I had to categorize these as both “dance” & “pregnancy” portraiture, because they most definitely are! Michelle & I have been friends since our days of dancing together at UCLA. We’ve known each other now more than half our lives, & this last fall, we celebrated our 40th birthdays in November. And to make the occasion even more special, we were both also just 3 weeks apart in our last pregnancies, & both expecting our third child. Michelle traveled down to LA to see me, & we took the opportunity to do some pictures–of course! Michelle has been one of my muses since our college years–her beauty is unique, timeless, exotic, romantic, & being a dancer, she moves with such grace & ease. During our photo session, she embodied the ecstatic feeling of carrying life inside her–and here these pictures I think celebrate the dance of life… 
awaiting
waiting for ting-ting • the hsieh-schumacher family
little ones, outdoors, pregnancy, we are familyYvonne 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 olivia • thelen family pregnancy portraits
little ones, pregnancy, studio, we are familyAh, 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.
