"Mommy & Me Mini" - Penina and AT!

I met up with my friend Penina and her sweet son Ariel at the Grove early one Sunday morning...our timing was perfect, because the sunlight wasn't too strong yet and we weren't lost among throngs of shoppers and tourists. I forgot that it's actually a really awesome place to explore with a little one even though I tend to avoid the crowds there. Anyway, Penina and I had been talking for a while about doing photos (she wanted to treat herself to a birthday present!) and the moment was finally right. I loved how these shots turned out, and that she decided to do them just her and her boy (daddy/hubby was working that morning)...in fact, when Mother's Day gets closer I'm going to offer a special Mommy & Me Mini sessions!

So...what do you think?!

I am SO SO SO excited to roll out my new blog site!!! I've been working the amazing Becca at Jumping Jax Designs for the last couple months to create a whole new look for my little biz. Up until now I had just been playing around on my own with fonts and watermarks and logos and business cards...it was all over the place and nothing was coordinated. Time for a change!

I have seen Becca's work on a bunch of blogs I read so I reached out, and it's one of the best investments I've made thus far, for the logo work alone! She really pulled everything together - the overall look, the fonts and colors, and logo styles. We had over 100 emails back and forth, as I debated to death the font choices (I drove myself totally batty in the process, I'm pretty sure it was no picnic for Becca either!) and then had to come up with 3 different logo concepts. And this was all starting from scratch...I literally said "I want something clean and sophisticated, somewhat whimsical but not too cutesy." I mean, that doesn't exactly narrow it down, does it?

Here is Becca's genius at work:

Seriously, if you have a blog - whether its for a business or just your own personal one - and you want a little makeover, you need to talk to Becca NOW! You won't be sorry, I promise!

Happy spring!

200 fans and counting - Giveaway Day!

Happy Monday! Thank you - all 202 of you, at current count! - for following me. It means the world to have so much support and encouragement from friends, friends of friends, and people I don't even know! Keep spreading the word. As a token of my gratitude, here is the giveaway that I promised:

ONE MINI PORTRAIT SESSION

1/2 hour photo shoot (up to one nuclear family), 10-15 images in an online gallery to share with your friends and family, and two (2) 8x10 prints of your choice.

You will also have the opportunity to upgrade the session and buy additional prints and/or the full size hi-res images at a discounted rate.

Session must be in the LA or San Diego (when I'm planning to be in town) or anywhere in between (again, when I'm already planning a trip south), or in any of the cities/areas I will be visiting this year - Mountain View/Palo Alto, CA, Charlotte, NC, or Boston, MA.

Session must be booked for 2012, and it may be gifted to someone else in the above-mentioned cities if you are not able to do it.

I love doing Minis, and starting this year I'm only offering them as special promotions (no longer on the regular menu), and it's a fun way to get a few great shots of you, your kids, or your family. So, you're probably asking yourself, how do I enter to win this fun opportunity?!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

1. Like my Facebook page.


2. COMMENT on this blog post to tell me that you like it AND your favorite image that I've posted on my page so far. Make sure to leave your name and email so I know how to find you!


3. EXTRA ENTRY - follow this blog on Blogger and leave me a comment to tell me you do.


4. ANOTHER EXTRA ENTRY - follow me on Twitter, and leave another comment on this post with your name and Twitter name.

I will do a RANDOM drawing on Thursday, February 16 sometime in the morning. Thanks for playing - enter early and often - LOL - and thank you for your support!

Sweet Baby Annie

Remember these glowing parents-to-be and the gorgeous baby belly?

Now they're glowing as parents with their sweet daughter Annie! I could not get over there fast enough to take her newborn pictures because she is one gorgeous baby. And to see Nicole and Erez as parents was so much fun...they were were pretty laid back and totally enjoying themselves. It's such an amazing "before and after" experience to go through with expecting parents and getting to meet the little one that everyone only dreamed and wondered about. So here she is - Miss Annie Iyla!

One of my all time faves! And it inspired this, from the son of our mutual friend:

"I'm playing Baby Annie!"

Baby M - Newborn Photos and Baby Naming

Back in December, I had the pleasure of meet Cathy, Todd and their new baby girl. We did a newborn session at their home and she was wide awake and happy the whole time! And then a few weeks later I had the privilege of photographing her baby naming. It was a beautiful ceremony held at Cathy's parents' house and it was wonderful learning more about the amazing people in their family for whom she was named. 

Baby Naming