Sneak preview: Keilani and Kellen

Boy, was I excited to get back to shooting! In case some of you didn't know I took January off to focus on my life and where I wanted this business to go. I didn't book any shoots for that month, but have a few lined up in the next couple months.

My first shoot for 2010 was a real treat! Baby Kellen was born recently in January, and his mother had contacted me way back in October to let me know she'd be interested in a newborn shoot. Talk about taking action! She also has the most adorable, talkative, curly-haired toddler known to mankind - Keilani. Oh, Keilani... you are too cute for words.



She makes me wish I had curly hair!

Baby Paige at four months

Life has been busy busy busy with remodeling my blog and working on 100 other things on top of recovering from what my doctor believes was vertigo. I know, vertigo?! Anyway, I have been super excited for a while to post Paige's beautiful baby session from last weekend. Paige was one the most giggly little babies I've photographed - she laughed at all her daddy's goofy faces, her mom's baby talk, and she especially laughed at all of us clapping. Yes, clapping is a new secret weapon to all those new mommies and daddies out there!

I've known Gina for a couple years now since we both work at the same company. When she was pregnant with Paige I don't think there was a time I passed by her where she wasn't smiling. One time I stopped her and told her, "You are glowing! You look so happy." Her eyes smiling and her grin bigger than ever she responded, "I am! I am so excited and happy; it's unbelievable. I can't wait 'til she gets here." It's that kind of whimsical happiness that makes me love this job so much. New parents' undying love for their baby is infectious to everyone around them. Gina and Ben are no different. Their tag team efforts as first-time parents are comical and cute, their laughter with Paige's every giggle is contagious, and their proud faces as Paige discovers her toes for the first time is absolutely endearing.

Gina and Ben, I have not a worry in the world that you two are going to be the best parents this little girl can ever ask for. Thank you for letting me witness some of those moments and freezing them in time.



Rain boots that don't quite fit, yet.



What gorgeous genes...



We stuck her in a teeny tiny storage basket with her bunny, and she fit! So cute!





I absolutely love little girls in pettiskirts!



This one came out a tad too blurry for my taste, but I just had to post it because Paige looks so cute in her bare bum!





Tummy time! One of the very few I caught her not pouting. :-)



Paige's expression is priceless here.







"Hi, guys!"



Gum-filled baby smiles are my favorite

Leo Zahn 7 days old {Bay Area newborn photography}

Leonidas. Such a courageous and manly name for such a teeny tiny newborn. However, this name is bound to be a self-fulfilling prophecy as my time spent with little Leo proved he's got more strength than his itty bitty body can handle. At only seven days old he was trying to crawl, lift his head, and had quite the soccer kick. His sweet mother Mai is in over her head with two very active and inquisitive boys. :-)

Mai and I go way back to junior high school and continued our friendship through high school. I remember Mai as an extremely bubbly and sweet classmate, and she was the glass-half-full type of girl. Well, you know how they say some people never change? I'd have to agree with that one because in her mid 20s Mai is just the same sweet girl I knew when we were barely teenagers. The only difference I notice now is that she's a mother, and she's an amazing mother at that. As we caught up she would tell me endearing stories of her oldest son Max and of what it's like to be a mother of two. Her eyes continued to smile as she told me what it felt like the first time she saw Leo after his birth, and what it's like to have your life revolve around a growing family. As I listen to her I sense my baby fever growing by the second. But uh...easy there, readers, it's growing, but it's still a wee lil "baby" itself. ;-)

Thank you, Mai, for opening up your home and family to me. I can't wait til we get to hang out again!

His mom knit this cute little beanie just for this photo session!



Zonked out







"What's up, guys?"









And finally one more of Leo in his giraffe costume. It's too cute!

Company Picnic at Fort Mason

When I picture a summer picnic, I picture watermelons, ice cream, corn hole, frisbees, and of course SUN. Yes, sun is key to a picnic. However, San Francisco is unique. You see, in the summer SF can be one of the coldest cities in the country; tourists from around the world come here to "cool down" in the summer - that's how uniquely cold we are in the summer.

Yesterday was our company picnic, and it definitely had all the above EXCEPT the sun. In fact, we were so lucky we even got light showers! :-) Shine or no shine, the picnic was so much fun mainly because I got to photograph all the cute little kids. Man, two year-olds are FAST, and to make things worse for me they do not like the camera! Here are a few I managed to get that weren't nearly as bad, but can be a lot better if I had a better lens (like a super zoom L lens!). That way I wouldn't have to scare them away with the camera! Some are shot with my point and shoot and some with the SLR. You can probably tell the difference by now. :-)

Beautiful Bella





Micah the heart breaker. Which processing do you like better? I'm still adjusting!





Isn't he fierce?! :-)



Best friends!



What a lush!




Stay tuned for Brian's and Jessica's wedding from this past weekend. It was definitely not your typical wedding, and I loved everything about it!