jessica: grad photo shoot.

i was nervous. and so was she. there is something about shooting another photographer that is nerve-racking and of course, for her being on the other side of the lens is just plain awkward. but after the first few frames, we were both at ease and laughing. uncontrollably at times. that's one of the things about jessica, i love most. she laughs. and makes me laugh. the moments of hilarity from yesterday's shoot were many and quite memorable.

she loves shoes and belts and all things vintage. she even collects vintage suitcases. she's creative and is passionate about making a difference with her art. she seeks to give voice to the voiceless and move people to action through her images. she never settles for the status quo and pushes herself and others to do better, to do more and to challenge mediocrity.

she is jessica fairchild conrad.

and this is her grad photo shoot.

this was a total accident and it's my favorite shot from the shoot. i don't even remember pressing the shutter when the biker went by. awesome-ness.

i love both of these shots. jessica at her best.

a lil' vintage flava.

look at those boots. broken in from walking all over nyc.

what an honor (and blast) it was to photograph her. seriously. be sure to check out her work here.

matthew: senior photo shoot.

matthew is a simple guy. one who is easy going and relaxed. yet all the while adventurous and out-going. he grew up exploring the mountains and playing among them. while fishing, hiking, backpacking and hunting, he found himself at home surround by snow-capped peaks and shimmering alpine lakes. this still remains true today.

he is matthew. and this is his senior photo shoot.

given his passion for the mountains, it was fitting that matthew's shoot would be in the eastern sierra. as it most often is, the mountain weather proved to be unpredictable and, well, blistery and chilly. so first we ventured up to convict lake for some shots backdropped with mountains and then headed south to the buttermilks for some high-desert boulder field shots. here's what we came up with during our wanderings...

i love me some road shots.

we braved the freezy cold winds for these shots, but i think it was well worth it.

i made him stand on a 6x6 inch post in gail force winds for quite some time to get the shot on the right. now that's commitment.

next, we headed south toward bishop. i hadn't been to the buttermilks since i was a kid. so it was fun to explore the boulder field. and it was a photographer playground to be sure.

matthew was up for anything. even lying down in a rock-lined gutter. awesome.

allyson.

she laughs. and smiles. a lot. she lights up the room when she enters. and she is hilarious to boot. she's authentic, intentional and caring and engages in relationship in a way that is vulnerable and honest. she is an artist of both the musical and visual persuasion. she notices and she creates. she dreams and she inspires.

she is allyson.

and this is her grad photo shoot.

we cruised up the 101 north on the prowl for some wildflowers and fields and of course for some vintage-grudge. here's what we found...

three of my absolute faves.

gorgeous, ain't she?

view the slideshow here.

jasmine: her quinceañera.

i'd never been to a quinceañera before, nonetheless photographed one. but a while back, jasmine asked me to come up to mammoth and photograph her's. and i must say, it was quite fun. jasmine and her family were such a pleasure to work with, and we snagged some awesome photos of the party. que bueno. and i loved it all along the way. being able to experience such an exciting cultural celebration and eat some authentic mexican grub was quite a treat. here are a few of my favorite images from the day. jasmine is quite photogenic and of course didn't take a bad shot.

this is jasmine.

check out that dress?! so gorgeous.

she was all about the black and pink...

i had so much fun with all the lil' guys who were all sorts of decked out in their festive garb. we were playing photo tag out by the pool and i managed to some fun shots of them. this dude was my favorite. he loved getting his photo taken...

the essentials to any mexican fiesta...

lauren.

i love her dimples and her laugh. she is creative. driven. motivated. she has an uncanny ability to bring people together and to care for those around her in a way that is authentic, honest and loving. she gives. she shares. she connects. and she loves a good old fashion chili cook-off. what's not to love about that? AND she's from texas.

she is lauren.

we ventured out to gaviota for an anthropologie inspired shoot. sara truppo even came along and we made quite the trio. let's just say we laughed a lot. we frolicked through the hills, wandered the streets of solvang in search of "kringles" and finally dined on mexican food in santa ynez. we sipped fresh agave margaritas and dreamed up ways to change the world. THEN, we got kicked out of the restaurant because they wanted our table even though there was no one waiting and we were only there for 1.5 hours or so. not cool. so we laughed about it the whole way home. and now we love to say to each other "remember that time we got kicked out of dos carlitos?! rude!". and then, we laugh. good times with such good friends. this is my life.

and this is her photo shoot.