Arohi's Puja

On the fourth of July, I had the opportunity to photograph a new event!  Parents Joy and Tanu celebrated their daughter Arohi's first time eating solid food with a puja, a Hindu ceremony that involved lots of offerings, chanting and praying.  I photographed the ceremony at their home amidst close family and friends.  I love photographing things that are new to me - my senses seem more alert because I never know what's going to happen, and I don't want to miss anything, and Arohi's puja was certainly unlike anything I had ever been to.  It was a beautiful ceremony with phenomenal color which was enhanced by a roaring fire in the middle of the living room!

Marlene, Rhonda and Max

I had the pleasure of photographing Rhonda with her mother Marlene and their sweet dog Max at their lovely home in Oakland about a month ago.  Rhonda is the Director of Marketing at the San Francisco Design Center so naturally, her style (both for herself and her home) was sophisticated and beautiful.  I always love photographing people in their personal spaces - most people are not used to having their photograph made so it can be a bit unnerving posing for the camera, and being in a space that is comfortable and familiar helps to put people at ease.  Additionally, people's homes are so revealing about who they are which only adds to the sense of themselves that I strive to let shine through in the photos.

Little Lu

I'm happy to introduce May Lu, or rather "Little Lu" to everyone.  Momo gave birth in May, and I met up with her, Thay Thay, and the rest of their family for pictures of May Lu when she was one month old!  Of course, Thay Thay hammed it up and was the life of the party, but he's just getting geared up to be the best big brother ever!

Momo and Thay Thay

Momo was brave enough to be my first maternity session ever.  I actually met Momo a few years ago while working for the Oakland Tribune and we've kept in touch since so she was a pretty easy and familiar subject.  Her three year old son Thay Thay was also super fun to photograph and hang out with - he's going to be a great older brother to his soon-to-be baby sister!