i had an incredible weekend. just incredible. two photo shoots. things clicked. and when it clicks?? it feels so good.

when i go into a shoot, i never know fully what to expect. everything is up in the air. the lighting, the location, the people, the kids. i mean, think about it-these key elements are different every time. every time!! it is a huge source of anxiety, but also a challenge that i love.

when i first meet a family, we talk. i tell them what i like to do. what i want out of them. what i want to create and capture. i tell them i am here to capture their family. I’m not here to pose them in uncomfortable positions and create something fake. i want reality. imperfection, even. if your kid biffs it into the ocean and gets all sandy, even better! my technique changes all the time, but currently there seems to be a lot of laughter and teasing going on to get the good expressions i like. i say things like, "okay now talk to each other." not necessarily to photograph them talking to each other, but to photograph the reaction i get when i say that. like this one, taken one second after telling this family "talk to each other."

I believe dad was saying, "What did she just say??" and there were about six strangers staring at us, so I am sure they were a bit uncomfortable being on display-but that is what i got. and i love it. so real!

and here, at my other shoot, i can’t remember what i had just said, or what they had just said, but however it occured, i got this great reaction:

 

and THAT is totally how i saw that couple. they were so happy together. so funny. their laughter was a staple in their home. you can just tell.

for me, it is all about catching the real them. i want them to be comfortable enough with me that i get to see who they are. follow them around for the hour or two that we are together and really get a sense of what they are like. i take it very seriously. it is an honor. here i am, a stranger, and these people are giving me something that they normally reserve for each other or close friends. i appreciate it so much. because it is the most important element in what i do. getting to the bottom of things. not just skimming the surface. no small talk. tell me how you REALLY are. and i run with it.

i just love people. all types. all kinds. people give me so much. i love to people watch. i love to talk to people. i love learning about people. i love differences in people. i take you for what you are. and i always see the beauty.

and that my friends, is what i get out of what i do.

To view more photos from these sessions, click on the links below.

Garrison family

Amie and Ken

my friend suzanne was on vacation near me and so i drove to see her. we met at the Seal Beach pier, which was actually a VERY cool spot to meet. the pier had mega character and charm.

suze is a big photography buff, like me-and for the last five years, i have gotten to know her and her girls through photographs. we have talked on the phone a few times and finally met for the first time, last year.

she is incredibly talented. her photos wow me each and every time. her color. her life. her girls are absolutely beautiful.

it was so weird to see them, and actually capture them my own way, with my own camera, and my own eye. to see them pop up on my computer as i edited. to see the gorgeous gabby and farron the way *I* saw them. and not through a photo that their mother took. it was really weird. and really cool.

suzanne picked the COOLEST outfits for them to wear. these are so going in the "port" to give clients ideas for color at the beach. everyone always picks jeans and white shirts-which is what i would pick too-but she inspired me. (i think this may become a
signature shot for families.)

without further ado, the rest of: suzanne and family.