Someone is officially a TEENAGER!  My sassy, my baby girl is 13!

It's crazy how quickly life happens.....It really feels like just a couple of years ago she was this cute lil chubby girl, w/a fun lil "accent" (that she grew out)

I love any excuse to photograph my kiddos, but during their birthday month, we go out for a "real" session <3 & it's always fun:) 

& I 

LOVE 

it<3

                                                       

           

 I love my sassy pants:) So glad she's my baby girl <3

Her name is Rio :)

This is my Rio <3  & I love her to pieces <3 She's my firstborn & even though she's just under 5'10" & almost 19 years old, she will always be my baby girl...always <3

She was home last week for her Spring break & I loved every moment of her being home:) It's crazy how time goes by SOOOOO fast.  It seems like it was just a few years ago she was having playdates, going to Kindergarten, asking me to take her to the park, driving her to soccer practice etc...

How & WHEN did she grow up?

& 

HOW am I still the same age when she's getting older (I wish lol:)

Ok so being a photographer, you would think I take my kids photos all the time, right?  I really don't as often as you would think, or as I should!  It had been a while since I really took photos of my Rio, so we headed out one late afternoon & had a little shoot & I'm so happy we did, I can never have enough photos of my kiddos:) I'm so glad we did!

& if you're wondering how we came up w/her name....well, I was a BIG Duran Duran fan during my HS years, & one of my favorite songs was "Rio" & when I was preggers w/her we couldn't agree on a name, then when I was about 7 months along I remembered that I always wanted to name my daughter "Rio"  My hubby LOVED it & so Rio it was:)! I had an image in my mind growing up of my future daughter & she was  beautiful, tall w/long legs & light golden skin...I not only got a daughter pretty much like I had envisioned, but I got the whole package <3 She is kind hearted, confident & a good person too....
(she's probably going to kill me for posting this, but oh well:)

My Rio is growing up....she's got so many ideas, hopes, dreams & good desires for her future....I know she has lot's of adventures ahead of her, & I am so excited for her!

                                         Her name is Rio, & I love her to pieces <3



                                         

class of 2013

I got the chance to take some pretty great photos, of some pretty great HS graduates this year!

I'm so happy for each of them, each one of these "kids" are off to a great start, w/bright futures & exciting adventures ahead!

Thank you for having me be a part of this special moment, I had fun getting to know each of you a little better, & capturing your personalities on film  (well, digital film anyway:)

CONGRATS to ALL of you!

class of 2013!

                                                    I wish you all the BEST <3

class of 2014~I will be your paparazzi:O)!

SO the other night instead of sleeping @ 1:00 am like I SHOULD have been doing, I was dreaming up a new way to capture a very sweet & important year for HS seniors!  My own daughter (crazy;/) will be a HS senior this year, & I wanted to do something extra special w/her~for her as she enjoys & goes through her last year of HS <3

My little brain came up w/an idea to do THREE mini sessions~

first mini~in the summer, July or August

second mini~late fall/early winter November-December

third mini~ spring, April............

Each mini session will be up to one hour, 2 "looks" & can include mom, & or dad if

                                                    wanted:)

you will get 4 high resolution images emailed to you within 10 days post session (just to tie you over until you get your full disk:)

~10 days post your last shoot in April, you will get a disk w/aprox. 45 individually edited high res. images.

AND

you will also receive 2 small (one for YOU & one for mom & or dad:) coffee table book of all your edited images:)

all this for only $495 (payment plan available:)

this is such a wonderful way to capture a memorable year, & to have something a little extra special to take w/you wherever your journey finds you...

I would LOVE to be your paparazzi during your HS senior year:O)

Email me to book, before you know it July & August will be here! 

pretty little brown eyed girl:O)

    A few weeks ago I shot this pretty brown eyed HS senior:O)  It was tons of fun too!

I loved her style, it was very classic, but very young @ the same time!  She looked stunning!

As we got talking a bit during the shoot, we discovered that we are both Argentine!  Her sweet mom had the best accent,  I was thinking it might have been an Argentinian accent.....& it was:O)   She grew up very near where my parents did.....it's a small world after all!

                                                I love both these shots, up above & below!   

