their 3 sons • family portraits • palos verdes estates, ca

little ones, outdoors, we are family

I had a blast catching up with my old friend Gregg, & meeting his beautiful wife Kim & their three good-lookin’ sons! They were so full of joy & warmth, & they make raising three boys ranging from age 2 to 20 look like a walk in the park. I know Gregg from my teaching days, & I remember so well his positive energy & his humor. He & Kim both have such generous smiles–what a wonderful match. Oldest son Josh exuded a calm that I don’t often see in most 20-year-olds; he is working toward a degree in computer technology. And the littluns, Nolan & Matthew, just inquisitive as ever–& so, so sweet, & so willing to play with me & allow me to capture them running, climbing, & cuddling with mom & dad. It was a sunshine-y day in so many ways!

emily derenzis • actor • palos verdes estates, ca

headshots

It’s funny: When you become a mom & hang in a circle of other stay-at-home moms, you don’t always know what careers women had before motherhood. I met Emily through our mutual friend Loren, & I’ve gotten to catch up with her when we run into each other at Loren’s parties. And running around after our kids doesn’t always lend itself to conversations with beginnings, middles, & ends, so I never knew that, in addition to being an all-around hilarious, sexy, & intelligent woman & doting mom of two, she’s also an actor–a pursuit that she had taken time off from while growing her family. Well, now she’s set for a return, & new headshots are part of her new (fabulously gorgeous!) manifestation. She’s ready for her close-up, & I can’t wait to see her future projects! {Special thank you to Zoe Franklin for fantastic make-up!}

go, lions! • the pastoor family • playa del rey, ca

we are family

I didn’t get to meet the Pastoor family when we originally planned, several weeks ago, but as things turned out, we got to do our photo session on a perfect day, at the perfect time, in the perfect place. The golden, late afternoon sun was coming from all the right directions, shining down through the beautifully lined trees on the Loyola Marymount University campus–where Jolene & Art’s oldest son, Cooper just graduated from earlier this summer. Sister Taryn runs track at UCLA (Go, Bruins!), & Kelton happened to be celebrating his 17th birthday the day of our shoot. The Pastoors are an athletic family, & we had a really fun, high-energy session. And, in addition to the Lion & the Bear in the family, there’s also the Dog: Louis (get it? Pastoor?). No family portrait could be complete without him!

on a mission • marco, age 6 • palos verdes estates, ca

beach, little ones, outdoors

One of my greatest pleasures is catching up with families at regular intervals, seeing how the kids have grown & changed. For the last three years, I’ve gotten to do annual portraits of Marco, an energetic, imaginative, precocious boy whose mom is a creative, magical, ultra-feminine force of nature. Marco loves costumes, & each year, I feel honored that he tolerates my shooting away, while I follow him around, catching him being a kid. He clambers up rocky beaches & climbs trees with the ease of a monkey–it’s so inspiring to watch, & an exciting challenge to keep up with him! This year, we ventured to the coast, & he was on a mission of the imagination…