Recently, I was part of a team that completed a pro-bono project for an orgnazation that works with something very dear to my heart -- supporting women with breast cancer. Last year in September, I was asked to join a team of AMAZING individuals who were coming together to revamp and recreate the website for Breast Cancer Emergency Fund (BCEF). This project was done through an organization I volunteer for called Taproot. Upon being invited to join the team, I had no hesitatations. Breast cancer has been a part of my life since my mother's first diagnosis of Stage 3 breast cancer 20 years ago when I was only 15 years old. Since then, it has reared it's ugly head again several times and my mom keeps fighting it. Technically, she's been living with Stage 4 metastic breast cancer for 7 years now. An amazing feat!

Upon meeting the staff at BCEF, I was blown away by their intelligence, spunk, creativity in business and huge hearts. BCEF gets financial assistance QUICKLY to women who are receiving treatment and cannot pay their electric bill, their medical insurance, their rent, etc. Essential ingredients for them to LIVE and the last thing they should have to worry about. BCEF wanted to revamp the website and include photographs of their actual clients and donors. I was in!

A few months later after signing on to the project, I was struck with the news that one of my very best friends had Stage 4 Breast Cancer. Now I had witnessed in my mother AND was witnessing it happen to my (younger) best friend. This project took on a whole new light to me, as I met women of all ages who were battling this disease or had beaten it. I could see my mother AND my friend in their eyes. Their strengths, their convictions, their fears, their perseverence, their hearts. All of it. Maybe you see someone you know too...

(Here's the full website to see the completed project and see how you can help -- www.bcef.org)

 

This adorable baby girl was featured in the newest issue of Baby Lifestyles. You can click on the above link and flip to page 52 to see it. 2 month old babies can be a tricky age to photograph but she was so pleasant and peaceful for the entire shoot (minus one brief moment of tears). Enjoy her cuteness!

Yes, I've been so busy lately that the blog has taken a hit. I'd love to share some portraits from some recent sessions and today is the day to begin. This was a 9 month-old session in China Camp State Park in San Rafael, CA. The family has a long history with China Camp and relatives that work and run the park to this day. I had the pleasure to meet and eat with them, including Frank Quan, who has run China Camp's cafe and store that has helped sustained the park for ages. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place and it provided such beautiful textures with old wood and shrimping nets. And of course, we had to grab a portrait in the infamous cafe. It was so beautiful to capture generations together in a place with such personal family ties. 

NOTE: China Camp is one of the California State Parks that is on the closure list. It's so importaint to keep this spectacular place and history alive! Please click on the link below to read more about China Camp State Park and to see ways you can help keep the park open.

Friends of China Camp

Here's a sneak peek from my shoot a few days ago - a before and after shot of the momma while she was pregnant and after her sweet girl arrived.

 

I have so much to catch you all up on! I've been very busy with shoots, which has been a nice surpise for the "winter" Bay Area months. The blog is lacking recently because any moments of free time have been spent giving a little tiny bit of time to myself, the Breast Cancer project I've been volunteering with since September (I'll keep you posted) and filtering through images from a trip to India and Nepal from a few years back. I had lost all of the hi-res images almost immediately after returning from India (thank you for the triple back-up lesson Universe!) and only recently recovered the hard drive. Below is one of the images that I uncovered from the depths taken on a canoe trip through Kerala, India. Enjoy!

Along the Keralan waters