The JOURNAL

What makes the best photo experience in Southern California? Fun. Fun with everyone together. I don’t get this question from people often, but I think it should be the leading question when finding a photographer. Family photos should be fun, and I work with that as my primary goal in each session. 

Jeffrey Open Space Trail is one of my favorite spots to take my clients for family portraits. Winding 3.5 miles through the city of Irvine, the paved path is a key link between the mountains and sea of Orange County.  From open meadows to rustic bridges and wooded areas,  it offers a diverse range of […]

Last fall, I hosted a special round of family photos mini sessions in the picturesque beauty of Trabuco Canyon.  This hidden gem of Orange County is a wilderness oasis that lies just north of Rancho Santa Margarita. Nestled in the heart of a quiet subdivision, it’s just a short trip from the coast and the […]

This year, the second family portrait location for my San Diego Mini Sessions day was Marian Bear Memorial Park. After parking in a dirt lot and jumping from rock to rock through a little stream, a trail leads you through a lightly forested trail lined with oak trees. There’s tall grass (and wildflowers in the […]

I continued my Holiday Mini sessions this year with a quick trip down to San Diego! Located in the Point Loma neighborhood, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is one of my favorite spots in San Diego. Whenever we visit, Chris and I always grab our favorite burritos from Ortiz’s and have a picnic overlooking the water. […]

When it comes to picking locations for my Orange County Mini Sessions, it’s so fun finding beautiful spots off the beaten path.  These eucalyptus groves have become one of my favorite secret spots, providing a tranquil backdrop- and that forest is just magical. Not to be annoying and redundant, but I really mean that forest […]

You’d be hard pressed to find a better spot for family photos than Laguna Beach. One of Orange County’s hidden gems, it contains seven-miles of breathtaking cliffs amid the tide pools, tranquil morning waves, and even fun climbing spots for the kids. Shooting with kids at the beach adds a bit of magic that is […]

Cloudy beach days can be pretty magical. These fun Montage Laguna Beach family portraits are proof that the beach is a great place for photos whatever the weather might be like! When you’re a Southern California family, you know off-season is the best time to go to the beach. You can bundle up in cute […]

These San Diego family lifestyle portraits are #familygoals and just the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen. Since they just finished moving in and renovating their beautiful new home, we decided it would be fitting to take some relaxed family photos of the four of them before baby boy number three joined the party. Again, […]

Labor begins and bags are grabbed as you rush out the door in between contractions. The hours of labor and then this new life is born into the world and time STOPS. The wonder, the shock, the exhaustion, the deep deep love…. it all blurs together somehow. Photographing this chapter of life is such a sweet gift. […]