It’s been a wild and crazy year for me on a personal and business level and there are certain things that just feel right. That ground me, feed my creative soul and allow me to connect with people, other awesome women that I am very grateful for. This is one of those projects that I must have on my to do list, always. I’m so happy where this is headed, I’m not sure what is to come of it, but like everything else I do, just working towards something and doing always leads to great things.

Jackie is full of life, she is fun with the perfect amount of sweet. Attending college. Girl has style and one day I will be tagging along with her on a shopping adventure. What I love most about her is her ability to dish it and be able to take it as well. She is bold and not afraid to speak out and her transparency makes her that much more likable and genuine.

We had so much fun walking around and discovering new places at this awesome regional park by our homes. I love the light from this day, it was so soft, but just the right amount of golden light.

Jackie, you are bold, brave and a beautiful girl. Don’t you ever forget it!

xo

This one has been long overdue. Karen and I had planned on taking her photos since the beginning of last year as she began a wonderful journey. She has been on a journey of living a more healthy lifestyle, from her exercise routine to eating and everything in between. She’s been busy taking care of herself and making health a priority. And for that I highly respect Karen and I’m so proud of her.

Karen is the gal that is always willing to help someone, full of great information, fun and sweet as can be. And the girl can dance, I mean really… she’s pretty talented all around. She was one of the first photographer’s I met when I first started photography and have been in touch since then.

Thanks Karen for hanging out on a Sunday afternoon and workin’ it. You are a beautiful person, darling.

The why. That feeling when a woman feels beautiful, enough and happy right in front of my lens. I always feel honored to be in front of their vulnerability and allow me into a small part of their world.

Neyva is currently in a nursing program, enjoying the good life and she is a really good hiker. Most importantly she knows how to laugh at herself and have a good time. Just all around a very sweet young lady.

Isn’t she a beauty? Love those beautiful eyes.

xo

So proud of Kris and all of what he has and is accomplishing this year! Photos from the Hollywood Half Marathon earlier this month. We woke up at 3:30 AM for this! Even that is too early for us, but it was well worth it. We are not long distance runners, but we do enjoy a good run once in awhile. Between his asthma and my bad knees we try to go easy for the most part, but long ago we both realized that even with these conditions you can run if you really want to (most people can’t run because they wear the wrong shoes and are not trained properly). I decided to sit this one out in order to be able to document the day, but we plan on running one together next month.

Kris has ventured on many great things this year. Signed up for numerous marathon’s through out this year, started a bootcamp and training clients one on one for their specific health and fitness needs. I have assisted him through the process and it’s been a great bonding experience for the both of us. And I am so very lucky to walk by his side everyday! One of the most gratifying things for me in helping him stay fit and healthy is being his personal chef. I mean really… the man is spoiled, let’s just get that straight.

“You get credit for what you finish, not for what you start.”

I love this photo my good friend Ami took of me last week when we met up to talk shop and attend a photography event in West LA. It was taken in an alley, we were being silly and just wanted to take photos for the fun of it. Also love this photo for the mere fact that I am really rough on myself. Normally, I don’t like photos of myself I am not good with expressions. If people take longer than 10 seconds to snap a photo of me, you’ve lost the moment with me.

However, I will say that I’m learning more and more that the people that know me the best or see me for what I am, capture the best photos of me. Like Kris’ photo of me in February, or my wedding photos by Trude and now I can add Ami to the club. I’m a photographer, I should know this. When you take the the time to know your subject and see them for whom they are, when you look them in the eye and validate them as a person. The results are a candid portrait, a reflection of who you are and what you’re feeling at the moment. I love photography! This project is turning out to be so much fun and good for the soul.

Photo by Ami Martin.

Are you following me on this project? If so, please leave a link here. Would love to check it out. I’ll be back with a post of my latest work in my mamalita series. Hope you’re having a great week!

xo

The experience was even better than last year. I feel so much more grounded and confident in my business, it’s amazing the difference a year makes. And have made so many more great friends along the way that I am very thankful for.

We stayed with some friends that live 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas for half of the trip and it was so nice to catch up with them and enjoy their amazing hospitality, along with the love and all the fun from this cutie pie. So we didn’t indulge in any of the parties the vendors put on, like we did last year. It was perfectly fine, we don’t feel like we missed out… we were just focused on quality time with out friends and the classes I attended. In between we met up for lunch with my photographer friends and a dinner, it was simple and just what we needed.

I walked away with lot’s of inspiration, but more importantly I learned that staying ambitious will take you a long way. Reading, going to workshops are all great, but if I don’t put things into action then I’ve missed the mark. As my friend Ami put it, “We have to be more deliberate in our actions.” And lastly, to stay focused and just plain HUSTLE! Change is good. It will keep you hungry and moving.

A few photos from the trip.

Love seeing older couples holding hands. Inspiring.

Current favorite dress and boots.

On our way home.

Instagram photos via the iPhone.

Can’t wait for next year. It feels good to stop and reflect. To feel inspired and come back a little refreshed. So glad I took the time to document this, it brings back all of these great feelings.  :)

It’s my second time photographing all this cuteness, check out the first time here. Love the authenticity that comes with photographing a child. As long as you allow them to play and be themselves, the results are pretty awesome if you ask me.

Tyler, Vy and Julia… thank you so much for the friendship and laughter. It’s so much fun watching Julia grow and more amazing is how much love, manners and smarts this kid has at the age of 3! I hope this brings a smile to Julia.

Hugs!

I’m proud to say that I support and endorse this woman’s work. Erandy of Effortless Beauty and I have worked in the past and so I know first hand her work, enthusiasm and first class service to her clients. Absolutely love her work, like in this wedding here and this engagement here.

Most importantly, she’s a kind person. The kind of gal that truly knows and practices empathy. It’s important to me that I not only surround myself with professionals in my industry that perform great work and service their clients in the same fashion as me, but that they are also good people. Therefore, if you are looking for a great make-up artist… Erandy is your girl!

Dang, love this.

Erandy, you are such a beautiful person all around. Thank you for all that you give and your endless support in my business. Your future looks bright!

To contact Erandy for your wedding or other events: erandymoreira.com

I’ve always been a firm believer that a photographer needs to turn the camera on themselves and be photographed. To be vulnerable, reflect on my journey and have memories of my own. My biggest inspiration for this came from fellow photographers, Gail Werner and Sarah Rhoads.

This was taken last week while in Las Vegas for a photography convention. We took a stroll down the strip to go get coffee and we stopped by the Venetian where I saw unbelievable light in a hall and asked Kris to take a photo. I wanted to remember how happy I was on this day. How great it felt to be able to learn and be inspired by the best in the industry. Most importantly, how nice it was to spend real quality time with Kris and enjoy simple things. This last month has been really tough on so many levels and so it was important to document. So I focus on the positive and keep moving forward because dang it. Somedays are just easier than others, this was an easy day.

I challenge my photographer friends and my blog readers to give this project a try. I’ll be posting once a month a self-portrait whether it’s taken by myself or by someone else. Looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds and getting more comfortable in front of the lens.

I loved this location, it has all the woodsy elements plus a lake. It’s a large regional park so the possibilities are endless here.

Most importantly, I love how their connection jumps out in these photos. How they look at each other with love and admiration. Their calm and ease. And Emily’s hot new look as a read head? Just sexy.

Wishing you both all the love and happiness in the world.