kym vitar {photography}

Santa Cruz engagement photography: Caitlin and Doug

2012-02-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

like so many people these days, caitlin and doug met online. neither was necessarily looking for anything too serious, but when caitlin's response to an email doug sent was even longer than the one he sent, he was smitten. being "long winded" and interested in both education and wine, among other common interests, they decided they should meet.

things progressed quickly, as they realized just how compatible they were (they don't call it match.com for nothing!). soon, they were living together, became proud paw parents to two gorgeous Husky's, and traveling the world together.

it was on a trip to scotland (or was it ireland? i was distracted by their adorableness together and jealous of their world travel stories) at an old castle that he asked for her hand in marriage.

she of course said YES, and next year, they will be wed in Costa Rica!

i met them in Santa Cruz at a location that combined two of their commonalities, education and wine.

The Burrell Winery is an old red school house, with the most beautiful grounds!

we were given permission to wonder and take photos throughout, and i was in heaven! the textures, colors, and vintage junk they had strewn throughout made for a happy kym!

their photos wouldn't be complete without their pups!

after a few with the pups at the winery, we headed over to the edge of the forest for something different.

los gatos, ca family photography: three generations on each side

2012-01-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

i can hardly believe all my newborns from last year are growing so quickly!

i was privileged to shoot ella when she was still in her mama's tummy, and again as a newborn. now, she is a precious little 6 month old, with quite the personality!

her parents wanted to do a session featuring both sets of grandparents, as gifts to them, and of course, for ella as well. we met at vasona, and had beautiful afternoon light gleaming down on us.

sadly, ella had been sick all week, and that day seemed to be her crankiest. but we powered through, and although i was only able to capture a couple of her darling smiles, she gave us a variety of different pouty faces! (as most of y'all know, i LOVE crying pictures! they showcase real personality and remind us that not every minute of the day is all sunshine and rainbows! plus, they make for great blackmail photos when they kids are older!)

if i only captured one photo from the whole day, this would be my favorite:

and then she drifted off to sleep in Grandpa's arms...

happy 6 months ella, you are loved by everyone!

san jose children's photography: just like heaven

2012-01-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

lana just turned one, and her mama wanted to do a vintage inspired session for her daughter.
we really lucked out that the weather was perfect on that january morning, and we didn't need to be bundled up, so lana's adorable dress could be seen!

because she is mama's little angel, we created a very etherial scene for lana's photos. lace, a quilt hand made by her grandma, and special touches from family members surrounded her under a grand oak tree.

i created the angel wings out of a little lace, burlap, and old music sheets.

i loved the etherial feel of this next one:

and since i adored this photo in both black and white and color, i wanted to end with it in color!

Agora Hills CA: Inspiration Through Art and The Love of Brothers

2012-01-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

i've been part of the organization Inspiration Through Art for almost 2 years.

one of their missions is to provide photography free of charge, to families with children who suffer from life altering disabilities or serious illnesses. i have always felt blessed that my children are healthy and normal children (relatively speaking, wink wink), and have always had a huge respect for not only the children who power through every obstacle life throw's their direction, but also for their parents. it takes a strong, loving, and patient soul to be able to handle the stress that can come with raising little heros.

stacie and isaac had been introduced to my work through ITA's database. they have two amazing little men, jason and shawn, who were diagnosed with cerebral palsy right around the time they turned two, and their little brother, Jackson, who is a handsome 9 month old. she contacted me late last year telling me that her boys were now almost 4 and they had NEVER had a profession family photo session! due to holidays and scheduling, we had to wait until after the new year to meet for their session, but it was worth it! we were greeted with a beautiful, all be it a little breezy, warm january afternoon.

Stacie, Isaac, Jason, Shawn, and Jackson,
thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for choosing me to capture your family photos. you are an amazing family, and i hope to see y'all again soon! my tea cup will be waiting!

Reno, NV children's photography: lyla is ONE!

2012-01-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

it's amazing to think in the beginning of January, it was HOT enough to play in the bubbles outside. while my sister and her family were in town for the holidays, we figured it was the perfect time to take lyla's first birthday photos.

we were planning on a cake smash, but skipped it and went straight for the bubble bath instead!

happy birthday little miss lyla!!

burbank, ca children's photography: she's ONE!

