Very Special Surprise Proposal. Southern California Engagement Photographer

Feb

I really am a lucky lady. I work with the most amazing clients. The best part? They find ME, and they trust ME with their priceless photos. When I got contacted about shooting her best friends surprise proposal, I gave an immediate YES! I was SO excited to be part of it! Dinner was planned, and then he would leave the restaurant and she would have random people giving her a rose and clue of where to go next. At the end, she would walk in to the arms of her then boyfriend, only for him to then become her fiance. And the rest, well, the rest I will let you see in the photos. They are what tell the story after all, much better than I can in words. I can’t wait for their engagement session!! Congratulations again you two!!

Posted in Love-Couples/Engagements | 2 Comments

A very personal post.

Jan

I have been MIA for a bit. But it is because there has been a lot going on. I normally don’t get too much in to my personal life on here, let a lone my private life. But with my leave of absence and lack of posting photos and blogs, I thought my amazing clients and fans deserved an answer as to why. Everyone has been amazing and I am SO thankful that I get to work with such wonderful people.

I’m not posting this for any type of sympathy. That is NOT what I want. I want to simply give an answer because y’all deserve it. My husband and I have separated and have filed for divorce. We decided that this would be best for us and our family. Our children deserve happy parents, and with much heartbreak, we have come to realize that we are happier as friends and separate rather than together. We are both moving forward with our lives the best we know how, separately. So, I have moved my babies and I, and we are finally getting all settled and in to a routine.

Even with my pending divorce, I have come to realize just how precious love is. It is amazing. And when it is true love, everyone can see it and feel it. I want to keep photographing that just as I have been, documenting it for those that allow me to, so that they will always have the physical evidence of those priceless memories. I look back at the photos I have, all those priceless memories of my family and all I can do is smile because they show happiness. Everything happens for a reason, we just have to let it makes us better from the experience. I see people differently now. I watch their actions closer, their mannerisms. Before I would just look at people, but now I SEE them. I see that love between a couple, between families. I pay much closer attention now, because I know just how valuable it is.

So there it is. Now I feel completely naked and vulnerable but you deserved an answer. Never go to sleep mad, always keep communication open, always be an open book. Love with all you have like it is your last breath. Cherish it. And even if it is not returned, keep loving and pushing forward. Just have to keep faith. Smile. Don’t let the weight of the world crush you.

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The Newlyweds: Shea & John! Southern California Couples Photographer

Jul

These two were SO amazing to work with! I got a text one morning asking about doing a session that evening since she would be leaving the next day to head home. I couldn’t turn her down! Boy am I sure glad I didn’t! I just had this feeling from the text that I needed to work with them. Sometimes, people come in to our lives for a reason. I had injured myself and just needed to smile. These two definitely had me smiling and laughing our whole session. I am so thankful I got to work with them. They are a beautiful couple and a breath of fresh air.

John returned home from his last deployment a few months ago and will be finishing up his 8 years in the Marine Corps soon. These 2 will be heading home to start their new lives together. They are newlyweds and their love just radiated! Shea had planned a big wedding ceremony, but plans change. So she asked if we could take some pictures of her in her wedding dress and of John in his blues for part of the session, since they didn’t get to have any nice wedding or engagement photos taken. Umm, YES! =) All the perks of gorgeous wedding photos without the pressures of a wedding?! Heck yeah!

Shea and John, I wish you two all the best in the world. And remember, I DO travel! So in the future when those gorgeous babies come along, if y’all can’t make the trip back here, I will definitely make the trip there! <3

Then they changed over. Shea in her gorgeous wedding dress and John in that jaw dropping Marine Corps Dress Blue uniform.

Shea, you are breathtaking honey!

Posted in Courage-Military, Love-Couples/Engagements | 1 Comment

Bryant Family Homecoming. Welcome HOME! Camp Pendleton Military Photographer

Jul

This homecoming was SO very sweet. I didn’t stop smiling the whole time. Seeing this family reunite was just amazing and I am so very lucky to have gotten to capture their homecoming for them.

Lylli was absolutely precious and totally won me over. She gave me the best hugs!

Being interviewed by Fox 5 News San Diego. This was the first of the 2 times the family was interviewed!

<3 <3

Holding his little boy for the first time <3

The second interview!

I had to put this one on its own. That is one very happy daddy!

After the first interview, I called my friend to have her turn the TV on so that she and my little boys could see the homecoming. She DVR’d it for me! After I got to her house, I recorded a snippet of the family’s second interview on to my phone. You can see it here! =)

Posted in Courage-Military | 3 Comments

Estrada Family. Camp Pendleton Family Photographer

Jul

I am such a lucky girl to have such amazing and gorgeous clients! This family was so much fun and so easy to photograph! I’m glad I got to work with them. I don’t think I stopped smiling or talking the whole session! They are such a beautiful family! <3

We started their session off at Del Mar Beach here at Camp Pendleton. Then we headed off to the Ranch House so that we could include the car in some of the pictures. The car, oh man, the car. Loved it! =)

<3 They are such a beautiful family!

Hot, hot mama!!!

