Baby Z turns 1
Balloons… Bougainvillea… Birthday Cake… and a Baby! All of these put together made a fun session with little Z, who turned 1!
The Mizells
What a happy family! I had a great time shooting the Mizells! We were originally supposed to take photos in the late afternoon, but since the forecast said rain, we decided to do the shoot a few hours earlier. Despite the heat at noon, we were so glad that we changed the time because it did end up raining in the afternoon! We had the photo session at the Parque Iberoamericano, which had a nice grassy area as well as playground area for the kids to enjoy the playground and ride their scooters around.
The Rhodes Family
L+R: Santo Domingo Engagement, Part 2
Zona Colonial was such a romantic place to take engagement photos! Did you know that Santo Domingo was the first Spanish colony in the New World? It was the oldest European settlement in the Americas, and the “Zona Colonial” is a UNESCO World Heritage site, filled with beautiful historic buildings and streets. It served as the perfect backdrop for this engagement shoot! Many thanks again to Jose Jimenez for letting me be his second shooter,
L+R: Santo Domingo Engagement Part 1
Lauri and Roman attend the same church as me- El Circulo. They are a lovely couple!
In the Dominican Republic, engagement photos are done a bit differently. The bride wears a wedding dress for the engagement photos because there is usually not enough time to take nice/scenic photos on the day of the wedding.
This was such a great experience for me to explore the city and take their photos! I was the second shooter for the wonderful photographer Jose Jimenez , who directed the whole photo shoot. As his assistant, I got practice using the reflector and and light stand. As second shooter, most of the photos I took were from far away, but I was able to snag a few close-ups. The following photos were taken in Parque Mirador Sur.
La Boda de Lauri y Roman
Today I shot a wedding for the FIRST time! Plus it was my FIRST Dominican wedding! I was second shooter/assistant photographer for Jose Jimenez. It was a great experience getting to shoot a wedding. I mostly focused on shots of other guests and from farther away (that’s why there are barely and people looking straight into my camera). Lauri and Roman were suuuuuch a sweet couple- I kept catching them stare into each others eyes, whispering, and giggling. There were many sweet moments too- especially when vows were said and when Noelia sang- I saw tears shed all over the place! Enjoy!
Lauri and Roman: Wedding Details
Lauri the Bride
I got to experience a Dominican wedding for the first time! Thank you to Jose Jimenez for giving me the opportunity to be a second shooter for this wedding. We arrived at Lauri’s house as she was finishing up getting ready, and once she was done, she had a radiant smile on her face. You could see her joy and excitement in her eyes. It was also precious to see how her parents looked upon their daughter with so much love.
Life with the Chans
Some people think routines are boring. Repeating the same thing over and over again cane sound tiresome, it’s true. But I believe there can be beauty in routine.
The Chans, my wonderful friends from Cambodia, asked me to do a lifestyle session to capture what “everyday life” is like for them with their son. I can see how the Chans find so much joy in doing the simple things, such as saying good morning, giving him a shower, changing his diaper, changing his clothes, cutting his nails, giving him milk, reading him a book, saying goodnight, and of course many hugs and kisses.
There is so much warmth and joy in this house. (Can you tell that I really miss my friends in Phnom Penh?) I hope you can experience it by looking at these photos. Enjoy!
Cooking with the Chans
Within 24 hours upon arriving in Cambodia back in October 2011, my husband and I met the Chans (but there was no baby Elijah yet). Since that day, we have grown closer to each other through church, board games (SETTLERS!), and of course FOOD! Also, our children were born within 2 weeks of one another so we enjoyed many play dates with one another. We are so thankful for the Chans who helped us figure our way around Phnom Penh. They became one of our best friends during our time there and have been so blessed by their friendship.
Before I left Cambodia, I offered to shoot some family photos for this wonderful family. They wanted me to shoot photos of their family in their home in Phnom Penh, doing “everyday” activities. I LOVEd this idea- as special as big moments like weddings and birthdays are, there is so much beauty and value in our “normal,” “everyday” lives. One thing to know about them is that this family really enjoys cooking! Nathan himself used to be a chef and director of a catering business- I’m sure their son will be experiencing and enjoying many moments like this as he grows up!
I loved being able to “peek” into the home of the Chans and show you all a snippet of their lives. Enjoy!