rock & water • wang bo • shaolin monk & kung fu shifu

Spread the Love

My daughter recently started taking kung fu at the Shaolin Temple school near our home. The first time we met Yuan Shifu & Wang Shifu, we knew that we had finally found the teachers we were looking for–their presence is strong & caring, & their expertise is obvious. (I was also excited that Zoë might get to learn kung fu in Chinese!) Wang Shifu is an experienced performing martial artist as well as warrior monk of the Shaolin Temple. I had the amazing opportunity to do some pictures with him at a beautiful location that inspired us both. I have been so excited about the photographs; I just have to post a few here now, even though I have so many more to go through. Thank you, Wang Bo, for a spirited, energetic collaboration! I look forward to more in the future…

Spread the Love

mama s. • beautiful belly pregnancy portraits • palos verdes estates, ca

pregnancy, we are family

Spread the Love

I am so in awe of the pregnant form. It’s a magical, biological wonder, & I love photographing it. I’m glad I am part of a movement that celebrates the beauty of this special time; since Demi Moore was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair twenty years ago (!), women in cosmopolitan cities & modern communities have been flaunting their baby bellies. No more tent dresses, no more muumuus, no more hiding the bumps (as if you could anyway after those first months). And more & more, women & their partners want to commemorate this fleeting time with pictures that feature the belly front & center. We take pictures of every other milestone in our lives from first day of school to prom and wedding, & for women, pregnancy marks the most major change that will have ever happened to us since puberty–a physical, mental, spiritual transformation that reshapes who we are forever. And the body leads us first with its metamorphosis–first the journey “up,” then birth, then the journey “back.” If you really stop & think about it, it’s nothing short of amazing that our bodies–& hearts–can be expanded so beyond limits of what we thought possible…& we can enjoy & revel in it so much.

Here are some highlights from my recent session with Mama S. & her family who are expecting their third baby. Gorgeous & glorious!

Spread the Love

peach beach • the hockensmith family • torrance, ca

beach, little ones, we are family

Spread the Love

I’ve had the special pleasure of photographing the Hockensmiths twice a year for the last three years–& it’s been amazing to watch as their baby girls have grown into big girls! Haley is a spunky monkey who loves sports & dance. Hannah is a girlie girl, just as dainty & discerning as a modern-day princess. Their parents, Jacque & LeRoy are the type of parents who so have it together–they’ve always got a plan, execute it with style, & pay attention to the details. I always wish we had more time just to hang out as pals, but I just feel lucky to see them when we can! This session was a treat–on the beach on a perfect SoCal afternoon, the balmy breeze blowing us gently into almost sunset. We took our time & enjoyed the warmth & our little wedge of sand. Jacque & LeRoy got to play with the girls, & I got to capture their laughter & love. Sweet!

See the {Holiday Hockensmiths}!

Spread the Love

under a shady tree, you & me • zoë’s first day of kindergarten

little ones, personal

Spread the Love

Through the perseverance & vision of a handful of parents in our community, The Knowing Garden celebrated their first day of school on Monday, September 12, 2011! Zoë had spent two blissful years at Riviera PlaySchool, & when the time came for her to go to kindergarten, I wished that she could continue her education in a similar environment of constructivist methodologies, cooperative learning, student-centered exploration, & whole child philosophies. I especially hoped for a school in which the teacher-student ratio would be favorably low. Other parents from Riviera PlaySchool hoped for the same–& they courageously embarked on a year-long journey of forming a private school driven by these ideas. We are so grateful for their hard work in bringing this school into being! And we have the opportunity as parents to be involved hands-on & to contribute our own talents & gifts. Max & I had long considered home-schooling, but the reality of our schedules with three children left us feeling a bit daunted. Now, we feel like we have the best of both worlds–a school that practices the values we embrace at home, a community of parents that share the responsibility of educating our children, & an enthusiastic, creative teacher who is clearly in love with this age group.

The first week, a location was being finalized for the school, so the class met at a local park. I was so excited to see them meeting in the shade of a glorious old tree, the sunshine glowing around them…