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!}

just a taste • mrs. d • boudoir session • palos verdes estates, ca

beauty & boudoir

Mrs. D is one of the most wise, crafty, & creative wives I’ve ever met. She speaks with an understanding of relationships & men’s brains that far exceeds her age, so much so that I really think she ought to write a book. While planning her boudoir session, I was really awed by how attuned she is to her husband’s likings & tastes. And she spoke of making him happy in the most generous, enthusiastic way. And their efforts to stoke the flames of love & desire & connection are all the more meaningful, as he is deployed somewhere far, far away, for much, much too long. Mrs. D & I had such a fun time getting creative, & she was bold, & brave, & a celebration of feminine wiles. Can’t wait for Mr. D to finally see these soon…And they’ll be more to come after this sneak peek…

3 + 2 = 5! • shannon-noghreh family pregnancy portraits

little ones, pregnancy, studio, we are family

I’m so lucky to know this woman, Linda. She is an extraordinary force of vision & compassion, & if it weren’t for her, I don’t know where I would ever have felt safe sending my girls to school for the first time. She has created a community of kindness around her in so many forms–not in the least being the preschool she has founded, Riviera PlaySchool, an unique environment based on the NVC method of communicating with children. Up until a couple weeks ago, Linda was expecting twins! And I myself was officially on maternity leave from shooting, but I just couldn’t not take her pictures, especially when she told me, “I’m just gonna go to the mall.” What?! No way, not when I have a chance to give back to her, just as she has given to me. All her friends love the first picture the most, saying, “It’s so Linda.” That big laugh–yes, indeed it is!

ecstatic • michelle • dance & pregnancy portraiture

beauty & boudoir, dance, little ones, pregnancy, studio

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…