2012-01-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

i can hardly believe a year has passed since little ms. waverly jane turned a cute couple into an adorable family. the chandler's invited me to capture her first birthday party, and it had been quite a few months since i had seen them. it never ceases to amaze me just how much we grow in our first year of life.

last year, we had her sleeping in her stocking!

she ate every last crumb!

chatsworth, ca children's photographer: his cheeks get me every time!

2011-12-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

what do you get when you mix a red wagon, christmas tree farm and perfect lighting with an adorable 8 month old little man??

this!

los angeles,ca family photography: the yokoyama family

2011-11-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

I've been blessed to shoot this family in every stage of becoming a family!

amber and chris are gorgeous themselves, and at the beginning of the year, they brought into the world their beautiful brooklynn.

we met up for a quick holiday mini session, and it had been a few months since i had seen the family. i couldn't believe just how much brooklynn had grown! her adorable chubby cheeks made me want to just cuddle and kiss her and forget about her parents!

thank you Yokoyama family! it is always a pleasure!

xoxo

los angeles,ca family photography: the t shirt wins

2011-11-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

sometimes as parents, we envision our family photos a certain way.

perfectly pressed khakis, a tailored shirt with no stains, ruffles that are just ruffley enough,

smiles and giggles and posed just right...

and then reality hits,
and sometimes, you just gotta roll with it!

today,

the t shirt won.

thank you Cain family, for keeping a happy spirit when the terrible two's were taking over! we may not have captured the "perfect" family photo, but we definitely caught personalities!!
xoxo

Reno, NV family photography: the hamm family

2011-11-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

i love when a mom tells her boys to take off their shoes and run around outside in their argyle socks.

she took the time to find them, she wants them shown off!

it's the little details you can get away with when you have sons.

(a woman after my own heart!)

the fact that these two boys were obviously great buds like i can only dream mine will be one day, with the giggling and tickle fights, climbing through the trees and a river (ok, it was a creek, but to this city girl, it was a river!) made my afternoon with the Hamm family a fun adventure!

*disclosure*

there are a LOT of images in this post! I had a very hard time narrowing down my favorites, and since they showed just how much fun we were having, i decided to include them all!

this next one is one of those happy accidents. it was a settings check, since we had just switched locations. when i saw it, my jaw about hit the floor. i love the mama/sons connection it shows, and want to hang it in my own office!

thank you hamm family, for an exciting afternoon with your family! 2 hours was just not enough time for me to spend with y'all! i look forward to the next time i get to be part of your family!

Reno, NV family photography: chasing light

2011-11-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

we forgot one minor detail when scheduling for a sunset shoot in reno: the mountains take your sun away a LOT faster!

we started off in a gorgeous wilderness park up in the mountains, and since we don't have anything like it in SoCal, i was beyond excited to be shooting among the fall colors and beautiful trees. but quickly as we got set up, the sun began to disappear. i kept moving the darling Dibble family around, trying to find the perfect lighting, and keep adorable little Naomi warm (because minor detail #2, the shade in reno is C.O.L.D. like FREEZING cold). and finally, i asked if they didn't mind if we drove down the mountain and chase the light so we could capture some of the glowing pictures i love so much!

down the mountain we drove, and after a couple roadside stops, we found an open field that was perfect. not only was the lighting gorgeous, but it was probably a good 20 degrees warmer! we were in luck and ready to use those last magical minutes of light before the sun disappeared again behind the mountains.

thank you Dibble Family for giving me the opportunity to come out and shoot in Reno! i loved getting to spend some time with your adorable little family, and i look forward to the next trip out!

look at those baby blues!!

a huge thank you to my sister too, who acted as my smile assistant and chauffeur! you rock sissy!

costa mesa, ca family photography: the lower family

2011-10-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

i love this family like a love song (sorry for the selena gomez insert- i've been watching a little too much disney channel with the boys lately!)

they are that perfect mesh of beauty and fun,

a little bit crazy but still always composed.
i also love it when we have ideas for staging the kids, and the kids have their own ideas of what they want (and don't want) to do! the little lower's definitely ran the show this day, and it was a blast!

