Tag Archives: beach

the potter family | mill valley family portrait session

I kind of want to be adopted into this family…preferably by Thanksgiving please. This is the kind of family that make you wonder why you don’t just have one more kid and move to their neighborhood because they make three kids and living in Mill Valley look like so much fun. When I go anywhere near San Francisco I usually prepare myself for experiencing some of the stress of city living, but spending an afternoon with the Potter family was exactly the antithesis of that as everything felt so easy and full of the beauty and wonder that every childhood deserves. I love that all three girls share bright sparkling spirits and amazing smiles, while both boys share a kind and mellow disposition….the whole family just fits together in such a beautiful way. Happy kids with good looking parents make my job pretty easy…especially when I bring along my wonderful assistant Jen to perform circus-like entertainment behind me throughout the afternoon. (Thanks Jen, I loved having you by my side!) We started at their family’s home and then drove a few minutes to Muir Beach for the golden hour. If it weren’t for the sun setting I would have just kept shooting for days.

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karen & mark | san francisco cliff house wedding

Karen and Mark live in LA but they chose to have their wedding in San Francisco, so they really embraced the whole city theme and stayed at the historic Westin St. Francis and held their wedding at the iconic Cliff House. Karen and Mark are two of the most positive, intelligent (Karen is a Harvard educated and Mark is an educator) and kind people you could ever hope to meet and they definitely brought the sunshine to the city on that fog-filled day. They had an emotional first look at the hotel and then we walked with the family down to the cable cars and stopped at Crissy Field before heading to the Cliff House. Their vows had me in tears, and I love that Karen added a story about a day she spent with Mark when he helped her fix up her backyard. At the end of the day, after Mark had left, she realized that the garden was a metaphor for what Mark had done to her life, he had come in and made it more beautiful. Right after the ceremony we headed down to the beach and then everyone came out onto the balcony and watched the fog miraculously lift right before the sun dipped into the Pacific. That pretty much sums up the whole day; two positive people manifesting a bright and beautiful future together surrounded by their favorite people…and that is everything a wedding should be.

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elizheva & robert | costanoa wedding

This wedding was so full of vibrance, ceremony, celebration and love….so it seemed not only appropriate but essential for my post to be extra long, extra bright and extra sentimental to reflect the feeling of such a wonderful day. Elizheva did an amazing job creating all of the handmade details that brought so much soul to this wedding, from the handmade huppah that she designed from ribbons given by her guests, to the hand knit yamakas, to the purple petticoat that she added to the inside of her dress and the purple glitter that she added to the soles of her shoes! Every detail reflected the personality of this creative and incredibly lovable couple. Robert is the architect behind Fink Architecture, so finding the perfect venue was obviously an important descision. They both fell in love with Costanoa for it’s beautiful eco design and it’s functionality in housing many of their guests for a weekend of celebrations. Guests could chose to stay at the  lodge, in cabins, or even in tents with heated beds, while still remaining within walking distance. Elizheva is a very active member of the Jewish community in Berkeley, so incorporating Jewish tradition was important to her. She made these traditions feel so inclusive to all of the guests, with custom programs providing detailed explanations of the significance of each tradition that was celebrated.

Elizheva and Robert’s entire wedding was inspired by the Jewish faith, the wildflowers of California and all shades of purple, and these inspirations could be seen and felt through every part of the day and brought cohesion to a day that had many ceremonies in various locations. The morning began with a women’s gathering where Elizheva’s closest ladies sang and danced and gave their blessings to the bride, while the men gathered amid the eucalyptus tress and shared their words of wisdom over shots of whiskey. I was so moved by the women’s gathering, and it set the tone for a day filed with so much emotion. Then they had their amazing klesmer band Kugelplex lead the men to meet the women where their custom ketubah was signed and the veiling ceremony performed. The band then led a procession to the ceremony site where Elizheva and Robert where surrounded by family and friends who gave readings, shared words and sang songs as they were married to each other under the huppah. That joyful moment flowed into yet another, as the dancing and swinging began, followed by guests entertaining the couple with a show full of costumes, talents and pure comedy, and then another with the speeches and sharing the family-made challah bread, and then another with even more dancing. The whole day was a colorful blur of fun and love, and I couldn’t be happier for these two perfectly complimenting people.

