{Portrait Photography in Santa Barbara} There’s No Place Like Home

What a fantastic Santa Barbara family with such a great bond and sense of humor. Loved everything about this session- the beautiful home they built together, their great style and laid back attitudes, the natural smiles that really showed their love and happiness, how can you go wrong with all that goodness?? The outtakes and moments shared between clicks were just as priceless as the posed ones. With their youngest son going away to college (to become a doctor!), the oldest into the military, and baby girl starting high school, I hope they cherish these times. One of my favorite lifestyle sessions ever! Thank you “D” family for such a fun afternoon. XOXOX

{Vintage Carnival Photo Session} Having Fun

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
~Mary Lou Cook
Go out and have some fun today.

{Santa Barbara Portrait Photographer} Don’t Blink

I have felt like I’ve been spinning in this little world of photography lately. Getting sucked in by the never-ending parade of social media, networking, taxes, pricing, being undercut by shoot and burner types. Bending over backwards to please clients, impress my peers, perfecting my Photoshop skills, pinning pinning pinning things I’m inspired by. But with all that I feel I’m sinking- deeper and deeper into a hole, and away from doing what I love.
I have had to take a large step back and really sit and think about why I even wanted a big fancy camera to begin with. Was it to make tons of money taking photos of other people’s children? win prestigious photography awards? attend fabulous workshops? get thousands of “likers” on Facebook? No. It was becasue my little Canon point and shoot didn’t click fast enough. My son was a toddler, and I was increasingly frustrated by only getting the back of his head as he ran away because my camera just couldn’t keep up. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. I remember those first few shots with my new D80, how in love I was with the clear photos, even in auto mode, with the bad pop up flash- how my baby’s eyes sparkled and how I could see every freckle and erupting tooth. Did I agonize over the white balance? or if I limb chopped, or a tilted horizon? not even a little bit. So why is it now, years later, even when uploading photos of my own family, I become so overwhelmed with those things, hundreds and hundreds of RAW files sit, untouched on my hard drive. Not only unedited but never printed. My skills as a photographer have improved tenfold since those first few months with my new SLR, yet those are the ones I printed and cherished.
What a sad sad state I have ended up in. Hours and hours I spend on client galleries, making sure their images become something they will love and appreciate forever, but the beautiful if not always technically perfect pictures of the reason I wanted the camera in the first place get buried.
As my son is in the midst of finishing up his year in Kindergarten I look at him with amazement of how far he has come, how much he seems to grow right in front of my eyes. No longer a baby but a boy. I am left feeling like I blinked and this all happened in the second my eyes were closed. Which means a few more blinks and he will be a teenager. A few more blinks after that and he will be a man with a family of his own. I don’t want to lose any more of him behind closed eyes, and dusty RAW files. A fresh start- for my life and my business, getting back to what I love, my muse, my own child. With his always-messy-hair, freckled nose, and soul beyond his years… Don’t blink.

{My Project 10} April

A day in my {Spring} life…

bright and early at the botanic gardens…

My favorite breakfast spot…

Some fun, sun, sprinklers, and snacks

Goodnight…

Next up, my fabulously talented and sweet friend Robyn Oakenfold Please go give her a visit!

{Santa Barbara Beach Wedding Ceremony} Better Late than Never

The groom in this beautiful beach wedding ceremony is a childhood friend, and I was excited when he asked if I would photograph his nuptials down at the gorgeous Haskell’s Beach in Santa Barbara for sunset. Tony and his bride had crushes on each other in junior high, and went 25 years apart before reconnecting through Facebook and finding love together. The ceremony was laid back and casual, letting the fabulous Santa Barbara scenery speak for itself. Congratulations to Tony and Tami, and their large extended family! :-)

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