Jessica and Cory exchanged their vows under the shade of a big oak tree at Black Oak Mountain Vineyards in Cool, CA. Unlike the name of the location, their day was sunny and hot but the skies were a gorgeous blue, scattered with puffy clouds. They shared a quick first look under the big blue sky but quickly moved inside due to the heat. The grounds at Black Oak Mountain are amazing and even though Jessica and Cory chose to keep their event at the barn, the venue let us take in the sunset up on the hill.  These two have huge hearts and couldn’t have been any more kind and sweet. Cindie is ..read more

I always enjoy this time of year and the many high school seniors I get to photograph. Additionally, getting to explore a new location is always great fun, and this one with its abundance of life, in both organic produce and oh, all those gorgeous flowers- what a treat. I love giving my customers lots of variety in images. Teresa, Sarah’s mom set this one up at 24 Carrot Farm where she helps out. Head out there for some fresh, berries, produce and flowers. So good! Sarah is naturally beautiful and I enjoyed working with her. She’s also a photographer and brought along her camera for a few pho ..read more

Well, this session was a couple of years in the planning. With Eric and Ginger’s home finally repaired from the destruction of the Caldor fire two years ago, and Laurie and Jason’s daughter, Myra heading off to college in Santa Cruz soon, the time was right. I met the extended Schlavin/Pittman families out at the lake and on Grandparent’s Day too! Both of my kids were lucky enough to be “Schlavin Middle School alums” and my oldest, Jaz was in town from Scotland and got to help me out on this one…like old times. I enjoyed meeting Eric and Laurie’s parents, Don and Judy while we captured a hand ..read more

Richard and Bonnie got to know each other when Bonnie showed up at Richard’s door during the Caldor Fire in order to evacuate her home. Fast forward a couple of years and now they are married. What a great story. They had a small, intimate wedding at the Sierra Banquet Center and it was lovely and emotional to watch them exchange their vows. Richard kept wiping his tears. These are two happy people, lucky to have found each other. Congratulations ..read more

What better time to capture your family? Everyone is on vacation, relaxed and spending time together! This time was Lake Tahoe for the Weinberger family who captures their family every year at a new location….how fun! The Weinberger traveled from Houston a couple of weeks ago and we met at at Sand Harbor. Sam (8) immediately reached out his hand and introduced himself. That was impressive! Charlotte (4) and Elizabeth (21 months) shyly smiled in their cute matching dresses. Diane and Evan were warm and personable. As Sand Harbor is a very popular location, we walked around a bit to find some n ..read more

Backyard weddings can be a lot of work but they also can be that perfectly small, intimate vibe that you are looking for. Add in a whole lot of elbow grease, the love and support of family and friends, and an extraordinary designing, planning and styling team (Elysse Goerss, Blessings From the Moon Events Co,) and you have yourself a gorgeous celebration right in your own backyard. That said, June 17, 2023 was a very hot day in El Dorado. The sun was strong and bright and shade was hard to find. Donna started out at an Air BnB in Shingle Springs with bridesmaids, Debbie, Lauren (her daughter ..read more

Who doesn’t love a wedding reception that spontaneously erupts into a conga line? Add in some wedding favors of stick-on mustaches and royalty hats- oh, yes, please- sign me up. Apparently, this is also Van Erden Thanksgiving tradition and the energy was celebratory and perfect – just the kind of impulsive fun I believe Erik and Ashlie were looking for to seal the deal. They were also looking for a beautiful location with a relaxed vibe to be married in. They wanted a place where their family and friends could celebrate alongside of them and a place where they could both relax and enjoy final ..read more

I loved getting to be back at the beautiful Flower Farm for Stephanie and Carson’s wedding. Having previously tied the knot in 2020, it was time for the big celebration with friends and family and what a better time to celebrate with Carson’s recent graduation from medical school in St. Louis. Oh, and did I mention, they moved to Irvine just a few days before their Flower Farm wedding…talk about ambitious! Stephanie and Carson dated for many years and then officially married during covid. They didn’t want to wait any longer. They were so easygoing with the day and with each other. This made f ..read more

Anna graduated with the Union Mine High School, Class of 2023 a couple of weeks ago. I imagine all these seniors are breathing a sigh of relief having made it safely to summer and will begin shifting gears in another month or so, preparing for their college departures. Anna will be attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo as an Animal Science major. She greeted me proudly displaying her new college sweatshirt. I loved getting to capture her senior photographs where she grew up off of Sand Ridge Road in the green vineyards with that gorgeous red hair. Anna is pretty low-key and enjoys reading, wr ..read more

Benito: meaning “Blessed” and I’m certain his parents feel this way too. Look at those bright eyes and that smile! Benito stole my heart instantly. Such a chill, little baby. I met up with Caitlyn and Elijah this past January for a maternity session and we planned a 10-week session for his first session in their Sacramento home. What a personality- he’s just the sweetest little thing. I look forward to meeting up for another session later this year.  Many thanks to my dear friends Kailey and Matt for passing my name along and thank you to Caitlyn and Elijah for trusting me to capture th ..read more