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a family portrait session with my family

I am so in love with this family…because they are my actual family, (thanks to my husband Gabe having Jessie as his sister.) I honestly have no idea how I lucked out in marrying someone with a family that I actually enjoy being with, and even calling after the ‘being with’ to talk for a few late night hours. This is a family that offers a permanent supply of  love, support and hand-me-down gossip magazines, so they definitely deserved a little something back, but being an artist with little to offer besides some creativity and heart I was forced to give the lamest excuse for a present ever: a hand made gift certificate. Granted it was an excessively large gift certificate, colorfully written on a stretched canvas, with instructions to hang the certificate on a wall in their home until it was redeemed for the real gift; a family portrait session, but it was still essentially a gregarious coupon posing as a Christmas gift. Finally, a half a year later, I’m finally offering something back to the most deserving and beautiful family ever; documentation of their connection as a family and some memories of this fleeting moment in the girls’ lives. I usually post mostly color photos, but for this session the toned black and white images felt much more powerful to me. I think when the color is removed from an image we are more easily able to focus on the emotion within the image. I find so much love and spirit communicated in all of the expressions and gestures that these four share. I included a little color some color at the end,  to show that it really was a stunning summer day at the beach, that there are some insanely dazzling blue eyes in this family, and to convey that there is a very vibrant future ahead of this crazy hula hooping crew!

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carmel beach | engagement session

Carmel is one of those rare places that can retain its beauty and charm despite the absence of sunshine on a summer’s day. Jenny and Jef are Carmel locals who contribute in a huge way to the charm and beauty of the town. They gave me a very personal tour of some of their favorite places, and made me love Carmel in a new way. We started with their secret picnic spot with views out over the Pacific, then  followed the wildflower covered paths and made our way down to the beach where I fell in love with all of the amazing rock formations. After the beach and a quick outfit change, we went to the majestic Carmel Mission and progressed to Jenny & Jef’s new house where they picked up their bicycles (which hold great significance, because their first pseudo-date was a bike ride together) and we cruised down a few cypress covered blocks to the ocean to see Jef’s favorite surf spot and the place where they love to bike to on a Sunday morning.

Jenny and Jef are getting married at Holman Ranch later this summer, and I am beyond excited for it. They’ve both found a lot of their wedding inspiration in the rustic, laid-back elegance of the venue, together with the vintage yet modern feel of  all things ‘anthropologie’ so we wanted their engagement photos to reflect that same inspiration too.

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boardwalk to the beach | santa cruz engagement session

This has to be one of my all time favorite engagement sessions. I knew I’d love spending time with these two from the moment I met Marilyn and Jason and detected Marilyn’s Aussie accent, but when they described their style as modern, eclectic and quirky, I was in heaven…and I remained there for the entire engagement session when I got to witness the beautiful connection between these two. What really made this photo shoot so special was all of the thought and effort that they both poured into it, from the ‘save the date’ sign they crafted, to mom’s homemade cookies, to their stylin’ outfits, to their willingness to fit three locations into one session, to the fact that they even bought me a ferris wheel ride! Despite the crazy, corn-dog eating crowds, we managed to have the perfect and swift Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk adventure, (which would have been even swifter if I could have resisted the temptation that every brightly colored back drop posed to me and my camera.) We headed straight for the ferris wheel and requested a yellow chair (since yellow is one of the main colors of their wedding) and got on. Once the wheel started turning I suddenly remembered how terrifying a ride as innocent looking as the ferris wheel really is. As we headed to the top of the ride they laughed and kissed and looked beautifully in love while I screamed…loud, giddy, laughy sounding screams…as I tried to hold onto my camera for dear life and not ruin the potentially great shots of these two on top of the world. I survived, and I think we remained on top of the world for the rest of the day, having way too much fun while we had a champagne picnic, wandered through fields and ended up at the beach at sunset. Marilyn and Jason, you guys truly know how to bring the awesome and I’m beyond excited for your Clos La Chance wedding later this summer.

