We had so much fun shooting Teresa in her last couple of weeks of pregnancy.  She wanted to do a classic beauty shot but she also wanted to try something a little different. She mentioned that she had heard of getting henna on your belly when your around 8 months pregnant.  Well, I went on a search and was referred to a wonderful woman, Ravie Kattaura.  Her work was amazing and she was one of the fastest artist I’ve ever seen.  I’ve seen Henna done before but never from such a talented artist and never done on a pregnant belly.  It was really beautiful and I loved the colors and glitter she added to the design.  I also loved how Joe, the dad, was all excited about getting his henna done on his arms.  We asked about the blessing and was told that the  patterns used are acknowledged to bring health, protection, and luck to the new mother and her child.  I just know that we were blessed to be part of it all and to be able to create some beautiful images of their first pregnancy together.

As always this turned out to be a fun and adventurous shoot as Tia and I lugged the bed and headboard out in to the grassy field, caused only a slight traffic jam as everyone was interested in what we were doing, and I didn’t even mention that little case of trespassing.  But the field was just to pretty to pass by.   Better yet, a client of mine drove by and yelled my name out. I had to laugh that someone even recognized us because it really wasn’t a part of town that I frequented very often.  She called later and said I saw someone with furniture in a field taking pictures and thought it had to be Jill Johnson.

These days you don’t see many large families so it was so fun to be able to shoot this crowd.  Yes, they are all siblings ranging from 6 months up to middle school age.   Being the youngest of 6 myself it was great to see the different dynamics among the siblings and how each of their personalities came out during the shoot. We kept busy trying to keep their attention but it was a lot of fun.  One of my favorites is them walking on the hill.  It shows alot about a big family.  I love how the one boy is making faces at the baby, the other two are occupied with each other and big sister overseeing it all. You know this house if full of fun, laughter, and I”m guessing a few disputes once in a while.

Welcome baby Grace! What a fun day I had getting to know little Grace.  I’ve had the privilege of photographing her parents for their engagement, wedding, maternity, and now the beginning of their family.  She was a little doll and was fantastic for her session.  She cried at the very end but we worked her hard and she was so hungry and sleepy.  I just love it when they are this tiny.  It is so hard to believe how big they get.  I just love photographing the size comparisons of her feet with her parents and how precious her little head looks like in her daddy’s strong hands.  Moments like these just make me happy.

I love when I have a chance to go up to Sausalito.  The weather is almost always perfect and the views are amazing. There is something about seeing the skyline of San Francisco across the bay.  It is simply breathtaking.   One of the reasons I love visiting the town is one of my favorite jewelers is up there Sam from Sausalito Jewelry.  So, when Sam called me to come and photograph the newest addition to their family how could I pass it up?

I had a great afternoon getting to know Serene and her parents.  Serene was a doll and she did  well being the center of attention.    When photographing newborns I love the interaction between them and the parent.  Even if you only see a small portion of mom and dad.  There is just something special when you see a baby in her daddy’s arms or her tiny little finger wrapped around her mommy’s finger, or lips just tenderly touching her forehead.  On photos like this you can just feel the wonder and amazement a baby adds to your life.  Plus, it just reminds you how precious, innocent, and small they are when they come in to this world.  How can you not just want to squeeze her?