed fitting to take their engagement photos in such a special place. We spent the afternoon walking around University of California San Francisco campus, hiking to the top of Inner Sunset hill and around Lands’ End, and ended our […]

Six or seven years ago (it’s all a blur), I remember talking about dream jobs with Jeff and Jamie and some other friends over lunch. It was a time in all of our lives when our aspirations and career dreams were just starting to formulate. We dreamed together about what it would be like to do […]