Reno / South Lake Tahoe Boudoir Photography: Taking the bedroom outside

Several weekends ago I did my first boudoir photo shoot- with a few friends.  To be honest, I was not sure how it would go….and it ended up being one of the most fun sessions to date! We laughed and laughed and had great girl time.

I have had several discussions with friends- both men and women, about what boudoir photos “should be.” Through all the possible styles and the debate about facial expressions (you know what I mean!), my conclusion is that the most important thing is to have fun and get a sense of the person… just like any other photo shoot.

My friends and I are an outdoorsy bunch, so naturally I suggested an outdoor shoot. We found the perfect private place in South Lake Tahoe with an aspen grove and some awesome structures and went for it on a sunny morning. Here are just a few to give you an idea- Thanks ladies!

Boudoir shoots are perfect for groups of women looking to give a fun and meaningful present to themselves and/or partners. Doing any kind of photo session with a friend or family is a fun bonding experience!

A boudoir session would be a fabulous activity for a bachelorette party or a girls’ night out. By the way, I hear there are two happy husbands out there- these photos were for a husband’s birthday present and an anniversary gift….

We had some great props for this session-

Be creative!!

Reno Family Photography: Aurora and family

What do you do when the lighting is too bright, there is not enough shade, and the child you are trying to photograph either wants to run away, play with your camera, or sit in your lap- and you are shooting in manual??

You go with the flow! Luckily Carolyn and Dakota were up for some “natural” photos of their daughter, Aurora.

I like to think of it as capturing the moment!

These guys are moving to Vermont in just a few days, so we had a very quick photo shoot at Newlands Park on California Ave.  in Reno on Friday afternoon. It was bright, sunny, and windy- weather to remember Reno by during the Vermont winter!

Aurora was not a fan of posed photos- oh well.  I got one!

Thanks guys! Safe travels!

How funny is this- almost every time I tried to take a photo, Aurora would run over and sit in my lap…. Finally Carolyn snapped one of me!

Chris and Susan: Mt. Shasta Wedding

It was such an honor to photography Chris and Susan’s amazing wedding at Bodhana in Mt. Shasta, CA.

Chris and Susan put on a wonderful wedding weekend with an informal rehearsal dinner Friday (during which the in-ground trampoline and the zip-line over the pond were very popular!), a meaningful, heart-felt ceremony on Saturday afternoon (with local Taiko drummers performing before and after), followed by dinner and dancing. All weekend guests enjoyed the wonderful swimming, hiking, biking and other outdoor activities Mt. Shasta has to offer.  All the wedding festivities were outside on the beautiful Bodhana grounds- I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an outdoor venue in the area. This is the view we had all weekend- I must stay that there was something magical about always being able to see the mountain as the light changed from sunrise to sunset. It was a very special weekend for the happy couple and all that attended to celebrate with them!

Here are a few of the joyful bride and groom!

For more, check out the slide-show below!

Congrats Chris and Susan!

Reno / Tahoe Maternity: Holly

This should be a huge post from Chris and Susan’s wedding, but I am having so much trouble narrowing down which photos should go in the post!

I will have that post up soon…For now, I am happy to share my first maternity shoot with you!

Below are photos of Holly and Tom from this past Sunday afternoon. We were all up in Tahoe for the day – I was hiking and they were kayaking – so we met up on the east shore, just north of Sand Harbor, around 5pm for some photos.

Let me say for the record that Holly is a real trooper! We were hiking along the shore, scrambling over boulders and up steep trails… She was tough! We found some amazing spots and great light-

It was one of the most enjoyable shoots I have ever done- Holly is glowing, and we all had fun hanging out in a beautiful place with no other activities except to get great photos!

OK- so I started with one of my favorite images… now back to the beginning of the shoot!

I just love these belly shots!

Tom was awesome during the shoot- his love for Holly and their baby really showed!

We focused on photos along the trail in the shade for the first hour or so…. It was a bright sunny afternoon!

Eventually, the light started to get really good…

We did not make it to our beach goal, but we found ourselves on a beautiful point out on the lake as the sun began to set.

Water break!!

Holly brought a great variety of outfits, including a sheet… We saved that one for the sunset, and all I can say is wow!

She looked like an angel- for real. How beautiful is this??

Thanks Holly and Tom- I can’t wait to meet your daughter in a few months!!

(Another favorite)

Up next: Big post from Chris and Susan’s, and a teeny tiny peek from my first boudoir shoot!

Little Ones: Aida and family

Over Chris and Susan’s wedding, I had the opportunity to spend time with baby Aida and her great parents- It was inspiring to watch their interactions and see how much love they have for their daughter- and each other!

Here are a few shots- there are more in the “Aida” gallery!

I love the ones on her stomach in the grass-she was not a big fan, though!

How cute is this?

A little bubbly smile here…

Aida loved the lavender-picking… you cannot tell from this photo, but she loves the smell of the lavender!

All weekend I tried to catch her laughling, but most of the time we were so into watching her (or I was on camera break) that I did not get photos!

Finally during the reception I got it….

The day after the wedding I caught them chilling out at sunset…

Great to meet you all!