yeah, this one ^ expect to see it on some business cards soon. i adore it!

thank you lowers, for rolling in the grass and having a blast with me!

los gatos, ca family photography: the becker kids

2011-10-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

i have known these two since they were babies. their parents are friends of my pseudo family, so we have spent many weddings, holiday's and events together. i have watched them grow from adorable little kiddos who would play under the table, into gorgeous teenagers!

they are both amazing teens, and i had a blast darting around Los Gatos High School with them.

sean and clare, thanks for making your mom (and me!) happy by being perfect models!

y'all rock!

chatsworth, ca family photography: they say it takes a village

2011-10-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

to raise your children. this family is part of our village.

these are my ~~future~~ in laws. cadence and e have been married for almost a year now. everyone at their preschool knows, and we have had multiple weddings for the kids (i know, she's adorable, right!)

we're blessed to be such good friends with the cirlin family, spending most friday nights having "happy hour" at one of our friends homes, letting all the kids run free, and the adults decompress from the week's adventures in parenting. it is something we look forward to each week, and we have been lucky to have such good friends move into the neighborhood.

cadence really was the focus of my pictures, and while i was editing, i had e over my shoulder swooning at her the entire time! they really are too cute for words!

cirlin family, thanks for the wild ~~goose~~ peacock chase!
xo

los angeles, ca family photography: photographers photographing photographers kids!

2011-10-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

stephy g is an amazing photographer friend of mine who resides down in the OC.

we both know how hard it is to take time out to capture our own family photos for holiday cards and what not, so a couple weeks ago, we got our families together for some fun family photos out at paramount ranch.

between the both of us, we had 6 little men running around the park being chased by our loving husbands, which greatly resembled herding cats!

thank you stephy, for making the drive up, for allowing me to capture your family, and of course, for capturing mine as well!

san jose family photography: brynn is almost one!

2011-10-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

beautiful brynn has so much personality. it is hard to believe she is a few days shy of her first birthday! i have loved watching her grow her first year! from just an itty bitty newborn into an almost walking little princess! her happiness is contagious and her parents will do anything they need to get those beautiful smiles to come out, even singing her own special silly song (let's just say i was hungry for baby back ribs after hearing it a few times)!

this next one may be one of my favorite father daughter pictures ever!

thank you gibby's, for inviting me to capture your little one as she has grown this first year! i can't wait to watch her grow into a little lady!

san jose family photography: brooklynn has arrived!

2011-10-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

i was blessed to be in town the weekend that brooklynn was born. when i got the text, i couldn't wait to head over to the hospital and see her in all her newborn glory!

after a full day of shooting other sessions, i wondered around the hospital, trying desperately to find where my dear friend was roomed. after asking the hospital staff THREE different times, and being sent to THREE different rooms (sorry to the other families who i walked in on! i should have handed them my cards!) i finally found them!

a couple weeks later, i was back up, and ready to shoot the new family of four!

we had to get creative to get peyton's attention this afternoon. nothing better than a ladder for the lil man to climb!

welcome to the world brooklynn! your auntie kym loves you!

san jose family photography: welcoming a new cousin

2011-10-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

when sheri contacted me about taking newborn photos of her precious new little brooklynn, she also told me her mom was hoping to get all her grandbabies together for a few photos as well. we decided to combine the sessions into one afternoon, to make it "easy". or so we thought!

i have been photographing sheri since she was pregnant with her first son peyton, and have continued to do so throughout his first 18 months. now, he is a big brother (and that blog post is next!)

i adore doing family sessions. especially extended families. getting all the cousins together for a few photos is always a great gift for the grandparents, plus a fun reason (if you need one!) to get the kids together. today, peyton was not in to the idea of sharing "auntie kym's" attention for photos. in fact, he screamed and cried for the first 20 minutes his cousins were there! so while mama tried to calm him down, i snapped some adorable pictures of the siblings.

meet addison, eli and gemma

what better way to keep kids entertained and in happy moods than to let them make silly faces for the camera!

we finally were able to get peyton to sit down with his cousins...

but not for long!

new baby brooklynn, with her oldest cousin eli

finally! he sat (with the help of cotton candy jelly belly's, yum!)

xoxo

san jose family photography: it doesn't matter how old your kids are...