So this shot below is totally different, but it's one of my personal favorites from her shoot!  It has a theatrical, & vintage  feel about it..........I love it:O)

I'm sure that whatever this pretty & very sweet young lady decides to do, she will be great @ it!  I wish her a fun & full life of happiness, joy, & adventures:O) 

Here is another beautiful senior session gal;)

Sara.

Sara is a sweet young lady, full of life & love for nature.

This is where she wanted to shoot, w/water, trees, & fresh mountain air all around her. 

beauty.

I think this is one of the reasons why her shoot was so perfect.  Sara was in her element:)

 The shot above is one of MY favorites (although I have MANY favorites from her shoot;)
I suppose because it is timeless, & the striped poles remind me of being in Venice Italy:)

 Sara is a runner, & a cheerleader, so of course we had to get a few shots of her doing her "stuff":)

Sara, you are a sweet girl, stay that way & life will be good to you:)  Best of luck to you & whatever it is that you want to do w/your life:)

Sweet sixteen:)

 Here are some of our adventures caught on film (well-on digital film anyway:)  from last weakend in San Francisco!

 So this guys was pretty CrAzY!  He was our cab driver, & was SUCH a crazy driver, it was pretty entertaining!  We went in & out of alleys, saw boys dressed like really UGLY girls walking around on the streets, our way to our hotel & a couple of the girls even SWORE they saw a dead person........he wasn't dead I'm sure-he was passed out! Our cab ride was quite the experience for sure!

Birthday dinner;)

Bus ride:)

               Girls getting "ready to head out for the day:)

                                 

So we "attempted" to get a few head shots up against this great graffiti wall...but the cable car was coming.....& well.......this was as good as it got lol!  The funniest thing about these four images are that they EACH show the girls individual personalities! Top left-a tiny bit of "drama" but a serious gal who can be pretty goofy @ times.....Top right-she is the more serious one of the bunch here for sure:) Botton left-my crazy DD.....VERY silly & never takes photos seriously....& finally the Bottom right-she is very silly;)  All 4 girls are great girls!  

GOTTA LOVE Haight/Ashbury neighborhood!  We saw some really funky shops, & people, which I think is so fun! 

Everyone was super friendly, & well........"Toto, were not in Kansas anymore":)

                         I LOVED this crazy hippy shop:)!

 & WHO doesn't love a good sale:)

                                                                SILLY girls:)

                                   Such a nice lunch w/GREAT Mexican  food @ the Wharf:)!

ALWAYS laughing & being so silly!

                                                                      Rio n me:)

                          YUM!  Chocolate &&&& The donuts on the right were DELECIOUSSSSSSSSS!  SUPER healthy stuff! Yikes!

 So I am known to sometimes "push" the limit......BUT I PROMISE I didn't this time!  We ALMOST missed our flight home!  I was soooo STRESSED for the last 2 hours of our FAB getaway;/ 
We were right on-time as planned while leaving the Wharf-I decided to catch a cab back to our Hotel @ Union Square to get our "stuff" & then get a cab to Oakland to catch our flight- so @ 4:30 we are TRYING to get a taxi & NOBODY would take us since we were a party of FIVE!  After about 15minutes of trying to figure this out we run (well Rio hobbled!) across a couple of streets to catch a cable car-NOTHING  each cable car would keep on passing us saying "sorry I'm FULL"  By now it is 5:15 & our flight left @ 7:01!  We then quickly went to the bus stop a couple of streets over, in hopes of catching a bus.....of course along w/about 25 other people.....then I really began to PANIC:O I ran down the street to try & find a cab-then my DD called me saying they spotted an empty taxi who agreed to take us & HURRY come back! PHEWWWWW, right?!?!  Well-yes n NO......by now it's 5:40 & we have lot's of driving thru the city to do..........BUT we were very fortunate, I'm sure prayers & guardian angels were responsible in getting us to the airport in safety & with about 10 minutes to spare!  
I suppose it made our "vaca" a bit more interesting.......right?

                                     HAPPY to be on our plane:) 

Beautiful ending to a beautiful weekend w/my oldest daughter & a few of her closest friends;)

(that is a blanket of clouds:)