Smooch Spot!

Christine and Rich at Saddlerock Ranch...

2013-09-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Malibu Canyon + Winery + Beautiful Wedding = Bliss!

Meet the gorgeous and amazing Christine and Rich, my dear friends and fellow photographers from Yodsukar Photography. If these two look familiar it is possibly because I used to shoot with them when I was first getting started with weddings a few years back or perhaps it was from this years Rose Parade when they photographed the wedding that took place on the Farmers Ins. float! They were as talented and gracious then as they are now and I could not be more proud to watch their business and love for one another grow. Can you tell that I LOVE these two? And to have the opportunity to photograph their gorgeous, heartfelt, touching wedding day with ample time for gorgeous portraits all around the ranch, well HELLO luckiest girl in the world...

Rich and Christine, from the bottom of my heart I adore you. Your wedding day was magical, emotional and simply lovely (oh, and that Vegan food and wedding cake...amazing!). Christine, you were one of the most beautiful brides EVER and you took everyones breath away repeatedly with you loveliness and grace throughout the day. Rich, you could not have been more suave and handsome in the shoes of all the grooms you have photographed before you.

THANK YOU both for choosing me as your wedding photographer and allowing me to witness one of the most beautiful and heartfelt weddings of my life.

I Love you guys!!!

Fabulous Contributors to this wedding include:

Venue: S addlerock Ranch

Event Planner: LanAnh Ho at Mele Amore

Bride Hair and Make Up: Nicoletta Daskalakis
DJ: Dennis Waller Entertainment

Vegan Catering: Jennie Cooks Catering (amazing vegan food!)

Remember to click on the first image and scroll so you can see the pictures much bigger. Bigger is better !

"It is obvious that we can no more explain a

passion to a person who has never experienced it

than we can explain light to the blind."

-T.S. Elliot

Laura & Dan at Foreign Cinema in San Francisco

2013-07-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Meet Laura and Dan, a wonderful couple who I was fortunate enough to be referred to after shooting weddings for two of Dan's cousins in the past (see V+D and C+B here). It is always so much fun to have the opportunity to document the weddings for one family multiple times because each time, I become closer and closer with the family and many of the guests which makes the day even more fun, special and intimate to photograph. Laura and Dan's San Francisco wedding was amazing and like no other I had been to before. Their ceremony was a mix of the traditional and non traditional (a bit like the couple themselves) and I loved bearing witness to it. Although Laura and Dan are a pretty low key couple, their wedding was simple but spectacular and as you will see, the details were uber cool (again, like Dan and Laura themselves). I could go on describing this wedding but if I did my job right, the photographs below will do all the talking for me!

Congratulations Laura and Dan and thank you for allowing me to document your amazing wedding weekend. I loved witnessing every smile, kiss, laugh and detail of your wedding day and am convinced that the two of you could not possibly be more perfect for one another. You most certainly have an amazing life ahead of you both. Cheers!

XO-M

Fabulous Contributors to this wedding include:

Venue: Foreign Cinema
Flowers: Flora Grubb
Wedding Planner: Elizabeth Clayton
Hotel: Parc 55
Bride Hair: Yesenia Guinea
Bride Make-up: Nikol Elaine
Music: Cello Street Quartet
Photo Booth: Glass Coat Photo Booth
Chalkboard Elements: Courtney Cargile

Tip: Click on each image to see larger (which in my opinion, is better ;)

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever."

– The Notebook

Dad's ROCK!!!

2013-06-16T20:20:00.003-07:00

When I was a little girl I SWORE I would marry my daddy. You could not convince me otherwise and I still believe he is the best daddy EVER. I love my husband to pieces and believe he is the best HUSBAND ever but daddy will always have my heart :)

Happy Fathers Day to all you strong, faithful, loving and kind men out there who are fathers. Today is your day and you deserve all the attention, love and cuddles you are going to get!

Enjoy!!!

My Daddy :)

My Amazing Husband!!!

Wonderful Clients!!

Then God made Mothers...

2013-05-11T01:34:00.000-07:00

My FAVORITE post of the year is here!

Happy Mothers Day to all the beautiful women who cross

camera lens (and my heart) every year.

You are beautiful, amazing, thoughtful and perfect.

