it was the smile that his mother had when she found out she would be having her first child; it was her smile when she found out it was going to be a little boy; it was her smile when she met him and knew his name was elijah; and it was her smile when she realized he smiled because of her love.

meet elijah. the cutest little man i think i have ever met. the little man with a smile than already lights up a room and lights up our hearts.

i am pleased to have met him and his proud mommy for some casual portraits in laguna a few weeks ago. we spent a lovely afternoon together getting to know each other, and by the end of it we were great friends.

i am honored to show you these portraits of elijah and elizabeth– they are a little glimpse into their lives, their hearts and their love.

these are the moments that we treasure… sort of.

elijah, you are so loved!!!

now you know where elijah gets his good looks from…

elizabeth… you’re stunning!

She’s the loveliest college freshman to hit campus this year… and I’m sure she is going to have an extraordinary time there! Lauren just started at a little college in the pacific northwest where she can wear coats and jeans and boots and all that cute clothing that we rarely get to wear here in Southern California. She’s also going to have such a wonderful time sharing moments and experiences with people that are a lot like her… articulate, intelligent and brilliant! She’s going to look fabulous in her pea coats and Wellies when it snows and I am so excited to see her grow into the amazing woman I know she is on her way to being.

I am so blessed to have had an opportunity to spend one of the last warm summer afternoons with her and am so happy to know her. Thanks Lauren for hanging out with me, I’ll never forget it!

Her energy and vibrant personality radiate from her– she can really find the fun in anything! We wandered around back alleyways and side streets in Downtown LA and had a blast the entire time! I’ve never me t a woman who can work a bright blue storage facility door like she can! She the most fierce woman I know!

Thank you so much Wendy for allowing me to photograph you and your beautiful smile!

I was so lucky to spend one HOT July afternoon with a new friend, Sharon. It was the first time she had done anything like this, but she handled it like a total pro! We wandered around the arts district in Downtown Los Angeles and found some absolutely fantastic new locations to shoot! I love all the color and grafitti that was all over the place- what a haven for creative energy!

Thank you to Sharon for trusting me to make you feel comfortable and look beautiful! Hope you love this little preview of your portraits! 

I had the opportunity to do a small workshop with actors and models, just for fun. Just some stylists, makeup artists and designers getting together to collaborate– I was there to document their efforts. 

Here I present to you a sneak peek of two of the models, Caitlin and Jack who are absolutely gorgeous together. We had a phenomenal time together, laughing, joking and just plain having fun. 

I really love this one of caitlin…

Thank you Karena for showing me how amazing it is to be four years old. I will never forget our morning together. You have reminded me how fun it is to be silly and carefree. I will never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun. Thank you for giving me that gift. 

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{Click here} to preview a cute little album I designed from my favorite images from the shoot.

I think it’s such a fantastic keepsake of a wonderful time in a child’s life.  

I absolutely love the classic portrait feel of this image… don’t you?

Wendy is a woman who has taught me that women are capable of anything. We are powerful, pretty beings who can light up a room with a smile. I had the pleasure of spending an incredible afternoon with Wendy at my favorite place in the whole wide world- the Santa Monica Pier. It was another spectacular day in Los Angeles when we met up for some portraits and fun. 

I can’t think of a better way to spend a day: make a new friend, take pretty pictures, and watch the sun set over the rolling hills of Malibu. Good times.  

Ellie and Moshe’s love is so incredibly vibrant, like the colors of the photos that follow. It was such a delight to meet and spend the afternoon with two such wonderful and unique people. 

I wish you the best Ellie & Moshe- I am confident that your love and passion for one another will last forever. 

This next one is of a veil that Ellie’s mom brought back from one of her trips to France… I think it’s fantastic!

In my seven months of being married, I have spent many amazing moments laughing with my new husband. Our laughter fills my heart with joy and reminds me of how blessed I am to be his wifey.

So you can imagine my joy and excitement for Cynthia and Ron who are constantly laughing and filling their lives with so much joy- they are definitely one of  the most wonderful couples I have ever had the pleasure of photographing.  Our goal for the photo shoot was to retrace the steps of their first date some years ago. We started our amazing Downtown Los Angeles adventure at Curry House in Little Tokyo where they had dinner together for the first time. We then wandered around Downtown and found some really wonderful urban locations that I will definitely be returning to. 

It was an incredible pleasure to spend such an incredible afternoon with these two! They are getting married this May and are going to live happily ever after. I can tell.  

Our Sunday afternoon started with some Boba which I had never experienced before. I know, I know- how could I have gone four years in college without having boba? I don’t exactly know. I guess it’s because I never particularly enjoyed small slimy balls in my beverages. I tried it, I kind of liked it and I will probably have it again. There, I said it. 

We then made our way to some great locations, got some amazing shots AND Jordan charmed his way out of a parking ticket. I didn’t think he could pull it off- but he did! I will never doubt my devistatingly handsome husband again. 

We were so happy to have had the opportunity to photograph Kristen and Luc- we are honored to have been chosen to document their love for each other. They are such determined, passionate and genuine people that are perfect for each other. Their love is so organic and beams from them when they are near each other.

We are so blessed to have spent such a lovely day with you two! Thanks guys! 

STAY TUNED FOR KRISTEN AND LUC’S SLIDESHOW- it will be posted soon!