Newborn Portraits :: Levi

I love newborns. They are arguably one of the most challenging subjects because each shot takes so much care and patience, but they're so worth it.

Hi There!

Happy new year! Can I still say that? It's the end of January... it's, um, almost Chinese New Year. Still okay?

The fall and winter months are always jam-packed for us. In addition to the holidays, we have three family birthdays and our anniversary sandwiched in there too. Toward the end of last year, I took on extra freelance work to design the logo, signage and event material for a nonprofit fundraiser. It was a post-war era theme, so it was way fun mixing modern designs with vintage textures. The event ended up exceeding the fundraising goal. Always good to hear!

I love a good challenge and the thrill of productivity, but it also made me realize how precious free weekends are. Joel and I took a trip to Santa Monica over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. We didn't have much planned other than to hang out at the beach, eat good food and enjoy time together. I say mission accomplished!

(Photos taken with my iPhone. Macrons from 'lette; my favorite was the rose macron. Sausages from Wurstküche, Joel had a rattlesnake and rabbit sausage. It was better than my chicken and apple! )

So now that I am all rested, I am ready to take on 2013. Only a month late. Not so bad, right?

Travis + Lauren :: Engaged

Want a fun photo assignment?

The text came to me on a midweek afternoon. I knew immediately what this was about, and I was going to be there, even if I had to cancel plans to clear my schedule.

It's fun when your good friends decide to get married, because you get to hide behind and inside buildings when the proposal happens. It's even more fun when you get that sweet, perfect shot of her saying yes!



Then you get to do their engagement shoot. And how cute are they?! So you love them and your camera loves them, and life is just pretty great.










Congrats guys! Thanks for a super fun shoot, you love birds.

Family Portraits :: Tobin Turns One!

Gosh, do kids grow up fast. It's a cliche, but so true! I can already tell I'm going to be the aunt that kids get annoyed at -- the one that constantly tells them how big they are and how it wasn't too long ago when she held them as wee little babies.

Has it already been a year since I visited this sweet boy in the hospital, the day after his birth? Now he's walking, laughing and looking more like a handsome little boy.

One Frame :: Big Blue Sky

Just one frame to share with you while I work on this cute family's session. Can't wait to share the rest!

The Lush Green Desert :: Family Portraits

Did you know that the desert can be surprisingly lush and green? I didn't, until we happened upon this little oasis at the Salt River.

Maybe it's just that this is one of the kindest families I know, or that there was just a touch of magic to the light that day... but I an currently in love with this session and I think I will be for a while.



Can you blame me? How adorable are they?!



To me, family photography is about capturing your life. It helps to have a beautiful backdrop and cute photo props, but nothing beats authenticity. Being present with those you love and letting your love show. That's what it's all about.

Thank you for letting me be around for these moments. Your joy fills me with life.

Peach Berry Crumble

It's been over a year since I tried Bountiful Baskets. The last time I ordered a basket, I didn't plan well so some food went to waste. I happened to get several vegetables that I didn't have much experience working with and just ended up not eating them in time.

Despite my experience last time, I still really liked the idea of Bountiful Baskets. Since I having been trying to work more fruits and vegetables into our meals, I decided to give it another shot last week... and loved it!

I think the key is to plan your meals ahead of time and stick to it. The reason I didn't like it last time ended up being one of the reason I like it more this time around. It's a fun surprise to see what you get in your basket and learn new recipes.



We got lots of perfectly sweet and ripe peaches that were delicious the way they were, but it was clear that we wouldn't eat them all in time. I decided to make a fruit crumble with the peaches and a pound of strawberries that also came in the basket.

The result was a sweet and tart crumble, paired perfectly with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Peach Berry Crumble

1 stick of butter, cubed
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

4 peaches, sliced
1 pound strawberries, sliced in half
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix dry ingredients, set aside. Toss fruit with lemon juice and additional sugar to taste, add in 2 tbsp of dry ingredients and toss, then place in baking dish (I used a 2-quart dish).  Mix butter and dry ingredients with your hands until crumbly and butter cubes are the size of small pebbles. Top fruit with the mixture and bake for 40 minutes.

(Depending on how full your dish is, you may want to place a cookie sheet under your baking dish to prevent the fruit from bubbling over. I did, but ended up not needing it.)

Ice cream is a must. Enjoy!