Focus

McMillian Family

2011-12-06T00:14:00.001-08:00

I had the wonderful privilege to spend the afternoon with the McMillian Family again. It is so fun to see how much a family changes over a year. I was very impressed by this gorgeous little guy's ability to enjoy the cold! What a great afternoon. Thank you so much!

Martin Family

2011-11-28T00:03:00.001-08:00

Another amazing session at Convict Lake. Afternoon light is much better for scenic family shots than morning. I really enjoyed spending time with some old friends and their beautiful kids. Thanks Martin Family for a great afternoon! Let's get the kids skiing next time you are here!

Incredibly impressive with a 20+ lbs kiddo! Love it!

Colson Family

2011-11-26T22:16:00.001-08:00

What a beautiful (although freezing) morning at Convict Lake. I had the wonderful pleasure to photograph this adorable family. So fun! This little guy LOVED to run.

The Tapia Family

2011-11-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Such a beautiful family with one more on the way! Thanks for a wonderful afternoon.

The Nash Family

2011-11-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

I loved photographing this family. So much fun. Thanks!

Last Days of Fall

2011-10-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Eastern Sierra is a bit of a tease. It reminded us that winter is moments away by giving us nearly a foot of snow last week. I think it was just reminding all of us to enjoy fall while we have it. The temperatures soared this week back into the 70s and we got out and played. The leaves are falling fast and winter in approaching. This is my favorite time of year.

Tad and Kari

2011-10-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Convict Lake wedding was absolutely beautiful. We got nearly two feet if snow on Thursday (when the bride and groom arrived) and by Saturday it was back to fall weather with snow covered mountains. This is by far my favorite time of year in the Sierra. Tad and Kari chose their day wisely! Thanks for having us be part of your day!

Sweet Kari was trying to stop crying by hiding behind her flowers! Love it!

Hand made scarves for the guests! Best wedding souvenirs I have ever seen!

Flash mob with the groom in pull away suit pants with Hammer Pants on underneath! So awesome!

Welcome to October

2011-10-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

Fall...oh how I love you. This fall has been exceptionally amazing. With cool mornings warming to hot days followed by thundering afternoons, this is by far my favorite time of year in the mountains. The tourists have gone home, children have returned to schools, and we are left alone to our backyard.

Now I am, for the most part, a stay at home mom. However, I am a very poor stay at home mom because I am NEVER home. Don't get me wrong, the dishes do get done, food is cooked, and laundry gets clean, eventually. My focus is not my home. No, my focus is this little creature that my husband and I created. I want to teach my child our love for nature, clean air, cool water, and amazing beauty. He has his whole life to stay inside and "learn". So for now, we go outside and get busy LEARNING.

We learn about the forest. The feel, the scent, the sounds. Logan knows it all.

He knows that pine cones float, rocks sink, and pine noodles (needles) race down the river. He knows that when you shake trees, they always deliver a present.

He learns colors and shapes. He learns about bear poop and berries. This world of ours hold endless knowledge and he soaks it up. He thrives in this environment.

He dances in the meadow.

He loves the sound of mud, but the feel he is a little unsure about.

He is learning to run in obstacles and climb over logs.

He also has learned that when mommy has the camera out, he can get away with just about anything. One trick to child photography...let them do things that break the rules and you will get some great photos.

We also learned today that when it is only 50 degrees out, playing in the freezing river is really not the best idea.

Soaked to the bone and beginning to shiver, Logan also learned what it means to be so cold it hurts, that being naked is better than sitting in wet clothes, and riding in the car bare bottomed is kinda fun.

Everyday we have a great adventure. Usually two (one on each side of the nap). I encourage you to put down the flash cards, the laundry, the stirring spoon, and get out there. There is no better classroom than our backyards.

Kid's Corner Madness (sneak peak)

2011-09-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Photographing toddlers and preschoolers is nothing like herding cats. Cats would be easier. It is more like trying to get hummingbirds to sit still AND follow directions. Ahh yes, my little hummingbirds.

Those eyes! Oh man those eyes are amazing! Such a sweet little guy.

My amazing model Ms. Jamie!

Hummingbirds I tell you!

The teachers were not exactly thrilled with this idea, but sometimes you got to let kids be kids and get a little messy!

