MATERNITY: California Sunset

I love shooting at the beach with the setting sun, but lately this hasn't been as easy to accomplish because of the rains we have been having. We had to reschedule twice but finally the Gods smiled on us and we were able to catch some rays for this gorgeous maternity shoot.

This maternity shoot was a baby shower gift certificate, which also includes a newborn shoot and announcement cards. It's a great gift to give and to receive because you are giving the gift of memories. In the case of this lovely couple, they only intend on having one child so capturing the magic of expectant motherhood was even more important.

We took it easy, but still managed capture their spirit and sense of fun, and because we did this beach shoot on a weekday, it felt like the beach was all ours.

Look at them glow!

Maternity: Cross Cultural Connection

Having a cross cultural relationship is not always as easy as one might think. You each come to the relationship with different cultural points of reference, sometimes a different sense of humor and different traditions which can cause misunderstandings and tension.

However, I recently met a couple for their maternity shoot and they made crossing the cultural divide look easy. Their obvious connection and over twelve years of partnership showed a real unspoken understanding between the couple. This came through in their photographs.

I particularly love the sunset photo because they told me they met while working at Club Med when they were still students. I imagine that they shared several sunset walks while they were still courting and twelve years later the magic is still there.



This couple took advantage of the great Maternity + Newborn Package I am offering with announcement cards, which makes them not only charming but smart parents to be.

SEEING RED

Did you know that only one to two percent of the world population has red hair? And did you know that the highest occurrence of red hair is in Scotland, where approximately 13 percent of the population has read hair? (according to Wikipedia) I became curious about this after a recent shoot where I had the opportunity to photograph a whole family of red heads, mom, dad and baby girl.

The shoot was super fun as you can easily tell from the photos. They were up for anything and really in the moment and their daughter had a delightful grin that lit up her whole face.

Next time you see a red head, think about how rare it is and ask yourself if you think you're seeing a real red head. In the meanwhile enjoy this great family.

A SEASIDE STUDY

Babies start out with little awareness of the world around them. When they come out of the womb they can barely see a foot beyond their face, so it is always fascinating to watch a baby start to observe and absorb the world around them.

While a pensive mood is not always full of the smiles that parents might like captured in photos, I enjoy this kind of mood as it reveals a child's intelligence and curiosity. Don't get me wrong, I also love happy, silly moments. Each mood has its pluses and together show a baby's increasing awareness.

Check out this particularly studious baby boy from a recent shoot. Isn't his intensity penetrating? He get's it from his mom who is a gorgeous rocket scientist.

CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE

As I was sick most of last week, I've been back logged and have been meaning to post a few photos from a recent shoot with a super cute, super cool family.

Their eldest daughter, just over two, was having a blast running around and playing in the sand. Is it just me, or is there something so magical about a child laughing? While you can't bottle up the laughter, the laughing photo below is pure sunshine bound to shine warmth for years to come.

BABY ON THE WAVES

The beach is such an idyllic setting when you can get it to yourself. While there were others on the beach, the early morning hour made the beach far less crowded than usual, and provided a serenity that complemented this beautiful mother-to-be's personality. Her little boy and hubby also came along for the ride and made the most of a day at the beach.

They were such a nice family and you could really tell that they were in their element by the water. Later I discovered that the husband hails from the beautiful islands of Hawaii; no wonder they were like fish in the water when they were by the ocean.

Here's a quick peek at their session.

FUN IN THE SAND

Can you believe it's February and we can go to the beach? That's one of the great things about living in Southern California and every time I pause to think about that, it makes me smile. Here are just a couple of pictures that make me happy we don't have to deal with snow.

For readers in other parts of the country, or the world. Don't be too jealous, we do have earthquakes after all.