Graduation || Karla

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One of my favorite Berkeley Law people moved away from the Bay last month. This part of the year is always really sad. But, besides leaving me with many great memories and friendship, she also left me with these adorable photos of her and her little family.

This was also my first morning grad session and I have to say, I might be a morning session convert because this lighting was glorious.

Grateful to have captured this special time for these special people and I’m ready to get the ball rolling on the rest of these grad photos!

Portrait || Lynnox

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Baby Lynnox celebrated the occasion with her first solo photo session. She brought four ‘fits and countless bows. After serving laughs and smiles, she had a snack break and took a nap before getting back to it. Lynnie is definitely a superstar baby model, so we have to start building her portfolio to become the next Gerber baby!

Family || Chanel & Lynnox

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Chanel is back, but this time with a PLUS ONE! 2020 was quite a year to be born into, but we tried not to let the craziness dim the holiday spirit. Lynnox got all dressed up in her Christmas fit and we headed to Lake Merritt to take a few holiday photos.

This was my first shoot with my Sigma 35mm lens and I was nervous to see how it would handle focus (especially in low light). I am glad to report, it worked like a dream. I am loving how this wide angled look changes the vibe of my photos and I cannot wait to keep putting miles on my lens.

Happy holidays, everyone and here’s to more photos in 2021!

Portrait || Margarita

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This past weekend was my little sister’s birthday. Obviously, we did a session to celebrate the big occasion. Looking at these pictures threw me my start in photography when she served as one my first models. Through my photos you can see her hair evolution, fashion evolution, and confidence evolution. I love seeing folks bloom behind the camera, and no subject more special than this baby.

Also, this shoot was a test of the Canon 35mm f/2. I loved the focal length, but definitely missed my low aperture. My Sigma 35mm f/1.4 should be coming in soon, so stay tuned to see those sample shots!

Portrait || Fernando

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Fernando is notoriously camera shy, but he graced me with his presence in front of the camera because after months of bar studying I was itching to take some portraits. We headed to Indian Rock Park in Berkeley to get the rocky, bright light backdrop I was looking for. We also found some beautiful plants near by so we had to take advantage of those, too.

Newborn || Idalia

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When your friend has a baby and she looks this cute, you must capture the moment. I have loved watching Karla go from slaying in law school to growing and blooming as a mother. Getting surprise pictures of her baby girl are what keep me going weekly! In the era of COVID, it is hard to figure out how to safely capture special moments, but wearing masks, employing the outdoors, and utilizing a zoom lens, we made it work. Welcome to the world, Idalia!

Maternity || Chanel

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My last session before truly buckling down to study for the bar exam was Chanel’s maternity photos because baby Lynnox was not going to wait for me to pass the licensing exam. Chanel, of course, came through with tons of ideas but she also let me recreate THE most iconic maternity photo of all time (coming soon on my Instagram). I am so excited to meet her baby girl! And you know we are going to have baby model pictures coming soon!

Graduation || Liv

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Liv and I served as Co-Presidents of our graduating class this year, but our story didn’t start there. We were introduced to each other early on in law school when it came to our attention that we were both from Oakland (there are surprisingly few of us at Berkeley Law). I have to say that Liv’s session is one of my all-time favorites, especially our shots in front of Sather Gate. Liv was so down to try all of the uncomfortable, awkward poses that I asked her to do. And I’m glad she was because look at these!! I am so honored to have been a part of Liv’s law school journey and to have captured this moment for her. Write down her name because she is absolutely going to change the world.

Maternity || Karla & Kevin

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Karla is also a friend of mine from law school. She started law school when I was in my second year and serving as Co-President of the La Raza Law Students Association. As soon as you start talking to Karla you can tell that she is a super star. Beyond her intelligence and compassion that is off-the charts, she is also one of the most driven and hard-working people I’ve ever met. When I first her husband, Kevin, it was obvious to me that they were a perfect match.

