(my life) Behind the Camera: 2012

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

In memory...

The Olivia Act, named after one of the children killed in Newtown, was started by a photographer who wishes to remain anonymous. Olivia’s family had family pictures taken a short time before she was killed. Those pictures are precious and now priceless to them. Upon hearing this, Leslie was moved to give away a 30 minute family photo shoot and has challenged other photographers to do the same. We go about our daily lives and sometimes we don’t take the time or have the resources to have family photos taken. I will be taking nominations for a family who you think would appreciate this gift. This session will take place after the New Year. I will be taking Nominations until December 31st. Please email or facebook message me their name, contact information and a brief summary of why you chose them, putting "THE OLIVIA ACT NOMINATION" in the subject line. The chosen family will be contacted via email or phone call. Please do not post their information here. The gift is a 30 minute session and a collection of digital portraits, so they may have priceless keepsakes to adorn their home.
Please share this is you want to help...all nominated families must live in Orange County.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

i (heart) silly boys

Last spring, I donated a session for a silent auction at Molly's preschool.

This super cute family won the session, while donating to a wonderful cause :)

I was thrilled...

I secretly love the silly boys the most (don't tell any of the girls!)...

Needless to say, I had a wonderful morning!

Thank you, K family for your donation to a wonderful preschool..

and a super fun Saturday morning!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Rain, rain...go...nevermind, STAY!

When taking pictures for others, I think the KEY to it all

is flexibility...

Kids unhappy? Be flexible.

Park too crowded. Be flexible.

Rainy? Be flexible.

We managed to get this session in, despite the looming weather

First some dress up time..

Then...the real fun!

Time to break out the boots & umbrella!

I may need to book rainy day sessions more often!

Monday, October 15, 2012

one

Hello, Fall!

I had so much fun taking pictures of this sweet boy!

I took pics when he was a tiny newborn and we recently took his

first birthday pictures at the park.

He was NOT a fan of the whole cake thing.

The expressions he gave us were priceless.

Happy Birthday, Liam!

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Inspiration Through Art

I got a wonderful email yesterday that my application to be a participating photographer

with Inspiration Through Art had been approved and accepted.

I cried. Happy wonderful tears.

This is what I felt like I was meant to do with my camera.

In a nutshell, this organization lets families with critical ill or special needs children

connect with a photographer who provides them with a photo session to celebrate

the small heroes in their life.

Amazing.

Really. Really. Amazing.

It is basically a waiting game, I wait until chosen by a family...

I can hardly stand it.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

it may not start with smiles...

When I met Noah, he was not impressed with my camera.

Or me.

Or my bubbles.

Or feeding the ducks.

Poor guy. It was a hot day. And I kept following him around.

He wasn't unhappy, or scared, or crying.

So, I let him be a toddler in the park.

Let him wander for a bit.

Then, we busted out the cookies.

Progress.

Then, we busted out the finger puppets.

And the tickling...

And then, we were best buddies!

(he's got my lion puppet on his teeny finger!)

While I had him happy,

mom and dad jumped in...

I always carry bubbles, & finger puppets.

They usually do the trick.

I love working so hard :)

It's hardly working!

People are talking...

"Sara was a pleasure to work with. She chose a beautiful place and immediately put my son at ease, capturing some very natural pictures and poses. She even persuaded squirrels to feed from my son's hand, which produced other beautiful pictures. Sara is both professional yet easygoing, especially good with active children. I would definitely hire her again!"

"Our family couldn't be more thrilled with Sara and our first family photo shoot. Getting 4 people (especially babies and toddlers) to smile on cue can be impossible, but Sara has tricks up her sleeve and God-given talent. We are blown away at all the amazing shots she was able to get, even with our baby being fussy most of the session. These will be our first framed photos, but now that we've met Sara, they won't be our last! Thank you for capturing the spirit of our family--we will treasure these memories forever!"

"Overall a WONDERFUL experience! The photo shoot was so relaxed. You were very patient with the kids. I even think Sam forgot you were there most of the time, and I believe that is key in capturing ones true personality! You had great ways of getting Sam to really show his happy, playful side! Thanks again for a wonderful experience, and gorgeous photos!"

"It was such a pleasure working with Sara. Her professionalism really showed during the photo shoot. She had all the great spots picked out prior to our arrival, and it showed when we finally viewed the photos. Each photo was incredible with the perfect background. I must speak on her enduring patience that she had with our dog, who obviously wanted to be someplace else. Gracie is a big part of our family and Sara captured all of Gracie's personality in every shot. Thank you Sara for the wonderful photos!"

"Having Sara take my kids' pictures was absolutely wonderful! The kids got to explore the garden before Sara began taking the pictures, and when she began, she was relaxed and patient and incredibly responsive to what the kids wanted to do. Sara captured in pictures what I see when they play - innocence, joy and their beautiful personalities. "

"Sara is a gifted photographer. She has the ability to capture not only the beauty of the image, but also the essence of the moment in her photographs. Her shots are evocative, personal, and warm. She had a natural and comforting way with our newborn and toddler that allowed her to skillfully capture those special moments of discovery and wonder that fill early childhood. We will use Sara again and recommend her highly!"

“We have 3 small children/babies. As you can imagine, it's impossible to get all 5 of us "picture perfect" at the same time. I don't know how, but Sara manages to do it. Every. Single. Time. And not just one shot, either--try a few dozen. our family always has a blast during our sessions, and Sara's able to capture every sweet moment with skill that I could only dream of. She's great with the kids and incredibly creative--from having my older ones paint their handprints on my belly while I was pregnant with my youngest, to having each kid hold a letter to spell "DAD" for a Father's Day gift. Through one referral from a coworker we have gained a dear and talented friend who has captured precious memories that will be on the walls of my family for generations. I only wish I had known her when I was planning my wedding!”

“Sara’s extraordinary patience with my newborn made our session a wonderful experience. The resulting photos are of a happy baby, warm and comfortable in Sara’s loving care. Sara took the right amount of time to get the best shots, and I couldn’t ask for more. I will treasure these photos forever and am grateful for Sara and her remarkable skills.”

“Sara, who we call the "Baby Whisperer" has such an incredible talent. Her camera sees things that no others can. Her pictures not only capture smiles and faces, but precious memories.”