Blog
The Art of Ballet
"Please send me your last pair of shoes, worn out with dancing as you mentioned in your letter, so that I might have something to press against my heart." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I am almost rendered speechless in how to explain myself here. Having watched Anna...
Senior Portraits or Family Portraits?
Milestones are a natural time to think of having family portraits done and with spring comes the urgency of needing to get our seniors photographed. I notice that many times families will know they want to get their portraits done, but haven't thought about what they...
De La Salle Baseball Legacy: Seniors 2016
"As the season goes on, teammates go from teammates, to friends to brothers." - Baseballism Even though we've seen it happen over and over in our lives, it is still so miraculous to see our children grow up and prepare to leave the nest for new horizons. What a...
Quinceañera Beauty
It has been truly amazing watching my clients grow up as my business has grown up. I photographed this beauty when she was two or three and I was just starting out in business trying to find myself. I've photographed her through the years watching her turn into a...
Restoration of the soul, through beauty
What words can even convey my feelings for these girls, this day, these portraits. They are truly food for my soul. I've watched this big sister grow up before my lens since she was a five-day-old newborn. She delights me in every...
Art lives here
Sometimes fate brings me clients and I shake my head in wonder about the path that led us to each other. It all seems meant to be though, as we learn about each other, share ideas and set a date. There is a certain kind of magic in the portrait process, where all the...
Have you thanked a teacher today?
“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” - Elizabeth Lawrence Teachers have a special place in my heart, especially the teachers of my own children. When this...
It’s good to have a goal
With my mentor and sponsor Carol Andrews Jensen at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Last week I flew to Nashville, Tennessee to our largest professional photography convention and received my Master and Craftsman degrees. These degrees are from the Professional...
When the story is a long one
This road means so much to me. For my whole life, my mom's life, her parents and grandparents life, this road passed by their home in rural Iowa. Sitting in, what is now my cousin's, front yard we have years of memories of family gatherings, exploration, adventure and...
When the crisis becomes the gift
It was my last session of the year. Sifting our schedules between work travel, knee surgery and the unpredictable November weather we finally arrived at our perfect date. We met at the naturally beautiful Moraga Commons as the low winter sun glowed through thin misty...
Pinterest Portraits
When we met, we looked at Pinterest. So many beautiful portraits posted on Pinterest. Beautiful locations, clothing ideas and posing styles were murmured over. Months in advance we met and dreamed and made plans. Our day came and we wandered around the Presidio,...
Every picture tells a story
I recently heard a story on NPR about what happens to your body when you are in the zone. They say that when you are in the zone, the reason you are so focused and performing at your peak is because other parts of your brain have turned down in their functioning. In...
Destination Portraits: Lake Tahoe, California
I love it when the stars align. I often have magical circumstances that I've come to call the Triple-Crown. A beautiful location, stunning weather and a wonderful family. When planning my client's portrait we were talking about locations that were special to their...
These youth have changed the world (already)!
I wish I had the right words to express the wonderment and awe I feel after attending the Earth Island Brower Youth Awards last night! For the fourth year I had the extreme privilege to photograph the youth winner portraits. They feel like I am giving them something,...
Destination Portrait Photography: Corydon, Iowa
"Thanks so much...memories are so much of who we are." This summer, my family traveled back to our Iowa roots for a family reunion and to give my mom a chance to check up on her four brothers. Our cousins so generously hosted seven of us in their home as well as...
Photos Make a House a Home
It all started with a dream. I've photographed this beautiful family since the first born was five days old. Now they have a new little sunshine in the family. My role as documentarian is an extreme honor with the added bonus of a beautiful friendship grown from...
Charity fundraiser also builds photography business
It all began in Kindergarten. Well, my first son's Kindergarten. As a parent of young children I was passionate to make a difference for the place where my children would spend most of their days for the next nine years. I was new to the school community and I didn't...
What would you be willing to sacrifice?
This project isn't about making images. It's not about creating the world's largest camera. It's about doing what you love. If you had been searching your whole life for something you love, what would you be willing to sacrifice?" ~Ian Ruhter, from Silver and Light...
Make a Wish
Not too long ago I was looking for a local store that sold baby gifts. Many of the stores I used to go to had closed and so I was hunting online when I found Wish, Walnut Creek on Yelp. They had such amazing reviews I had to check it out! Little did I know what was in...
Magic
I can't get this image off my mind. The stillness of the glade, opening to the ring of trees, the kids running ahead and finding the old tree stump, perfect for a perch. Then the light, this magic light, greeted me. Never seen before or after, it could only be magic....
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