[Picture Life] with The Guimonds & Powell Families | Orange County Family Photographer

This is a Sunday afternoon, well spent! Sunshine, planes overhead, and two loving families ready for some portraits!

I met these families under sorrowful circumstances. We have a mutual friend who recently died. His mother, Lynda, gifted Heather and Terra and their families with a photo session this holiday season. I was thrilled to spend some time with them and capture some special memories.

We decided to shoot at Back Bay in Newport Beach where I photographed Michael this summer to pay tribute to our friend. I am stoked on these photos, so enjoy! 

First we have The Guimonds. This trio was so much fun. I let the little one take the lead and he did a marvelous job. 

and now for The Powells

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Until next time!

[Picture Life] Peacock Hill Photo Sessions

We have had the honor of photographing different horses and their owners this year at Peacock Hill Equestrian Center and last month we hosted our second photoshoot marathon!  Enjoy these photos! 

Mother, Daughter, and their boys

[Picture Life] Welcome baby Nayden! | Orange County Family Photographer

Nayden was born on Nov 4th at 11:11PM to Nallely and Nester. 

These first time parents were so in love with their baby boy. 

Little burrito

Cousins came to visit!! 

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Rest in Peace Michael Powell

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.

Michael Powell was a fellow photographer, an avid hiker, healthy Paleo eater, musician, and most importantly, my friend. On Oct 19th news broke out on Facebook that Michael had died on Oct. 18th after submitting Mt. Whitney late Oct 17th. Michael was young (36), and so full of life. I still feel hurt and angry knowing he was taken from this world far too early. He wasn't able to climb all the mountains he wanted to, or create all the music he planned to, and he and I will never be able to work together again.  But I take comfort in the fact that he was doing what he loved and he was in a good place in life. As his mother put it, "he had no unfinished business."

Michael let me interview him for a documentary I made earlier this year in which he talked about his struggles with weight, and how he had found a healthy lifestyle he really enjoyed: Paleo diet and hiking for exercise. 

As a "Thank You" for his time, we set up a photoshoot this summer for new headshots/promo photos for his photography business. He was such a kind and supportive soul. There was so much promise in his photography work and music. I'm glad I got to spend time with him while he graced the earth with his wonderful spirit. 

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On Sunday November 6th, over 300 people gathered at Irvine Park in Orange, CA to Celebrate the life of Michael Powell. It was a beautiful event filled with potluck style food, friends of Michael from different times in his life, photographs that people brought to share, and of course, stories upon stories honoring this great man.  I wish I knew him longer and knew him more. You will be missed my friend.

So honored to have my photo displayed. 

Michael with his mom Linda and her husband Don

Over 300 beautiful souls who came to celebrate Michael Powell

Thank you for checking out these photos. It means a lot to me to be able to share something personal with the world and be able to express my grief through photographs. 

BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I enjoy the thrill of putting together a costume.
I decided a month ago that I wanted to be Beetlejuice this year since my hair was kinda green.

So then it became a matter of putting together my costume since I don't like buying packaged costumes (unless it's perfect like my Peter Pan Costume haha)  I bought my pants at Forever 21, tank top at Target, and tie at Party City. I owned the jacket already. Special effects make up was purchased at Spirit Halloween: white cream, green grease, purple and black eyeshadow, liquid latex, and brown browshadow (pre-owned). Shout out to my friend Amanda Fonseca for instructing me on how to achieve make up I wanted!

“BEETLEJUICE”

“BEETLEJUICE”

“BEETLEJUICE”

Lastly, my roots had grown out and I needed them green (plus I needed a hair trim) so I went to Jessica at Gold & Braid Salon in Mission Viejo, CA and I was thrilled with the results of a green shadow root and silver ends. 

Halloween has been twice as fun the last 4 years since I have been able to dress up with my significant other. This year we went as gender-bending Beetlejuice and Lydia Deets. We celebrated Halloween at our friend Ali's birthday party and we had a fun little photoshoot. 

My husband Chris had all the clothes and hat already so I bought some black lace for a veil, created a polaroid, and he borrowed my 35mm camera (I couldn't find my polaroid camera!).

“My whole life is a dark room”

— Lydia Deets

Our new friend

“I myself am strange and unusual”

— Lydia Deets

“I’m the ghost with the most, babe!”

— Beetlejuice

How was your Halloween? Who did you dress up as? 

Amy & Taylor

Amy and I met a couple years ago through a mutual friend and we immediately bonded over our mutual love of The Walking Dead and photography. Amy has second shot for a few weddings of mine and she's an excellent photographer and mother. We recently got together with her 3yr old, Taylor, to have a video shoot where the two of them would dress up like princesses, have a tea party, and play.

The beginning of the session was not a pretty one. Taylor was quite unhappy with her choice of dress and to put it bluntly, she was throwing a tantrum and having a bad attitude. We almost gave up on doing the shoot that day. But after spending some time away from me and with her mom in the car, Taylor calmed down and was ready to play.  Oh the joys of having a toddler right?

Despite the hiccup in the beginning, the rest of the evening was perfect. The sun had just gone down over the hill so lighting was perfect and the two of them were just adorable playing together. 

Enjoy this video:

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Happy Sweet Sixteen Birthday Gilmore Girls!

Today marks 16 years since the premiere of my favorite TV show, Gilmore Girls. Netflix sponsored a country-wide takeover in various coffee shops to transform them into Luke's Diner for the first half of the day. For those that don't know this show, it's a dramedy (drama/comedy) centered around the everyday lives of a close knit mother-daughter pair in a small town surrounded by beautifully quirky people over the span of 7 years. Luke's Diner is a vital part of the Gilmore girls' daily routine where they get some coffee, help themselves to the occasional donut, and tease the owner, Luke.

My bestie Veronica and I bond over GG. She is witty, motivated, beautiful, and smart just like Lorelai. She's person I want to go to Luke's with (other than the "real" Lorelai & Rory Gilmore).

She waited in line with me for 2.5 hours for a cup of coffee from our favorite fictional coffee shop/diner.

Cafe Virtuosa in San Diego was one of many coffee shops transformed by Netflix.

iPhone 6s+ photo, edited in Instagram

“Coffee, please, and a shot of cynicism.”

— Lorelai

Luke made an exception to his strict No Cell Phone policy today and we were thankful. 

“Coffee-coffee-coffee is a saying. Like an exaggeration. It’s a funny, desperate cry for caffeine. It’s just my thing.”

— Lorelai

Chai Latte with Soy for Veronica and While Mocha with Almond Milk for Kurt (aka me).

“I can’t stop drinking the coffee, I stop drinking coffee, I stop doing the standing, and the walking, and the words-putting-into-sentences doing.”

— Lorelai

It was a lovely morning spent with one of my favorite people, at a temporary version of our favorite fictional coffee shop/diner. Hope you enjoyed this personal blog post.

Feel free to leave a comment and share your personal favorite Gilmore girls quote, character, moment, or your pick for Rory's partner. #TeamJess

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Liz Anne Hill pt. II

Hey everyone!

Here is another session with Liz Anne Hill and her horse Cairo. This time she busted out her guitar. 

Follow her on Instagram to get updates on when her new music is dropping.  
- Sarah C.

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