Ethan......the sweet little man:o)

Ethan C. has been diagnosed w/an inoperable brain tumor @ the tender age of 5.

I got a text followed by a VM during a Friday night shoot several weeks ago, a friend of mine had heard about Ethan, his sudden diagnoses & heard that the PTA wanted to give Ethan & his family a special photo shoot..........I am so happy I was able to do it:O)

The best day when the majority of the family would be together @ the hospital w/Ethan was the very next day!  I had a full schedule, but was able to rearrange a couple of things & make it out to Childrens Hospital of LA........on a side not-WOW, what a beautiful hospital it is!

 lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove AND MORE love........

Ethan was getting smooched left & right by all the ladies!  I think he enjoyed every second of it too!

Even though Ethan is VERY loved by his entire family, he is 10000000% adored by these two ladies below.  One is his auntie, & the other one is his mommy:O)

                                                                                         The "Ethan bunch"

The image below is so touching to me......little Ethan was getting tired, he did so good, it's hard to believe the little guy is only 5 years old.  I have been told that he is so sweet, & so polite, he has nurses, Dr's & people in his face 24/7 & he is always happy & has a big smile on his face, & is always concerned for others........what an angel..........

                                         precious.................

Even though I feel like we can't question "why" it did break my heart to see him get into his wheel chair & head back to his little hospital room.....

Life is beyond precious...........taking photos this late afternoon for Ethan & his family was a very big reminder to me of just how precious life really is.  Ethan, little man......you are very loved, you're such a brave boy,  Keep on smiling, you are such a doll........ xo

Sloaney BEAR:O)

I am in L.O.V.E. & I am serious:O)

Isn't miss Sloaney bear adorable?!?!  Oh my gosh, this sweet little thing is one of my nieces:o) & I just LOVE her!

This little sweetie is SO incredibly loved, she has a beautiful older sissy, & a handsome, & oh so busy (& often times precious & priceless w/his busy-ness:O) older brother, & I will tell you that these two truly adore her! She was blessed to be born into a loving home w/an amazing & VERY stylish &  kind-hearted mother, & a very good father! 

&&&&&&&& not to mention, she has a TON of aunts & uncles, cousins & grandparents that love her so much too!  The bottom right corner photo up top is Sloane w/her Oma.....she has been one spoiled little baby girl so far, she is held & is loved by many. Sloaney bear is one lucky little girl!

 love.love.love.love.love.love.love.love.love.love.love.......did I already mention                 LOVE:O)?!

This little peanut has the cutest room EVER!  Oh WOW. she has so much style, & doesn't even know it yet:O)!  The only little toy she has in her precious nursery is this cute little stork, & it is so stinken cute!  We used him in several of her photos, I love it!  It's so "posh"......

                   

 more L.O.V.E. Both photos, above & below are sooooo amazing to me! the one above is so sweet, & the photos below are priceless......like mother, like daughter's...........

We (Sloaney n I:O)  had such a fun time @ her first photo shoot!  She was seriously PERFECT!  Even though this was for a family member, I was really anxious about her little shoot!  I wanted to make sure it was special, & perfect!  I love the way her shoot turned out, & I hope that mama (& daddy of course, but mostly mama:O) are happy too!

I am ending this special blog post w/one of my favorite shots of this day, this was actually a "test" shot, I don't do tons of indoor shoots, so I always have to adjust my setting a bit more @ first, until I am ready & happy w/what I formulated.  I don't use extra lighting (only flash if I must) I still try & work w/as much natural lighting as possible.......& this shot to me is amazing.  I love it so much.  I think this is the kind of photo that looks timeless, it shows her "baby stuff" & her beautiful window in her perfect little room, & her perfect little body:O)

love.you.so.much.sloaney-bear.love.your.auntie.ita.

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) 

Spring 3/4 mini shoots:O)

 About a month or so ago, I had my first "Spring 3/4 mini shoots" I knew where I wanted to shoot @ & I knew I wanted to shoot..... pretty people:O) & I was able to do both!

 I had been messaging back n forth for a few months w/this beautiful mom, & I was so excited when she saw one of my FB posts saying that I had one spot left......she messaged me & said "I want it":)! I knew her family shoot would be so great, she has a darling family, how could it not:O)?!

