Documentary Portraits: Asha & Harper

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory. -- Dr. Seuss

It is such a joy to photograph kids in their home environment; it is my favorite way to photograph children.  There is a special intimacy, contentment, and freedom within the home that is hard to duplicate in an alternative setting. Asha and Harper, both beautiful and vibrant, were great fun to document. Harper was going through a phase of wearing mismatched shoes and giggled excitedly nearly every time I raised my camera. Asha took great pride in giving me a tour of her home and impressively played her piano--not a surprise considering Asha & Harper's father is a world-renowned musician. Please click on the images to view them larger. xxox, Candice

Romantic Valentine's Day Engagement Photography

natural lighting: senior photos

Radiant Maddy showed up completely freshed-faced, and opened her trunk which was overflowing with a whimsical selection of clothes, headbands, and jewels seeking my input for her senior portraits (I love giving input). Maddy assisted me last year during her sister's senior portrait session, and seemed to possess great insight into my creative process.  She was a dream to photograph. We settled on her grandma's cheetah print, bell-sleeved tunic as her second to the last option, and I couldn't pass up paying homage to Florence Welch with some of the poses. After all, Florence was the reason I regrettably cut bangs (for the last time) in 2012. I am thrilled with the images--Maddy was able to offer a wide variety of moods and poses. It is such fun connecting with teens and finding a way to convey their personalities; in Maddy's case I strived to capture her free-spirit, joy, beauty and sincerity. All of the images were created in natural light. (Please click on the images to view them larger).

California Wedding Photography: Madison & Matt

Lovely, lovely, lovely.  It was such a joy to photograph this Brooklyn couple's wedding at the Baker House in Olympic Valley, California.  As a fan of head accessorizing, whether by hat, headband, wreath or crown, I was giddy when I spotted her wreath; I must confess the wreath is my very favorite.  It reminds me of gorgeous Swedes frolicking around Maypoles, and Estee Lauder ads.  The flesh-toned color palette in Madison's wreath was complimentary to her dewy complexion and framed her face beautifully.  And, it smelled glorious.  The Truckee River and the lush grounds of the Baker House provided a casual and beautiful backdrop for their wedding ceremony and wedding reception.  Madison and Matt were so affectionate with each other which made for a super fun portrait session.  Plus, Madison is so photogenic; it must have something to do with her strong resemblance to Scarlett Johansson.  Their fellow Princeton University graduates celebrated them with a lively performance of their alma mater. Click on the photos to view them larger. Thank you!

Sand Harbor Lake Tahoe wedding: Chris & Glady

I simply loved this shot and I knew it was going to be special as I was taking it.  Glady and Chris married at the Chateau in Incline Village, but thankfully they decided to make time in their wedding timeline to do some portraits down at the beach.  We did the shoot at Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe which is one of my very favorite beaches in Tahoe.  Thanks to a little wind and our timing, we had the beach pretty much to ourselves.  And, the diffused natural lighting was really stunning against the vivid color of Lake Tahoe. Don't forget to click to view the image larger! Thanks for a wonderful portrait session.

Convict Lake California Wedding Photography: Xenia & Travis

I had the honor of photographing my cousin Travis' wedding at Convict Lake, California in April.  Together with his stunning new bride, Xenia, they created a breathtaking celebration with a blend of vintage family antiques and Spanish country accents. During the lakeside ceremony they planted a pine tree to symbolize their last name:  Pyne. And, with a nod to Xenia's heritage, the vows were exchanged in English and Spanish. The lake offers a gorgeous location for weddings and their timing was spot-on, with high back lighting, which gave an ethereal feel to the wedding images and portraits. I recruited my task-master sister-in-law, Heidi, to assist with the portraits; her Welsh wit and accent was entertaining as ever and her ability to organize and beautify was quite helpful. The reception was held beside the Convict Lake Resort in a spacious tent.  With a longstanding reputation for being a filler flower, Xenia is personally responsible for breathing class into baby's breath!  It was used throughout the table decorations, and was used as the only flower in the bridesmaids' bouquets which looked so romantic and airy. It was a truly fabulous day!  Cheers & congrats!! P.S. Click on the images to view them larger.