Larchmont Charter West Fundraiser

I am slowly, but surely, starting to get caught up with my editing. In the last eight days, I've had 11 shoots! And of course this is the week that my Lightroom decided to FAIL on me. I spent much of Thanksgiving stressing about this, because I was on a tight deadline to get a few of them out by the end of the weekend. Anyway, I found temporary solution to my problem and now I am finally able to share some of my work from last week!

I was so thrilled to be asked by a couple friends, whose kids are in my daughter's preschool class and who are also involved with a local charter school, to participate in a photo shoot fundraiser. Each family who signed up got a 1/2 hour session (there were 3 photographers) and they made a donation to the school (with a small cut going) to the photographers). Just in time for the holidays, each family received approximately 10-15 images to keep - for cards, gifts, you name it! I got to shoot 4 families and it was so much fun. It was a HUGE challenge because it was pouring most of the afternoon so our settings were limited. The lighting was not terrible cooperative so I ended up with some grainy and out of focus images...grrrr. But I did find some winners and with a fair amount of editing I managed to get each family their disk! Below are some of my favorite shots from the day:

I'm doing a giveaway!

One of the things I love about following so many of my friends' businesses is the giveaways! It's such a great way to reward your fans, and get the word out about your work. So I'm doing my first giveaway - a free mini session, valued at $50! You'll get 1/2 hour shoot and 5-10 hi-res images. Nice, right?

But wait, there's more! (Using my best infomercial voice here...)

You also win a free initial tee from my friend Rachel at *golden shop! Rachel and I go all the way back to elementary school, and she was super creative and crafty back then too. She's turned her talent into a great business making tee shirts, bibs, and other adorable kid stuff. She's made stuff for both my kids' birthdays and I am always amazed at everything she comes up with. If you win, you have a perfect outfit for your little one to wear in the photo shoot! Or, it makes a really sweet and personal gift for a special child in your life. Thanks Rach!

So - "like" Silver Lining Photos on Facebook AND *golden and you'll get not one but two entries into the random drawing that I will hold this weekend!

***Sorry, but the photo shoot is only available in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. You can gift it to someone else, or hang onto it for a time when we're in the same city (it won't expire).

Nicole and Erez - parents to be!

I had so much fun with Nicole and Erez - our mutual friend set us up to do maternity pictures as they're expecting their first little one in December. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon at the Getty Villa, and we managed to sneak in some shots despite the threat of being kicked out! (Professional photography is not allowed, and I tried to convince the guard that I was no professional!) But since Nicole and Erez are both rabbis, we were working under a higher moral order so we decided not to push our luck and head down to the beach as well. After getting to know them, I am so excited to meet their baby and take newborn shots too! 

Valdez Barkwill Family

I had a great time last weekend photographing a former colleague of mine and her family. Carla, Alan, and Liam met me at Temescal Canyon Gateway Park for a family portrait session against a beautiful fall backdrop. There were colorful leaves, rustic benches, and even a magical fog that rolled in. Liam - who turned 2 yesterday - had a great time exploring and riding in the wagon I brought. The whole family was so much fun to work with, and quite photogenic as you'll see below!

Horowitz Family

I love that my friends Rachael and Josh decided to do family photos for Josh's mom's birthday! His parents and sister came to town, so we all went down to the Santa Monica Pier to get some really sweet shots in lovely late afternoon light. Here are some of the highlights of our session. Happy birthday Susan!

How sweet are they?!

Cutie!

When a group pose fail turns hilarious!

Horowitz Girls and Horowitz Boys

Adyn's 1st Birthday!

I was so excited to do this shoot - Adyn is a good buddy of my little guy who also just turned 1, so I've had the pleasure of watching her grow up this year. I shot mostly in the backyard where the natural light was beautiful and there were so many great colors to compliment her outfits. Then we moved inside for a couple more staged studio style photos (with a tutu, of course), and finally - the cupcake smash! A lot of photographers do ones like this, and this was my first - I just handed her a pink cupcake and watched her have at it. It was so much fun - happy 1st birthday Adyn!