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the healing continues | surviving breast cancer

Those of you who have  followed my blog may remember the brave and beautiful Jen as she was just beginning her battle with breast cancer, (click here to see the first post.) Well, I couldn’t be happier to announce that Jen has made it through her final chemotherapy treatment and is on the path to a full recovery. I was beyond honored that Jen asked me to photograph her in this second stage of healing before she faces more surgery and yet more healing. We decided to meet at a beautiful, secluded beach up the coast. Poor Jen got stuck in hours of terrible traffic on her way there, but she still arrived with a bright smile and willingness to brave the rock cliffs that I had her climb and the cold that I made her endure…I think that kinda sums up Jen’s spirit perfectly. While I was wandering around the beach before Jen arrived, I found a piece of driftwood that when pushed together with some effort, formed a heart. It made me immediately think of Jen, so I gave it to her during our shoot. I love the shots of her holding it, especially the one at the end of the post. Jen I adore you and wish you continued health.

I asked Jen to be my guest blogger again, because I know her words do much more justice to this experience than mine ever could. She kindly shared these words:

“With the completion of chemotherapy in the first week of June, my gift to myself was a celebratory photo shoot with Carlie. When Carlie photographed me in the winter, I was about to have a mastectomy on my right side, about to start fertility treatments should my reproductive system not “wake up” after chemotherapy, and yes, I was about to start chemo as well. Part of my reason for asking Carlie to photograph me was that I had a fear that I wouldn’t recognize myself anymore, both in body and soul. I was afraid I would be changed forever. Fortunately, I did about as well as anyone can do with chemotherapy: my side effects were pretty minimal, nonethless, chemo and all that goes with it made for a long winter. I learned that nothing (mastectomy, chemo, hairloss, etc) lived up to my fearful idea of it. Each time a big moment came up, I would have all kinds of anxiety and before I knew it, I had adapted, because really, what other choice do you have, and I was OK. I don’t think anyone goes through a brush with a life-threatening illness without a ripple through their soul, but I’m not convinced anymore that you become a stranger to yourself in the process. This experience has fortified my ties with my friends and family, and brought into the light new important people in my life. When I feel happy, I feel it deeply, with gratitude for the moment. I’ve climbed a mountain of sorts and I’m seeing myself and my world from a whole new vantage point. I think that’s what Carlie captured. With relief, I can say I am cancer-free and chemo-free. With triumph I can say I did it and it is behind me. With humility and gratitude I can say I love my life, my friends, my family.”

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bob & elizheva | engagement session | costanoa coastal lodge

I love an interview with potential clients that evolves into a conversation that lasts for hours. That’s how my very first meeting with Bob and Elizheva went, and immediately I could tell that this was a couple who were very much in love, and very willing to pour their personalities and effort into making their entire wedding experience a positive and meaningful one. Bob is the talented architect behind Fink Architecture, who I have done photography for in the past. I have to admit that while I love to photograph an amazing space, engagement sessions always trump architectural photography because they are filled with so much emotion as a couple enters into a new stage of their relationship. Documenting this couple’s joy felt effortless as we talked, walked and joked along the trails near Costanoa, where they will be getting married later in the summer. As you can tell by the last photo, I’m kinda excited about spending another day with these two!

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shell & nelson | santa cruz wedding

A big dose of serendipity caused me to photograph this wedding. My husband has known this great guy named Nelson for years, so we were excited to hear that we were invited to his May Day wedding. Soon after I rsvped that we would be attending, I got a sweet email from a super talented photographer named Melissa Slater who is based in Kansas City (where she recently relocated from Orange County) saying that she had seen my website and blog and wondered if I could be her assistant and second shooter for a May Day wedding in Santa Cruz. I told her that I was actually attending a wedding as a guest that day, and in jest added that it would be crazy if it was the same wedding…well, turns out…it was! Thankfully the awesome bride Shell willingly gave her consent, and that is how I came to work with Melissa and how my husband ended up date-less for this wedding. It was so much fun to work by Melissa’s side, and I loved watching her create such beautiful images. Gabe, sorry for ditching you, but you know I would have brought my camera anyway.

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the branch family | family portrait session on the beach | santa cruz

I have to thank my daughter’s preschool for connecting me with this sweet family. I spent some time with these brothers in their classroom when I photographed them for Midtown Montessori’s new website. I got to observe both boys completely quiet and still as they focused on their work inside the classroom, and then I got to see their extroverted and active sides come out when we met at the beach one windy afternoon for their family portrait session. There is a sense of freedom and fun that the oceanside offers, and the boys were definitely feeling it, as they ran, jumped, laughed and got giddy….all of which kept me thoroughly entertained and permanently pressing the shutter button.

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