Another Reason I LOVE what I do- Seamus

As you already know, I LOVE my job. It is hard to call it a job, because everyday is different. I do not have to go to an office, I shoot on location. I never know what I am going to find. Sunday, was no exception. I got a very last minute booking for a maternity shoot. It worked out perfect. I got up early Sunday morning and headed to meet Sarah and Nathan,  not knowing what to expect.

When I arrived I met Sarah and Nathan. They were as cute as could be. I also met the cats, Leo and Hugo, the pet rat and Seamus, the sweetest Boa Constrictor you have ever met. Sarah thought it would be fun to include the first "babies" in some photos, if that would be ok. I couldn't wait.

We had such fun. I got to hold Seamus. He was so sweet, but very strong. Who knew when I woke up that morning, I would get to photograph a snake with my pregnant couple? This is what I love about my job, the unknown. It used to scare me in the beginning. Not knowing what the lighting would be, or what the space would be like, but now I actually enjoy the unknown. Can you see why?

What a great shoot, a fabulous couple and fun pets!

Meet Zoe and Lily! Fun Family Shoot!

I met Teryn a few years ago at my children's school. She was in charge of their school fundraiser. When I told her what I do, Teryn said they had never done family photos and that she would love to someday. She told me about her amazing daughters. Well, this year I got to meet Zoe and Lily and I have two say, these two girls were a delight! We had such fun. I was really struck by the bond these little girls had already. Zoe was so full of love for little Lily. It was so awesome to see, and so fun to photograph.

They did not fight, they just had fun. Zoe was always making sure Lily had enough snacks, and water, as well as hugs! So adorable. Teryn and Ed were fun, and up for anything. We did some fun shots around the house and then finished up at the harbor! Really cool. You would never know they were first timers!

It was great to see the bond between Teryn, Ed  and their girls. We all had a good time! And what weather we got in November!

I love My Bellies!

This is the time of year I get to connect with my regular clients for family portraits. It is so great to see how the kids have grown. I love this time of year. But, you know I love my bellies, so it was so great to have the chance to work with Angela and Louis for a maternity shoot. They were so fun and open for anything. They wanted to get a few shots with their doggies, Lenny and Gus, as well as some outdoor photos. We had such a great time. And despite the fact that it was so hot, in the first week of November, Angie never complained.

The majority of my clients have pets and I always love to meet them and see their little personalities. For little guys , Lenny and Gus, definitely made their presence known. They were so fun! They wanted to be wherever Angela and Louis were. We had lots of fun getting shots of them giving Angie lots of "love"!

Family Shoot at Pigeon Point Lighthouse

I am officially in "Family Portrait" mode. This is a very special time of the year for me, as I get to see clients that I haven't usually seen in at least a year. I have said it before, a yearly family portrait is such an important tradition. Life moves too fast, our kids grow up when you blink your eyes. A yearly portrait of the "whole" family, (meaning mom and dad too) is invaluable. How often do you have a family photo with both parents and the kids?

I got an email from Sabrina this summer , wanting to book her family portrait session. We have shot their family photos at their house in the past, this year we would shoot on location. It requires a little more planning, but what fun we all had!



The weather was freezing and cold. Fog makes for good photos, but it was freezing! They got out of the car and looked like a million dollars. Sabrina said they would be casual, she changed her mind! She was in some sexy black heels. What a trooper!

Sabrina told me that they had got married at Pigeon Point Lighthouse 5 years prior and that is why she chose to shoot there. How cool is that? It was great for the kids, they ran around and looked for seals, dolphins and dragons! I took pictures the whole time. Now they not only have a photo for their Christmas card but an album full of memories.

Peyton + Brody = Brotherly Love

I got a phone call from one of my old clients, Kat. Kat wanted to let me know she had baby #2 and would like some photos of her latest addition Brody. She also wanted photos of her older son Peyton with Brody. She told me how much Peyton loved his little brother. In my experience, the older sibling don't have a lot of interest in the new siblings, but hey, we would do our best. Well, Peyton really did love his little brother and we had the best shoot. 

Peyton sang to Brody and calmed him if he got sad. Brody would focus on Peyton and would relax when Peyton talked to him. It was absolutely adorable and really made for some beautiful photos. 

Double the Fun!

Twins....we see them and think, "Wow, how crazy! How do you take care of two babies at once?" My children are 16 months apart, and that felt crazy enough. But two babies needing to eat at the same time, crying at the same time, and sleeping at different times! How do parents of twins do it? Well, I have shots twins before, but this was a real treat. Naadia and Emmanuelle seemed like pros and the girls were only a few weeks old!


