Portraits of Haylie // Berkeley in Bloom

Haylie and I go back a couple of decades. We were born a day apart, and in second grade we swapped our in-class birthday celebrations so that each of our moms could be there. She celebrated on my birthday and I celebrated on hers. We loved it because we got twice as much birthday that year. And I remember in third grade she was a brown and white spotted puppy for Halloween. We both lifeguarded all through high school, and during those summers racked up countless hours in the tiny office of the Willits City Pool, blasting the fan, swatting flies and flipping through the same issues of Cosmopolitan (that magazine brainwashes perfectly healthy teenage girls into thinking they aren't normal, I swear.) She is part of of the small handful of girls that I have remained close with since graduation. And she keeps getting more beautiful. Haylie is good people.

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We spent the evening walking around Berkeley and Albany, squatting in people's front yards. It was great collaborating and catching up. Haylie's makeup was done my the talented Jenni Huse. If you live in the Bay Area and are interested in a portrait session, contact me for rates

Haylie helps raise funds and awareness for Huntington's Disease. You can learn more about the disease and support Team Hope by donating here.

Last Days in Hilo

The last of our Hawaii vacation photos. Sigh. As always, it felt like too short a trip. And because I had three photo session while we were there, I ended up taking fewer personal photos than usual. These are the ones I don't want to get away.

Jeffery and I went to watch the surfers at Honoli'i Beach Park. We walked down to the creek and then drove over one of the prettiest bridges in the Hilo area. 

One evening we went for a long walk in my parent's neighborhood and encountered some interesting creatures:

Hawaiian Pony

Jungle Kitty

Vacation Jeffery

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We took Nala on a five-mile round-trip hike through the jungle to Shipman Beach, definitely a highlight of the trip. 

Smiling dog

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On Valentines Day I got my mom to take our photo, the only one of me that exists from the whole trip. We went out to lunch, shopped for fancy chocolates at Big Island Candies, and enjoyed a decadent meal of filet mignon, lobster, asparagus, and hollandaise at home with my parents. Best of all, I got to spend the entire day with my honey. 

Our last adventure was a drive to the Waipio Valley outlook. We hiked a bit of the way down the hill before determining that we were underprepared and turned back. Afterwards we tasted some beers at the Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea (highly recommended!). 

Oh, Big Island. I really love you. And I appreciate your mellow vibes and understated beauty. We look forward to next time!

Sibling Portraits on the Farm

These three have beautiful souls. Every moment I have spent with them has been a blur of excitement, joy, love, and curiosity. The older two were the flower children in my wedding (and they were terrific!) and this was my first time getting to know the littlest one, who was in her gorgeous mama's belly at the time. I have wanted to photograph them for years! So lucky I got to chance, and so lucky to know them. 

 

I love this sequence. I was so captivated by her that somehow I shot 30 frames in 60 seconds! 

Thank you Leimomi for sharing your gorgeous children with me. I can't wait to get together next time we're in Hilo. Love love love to you and your family.

My Beautiful Giveaway Winner, Malia

Malia won the photo session giveaway that I held in December, and when Jeffery and I were in Hilo we were able to together at my parent's farm. Isn't she lovely? I have recently been inspired by portraiture with a lot of greenery and texture (in addition to beautiful light), and I think we utilized our surroundings really well. 

 

I love how the light coming through the ferns crimps her hair.

Thank you Malia! I could not have asked for a better model and subject, she is a natural. Effortless. Fun. Engaged. I think you can tell we had a lot of fun together. 

Welcoming Baby Kanoe

These are the photographs I love to take. Authentic. Relaxed. Beautiful. Honest.

Maile just became a big sister, and my family and I got to meet baby Kanoe when she was 11 days old. Maile showed us all of her favorite toys, all of her books. This almost three-year-old was thrilled to have us as her audience. While Kanoe slept, Maile rode her trike on lava rock road out front.

 

I love her little hand!

Sarah, she's beautiful. You all are. Thank you for sharing your darling family with me. I can't wait to witness the next chapters. 

Point Reyes National Seashore

Before we left for the Big Island, Marina and I spent a drizzly afternoon exploring the Point Reyes National Seashore. She led me over a creek and through the woods to an old overgrown and abandoned daffodil farm that was just beginning to bloom. 

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When we parked I was a little skeptical, it just looked like a marsh and some woods and a hill with no trail. But she knew where she was going. Pretty magical place. I have been wanting to go for years, but the daffodils are only in bloom the first couple weeks of February. Afterwards we took a walk on Limantour Beach, another place I had never been.

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Feeling fortunate that I have such an incredible grandmother, and that I get to accompany her  on adventures. 

First Eighteen Hours

Saturday morning sunrise.

Saturday morning sunrise.

Mochi drinking
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Some images from our first 18 hours in Hilo. That dog, my Nala girl, with her caramel colored eyes and soft kisses. We collected 32 eggs yesterday, a farm record. Mochi has the most charmed life of any cat I know. And my mama works way too hard. My dad is always playing music, creating the soundtrack for our visit. It's so nice to be home. A year is a long time, and as always so much has grown in our absence. I don't have the words to do it justice, but it looks pretty good through my lens.