A lovely day for a wedding

Steven and Jenny- a lovely January wedding day...

I was thrilled when I was asked to take pictures for my neighbor’s son’s wedding. You see, I grew up with the mom here in Brea, and I have taken this family’s pictures many times in the past so it was such a wonderful feeling to be able to photograph the wedding.

 

This was a different wedding than I was accustom to shooting. The couple, Steven and Jenny, got married in the Mormon Temple in Orange County. There is no photography in the temple it’s self so no ceremony pictures. And the couple opted for no any bridesmaids or groomsmen either. Which meant that, besides the family group shots, I got to spend a lot of time with just the bride and the groom. 

And to add an extra special twist to the day, it was the groom's birthday too. They were such a lovely couple to work with and I hope they enjoy the photos of their special day for years to come.

Congratulations to Steven and Jenny- blessings to you both.

 

Preparing for a new little one....

I am sorry about not posting to this blog lately but we have wonderful news to share.....
my husband and I became grand parents again!
Welcome Payton!

I have been so blessed in my life to have 2 wonderful kids. My son and his wife have given me 3 beautiful grand children and now my daughter and her husband have added to our family, a brand new little girl.

Payton Rose DeBenedictis was born in early February. She is as Mary Poppins would say... "Practically Perfect". We all prayed for this little one for a long time and I am so happy to announce that she is here and growing nicely.

I believe that every part of a child's life is great reason to celebrate and document with pictures, even when the child has yet to arrive. I wanted to take some photos of my pregnant daughter, Katie and her husband, Jason, before Payton was to be born into the world.

These photos were taken at a very secluded park near our home as well as in the nursery her parents set up for her. I want Payton to understand that she is a treasured child and of her importance in our lives. 
I believe, through photos, she will understand that she is a blessing.

Katie and Jason

Preparing her room.

announcing- my grand daughter, 

Payton Rose DeBenedictis

Family Photos with little ones...... The Thayers

Our friends, Brad and Betsy, have been a part of our family for many years. I am happy to have taken many photos of them. I was thrilled when they asked me to take their family photos for their Christmas card. 

Let me star by saying I have been taking pictures for a lot of years. But of all the pictures I have taken (from weddings to big, huge groups of people in one family), it's the little toddler/preschool aged humans that scare me the most. 

They just don't really want to sit still and have their picture taken. They just want to get down and run around. And it is a real struggle for me, at times, to get anything that resembles a good family photo. Now, times that by two (or twins) and add the element of rain (or should I say "sprinkle"), and the fact that it takes a lot of work to get a family ready and out the door, and the fact that we didn't have any other dates available to take these photos and I want to do my best for them AND ...... 

well, you can see why I was a bit nervous about this shoot.

But as you can see, Everything turned out fine. Because the kids were so good at the beginning of the shoot, it took not time at all to take some terrific pictures of the family. I love the fact that they used props (cell phones) for their pictures too. I encourage families to do that so the kids are occupied with something else and will feel more comfortable about having their pictures taken by me. 

It is always an adventure when photographing families with young kids. Sometimes, what I have planned for them is nothing like the wonderful pictures I get when the kids are in charge of what really happens that day.

Thank you Brad, Betsy, Riley, Zac and Allie for another great family shoot.

One BIG happy family

I am blessed to have reconnected with some "gold" (no old) pals from my childhood days. My dear friend, Karen (who I have known since we were both in 3rd grade together) and her husband, Rick, have become such a treasured friendship to my family. I was thrilled when she asked me to photograph her entire blended family. I have met a couple of people in the past but I got the chance to meet the whole group- grand kids and all. What a lovely afternoon it was too. We met at a beautiful spot near her home. The lighting was wonderful. The family was so terrific to work with.

I always get a little nervous working with small children who don't like to be photographed. Sometime they are just too shy to take direction from a stranger. But all the little kids were so much fun to work with.... Such terrific personalities. The older kids really got into the spirit too and did just about anything I asked of them. I love their playfulness with each other.

And the extra special part of the day was that my hubby came along and helped me out by taking some pictures too. I love working with him and I think he had a good time too.

It was a lot of work to gather all the family members in one spot for an afternoon. Lots of schedules to juggle around, but it will be a wonderful memory for my friends, Karen and Rick. Family photos that will last a lifetime.