Read what’s happening with all things studio, photography, and life in Mexico here on the blog. I also post helpful tips for you to make the most out of your photo experience!
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Not only did I have the absolute pleasure of photographing the Honrado family, but the Ito family too! They are actually sisters who were vacationing together here in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
I'm so glad that Jo decided to do a portrait session to remember their beach vacation! I had a lot of fun and love that my clients are always the nicest!
There is something wonderful about capturing your family during a beautiful beach vacation. Especially if that beach vacation is in Nuevo Vallarta! The long stretched beach and beautiful grounds at the resort make for a mesmerizing background. Add in a few splashes in the water and you get real vacation portraits.
Loved spending time with these kiddos exploring the resort and getting splashed on in the water while they had fun in the sun!
I love being able to step away from the beach and take portraits of families at the resort where they are staying. It helps to really commemorate their time there and remember their vacation as a family.
In this case, Katy reached out to me and invited me to take these really gorgeous photos of her and her family! I'm so glad we met because she is really sweet and just the nicest! She is also a photographer in the Delaware area so if you are looking for someone to take family portraits - mainly maternity and newborn, she's your girl!
We walked a bit and then took many in front of the fountain at the entrance to the hotel which made a really nice background.
That's the great thing about visiting Nuevo Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, and the Riviera Nayarit, is that there are so many great places to have your session.
It was a gloomy day but it made for such great colors and light. Thank you Katy for having me spend such a wonderful time with you and your family! Next time you come visit, it's tacos and margaritas ;).
Click on the photos to make them larger.
I am so happy to photograph such beautiful families who come to Bucerias and Puerto Vallarta and spend a few days in the sun and sand. Nothing like spending time together and getting to witness the most beautiful sunsets on the pacific coast.
Everyone in this family was just sweet and they were such a joy to be around. Thank you to everyone for having me take a little bit of your time on vacation to capture your beautiful family!
And isn't this baby just adorable! Loved her!
Sunset sessions are laid back and easy. If you're visiting this area let me know and we'll schedule your session so that you can always remember your time on a beautiful Mexican Beach Vacation.
“If you don’t stand up for what is right, then you are no better than the person doing wrong. ”
If you follow me on social media, you've been seeing a lot of posts from me regarding the separation of families.
My heart is literally broken. And it breaks even more so when people have commented unkind words or words of apathy.
Let me tell you why this broke my heart: Because in a short amount of time a massive amount of families have been separated. The rest is really superfluous to the main point. The only other time in modern history that this has happened is the Holocaust.
And even though the president wrote an executive order to stop, many children have been SHIPPED TO OTHER STATES. Let that sink in. Children have been separated, but it's another thing to ship children like animals to other states into the foster care system, which is beyond broken as we know, and deporting the parents. HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!
Even the Nazis had meticulous records of each and every person they held and killed. It was almost sickening however, no person was unknown. These children, some don't even have the capacity to speak because they are literally 1.5 years old.
My son is 1 year and 8 months. He can't say his name. He can't say my name. He can't even articulate what he wants. If they took him or if he got lost, he wouldn't even know where to begin in order to find me. Many children are in this exact position.
I can't look at my baby without thinking of all the other babies who don't have their mamas and daddies to hug them. Even if it's because I gave him regular Cheerios instead of the chocolate Cheerios. Or rejoice in the fact that he plays and dances and is a happy baby when we chase him through the house. No, these children, instead, have been separated and SHIPPED OFF to other parts of the country. As if there was never going to be a possibility of the families being reunited.
I don't care what your political views are, but families come together and they should go together. Detain them together. I wouldn't care if I was detained in a shack as long as my family and my child were with me. I wouldn't even care if they sent me back to my home, as long as we were together.
I am just in awe that today, in modern times, we are seeing a similar pattern of apathy and hate that led to the genocide of many. Including many, many, many children. You don't recover from something like this. You remember it and hold it in your heart for a long time.
But we can help. We can donate. We can donate to lawyers who are on the ground doing something. On the ground bringing those 8-month-olds, 2-year-olds, and 15-year-olds back to their homes with parents who love and want them. Because children need THEIR family. Children NEED their moms and dads.
Help by clicking on these organization links:
Help. Help all you can because that is what these children need from us. If you are on the ground close to a center, help. If you can donate clothing, help. If you can translate, help. If you can take in a family while they await their trial, help. If you can share this post, help.
Let us reunite families, like all of the families that I post on here. Let us keep families strong and united. Stand for families, not for unjust laws. Stand to help, not add to the noise. Stand to fight for what is right, not look the other way.
