Foster Parents of Four-legged Friends | Pasadena Pet Photographer

We are officially foster parents... of two personable cats that actually talk to you.  This guy, and his orange brother, joined our home a few weeks ago.  It was a rough adjustment for them the first week or so, but now they follow us around the house begging for us to rub their bellies.  Seriously.  Once you pet them for a moment, they flop down on the ground, beg you to rub their bellies, and purr loudly.  My parents moved to New Hampshire a couple of weeks ago and couldn't bring their cats along with them at this time.  Once their new home remodel is completed and they have a space for the cats, they will bring them to their new home.  The kitties will be living with us until Christmas at which point they will experience an extreme temperature shock by moving to a cold climate for the first time in their lives. I am surprised at how much I enjoy having them around and how much their silly kitty antics make me smile... especially when late night catnip is involved. Hilarious!  It's only been a couple of weeks, but they have already worked their way into our hearts.  This is one quick shot of Commodore Fluffy Paws (yes, my little sister named him when she was younger).  They both have tons of nicknames which include Commy, Gray One, and Chicken Comodori.  I am sure you will meet Butterscotch soon (aka: Butter, Butters, Butterball, Orange One, and Yellow).

How to Take Better Photos of your Baby | Pasadena Baby Photographer

I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching a class called How to Take Better Photos of your Baby or Child.  I am thrilled to partner with Giggle Pasadena in this effort.  Giggle store is an amazing resource for parents of babies and they provide top of the line maternity and baby products, clothing, and furniture.  Giggle truly has the greatest staff who can help you with everything... even as a complimentary personal shopper!  Giggle regularly offers complimentary classes covering everything from Cloth Diapering 101 to How to Wear Your Baby in a Sling to How to Take Better Photos of your Baby. I just love that their staff is very invested in supporting and educating parents. My class addresses basic photography approaches for posing, natural lighting, composition, and more fun topics.  There is no need to bring your camera since this class addresses general tips for a successful photo rather than specific camera functions.

When: Tuesday August 31st at 6pm

Where: Giggle Store, 517 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 (parking can be accessed on Hudson Avenue, behind the building)

Please contact Giggle Pasadena to reserve your spot today.  Call 626-744-0233 or email pasadena@giggle.com

Check out Giggle's description of my class and the other fun classes and activities that they offer.  Hope to see you there!

Locks of Love Donation | Pasadena Children's Photographer

I would like to start by thanking everyone for their overwhelming support and encouragement!  Last week I posted a couple of comments on Facebook to see if anyone has donated to Locks of Love before, and I had a huge response from so many people who have donated their hair in the past.  Everyone had wonderful things to say about the experience and the cause, so I took a risk, and chopped off at least 13 inches of hair and donated it to Locks of Love. As I have previously mentioned, I am a sentimental person.  The night before the big haircut, I asked Brandon to take some photos of my long hair for posterity.  I may have to commission him as my second shooter in the future, because he did an exceptional job with the composition and focus of the photography. Great job and thank you, Brandon.

Although I was nervous before the haircut, I thought of the cause, and I thought of everyone who had given me encouragement on Facebook.  I even posted that I was for sure doing it, so I couldn't wimp out. :)  Overall, it was a very meaningful experience, and I am so happy that I decided to do this.

If you are considering donating your hair to this wonderful charity, I would highly encourage it!  If you donate your hair to Locks of Love, I will give you two complimentary mini portrait sessions: one with long hair and one with short hair.

A lot of people requested to see before and after photos... so enjoy!

BEFORE

The donation needs to be at least 10" long before it's braided.  My ponytail was 13" long before it was braided.

AFTER... and I love it!

Locks of Love

I am making a big change tomorrow morning!  This change has been a long time coming and I am feeling equally nervous and excited about it.  I am having my long red hair cut short and donating it to a charity called Locks of Love.  They are a non-profit organization that makes wigs for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from many different diagnoses, including cancer.  It takes an average of six people's hair donations to make one wig for a child.  The donated hair needs to be at least 10 inches long in a ponytail.  You can read more about what Locks of Love is all about and see before and after photos of the children on their website. Ever since I learned of the good works that Locks of Love does, I have wanted to be a part of it.  BUT, and there has always seemed to be a lot of "buts" surrounding this issue, I have delayed donating because I am very attached to my long red hair.  I know that might sound vain or silly, but if you have long hair, you know what I mean.  I will be painfully honest.  My long red hair is such an integral part of my identity and it's what people most notice about me and compliment me on.  My main excuse was that I wanted to have my hair long for my wedding.  Well, my wedding was a year and a half ago and I did get to have it long at the wedding.  So why has it taken me so long to just donate it?  I think I am scared of the outcome.  I wonder if it will it still look okay.  I wonder if I will still be unique in some way.

I am a very nostalgic, sentimental person, so when I was washing and styling my hair this morning I was thinking to myself, "Sigh. This is the last time I will be washing and styling my long hair."  And it made me feel a little sad.  I know, so silly!  I can grow it out again if I want to, but it still feels like an end.  I have come to the point where I have decided to focus on the joy it will bring to a child, rather than thinking about my own selfishness or insecurities.  One friend told me, if you don't like the short cut you can grow it out again, but those kids can't.  Wow.  That put things into perspective.

In this process, I will respect my sentimental and nostalgic nature and take some "before" photos for posterity.  I will be sure to share my before and after photos some time soon.

A Dream, a Passion, and a Step of Faith | Pasadena Newborn Photographer

For those of you who don't know, I have officially shifted my business focus and area of expertise from wedding photography to newborn, children, and family portrait photography.  I have been heading towards this decision for a while, and I am thrilled to be moving forward with this choice.  I just love photographing tiny, fresh little babies during their first week of life!  I am very passionate about artistically documenting the connections between a family with a natural, candid, organic approach.  A big thank you to my close friends and family who have supported me with this decision.  I haven't taken this change lightly, and I wouldn't be where I am today without your kind words and encouragement to pursue my passion. I would like to introduce my new photography website!  I am so excited about how it turned out!  I have been wanting to redesign my website for quite a while to customize it exactly how I want it.  When I first started dreaming about it, I wanted a professional, flash website with a simple design that would be timeless, classic, and expertly showcase my portrait photography work.  Thanks to Showit Sites, some awesome web based software, I was able to design and create a one-of-a-kind website that I love.  I am so glad that I used Showit because I can update and improve my site on my own and the changes can be seen immediately.

Without any further ado, here are a few screen captures of my new "baby," but you can check it out for yourself HERE.  Enjoy!