I don’t know if words could every truly describe how much I love Katie & Chris.  Katie is one of my bestest friends, and I am sure we must have been separated at birth!!  We met many years ago while working at the local film lab, and have been friends ever since. She is an amazing photographer and blogger, and I am more than honored to capture these special moments in their lives. We ventured out to Muir Beach for their Engagement session, and in June, we will be in beautiful South Lake Tahoe where they will exchange wedding vows. Thank you Katie & Chris, not only for your friendship, but for allowing me to be part of your wedding celebration. xoxoxo

Enjoy!

xo

perfectly healthy and handsome, Chase Edward Collins was born on November 20th, 2012 at 10:02 pm. He weighed 6 pounds  and 15 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Photographed at just 2 weeks old, here are a few of my favorites from our session. Enjoy. xo

I have known Mike for many years….like, since 5th or 6th grade!!  I was absolutely thrilled to hear about his engagement, and even more excited when he contacted me to photograph their engagement. From the moment I met Kristy, I knew they were perfect for each other.  They are so sweet, and so perfectly in love. I can’t wait for their September wedding in the beautiful Sebastopol redwoods. Thank you Mike & Kristy for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful time your lives. Enjoy. xoxoxo

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in September when Tiffany and Aaron exchanged vows. The wedding took place at the bride’s stunning childhood home in Santa Cruz, California. The home sits along on one of the most beautiful and scenic routes. With cliffs and crashing waves right out the front door…it is a view to die for. The wedding was beyond perfect. Tiffany had it styled to perfection with stunning floral arrangements, birdcage centerpieces all with a  soft pearl, pink and burlap color pallet. Thank you Tiffany & Aaron for allowing me to take part in such a wonderful celebration of love.

Enjoy. xoxoxoxo

I had such a wonderful time photographing the beautiful Arnett Family. They are such a fun and loving family!!  Here are a handful of images from our session.

Enjoy. xo

Welcome to Burano, Italy.

Enjoy. xoxo

{for more adventures in Italy, click the links below}

Carnevale di Venezia 2012 | Venice, Italy

Welcome to Carnevale di Venezia 2012 Being in Venice

Venice, Italy

Welcome to Venice, Italy… It was another

Verona, Italy

Chris and I awoke on another frosty morning in

Milan, Italy

Welcome to Milan…   Piazza del Duomo

quiet moments. watching the sunrise. hanging out with my bestie. soaking in the beauty of this wonderful planet. grateful for my talents and where they are taking me… =)

I just love photographing this adorable little family. They are so sweet, and super cute! Here are some of my favorites from our session. Enjoy. xoxo

Enjoying the sweet songs from my bird friends….

xoxo

I am sure you recognized this beautiful couple…I have photographed their engagement, their awesome Monterey wedding…and now, its baby time!  Thank you Jesse & Santia, for once again allowing me to document another milestone in your perfect love story. Enjoy. xoxo

An after wedding session. Santa Cruz, California.

Enjoy. xoxoxo

I loved photographing this adorable couple…They are so much fun and totally cute!!  I can’t wait for their September Santa Cruz wedding. Thank you Tiffany & Aaron for such a fun session. Enjoy. xoxo

This beautiful girl is not only my best friend…but she is also the pretty face behind, Katie Zaboy Photography. Katie and I were both in need of some updated pictures for our website and blog, so we ventured out to our favorite venue, Park Winters to photograph each other!  We had an absolutely fabulous time. There is nothing more perfect than a beautiful day, wonderful friendship, and an awe inspiring location. Katie, thank you for being the greatest friend a gal could have… I appreciate your friendship and support more than words can express.   xoxoxo

A very special thank you to, Park Winters for allowing us to use their beautiful property!

This precious little boy was welcomed on April 23, 2012 @3:43pm, weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces  and 20.5 inches long. Congratulations Barrett family, and thank you for allowing me to document yet another milestone for your beautiful family.

Enjoy. xoxo

Rachel & Alvin exchanged vows on a beautiful Sunday morning at Brix in Yountville.  Their wedding was absolutely perfect…12 guests in a private ceremony, followed by a candlelit brunch….so lovely!!

Thank you so much Rachel & Alvin for allowing me to capture your love story.  Enjoy. xoxo

I had so much fun with this super sweet family! I have known Jamie since junior high school, and was absolutely thrilled that we were able to reconnect and have a photo shoot.  We all met up  on a beautiful spring afternoon to photograph them on their gorgeous property…here are a handful of my favorites from our session!  Thank you Galyen family for such a fun afternoon! Enjoy. xo

Being in Venice during Carnevale was hands down one of the greatest experiences of my life.  The culture, the costumes….all a mind blowing adventure. As I look back at my images, I know that this trip will forever be a highlight of my life. Truly an incredible place!  If you have a bucket list….I urge you to add this to it!! Here are my most favorite images of Carnevale di Venezia.

