Chow Pho Restaurant Menu Recently I was hired to photograph images for a restaurant in the Los Angeles suburb of San Bernardino, Chow Pho. It was quite the event! They needed over 30 items photographed in five hours. Trust me, that is no easy feat. I had a food stylist and we tried to keep up the pace but by the end of the day my brain was whirring from looking behind the lens, talking to multiple people from the restaurant, getting into a flow and staying there. Every element counts, from making sure the white plate is clean to making sure each "key ingredient" is displayed in a nice array on the platter, not to mention keeping the light perfect. They needed the images for a menu being printed the following day so time was of the essence. This is not my favorite way to work, since I'm a perfectionist! However, sometimes you just have to work it, and that is what we did! Above is a contact sheet of the delicious food photos from the day.

Thanks to the generous contributions of family and friends I will soon be the proud owner of a Canon 5D Mark III and a 16-35mm f2.8 Canon Wide Angle Lens! My perks for my Indiegogo campaign ranged from portrait sessions, to prints and sets of postcards. I learned a lot through the fundraising process and loved the excitement of coming up with new creative ways to earn money for camera gear. A gear upgrade is going to change the offerings of my business as well since I will soon be shooting VIDEO! It feels great to be able to keep up with the times. That has to be one of the most difficult aspects of running a photography business. Thanks to everybody who contributed, PEACE :)

Santa Monica Portrait I photographed Mathius Gertz in Santa Monica recently and we had a great time. His wife, Angie Wells, is a makeup artist and it is always a pleasure to work with other talent to create stunning imagery. There are a million ways to light a subject but I especially enjoy rich skin tones and a little catchlight in the eye. We wanted to create an image that looked like Mathius does on an average day and I really think this one nailed what we were going for. I am proud to be known to capture people in their true essence and Mathius recognized that in my work. It is always so nice when people see your style for what it is and appreciate that about you. I feel so blessed and lucky to have clients that appreciate my eye and vision!

Shooting interiors full of pretty dresses is definitely fun :) I love the colors of the dresses on the left, especially the lavender and baby blue, two of my favorite colors. According to Maria Diaz, Bride shop owner, baby blue is a trendy color for 2013 weddings. Cheers to everybody getting married in 2013, no matter what color you are wearing! The Daily Candy Los Angeles published their Spring Wedding Guide with everything hip for a 2013 wedding. A photo I shot for the boutique shop Bride was published in the guide accompanying the section about the Echo Park shop.

It's Spring again and that means wedding season is around the corner! Book me as your wedding photographer by May 15th for any 2013 wedding and get a free hour of coverage, a $300 value! In this photo a bride awaits "the first look". I always love shooting this moment as their hearts beat crazily with anticipation. You never know how your partner will look when they turn that corner. If I was a psychic I would say bright colors are in our future ;)

This past Saturday night I was hired to photograph night life in downtown Los Angeles at the monthly event Mucho More at La Cita Bar. It was a fun filled night with plenty of party people getting crazy on the dance floor. Jaime Gee played a great set mixing so many genres but keeping such a great flow he had me dancing while I was shooting.

I was asked by a guy on the dance floor if I shoot film. I explained when I first started photography back in 1996 I shot with film but now I shoot digital. He told me he only shoots film and I told him that was great. I told my husband later that night and he was not impressed!

I was also asked if I shoot night life shots often. I treat it just like I would treat shooting a wedding reception or any event or party. Photograph people having fun and the story of the night will be told. I have such a great time photographing people having a great time, being a spy on the dance floor is key! That coupled with having the right camera and flash settings to set the party mood.

Girls in SoCal

As a photographer I am always interested in storytelling. I come from a newspaper background and still get a rise from listening to the stories of everyday people and creating a space for their voices to be heard. It is in that vein I started my most recent project, a photographic journey into the lives of Muslim youth in the US. This portrait was shot at The Islamic Center of Southern California. Girls just want to have fun!

Bride, Echo Park Bride, Echo Park Echo Park is changing faster than most other areas in Los Angeles. It is ripe with new storefronts and bustling restaurants. "Bride" is opening this Saturday and I got a sneak peak into the vintage and designer bridal gown and accessories store. The Eastsider LA referred to it endearingly as "Not Your Mama's Bridal Shop." It definitely isn't, it is hip, chic and unique. Or, as they like to put it "vintage.eco.independent". The owner, Maria Diaz, has a great eye for beautiful and tasteful "fancy" clothing. You can learn more about the shop here: http://brideboutiquela.com/

Now my hope is getting some East side brides to book my wedding photography services :)