Most importantly, you are VERY loved.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

___________________________________________

“When God Created Mothers"

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of "overtime" when the angel appeared and said. "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And God said, "Have you read the specs on this order?" She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts...all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head slowly and said. "Six pairs of hands.... no way." It's not the hands that are causing me problems," God remarked, "it's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have." That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. God nodded. One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, 'What are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. 'I understand and I love you' without so much as uttering a word." God," said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "Get some rest tomorrow...." I can't," said God, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger...and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed. But tough!" said God excitedly. "You can imagine what this mother can do or endure." Can it think?" Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator. Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model." It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear." What's it for?" It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride." You are a genius, " said the angel. Somberly, God said, "I didn't put it there.”
― Erma Bombeck, When God Created Mothers

Here I am with my own beautiful mother, grandmother and daughter!

Let's hear it for the BOYS!

2013-05-01T16:12:00.002-07:00

Do I have the best job ever, or WHAT?

I get to work with hundreds of handsome, witty, funny and
oh-so-charming men who I am fortunate enough to photograph and get to know while shooting weddings for a living.

This is a post dedicated to all of these guys who make my job extra special by adding the right amount of class, testosterone and disgusting humor (even if I usually do think it's funny :) that always fills the day with belly laughs, inside jokes, unpredictable surprises and an overall great time!

Whether they are the groom, best man, groomsman or father of the bride/groom, every single one of these guys has a soul with a story to tell and I am honored to have had each and every one of them in front of my camera.

Some of these guys were natural and loved having their photo taken and some REALLY made me work for the shot (yea, you know who you are ; )

But every single one was fantastic, fun to be with and someone I am now able to call friend.

Let's hear it for these guys!!

Helpful tip: Click on each picture below to get an even bigger/better view.

____________________________________________________

Lindsey & Vince said "I Do"!

2013-04-06T16:15:00.005-07:00

For those of you who have been paying attention, you know this post is LATE. But if good things come to those who wait, you are in for a heck of a good time!

Congratulations to the beautiful Lindsey and her handsome groom Vince! I loved shooting your beautiful wedding with my dear friends The Yodsukars (my amazing and talented wedding cinema/ photographer friends :) and as always am eternally grateful to the many opportunities they provided me to second shoot when I was starting out as a wedding photographer.

Enjoy this loving, colorful wedding full of beautiful and amazing people. As always, I loved every minute!

XO-M

Holding Out...

2013-03-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am going to let you in on a secret I have been keeping.

I have been holding out on myself. And you. And my work.

Please allow me to explain.

Since I started my business three and a half years ago (and likely even before then), I have been comparing myself to other photographers and artists to decide whether my work was worthy of anyones trust. Secretly hiding the fact that somehow some of these others have a "magic" that I don't. A "secret" I don't know and quite possibly, might never know. I have been holding back some of my favorite photos, thoughts and words because I fear they are less than perfect. That somehow you will know that I don't have the "magic" or know the "secret" and will be outed. Humiliated. Failed.

It has taken a bit of time but I have figured a couple of things out this past year about myself and my work.

1. "Magic" does not come without authenticity. Only in the moments that I am 100% authentic and honest with myself and my photography do I feel the connection between my soul and my work. Showing my soul and the energy of the collaborative vision between my client and myself..THIS is magic. Magic is not achieved trying to be someone I am not or someone who I think will be better than who I really am. Scarred, flawed, simply "ok" does not always feel safe and I have been rejecting that part of myself (even though I encourage others to share their "flawed" selves). I have been holding back my genuine self in fear of rejection and in doing so, I have been letting myself and my work down.

2. There is no "Secret". If I was forced to tell you of such a secret, I would say it is comprised of hard work, raw talent, practice and authenticity. God blessed so many people with these gifts which in itself, is a gift. I embrace the beauty of others work and talent and find such beauty in the camaraderie of others with a shared passion.

3. I am an artist first and foremost and in saying this I realize people will not always agree with my idea of beauty. Some may not always think a picture I took is technically perfect or perhaps not something worth sharing with you but guess what? In order not to stifle myself and in order to grow as an artist...I need to be my self regardless of how IMPERFECT I am!

Whhhaaaaatttt?????

Yup. I said it and from now on, imperfect, genuine and creative is what I strive to be above all else with my work so I am gonna let er' rip. You will begin to see more of MY favorite images not only what I think others might want me to share because they are more "perfect".

