Category: Your Custom Portrait Experience

2025, here we come! It's the last day (and hours!) of 2024! I keep scrolling through everyone’s posts about their yearly recaps and accomplishments, and I love the positivity. Looking back at where my family and I were a year ago, I realize that this year has been a journey....not necessarily of accomplishments and growth, but of enduring—both personally and as a family. It hasn’t always been easy, but there has been more good than bad, and I feel like we've moved toward a path of being...better. Still not getting enough sleep, though 🙂 This year began with lots of hiking, enjoying and surviving being a stay-at-home mom and lots of busy weekends. We faced an ADHD diagnosis for my older son, dealt with some health issues that took four months to diagnose (yay, gastritis!) and dealt with a bruised or possibly broken tailbone after a fall while rollerskating with Jackson (which definitely slowed down our hiking adventures!) Mike not only had a stressful job but also a few months with walking pneumonia. The summer included a break before a new job for Mike, much-needed rest and reconnection time as a family, with many adventures around the island and even some in Japan. In the fall, we transitioned our younger son into daycare as I returned to school and finally got my business up and running—yes, I finished my website! (Check it out! still needs a few tweaks but it's 96% there) I'm taking over my professional account for a moment to share some images from a personal project for one of my photography classes. I challenged myself to creatively explore the topic of sea level rise, the first time I've combined my passion for the environment and sustainability with photography. I plan to share more of my personal images on my other account soon, but for now, here they are! 🙂 Ready for 2025! We're starting it with a trip to CA! Happy New Years everyone!

I will also have to post this gorgeous couple on this gorgeous evening! A photo session can't get any more perfect. You'll see more from earlier in the session soon, which was just as beautiful.

Yep...., I did it again—I went MIA on social media for a bit. Whenever I get busy, posting is the first thing I ignore! Surprising, it doesn’t make me feel any better (and I probably spent just as much time or more scrolling anyway 🤦‍♀️). But it’s been a full, busy, fun, and slightly stressful fall in the best way! And yikes, over that time, I’ve taken thousands of photos, some for amazing clients, others for fulfilling class projects, and a few just for fun because I'm a photographer, and I love it? Life here is always interesting, and I’m excited to see what the next few months bring. Hopefully, I’ll post more (especially from my sessions 😉). For now, here are a few photos of my kids from a long weekend in Maui last month!

Photographing families over the years has taught me a lot, especially when working with kids of different ages. I've learned that every age brings its own "fun" challenges, but honestly, those often make the session (and the photos!) unique and memorable. Take three-year-olds, for example. I always tell parents what to expect..... The three-year-old very much usually runs the session! It's expected, normal, and okay! If your little one wants to explore, run, or do their own thing, we'll go with it! Why? Genuine moments, full of unique personalities, captured just as they are, are so important. Not getting frustrated as a parent, as hard as it is not to (I know it's easier said than done!) So if your three-year-old wants to run and pick up that stick or won't let go of her bright red toy, don’t stress. I'm here for it all 😊

I thought it was about time for some more personal photos—and I can do that while sharing an amazing location for a family session! These photos are from last weekend when I went to check out one of the more popular location spots for photo sessions; Kualoa Regional Park. It ABSOLUTELY lived up to the hype and is perfect for family photos. I loved the mountain backdrop, the lighting, the size of the space (aka, if there are a bunch of other photographers, it's easy to stay out of each other's way, unlike many other locations on Oahu), the colors in the sky, and the variety of scenes besides the mountains. It also has plenty of parking and bathrooms! I could see setting up and photographing a little picnic for your family, chasing bubbles with the young kids, and/or getting in the water for some steamy parent photos at the end of the session. The ideas are endless! Also, I'm very excited now that the sun sets earlier so that I can do these scouting adventures with my family. The little one goes to bed at 7 (NOT my choice! He's just decided he's a way too early waker. Do you have one of those?) Reach out if you'd be interested in a session here! Or anywhere else I suppose🙂

One of the most common questions when planning a family portrait is: What if it rains? 🌧️⁣ Here on Oahu, it rains A LOT. ⁣ ⁣ Some of the time, it’s predictable. Most of the time, it’s not. ⁣ ⁣ Occasionally, storm systems pass through and provide constant rain and gloomy weather. In that case, we can reschedule, or refund if we can’t reschedule. Rarely, but it does happen, the weather provides unsafe driving conditions. In that case, we will also reschedule or refund. If you know your kids won’t be okay in the rain, or if you really don’t want your hair to get wet, we can reschedule or refund. It’s up to you. ⁣ ⁣ There is a rainy season, but please don’t be afraid of rain here. ⁣ ⁣ Sometimes, the rain creates magical conditions. But if it gets heavy, we can also head to our cars and wait for it to pass! ⁣ ⁣ Don’t be afraid of the rain. ⁣ ⁣ Instead, embrace it. Have fun with it. And wait for the rainbow and gorgeous skies.🌈