2011-09-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

family pictures are always important.

it seems like most people think family portraits are for families with young kids, and then not again until those kids are grown with babies of their own. for some reason, we forget our parents still appreciate family pictures, because like it or not, we are still their children!

i know my family was victim to this. our last family picture had been taken when i was 12. it wasn't until after my first son was born that we took family portraits again. meaning there had been 14 years without my parents getting their three beautiful daughters together, with the thought of capturing us as we were. don't get me wrong, we had taken snapshots together, but not portraits. in those 14 years, my oldest sister had given my parents 2 beautiful grandbabies, and we never documented it. we had graduated colleges, traveled to exciting locations, and changed our hairstyles. but never did we think to have someone else come and update the family portrait that had been hanging in the living room since 1993!

that was why i was happy when michelle contacted me about wanting to take family portraits for her mom. michelle and her siblings are all working professionals now, without kids yet, but they still got together one afternoon (after many months of coordinating those busy schedules) to capture their family, and finally replace the portrait from 1997 hanging on the staircase.

thank you Cassidy family, for inviting me in to your home!

san jose newborn photography: gorgeous gabriela

2011-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

i love entering a home, and feeling the happiness a new baby brings with her.

even when, for some strange reason, she chose that day to be the crankiest she had been in her 12 days of living!

gabriela didn't want to be posed with props or laying by herself for too long. she was happiest in mama and daddy's arms, so that is where we let her be.

a big congrats to the new happy family! i hope you enjoy many afternoons swinging on the hammock together!

xoxo

san jose family photography: a tea party in the park

2011-09-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

having a big sister is an amazing thing (i should know, i have 2!). madison is lucky to have ashley as a big sister. these two, while they may not always get along, definitely have a love for each other (believe it mom, it's true!)

we had a perfect afternoon with gorgeous lighting to capture the girls together. however, they were more interested in taking pictures separately, so to keep everyone happy, that's what we did :)

ashley and madison, thank you for being your beautiful little selves! you made my afternoon tea party a fun little session!

their mom let them each pick out an outfit to wear, to keep them happy between the "pretty" outfits. ashley loves the SJ Sharks, and wanted to show off the puck she scored for her birthday- autographed and all!

xoxo

culver city newborn photography: welcome adeline!

2011-09-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

she kept us waiting and waiting, wondering when she would make her arrival.

through the hottest week of the summer, her mama and daddy waited.

and she was worth every extra day of waiting!

such a precious, sleepy little angel. adeline was the perfect little model.

congrats dawn and jared!!

she is perfect!

alhambra,ca children's photography: ayden is one!

2011-08-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

i started this post last week before i left for a much needed girls weekend away! i thought i had scheduled it to post on friday, but to my dismay, it didn't!

i can hardly believe the little girl who slept in her daddy's fire helmet is now one year old!
i have had the honor to capture ayden throughout her first year, as a sleepy newborn, for her first christmas, her baptism, and now, as she turned one!

i love watching the little ones grow, and can't wait to continue to capture her milestones! start walking ayden!

if you would be interested in information about the 1st year collections, please email me at
kymvitar.photography@gmail.com

alhambra,ca children's photography: baby brody

2011-08-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

brody is going to be a little bruiser. i can just tell. he'll be a football player, and heart breaker.

(i couldn't get enough of his chubby cheeks, they were absolutely edible!)

we took his 4 month pictures the other morning, and he was just adorable.

the jacket was his daddy's when he was a little guy. it's still a little too big, so i think we'll have him wear it again when he's older!

and the teddy's and doll, those were mama and daddy's toys when they were babies too!

those cheeks!! i. just. want. to. bite. them!!!

i'll see you in a few months brody! i can't wait to see how much you've grown!

bay area photography: fall mini session dates announced!

2011-08-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

it's your time to shine Bay Area~

i'll be up twice this fall for mini sessions- with possibly a 3 weekend if these book up quickly.

It's never too early to get those holiday pictures done, so that you can get your cards ordered early!