Naadia and Emanuelle hired me to take photos of their little girls. Naadia called and said she didn't want another day to go by without capturing Imani and Naima's essence. I was excited to photograph the girls, as they were born 7 weeks early and were now 3 weeks old. So tiny!

I was instantly impressed with how relaxed the parents were, right off the bat. They had a great sense of humor, which in my opinion is the key to making any hard situation, easier. They had everything down to a science. These did not seem like first time parents at all. Do twins bring out the "pro" parent in you? You can not physically attend to every little cry, there are two of them! I guess you learn which cries are the really important ones and which ones are the fakes. If babies had it their way they would have you hold them every minute of the day, that just isn't possible, is it?


I figured the shoot would be tough because newborn shoots can be tricky, trying to keep them happy and sleepy, but two babies, that was going to be really tough...wrong. I had so much fun! The girls were little angels. They slept so much. Daddy made up some pretty funny songs to calm Imani and Naima, they made me laugh. I left signing the poo poo, pee pee song. The girls were adorable, that always helps too! Enjoy the photos....

Man(and women's) Best Friend- Goodbye to Java

There are many great things about my job, but one of my favorite things is meeting my clients' pets. I have so many inquiries concerning pets. Am I afraid of dogs? Am I comfortable with animals? Can their animals be included in a few shots. For so many people, their pet is their first "baby". My parents had 5 dogs and a cat at one time. All rescued from bad situations, so I am very comfortable with animals, and especially the ones that are nervous with new people or little unique! 

I always try to get a few shots of the dogs or cats while my client is changing clothes. I love to give them the spotlight for a minute or two! Some are hams, some are nervous. My big lens seems to weird them out sometimes. Well, I usually get a few good shots of their fur covered friends and surprise the parents with them in the online proofing. It is always so fun to get the feedback that they love the photo of their "baby"! And usually they have no idea I photographed their animal alone.

Well, I know my clients love and appreciate having a few photos with their pets, but I got an email recently that really meant a lot to me. One of my clients told me that her beloved dog, Java had recently passed away. He had been a part of their family for 14 years. When I was taking Marti's maternity photos, she had no idea Java was sick. I got some great shots of her and Java, as well as a solo shot of Java. She bought the solo shot of Java and framed it and placed it on the mantle, just the day before they found out Java was sick. She wanted to let me know how much it meant to them to have Java included in their maternity photos. She said that she loved the shot of him on his own, that it captured him so perfectly. It touched my heart so much. It meant so much to me that the photo of Java turned out to have so much meaning to it for, their family. It is always so hard to lose a pet, as they are such a big part of our families.It is always a pleasure to photograph our furry friends. Don't ever feel silly wanting your animal to be in photographs with you, as they are family too! Love to Java on the other side...

Baby Deven, so many smiles!

I have been slacking with my blogging, but was inspired to post some recent photos of Baby Deven. Mom and Dad were very excited about the newborn shoot of their baby Deven. They let me know that both sets of Grandparents were staying with them to visit Deven, and to be ready for a full house.


When I arrived they were all so excited for Deven's first photo shoot. When I saw Deven, I just couldn't wait to start shooting! He was so sweet and little. A little doll. He was so good for us! I always tell parents that with the newborn shoots, the babies most likely will not open their eyes much. Not Deven. He was alert and happy for a lot of the shoot. He had so much personality. I loved photographing him.

When we were taking a break for Deven to refuel, the Grandpma's made me an Indian snack. It was so delicious! A treat for me, how fun! Congratulations to Ankoor and Roopal. They were a pleasure to work with. I loved meeting the whole family!

Welcome Baby Gina

I knew from my maternity shoot with Julie and Dante, they would be great parents! They were so relaxed, especially considering they were expecting their first baby in a few weeks! When they scheduled their newborn shoot, I was so excited to meet baby Gina. If she was anything like her parents, she would be laid back and fun! I was right. Gina was a doll. A sweet little girl, who didn't find the need to sleep through our shoot as newborns usually do, she was inquisitive and didn't want to miss a thing. No crying, just a diaper change, I heard it was impressive (I opted to stay in the other room), a little feed, and all was good with Gina. I loved seeing Dante and Julie both interacting with Gina, in their own way. Such love in their eyes. There really is nothing like a newborn baby.

