Is there a perfect time?

When is the last time you had a family picture taken? Before your youngest even had their first tooth? Two children ago? 25 lbs ago? What has been holding you back from booking a family photo session?
Is there ever a perfect time to have photographs taken of your family?
It’s so easy to say-
“We have so much going on”
“I’m too fat”
“Sue is still in braces”
“We’re too busy”
“Maybe next year”

I just want to say STOP IT! We need to take the time to appreciate the value of family photos, if not for ourselves (because we’re too fat or whatever), then for our children. In 20 years, your children are not going to say, “I really love this photo but I wish my mom had waited until she lost some weight or that my sister was out of braces.”

I have had occasions in the past where this has been brought up with a sad reminder to me. Like the call I got just a few weeks after a wedding. We had some time before the reception and per the brides request we had taken some individual shots of the families that were there. One of those family shots was of an Uncle and his family. They called me wanting to know if they could get that picture right away as they wanted to use it at his funeral services. He had been out trimming a tree and taken a fall that was fatal. This was the only family pictures they had all together in many, many years.

I have had some humbling reminders of this again last week as I got a call to please come and take some family portraits before a beautiful and beloved daughter; sister, mother and friend had to have immediate surgery to remove cancer and then started immediate chemotherapy treatments.


We never know what tomorrow will bring. Life is quickly racing by. So my answer to my own question is, there is no “perfect” time to take a family picture, so as Nike would say, “Just do it”.


Thanks, to this family who allowed me to again share some special moments and trusted me to capture the language of love that their family speaks. Thanks for reminding me what is truly important.

Kevin and Bree's Album

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This is quick look at an album I designed and ordered last week from a Newport Beach LDS Temple Wedding from a while back. It will be a 10x10 Art Leather Album. It’s smaller, only 10 pages (20 sides) but I think they did a great job of picking pictures to tell the story line of their day. I know it’s hard to see the details in the little slide show pictures but it gives you an idea of what a beautiful bride Bree was and talk about gorgeous colors.

It been a while since I’ve had a wedding in Newport but I just love photographing there as there is almost always an ocean breeze to keep things pleasant and except for early in the mornings you are usually blessed with blue skies.

Dan and Rebecca

What a magic day. You take one gorgeous bride, one handsome groom; add in some wonderful friends and family and some picture perfect weather (Only 89 in mid August in Southern California) and it was a perfect day! I am only going to post a few pictures here for now. As you can imagine I have more than a few pictures to go through so I hope this will to do for now. A full blog posting will come later. For now if you want to see more of their pictures you can go to their online albums at www.printroom.com/pro/crphotos

Forever in our hearts...we will always remember.

I don’t really put personal things out here on my photography blog but today I really feel like I have to take a moment to remind mostly myself to always take the time to spend with friends and love ones and to never forget the events of September 11, 2001.

As fall approaches and the weather cools I find myself getting nostalgic this time of year. For me, fall is a season for remembering. Yesterday would have been my brothers 45th birthday. I still miss him. Nine years ago today our nation was changed forever. I still cry. It was nine years ago today I found out I had a heart because it was ripped from my chest when the towers got hit and collapsed, as the pentagon got hit and as the heroes took that plane down in an open field to save the lives of so many others.

We are a strong and resilient people, but we must always remember. Remember that day, remember the lives lost and remember that life is short. Let us remember what is important and be thankful for the blessing we do have in our lives. One of my favorite sayings is, “Some things are urgent, some things are important…learn the difference.”

Today I challenge you to reflect on the things that are important in your life and to be sure to always remember. Remember this day of tragedy with an affirmation of life. Take today to remember who and what is important and take the time today to share a very precious moment of life with them.


Below is a clip that my brother carried around in his flight planner. You might recognize the last three words that Nike has taken for one of their slogans but now you have the rest of the story.

May we all step outside our comfort zone and really live life. I love you forever Bro!

