Cotton Candy and Ghosts {I Heart Faces - Scenic Black & White}

This week's challenge over at I heart faces is Scenic black and white and I just knew I had to take up the challenge with one from our recent trip to Oregon. I was having fun experimenting with getting that incredible cotton candy look you can only get with a tripod and slower shutter speeds. The waterfalls there are magnificent and with this one, you could walk right up to it. I love the way it looks, but the fact the fact that my family looks really cool and "ghost-ish" makes it even more special...to me, at least :) Be sure to check out all the other entries over at I heart faces by clicking the link below!

All They Want for Christmas {Rocklin Newborn Photographer}

I am so blessed by my clients! Not only do I have incredible clients who are so fun and inspiring to work with, but I also get the benefit of meeting and working with friends and family whom they refer to me. This lovely family was a referral from this sweet family and I had such a fun time with them and their sweet little miracle yesterday!

I got the request to photograph this darling baby J in his 6th week of life so we had to move fast! Normally, the best time to catch babies at their sleepiest (and most pose-able) stages is in their first 5 to 10 days of life. He is way past that, so I was wondering if we would get any sleepy shots at all...but as you can see, we did!

Just look at this little trooper! He was so great and gave me some sleepy time, which was great! He wasn't super into being posed, but who needs posing when you are this adorable? We also were able to get a bit of Christmas charm with the Santa hat sized just for him and I love it!

And Dad has a favorite sport. Can you guess what it is? I always love to incorporate something in the shoot that is unique to the family..other than this gorgeous baby, of course :) I think he is thinking about what should be his first club...

Thanks, baby J and the rest of family M for inviting me in to capture these moments. Your precious son is such a sweetheart and is the very best present to bring you into this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

Lovin' the L Family! {Sacramento Child and Family Photographer}

I have taken photos of some of the beautiful {L} family before. Mama {L} is a dear friend of mine and I was so honored that she asked me to take their family photos. Really, who wouldn't be? Look at these beautiful people!

And you know, they are not only beautiful on the outside, but what makes them extra special is the beauty that radiates from the inside. They love the Lord and it shows when they are around others. Some people just exude joy. This family does. And it feels good to be around them!

I had so much fun at their session. They are silly, smart, crazy, and fun all wrapped up in one. Our location was rather urban, which I love (and which you have seen before here), and so it brought with it some interesting characters and stories to tell. There was also a band, another family, and a couple seniors being photographed in the same location. This led one of the "locals" to ask us, "Excuse me, can you tell me what is going on here? " It was a funny moment. 

Mama {L} and I discussed the styling of the session beforehand and I was so excited to see the end result. I loved what they wore and it photographed so well. I think it really helps to go over the location and the clothing before the shoot. Good things happen :)

Thanks for choosing me as your photographer, precious {L} family!

Tons of Fun {Sacramento Child & Family Photographer}

I have to say, this family and I had so much fun at their session! I got to take the two beautiful kiddos out by themselves for awhile and we had a great time getting to know each other and take some really cool pictures.

Check these kids out! Are they awesome models or what? I enjoyed hanging out with them so much. They are such great friends and it was fun to see their love in action.

It is plain to see this family has a great time just being around one another. It's was a blessing to be in the mix.

The kiddos were happy campers when these edible props came out. I love my little surprises :)

And NOW YOU KNOW how the kiddos got so gorgeous!

I couldn't resist this one. Just look at them. Individually. As a family. So, so fun!

I Heart Faces - Silhouette Challenge

I love silhouettes in photography. There is just something mysterious and intriguing about them.  When I heard the challenge at iheartfaces was silhoette, I was excited to see all the different entries. I had a couple of mine in mind to use, but then I remembered this one and knew I wanted to share it. It's an image of my dear friend's lovely daughter who was helping us scout out a new location (which is now closed for the season :(. Anyhow, when we finally found it, we didn't have much time left, but I did love that we stayed long enough for me to get this one!

Be sure to check out the rest of the entries by clicking the button below. They are sure to invoke some serious mystery!