Stand. Help.
I have a confession to make: I am an okay mom.
I'm the mom with the messy house and dishes always in the sink.
I'm the mom who washes the same clothes three times because I forget to hang it up to dry.
I'm the mom that let's my kid eat Cheerios off the floor.
I'm the mom who let's my kid cry when he's throwing a tantrum.
I'm the mom who doesn't shower every day.
I'm the mom who orders pizza when she doesn't feel like cooking.
I'm the one who just drank two cups of coffee because she woke up at 530am.
I'm the mom who yells and cries too.
I'm the mom who is okay with being an okay mom. Let’s take the pressure off to be perfect and live life how we can to the fullest. That’s different for everyone and every one is right in their own way of doing things. Let’s take out judgement because honestly, we don’t know how our kids will turn out, whether they eat vegetables or not. Or whether they were breastfed or not. Let’s just give it what we got and enjoy the small moments. And through the hard moments, offer a listening ear and a hug. Because some times that’s all moms need.
Here’s to all the mamas out there who are okay moms too and are learning and growing alongside their children every day. Cheers.
Destiladeras is probably one of my favorite beaches in the Riviera Nayarita. It is so incredibly beautiful and a hidden gem between luscious vegetation on the way to the famous Punta Mita. A deep shoreline and calm waters make for beautiful sunset portraits, gah! Just beautiful!
I had the pleasure of photographing the Bergert family while they were visiting from Minnesota, where it's currently snowing!
It was so much fun and I love getting the opportunity to photograph such beautiful people while they are enjoying themselves in one of the most beautiful places in Mexico.
If you're visiting the Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, Bucerias area, let's get a sunset portrait session done.
You won't regret it when you look at your large wall portrait of your family on a beautiful beach, slowing down, and enjoying life!
This family was just the most fun loving, happy, and playful family I have photographed in a long time! Then again, all of the families that hire me to photograph them have lots of fun during the session!
Visiting Bucerias from Canada, they came to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, which is no feat, and deserved a very fun photo session! It was very endearing to see the couple so in love, their family having fun, and the all around great vibe they gave. They light up any room!
If you're visiting this beautiful area of Bucerias, Sayulita, San Pancho, and Puerto Vallarta, make sure you schedule your family portrait session, because there is nothing like these beautiful beaches and even more beautiful sunsets!
Hey everyone!
I know there's been a little bit of silence over here on the blog since the new year has begun, and I'm hoping to get back into blogging more regularly now that we are done being sick! Yep, my baby had a really bad ear infection and then he got me sick, and well, it's always a cycle of germs with kids, right?
In December, I wrote an article for one of the best resources in the photography world: Digital Photography School, or DPS. When I first started learning photoshop, I was a regular at DPS. We're talking, about 12 or 10 years ago, and I was working with Photoshop CS2! I remember staying up really late, following the tutorial videos in order to learn how to create layers, what the healing brush tool did, and yes, even the simple cropping tool. I had taken courses in college but they were not as specific to what I wanted to learn. I didn't want to create a brochure (although, now I could use that knowledge!) but rather how to cross process, use actions, and resize a photo. DPS was always my handy resource.
Now, they've grown to include so many great articles and tutorials from seasoned and experienced experts from around the globe! I still go back to the site when I have question or simply want to read how to do something new in photography. That's the great thing about photography isn't it? The fact that you can always learn something new!
It's with great, great, excitement that I share with you that I was able to write a great and helpful tutorial: 6 Tips for Better Engagement Photos. It's a great post for photographers of all levels! I'm also so excited that it's already been shared a good 395 times! I'm so happy!
I am hoping to write more articles for photographers on DPS as I truly believe in their website and helping other photographers grow, learn, and create community.
Head on over and check out the article, and many more great tips and tricks!!!
Happy New Year!
How exciting is it to feel like you have renewed sense of self? In reality, the days just go on, however in our minds, there is definitely some kind of reset button that gets pushed.
And it feels gooooood.
Am I right? I know that with the new year, it feels as if we have shed an old skin, and put on some new shoes that make us feel 10 feet tall and walk around with our head held high. A rebirth. And I love sitting down for a couple of days to take a look at the past year, count my blessings, note my mistakes, and write down what I want for the next year.
It seems like this year is more of a interior shift kind of a list rather than a check it off and feel accomplished type.
However, it is important to acknowledge all the good things 2017 has brought me and I will take into the new year! I've got a few things up my sleeve for 2018 and can't wait to share them, but for now let's take a look at how wonderful 2017 was!
