Chris & Pris
We celebrated Chris & Pris’ anniversary at a beautiful restaurant in Bayahibe called Trocadero. Prior to the dinner I took a few quick shots of them around the restaurant- we were there for sunset and it was gorgeous!
Indoors with the Woonacotts
I believe there is something special to be found in the routine of “everyday life.” That’s why I enjoy taking lifestyle photos so much. It may seem like “routine” photos now, but in a few years it will show how that it really was just for a season… a very special season. I’m so glad that this family invited me into their home to photograph this special season of toddlerhood for their son! I enjoyed taking photos of anything that they were doing… nothing staged, and basically just whatever little W wanted to do!
(Note: There are a lot of black & white photos in this blog post. I often give clients the same photos in both b&w and color as well.)
Outdoors w/ the Woonacotts
A year ago I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful family. Little “Baby W” is not so little anymore! He is so much taller, and runs around everywhere now! But he still has those beautiful blue eyes and sweet smile 🙂 ! I enjoyed taking photos at the rooftop this year— the clouds were AMAZING!
J+S+M+A
Silje wanted to do an afternoon session in Zona Colonial since they are leaving Santo Domingo soon. I love taking photos there, and so we took some photos in the Plaza Duarte area. The little ones had so much energy, so it was fun taking photos of them jumping and running around! Pretty soon, a storm came in and it started raining. But I didn’t mind. I loved taking photos of the kids enjoying the rain. Luckily, we had a tiny little umbrella for the family to squeeze under!
The Corrals
Meet the Corral Family!
We had a lovely afternoon in the Zona Colonial area of Santo Domingo. The sunlight was perfect. They wanted a portrait session, so I took photos of the whole family, but also took a few candids. Some of my favorite photos were the ones where they were dancing- they looked like they were having tons of fun! The youngest son was so silly during the shoot, making faces and dancing around— I loved it! Hope you enjoy these photos of this beautiful family!
The Dilles
It was a lot of fun taking pictures of this lovely family and their little furry friend Louie. It was a pretty hot day, so we managed to find some shade around walls as well as the ruins of an old hospital. Some of my favorite photos were when everyone was just relaxing and enjoying playing with Louie!
Stacey's Maternity
Stacey is one of my dear friends who I have known since high school. I had the opportunity to visit her in Florida to celebrate a SURPRISE baby shower for her son, Owen. We had a great time hanging out, catching up, and talking all things BABY. We also got to stroll around a beautiful park with lilies and colorful trees- it looked like autumn! She was 30 weeks pregnant when these photos were taken, and she has the cutest little bump! I am so excited for her in this new season in her life!
Tyler & Shannon
An anniversary session in Ramona, California. I love taking photos during the autumn season.
Gabi's Frozen 3rd!
I love taking birthday party photos for children. I love capturing the wonder and excitement of the children, and especially the birthday boy or girl. As a parent, I want to be able to participate and enjoy the party too. I really value my child’s birthday, as it resembles another milestone reached- it is a happy as well as bittersweet time. I think this really motivates me when I take photos for other parents- I imagine what kind of photos I would want on my child’s birthday… and then I snap away!
I had the privilege of taking photos for Gabi’s 3rd birthday. The theme was “Frozen” and not only were the decorations adorable, but the expression on little Gabi’s face as she came into her birthday party and was surprised with the decor and being greeted by Queen Elsa. I hope you get a feel for the party through these photos!
The Vauters
I had the opportunity to photograph this beautiful family at Palacio Engombe, an old sugar plantation in Santo Domingo. They are such a warm family, and baby Z was such a good sport. She was thoroughly entertained during our time together, playing with her soccer ball (“mamba”), watching mommy and daddy blow bubbles, and being tossed in the air. She already looks older from the last time I photographed her 3 months ago (and she moves faster too!)
j&c
I first met J & C in Cambodia 3 years ago. I met them within 24 hours from arriving into Phnom Penh, and they became great friends of ours ever since. They are a sweet couple with a pretty amazing testimony. I really admire their integrity, humility, and their faith in God. My hubby and I were so happy they came to visit us here in the DR. Here are a few shots I took of them during our visit to Jardin Botanico and Zona Colonial.
Jardin Botanico
Life with Baby W
I loved taking photos for this family. They wanted to have some photos done in their home, and they were so warm and welcoming. Their son had the brightest blue eyes, and he loved the camera- He even kept crawling up to me to play with it! Their home was beautiful, and had so much natural light seeping in through the windows. Besides these great things, what I loved most about taking these pictures is seeing how these parents interacted with Baby W- they were so playful with him and showered him with countless kisses.
The Hopes
The Hopes wanted to take some family photos in the Colonial Zone since they were going to leave the Dominican Republic soon. I love the architecture of the “Zona Colonial” – it was the first European colony and city of the Americas, so it has old cobblestone streets and buildings that are hundreds of years old. It served as a perfect backdrop for this session. I’ll make note of a few of the sights that are in these photos!
Alcazar de Colon
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!
