I have the best clients! Sneak Peak Sabrina and Phil

I love that my job constantly introduces me to fabulous people. I love being a maternity photographer. Something about working with "parents to be", feels so exciting. I have to say, I think I have the very BEST clients!  Last week was no different. I instantly loved Sabrina and Phil. They were just so sweet and easy going.

Phil had to head off to work so he was a total sport with a few outfit changes before heading out. I love when my clients are so relaxed and at ease with each other, it makes my job so much easier. They were both up for whatever I suggested. Considering that they are expecting their first baby, they were completely   laid back while I was there.

They had great outdoor space. It felt like we were in the mountains. When we were taking some photos out on the deck, a deer walked by. So cool! Another day in the life of a maternity photographer!

Lisa and James- From Belly to Baby

I met Lisa and James in February, for their maternity photo shoot. James gave it to Lisa for a gift. So sweet, right? At one point James responded in an email, "sorry for the delayed response, I have pregnancy brain and I'm not even pregnant!" Cracked me up. From the look of the photos you would never have known it was February! What a beautiful day it was. Lisa and James wanted to use Dolores Park for a background for some of the shots. It was perfect. We just had to navigate the half naked people, you know what happens when the sun comes out in the city. We had so much fun!

Lisa and James really wanted to do newborn photos. I told them the best timeframe was in the first 10 days.  They scheduled their newborn session for the 5th day. I was so proud of them. I told them it would seem crazy to have me come over to shoot only 5 days into being parents, but they were up for the challenge. When I walked in the door, I sensed Lisa was a bit overwhelmed, as you can imagine. When I asked her how she was doing, she teared up. I hugged her and more tears came. I felt so bad, I knew just how she felt. I looked at James, and said, " I should come back another day." Lisa insisted I should stay. She was such a trooper, I can't even tell you. Becoming a new mom is such a daunting task. There is no manual. Our hormones are crazy, we are sleep deprived, but we now have a baby who needs us.

Addy, their first born (the doggie) was so sweet. She was great with Alexis, but she still wanted to play!

Little baby Alexis was an absolute doll. What an angel. We even got photos of her in a Christening gown made close to 40 years ago by a family member. How special. She was alert and she slept. She was great! I couldn't have asked for more. By the end of the shoot, we were all laughing so hard we were crying. It was a great shoot.

On the Rooftop

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love living in San Francisco. Everyday I love the new energy, I find a new secret spot and a lot of days I get to go into clients homes. I love going to clients homes to see how they live, it is one of my favorite parts of my job. I had a recent maternity shoot with Christine and Will in Russian Hill. Once I got there Will said we could shoot up on the roof deck. Oh, how fun!

It was an absolutely amazing day. We were actually getting pretty toasty up there. Will was able to stay for a few shots before he had to head out to work. He kept us laughing.

I recently hosted photographer, Anne Ruthmann, from Boston, at our home. When we toured the city she said, "Everywhere you look there is a view!" This is so true. I loved the views of Coit Tower, Alcatraz and the bay from Christine and Will's rooftop. Gorgeous.

What a really great couple. They were both very fun and relaxed. That definitely makes the shoot easier for me! They are going to be wonderful parents.

Giants Fun!

We are all still on cloud 9 after the Giant's Worls Series win. It is amazing to say it out loud! The celebration continues!

I got a call from Missy and she said she was pregnant with her second baby and wanted to use San Francisco as the backdrop for her maternity photos. They had a place across from the ballpark and would love to shoot there. It is where her and her husband met and dated. It meant alot to them. I told her I was hesitant because that is not really my style. I shoot tight shots without much background. I referred her to a few other photographers that I thought might be better at capturing what she wanted.

Missy thanked me for the referrals and we hung up. She called back a bit later and said, "If you will still take us we want to shoot with you. We respect your style and maybe you could do a few shots outside your comfort zone." It was so cute. I knew I needed to be open. I just didn't want to disappoint her. Of course I said OK.

I met up with Missy , Todd and Lexi. We had such fun walking around the ballpark and enjoying the warm weather. It was really fun being South of Market with the buzz from Giant's opening day, the day before. I was glad that Missy challenged me and had such fun. 

The family was so fun to shoot and even the dog Maci enjoyed the shoot and smiled for me! Lexi was a little model. She was up for anything I wanted to shoot. She had all the poses! I look forward to photographing them again. 

My Girl Sydney

I usually use my blog to show my latest work, today I am saluting my daughter.

Today, my Sydney will have her second surgery in 2 years. She tore her meniscus playing soccer on her High School team. Her soccer coach takes soccer seriously and had the girls start conditioning when school started in August. They have practiced 5 days a week, up to 7 practices a week, all year. Syd has loved bonding with her new soccer friends, as a Freshman on the team. The season started in March and she had only played in 4 games, but had already scored 5 goals. New for her since she has usually played Goalie. She was having severe knee pain so we took her to see Dr. Dave Atkin, a fabulous surgeon and a family friend. After an MRI, he told us she had a torn meniscus and needed surgery. He said, "Be happy we are not treating her for obesity or diabetes. Your kids are athletes, this comes with the territory. They are active, that is good."

I have to say, she has been such a trooper. After 7 months of practice, to be told your season just started, and now you are out until next year, could be devastating...there were tears, but she wiped them and moved on. "Maybe I can get on the swim team?" was her next thought. She sat in the cabin while we went on a snowboarding trip that had been planned before her injury. No complaints. I am very proud of the woman she is becoming. She has gone to the games, suited up, knowing she is there to cheer on her team, but can't help them. I am so proud of her.

Sydney is an athlete, she is like Anthony that way. She is a quick learner and has a steel trap memory. She loves photography and has started shooting on film. She loves music and has the most eclectic music collection I have ever seen on her iPod. She loves to hang out with her best friend Kirby to just be silly. She has the most infectious laugh and smile.

Sydney, I know you will be back to your normal in no time, and couldn't be prouder of you! Here's to you!

Welcome Samson

I posted on my Facebook page that Samson was born on Dec. 12th and weighed in at 10 pounds 4 oz! What a big boy! I promised photos from his newborn photo shoot and here they are. Just try and resist this face. He wasn't quite a newborn anymore, especially considering he was over 10 pounds!



In my previous post from Angie's maternity shoot I showed photos of their doggies licking her belly, Lenny is now licking toes instead!

Loved Samson's onsie with the SF zipcode. So clever.

Louis wanted to get some shots of Samson on his motorcycle. I really was not sure how we would pull it off, but we figured it out! Too funny. We tired him out! 

Maternity Photos in Pacifica with Monica and Jeff

As I was finishing up with Monica and Jeff, Monica asked what I thought about doing some photos with Jeff's guitar. Great idea! We shot a few last shots with the guitar, and I have to say, I love them. I love when my clients think of things that mean a lot to them and we can incorporate them into the shoot.

There was construction going on across from their apartment to secure the sea wall. I love how the barrier photographed behind Monica. You never know what you can make into an interesting backdrop!

Monica and Jeff made my job so easy. They were fun and relaxed. A perfect combo for new parents!