I really see how much the parents vibe translates to the baby. I have had a lot of newborn sessions lately, I think we are in an official baby boom. I have seen calm and confident parents, and it translates to calm confident babies. I don't mean babies that don't cry, or sleep perfectly through the night, that would not be a newborn baby. But, I see babies that are easily calmed and that seem content. It is one of the most important things I think you can do as a parent. Try not to over think the situation. Give your baby food and love, keep them clean, and don't overstimulate, but most importantly, trust your gut, and don't think too much about doing things the right or wrong way. Your baby trusts you, trust yourself.

I've Got Competition

One of the things I love most about my job is that it is never boring or predictable. This was definitely the case last week when I went on a maternity shoot. This was Heather's second pregnancy. She told me that she had a little boy that was almost 3. I let her know that I am very comfortable with little boys and we would do our best to get some good shots of him, but not to expect too many of him looking at the camera. She let me know he was used to getting his picture taken and he should cooperate.


I still did not expect much. When I arrived at their home, Harrison met me with smiles and instant chatter. I was already a fan! He was too cute. He likes to be called Harry Potter.  Most kids are at least shy when I first arrive, and then warm up. Not Harrison, he made me instantly at ease. His dad told him to get his camera, when I was getting my camera ready. He came out with a little toy, digital camera. Apparently you can even hook it up to the computer to view the photos. So, he stood along side me and took some pictures of his mom and dad, with his camera.



He was an angel through the whole shoot. When I asked him to look and smile, he did. When I asked him to look at mommy's belly, he did. He was full of hugs and kisses for his baby brother or sister. We had such a fun shoot. Working with 2 and 3 year olds can be a bit of work some times, but Harrison made my job very easy. Mom and dad told Harrison he needed to put his camera away, and head off to preschool. It was Hawaiian shirt day. Dad took Harrison off to pre school, and I finished the shoot with mom. When we finished I went to put my camera in my camera bag. I opened it up to find Harrison had put his digital toy camera in my camera bag! I almost died. He put his camera away, where he thought it belonged, in a camera bag, with the big cameras. Makes me smile every time I think of opening my bag to see his little camera there. Hopefully he continues to take lots of photos, he will be a master by time he is 4!

It Takes a Village

Four times a year, the Homeless Prenatal Program http://www.homelessprenatal.org throws a baby shower for the expectant moms that use their services. Different groups come host the baby shower, providing lunch, diaper bags loaded with essentials and positive encouragement, for the moms to keep hope for the future. I went to the shower in March, to distribute the photos I took the previous month. I love when I get to see the faces of the moms when they see their photos! They see themselves in a whole new light. Beautiful, powerful, strong. Priceless.

I have been to many of their showers but this one really touched me. I met Lisa Truong, the director of Help A Mother Out. She was there to distribute diapers to the families of HPP. She told me about the non profit she founded last year, Help a Mother Out. Did you know that diapers and other hygiene products are not covered by WIC or food stamps? Pretty unbelievable to me. They collect diapers to distribute to those who need them. They will take any unused diapers off of your hands (even if it is not a sealed, full package) and get them to those who need them. They have drop boxes around the city. Check out their website. What a great need they are filling in these touch times. http://www.helpamotherout.org

I also met Jaon and Jan from the Baby Love Ministry. Joan Rocha founded Baby Love Ministry. They were there with a table full of hand knitted baby hats and blankets. They let the moms choose a hat and blanket to bring their baby home in. They are looking for knitters to knit hats and blankets for babies born at SF General Hospital. Many of the babies born at SF General are born to one parent families and placed in Foster Care.The blankets have little hang tags letting the baby know that someone prayed for them while knitting the blanket and they are already loved.
They provide yarn, if you need, and the patterns.  Such a wonderful gift for a newborn baby. Watching the moms read the hang tags and hold the soft, beautiful, hand made blankets was so touching. Please look at their website and pass on to any knitters you know. http://www.grace-episcopal.org/ministry-babylove.html

There were many more volunteers there. Linda Hannawalt teaches HPP clients to quilt. They go to classes a few times a week, create amazing baby quilts and then donate them to the pregnant clients who attend the prenatal education classes. Clients giving to other clients, what a concept. Each mom got to choose a quilt to take home for their baby. The quilts were exquisite.

There was a couple there that has dedicated there time specifically to raising money and awareness for HPP. I could go on and on. You see what I mean...

