The JOURNAL

The Schneider family began with just the two of them, then Ezra Monkey joined the party, and now with Kolja bear they are four. Though life looks a little different with their two little munchkins than it did when it was just the two of them, there’s still a “sameness” to it. Music still holds the baseline to their […]

“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 […]

Sometimes birthdays don’t go how we plan. We get all the decorations right, the perfect cake, and the cutest outfit ever…. and it just doesn’t happen. But the way I see it, those moments when our plans don’t quite work out and real life creeps into the photos we hoped would depict the perfect picturesque moment […]

Growing up near the beach allowed for many a fond memory for my family and I. I remember countless hours of swimming, boogie boarding, sand crab catching, sand castle making, and bonfire enjoying. Some of the most nostalgic photos documenting my childhood took place at the beach. So for me, there’s still a sense of […]

They call him “monkey” and he shares the same birthday with his momma. The Schneiders have a new addition and his name is Ezra Edison! He’s just adorable and such a snuggly little one. In an ever changing chapter in their life together, they asked me to take a few shots so they can look back […]

Today’s the day! It’s been such a long time coming and I have so many thoughts and feelings that they seem to have rendered me wordless at the moment. It’s all I can do to just sit here at my keyboard savoring this place in my story with nostalgia and immense gratitude. I think back to who I was […]

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 […]

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 […]

Isaiah just turned 1 year old and he’s one of the cutest and happiest babies I’ve ever met! Ruth and Steve made the trek down from the Seattle area to celebrate this little guy  and wanted to get some portraits done of their new family on this happy occasion. Isaiah LOVES balloons…. if you can’t […]

Imagination is something that is seldom prioritized above order. I was talking with a friend recently about how many adults we meet that lack imagination and creativity. I suppose once we reach a certain age, school beats imagination out of us with grades and rubrics, and creativity is replaced with conformity for the sake of […]