joyful.life.photography

These are the people that made me - Central Coast family photography

I love family!  I love families!  And, I love this family pretty much most of all!!!  While we were in Montana (Big Sky Country, thank you very much!) for Christmas, we had planned to do a family shoot.  We haven't had a family picture since Caleb was a baby, and one of the brothers-in-law only managed to get half of his body into the picture.

So, needless, to say, we were due for a family picture : ) 

 

 

Aren't we a good looking bunch? haha!!! 

No, but, seriously.  We are, aren't we?!

And, you can blame all of it on these 2 amazing people.  Many ups and downs in their lives over the years, but, beauty, love, laughter and fun because an airmen met a Montana gal and settled down.  I love you Mom & Dad and cannot wait to see the awesome blessings in the future!

 

 

And, 4 girls happened! 

 

 

Then, the girls got married and starting making little people! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The little people are so cute! 

 

 

So cute you could just gobble them up!!

 

 

Okay. . . . so not all of the girls have run off and gotten married . . . . yet!

 

 

I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for the family that brought me up to be who I am!  Love you, guys!!!!

 

And, because they really wanted a jumping picture . . . .

I think you should have this blown up huge in your living room : )

 

The Curti family - Central Coast family photographer

Families are such an amazing thing! 

I was really excited to set up a very easy, informal, 'organic' session with the Curti family.  I have been wanting to do some home sessions and was stoked when that's what they wanted to do. 

 

 

 

 

Being in a family's home & allowing them to just be who they are allows your photographer to catch some very special little moments : )  I was smiling from ear to ear as I looked back through their images!!!

 

 

 

Papas and their little girls . . . . there's a special beauty about that type of love. 

 

 

 

and flying should be included in, well, everything!!!

 

babies,  they just melt my heart!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Curti family for a lovely morning with you!  This last one made me actually laugh out loud.  There's always a few moments at the beginning of any shoot that are a little akward, but this was just precious!  I love, LOVE every real moment!!! : )

 

I also have to share the referral that was written for me on the spot before I even left the house:

 

"My best day OF MY LIFE:

I got my picture on january 4. I got my picture with lilla.  The photographer's name was amber.  We got jumping pictures.  It was a fun day. 

 

That pretty much sealed it.  I want to go and hang out with this family more, haha! 

Thanks, Curti fam!

Fabiana - Central Coast portrait photographer

I was so blessed to sneak in some time with this beautiful woman before I left for Christmas!  She was visiting for a few weeks and had asked if we could do some shots!  um . . . . YES!!!

Fabiana is such a lovely person.  Obviously outside, but so much on the inside, too!   

 

 

I think I get to have more fun on shoots than my models, sometimes!!!  LOVE!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fabi, Thanks for being my friend and for being just so stinkin' AWESOME!  love ya!

 

Happy 2012!!! -

I just got back from a beautiful time with my family in a place on this planet that I absolutely adore!  While we were there, we celebrated 2 holidays, played lots of board games, laughed so hard my stomach hurt, danced until I couldn't breathe, started antibiotics, captured images of my entire family, bought new running shoes, absconded with a new pillow, and started a brand new year!  phew!!!

I'm so excited for the beginning of this new year.  But, I didn't quite wrap up my Christmas posts, or my family posts from last year, so I'm a little torn. 

One of the things that tends to happen to me when I'm able to relax for enough time, is I start to dream again.  I can't wait to wrap up 2011 and post some of my life here, because every year is a good one and I love how my life changed and evolved last year.  But, towards the end of that beautiful Christmas season, I was starting to wonder if my dreams had been buried permanently by busy-ness.  Isn't that how it happens?  Doing so much good stuff can tend to wring out the creativity, sometimes.   But, while I was hanging out in Montana, my soul was recharging, and I started dreaming again.  Ideas started flitting through my bean.  And, I'm so excited to get this year going!!!! 

I'm not a New Year's resolution kind of girl.  But, there are goals, ideas, and dreams that I hope I can gracefully accomplish this year!  But, I'll still take a little time to look back!  I mean, what are our dreams without our experiences to fuel them?! 

How about you?  Have you had some time to dream over the Holiday season?  Are you ready to see some ideas come to life?