Christian and Michelle's Wedding Day

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I had so much fun sharing Christian and Michelle's wedding day. I have had the privilege to get to know Michelle a little more personal then I do most bride’s as she has been one of my daughters roommates at collage. When my daughter saw one of the pictures Michelle had displayed in her room, a picture from her brothers wedding. She recognized it as one that I had taken. Unbeknownst to them when they became roommates I had meet Michelle's family several years before when I had the privilege of capturing her Brother's wedding day memories. I had the opportunity to get to know Michelle better through my daughter and some wonderful roommate pictures that we took of all six of the roommates. I got to know Christian and see his tenderness towards Michelle when we spent the morning taking some fun engagement photos. (See posting from April)

What a compliment it is when a family is happy with your work and hires you for a 2nd time. Inviting you back to captures their special memories and share in their next child’s special day. I loved seeing the Chavez family (missing of course the son who is on a mission serving the Lord) and seeing how the family has grown (two adorable granddaughters…one brand new) and remembering all the fun that family is. Also it was great getting to know the Wagner family. What an amazing family Christian has. They came from far away to support him and were all so easy to work with. A special thank you to his wonderful Mom, Lorilee. My daughter loved Christian and Michelle’s sign in book and how they had used their engagement photos so much. Lorilee, even while busy getting ready for his open house helped us get a sign in book ordered. Thank you. Talk about a joining of two wonderful families.

Here are just a few more from their day. If you know Christian and Michelle you can view all their photos at www.printroom.com/pro/crphotos

The Main Event

OK, so the title is a little corny. I have had the privilege of capturing several events for the Main Family. The most recent being Katie’s wedding (see previous post). Their other daughter now lives in England with her family and had flown over for her sister wedding and was returning at the end of the week with no real date on when she might be back to the states to visit her family. They really wanted to have some nice family portraits done before she left. So just three days after her wedding before she left on her honeymoon Katie and Luke were good sports and let us get together for some family portraits.

Cinderella’s Wedding

 

Katie and Luke were ready to get married. They were high school sweethearts who's hearts have always been connected. Katie had dreamed about the perfect wedding and the day that she got to be the princess and start their lives as husband and wife. She truly looked like Cinderella in her amazing dress. With her hair done perfect and all the extra touches she was beautiful.

Luke and Katie choose to get married at a very special church. Not only is it the church that she still attends her Grandmother got married there many a moon ago and her Granddaughter wanted to follow in her footsteps.

Even her cake looked like a royal coach, white horses and all. She thought of every touch to really make it her magical day.

Dan and Rebecca

They say “The shoemaker’s children never have shoes”. I totally understand this statement. So many times family pictures and projects get put on the back burner when you have paying clients that are waiting for your work. This time though the clock was ticking.

My daughter Rebecca and her fiancé Dan flew in to get some wedding things taken care of. Among other things there was a trip to LA fabric district for material, a marriage license and of course a few beach pictures for this true California Girl. I did have to put their pictures on hold for a week as I left before they did to spend a week in San Diego, but as soon as I got back to my computer last Monday I was fitting these in trying to get them processed.

On Saturday morning as we headed to the Mission Inn to take some pictures and of course the wind was blowing like all get out. Hair and skirts were flying everywhere (see below).

Luckily Dan’s sister Emily is a wonderful photographer and I knew she would taking pictures of them back up in Utah so knowing that they had her taking pictures too, the pressure was off and we just had some fun. (If you would like to see some of Emily’s photos of the couple go to her blog at www.relivingthemoments.blogspot.com you will be so impressed with her work.
This was kind of how the morning went.

They as so cute together and never boring!

Here is just a quick sampling of the day.




OK, so I was spending too much time playing with overlays and textures.


Did I mention how much we love Dan? He is the perfect eternal companion for Rebecca.

Bowers Family = Fun

This family wanted to get a “family” photo before Josefine had to head back to her home in Germany. If you look carefully you might find one or two “family portraits” but mostly you’ll just see how much fun they were. I should have known when they showed up in those bright shirts that they were at the park to play.







Fun times for all!