Rabecca - East Nicholas High School Class of 2014

I've come to terms with the fact I have a lot of favorite people.  Pretty much anyone who I've gotten a chance to spend time with in front of my camera and photographing their awesomeness is immediately added to that favorites list.  Becca is no exception to that rule :)
I've known this lovely gal pretty much as long as she's been around.  Her sister Lacy and I became friends back in Kindergarten and have grown up over the years through school and in dance class.  Lacy and I both had our younger sisters that were just over a month apart in age, which meant it was a friendship that was meant to happen.  Though they went to separate schools, Aileen & Becca have been in the same dance class since day one.  It has been fantastic to see Becca grow over the years, through dance and school and become the gorgeous girl she is today.  From the moment we met up for her portrait session, we chatted about anything and everything, and it was then that I began to realize how amazing she has become inside and out.  While unsure of where she may end up in the long run for college, her career ideas are fantastic and I wish her best in all her endeavors.  I had so much fun chatting about life in the midst of capturing some of my favorite senior portraits to date of this wonderful girl who I'm lucky enough to know.
< Oh Becca, where do I begin...  Whether you end up a teacher or an ankle specialist, I know you'll be fantastic at what you do.  Keep on smiling and being the amazing girl you've come to be :)  You've come a long way, so don't quit while you're ahead!

Aileen - Del Oro High School Class of 2014

Usually my blog posts are easier to write.  The most recent ones have been about the fantastic photographers I've gotten to work with, the glorious venues I went to, and how lovey dovey cute and fabulous the bride and groom are.  I suppose this one is a smidge harder to focus down to one main point, considering I have slightly over 18 years of information on this particular one.  Unfortunately, due to the process of aging, I can no longer try and ignore the fact of Aileen being my sister...  Within the past week or so I've been told "you look like Aileen, just taller" or when I posted a sneak peek on Facebook, one person said, "When I first looked at this before I click on the bigger picture ...I thought it was you!"  Bummer.  Can't pull that "I'm adopted" card anymore.  So Aileen... where to begin with her.  I could start with the day I met her in the hospital, and she made me faint...  Or the years where she wore a beret every day...  Or how everyone remembers her being the pig tailed girl eating goldfish at my middle school basketball games.  Despite all the things I will probably tease her about for the rest of her life, there are some impressive qualities this girl has.  She's a dancer since age three, a musician on about a half dozen different instruments, and quite the science wiz.  She's worked hard in school between zero period band and AP classes, and still finds time to hang out with friends.  I'm impressed with the work load she has taken upon herself, and the skills to have gotten accepted in to two different Universities right out of high school.
The last time I photographed Aileen was for her 16th birthday, which seems so long ago. Yes, there were pointe shoes and a fat cat involved.  Thinking it would be fun to relive that moment, we started off her senior session with an updated photo of her and her cat Mushu.  Well, "fun" may not be the word, but it sure made for a unique portrait.  Afterwards, we headed to Old Sacramento to finish up the portrait session with a more casual, as well as more pointe shoe, cat-less portrait.  Here are a few of my favorites from the day!
As if photographing Aileen's senior portraits weren't enough to make me feel like an exceptionally older sister, but she heads off to Senior Ball tomorrow.  I'm still not sure what I'll do if my live in model decides to go away to college next year, but I know whatever she chooses to do for herself, she'll rock it out.  Whether she think so or not.  Congratulations Aileen, you're nearly done being a high schooler with all your AP class, early morning, late night, no sleep madness.  Then it's onward to the real world, which is probably going to be just as exciting :)

Sarah & Devin's Stones & Flowers Retreat Wedding - Ben Lomond, CA

The end of 2013 second shooting posts is finally here, and it ends with a fantastic one.  I second shot for Kirsten of Kirsten Julia one last time in late October at this FABULOUS venue called Stones & Flowers Retreat.  Tucked in the hills near Santa Cruz, this venue was intimate, unique and fantastic all rolled in to one.  Of course, the couple that day made it even better.  Their colors and DIY touches spanned from the moment we walked through the door of the cabin the girls got ready in clear to the end of the night with their ice cream bar.  Yes, it was as delicious as it sounds.  Sarah & Devin were fantastic to work with, and I couldn't think of a better wedding to shoot with Kirsten to round out my season last year!
Now that Kirsten has relocated to Southern California, I'm not sure I'll get the chance to second shoot with her.  But I can honestly say that I have had a fantastic time at every wedding I photographed with her last year, as well as in 2012.  2013 was a good year for me for working with some great photographers, and I cannot wait for 2014 to keep on happening.  May is a wedding packed month for me, and I cannot wait for things to follow.  Thanks again, Kirsten!  Without your generosity, I don't know if I would be where I'm at today :)