Custom holiday cards can also be created for your family, just ask!

email for more information or to set up your session!

Please feel free to pass this info to anyone who may be interested! it is greatly appreciated!

San Jose Wedding photography: love at every age

2011-08-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

these are just a few of my favorites from Kathy and Bob's recent wedding:

xoxo

happy birthday to me: the prettiest my yard has ever looked!

2011-08-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

it's been quite a while since i did a personal blog post, and i figured, my 30th birthday extravaganza would be a good time to start up again!

bright and early, i dragged my mama, sister, and bestie to the flower mart in down town LA to pick up the flowers. i love getting to put my own arrangements together.

i've always dreamed of having a giant oak tree that i can hang lights and mason jars from, with one long family style table under. since that was not a possibility in our yard, i improvised...

i wanted to bring elements that i love together

yup, that camera really does have my name on it!

my cake was made by my ever so talented friend Patty,

i think i may blow this next one up into a canvas and hang it in the house:

sorry for the over load of detail photos, i was absolutely in love with every detail of my party! my dad was on people duty, so as soon as he sends me over his photos, i'll include some more!

special thanks to my mom, sister, brother in law, besties Nicole and Patty, and of course hubs, for helping my dream party come true!

san jose maternity photography:

2011-08-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

she is a talented athlete.

a god loving woman.

a teacher.

a sister.

a daughter.

a wife.

and most of all, a mother.

In just a few short weeks, she will be holding her daughter in her arms, and her son will be a big brother.

i am SO excited for the Christy family and their newest addition to come into this world!

san jose newborn photography: haley

2011-07-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

tara and i met in 6th grade. with both of us having last names at the beginning of the alphabet, we were sat next to each other for every class we had together (which was 4 out of 6 classes!)

we quickly became great friends, with sleep overs, movies and even a trip to disneyland (this was huge since we were living in san jose still)

sadly, we lost contact after jr high, but thanks to facebook, we reunited just after she had gotten married.

last month, tara and her husband troy welcomed their first daughter, haley, into the world.

it was fun getting to see tara, her mom and dad, and her new baby girl for an afternoon! walking into her parents house almost made me feel like i was 11 again! all i needed was my NKOTB sleeping bag and a scrunchi in my hair!

thank you tara, troy and haley, for giving me the pleasure of capturing your first family photos! i can't wait to see you grow!

san jose family photography: she's on the move!

2011-07-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

i first photographed brynn in her mama's tummy last year.

then i had the privilege of capturing her newborn photos.

now, she is giggling, sitting, and crawling up a storm (and recently pulled herself up to standing)!

on the same day i captured her new baby cousin ella's newborn photos, we took some updated family photos of her and her parents.

thank you jessica, brandon and brynn, for keeping me on my toes and being such an amazing family!

much love to you three!

xoxo

san jose newborn photography: a new big sister

2011-07-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

callie has been a big sister for 1 month.

already, she loves her little sister, and was curious to see everything that baby sage was doing.

she loves laying next to her (just as long as sage isn't taking her blanket), and she loves reading to her.

welcome to the world sage!

and callie,

you'll make a great big sister!

san jose children's photography: ella

2011-07-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

just 7 days old, and precious as can be.

ella stole her parents hearts the moment she entered the world.

in a house full of uncles, aunts and cousins, we managed to capture her in both her happy, peaceful mood, and when she got rather mad (i can't help it, i love pictures of screaming babies! you have to look back and laugh at how intensely they could scream!)

thank you lauren and paul, for inviting me into your home to capture your new miracle! she is adorable, and i can't wait to watch her grow!

san mateo children's photography: welcome geo!

