studio

mama L. • beautiful belly extraordinary pregnancy portraiture • palos verdes estates, ca

pregnancy, we are family

What a spirited, energetic, luscious session I had with Mama L.! She is an actor & first time mommy, & her personality just filled up the room in such a warm & wonderful way. Being a performer, she was so game to play! And she was so grounded in her baby-bearing body, so full of life & the happy anticipation of being a new parent. I loved capturing her fiery red hair that was like an extension of her joy & movement. Even after only meeting her for one day, I can tell that she’s a force of creativity. And since our session, she & her husband have welcomed their baby boy into their lives–& he couldn’t have chosen two more passionate & animated parents. He is going to have a life filled with love & fun! Congratulations to you all! {And a special shout-out to Melissa Pizzamiglio for the gorgeous hair & make-up, & for getting me & Mama L. connected in the first place!}

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

pregnancy, we are family

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!

on-trend • kyle austin • palos verdes estates, ca

fashion, headshots

My cousin’s son Kyle is an extraordinary young man (I can’t really call him a “kid” anymore since he is entering high school in a matter of days). For one, he’s a gorgeous creature. And two, he has demonstrated a penchant for style for as long as I can remember. I think he was three years old, when I found myself discussing with him what my future wedding dress might look like while we were having dinner one time. He suggested it be blue (which is amazing now that I recall it, because I did end up choosing a pale, pale blue dress!). He has always had a terrific sense of what to wear, without seeming overly affected (as we all know, that is very hard to achieve as a junior high-schooler). While I know most of us look back on our high-school days of fashion as fodder for jokes, Kyle might very well look back & see the seeds of creative genius. I’m banking on him being the youngest competitor on Project Runway! Few of us are ever so lucky as to have such an affinity & a vocation (literally a “calling”) so early. I just know that he’ll be making his mark in the world of style one day…And then I will never again have to wonder what to wear; I’ll just ask the guy who advised me about my bridal gown.

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!}