I feel so blessed to be involved with the Homeless Prenatal Community. Seeing all of the people involved with this organization is so inspiring. When we watch the news at night, they love to show the doom and gloom, and all things negative. If the news media started focussing on the amazing things regular people are doing in the community to strengthen the bonds of their community, I think we would all be inspired to do good, knowing it is not a loosing battle. I always walk away from HPP feeling so lifted. As they say, "It takes a village". Get involved in your village today.
A year ago, we first learned that diapers and other hygiene supplies are not covered by safety-net programs like food stamps or WIC. We also learned that in these hard times, more and more families have to choose between buying diapers and buying food. This was completely unacceptable to us, so we created a fledgling campaign Help a Mother Out, to help improve the lives of mothers, children, and families, one diaper at a time. A year ago, we first learned that diapers and other hygiene supplies are not covered by safety-net programs like food stamps or WIC. We also learned that in these hard times, more and more families have to choose between buying diapers and buying food. This was completely unacceptable to us, so we created a fledgling campaign Help a Mother Out, to help improve the lives of mothers, children, and families, one diaper at a time. ago, we first learned that diapers and other hygiene supplies are not covered by safety-net programs like food stamps or WIC. We also learned that in these hard times, more and more families have to choose between buying diapers and buying food. This was completely unacceptable to us, so we created a fledgling campaign Help a Mother Out, to help improve the lives of mothers, children, and families, one diaper at a time.
A year ago, we first learned that diapers and other hygiene supplies are not covered by safety-net programs like food stamps or WIC. We also learned that in these hard times, more and more families have to choose between buying diapers and buying food. This was completely unacceptable to us, so we created a fledgling campaign Help a Mother Out, to help improve the lives of mothers, children, and families, one diaper at a time. year ago, we first learned that diapers and other hygiene supplies are not covered by safety-net programs like food stamps or WIC. We also learned that in these hard times, more and more families have to choose between buying diapers and buying food. This was completely unacceptable to us, so we created a fledgling campaign Help a Mother Out, to help improve the lives of mothers, children, and families, one diaper at a time.

Lucciano's Newborn Shoot

There is nothing like the smell of a newborn baby. If there is a newborn baby in the room, any mom will find her way to the newborn and ask to hold it. Usually some head sniffing occurs too. There is something so sweet and innocent about a newborn. I had two newborn shoots this week and it really is amazing to see and remember how tiny your baby was at 10 days old! My kids are almost 14 and 12 1/2 and it seems like yesterday they were so tiny. How do they grow up so fast?

It was a true pleasure photographing Lucciano and his parents. I have to say they were some of the most relaxed parents I have seen in a while. It was refreshing to see how comfortable they were with this little boy they had only known outside of the belly for 10 days! I must say, Lucciano was relaxed because of their comfort level with him. It was fantastic.

What a little doll he was. Handsome and sweet. We had a really fun shoot and I think that shows in the photos.

Stranded on the Roof with my Pregnant client!

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love San Francisco! Being a photographer, what's not to love with all of the amazing photos opportunities, everywhere you turn. My client Rachel told me that she would love to do some pregnancy shots on her roof, in the Marina. She said she had easy access to the roof with sweeping views of the bay. I was so excited to have a new place to shoot.

 We proceeded to climb up the interior stairs to the roof. She said that the door was rigged so it would not lock you out, but she would bring her keys anyways. We went out onto the roof and the door closed behind us. It was a bit windy, so we thought we would do the indoor shots first, then come back up.

We pulled on the door and it did not open. The duct tape that had blocked the hole, so the lock wouldn't latch, had worn a hole right through it! I thought duct tape was indestructible.

Rachel tried the key, they had changed the lock! We realized that Rachel did not have her phone with phone numbers in it, to call a neighbor to come help us. I had my phone, but no one really to call. We tried to yell down into the light well, but no one heard us. We laughed and though how it would sound to call 911 to tell them we had a pregnant lady on the roof for a photo shoot and we were stuck on the roof, with no way to get down!

We decided to work on picking the lock. Ironically, I had just finished a book called "The Spellman Files" that morning. It is about a woman private investigator and she picked a lot of locks. It was very ironic! Rachel used her Gold's Gym plastic card and I pushed the door as far as I could so we could slip the card in between, and lo and behold, we opened it! What a relief!

We went on with our shoot, and returned to the roof when the wind died down. We propped the door, to be sure it would not close, and went on to get some fantastic shots on her roof, with my favorite city as our backdrop! I will never forget this shoot, that is for sure. Rachel was a great sport and didn't panic. She is going to be a great mom!