Although they have been married a few years, they never had engagement photos taken. So we thought what a great opportunity to get some holiday photos and some fun lifestyle photos too.

This is a wonderful little grand child of a near and dear friend… he also has a twitter account too. If you need a chuckle about baby observations, it is definitely one to follow.

I am always so happy to see beautiful families smiling and having such a wonderful time. I know when they look back they will remember what a fun time we had trying to get this little one to smile.

I suppose this also includes head shots for friends… Becca Rillo, a photographer, did a shoot where we all got a chance to be in front of the camera.

Although I don’t think I am the only choice for lifestyle photography and I know their are other photographers out there that do a quite wonderful job,  I am always delighted when someone in my close circle of friends/past clients, ask me to capture their new additions, haircuts, or family.

While I always try to make clients happy, this had an extra pressure to make her happy. This is my niece.

Isn’t she something ?

I have a few favorite shooting spots in Pasadena. This is one of my favorite churches. It has incredible light, gorgeous grey walls, and it makes everyone look like they are in a studio. I love the way everything becomes dream like in these hallways.

This is my graffiti alley in Pasadena. I love it. So colorful and amazing. I really would love to get a bride and groom back here sometime, and who knows, maybe it will happen soon enough. I really love all the bright colors. And as you might of noticed, my niece is into photography too. So we took some shots with the camera, after we did some photography together.

Now is where the loafers and hats come into play with my sun flare. As the sun was moving down, I knew we had limited time to get the effect she wanted. While it is hard to really capture light, it is always fun to see things as the camera sees it.

Off to Glendale to shoot at my favorite location. We wanted to do some prim and proper before we got crazy. So we did some lovely statutes kinda of poses …

Then things got super fun… and adorable.. but you will have to wait for part 2 coming in the next few days….

PS. My niece is cuter than your niece…

This is my niece. She is a lovely free spirit.

I adore her and can’t wait to show you her “senior” photos … They are a hoot.

Noah’s Ark theme for little baby boy Noah. All desserts were made by legendary Leslie Maynor of Fantasy Frostings for her daughters baby shower.

Homemade beverages with adorable striped straws to adorn glasses of mimosas or sweet lemonade.  The dessert table decorated with a perfectly shaped Noah’s Ark with friendly animals, all editable. The lemon cupcakes, and red velvet cupcakes were surrounded by crying baby cookies and a fabric Noah’s Ark backdrop.

The blue and green theme captured the muted tones of the table linens, sweeping fabrics and decorative bows, surrounding the outdoor patio at a private residence.

Cheese, crackers and various meats were set out as appetizers and nibble food. Homemade deviled eggs, stuffed celery and spinach dip in a bread bowl were also part of the pre-lunch menu. A table of salsa and chips, sided with a taco bar of seasoned meats, and toppings made for the perfect Sunday afternoon lunch.

All table settings were made by the mother of the “mom to be” with fabric flowers in clever baby boxes to later be used in the nursery for storage.

The lovely mom to be…

Sandra didn’t even have a boyfriend/fiancee. She had a crush on an unattainable man, a fast sports car, and a crazy party lifestyle. As for me, I didn’t have a photography company, or a blog. I was carrying heavy bags filled with another photographers camera equipment, and had a data entry job in Burbank.

Time changes everything. I get a call from Sandra that she is engaged. Wow. Not just that, but she is getting married on the busiest day, July 7, 2007. She was engaged to a boy that lived across the street from my family when we were kids. If this isn’t all a twist of fate, I am not sure what is… I gladly shot their engagement, and wedding. The wedding was amazing, complete with Columbia Dancer in feathered headdress,  two incredible wedding dresses, and a bubble/smoke filled first dance with huge television screens. It was also filmed for a pilot episode on TLC (sadly it never aired).

I did a fabulous testimonial video that I knew she had to be a part in with her husband. It was wonderful to hear her tell the story of her wedding and the importance of photography. I think that I started crying when her husband started talking about how appreciative he was to have so many beautiful images from their wedding day. (To see the video click here, they are about 1:35 in…)

I was excited when she called me to tell me that she was “trying” to get pregnant and wanted to make sure I would shoot her maternity photos. While most people wait till they are actually pregnant to schedule an appointment, I appreciated her enthusiasm and scheduling so far in advance, she held true to her word and was pregnant within a month or two of the phone call.

When she was about 7 months pregnant we did a beautifully chic maternity shoot at Laguna Beach. She wore a fantastically elegant black gown, and a greecian styles blue and gold gown. Both were stunning. She is my ultimate muse. She never complained, she stood on rocks, flowed her body like a dancer and moved with the wind. I know that not every maternity shoot will be like this one, but in my heart of hearts, I know that it wouldn’t of been as beautiful without Sandra.

Then the arrival of this little magic bundle happens. He is so sweet and polite. And they invited me to take photos of him upon his first few hours. I am so honored to be a part of this family’s milestone moments.

This is a very personal blog posting,  all these beautiful moments in my life and I am so lucky, I get to share them.

I love to do it. It is a fun time, we laugh and play alot.

This photo is a visual statement on who Vanessa Brooke truly is… photographer/mom

Here is what Vanessa says on her blog about her photography “Her background in Advertising and Photography has given her a vision that has emerged to a stylish portraiture career.  ‘I love to  bring in my  fashion sense to create the “look” of Portrait meets Editorial.  I hope to bring a new perspective to every shoot. I love moving forward with the new, it keeps me feeling artistic.” How I adore her.