This is the only way the artist can continue to create without the world and media telling us what is "beautiful" what we "should" create and what people "ought to" respond to.
I refuse to conform.

Ultimately, I am choosing raw and genuine over perfect which is great with me because of all things I know to be true, this is the truest...

Perfect is boring!

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Andrea + Mark = Married!

2013-03-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to

live to be a hundred minus one day

so I never have to live without you."

-A. A. Milne

________________________________________________

I LOVE weddings.

The love, the hope, the anticipation, the mystery.

The dresses, cake and flowers.

THE PARTY!!!

I truly love it all.

So you can imagine how lucky I must have felt to be contacted by the gorgeous Andrea to photograph her beautiful wedding to her love of six years, Mark.

They were sweet, easy going, very photogenic and a lot of fun and did I mention, WONDERFUL people!

God has certainly blessed this special couple and I felt such peace and love throughout their amazing wedding.

They could not keep their eyes off one another and the love from family and friends surrounding them was palpable.

Congratulations again to Andrea and Mark.

May God continue to bless your marriage and love for one another!

XO-M

TIP: if you click on the first picture you can scroll through and view them much bigger/better!

A special thanks to Kristine Ko for her assistance and great second shooting during this wedding!

XO-M

The Fine Art of Boudoir Photography

2013-03-12T13:41:00.003-07:00

So, what is Boudoir Photography and why should I choose Smooch Photography for my photo shoot?

Boudoir, pronounced “boo-dwahr” or “boo-dwa” is an old word, specifically dating back to the Victorian era and it was used to mean a lady’s bed chamber, drawing room or suite of rooms. Boudoir’s were typically only found in homes of the very rich, powerful, and well known.

The movie, “Marie Antoinette,” starring Kirsten Dunst as Marie frequently shows her in what would have been considered her boudoir. In this day in age, boudoir has become known to describe a variety of different things including certain types of furniture, clothing, and a genre of photography.
The word "Boudoir" also means "To Pout".

Pretty accurate description, right?

Boudoir photography can be but is not necessarily meant to be overly erotic, or revealing. Every woman is different and depending on overall effect desired, choose various levels of coverage ranging from modest to fully nude.

You do not have to be a model, a size 4 or even in the best shape of your life for a sexy, empowering boudoir session. In fact, it's just the just the opposite.

Boudoir photography is meant to capture a woman’s femininity, power, sensual nature and true beauty as she is in her current state. In many cases, it can be used as a self confidence boost, to capture the woman as she is at that very moment. Many women do have a time in their lives where they feel they are at their pinnacle of success and beauty or perhaps are longing to see themselves as more beautiful or sensual.

The right kind of boudoir photography can do just that, and more...

Often, boudoir photography is done as a gift for a significant other prior to a monumental occasion. Be it a surprise gift to her husband on their wedding day, after the wedding while on their honeymoon, Wedding anniversary, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or many other different occasions.

Some women also use it to mark a milestone in their lives, a big birthday, to celebrate body after baby, weight loss, recovery from illness, surgery or just because she feels wants to celebrate herself.
(my favorite reason of all :)

Boudoir photography should be fun, artful, elegant, classy, and tasteful and most importantly reflect YOU.

Your photographer should know how to pose you to flatter your best assets, light you with expertise and make you feel VERY comfortable, relaxed and safe throughout the entire session! You should also expect your photographer to work with you to make your images one of a kind and to send the message that you wish to send.

Boudoir photography is not easy or intuitive for everyone and can take years for a photographer to master. Please do not trust just anyone with this valuable experience, be sure and do your homework and choose the right photographer. Look at a variety of portfolio pictures. Ask questions. Talk directly with the photographer and most importantly be sure you like the person who will be photographing you! The connection and trust between the client and the photographer is key!

Generally, boudoir photography is done in a photography studio, the comfort of your own home, a luxury hotel or bed & breakfast, and on some occasions can be arranged to be done in a secure outdoors location as shown below.

Smooch Photography is committed to the fine art process of Boudoir Photography and will ensure your images to be a gorgeous, sensual, timeless and one of a kind representation of you.

We shoot primarily in our private and high end home studio (with very experienced, female photographer, make up artist and hair stylist) but we are always happy to help you book a hotel room or do the shoot in your lovely home! Psst....there is always great champagne & music too ; )

If you book a boudoir session with Smooch Photography, we will spend time getting to know you and guide you along every step of the way with wardrobe/lingerie selection and styling along with on location make up and hair.