                                                                     l.o.v.e.t.h.i.s.s.h.o.t.a.b.o.v.e.V.E.R.Y.m.u.c.h.;O)

One of the fun things for me as a "photographer" is when I get to take photos of new people I meet, & when I get to take photos of people I already know:) I think this cute family above is "totally awesome":)  & let me tell YOU......that little blonde mommy can shake it!  She is an amazing Zumba instructor!  She makes it look like a piece of cake:O)

& these guys are also some "peeps" that I've known for a while:O) I've been able to take photos for them Christmas 2011 & also for their youngest first birthday! I do have to say that it was MUCH:) easier taking the little guys photos when he was a year old, than it was w/him being 2+:O)  He had somewhere to go!  Not exactly sure where that was lol;o) but he was going to get there, & was going to get there by running-all around:O)  All these kids are so cute!  They are another wonderful family!

And often times I get to meet new people, & I love that too:O)  These super cute kiddos are precious, & they have one very talented mommy! Their mom also is/was a photographer, but has since moved on to  a very cool job:O) I felt "honored" that she had asked me to do their little photo shoot;o)

 Ok, I LOVE when I get to take photos of siblings, but I really love it when I get to take photos of BFF's &&&& siblings!  Up above is mommy & her BFF, & both their daughters, who are also BFF's:O)! I'm not sure who was having more fun, the mommies, or the little girls:O)!

I absolutely LOVE this photo above!  These two had the cutest giggles, & smiles!  You could tell that they really loved playing together!  They even had the SAME missing front tooth!  How fun is that:O)?!?!?!

                                      families, siblings, BFF's..........it was a full day of fun & l.o.v.e. in San Juan Cap:O)

baby girl;o)

 There isn't anything more amazing to me than birth. Not a single thing compares for me.

I was so excited to be invited into the delivery room;O) I LOVE taking  photos of "real" moments, catching little things, things that will take you back in time, to that very moment when a miracle was happening.

Mom didn't have the best labor the first time around, so she was hoping for the best the 2nd time, but was mentally prepared for a long tough labor & delivery......

 BUT.......when I got there, about 3 hours into induction, she was doing GREAT:O) there was chatting, laughing, iphone'ing......even some instagram'ing going on:O)

Maybe just under 2 hours after I had gotten there, mom got re-checked, she insisted that baby girl was coming.......& well, mom was right on!  Baby girl was thinking she was ready to meet the world!   So off we all went to the delivery room!  

So, here we are..........both cute grandmothers are anxiously awaiting to meet their new precious grand baby;O)

It's pushing time:O)!!!

This beautiful baby girl practically flew out!  It was SOOOOO fast (reminded me so much of my 3rd:O)  It was amazing!  I loved being able to capture the first moments of mother & babe:O)!

                                                                                 So tender....................

         I love this photo below..........it's so beautiful:O) 

Ok, is there anything much more tender to have forever than a sweet photo of a father holding his 15 minute old baby girls hand:O)  Oh I seriously love, love, LOVE this:O)

 welcome to life baby girl.  You are blessed w/so much love around you.  You are a strong little person, I am SURE you have a beautiful & full life ahead:O)

                                                                       t.r.u.e.L.O.V.E.e.t.e.r.n.a.l.L.O.V.E.

Youth Conference Pioneer Trek 2013

So when a lot of teenagers were "spring break'n" a couple of weeks ago.......these teens were "trek'n"

I was asked if I could photograph this youth group for a day or two, I couldn't do it for both days, but I am so glad I was able to photograph day one:O)

Doesn't everyone look, HAPPY, fresh, & most of all CLEAN:O) This is Thursday morning, 7:30 am (um, kinda early for ME:) Everyone met up @ the church parking lot, turned in there 5 pound bucket of clothing & toiletries, sleeping bag & pillow to their "Trek family" talked, some were very excited, & I'm sure some may not have been as much lol:) Although fun was for sure to be had w/old friends, & soon to be new friends.....the kids (& adults who went) knew the 3 days ahead were going to be challenging, long & full of experiences....hopefully good ones:O)

So who's ready to head up & begin their "pioneer trek"?!?!?

                                             I think they are ^^

For those of you who have NO CLUE what the heck these teens & adults are doing, dressed up like characters from "little house on the prairie" well.......I will briefly tell you;O)

This is a youth group from "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (aka Mormons:O)

No nO No NO they don't normally dress like this:O) They were re-inacting just a teeny, VERY tiny bit of what it would have possibly been like to be a pioneer traveling west, crossing the plains......many years ago.......