2011-07-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

just like his big brother, he came into the world a little early.

but looking at this healthy, happy 1 month old, you would never tell.

peacefully sleeping while brother watched elmo, we were able to capture his

perfectness.

i want a poster of this one!

welcome to the world geo!

chatsworth, ca family photography: the narang family

2011-07-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

i love photographing families, this you all know. bringing out the smiles in the little ones makes my heart skip. some make me work harder than others, and sahana was one of those little ones! we had to pull out all the stops to make her smile for us! she was a tough cookie on that hot afternoon! but it was worth all goofy jumping and giggling, the singing and peek a boo, the making a fool out of myself in front of her parents and who ever else might be in the area, to see those gorgeous smiles peek through!

thank you narang family, for making my afternoon fun and beautiful! your ease in front of the camera made it easy for me to capture the love in your family!

i want to give a special thank you to Ala Cortez as well, for sending this beautiful family my way! it is much appreciated! xoxo

los angeles children's photography: happy fathers day

2011-06-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

every day, not just fathers day, i treasure the relationship you have with our boys. you are teaching them to be strong, athletic, smart and chivalrous men. you show them what it means to be able to work with your hands and be proud of your accomplishments. because of you, they are seeing what it means to be a real man: to love whole heartedly, to laugh at life's little hiccups, and of course, to throw a baseball. they know what it means to be a hero, because you are theirs.

we love you for everything you do for our family, the sleepless nights at work, and the sleepless nights at home. the cereal poured just right, and the steak bbq'd to perfection. the tires pumped on the bikes, and the batteries changed in the toys. the wrestling, playing yogurt shop, and laying watching cartoons. our boys love you more than their limited vocabularies can express.

and i, well i know every day just how blessed i am to have you raising our children with me. thank you for being the best father our children could ever have.

(and if y'all were wondering where the little one was during all this fun, he was napping! So when he woke up, I snapped a couple of him as well)

xo

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san jose maternity photographer: a rainy day session

2011-06-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

lauren and paul:

high school sweet hearts,

college loves

married for a few years now,

they are about to welcome a baby girl into their family.

i couldn't help but notice the way paul would gaze at lauren's belly with such love.

hearing lauren whisper "i hope she gets your green eyes"

these two have been patiently waiting to start a family, and in just a few more weeks, she will be here!

our original plan of an outdoor session was quickly changed when it decided to rain all day (in june, who would have thought!) but luckily these two get amazing light in their home.

i can't wait to meet your precious baby in a few short weeks!
thank you for inviting me into your home to capture such an exciting time in your life!

xo

pasadena portrait photography: don't you wish your lawyer was hot like mine

2011-06-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Verenice graduated from law school last month.

not only is she beautiful, but she is smart (and talented too).

we spent an overcast afternoon down at Pasadena's City Hall and Public Library, celebrating her recent accomplishment.

i am so proud to call her a friend, and know i will be able to call on her to bail me out if i ever need :) ha!

san jose family photography: a day at the park

2011-06-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

last weekend was one of my whirlwind trips up to the bay area. i had quite a few sessions scheduled, and unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate (who would have thought in june we'd be having torrential down pours!) while a few of my sessions were rescheduled, i was lucky enough on sunday, to spend a little time with the beautiful Salameh family. They just welcomed #3 into the family 2 months ago, and i was happy to capture their first photos as a family of five!

the sun never came out to play with us, but at least it wasn't raining! we headed over near the children's discovery museum, to take advantage of the beautiful park located outside. it was an active afternoon of tree climbing, flower picking and running through the grass, and it made me love this family's energy!

and of course, the two beautiful ones who started this family

malibu ca family photography: the little beach beauty

2011-05-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

i always feel blessed when people invite me to spend an afternoon with their family.

i love capturing the relationships, the love, and of course, the little details of what make their family tick.

traci and i had planned on the beach session for her 7 month old daughter abrianna. after rescheduling do to some cold and nasty weather, we settled on our date. we knew her hubs had to work, so we were making it an all important mommy and me session.

but to our surprise, her awesome husband eric surprised her by coming home from work just in time to throw a few shirts in the car and join in the fun!

we set up shop on the beach, and to our dismay, the sand whipping wind kicked up. and when i say sand whipping, i mean pelting your skin like tiny razor sharp bullets wind. i'm not gonna lie, it sucked! abrianna is a trooper. she didn't cry (until we tried changing her in the wind- i'd cry too being naked with that sand), she snuggled with her mama and daddy and gave me gorgeous eyes, you could just feel the love oozing from the family.

thank you, traci, eric and abrianna for a fun afternoon at the beach! it was a pleasure getting to spend time with your loving family, and i look forward to getting to do it again in the future!

los angeles photography: a day with chef

2011-05-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

patty is amazing.

she is a total talent in the kitchen, both making divine culinary experiences and baking scrumptious desserts and treats.

she recently graduated from culinary school and is starting her own catering business, so she asked if i would join her downtown to browse through some restaurant supply stores. i thought that would be a great place to photographer her for her new website that is under construction.

after our mini shoot in the store (and some funny looks from the staff), we headed to bottega louie for lunch. it was Dlish! we've decided she's going to take me on culinary adventures every month, and broaden my taste buds!

