Say Cheese!

I am beginning to think that most photographers prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it. I know that is true for me. I needed to have a new photo for my bio on my website. One of my dear friends and an excellent photographer, Amy Griffin, was kind enough to take some photos of me. I even asked my friend and roommate, Julie, to come with me for moral support and to make me laugh and not look awkward in the photos. :) Towards the end of the shoot you can tell that I was beginning to feel more comfortable. I even asked her to jump into a few of the photos. What I though would be a 5 minute shoot ended up being over an hour. Thanks soooo much Amy. You are amazing! Thanks also to Julie who is often kind enough to be my model when I am trying out some new photography equipment or a new lighting technique. Often times I don't really give her a choice! You can see at the end of our shoot we were laughing a lot... I know I can count on Julie for a good laugh!

METRO

I went with the high school students of NewSong church to Los Angeles last Sunday. Mark Maines, pastor of Student Ministries, designed this cultural learning activity to "Ride the Metro as we engage in our shared humanity in various places, people groups, and cultures." It was a great learning time for many high school students who spend most of their time in Southern California suburbia. I hope you enjoy the images as well as a small taste of Chinatown and Olvera Street.
SLIDESHOW

Courtney and Jeremiah

Courtney and Jeremiah are such a cute couple... and so photogenic, too! We had a lot of fun last Sunday afternoon as we explored Old Town Pasadena looking for unique places to take engagement photos. They wanted a more urban feel, as opposed to the beach or a park, and I immediately thought of Old Town. I just love it there! Courtney and Jeremiah laughed together so much during the shoot it made my job really easy. I am looking forward to shooting their wedding in March 2007.

SLIDESHOW

Welcome Josiah!

Josiah Justis was born September 2nd and already had his first modeling debut! His big sister, Eliana, was too cute not to photograph. Heather and John are great friends of mine and have two beautiful children that I have been honored to photograph several different times. Congratulations Heather, John, and Eliana! Check here to see their slideshow. :)

Click Here.t

Images by Jonathan Michael

Being a second shooter for a friend is always so much fun for me. Jonathan Marrs is an incredible photographer and I always enjoy shooting weddings with him when our schedules work out. This is one of my favorite images from the day of the beautiful bride! Jessie was radiant all day long! Check out some of Jonathan's photography
HERE.

Pregnancy Photos

This morning I had the honor of photographing one of my beautiful friends only a week and a half before her due date. I am so excited to meet the new addition to her family. I think that pregnant women are so gorgeous... and my friend is gorgeous and glowing. She and her husband are waiting to see if it's a boy or girl... but I have a feeling it's going to be a girl. We'll see very soon!

July 2006: Maine

I had a family reunion in Maine and my family had a traditional Lobster and Clam Bake on the rocks by the shoreline. This cutie is my cousin's little boy, Jake. Yes, even though it was raining hard we still had the bake. It was so fun! I am sure that I will be posting more photos from Maine soon. Keep watching for them. :)

This is his big brother Bryan helping husk corn for the clam and lobster bake.

Click here for the slideshow.

Official Launch!

Today is the official launch of my new website! Although it has been up for a few weeks, I was doing some finishing touches to it. I am really excited about it! As the launch was official today and I looked at the calendar I realized that summer is coming to an end. It will be September tomorrow! I can hardly believe it. This is a photo of a guy who I adore! his name is Micah. His mom and dad are really good friends of mine and they will be moving to Nepal in just a few weeks. I knew that their move was coming at the end of the summer... but somehow it crept up on me. So, as I celebrate the excitement of the progress I am making with photography, I feel the depth of the loss of Jon, Carissa, and Micah in my daily life, because they have become like family to me. I am sad to not see them everyday, but I am excited for the impact that they will make in Nepal. I think in order to really appreciate the joys in life we have to experience the sadness, too. Okay, enough deep thoughts for now. ;) More later...

Website Launch!!!

It's finally done! I am so excited about the new website! I hope that you all enjoy it, too! I will be posting some of my favorite photos from the summer. So be sure to visit again and check them out. To my family and friends: Thanks for all of your support and encouragement along the way... I couldn't have done it without you. :)