Michele (Photographer and owner of Smooch Photography) is highly skilled at posing women and makes them feel comfortable by always ensuring that they never feel lost or unsure what to do. We will show you every pose every time and you will look and feel amazing!

Making YOU our first priority with a comfortable, fun and sexy session is our only mission! You will have a great time, receive stunning images and your session will be a memory you will never forget!

Ultimately at Smooch Photography, our goal is to create images that you are stunned by, emotional about and proud enough to enjoy and share with your loved ones for a lifetime.

Are you ready to celebrate the fabulous woman you are right NOW?

We can't wait to celebrate right along with you...

Trust us...you are PERFECT!

Connie + Ben in Lake Tahoe

2013-03-03T22:27:00.000-08:00

"Once in awhile,

Right in the middle of an ordinary life,

Love gives us a fairy tale."

~ Anonymous ~

Meet Connie and Ben who are SO wonderfully blessed to have found one another and beyond thrilled to be sharing their lives together! These guys are so beautiful both inside and out and every photograph of them takes my breath away.

Words cannot express how grateful I am to have been chosen to document this amazing wedding and to have spent so much time with such fantastic people and to do so in a gorgeous location like Lake Tahoe was nothing short of a dream. I am even more blessed to have found my way into this AMAZING family (via pseudo photographer adoption) and now they kinda have to keep me .

The entire weekend was spectacular and full of love, light, belly laughs and some really amazing food!!

It was F U N !!!

Connie & Ben, I am one hundred point nine, nine, nine percent certain that you are a match made in heaven and your family is sure to have a multitude of blessings bestowed on it throughout your lives together.

I can't wait to see you two at the next family wedding in April where we will be sure and bust out the chicken dance, lawnmower and Macarena in a congo line on the dance floor.

( just kidding L & D )

xo-M

Click the link below to view more images from Connie & Ben's beautiful wedding in their album

Connie + Ben in Lake Tahoe

A Love Letter to the LA Arboretum

2013-02-25T16:41:00.004-08:00

Dear LA Arboretum,

I was born and raised in Temple City, CA (less than a mere mile from where you are) and I have loved you for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I would visit you often with my parents, friends and various summer camps. You were ENORMOUS, exotic, wild and incredibly exciting to a little kid like me... I was infatuated.

We took family photos in your trees, hung around the Fantasy Island house (da plane boss...da plane!!!) and Victorian Mansion and wildly chased your Ducks and Peacocks around the grass (and nabbed a lizard or two in the rocks). At least once (or at least the only time I am willing to admit to), in high school, we snuck in at night and loitered in your fountain and may have even made out in the "haunted forrest". Oh, and may have taken the electric carts for a spin as well, but hey, I won't say for sure since it's hard to remember that long ago.

Now, obviously, you knew all this and despite my sometimes objectionable behavior, you continued to give me and all your other visitors the gift of your beautiful gardens, birds, buildings, lakes and forrest.

This past weekend, I took my kids to visit you. We spent hours exploring and wandering and found many off the beaten path places that as a kid, I never knew existed. We had some particularly magical moments at closing when the park was quiet and all your peacocks came out to see us on their various perches (after trying desperately to photograph them all day). It was spectacular and I am grateful for the experience. My kids flourished in your beauty as I had when I was younger and still do and we had a very memorable day. Thank you.

I took the liberty of snapping a few photos to remember you by and very much look forward to my next visit. I won't wait so long this time, I promise.

XO-M

The Heart and the Human Relationship...

2013-02-19T12:00:00.002-08:00

One of the many things that continues to draw me to photography and captivates me to photograph people is the wonderful opportunity to capture, permanently, a moment or moments in a human relationship.

In my humble opinion, there is no greater gift than our relationships with one another and those we hold dearest. Perfect or imperfect, happy or sad, messy or neat, moments are able to be captured permanently, in such a way that cannot be matched and amazingly, such memories can be preserved then passed to future generations to remember, discuss, cry or laugh over.

Many people say that in the event of a fire, flood etc... their photo's are the thing they will go back for. Yet, often we "hem and haw" over not looking "slim" or "good" enough to take the time for a family portrait or to invest in great photography.

