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Jill Denny Wedding + Family Photographer
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The Mielke Family – Redlands Family Photography

I am big fans of this family and they are huge supporters of my work. It was my turn to make the trek to Redlands for their family session. Jessi always does a fantastic job and choosing the locations for our sessions in Redlands. The library is a very special place for them since it’s also the place where they were married. A family of four is soon to be a family of five and I hope Jessi’s pregnancy is going well for her. We took these photos before she was showing as it also served as a chance for them to tell the girls about the new baby. It was really funny to watch as they told the girls about the baby but they just weren’t quite sure what was going on. I hope to meet this new family member at some point and continue to see them throughout the years.

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Dexter – Cincinnati Pet Photography

Back in August my dad, our dog Ruby and I all traveled to Ohio for a visit with family. The trip was sort of necessary. My dad really wanted to go back to Ohio and see his friends, I needed the break from full time caring for dad and of course Jesse needed a break from all of it. It turned out to be a pretty good trip for the most part. I had a bit of trouble with dad on the plane on our return flight but overall we all had a good time. I took a ton of personal photos of Ruby and my brother’s two dogs. I promise to elaborate more in another post about the in’s and out’s of traveling with my dad and his dementia but this post is about my friend Susy and her puppy Dexter. I did a couple of sessions while I was in Ohio and Susy hired me to photograph her new puppy. I took my sister in law with me so we could visit and check out Susy’s new house. It’s always so hard to see everyone when I come to visit and a lot of the time I can’t make it happen to see everyone. It leaves me feeling guilty but my hope is that my friends understand. This was the only time I had with Susy while we were in town but I am glad we were able to touch base and catch up. Some friends you have for a short while and others you have for life. I have had both and I am fortunate to have a few that have stuck around all these years.

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Adventures in Spain & Greece and What Happens Next – European Travel Photography

Ever since my dad moved in I’ve been wondering what will happen to me, to him, to my life with my husband and beyond. Some days I get very sad about all of it. I’m sad because my dad’s health is in decline and because getting older is tough. I’m sad because instead of delighting in raising a family of my own, I am steadfast with my father knowing that one day will be our goodbye. I’m sad because while I live in this small world of everyday activities and errands, I have friends who I never see and friends who never call on me just to ask me how I’m doing. They all have excuses not to reach out because they all have families of their own but I guess that doesn’t necessarily make it okay. It’s just the way it is. I get bummed out about the whole thing and then other days it doesn’t bother me a bit. I tell myself it’s fine because I have everything I need right here. I have my husband, my dad, our dogs, my daily routine, my work and I even have my dad’s cat here to fill my time. Those days are the easy days for me. I wish for those days every time my head starts to hurt and my neck and shoulders tense up from stress. My husband and I were always the ones reaching out to plan get togethers with friends and family but I have reached the point of exhaustion and I no longer care to here the word no more often than not when we do try to plan something. I miss all the things about being surrounded by everyone I know and love. I miss knowing that I could call a friend at a moment’s notice and swing by to say hello. I even feel angry sometimes that all my friends with families of their own seem to forget that there will always be a pang of sadness inside me when I see them with their families. I am not writing all of this stuff to bum anyone out. My words are only musings that form in the in between moments of the day when the world gets quiet and I start to think too much. My inner self is a worrier. My outer self is a dynamic goof ball hell bent on having…

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The Kugler Family – San Diego, Marian Bear Park Photography

I was thinking this morning about travel and how when I was younger I wanted to travel any and everywhere for work as much as possible. I still love to travel for work but now I find as I age, I am more selective and my desire to combine work and travel has waned. I have shifted into wanting to travel for pleasure and time away. Of course I do make exceptions for clients I love and once in a lifetime occasions to shoot in places like Santorini. The Kugler family fall into that category of clients I love and it has become our unspoken agreement to trade off every year photographing in San Diego and Orange County. This was a San Diego year and knowing how much this family loves outdoors and nature settings we chose Marian Bear Park for an early morning session. I like to joke that I am a “lazy” photographer and will utilize a small area of space to create a variety of images. Truthfully, certain locations can be daunting with children in tow and I like to keep thing easy on everyone. Marian Bear is a gorgeous spot that can mean hiking in and discovering a beautiful clearing but then again offering up a hike to clients in their nice clothes isn’t always the perfect fit. My joke this year was that this family made that parking lot look good! Now that I’ve divulged all my secrets, tell me what you think! I just love this family and it’s a gift every time they call me up for another session.