Enjoy. xoxo

{for more adventures in, Italy….visit the links below}

Venice, Italy

Welcome to Venice, Italy… It was another beautiful and chilly morning in Milan, Chris and I woke up early, packedView full post »

Verona, Italy

Chris and I awoke on another frosty morning in beautiful Milan, Italy.  We had one day left before we needed to be inView full post »

Milan, Italy

Welcome to Milan…   Piazza del Duomo Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II San Bernardino alle Ossa | ChurchView full post »

I had such a great time photographing this adorable family….they were so much fun and so easy to photograph!  Here are a handful of my favorites from our shoot. Thank you Megan & Jonas for such a wonderful session. Enjoy! xoxo

These sweet little boys belong to the very adorable, Colvard Family.  We went out on a beautiful spring afternoon to photograph sweet little Josh for his first birthday!!  Here are a handful of my favorites from our session. Thank you Colvard family for another great session. Enjoy. xoxo

You may recall my session a few weeks ago with Courtney….well guess what??  Her husband made it home from his deployment before the baby arrived!  We ventured out for another session to capture their sweet love and that adorable belly bump. Here are a few of my favorites from our session.

Enjoy. xoxo

{previous sessions with Courtney & Justin}

Courtney | Belly Bump

Say hello to Beautiful Courtney! You may recognize this gorgeous girl…I photographed her and her sweet husbandView full post »

Courtney & Justin | A Rainy Day in San Francisco

Say Hi to Courtney & Justin! I love shooting in San Francisco, so when Courtney emailed and asked if we could go&#View full post »

As a member of the Artisan Group, I was given an amazing opportunity to send my artwork to 25 eco conscious celebrities in honor of Earth Day.  I created this eco friendly collection just for them and now offer it in my shop. Everything in this collection is made from 100% post consumer materials. The prints are printed on a fine art recycled paper, and my packaging is made from 100% recycled cotton fiber. I am so honored, and excited to be a part of this opportunity….and outta control excited when I learned which celebrities would be getting my artwork!!!

{Recipients of the Earth Day gift bags are:  Jeremy Piven, Tom Hanks, Bill Maher, Adrian Grenier, Kate Bosworth, P!nk,  Leonardo DiCaprio, Dave Matthews, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Daryl Hannah, Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Orlando Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Hartnett, Sting, Barbra Streisand  Alicia Silverstone, Courteney Cox, Cameron Diaz, KT Tunstall, Mark Ruffalo, & Edward Norton.}

 {One side features images from Venice, Italy}

My Product Cards | Include a description of the product and explain how it is Eco-friendly.

{the other side features images from Moorea, French Polynesia}

My Bio Cards | Include a little blurb about me on one side and all my contact info on the other side

Eco Friendly Collection | Click HERE to view in my shop.

It was another beautiful and chilly morning in Milan, Chris and I woke up early, packed our bags,  and walked to the train station. This time we were en-route to beautiful Venice for a few days.  After a few hours on the train, we arrived in Venice.  As we exited the train, and walked out of the  station, our eyes grew wide with excitement. It was beyond beautiful and so much more than I had ever imagined.

After checking  into our hotel, Chris and I headed out to explore. We found a great place for dinner, listened to music, and walked the streets eating gelato. The next morning, despite the rain and moments of snow, we bundled up and went back out to explore. This time we ditched the map, and decided that we were going to get totally lost. …

below are some of my favorite images. Lost in Venice. Enjoy…xoxo

more of my travels…

Verona, Italy

Chris and I awoke on another frosty morning in beautiful Milan, Italy.  We had one day left before we needed to be inView full post »

Milan, Italy

Welcome to Milan…   Piazza del Duomo Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II San Bernardino alle Ossa | ChurchView full post »

Carnevale di Venezia | one frame

Transport to beautiful Italy… a little peek at our adventures in Venice. Enjoy. xo   stay tuned for full postView full post »

Say Hello to my friends, The DeBartolo’s

When Chris and I were looking for our wedding rings, we wanted to shop locally and support the small business in our town. We of course ended up in downtown Vacaville at DeBartolo & Co.  Locally owned and operated by Louie & Kelly,  Debartolo & Co. has an amazing line of jewelry for any occasion. Stop in and say hello, you will be  greeted with a warm smile (and a few kisses from the shop dog, Isabella)…I promise you will not be disappointed!!

