Three years ago I abandoned the chain store photo studios. You have to understand, I faithfully brought my children to them for birthdays, Halloween, and annually for a group shot. I was consistent and diligent and am still grateful to have those regular captures of my children. But they didn't capture mine as I see them. I don't usually set my kids on a table covered in a black cloth and wave a feather duster in their face, so there was nothing truly genuine in the ending photographs.

My lil girl had just turned three when I set out on our first big photo shoot. I drove to Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. Just before we went to the gardens I stopped off at Wild Oats to get some grains and organic sunscreen (which didn't work by the way). Something triggered my girl in the check out. I don't remember what. I do remember that I carried her back to the car kicking and screaming while all the other customers turned to stare. What ensued was the biggest toddler tantrum in our mother/daughter history. She was screaming, arching her back, and escaping her car seat. I pulled over multiple times to get her settled back in. Eventually I was in tears and called my husband. She was hysterical. I was hysterical. We certainly weren't going to have success taking pictures. I was afraid to get on the freeway with her climbing out of her seat. It was horrible.

When the storm was over, she appeared to snap back into the little girl I remember. She wasn't extremely excited about looking at my camera either, but I ended up getting an image for my wall. She has been my most difficult to photograph for years. When she turned five, we rounded a corner. She decided to accept my doughnut incentive program, and I agreed to make our photo sessions less than a millennium long. My butterfly emerged from her chrysalis. Look at her now - my most agreeable photo subject; my most beautiful little girl.

Sweet Six Years. These images will truly be a capture of a little girl who is rapidly changing. She has loved pink since forever and I have been recently informed that YELLOW is the new pink. She's been waiting to chop her hair and I kept stalling until we got out to take pics. After the mini photo shoot she asked, "can we go to the haircut place?" What happened to that 9 lb. 4 oz. baby with the dark curly hair? She is blossoming right before my eyes.

Now I just need to figure out how to post the follow-through.

Be on the lookout for more boys!!!

Pregnancy has been hard on me from beginning to end with an occasional reprieve in the middle. Recovery from pregnancy has been tough on me too. I even wished that I could have twins to save a pregnancy. Instead I have children who are capable of getting into twice as much trouble. This little one turns TWO on Monday. Is it possible that one so adorable could make as many messes as I claim.

My daughter wanted to be an angel for Halloween. I found a fancy white dress on ebay and continued to search for non-cheesy wings. I didn't have much luck. We then came up with the idea of being a bride for Halloween. So here's my very first bridal shoot. Enjoy!

I thought I had posted these already. This little lady is the sweetest thing. She loves to smile and giggle and just today she rested her head on my shoulder - melt my heart. The camera loves her!!!!

Since I usually enlist my kids or my extended family to be in front of my camera, my practice has been on blondies, reds, and sandies. Most of them with gorgeous blue eyes and a couple with rich chocolate eyes. But the skin tones have all been fair and pasty. So I was excited when my friend asked if I'd photograph her beautiful children before the oldest returns to school. Gorgeous dark hair and eyes and beautiful brown tones in the skin. She was mostly hoping to get THE Christmas photo, but many of my favorites were the silly ones.

I always bring a camera to the beach. It's always an extra worry to keep the grit out and the bag from touching down. The kids like the waves and the sand digging. I like playing with my camera. In August I took the kids to the pier for a formal beach shoot. Have you seen any of those picture? um... no. I'm intimidated by the formality. Which is wierd because I like structure. I'm not saying that I didn't get any keepers. Totally did. I'm just more comfortable with these kind of images. I forced myself to shoot in manual all day in full sun. Most of the pictures are of the shore-dwellers since that's where I was with the camera. My wave dwellers have a harder time being featured because I don't have a long zoom and there were a bajillion people crowding my view.