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Happy Birthday Gregg – Baja Mexico Photography

I have known Gregg for about as long as I have known my husband Jesse. We all met playing softball for Vavi here in San Diego some time back in 2005. We have been in each other’s lives through weddings, births, deaths and everything in between. Gregg hit the next milestone in his life turning 50 this year and I can’t believe it. It seems like one day we were all so young running around the ball field, drinking way too much beer and staying up all night. Okay so maybe we don’t run as much these days but we have been known to imbibe a few and stay up past curfew. And yes, we did indulge a bit for his big birthday weekend in Mexico. We stayed at this gorgeous Airbnb just past Rosarito in Primo Tapia. Our home for the weekend sat not far from the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We spent our mornings milling around the house, eating breakfast, surmising about the state of our union and cracking a ton of jokes. I’m still wondering about that one friend of Shira’s from college and the “big news” he announced on facebook without giving us a hint of what the news could be. It’s an inside joke for sure but if any of you from the weekend know what the heck is up with that dude, fill me in! I finally had the chance to visit the Via de Guadalupe Valley during this particular getaway. My husband did a most fantastic job of organizing the day. He arranged for the vineyards we would be visiting as well as making reservations at Deckman’s for dinner. The best part was that we were able to book a driver for the entire day trip so none of us had to drive to the valley. It was a perfect day and I immediately ran upstairs and zonked out when we got back. In my defense, I had just shot a wedding the day before and I had what I like to call a wedding hangover. Don’t worry, I got my groove back the following day. Mexico holds a special place in our hearts and I am so grateful to have celebrated my dear friend’s special day surrounded with good people, good food and lots of laughter. Cheers to you Gregg!  

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Derek & Shiloh Married! – Le Ciel Santorini, Greece Wedding Photography

Let’s take this blog post back to earlier this year in May when I went to Santorini to photograph the gorgeous wedding of Derek and Shiloh.  Before landing in Greece, we ate our way through Spain for the first ten days of this adventure. I stressed myself into oblivion about traveling with so much gear just so I could shoot this wedding. I paired everything down to just the essentials and somehow my backpack still weighed a ton but I used every piece of equipment I had brought so it was well worth it. And speaking of well worth it, check out the sunset we scored the night of the wedding! It was incredible! We were escorted to the rooftop balcony of the Le Ciel and as the clouds rolled in, it created the most spectacular colors I have ever witnessed. I’m so glad I made the decision to not waste another second of the sunset because the fog came in so quick that it got dark pretty fast. It was the highlight of the evening for me.  Derek and Shiloh were so accommodating to both myself and my videographer friend Patrick of Carry On Studios. They went to great lengths to insure that we were comfortable and well fed just so we could do our job. Take note future brides and grooms, thoughtfulness for your wedding vendors is most appreciated when you spend long days on your feet carrying heavy equipment and sweating your butt off. These two knew what was up and didn’t miss a beat.  This wedding might be as close to a dream come true for me. It was a dream I didn’t dare to have because how on earth would it ever come true?!! Somehow this one did come true and now I have the gorgeous memory of one of the most delightful places on earth. I encourage you all to start dreaming of Santorini.     

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Latest From The Diary

  • Rysdale Family – San Diego & Balboa Park Desert Gardens Family Photography
  • The Mielke Family – Redlands Family Photography
  • Bennett Family – Redlands Family Session

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