A Maternity Photo Session in the Gardens

This past summer, I had the opportunity to photograph the gorgeous mama, Lucy Han and her lovely family at the Huntington Library & Gardens in San Marino, California. She recently gave birth to another beautiful baby boy and keeps busy with her own business, Beauty by Lucy Han. Her make-up, hair and eyelash extension skills are amazing, and I can attest to that! She has a great, big heart and somehow manages to also work full-time as a social worker. How does she do it? I'd like to ask her the same question. Lucy and her family made it easy for me to photograph them, and her darling little boy is going be a heartbreaker one day...!

Recently, I've been getting back into doing photo sessions and rediscovering why I enjoy it so much. After having my own family, the chance to photograph other families through capturing special moments and expressions has come with new meaning. I am thankful for the people who have entrusted me with that opportunity and have encouraged me to continue with my photography, especially during the times I second guess myself. We usually are our own worst critiques when we allow fear and self-doubt to cloud our judgement-- and that is the beauty of having optimistic people in our lives that can see beyond our own near-sightedness. Nevertheless, there is always room for growth and opportunities to learn throughout.

What motherhood actually looks like, at least according to me.

A typical "Outfit of the Day."

Meal times are an adventure in themselves.

Why waste a perfectly good smoothie?

There are times when you throw in the towel.

Sometimes you allow them to partake in some monkey business...

...in order to capture that perfect photo.

Who needs to buy toys when the best ones are free?

And the image that our house is always in order? Only when guests are around.

Amy's Senior Recital Photoshoot

This is Amy. She is a talented beauty with a gentle spirit and beautiful heart. This photoshoot was meant to be used for her Senior Recital, but ended up being a day of adventure that resulted in climbing trees, befriending horses, concert pieces played on a baby piano echoing through the park, and even seeing a couple familiar faces. The spontaneity of this photoshoot made it one of my favorites.

Celebrate Love

 

For those who may be wondering, I ended up taking a never-been-worn dress my younger sister handed down to me, and had a tailor convert it into an A-line dress. I was quite happy with the results! It was collecting dust in my closet for years, and now I finally had a purpose to wear it.

This past weekend was perhaps one of the biggest celebrations of the year. It was the day we all witnessed my cousin getting married to the love of his life. I consider him one of my closest guy cousins, growing up together as children, even though we lived on opposite ends of California. In college he took good care of me: Driving me around town, feeding me and fending off the boys (with the exception of his best friend, whom I ended up marrying). He has been waiting for this moment pretty much his entire life. So when it came time for his Bride to walk down the aisle, I could not help but feel overly emotional. While some anticipate seeing the Bride, one of my favorite moments in a wedding is seeing the Groom's expression while his Bride makes their appearance down the aisle. The look and expression on their face says it all in words that cannot be expressed. 

Weddings, as it is for most people, has me feeling all lovey-dovey. One of the reasons being that it reminds me of the day my Hubby and I exchanged our vows and devotion to one another. As beautiful and romantic as weddings appear, no one but married people understand the challenges that come with a marriage after the glitz and glamour has faded days or even years after the wedding day. Those promising words spoken at the altar are not merely empty words, but words that will cost you all that is within you to hold onto those promises.

 Now, none of us are born with a supernatural ability to love, but we have a Creator who can, and gives freely to those who seek it. I cannot recount the number of times I have asked for more patience or love, only to realize that I was the one that needed to change. If there is a word I would use to describe marriage, it would be humility. The opposite would be pride, an ugly word that could send a marriage to its grave. Without humility and selflessness, "love" is not love.

The world will tell us it's all about us, what we can attain from a marriage, what contributes to our own happiness. I've learned that it is anything but that. Not to sound like a Debbie Downer, but the happily ever after ending ceases to exist on its own. Fairytales end once you close the book or the credits roll in. True, marriage can add a whole new dimension of joy in one's life, but not without a cost. In order to find it, we must learn to die to ourselves, for that is what love is. And the greatest example of love is written in the oldest book of all time. 

After six years of marriage, I am still a work in progress and sometimes I fall flat on my face. But I am eternally thankful to have a Husband who is full of grace and loves me enough to accept me as a whole package, flaws and all. 

Babymooning up the California coast

We decided to do a Babymoon road trip up the California coastline back in May, making pit-stops in our favorite little towns - Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Monterey Bay and last but not least, San Francisco. It feels so surreal to think that this will be our last "vacation" as a married couple minus children. However, I'm looking forward to bringing our future child around to experience the exciting world around them. I have a feeling it'll end up being us adults who learn to see the world through a different perspective, as children have a way of revealing a hidden world we have lost while growing up.