Jared, Cortez, Eric, and Chris have come a long way since last time we shot portraits of their band. Swivel Tactic, formerly known as The Good Kids have a new look… and a new sound. They’re in the process of cutting a new album they’re pretty proud of… one that is a showcase of the band’s soul and spirit. I have to say, I love meeting artists and journeying with them as they evolve into better and better versions of themselves. It’s inspiring, and  I’m proud to know you guys.

This shoot was done in Santa Ana, in some back alley…. in the early EARLY  morning… but it was so fun getting to hang with these guys. Here’s my favorites from the shoot….

It’s crazy  how fast time flies…. and it such a strange feeling running into someone and remembering the way they were when they were 5 years old. I’m not quite sure what to do in moments like those…. hug them?… or bury my head in my hands and try to make time stand still for just ONE second. The Kasperowicz boys are no longer boys…. they’re the Kasperowicz men. Crazy. I remember babysitting these three when they were all shorter than me. Now, they’re all twice my size.

Well, this year, their family chose me to take their famous holiday family portraits and we had a fun time traipsing around The Lab, in Costa Mesa, dodging the intermittent November rain. Jase, Neil, and Dylan…. you guys rocked these, and while I know taking family portraits isn’t your favorite thing in the entire world, I had fun with you guys. These were my favorites from the afternoon… Enjoy!

When I was younger, the change of seasons meant different things to me: warm sunny weather meant no school and lots of time in the pool, cooler weather and falling leaves meant the beginning of school and Santa Ana winds, and rainy weather with green leaves meant Easter was coming. While somewhat correct, my perceptions of the passing of time always fueled anticipation of what was to come, whether it was looking forward to opening Christmas gifts, or eating Easter candy. This fall means something different for the Howard Family…. not only does it mean leaves falling, Christmas coming, and the beginning of school for Ethan, but it also marks the last fall season they’ll be a family of four…. a 5th member is on the way.

Heike and Jeff wanted some photos of their boys (and a few of them as a family) to document this special time in their family’s life. Their oldest son Ethan started school recently, and their younger son Dylan is at a super cute and fun stage in life…. learning new words and loving new things like trains. Here are my favorites from the afternoon with them in San Juan Capistrano Los Rios Historic District….

Jeff and Heike, your family is SO CUTE. I’m excited to see your family grow and I had so much fun running around with your boys, climbing trees, looking at rocks, and marveling at the trains. You’ve been blessed with beautiful boys who bring joy to whomever they interact with… thanks for sharing them with me!

Grandmother’s china tea set, a big stuffed bear, a warm autumn afternoon, and cookies…. could there be a better set up for a family portrait? I think not! When Mary first contacted me about taking her family’s portraits, we brainstormed a bunch of ideas on how we could make it creative, fun, and unique to them. She mentioned her mother’s tea set would be a neat way to pay tribute to her late mom’s relationship with her daughters Rya and Kayla. I loved the idea! The pictures turned out so cute!

After the tea party, we decided to go exploring around Irvine Regional Park….

This was one of my favorite shots. It’s not a typical family portrait, but I LOVED the relationship between bigger sister and little sister that shows through it. Makes me warm all warm and fuzzy inside… and makes me want to hug my own sister.

Loved the light in this shot! So great!

Dad came back after taking a man walk around the park… tea parties don’t interest a man like Van. It was fun getting some daddy/daughter shots in.

Such a cute family!

We let the girls run around for a little while we took a few quick shots of Mary and Van… a VERY cute couple, if I do say so myself…

Twas a great afternoon and an amazingly beautiful and fun loving family…. blessed to know these people!