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!

red hot holidays • the corter-bell family

holidays, little ones, outdoors, we are family

I met Alithea & Bryen through mutual friends Karen & Jason over five years ago. Karen introduced me to Alithea, because she thought we’d have a lot in common–including being pregnant at the same time! Now, it’s been five years, six pregnancies (all but one of them simultaneous) & four kids between the two of us! In addition to growing a wonderful friendship of mutual support & lots of shared philosophies, I’ve also had the pleasure of capturing their family in pictures for births, holidays, & “just because” with lots of regularity. Theirs is one of the last families I’m shooting this holiday season, since I’m on maternity leave through the spring. And as usual, it was a fun, high-energy shoot, followed by a great playdate, great conversation, & lots of snacking. Good times!

three generations • the sutarwala family

little ones, outdoors, we are family

Tasneem is another wonderful mommy friend I met through our children’s school in Redondo Beach. I was so excited to be asked to do a big family portrait of three generations of the Sutarwala clan, her husband, Shahzad’s side of their family. We had a gorgeous, sunny, SoCal day and a big open space all to ourselves. Tasneem & Shahzad’s two beautiful kids, Kian & Zaara, were full of energy–I got to know Kian’s big smile & Zaara’s coy one. Shahzad’s sister, Seema, & her husband Jay, joined us from Pasadena with their dog Achilles. And Shahzad’s lovely parents, Zafar & Nasreen, were the regal grandparents. It was such an honor to spend time with them & have the opportunity to chronicle their family tree…

Nasreen & Zafar have been married for more than four decades…

When I asked them to hold hands, Zafar said, “We’ve been doing this for almost 50 years…” And they laughed that I was taking so many pictures of them. Tasneem pointed out that they didn’t have a professional photographer at their wedding, so it was appropriate. Zafar got a bit misty-eyed, and behind the lens, so did I…

farewell to SoCal • the taka family

little ones, outdoors, we are family

Azusa & Tamehiko invited me to their home & its surroundings to commemorate their time living in Rancho Palos Verdes with their two sweet boys, Kei and Rui. In early July, they relocated to the Midwest, & they wanted to take with them some memories of Kei’s favorite places near their home. We had a wonderful, easy time, walking around while Kei showed me his favorite daisies, his “hopping stones,” & of course, his speedy tricycle. Kei and my daughters attend the same preschool, & I only wish that our families had hung out more! I will miss seeing his smiling face and talking with Azusa…I hope these photos will always remind them of their happy years in SoCal…Bon Voyage, Taka Family!