*** when blogger was down last week, it erased the rest of my post!***
i'll recreate it at a later date, but for now, i wanted to get these up!

project 52, week 17,18and 19

2011-05-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

i'm lagging.

i don't mean to lag, but life gets busy sometimes, and blogging is the last thing on the to do list, behind playing with the babies and cleaning the house, baseball games and laundry, editing and cooking dinner, fulfilling orders and rocking the babies to sleep, and planning baby showers and bridal showers. yes, i do it all. and i love doing it all. and so sometimes, even though yes, i have taken my picture a week (ok, more like my 200 pictures a week- seriously), i just don't always get the time to sit and post them. so here's a recap of the last 3 weeks:

week 17:

old enzo.
we just found out he has skin cancer. now, our epileptic, partially deaf, 100 lb pit pull also has cancer. he is the biggest, sweetest small horse of a dog you could ever meet. we are saddened by the news, but at least it is treatable, and they expect him to live a full and happy life still (minus having to limit his "sunbathing" time).

week 18:
my birthday boy

two years ago you came into the world, into our family, and kidnapped our hearts.

your curiosity takes you to every water puddle and dirt patch.

your sense of adventure takes you to the tops of the furniture.

your fearlessness has you jumping off.

you are my cuddle bug, still loving to be rocked every night.

you bring so much joy to our family.

week 19:
he makes my heart happy.
mothers day was a joy since the boys are old enough to tell me how much they love me :) e learned how to make a heart with his hands at preschool, and now it's his favorite way to tell me he loves me.
it makes my heart glow!

san jose children's photography: lyla b

2011-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

she made her entrance all by herself.

labor came faster than her parents were ready for, dad was on a business trip, and at 1 am, mom called to say GET HOME!

but lyla didn't wait till dad got home. in fact, she didn't wait for the paramedics to get there either.

at almost 2 am, she was born.

with only her mom and her 2 year old brother in the house.

her entrance into the world is not one she will ever live down, but it is memorable for all who hear it!

we took these pictures last month while i was in san jose and she was 3 months old. there were so many i adored, that it has taken me this long to chose exactly which ones to blog!

i love you lyla b, and can't wait to watch you grow!

featured on:

los angeles family photography: the triplets turned one!

2011-04-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

it's amazing how in the last month, i think i have had 6 of my little faces all turn one!

the triplets were my first set of multiple newborns.

i can remember being so excited, yet nervous at the thought of positioning THREE babies.

i think only one of my ideas ended up working, because when you are working with multiple children (of any age, but more so babies), you cannot predict the dynamics and attitudes of each of the babies.

as much as these three love each other, there were moments when i couldn't get one to sit next to the other, and don't even think of putting that one next to the other right now, and then trying to get all of them happy, or even just looking in my direction! whew! i am exhausted all over again! i don't know how their parents do it. but they do it with complete grace and love.

we discovered jack is more of an action shots kind of kid. there was NO getting this little man to pose!

the only way we could get them all to sit together! oh the power of a bottle!

happy first birthday jack, hana and dalya! i have loved watching you grow, and can't wait to see you again soon!

long beach, ca newborn photographer: brooklyn's best

2011-04-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

six days old and she already has mama and daddy wrapped around her little finger.

but with those pouty lips, how could you not fall madly in love with her.

welcome to the world brooklyn! i can't wait to watch you grow!

project 52, week 15 and 16: battle wounds and tattoos

2011-04-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

our first trip to the emergency room was this week.

not too bad for being parents for 4 years!

two stitches two weeks before his second birthday.

he took em like a champ.

my children are my world. this week, i finally had W's birthday added under his big brother's.

