My babies! {children photography, sonoma county children photographer, tutus, bee hats}

Everyone assumes that being a photographer I "must" take TONS of photos of my kids. Well truth be told with my first, my son Aidan, I was so nervous, I thought I was going to brake him so I rarely did anything creative with him. Then I didn't know how to really juggle it all, the big camera and the new baby. I took a good amount of photos of him though. But then came Miss Isabella 20 short months later. Then came the colic! and let me tell you Mariah Carey's got nothin on Miss Isabella! So needless to say there was not much to photograph but her throat! and if she wasn't in my arms I was outside pulling my hair out! The only time I really pull my big camera out is when Ben or someone else is with me to help me manage my cagey bunch. Aidan always loves to run the second you look away...it's just not a good idea to mix photography and single person parenting! On my Husband's days off I try to get the camera out as much as possible but my other obstacle is that the two of them never fail, they always look MISERABLE when I put them next to each other for a photo. With out the camera they love each other. Well ok let me rephrase that, Isabella is OBSESSED with Aidan, he can do no wrong in her world! Aidan on the other hand is finally coming around. He used to just pretend she didn't exist and lately he's actually been quite fond of her. But when the camera comes out the two of them stop dead in their tracks and give me their most miserable stare!
Last week I took the kids over to my friend Trinity's house in Windsor for a little play date. I decided to bring along some cute tutus and headbands that I had purchased on Etsy from Petite Peanut. (my favorite vendor on Etsy) Trinity has 3 girls so I figured between her Husband, Trinity, and I we could juggle the kids and I could snap a few cute photos with the tutus and these really cute bee hats I got for Aidan and Isabella from Snap Happy-Boutique. It was like a three ringed circus but I did end up getting some cute photos! Thought I'd share...

Photography is fun! {portraits, fashion, available light photography}

I have really wanted to try out a few locations I've driven by several times as I take the kids places. I've also been seeing really cool but edgy editing techniques that I want to try but never have the right image for. I also have wanted to try a few different poses that I can't really try out on a bride in a white dress! So I found a couple GORGEOUS girls to agree to let me have the lovely Kristy Harris do their make up and let me test out all this stuff on them! I really love the art of photography and just love to try things even if I fail just so I can learn how to improve. I always stay in the box (because everyone loves the box) but I also LOVE to step out and be creative. I think its the mix of the two that produces a collection of images that people really cherish. But it's the stepping out of the box part that can be frightening at times. When I am shooting a client I don't want to step too far off because they are expecting a certain result. So it's nice to be able to go off for a few hours and just shoot and try new ideas with out the pressure of that result. Then I learn what works and what doesn't and how I can improve upon what didn't work. Which will all help me in my adventures to come! Here are several of my favorites from my shoot with the beautiful Nicole and Brigitte. You will see a few that are the same but with different editing techniques or even the same pose just composed differently and that was mainly what I was working on in addition to trying out these new locations. Enjoy!

Love in San Francisco! {San Francisco Engagement Photos, city engagement photos}

Stephanie and Sean had to reschedule their original engagement session due to rain. It seemed like any free day they had just wouldn't work. So we scheduled it for a couple months in advance hoping the weather would be ok but knowing SF we knew it was really a 50/50 shot to have decent weather. Now if you aren't familiar with SF let me just tell you that 75% of the time it is at the very least foggy in most parts of the city. So a clear blue sky is cause for celebration in the city and that we did today!! When I picked up Stephanie and Sean they had a few places in mind to go to and my plan was to keep my eyes open as we drove to each place, looking for unexpected places to shoot. Boy did we find some!
Today was one of the funnest shoots I've had in a while. Very laid back and fun. Stephanie and Sean are so easy going and playful. It was so easy to just photograph them with very little posing. I can't wait for their wedding in August at Trentadue Winery. It's going to be a beautiful event!!

Leland and Heather Reichel- {Trione Winery Wedding Geyserville, CA, sonoma county wedding, vineyard wedding}

