Happy Friday, everyone!! ♥

We decided to meet at a coffee shop because then everyone would be distracted from the awkwardness of being in front of the camera by having yummy coffee in hand. ;] I have to say, I have a newfound LOVE of shooting inside.. mostly inside cutely and eclectically decorated shops and homes. I think it’s because I desperately want to be a hipster… so I just want to photograph all the places that hipsters go. Anyway– we met at a coffee shop in Downtown Long Beach and we laughed, I’m so happy I was able to document the memories that were made that day. I love these three ladies! ♥

Then when went outside to wander around Downtown Long Beach… because as much as I want to shoot inside all the time be a hipster, the sun will always be my first love. ;]

To be honest, I’ve been really disappointed in my goal-achieving over the last few weeks, and it is so much easier to wallow and feel like a failure than to pick myself up and start all over again. So. Much Easier.

This past Saturday was The Color Run, when I participated last year I was able to actually run about half [1.5ish miles] and from that moment I wanted to become a runner. Like, a real life runner, someone who enjoys it and goes out to run for the fun of it… and even if that never happened I wanted to at least be able to run an entire 5k without wanting to kill myself. But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t already started dreaming of running 10k’s and Half Marathons.

About a month ago, after posting that one of my April goals was to run outside, I got off the treadmill and went to a local track to run. Lets just say after that attempt, a walk around the neighborhood later that day and a photo shoot at Da Vinci I could barely walk to the car my foot hurt so bad. And it just went down hill from there. Apparently ground is a lot harder than treadmill and the impact on my heel was not pleasant.

So this past Saturday when I pulled out of my driveway at 5:45am heading to The Color Run I was just disappointed in myself. After a year of waiting and working to be able to run I was going to be walking the entire 5k. Talk about feeling like a failure. :[ Especially because Alexis has been training with me and she totally could have run the whole thing but she didn't, she stayed behind to walk with me. Basically I failed myself and I failed her. :[

So, the reality is, goal setting is far, far from something I want to do right now. I'm here purely out of pride because I don't want to skip one of these posts all year. I am not an amazing person who is picking herself up after a major disappointment and being all inspirational as I move forward. Nope. I'm not inspirational, I'm definitely still wallowing. ;] But either way, here are my May goals.

1. Continue icing my foot. As it is the only thing the doctor told me would help my heel pain. So helpful.
2. Decorate my walls. The walls in my room are now completely white and I love it, now I need to start hanging prints and adding pops of color. Because materialistic things will fill the void of disappointment, right?
3. Bawl my eyes out watching the series finale of The Office this week. I haven’t really kept up with the show since Michael Scott left, but I watched a bunch of season 9 yesterday so I’m ready for the finale. And just to make sure we’re all on the same page: we’re all going to pretend John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer are going to live happily ever after like they’re married in real life. Jim&Pam♥

I’m not really sure why Katie stayed friends with me after those first two photographic encounters because let me tell you, the photos from both are absolutely *awful*, but she kept me around and was one of the handful of “photographer friends” I had who became real life friends.

A couple of weeks ago Katie asked if I would take new headshots for her as she relaunches her business under the brand new name: Katie Jane Creative and I’m so excited to share what we came up with, with you today.

P.S. In case you don’t remember, Katie took MY new headshots a few months back.

We wanted to make the images personal to Katie and where she is in life right now, so we started the session at her church, ROCKHARBOR Costa Mesa.

Then, we made our way over to The LAB, we were pretty sure photography wasn’t allowed but it was a Monday and no one was there… so it worked pretty well in our favor I’d say.

There were too many cute Katie’s I couldn’t just pick one. And I have to say, I’m in love with this whole session because in the 5ish years I’ve known Katie this is the happiest I have seen her. She has always been bubbly and exuberant but happiness and laughter just spills out of her now, I love seeing my friends truly happy.

The LAB is just too cool, no wonder it’s where the hipsters go.

