Love Thy Neighbor

Since the day we met the Garcias they have been warm, welcoming, and friendly. And this past weekend's shoot is further confirmation of how loving their family is... We spent a relaxed Sunday at La Jolla Cove playing in the sand/water, looking at seals, and hanging out with this fun family. Frank and Tiani are good leaders and their qualities come through in all of their children - kindness, silliness, and love for each other. It was wonderful to be a part of their interactions. Analiya... What more can we say about this little Wonder that the pictures don't? She's daddy's little girl...Our bike riding buddy, Tristian. He's the coolest kid around. During the shoot we found an interesting urban backdrop... perfect for taking solos of the teenagers, Nena and Nico. By the way, Nico recently won Homecoming King at his high school. Congrats Nico!Family is truly a blessing from God...

TEN

Today is 10~10~10. This wasn't planned but completes this perfect day.
We spent the afternoon at La Jolla Cove with a fabulous couple and their family to help document their milestone of TEN beautiful years of marriage.
Here is a little sneak peek.... Stay tuned for their full session which includes their adorable, fabulous, sweetest 4 kids that we absolutely fell in love with. The way Frank & Tiani were with one another you would think they were on their honeymoon. It is the sweetest thing ever.Frank & Tiani,
We had the best day ever. The love your family projects is contagious. We look forward to new memories with you. Sending lots of love your way. Thanks for being such great sports and trusting us with this special milestone.

Love,
Tony & Danielle

In the Blink of an Eye

Matthew is adorable. fun. energetic. growing fast. did I mention energetic. and our precious little nephew.
We had a fun unplanned photo shoot documenting his one of kind smile and energy I wish I could have just one ounce of.
In the blink of an eye he is going to be all grown up and we are thankful we had a chance to stop time if only for a second.Daddy's Boy... If you didn't know already, Tony & I work our photo shoots together using a variety of lenses covering the day from a totally different angle as the other. Sometimes we have an assistant along to help but today we were all on our own juggling two shoots at one time. This was a first (and last) for us and not totally planned. We have been trying to photograph our nephew for months now and it just so happened Albert & Kathy made it over to visit us the same day we were shooting the "After Session" for Josh & Nony's Wedding Portrait Pics. Since both shoots were really casual we made it work and had a lot of fun doing it.
A special thanks to Tony for working extra hard to make this happen.

Charis Financial, Inc.

We go way back. Back to the days of mortgages, VOE's and underwriting. Back to the good old days of working hard, pushing files, laughing and many inside jokes. Back to our early twenties. Chris Diaz and I met while working at H&R Block Mortgage/Option One back in the day.

I was thrilled when he contacted me to shoot head shots for him and his company that he started, Charis Financial, Inc. I am so proud of him and all of his accomplishments over the years. It is really cool to see friends succeed especially when you know where they started.
Here is a brief summary about what Charis Financial, Inc is all about. If you are in need of these services I highly recommened you give them a call. You will be in good hands.
"Charis Financial, Inc. is a Southern Californian commercial and residential short sale negotiation and real estate consulting firm. The founder of Charis Financial, Inc., Chris Diaz, started the company after years of experience in both the real estate and mortgage banking industry. His insider knowledge of how banks operate and what needs to happen for real estate to move in both booming and struggling real estate market has allowed him to build a highly effective and efficient short sale method only a seasoned veteran in the business can provide. His team of highly skilled processors and negotiators will ensure each clients needs are attended to and a level of service provided that is, and should be, demanded by both homeowners, business owners and real estate agents in this volatile market."

Meet his team Christy, Laura, Stephen, Sherlyn, Heidi and Amy.
It was great to see old co-workers and meet some new faces. I feel so removed from my old life in the mortgage business that it was really nice to catch up with everyone. Though I loved being an underwriter, I do not miss the mortgage business. I am so thankful to finally be doing what I was born to do but I will always miss all the fabulous people that I met over the years.

"Koolaid", it was fun working with you again. I look forward to seeing what your future holds. Keep in touch. "Reedy"

Charis Financial, Inc.

Glowing Candice

We recently moved into a great neighborhood. It is a pretty quiet area with beautiful landscapes in every direction of our house. One of our favorite things is that we live on a cul-de-sac that only has houses on one side of the street so our views from the front and backyard are beautiful. But our most favorite thing is that we our surrounded with great neighbors. It is such a nice change from our old place. We have had fun getting to know them and recently I got the chance to photograph our neighbor Candice who is now 11 weeks pregnant with their first child.
Hogan and Candice are an adorable couple. Hogan is serving in the Marines and has the kindest heart ever. He recently got back from his deployment in Iraq. They are finally getting a chance to enjoy each other as they hadn't been married too long before he had to leave. We were so excited when they told us of their good news. They are going to make wonderful parents.

I am going to shoot a Maternity Session in a few months when she is really showing but I thought it would be fun to casually document her progress monthly. Here is a few shots of Candice at 11 weeks.

Sweet Dylan Jean

Mondays is grandma time for Linda. She spends every Monday afternoon down at the park on Los Rios Street with her precious granddaughter Dylan Jean. So it was easy choosing a location for their portrait session. What better place to document Dylan Jean than in an environment she is comfortable in. She is only two so I am sure our big camera gear wasn't the friendliest thing but she adjusted very well. She has the sweetest, most precious spirit and I wanted to be sure I captured this for Linda through my lens. The afternoon flew by and I am sure we wore her out.

Thanks Linda for trusting me with the honor of capturing Dylan Jean. You both did amazing. And I must state the obvious Dylan Jean was so adorable and photogenic, but you my dear looked absolutely gorgeous!
I hope the photos are more than you imagined. Isn't being a grandmother the most wonderful thing ever?!

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. -- Author UnknownThere's no place like home except Grandma's. ~Author UnknownGrandmas never run out of hugs or cookies. ~Author UnknownIf you are looking for a fun afternoon with your kids be sure to check out Zoomars on Los Rios Street. Los Rios Street is one of my favorite places to hang out. I have been coming here since I was a child and it never gets old. To be able to photograph special people and their lives on this street is a perfect day for me. I love my job!!!

Linda is full-service catering and event coordinator for over 25
years in Orange County.
"If you want to be a guest at your next party call us and we do the rest!"
Her contact information:
kirbside@dslextreme.com
(949) 233-6142 or (949) 496-4851
27902 Paseo Nicole
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Website:http://www.catering-oc.com

Kross Family

I love family portrait time. It is always a challenge getting large groups together with all the different personalities. Some have big ones, others are shy, others who hate being in front of the camera, some are goof balls. All of these dynamics are what make family sessions so much fun. It is my job to not only get some great shots but to have the family work together and most importantly to have FUN!
The Kross family is all of that and more. They were up for anything and just happy to be all together. I treasure this family. The love that starts from the top and trickles down to the siblings and on to all their other relationships is truly a blessing. I love how each sibling looks out for each other and still enjoys spending time together. God definitely had our paths cross for a reason. We will forever be touched by this beautiful family. I often look through magazines for different ideas and poses to keep things interesting and have been anxiously waiting to try out a bubbles idea. I knew the Kross family would be the perfect candidates for this so we started off with bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles. It was the perfect thing to loosen everyone up. I cannot wait until next years session or maybe even an engagement session. wink, wink! :)