Benavides Family

Look at the beautiful Benavides family! I love the colors they chose to wear for their session, and the fun details that personalize their portraits like the glasses on Celia, the bow in Alexandra's hair and her favorite sweater that she wears almost every day. I was actually sad when our time came to a close. I could have photographed them forever. They chose Rancho Nicasio for their backdrop and came all the way from the east bay... I hope the trip was worth it!

Hunter Konstan

The second east coast portrait session was with the Konstan family. Christine and I go even farther back, all the way to 1st grade! We played barbie dolls together in grade school, passed notes in the hall in middle school, and molded clay together in art class at Mercy High. We hadn't seen each other since graduating in 1990. It was really good to meet her husband, daughter, and three gorgeous dogs: Jessie, Fergus, and Reggie. The backdrop for their session was their lovely home in Essex. Sadie Blue LOVED the camera and the camera reciprocated the affection. My favorite moment was after the last shot, Sadie asked to climb on her mom's back. After we snapped a few frames and headed into the house, she said, "Mom, I love you," in the most satisfied voice I've ever heard. I hope we don't wait another 20 years before we meet up again. We hardly broke the ice. Maybe next time we'll see each other west side?

The Cinclair's

My recent visit back east was a whirl wind of accompanying my father to doctor's appointments, getting him organized for hip surgery and pushing through a minutia of red tape to ensure he had the operation before I returned to San Francisco (the doctor's made some major communication errors that required us to jump through some hoops, and we surprised them all with our super abilities to divide and conquer.) In between my daughterly duties, I was able to share some well needed quality time with good friends and photograph their families.

The first session was with the Cinclair's. Rebecca and I have known each other since the 7th grade. We went on to catholic all girls high school and college together. Needless to say, we share many good memories. It's amazing to think that twenty years ago, her now husband and I were leaving the dining hall one crisp fall evening during our first semester at RIT when we bumped into Rebecca. Rick's curiosity was instantly peaked, and now they have ten years of marriage behind them and two adorably handsome boys. It is so wonderful to watch them grow as a couple and a family. I am looking forward to all of the good memories to come!

Hannah, Maya & Seth

Next month, Hannah will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. Her mother thought photos with her brother and sister would be a fun way to commemorate this special occasion and a good way to surprise their dad for his birthday. Hannah is also an accomplished chef, so some portraits in the kitchen were a must. Amidst the play fighting, giggle fits, and bossing each other around we actually managed to take a few photos. All I could do was sit there and take it all in. At one point, I even choked up watching them interact. I hope these photos will always be a reflection of this time in their lives, how special they are, and how much they mean to each other.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the one & only, Coco.

Dearest Coco, I am truly 100% crazy for you! Your sweet kisses, your strut. Look at you dominating the San Francisco skyline... you know there are beach vendors in Italy that sell fresh coconut and sing your name: "CooocooOO! CoCooOO BellloooOO!" And wasn't it nice that your best friend Janie joined you for a quick pose, too? I can't wait to see you again, Coco. Til then, you'll be in my dreams, sweetheart...

Walk the Walk Jerry Carry

This past Sunday marked the first Walk the Walk Jerry Carry fundraiser organized by Water Hope a non profit that provides clean water to children around the globe including Africa, Asia, India, just to name a few. During the walk participants are encouraged to carry plastic jugs (called jerry carries) which are used by villagers to transport water. Many times they walk 4 to 8 hours and lug more than one jug at a time, each container weighing up to 50 lbs when filled with water. Don't worry, at the event the jerry carries are empty!

This year, our organization Bridges of Promise assisted the town of Rukora, Tanzania in submitting a grant proposal to Water Hope which they won in the amount of $23,000 to build a water catchment system for their new dispensary. I am grateful to Water Hope for the generous work that they do and look forward to volunteering once again at their annual Wine to Water golf tournament this coming November.

Please take a look at the Water Hope website and consider how you may get involved, too!

Christina + David

On Sunday, September 5th, I had the pleasure of photographing Christina and David's wedding in Orinda, CA. Christina and I met two years ago at FVLC where I volunteered to help her coordinate the organization's 30th anniversary fundraiser. We've remained in touch, and when she announced her engagement to David and asked me to photograph their wedding, I was thrilled for her and honored she thought of me to document their special day. These two are made for each other. Blessings and good wishes for many years of love and happiness! Oh, and thank you to my partner in crime, Marita Madeloni, who was COVERED in burrs and itching for hours after chopping down the sun-dried weeds so the couple could stand against that tree! You took one for the team, Madeloni!