I love a beautiful boy with a beautiful mama! This little guy is a hummingbird on caffeine! He is so fast!

He slays me! I am so glad he is not mine because I could never say no to that face! Cutest kid ever!

Such a sweet little girl! She wasn't super excited about photos! Perhaps next time. Isn't she beautiful!

Long Valley Fire Department

2011-09-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

I got the exciting experience to shoot the Long Valley Fire Department training night. What a great crew. Thanks to Elizabeth for hanging out and letting me get a few portraits. Next time I will remember the flashlight so focusing will be a bit easier. I have some great portraits that are just a bit soft since I had to focus in the pitch black of night. Oh well. I still got some good ones.

Some Overdue Logan Love

2011-08-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Oh how wonderful summer has been. Busy with weddings and life, no Logan photos have landed here on the blog. As the summer slows, cools, and blends into fall, the blog will once again become ours. Logan will again be our star, but I have some fun shoots lined up, so stay tuned.

My favorites are the self portraits of the two of us. I hold out my arm and snap away hoping I get at least one good one.

Sometimes I strike gold. Get that one great shot. My arm is usually too tired to hold the camera at that point, but it is so worth it.

As you can see, I am still head over heels for this kid. He kills me everyday. He is my light and my joy.

Now off to bed to get ready for yet another mountain biking experience. So far I have only come home badly abused by this sport, but I am determined to get better. Good night all.

Christine and Greg

2011-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Wonderful wedding!!! We loved it! Lots of kids, clouds, and love!

Krista and Drew

2011-07-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Krista and Drew had a fantastic Eastern Sierra wedding at Convict Lake. All weddings should include jumping into a freezing lake as part of the getting ready process. It was a wonderful day filled with beautiful people! Check Vernon's blog too!

Krysta and Lee

2011-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

What a fun group! Krysta and Lee had a beautiful Lake Tahoe wedding with amazing weather. I loved how organized they were and their vows were great! Loved it. Check Vernon's blog too.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day! We spent the morning in Toulumne Meadows (the pass finally opened!), followed by a swim in June Lake, and ending with amazing food, music, and friends at The Mobil. I am so thankful to have such an amazing husband and father! Happy Father's day to all the dads out there.

Little guy demanded to get naked and play in the river at Toulumne. He kept telling me the water hurt him, but he loved it. It was so cold and there was so much snow it was unbelievable! We were hoping to climb here next week, but it is better conditions for skiing than climbing. Unreal! 199% of normal snow pack. So incredible!

We told Logan we were going to see domes. He was obsessed with domes the rest of the day. Here he is flying over Lembert dome!

Noah and Julia

2011-06-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful couple and an amazing wedding. The torrential rain didn't stop this couple from enjoying every minute of their day. Their love was gorgeous to photograph. Vernon and I loved it.

Amber and Jerry

2011-05-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Amber and Jerry had a beautiful wedding in Tahoe. Vernon and I had so much fun documenting their day. What a great couple!

Love

2011-04-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am having days where I am overwhelmed with love. I know, kinda cheesy, but it is true. I've been thinking a lot about life lately, and I have come to the conclusion that I am (should I dare risk jinxing it?) happy. Seriously happy. Not just content, not just okay, but really genuinely happy. I know why. I am surrounded by things I love. I laugh every day. I have an amazing husband that supports my desire to work less, play more, and he likes to join me. I have a little boy that fills my life with complete joy.

Things that I am loving right now...

Silly boys in silly shoes.

All things boy. Cars, trains, dinosaurs, frogs...they are everywhere! Love it!

Starting family traditions, adding to Logan's list of "firsts", and creating new memories.

Perfect morning light.

Good friends

Messy bedrooms and empty toy boxes

Piles of laundry with a Logan on top

Daddy work days

Logan's new favorite game, throwing himself off the recliner and falling. He laughs hysterically every time. He jumps up, claps and runs to do it again. I laugh with a knot in my stomach (afraid he might actually hurt himself), but I don't have the heart to stop him.

The many faces of Logan

I am loving being a mom. Snuggles from this boy are the best!

So, what are you loving lately? Do tell...

Ahh little guy!

2011-03-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

Just a few video clips of our boy. Almost 2!

