Kris & Rulan-Living The Good Life

Two of my closest friends came to visit last weekend. Kris is one of my most prized photography friends (check out her work here or here) and her husband Rulon always make sure there are never any dull moments. Grant and I had a great time showing them around LA. Here is the list of things we did between 3pm and midnight:

-ate at In and Out. (Grilled onions all the way!)
-went to a photography exhibit at the Fowler museum on UCLA's campus entitled, "Woman, Water and Wells". Very inspiring.
-walked down the main promenade in santa monica down to the boardwalk and eventually down to the sand, where I took some 10yr anniversary photos for them.
-walked down the pier (sorry about the fish guts kris....oh and my skirt blowing up).
-quick stop at grants place
-dinner at Bossa Nova, our favorite Brazilian restaurant....chicken brochette...
-on to downtown Hollywood to look at the stars and feet and hand prints outside of the chinese theater....fake snow all over the ground. what?
-then our final stop at pinkberry were I tried cocoa pebbles on my frozen yogurt. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

I loved having you guys here! I can't wait to hear all about your cruise!















Boy Crush!!!!

I have a thing for little boys. How much they love their moms, how cute and flirty they can be even when they are only 5. I love the awkward boy stage when they are too old to kiss their parents but too young to sleep without a night light. I love little boys.

These three young heartthrobs I'm sure will cause many a crying girls in their due time. I photographed them on a work trip to Utah last week and loved how different they all were to photograph. One more shy than the others, one a comedian in training and one concerned about doing the right thing..posing the right way, looking the right way..not wanting to make a mistake.

Seriously so cute (but if they heard me calling them cute they would probably be totally embarrassed), so in case they can hear me, "You guys rule!".













Lily Louise Born Oct 11th-Laguna Hills, CA

How amazing is my job? Can it even be considered a job if it's this amazing?

Yesterday I witnessed the birth of another baby. I was there photographing all of the "firsts"..and some of the lasts...the last moments before Heather and Scott's' family went from 4 to 5.

One thing that always amazes me is the amount of love I feel for these people as I experience these changes with them. My responsibility as a photographer is to observe, and so I do. I observe everything. Not only lighting and potentially good shots, but I get to observe as these new parents and grandparents go through a whole evolution of emotion. apprehension, fear, letting go, giving in, needing and feeling support, shock, delight and after a baby is born everyone is always in love.

When you photograph a birth the people involved can't help but be real. You never leave wishing they had opened up more. I can walk into the delivery room barely even knowing them and leave feeling like we've become good friends.. I love it. People in situations like that can't help but be real.

One of my favorite parts of lily's birth was watching her grandfather. He was nervous and uncomfortable anticipating his own daughters discomfort and the second Lily was with us, melted into a tender, cooing, tear filled man. He just kept saying, "she's perfect...she's perfect".

Heather and Scott thank you so much for allowing me to be there with you. Lily is as perfect as her grandfather says...and her name... Lily Louise...it makes me want to write a song for her. maybe I will.



















Sienna's Birth-Sept 14, 2007

I missed the actual birth by 5 minutes!!!!!! There aren't enough exclamation points to express my frustration with that. Wrong freeway exit, wrong hospital building and running on foot. Man.

I'll tell you what wasn't wrong...that baby. She is perfect. Jackie ended up having her natural which should give her bragging rights for the next 5 years or so...maybe a lifetime of bragging if you ask me.

I loved being able to see mom, dad and aunt ooh and ahh over her and unlike most births I had more than my fair share of holding time. Thank you so much for letting me be there to capture all the "after" moments...those are the ones people really want to see anyway. Love you guys.