Today I am thankful for being able to immerse myself into such an amazing art form and to witness the most beautiful relationships...and to be able to work and share with each of you is an even bigger blessing.

Trust me, right NOW you are perfect.

Abbey & Jaysin

2012-09-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Geesh.

It has been over 5 months since I blogged. Shame on me! Darn good thing I have this AMAZING Wedding to post before the draught was permanent.

I have some catching up to do but I will do it...I promise!!!

It was over 105 degrees the day of this wedding BTW so I ought to be granted immediate reprieve from the Blog Nazis for this reason alone!

Abbey & Jaysin, many blessings to you both for a lifetime of love, happiness and late night jam sessions with your bands. You are two cool cats and I could not feel more grateful for the opportunity to witness your union.

Cheers to the Yodsukar team for the gig :)

You guys rock too!

Rawwwr Abbey. Seriously girl, you are stunning!

Perfectly Imperfect...

2012-05-21T08:24:00.002-07:00

People often ask me as a professional photographer and mother of 2 little ones if I take a lot of pictures of my kids.

The answer is simple.

Yes and No.

You see, I used to take a LOT of pictures of my kids and I found myself feeling as if I were missing out on the actual moment they were in rather and to be quite honest, it was not a whole lot of fun for any of us. The kids felt the need to pose and I felt the need to be a professional photographer who needed "perfect" pictures of my kids. Not a winning combo if you want great, natural pictures!

So how does a photo addict change her ways?

Well, first she cuts herself off the habit (non-professionally speaking, of course) for a bit.

And now....

I will grab my camera to photograph them but mostly in spontaneous moments when nothing is set up or perfect and just have some fun with them. I experiment with light and get them giggling or ask them questions that evoke emotion thoughtfulness with my camera down by my side. They know it's there but quickly forget about it and go on with the moment. Then, when they are truly in whatever moment we are having I will quickly lift the camera to my eye and try and grab a piece of time.

The results vary. Sometimes I get great stuff and sometimes it is just closed eyes and grimaces but it is what it is and usually these pictures are lovely and satisfying to my mom/photographer sweet tooth.

Like reallllyyy good dark chocolate :)

Some examples below were this past weekend during a swimming lesson and some while we were watching the lunar eclipse. The kids were relaxed, expectations were null (my sons shorts are on backwards, his shoes are on the wrong foot, and he recently cut his own hair...which is perfect because he is 3 and that's how they roll) and I love the images I got. Keepers for sure!

Quite simply, before I changed my ways I was not allowing my children what I allow my clients and their children which is a relaxed and fun environment where we can let natural and photographable moments unfold organically without force or too much posing.

I am so happy with the beautiful, natural images I get of my kids now and as I tell my clients, I want to see their soul and sweetness in their eyes and faces in every image possible!

I definitely see their sweet little souls in these. Thanks for allowing me to share my little sweeties!

Happy Mothers Day!

2012-05-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! Another year has come and gone and we are celebrating Mothers day once again. In my mind, there is no more important day to share pictures of all the amazing mothers in our lives and celebrate them for all the beauty, kindness, generosity and love they bring to this crazy world.

I have the privilege of working and photographing hundreds of mothers each year and because I too am a mother, the unspoken bond between us (and the understanding I share for cranky babies and tantrum throwing toddlers) makes each photo shoot very sweet and special.

I am ever so grateful for all the mom's who have put themselves and their beautiful families in front of my lens and I love taking the time to show off some of my favorite mothering moments from the year!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

A Long Walk in the Woods...

2012-03-22T22:17:00.001-07:00

These beautiful people are of my dear friend Kelly and her beautiful, sweet, funny and photogenic family.

AND. I. LOVE. THEM. ALL.

I love everything about this family and about the fun day we spent together in a gorgeous nature park not too far from home (although on this cold, winters Southern Cali day it felt like a dreamy million miles away....).

Kelly, you are an amazing person, friend, daughter of God, mother and wife (I am SURE Jeff will agree on the last two :).

You are such a blessing in my life and those of us lucky enough to be in your light are so much better for knowing you.

Thank you for the gift of having you in my life and for loving my work enough to let me capture these sweet and pure moments with your most precious gifts...

I Love you!!!

"Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest...

It's about who came, and never left your side..."