Many of these teens have ancestors who have actually pushed & pulled handcarts, & covered wagons much like the ones they were able to push & pull.  The wagons of the pioneers were only able to hold 2000 pounds, that is not very much, considering these were families w/children & "things" they needed to bring along.  All who crossed the plains left their homes, & almost all of their material belongings in hopes for a better life out west.  One that would allow them to worship w/out being persecuted & even put to death......

Ok..... so once the group left the church, they all headed up to a beautiful site, one that has been prepared for this type of activity.  The kids were still all clean & "fresh" having fun, talking w/friends, eating lunch  (that's one luxury the real pioneers did NOT have!) & then they received "instructions"  by those who were in charge, & by the men who run this camp. 

Let's begin!

I believe the first day was 7-9 miles.....not exactly sure......the first part was down hill:O) 

I only walked w/each "company for about 3 blocks or so, I wanted to catch each family in each company as they begun their 3 day journey.............

I love this photo below:O)  It just looks so happy to me!  

 Awwwwww..........Ma' n Pa' are so cute as they walk hand n hand behind their "family" & their handcart:O)

SO, as I said, I only walked w/each company for a bit, my plan was to catch a ride on an ATV & pass them up so I could walk w/them the last 2 miles or so (BOY, am I GLAD I didn't end up doing that:) But because the trail was so narrow, that wasn't possible....so a few hours into the trek I caught a nice car ride up the LONG hill, which was the better half of the trail-   we saw the "pioneers" trek'n below!  So we stopped & I was able to catch several fun photos as they pulled, pushed, & walked............ 

as I waited for the pioneers to get a little closer so I could meet up w/them & take some more photos, I took a few fun shots, these two below are some of my favorites:O)

 
isn't this little covered wagon so cute:O)?!

So after what seemed like a VERY long time of me waiting to hear anything "human" while I was waiting on the trail (I was on the last mile waiting:) I FINALLY heard something other than a woodpecker!  I was soooo excited, & started walking towards the sound of "people":)!

Some were very happy to see me, & some couldn't wait to tell me how hard this was!  But each family that I walked w/for a bit asked me "how much longer"?!  I said 20 more minutes, & you are there!

Some thought that was amazing news.....some felt that 20 more minutes was going to be an eternity........These guys knew that soon they were going to be able to rest, get cleaned up (although there were no showering for these pioneers!) set up camp & BEST of all get a warm "DELISH" meal!  Something that the pioneers of old could only DREAM of...........

This image below is one that just gets to me.......it has such a real & very raw feeling to it.....it almost looks like it really could have been from the pioneers......it almost gives me goose-bumps........

Everyone helped to pull, push, & did their part to help cross their handcart, & did it as a "family"  

Oh gosh, this young lady in the bottom photo cracked me up-each time my lens was pointing her way, she was ready w/a "face"  she was so funny!  

I was able to catch some amazing light @ the end of the day:O)  Which I am sort of o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d. with:O)

                                     I love these smiles ^^

Gotta love seeing everyone really working together here!  love it!

Your almost there guys, you CAN DO THIS says "Fluffy" the super cute little guy down below:O)

So pretty much EVERYONE had arrived to camp, got their BBQ, baked potato, salad, rolls & cookies for dinner (yum, I am hungry!) & set up their tents, got their buckets out of their handcarts, got cleaned up, some even put on comfy sweats.........there was one last handcart who hadn't quite made it into camp just yet.........they were about 90 minutes behind the first "company" & families that had arrived (& of course my son was in that family:)......but let me in a very condensed version tell you a little bit about this company. This company that came quite a bit late into camp was the "Martin" company......the Pioneers companies of old were named, last names....under the "leader" of that company, which had several different families crossing w/covered wagons & handcarts, so each "company" had a bunch of different families who basically travelled together.......

I'm not sure if this struck anyone else s much as it struck me, but this little handcart family below, who was part of the "Martin" company was all by themselves towards the end of the trek this day, they had a few struggles earlier in the day, & because of this, they were very behind schedule.  

Although, nowhere near in comparison to the struggles that the"willie & Martin" companies had to witness, & endure, I thought it was very much appropriate that out of all the "companies" out there on the trek that day, this little handcart rolled into camp all intact, no real "injuries" but very behind the rest of the group. The real "Martin" company left Iowa on July 26th 1856,  & most arrived @ the end of November1856.  The Martin company started their journey out west w/575 member.......they lost a sixth of them before they reached their destination......