Mom

2011-02-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

So, you know how I said it all felt like make believe? Well, it got real. By it, I mean life. By life I mean, him. By him, I mean my baby, my son, my motherhood. For so long, my life has been like a dream. Half the time I feel like I am playing house. I have an amazing husband that supports us and makes me laugh, I have a beautiful child that brings such joy it makes me want to cry, and sometimes, it just feels too good to be true. So, I relate it to playing house as a kid, where nothing goes wrong and we live in the heartbreak free world of make believe.

Well, my son went to the hospital and I can say it changed me. I no long feel like I am playing the roll of mother. No, I AM HIS MOTHER. I AM A MOM. It was the first time I felt like a real, true to life mother. This may not make sense to you. You may think that birthing a child changes you and makes you a mom. Well, it does, but, my mind didn’t change that much. I fell more in love than I ever have when I held Logan for the first time, I would have died for him, but I felt like a kid still. I can’t explain it, but it all changed when we were left with life and death decisions for my baby, for my life, my heart.

People ask if it was the scariest time in my life. No. I wasn’t scared. I couldn’t be scared. I had no time for it. I had time only for Logan. I had to fight for him. I had to hold him down, bear hug him just so he would calm down enough to breath. I had to call nurses while alarms sounded. I had to be there, completely and totally for Logan. I had no time to think what ifs. I had no time for fear.

The only time I let myself break was when we were first told he was sick enough to stay in the hospital, and then again after the worst night of my life. The night he wouldn’t breathe, the night he wouldn’t pee. That next morning I was faced with three choices. All bad, but I chose to sedate my son, and get him fluids by surgically placing an IV into his jugular. They had to escort me out of the room. I broke. I fell. I cried. I no longer had control. I could no longer watch his little chest rise and fall with each breath. I let myself get scared. I let myself think “What IF?”

Once he received those vital fluids, he began to come back to us. He started to breath. He started to heal. It is amazing what the human body can endure. My boy went through a lot and he recovered. I became super human to help support him. I was a mom. Moms are not super heroes, but we will be for our children. I went three nights with no sleep, I never left his side, but did I feel tired? No. Did I want to be anywhere else? Never. I was there completely. I am not special. I did what any mother would do. I am just amazed at what we are capable of accomplishing.

When we left the hospital (with a skinny but otherwise healthy baby), I stopped to get a drink from our local mom and pop store. A lady I didn’t know asked how Logan was doing. She told me she had been praying. I broke. I fell apart. I sobbed. You know the heaving, can’t breathe crying. I scared this poor lady. After assuring her Logan was okay, I explained, we had just been released and I was exhausted. I got back in the car, unstrapped Logan, and held him and cried. It all hit me, HARD. I could have lost him. The fear came and engulfed me. I let it. I felt like I had earned it. I cried in the parking lot. Then I strapped Logan back in and moved on.

I am a mother. I am no longer pretending. I hope to NEVER go through something like that again, but this I know… Nothing, NOTHING, will ever be too much when it comes to my son. I will always be able to stand up for him and fight! It was horrible, but I learned I can do this.

On another note, small towns are amazing. The whole community was pulling for my little man and I love our home all the more for its unity!

Don't give up on me!

2010-11-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

I am still here. I know I haven't posted in forever, but I will again soon. My camera took a dive into a river (right after this photo) and I need to wait a little while until I get it fixed. Until then, don't give up on me. Keep checking and perhaps I will post again soon.

Our New Park

2010-10-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood park just re-opened after a month or two of remodels. Little guy was very excited!

The McMillians

2010-10-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day for photographs! Vernon and I had a great time shooting the McMillian family. We had a lot of fun. The little guy was amazingly cute! Here are a few of my favorites. Vernon does the more standard family shots. I get the other stuff.

Higerds

2010-10-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful afternoon shooting the Higerd clan. What a joyful family. I loved it.

Last Wedding of the Season

2010-09-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

I have been really bad about keeping up this blog, but now that the wedding season is over, I should be better. Here is the last wedding of this season. I assisted my husband again, and unfortunately the camera I was using took a plunge in the lake the weekend before. It was an interesting day shooting with out information regarding shutter speed and aperture, and with a lens that didn't seal. I managed to pull a few good shots, but not as many as normal. I was a bit frustrated by the end and bailed early. Oh well. Next year. I have to say, Nikon cameras were built tough! Here are some of my favorites.