Last week, I photographed Century High School’s Holiday choir concert. I’ve been present at most concerts with my camera ready for the past 3 years or so…. to help document the evolution of Century’s choir program and to show support for my dad. It’s really cool watching the students grow up and gain confidence with their voices as they move through the program.

This past year, my dad had the opportunity to write the Alma Mater for the high school…. and it’s been exciting for him to hear it sung at football games and pep rallies. How cool is that?! He wrote the song that will tie all alumni to each other throughout their lives…. the song that promotes unity and pride for a school. What an amazing tradition to be a part of…

I thought these few shots were really amazing from the concert… shots of my dad leading the choirs and the audience in the alma mater…. and students actually getting into the spirit of it…. I’m proud of you, Dad!

What can I say about the Rhee family? Well…. they’re a family after my own heart. Inspired by my own family’s crazy Christmas tree photos, we planned a crazy fun holiday shoot with a little “nice” mixed in there for good measure. We started off at Irvine Regional Park, where we discovered acorns, romped in the leaves, and smiled a little… but mostly, we just had a good time. With little nathan leading the crazy train…. here are my absolute favorites from the evening…..

I have to explain the next series of photos for you…. Nathan LOVED picking up the sticks along the way. So we decided to pretend to be anime warriors for a minute…. and these are the hilarious shots that came from that imaginative few minutes…

I love that the whole family got into it! Can you say “The Incredibles”?

Then we had some fun with the beanies they brought. I think they were intended to show that it’s winter… but somehow we ended up showing more of their “gansta” side.

We ended the shoot with the infamous “Perspective of a Christmas Tree” shots…. LOVE THEM.

Rhee Family, I loved spending the afternoon with you. Have a wonderful holiday!

The Maghy Family arrived full of energy and ready to go. It was…. awesome. There’s usually at least one person in every family that DREADS taking family portrait…. but THIS family was great! We smiled, laughed, talked, and had a great time shooting at Jeffrey Park in Irvine. And even though there were probably 10 other photo shoots going on around the park, I think we found some great spots. What do you think?

Sophia emailed me a little while ago asking if I’d be available to take some photos of her family for the holidays… and also to document the final months of their beloved dog Summer’s life. As every family who’s ever had a beloved pet for years and years knows it’s really hard to let go of them in the end…. because they’re part of the family. I couldn’t think of a better way to keep this holiday season with the WHOLE family more memorable, than to take some gorgeous family photos. Sophia and family, thanks for asking me to be a part of such a fun memory. And Summer…. you’re a REALLY good dog. Thanks for smiling for me! Here’s my favorites from the evening…

Meet the McKinnon Family…. McKinnon Family, meet everyone. This is yet another beautiful family I had the opportunity to photograph this holiday season…. and once again, I left the shoot with feelings of joy and encouragement from these smiling faces.

This year, Katie is off at college, Andrew has moved to the midwest, and Emily is growing up FAST. With their family changing so quickly, they wanted to document this time before it passes…. and I don’t blame them! Time is FLYING BY!  I really admire how the McKinnons have embraced the changes this year and how their love for each other still brings joy to their faces. Here are my favorites from the afternoon…