I met Natalie last year while photographing her identical twin sister’s wedding. Her family was an absolute joy to work with, so when Natalie approached me right after she got engaged earlier this year, I was ecstatic. Although I know it isn’t fair, but I felt like I knew her so well since I had bonded so easily with her sister. We immediately started looking at dates for her and Rob’s engagement session, and we landed on Fort Bragg area. They had rented an Airbnb for a weekend trip in late August and thought it’d be the perfect spot.

I had planned on arriving extra early to do some location scouting, but when Natalie sent me a few photos of this spot that was within a 5 minute walking distance for their house rental, I immediately broke out in my perfect-location-happy-dance. And I think you’ll see why! <3

Ashley and I had been planning the session months in advance for sweet Micah’s first birthday. We’re about an hour away from each other, so we decided to meet halfway down near the Auburn/Foresthill Confluence in late May. The weather has been fairly mild for this time of year which is always nice when babies are involved. We pulled out the stroller and made our way down to the river. Ashley rocked it in heels!

With the unusual amount of rainfall we had in recent months, the river was raging more so than I’ve been accustomed to. I braved sticking my toes in, but that’s about as far as brave as I dared. (I’m a sissy when it comes to cold water)

Micah smiled at me with his four teeth the entire session and was such a happy, sweet baby. What a dreamboat! I was one happy gal. 

Real smiles are the best smiles. And Mommy and Me Sessions always bring out allll the real smiles. Michelle and her two little had way too much fun during our session, as proof by their grins and giggles.

I photographed a full family session for these three (along with daddy) almost exactly one year ago and when Michelle learned of my Mommy and Me offerings, she was one of the first to book. I was absolutely delighted! Her two girls are so full of life and oh, so patient. We didn’t sat still for too long which kept everyone happy (my secret recipe!)  so that I could catch the very best moments.

But, seriously. What a wonderful Mother’s Day gift to have these moments forever captured and cherished always.

Leave a comment or book your own session if you think moms totally deserve this gift! You can get in touch with me by clicking “Contact” on my site. Happy Spring! <3

With back to back Senior Sessions this week, I couldn’t not share some of my very favorites of these two lovely gals. We explored, adventured, and laughed until the sun went down. 

These graduating seniors kept me on my toes and brought their A-Game! Yay for Class of 2017! 

This time last year, I was amidst my first European traveling experience. My dad and I had found insanely inexpensive tickets to Stockholm, Sweden, and thought, “Why not?”

We flew out on the first of February and (unsuccessfully) prepared ourselves for a harsher climate than that of the Northern Californian winters we were accustomed to. A twelve day trip yielded seven days in Sweden and five in Spain. We made sure to pack lightly knowing that we wouldn’t be spending much time in any one given city. 

Sweden proved to be just as bitterly cold as we had anticipated but oh, so, magical. We spent several days in Stockholm, exploring the city as much as we could with non-stop snow. Warm coffee shops became a sort of sanctuary for us; stopping in for some hot beverages to recharge before heading out into the cold once more. After a few nights in the city, we hopped aboard a train and headed north to the enchanting ski town, Åre. Hints of it reminded me of Lake Tahoe as there was a giant, frozen lake with several ski lodges and lifts sprinkled along the adjacent hillside. We were welcomed by severe windstorms and cold, grey skies, but thankfully on our last day, the sun came out to bid us farewell.

With Spain came sunshine and 70 degree weather. We stayed several nights in Malaga, enjoying views of the Mediterranean Sea, and one night in Ronda which had some of the most spectacular landscapes I’ve been fortunate enough to witness firsthand. Because of the beautiful weather, we were much more mobile and spent most of our time outdoors exploring the surrounding area. Although the weather was pretty spectacular, we still frequented many coffee shops since we both have a weakness for smooth, delicious espresso.

Some of these photos I have never before shared. I cherish them and am so grateful for the memories we made. These photos will always be here to remind me of that. And a big shout out to my dad for putting up with me and my ever-present camera. 😉