pregnancy

waiting for ting-ting • the hsieh-schumacher family

little ones, outdoors, pregnancy, we are family

Yvonne is an looooong-time friend of my sister’s; they’ve known each other since fifth grade! Over the years, I have gotten to chronicle the friendship among nine of their classmates. Now, most of them are married with children, & every so often I get to marvel at how my little sister’s friends are all grown up. Luckily, Yvonne and her family live in Los Angeles, so I get to see them & shoot them regularly. Recently, Yvonne was a featured model for Belly Armor, a company that makes blankets & clothing for pregnant moms to shield their unborn babies from the effects of everyday radiation from cellphones & laptops. The company was founded by another one of my sister & Yvonne’s childhood friends, an entrepreneur & mom, Aileen. I got to shoot all their new product photography–a pleasure & an honor to be an involved with such a visionary company! And my follow-up was a pregnancy shoot with Yvonne, her husband David, & their older daughter Sonia. In just a few weeks, they’ll be welcoming Baby Sister!

awaiting baby sister • the chiwata family pregnancy portraits

little ones, outdoors, pregnancy, studio, we are family

Yoshie is good friends with Nami Mizoguchi, whom I shot just a couple weeks ago; they were both pregnant & were due around the same time (Nami’s baby boy Ray has since arrived!). I was so happy to be asked to do Yoshie’s pregnancy portraits after she saw Nami’s & liked them.  I had such fun with Yoshie, her husband Hiroyuki, & their daughter Sakura–who was just the sweetest little blossom! When I met Yoshie to go over her wardrobe, she said, “I don’t have much black or white” (which is what I often suggest); instead, she had lots & lots of floral prints, because they used to live in Hawaii. I said, “We HAVE to do one outfit with the flowers–it’s so you!” So, we did, & I’m so glad, because the bright colors reflect their joy & unique tastes. I think I have a whole new attitude toward prints!  Thank you, Chiwatas, for a wonderful morning! I can’t wait to hear the good news of Baby Sister’s arrival!

welcoming olivia • the thelen family

little ones, pregnancy, we are family

I had the pleasure of doing Amy’s pregnancy portraits just a couple months ago, & now I’ve had the chance to capture the new blossom on their family tree–Olivia!  We had a very relaxed session in their beautiful home in Manhattan Beach, full of light & fresh air.  Big brother Carter got to snuggle Olivia for some sweet sibling shots, and the boys got their chance to show off their handsome good looks together too. Amy is an avid knitter, & she has the most vibrant, impressive collection of yarn I have ever seen!  We celebrate her hobby & her little girl by including them together in our favorite set-up of the day.  {If you look closely, you’ll see that the little pair of pants Amy was knitting in her pregnancy portraits is all finished! A perfect metaphor for motherhood…} 

awaiting olivia • thelen family pregnancy portraits

little ones, pregnancy, studio, we are family

Ah, pregnancy!  One of my most favorite reasons to celebrate with the camera, & a perfect, symbolic first posting on my new website.  Congratulations to Amy, Nate, & Carter, who welcomed baby Olivia a few weeks after our shoot in January!  We were inspired by Amy’s love & skill for knitting, such a great metaphor for a growing family, the bonds between parents & children, & the patience of waiting for a child to arrive.