Etc

You studied, you tested, you worked hard for years, and the time is officially here! It’s time to start thinking about senior photographs and I’m eager to collaborate with you to create photographs that you love. As a photographer, I want to make sure you are comfortable and having fun during your session.

I realize that I’m surrounded by unique objects from my life and travels and that each artifact tells a different story. As someone who enjoys exploring other cultures, I realized that the stories I collect aren’t just about objects. They are about people.

It’s puppy time. Bring on the Bichons. Getting to spend a couple of hours smothered in puppy love was just what the doctor ordered after all of this snow and rain. I was so glad when Laura asked me to come out to visit before they all those fluffy white cuties went to their new homes. All my friends kept asking me if I picked one up for our home. Having just got both of our kids into college, my response was “I’m done child-rearing for now, but they sure are sweet”. Much love to you and Martin!

Wrapping up 2019…
I always pause at the end of a year and try to take it all in. And while I enjoy the Christmas holidays, I am much happier in general in that space between Christmas and the New Year.

It was about a week before Christmas and I had just purchased a brand-spanking-new Nikon camera and had a big family session planned for the weekend. I wanted to test my new baby in a portrait setting so late one night I reached out to a couple friends to see if they were free the next afternoon and the lovely Miss Macy was. We squeezed her images in after school and before dance in about 30-45 minutes – such is the life of a busy middle schooler! The best part? Macy got to surprise her mom and dad with a couple 8×10’s…

“It’s so us.” Three words that are like sonic gold to any lifestyle photographer’s ear!  When Cheree called me about doing a workday session at their property, I was instantly intrigued.  I have had the good fortune to photograph this family on many occasions, from anniversaries to graduations and holidays to all of those happy milestones in between.  And here was yet another milestone in their lives: some good ol’ DIY construction.  You see, when a cedar tree falls on the Haffner property, they don’t make lemonade, they saw that sucker down and build an addition on to their happy home.  Getting…

Punctuation.  A simple dash or dot can begin, interrupt, link, end, interrogate, or energize.  Without punctuation, life is just a bunch of garbled words with no structure or form, one run-on sentence with no emotion or intensity.  Punctuation is the pulse. Ally has a favorite punctuation mark.  So favorite that it is indelibly marked on her wrist so that she always knows it’s there, always recalls its meaning.  It’s a semi-colon (;).  Which may seem semi-strange for a teenager to choose as a tattoo, but that’s because we haven’t read what came before the semi-colon.  The story of a beautiful young woman…

On January 21 I participated in the #WomensMarch in #Sacramento. I volunteered my time to the Women’s March organizers to document this event after my good friend and colleague, Michelle McDaid offered up our services. There were no individual stars in this event like the many brides and grooms that I photograph every weekend capturing weddings. This event was about all of our collective voices joining together, and choosing together not to remain silent or compliant. Like those that have paved the way for my own rights, I felt compelled to continue to pave the way for my daughter’s rights…

When you’re a professional wedding and family photographer, you spend a lot of time photographing other people having fun, but don’t always capture images of your own fun times.  You’ve got to set the camera down sometime!  That was the plan when I headed to the Camp Wakka Chikka music festival Labor Day weekend: just some real R&R with family, music, food, and dancing.  Still, being a photographer, I always have to have at least one camera and lens in my bag as insurance against those “I can’t believe I missed that shot!!” moments.  Fortunately for me (but unfortunately for my…