Karla got pregnant in the middle of her second year of law school and I could not wait to take her maternity photos. It got more complicated when COVID came to the Bay Area, but we made it work with an outdoor, socially-distanced photo session.

As non-native Californians, it was important to Karla and Kevin to have the Golden Gate Bridge in the background to celebrate their coming Bay-by. Marshall Beach was the perfect location with the vantage point of the bridge, lots of San Francisco seagulls flying around, and, of course, that stellar sunset.

Graduation || Fernando

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In law school I was lucky enough to find Fernando. We met in our first year as members of the La Raza Law Students Association and after a class together and a summer working in the same building, we started dating in our second year. Since then, Fernando has been my support system throughout all of the stresses of law school and my #1 cheerleader for all of my successes.

He promised me in the beginning of our third year that I could take his graduation photos and when the time came, I was so ready to thank him for his love and care by creating some enduring memories for him. He tends to be camera-shy and that was only exacerbated by his rather grown out mane, but we made it work.

I am a sucker for including nature in my portraits so obviously the two photos with flowers and leaves are my favorites, but they all look so good. I am glad I got to capture his typical serious look, but also some smiles and laughs along the way. Thank you for everything, Fernando!

Graduation || Alexa

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I love all of the photos that I share, but can we talk about those pink flowers! I had the pleasure of getting to know Alex in my last year at Berkeley and I am so grateful that our paths crossed. When people say someone lights up a room, they’re probably exaggerating a little bit. But when I say Alexa lights up a room, she lights. up. a. room. From her honest and hilarious cold-call responses to bringing me a bouquet of flowers on my birthday, Alexa had my last year of law school so fun and special. I am so happy I got to capture these photos for her!

Graduation || Sarah

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When Sarah asked me to take her photos I was honored. She is objectively one of the kindest, most compassionate people I’ve ever met. Her warm heart comes through in these photos through her sweet smile! Sarah was excited to try anything I suggested, so we took advantage of the fully blooming nature around us. And, of course, how could I take evening photos without taking full advantage of some back lighting!

Graduation || Niki

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Niki was the last session I was able to squeeze in before going to So Cal. Because of a rain warning at our original time, we had to reschedule, but we made it. Niki, a photographer herself, came prepared. She had tons of reference photos, location ideas, and poses at the ready. I love how these came out all blue skies and big smiles!

Graduation || Sylvia

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Sylvia was one of the first people I met at Berkeley Law, so taking her graduation photos feels like my law school experience is coming full circle. I was a little bit nervous about potential harsh sun since we were taking these photos earlier in the day, but we got lucky. I mean, look at her glow! Sylvia has always been a presence but she certainly knew how she wanted her photos to look and brought that energy to the table. The colors in this set are so vibrant and crisp, exactly my style.

Graduation || Sabrina

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Sabrina is a familiar face on blog (remember the haircutting video and Bay Street portraits?). She is one of my best friends from law school, so this is one of the sessions I was most looking forward to. Sabrina had recently visited her parents for a socially distant Mother’s Day, and her mom gave her graduation cap from undergrad; after seeing the “Notorious STM” we had to use it in her photos. I am so honored to have captured these moments for such a special person to share with her loved ones! Congrats, Sabrina!

Graduation || Ariel

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Ariel went home to Davis during the school closures and made the hour-long trek back to campus to take these photos. All morning it was drizzling in Berkeley and about thirty minutes before our schedule time it started raining. I was worried that we would have to reschedule, but as soon as Ariel got to campus, the rain stopped. Can you say kismet? We got these beautiful photos with the holy grail overcast light and nothing says Berkeley like the changing blue and grey skies in the background.

Graduation || Miranda & Dan

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Miranda and Dan both graduated this year, from law school and a physics PhD program, respectively. They scheduled these photos to commemorate their milestones. I have photographed many couples over the years, but Miranda and Dan had a comfort with each other and in front of the camera that made my job so easy! Congratulations to you, both!