{This is our wedding set}

You may recognize this gorgeous girl…I photographed her and her sweet husband early last year on a rainy day in San Francisco.  I was thrilled to learn these love birds were expecting their first child, and even more thrilled that they wanted to do a maternity session. For this session, Courtney’s husband was deployed and she was unsure if he would arrive home before the baby came. We decided to photographer just her and then do another session if he made it home….here are some of my favorites from our session. Enjoy. xo

Welcome to Verona, Italy.

Milan Central Train Station

Wandering the streets of Verona.

Arena di Verona

{As you wander the streets of Verona, right in the middle of the city is, Arena di Verona}

Casa di Giulietta

{people from all over the world come and leave love letters to Giulietta. Gum and Graffiti cover every inch of the courtyard entrance}

Verona Porta Nuova Railway Station

I can’t believe a year has passes since my best friends, JD & Jennie gave birth to sweet baby Shane.  There is nothing more amazing than watching two people you adore begin their family, and I am lucky enough to photograph these fleeting moments. Here are some of my favorites from our one year family session. Enjoy. xoxo

{To view more of the Jensen Family, click the links below}

J.D. & Jennie | Belly Bump

Say Hello to J.D. & Jennie! These two lovers just happen to be my best friends!  I was so excited when theyView full post »

Baby Shane | Newborn

Perfectly healthy and adorable, Shane Roman Jensen, was born on March 28, 2011 at 9:35 am weighing 7 pounds 14 ounces,View full post »

Welcome to Milan…

Piazza del Duomo

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

San Bernardino alle Ossa | Church of Bones

Castello Sforzesco

Parco Sempione

Arco della Pace

a little peek at our adventures in Venice.

Enjoy. xo

stay tuned for full post….

As many of you know, I am a proud member of The Artisan Group. For several months I have been planning, printing and packaging 100 gifts that will be included in celebrity swag bags, at the 2012 Oscars Luxury Gift Lounge. Also included in these gift bags will be a variety of handmade goods crafted by many talented members in our group.  I am so excited to share with you the gifts which I have made for the celebrity gift bags. Enjoy. xo

Orange Mum Bookmark | Click HERE to view in my shop

Orange Mum Bookmark | Click HERE to view in my shop

Dream Cards | Click HERE to view in my shop

Little Black Bird Cards | Click HERE to view in my shop

My Bio Cards | Include a little blurb about me on one side and all my contact info on the other side

A view of the entire package | 1- Orange Mum Bookmark, 2- Dream Cards, 2- Little Black Bird Cards and my bio card.

This is what my office looks like with 100 perfectly packaged celebrity gifts!

2012 Oscars Event Guide | Click HERE to view in its entirety and read about the incredibly talented artisans in our group.

I met up with the adorable Johnson Family on a chilly winter morning. We took a few family portraits, but focused our session on sweet little Ella. She was a little shy at first, but after walking around and goofing off, we had her laughing in no time! Here are a handful of my faves from our shoot. Thank you Johnson family for a great session! Enjoy. xo

I am sure you probably recognize this little cutie…we have had many sessions together! I probably sound like a broken record….But I JUST photographed Madison when she turned 2 years old, and I can’t believe how much she has changed in just 6 months. She is such a character and she had me running around taking pictures until there was no sun left in the sky. I love capturing the care free moments of a child…

Thanks Barrett Family for another great session! xoxo

Chelsea and I went to high school together and thanks to facebook, we recently reconnected. I was so excited when she emailed me letting me know that she was expecting and would like to do a photo session. We went out on a beautiful winter afternoon to photograph Chelsea’s adorable belly bump along with her darling family! Thank you, McQuistan family for such a great session….can’t wait to meet baby Max! xoxo

I had so much fun photographing Connar for her senior portraits!  We walked around downtown on a beautiful fall afternoon, chatting and laughing the entire time. Here are just a handful of my faves from our session. Thank you, Conner for such a wonderful afternoon…Enjoy your beautiful portraits. xoxo

This adorable family has been behind my lens many times, and its no secret that I absolutely adore them!  We ventured out on a beautiful December afternoon to capture their family portraits and had so much fun. Sweet baby Stella was just as cute as ever! Here are a handful of some of my favorites from our session. Thanks Coontz family for another great session! xoxo

2011 Client Appreciation Contest

It has been an incredible year and to show my appreciation, I am having a contest!! This contest is open to any client who had a session or wedding with Crystal Lynn Photography in 2011.