"more and more each day" is my daily mantra and what I say to the boys every night before they go to bed (i love you more and more each day)

you can read my personal mantra here

los angeles family photography: Eloise is one!

2011-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

eloise holds the title as one of the first babies i put in a basket for her newborn photos.

now, exactly one year after taking her newborn photos, we did her family's first session together.

happy birthday eloise!

san jose children's photography: the amaro kids

2011-04-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

his energy should be bottled, mass produced, and sold on the shelves instead of red bull.

his smiles are contagious (when you can catch one)

and his laughter is addictive.

her sweet disposition can be seen from miles away.

her love for her family is adorable.

she loves her little dolly and wouldn't part with it for anything.

together, they may fight, and they may yell,

but when you can capture a genuine big brother, little sister moment,

you can tell how much love they have for each other.

healdsburg, ca engagement photography: a surprise engagement

2011-04-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

when devin emailed me last month seeing if i would be available to travel up to healdsburg because he was going to propose to his girlfriend, i nearly jumped out of my chair in excitement!

not only is healdsburg part of napa valley, but kristin and devin have been friends of ours for a few years now, and i was honored he asked me to document such an important part in their relationship!

it took a little rearranging and bribery of family members to watch the boys for the night, but we pulled it off! i even got the hubs to second shoot for me (that's huge! he refuses to touch my cameras normally!), so to make sure we could catch her excitement!

devin arranged to have a group of family and friends gathered together in the middle of the town square,

it was great to see the love and support they have of friends and family. They had people flying in from all corners of the country, just to be part of the excitement!

I'm only going to post a couple of my favorites, but to see more of their engagement, click here

congrats devin and krisin!

san jose family photography: a barefoot baby girl

2011-04-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

i am a girlie girl who was blessed with two very rough and tumble boys (seriously, i don't think W has been clean for longer than 3 minutes in his entire life).

so when i get a chance to photograph adorable little girls, my heart melts!

ruffles, lace, and denim all rolled into one adorable little package!

(plus mom and dad were pretty cute too!)

her little cowboy boots were hurting her toes, so we decided to ditch them and let her run barefoot through the wildflowers!

i love me some tickle pictures!

project 52, week 14: back to blonde

2011-04-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

i've gone back to the blonde side...

and loving it!

thanks brig!

san jose family photography: oh boys!

2011-04-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

their family is expanding with another baby boy, but before he makes his arrival, this future big brother gets some time in the spot light.

his dimples were to die for!

isn't she gorgeous! fierce or laughing, she is stunning!

good luck Eways' family! I can't wait to meet your new little man in a few months!

san jose children's photographer: Coralyn is One

2011-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

i'm having a bit of writers block tonight. it could be because i am in editing mode, which means the rest of my brain shuts down (redistributes energy so i can concentrate on what i'm doing), or it could be because this little doll was so pretty, she took my words away.

coralyn just turned one.

she is the happiest, most loving little lady,

and loved my camera (and my camera loved her!)

xoxo

project 52, week 12 and 13: family time

2011-03-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

when i was young, i dreamed of having a son. not just to have the family name live on, or to see my husband act like a little boy again, but so i could have date nights with him. yep, i wanted to take him out to dinner and ice cream, and have these fun, loving relationships you see in commercials (blame olive garden: "are you meeting some one ma'am?" "yes, he's brunette, with a great smile, and his shoes are probably untied", as the son runs up to give her a hug). luckily, i was blessed with two of my own, meaning mama always has a date to baskin robbins!

e and i enjoying date night together...

this past week was my family's annual vacation together. 14 of us bunking up in one house, this time in monterrey, ca. here's a peek at the amazing property we were staying on...

Pasadena children's photography: Waverly is 3 months!

2011-03-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

last week i met up with brianne for lunch with her precious little Waverly.

i warned her i would be coming with camera, so she better be ready for a few 3 month photos. i had the honor of photographing Waverly when she was just a few days old (see those here), and hadn't seen her since. It's amazing what a couple months will do!

We stopped on our stroll through Descanso Garden's for a few pictures, not an actual session, but just enough to capture her smirk!