Another Party of Three! {Sacramento Family & Baby Photographer}

I had the pleasure of photographing this super sweet family of three last Friday and it started my day off so wonderfully! Mom and Dad were a pleasure to work with and their love for their sweet boy was tremendous.  I met Mom through my baking business, so I knew we had a "sweet" connection from the start. Their adorable little six-month old was full of smiles that made my heart..and my camera lens...sing!

Look at this cuteness! Just six months old, he couldn't quite hang on himself, but Dad was always there for a helping hand...a sure sign of things to come :) The tender moment between Mom and son below makes these sessions so special...

I hope you enjoyed your sneak peek, gorgeous S family!

The Beautiful C Family {Sacramento Family Photographer}

I was so happy to meet these beautiful clients yesterday! We got together for a very cold morning but it was beautiful out and I had such a nice time visiting with this family. Their sweet little O just turned 1 and he is between parties, but he was kind enough to make an appearance at his special photo shoot for us! Just look at that happy 1-year-old smile! You know you are grinning back at him!

He did a good share of loving on his daddy. He is smitten, it's plain to see.  And mommy got her lovin' in also. They love this boy to pieces!

And look how good they look together. Wooeee, such a handsome couple! I'm saving their family picture for their holiday cards, but just had to end with little O's favorite stuffed animals...he just looked so cute in my MIL's old suitcase...loved the whole vintage look. Isn't the sock monkey great? It's handmade and perfect. I think I might have to contact the etsy seller for one myself!

Cousins and Friends {Sacramento Children's Photographer}

This past weekend I got to remember a very special and integral part of my childhood. Some of my favorite and most wonderful memories of my childhood was the time I spent with my cousins. There were three of them and three of us and we had such great times together...times I will forever cherish. So what brought back these memories? These adorable cousins, of course!

They were delighted to see one another and the love that they had for each other just radiated in their smiles and actions throughout the shoot. It made me smile to see them so elated with each other. Ah, the wonders and excitement of childhood!

Of course, I got many adorable ones of them together, but I am saving those for their mommies to see :) I do love these more serious ones of the older kiddos, too. I have come to really enjoy non-smiling photographs of children because I think it captures a whole different side to them. A side we see very often, but don't often seek to capture in our images. And I like to capture the whole child. Aren't they gorgeous!?

These two handsome cousins just make me happy. How can you not smile when looking at this image? You can see how much they love each other.

Thanks for helping me remember some really great parts of what it is to be a child....and cherish those we hold dear.

Fairy Fun {Sacramento Child & Event Photographer}

Oh my goodness...this mom of boys had a really fun time at an all-girl fairy party this weekend! A dear friend of mine asked me to be her photographer at her daughter's birthday party this weekend and it was so much fun! (Mom is a photographer, so it was a special treat for her to actually get to enjoy her daughter's birthday and not be responsible for all the photos!)
It was a beautiful fairy party for a darling 5-year old. The fairy was wonderful and all the girls looks so very special in their sweet outfits.They were enamored by the fairy and were captivated the whole time. It's so fun to see the difference between boys and girls. Even during the gift opening, the girls sat and waited eagerly and patiently. At my boys' parties, not so much. They were giddy with smiles and laughter the whole time.

And who wouldn't be? Look at this spread Kimberly did! So delightful for the eyes and even better for the tummy. One sweet little girl sat down at the table and exclaimed, "Bring on the sugar!"

The fairy did an amazing job at face painting. The girls all had so much fun choosing their face and marveling at the other's.

 

It was so much fun capturing all these precious girls in their little fairy tales!

Another thing you don't see at boys' parties. Love that they were all enjoying their new look in the mirror together!

I was happy to catch some special moments with daddy. He was doing his best to nab a smooch.

I love the birthday girl in this shot. So soft and contemplative. What is she looking at? Her gifts yet to be unwrapped :)

And could anything say "thanks Mom and Dad" better than this beautiful smile? I am sure she will remember this 5th birthday her entire life through!

So glad I got to be a part of it!