Posted in Forever-Family | Leave a comment

For Dad, in Afghanistan. Camp Pendleton Family Photographer

Jul

I can finally post these!!! Or should I say, I am finally posting these?! =) These photos were a surprise for dad, who is on a year long deployment in Afghanistan. He finally received his care package with the photos and flipped over them! =) I was so very happy to hear how much he loved them!

I just love Carin, Olivia, and my little buddy Levi. We had so much fun on their session! I can’t wait to get them back in front of my camera!

Notice the little boots on the left?!

I just love that his little boots were on the wrong feet. It is SO him!

Posted in Forever-Family | Leave a comment

Welcome Home Matt! And the rest of 1/4 Weapons Co!

Jun

You saw their family and deployment session HERE, now here are their homecoming pictures! =) I love them, and I am SO happy they are together again! This homecoming was beyond crazy, to say the least! The delays were long, it was the middle of the night, and then all of a sudden, we were scrambling to make it to where the homecoming was because the busses literally FLEW to base. The busses actually pulled in in front of us and we had to run as fast as we could to make it in time. Definitely crazy! We got there just before the guys started getting off the busses.

She just started to look for him…

..when Isabella spotted him =)

I promise Matt was happy!

Did I mention that Bri was wearing these while we were running?!

Waiting for daddy to get out of formation.

It was interesting getting this shot! I’m definitely glad my Expedition has some crazy awesome bright headlights, since this was at 3am! =)

I just love their smiles. Told you he was happy!

This was so funny though! You would never know what really happened in this photo!

Posted in Courage-Military | 1 Comment

MacLurg Homecoming. Welcome Home, Marines!

Jun

This homecoming was short and SO sweet! Kim contacted me a week before to ask if I could photograph her husbands homecoming on short notice. Of course!!! As I have said many times before, homecomings are my absolute favorite to photograph. I will never get tired of seeing those smiles and first hugs and kisses. What makes it even better is hearing that I was first choice of photographers, made my heart smile like crazy! My clients are amazing and I am SO lucky to get to share such special moments with them!

We talked on the phone a few times to get everything squared away and then met up on Saturday for the homecoming. I love getting to meet new people, especially the day of the session. Not knowing who they are or even what they look like, and then getting to meet them and get to know them and see them reunite is pretty awesome! They were both all smiles and you could just feel their love in the way they looked at each other. They are such a beautiful couple, it was my pleasure to get to be there and photograph their homecoming!

The bus was a teaser. They were supposed to get off of the bus, but ended up walking up instead.

Not knowing what David looked like, I had to take my chances. He’s the one walking up all Top Gun like. Good thing I was right! =)

After I put my stuff in my truck, I turned around to see them hugging and having their little moment, just the 2 of them while the rest of the world melted away. So I grabbed my camera really quick and snapped this shot of them.

Posted in Courage-Military | 1 Comment

The Beautiful Turpin Family. La Jolla Family Photographer.

Jun

Remember this beautiful family’s homecoming?! You can see it again HERE. All of our schedules have been crazy, but we finally got together to do their family photos! I love seeing them, they are such a breath of fresh air. Always smiling and laughing! I love it even more when clients become friends! I am SO very lucky to be able to meet such amazing people and document such special moments in their lives! Big hugs Turpin family!! <3

We headed to La Jolla for the session. We had some little friends join in on the first part of their pictures! This was a first for me! =) It was so awesome being so close to these little guys and photographing them in their natural element.

I just love D’s little face in this one! His smile is precious!

We had a sea gull that kept trying to photo bomb. He made it in this one! But these girls are just too pretty to not post!

See? Always smiling and laughing! <3

Posted in Forever-Family | 2 Comments

The Birth of Little Ryker

Jun

Ohh, little Ryker. I got to watch you grow in your mama’s belly, and now that I have seen your sweet face, you have totally stolen my heart! <3

You can see this little guys gorgeous mama’s maternity session HERE. Being there for the birth was amazing! I have 2 little ones of my own, but watching someone else deliver a precious little baby is beyond words. Being there as a friend and not just a photographer is an experience I certainly won’t forget. This family has become very near and dear to my heart! We have already done his newborn pictures, and will be doing family pictures in the next few weeks. I’m pretty positive you will be seeing this little guy and the rest of his big ole beautiful family many more times in the future!

This sweet little guy was born at 7:43 am on Friday May 25, 2012. The day before, Grace and I joked that she would go in to labor while I was in La Jolla photographing another gorgeous family. Sure enough, I got a text as soon as I got in my car after the session that she was having contractions 5-6 minutes apart. Baby #3 came extremely fast and with this being baby #4, I didn’t want to chance anything, so I high tailed it back to Pendleton just as fast as I could. Just a couple hours later, I got the “its go time” text and headed to the hospital. We walked the stairs and around the hospital for hours. Once things really got going, everything happened so fast and with a push, there that sweet little baby was. Grace did amazing and did it all completely natural just as she did with her other 3 little boys. Talk about super mom! =) This was certainly an eventful night! Big brother #1 and #3 slept for the most part, while #2 partied like a rock star. Brother #3 ended up getting sick in the waiting room and it caused a chain reaction. After he was calmed back down, I helped to get him back to sleep, while holding and swaying brother #2 till he finally fell asleep. After Grace settled in to a room, the whole gang of the 3 sleeping big brothers, dad, grandma’s, uncle’s, aunt, and myself piled in there. It was party time!