Details

The contest begins at 8pm TONIGHT!!! (January 1, 2012)

It works like this. An image from each of my 2011 sessions will be placed in a gallery on Crystal Lynn Photography’s facebook page. Whichever image receives the most “likes” wins.

The Prize

One lucky winner will receive a 16×20 fine art canvas. The canvas will be an image of YOUR choice, from your 2011 session!!!

To participate, follow these simple steps:

1. Navigate to Crystal Lynn Photography’s facebook page (hint: here )

2. If you haven’t already, please “like” my page.

3.Locate your photo and “like” it. Comments are welcome, but will not count as a vote.

4. That’s it! That’s all there is to it. Now spread the word and get as many of your friends and family to follow these simple steps for your chance to win!

5. Contest ends Friday, January 6^th at 4pm. Have Fun, and Good Luck!!!!

***This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.***

As I reflect on the passage of another year I am in awe of how quickly time seems to pass. 2011 started off rough. I was mentally and physically exhausted from my recent cancer treatments. By mid January my husband and I decided that we had to take a trip. Somewhere. Anywhere. It didn’t matter where or even how. We just needed a break. A few short weeks later Chris and I boarded an airplane to Moorea, in the French Polynesian islands. We decided to call our trip a “Bleated Honeymoon/Fuck Cancer” adventure. It was beyond perfect, I detailed our trip in a series of blog entries found here. We arrived home with a renewed exuberance, a new perspective and a rejuvenated soul. We were ready to face 2011.

The year continued to have it’s challenges as I learned to adjust to my new lifestyle. I had numerous appointments, follow ups, check ups and evaluations with doctors. I endured a dizzying amount of blood work and a couple of recurring scans. All  designed to keep close tabs on my thyroid levels and to monitor indicators of cancerous growth. Regardless of my struggles, 2011 was an incredible year for Crystal Lynn Photography. My clients were more than amazing… I’m honored to have witnessed and photographed so many beautiful moments. My family, friends and my clients continue to be my driving force. It’s through them that I have found my strength. My strength to stay positive, strength to remain inspired and strength to face my challenges one day at a time, for that I am truly grateful. Thank you all for your continued support. Whether you are family, a friend, a client or just someone who commented on my work. I appreciate every single word.

Below are some of my most favorite images of 2011.

I wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2012.

Enjoy!

I met up with this adorable family on a gorgeous fall afternoon! The leaves, colors and weather were perfect. I had so much fun hanging out and photographing the beautiful Espinoza family…here are a handful of some of my favorites from their session. Enjoy. xoxo

I have known this family for years and I absolutely adore them! We all got together the day after Thanksgiving on a beautiful fall afternoon and had a wonderful time. (You probably recognize Mindy & Ben…I photographed their engagement & wedding earlier this year) Thank You, Lipski, Barrios, and Watkins family…Enjoy your beautiful images! xoxo

These two love birds totally rocked their session!  They are so sweet, loving and super fun…and it totally reflects in their images. I can’t wait for their Napa Valley wedding in April 2012. Rachel & Alvin, thank you so much for allowing me to capture your love. Enjoy your beautiful images! xoxo

This adorable couple exchanged vows on October 15, 2011. It was a beautiful fall day at the Green Valley Country Club, and I am completely honored to have witnessed and captured such a beautiful wedding. Thank you Samantha & Ryan for allowing me to be part of your very special day! Enjoy. xoxo

We went out on a rainy fall afternoon, and to our luck…the rain stopped for about 45 min allowing us to capture these beautiful images. I just love this little family. They are always so much fun, and baby Lucas is just precious.  Thank you Rene & Jeremy for another great session!  Enjoy. xoxo

On a recent trip to Colorado, Chris and I woke at 5:00 am and drove from Denver to Colorado Springs. We were en route to the “Garden of the Gods” and wanted to get there for sunrise.  As the sun began to rise I realized that our early morning adventure would be worth every minute of lost sleep.  The air was crisp, the wildlife was plentiful, and the rocks lit up as the sun rays soaked in….Enjoy. xoxo

This adorable couple were married on a gorgeous fall afternoon at the Opera House in downtown Vacaville.  It was a beautiful day filled with tons of fun and lots of love. Thank you Jason & Christie for allowing me to be part of such an amazing day!  Enjoy your beautiful images. xoxoxo

On a beautiful fall afternoon, I met up with Nyssa and her daughter Maddysen in downtown Vacaville.  I always have so much fun with these girls!! Maddysen is so precious and a total Diva! Here are a few of my favorites from our session! Enjoy. xoxo