- Unknown

Sisters and Friends...

2012-02-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Meet Alex & Cate...

Two beautiful young women, sisters, daughters, students and best friends.

We had a great time shooting this "sisters" themed photo session on a very chilly December morning and I am thankful for the invitation by their equally beautiful mother.

Hugs and best wishes to two of the most accomplished, polite and amazing young women I have had the pleasure to photograph! You make the future look so bright and I found myself very encouraged just by being with the two of you!

I very much look forward to seeing what you decide to do in your lives and become in the future...

Hugs & enjoy!!!!

Into the Wild...

2012-01-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I loved photographing this lovely family!

I loved the location, the kids, the parents and the fact that they were so excited to be there and were willing to try and anything to get great photos.

I think we did it! Here are a few of my favorites :)

Thank you to the darling and photogenic Allen family for trusting me with...well everything!

Love you guys...

Enjoy!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge "By The Book"

2012-01-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

My I Heart Faces photo contest submission for this week. The contest title is "By The Book".

Winning is not the goal but would sure be nice :)

Enjoy and see the full post of this adorable lifestyle shoot here:

http://www.smoochphotog.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweetest-thing.html

Dreamy Little Angels...

2012-01-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

This was a wonderful little session with some new clients who had been referred to me for a holiday photo shoot. It is always exciting to work with new clients and watch their personalities unfold in front of the camera.

These two sweet girls were no exception. They were a bit hesitant when we started but we had such fun pretending to be Fairy's in the forest and catching "Fairy Dust" in the sunlight that before long, they forgot the camera was even there.

I loved meeting and photographing this family and am excited to see them for a full family session soon (mom...that means YOU in the pictures!)

It is always so much appreciated when a client refers me to their family and friends. It is the ultimate compliment.

Thanks to these two sweet little fairies for making this shoot so magical, it was a special day!

(The dreamy bit of sunlight through the trees did not hurt the magic of the shoot either ;)

HUGS!

Photo Challenge

2012-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to work more for myself in addition to working and creating for clients.

One of the most fun parts of photography is sharing my work with other like minded folks and being inspired by those who share theirs.

This week, I am entering a photo in this "I Heart Faces" weekly photo challenge. This week's theme is "Best Faces".

In my opinion, the best faces are not those that are perfect, smooth, balanced or flawless. I love those that are aged, weathered and full of life and wisdom. My post for this weeks contest reflects what I love the most in a face. The photo was taken with permission on a street shoot in Los Angeles in the Olvera Street district. This gentleman was a street musician singing and playing the harmonica with a Native American Band.

Enjoy!

Abundance of Light...

2012-01-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...Marshall family. How I love you guys and the fun we have together. I laugh so much and get so dirty when we hang and your family gives me insight of what life with THREE boys (because dad counts) would be like....

Certain to be full of hugs, laughter and LOT's of wrestling :)

There is SO much gratitude in my heart for knowing you!

ENJOY!!!

The case of the REALLY big giggles...

2012-01-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, there is NOTHING better than hearing a kid giggle. Seriously, nothing. BUT a kid who giggles with abandon who can't stop for over an hour? HILARIOUS!

So much fun was had by all during this sweet photo shoot and you have to know that any images without Lauren busting a gut was by sheer miracle.

Michele, Lloyd, Lauren & Jack...I simply love you guys :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

See image below for exhibit A of Lauren's giggle adventures...

Holiday Muses...

2011-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Tiffany, Sky, Jake & B you have my heart on a string and every time we're together,

you make my camera sing.

Merry Christmas to four of my favorite muses and

BIG hugs to you all!

*Previous session with this family here:

http://smoochphotog.blogspot.com/2011/01/beach-boys.html

Singing in the Rain...

2011-11-29T22:15:00.000-08:00

"I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you,
Every thunder cloud that came was one more I might not get through.
On the darkest day there’s always light and now I see it too,
But I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you.
I hear it falling in the night and filling up my mind
All the heaven’s rivers come to light and I see it all unwind
I hear it talking through the trees and on the window pane
And when I hear it I just can’t believe I never liked the rain..."

- Clint Black

_____________________________________________________________

God Bless you Reid family! I adore each and every one of you and am so happy to be in your universe. Thanks for an amazing, sweet, loving and wet day together. You made my heart warm by just being near you.

HUGS!!!!