After seeing a security guard we made our way across the street to grab coffee at Milk & Honey, one of the most adorable coffee shops I have ever been to!

These are some of my favorite pictures ever. A cute girl, her Bible, and coffee in a Boston mug? Perfection.

And I’ll end with succulents… because I love them. And, Katie, I love you too!! Thank you for asking me to capture these moments for you!! ♥

Marilyn & Fernando decided to see each other before the ceremony so they could enjoy some time alone AND so we could get all of the formal portraits done before the ceremony. LOVE!

The sun was setting during there reception and it was the most magical lighting! That is, until we went in to the vineyard for their portraits!

As soon as the ceremony ended we headed straight to the vineyard to catch the last glimpses of sunlight. Talk about magical!!!

Oh the sun flare. My heart. ♥

For the last few minutes of light we walked up to the road about the vineyard. I can’t get enough of this light or these pictures! I wish the sun always looked like this!! This marine layer 24/7 weather we’ve been having is making me crazy if you can’t tell. ;]

To copy and paste what their principal posted yesterday: “Da Vinci Science HS students have been accepted to all 9 UCs, all 23 Cal States, plus Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, LMU, MIT, Marquette, Northwestern, Purdue, Rice, Stanford, Syracuse, and Yale.”

Let me introduce you to some truly incredible young adults: the Da Vinci Science Class of 2013.

This.is.amazing.

I *love* these people!

It’s possible the school will be lost next year without John King.

UCSB

As I was getting ready to leave yesterday afternoon these girls asked if I would take a picture with them. It made my whole day. ♥

I used think those photography 101 critiques were the equivalent to photography meet-ups. SMUGs, PUGs and Shootouts induced the same amount of anxiety as pinning my image to the front board. Except now people weren’t just comparing what was technically right and wrong they were comparing boots and bags and gear and as soon as you exchanged business cards they were looking up your website and blog on their fancy iPhones. Talk about being vulnerable!

I am SO grateful to have found a group of local photographers at the South Bay PUG who do not fill me with anxiety every time I think of our monthly meet-ups… anymore. ;] Because of the community I have found in that group I was able to get together with my friend Lindsey of Laurel Isle Photography a few weeks ago to wander around Hermosa Beach and photograph a gorgeous couple just for fun. So, really it’s because of those Friday afternoon critiques that you get to see Hana & Chris up on the blog this morning, right? ;]

Happy Monday. ♥

It’s impossible to see their smiles and not smile. Right?

At the beginning of this year I was making plans as to where I wanted my business to go this year and I thought about that. And I decided I wanted to give you, my readers, clients and friends the opportunity to capture those changes throughout the year. It’s easy to treat family photographs as something to try and squeeze in for Christmas cards but time goes by so fast and so much changes from Christmas to Christmas, so why not take a minute, or 15, to capture the adventures in-between.

Email me today to reserve your Spring Mini Session, my favorite part about spring is the mustard flowers that start popping up everywhere, you know you want your family photographs surrounded in those flowers. ;]

Sometimes I feel ridiculous when I go on these searching sprees, and when I make imaginary plans and hope for exciting adventures, but then I remember where I was 5 years ago when I dreamed of being a photographer and all of the exciting adventures this journey has brought me on… and then I still feel ridiculous, but I’m so glad that dreaming too big is an option. :]

Last Friday I got to snuggle with 8 day old Riley, and because I’ve spent most of the week driving, photographing and “researching” the blog has been pretty quiet and I thought her pretty face would bring some excitement around here. Try not to melt, she’s so adorable it’s going to be hard! ;]

Huge thank you to Diana for snapping these pictures of me while we were shooting. ♥

Side note, you can find other DV Staff members here, and here, and here, and here. ;]

LOVE!

I am in love with these two, they might be my favorites!

I was VERY excited when the sun peaked out for a couple minutes.

♥ ♥ ♥