I first met Heather at the Sonoma Bridal show last September. She brought Leland by my house later that week to meet me. I knew instantly they were a fun couple that I would come to enjoy very much! If you know me, you know there are 2 things (besides my family) I love most....Wine and Food! Well I arrived at their home in Healdsburg for their engagement shoot. It wasn't in a nice suburban little neighborhood with a white picket fence......NO! It was a wonderful little house with an adorable dog wandering around free IN THE MIDDLE OF VINEYARDS! They had to kick me out! I really didn't leave willingly! I already knew that Leland was a wine maker for Constellation Wines but I later found out that Heather was a big time volleyball player and coach! It's like while at one of my volleyball games in High School my Mom was praying that I'd grow up to marry a wine maker and live in the middle of the vineyards and coach volleyball (all so she could bunk with me when she got old and crazy) and her prayers got lost onto another tall blond volleyball player named Heather! Instead I married a wine drinker and live in a house with a 2 year old that stands naked over the ipad singing and dancing to "take it off" by Kesha! Anyways....A few months later as the wedding date grew closer I wanted to go by the wedding venue to scope it out since I had not been there before. (Really it was a great excuse for Ben and I to go wine tasting!) So Ben and I dropped the kids off at his Mom's and we headed out to Trione Winery in Geyserville, expecting a gorgeous venue (mainly because if it has the word winery attached to it, it can't be that bad right?) but we were not expecting this place! They have a 200 year old greystone 2 story building with all wood vaulted ceilings and pillars inside. The tasting room and guest room has all been recently remodeled into a breathtaking building. Then we tasted the wines and well there was yet another place we didn't leave willingly! So I not so patiently awaited their beautiful wedding day hoping and praying for no rain....not only did it not rain, it was in the mid 70s and bright blue skies! I do have to say Heather did an amazing job nearly coordinating the entire day herself. Her best choice (other than ME of course) was her cake baker, Carolyn of Your Sweet Expectations...delish and beautiful! (the cake not Carolyn, well she is beautiful too!) They also had a wonderful caterer from Healdsburg named Michael Matson who is the executive chef for Vintage Valley Catering who made the most amazing food. Fresh crab, tri-tip (cooked perfectly), pesto pasta, and fresh green beans. Not to mention the wonderful chicken salad, and mushroom, garlic, and onion pizza hors d'oeuvres! I can just go on an on and on about how wonderful this wedding was! I promised Heather and Leland that I would send them a few photos to hold them over while they are on their honeymoon so I thought I'd just post those up while I was at it! So these are not really edited or touched up too much but I will post more once I'm done with them!

Sarah and Matt Crase- Wedgewood Wedding Rohnert Park, CA

This adorable couple met on craigslist!! I love it! Sarah responded to a room for rent ad that Matt and his other roommates posted while living in the city. The rest is history. Here are a few of my favorite images from their engagement session in San Francisco and their wedding day in Rohnert Park at the Foxtail Golf Course Wedgewood Banquet Center.

Rest In Peace Kennedy Mae Bonomo

As many of you know my dear friends Stephanie and Brian Bonomo lost their 2 1/2 year old daughter Kennedy on Saturday January 8th. She was a special little girl that taught this world many lessons. She represented the meaning of fight, strength, unconditional love, and life in it's truest meaning. I can never repay her and her family for the gift of such a meaningful name to give my youngest daughter, Isabella Kennedy Bagwell. ***If you haven't read Kennedy's story go to www.kennedybonomo.blogspot.com but have tissues in hand.
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the Memorial Fund I set up. We were able to raise enough funds for the cremation, memorial service, and have left over funds to cover some medical expenses! Words can not explain how grateful I am for the unbelievable amount of people who contributed! Brian's Best Friend and Kennedy's Godfather, Derek Smith met my childhood friend, Katie and I at the flower mart in L.A. and from there we picked out vases and flowers for the centerpieces. Though I ended up fairly successful as an overnight florist, I do have to say I was pretty doubtful after the first couple arrangements!! But after converting my Mom's garage into a florist/craft shop and with every ones help we pulled it all together. I think I'll stick to wedding photography though!
I do have to thank Casa Moreno in Covina for donating the food and TPhillips for donating the salad for the memorial service. I have to thank Kanga Crafts and Burley Girl Designs from Etsy.com they both made the signs that I put up at the memorial service. Their normal turn around time was 1-2 weeks and they both made the signs the same night I sent the request and had them shipped out the next day! A big thank you to all of the friends and family that came early to help with the set up, we wouldn't have done it with out you guys! Thank you so so much to my dear friend Katie Watkins Shaefer who helped me with the calalily arrangements, the wish tree cards and kept me company all day (which is why I was able to keep it together!!!) and lastly thank you so much to Derek Smith, Kennedy's Godfather. I wouldn't have been able to do this with out him. He was there every step of the way to support me with the plans and making it all happen. He was such a huge help I really can't even put it into words! But I know I can say this from all the volunteers, the Bonomo Family deserved it and I am so happy to have given Kennedy the memorial service that she so deserved. She has given me a lifetime of happiness just knowing her for her 2 short years. I am forever grateful having had her in my life.
Here are a few photos I took on my iphone (while holding my wiggly 7 month old tire factory!) I didn't bring my camera so please forgive the photo quality.

this is the tire factory....Miss Isabella! (at the end of the day, shirt covered in drool and her hair band barely hanging on)