Best wishes!!!!!!

the O'Kane family - Central Coast family photographer

 

I was so excited to meet the O'Kane's.  A friend had referred me and that always makes me excited to meet new people.  And, then they showed up in their sharp-looking hot pink and black and I knew it was going to be a good match : ) 

 

 

So, being a mom of boys I don't get to see hot pink and girly-ness on a regular basis.  But, when I get it, I eat it up.  So, precious!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny faces always everyone grinning! : )  Always!

 

 

 

 

And, the littlest lady just celebrated a birthday!!  So, she received a little bit of extra special attention : ) 

and sugar!!

 

 

It was so nice to meet you, O' Kane family.  I hope we meet again : ) 

Happy Holidays!

Some of the best - Central Coast photographer

 

As we go through life,  hopefully, we're all lucky enough to gather people around us.  And, hopefully, they're people like this! 

These are people that love you when you're not your best.  They help you move, tear out walls, watch your kids, laugh at your jokes, send you random encouraging texts, and they would even consider camping with you! 

 

 

It's always so much fun to be able to take pictures of my friends!

and their kiddos!

 

 

Do you see those little teethers peeking out?!  They're almost here!

One of the other reasons that I love this family:

 

 

 

 

this kid is going to be one of the coolest kids around, I mean, he already is, he just can't walk yet!!  Just wait until he's walking!!! haha

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

HAve a JOyous holiday season, Flowers family! 

love ya.

 

The Cunningham family - Lompoc/Central Coast family photographer

I was so happy to meet the Cunninghams. 

 

 

Their little man just took my heart.  He was so precious!  And so good.  Not a peep from him! Just grins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays, Cunninghams!!! 

 

Pablo & Erika - Central Coast wedding {engagement} photographer

 

These 2 are so sweet together! 

And, maybe it's because I'm tend to be kind of loud, and crazy in my signs of affection, but it always amazes me to see 2 people simply and peacefully in love.  I love being around them : )

And, Pablo and Erika are that!  It's almost like you can feel the security, peace, and joy that their love for each other creates! 

needless to say, I had a great shoot with them, haha!

 

 

And, they could not have been more beautiful! Wow!

 

 

We also had an extra piece of the family that needed to be a part of our day! 

 

 

She took a little bit to warm up, but then she started getting into it : ) haha

 

 

my camera has a knack for bringing out the best in people : )

 

 

 

But, back to the about-to-be-married's. . . . .

 

 

 

This last one has a completely different style to it, but there is something so fitting about it!   Perfect!

 

 

Can't wait for their special day!!

Beach lovin' - Ventura Family Photography

 

I was so blessed to be able to spend the morning before Thanksgiving with the Boblett family.  It was my first chance to shoot in Ventura, too.  TOTALLY loved the whole morning!!!

 

They were such a sweet family!  And, just so full of JOY.  And, you know, that's something dear to my heart.  The whole morning was full of smiles. 

Daddies and their boys!  too cute!

 

 

and, cute little boots, too!!!

 

 

 

 

yay!!!  And, then we went down to the beach, and we found even more JOY, heehee! 

I'm not sure I've ever seen a child so happy to be let loose in the sand : )

 

 

 

Thank you, Boblett Family for sharing your morning, and some of Beautiful Ventura with me : )

Gallett boys - Central Coast family photography

 

Boys, boys, boys!  There are so many things I like about boys, but spending some time in particularily with these 2 boys was a joy for a few reasons:   

1. They were polite.  Our session wrapped up almost too quickly because they were so obliging and just did as they were instructed. In my opinion, any time spent with well-mannered boys is over too quickly!!

2.  Bright, honest smiles, that come readily, and come from the heart. 

 

 

 

3. and one of the obvious, they're brothers.  There's a big one and a little one.  They live in the same house under the same roof.  And, they both showed up for pictures!!!  with all limbs accounted for!  Frankly, they give me hope for my 2 rascals!!!

 

 

 

 

4. Boys like adventure. They like climbing on things.  They like trains.   I like adventure.  I like climbing on things. I like trains.  It works out well. haha!

 

 

 

 

5. And, they love their Mum.  I didn't capture her in any of these shots, but as she watched my 2 run through the underbrush, and climb on trains, and watch her boys from afar, you could see in the faces of her 2 boys how much they appreciated their Mum.  They kept thinking it funny to hear other little boy voices calling out to their mum : ) And, from knowing her personally, it's pretty easy to see why her boys are the way they are : )

 

 

 

 

Thanks, boys, for hanging out with me for a bit : )  you guys are cool!