A bit of reflection and a fabulous family...

Upon starting this blog and immediately after taking pictures of my first official clients, I found myself studying a lot. I am much more aware of my surroundings than I have ever been in my entire life. I find myself studying daylight and how it looks and feels during different hours of the day...I study the work of famous photographers in history and having had no formal training, I am obsessively trying to teach myself everything that has to do with cameras (still a major work in progress). I am even more in tune with interesting colors and textures than I was in design school. I seem to find inspiration in the most unexpected places these days! The more experience I gain, the more I realize how much I value simplicity, and natural interaction between human beings. For the millions of things I'm still not sure of in life, the one thing I can confidentally say that stands true in my life and work is the idea that "less is always more." When photographing families, I love to observe and document authentic interaction with the least amount of interruption. Therefore, the greatest challenge of every shoot for me is not just the technical/creative aspects, but the instant energy felt between my subjects and I. This vibe determines how comfortable they will feel to be themselves, and ultimately reach my goal of creating meaningful photos. With that being said, during our latest session featured below, after a few minutes of warming up and getting comfortable, Layla's curiosity and serene energy set the tone for the time we spent together. We followed her on this beautiful Sunday as she explored, and spent quality time with her parents. Although she was interested in the new surrounding, Layla seemed to prefer being silly with her parents as all three of them were laughing with one another throughout the entire shoot. By the end of our session, my sister and I were sad to say goodbye to our charismatic little friend, but were itching to preview and edit the captured dynamic of this awesome family. The rush of getting home to edit, and showing a sneak peek to my clients is one of my absolute favorite parts of this job. I try not to plan anything after sessions, so I can frantically edit and see what I've captured! Here are some of the highlights from our session. Thanks for stopping by...enjoy!

 

Tristan

Sometimes mishaps, unforeseen circumstances and unpredictable weather make for dynamic blog entries. However, the beauty of this photo session came from the fluidity and calm of a beautiful day, a short road trip and an absolutely adorable and sweet subject. For Tristan's shoot we headed out to the California Citrus State Historical Park in Riverside. We loved this location! With endless orange groves, tree-lined trails and the cutest citrus museum, the park served as a great canvas. As we approached Tristan and his parents, the first thing we all noticed were the matching Radio Flyer wagons we both brought along! Tristan seemed to love the location as much as we did. He sat calmly, and enjoyed his surroundings throughout the shoot. With the weather on our side, I really enjoyed spending the day with Tristan and his parents while experimenting with a new and thematic location. My new friend turned 1 yesterday, so I'd also like to wish him a very happy first birthday! Here are a few of our favorites.Thanks for stopping by...enjoy!