After a weekend of laboring, I finally have the chance to sit down and look through all the images from the past few days. I couldn’t help but feel completely blessed to have been a part of Kraig and Eryn’s day yesterday. There are so many wonderful shots, but these ones made me smile extra [...]
I spent the evening with Justin and Bryna, documenting their wedding day in Laguna Beach. There are a TON of amazing shots… so I wanted to share a few before I hit the sack for the night…. more to come.
For some reason, the term “vacation” has not had the magnitude it used to when I was younger. Growing up, vacation meant a week camping at the beach, Skippy Peanut Butter, Boogey Boards, and white bread. The anticipation of “vacation” set up shop in my young brain the second the weather got warmer… and for [...]
She’s a fashionista from Orange County who’s the epitome of cuteness. He’s a musician through and through who’s got the tall dark and handsome thing going on. She went to a wedding with a friend one time. He was there. He ruled the dance floor. She noticed. He noticed too. He danced with some grandmas [...]
After a weekend of laboring, I finally have the chance to sit down and look through all the images from the past few days. I couldn’t help but feel completely blessed to have been a part of Kraig and Eryn’s day yesterday. There are so many wonderful shots, but these ones made me smile extra big today… I hope you do too…
Meet Becca Schott.
“Becca, internet… Internet, Becca… (Shaking Hands)”
I originally met Becca a little over a year ago at California Pizza Kitchen, through an incredible lady named Barri Brown. Barri organized this introduction and lunch date specifically because she loved both Becca and I and wanted us to be photography friends. It wasn’t until about 6 months ago, when Becca wrote on my Facebook wall about her acceptance to the YWAM Herrnhut School of the Arts, that our friendship really started. We met up for coffee and talked more in depth about the process of deciding to do Youth With a Mission (YWAM), her thoughts on the whole matter, and questions she had. And as I sat and listened to all she was thinking about, worried about, and challenged by…. I couldn’t help but see “pre-YWAM me” in her (sounds cheesy, I know). But really, truly, it was like a blast to the past and my excitement for her, for missions, and for all God is doing EXPLODED in my heart and the overflow of that explosion, of sorts, is another reason why this mini series of portraits is so important to me.
And again, before we continue, I want to give a little foreward to this Part Two of the mini project “GO | Portrait of a Missionary|“. I mentioned in the last posts, that my beginnings as a photographer started in missions. I remember what it was like being in a foreign country with a bunch of people I’d never met before. I remember, at times, feeling overwhelmed with all God was showing me/teaching me. I remember battling the stress of living off the support of family/friends/anonymous donors, worrying I wouldn’t be able to pay for even a plane ticket home…. But I also remember how powerful the prayers and encouragements of my blog readers were in all the triumphs and challenges I encountered. While actually partaking in the missions work was important, sharing the joys and the tough times on my blog was also important. It allowed people to journey with me and to connect on a deeper and more personal level to what God was doing… it wasn’t just me who was being challenged. So, in my efforts to support missionaries who are foregoing their comfort, their paying jobs, their family and friends, even their lives in order to give their all for the Kingdom… I want to encourage you, again, to dig deep into their stories. Follow their blogs. Send encouragements and prayers their way. And if you feel led, support them financially… even if it’s $20… it’s amazing how God can use the little you feel you have to move mountains. And please don’t hesitate to email me if you have questions. Ready? Let’s GO…
Becca is a vibrant 20 year & 11 month old Irvine-ite whose passion for photography, artistic culture, and God have all played a huge part in her decision to do YWAM for a year in Herrnhut, Germany… the same base I was at during my YWAM adventure! She’s AWESOME and her smile is contagious!
Tonight I laughed. Hard.
It felt amazing to be able to let loose.
Brad and Czarina…. Thank You.
You made my week with this Engagement Shoot!
More to come…
This week has been tumultuous, to say it kindly. Life has surges of big swells, and low tides. Just as Southern California Beaches have experienced its first big swell of the summer, so has life and business for me. You can do one of two things when the surf looks bigger than we can handle… stay on the beach and appreciate the view from afar…. or give it all you have in hopes of a glorious and fulfilling ride. I’m fighting for the courage to tackle the high surf and not allow myself to sit on the beach. I hope you have given this week all you have… and I hope you find that the challenge and your hard work yields many a “ride of your life.”
And to illustrate my thoughts, here’s a shot from a portrait shoot I did earlier this week….. Cheers!
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