Last night I had the honor of photographing the birth of Khai.  Over the years there are certain clients who I know I will remember for a lifetime.  Thuy and Mark were those kinda clients.  They were warm and friendly, kind and funny.  Throughout the entire day there was a positive energy in the room, even during times of pain and fear.  I feel lucky not only to have shared this very important day with them, but also to have just simply met them.  They have such a calming effect on those around them.  I know in my heart that sweet Khai will grow up into a wonderful man with parents like Thuy and Mark.

Thuy and Mark, thank you for inviting me to photography the birth of your sweet boy, Khai.  He is simply BEAUTIFUL, as are you.  Enjoy your sneak peek.

Khai (“Bear”) Thanh William  |  Born at 10:38pm on Saturday, April 16th 2011 | 7 Pounds 3 Ounces,  19 Inches

William Michael was born last night to Stacy and Ben.  The labor and birth was beautiful. Superstar Stacy pushed him out in 45 minutes!  He is precious and perfect and has the sweetest little face and gorgeous big eyes like his mama.  Congratulations Stacy and Ben on your beautiful little bundle of joy.  Thank you so much for allowing me to photograph this amazing experience.

Introducing William Michael

September 21st 2010 | 6:56 p.m. | 6 lbs. 14 oz. | 19 in.

a “before” photo.  :)

First appearance…

First moments with Mom & Dad

…and one more of Sir Sweetness

finding moments in life worth capturing.

loving and embracing those moments just as the subjects do.

caring for and respecting those moments like they are your own, because just for a split second, they are.

having the knowledge and practice to know where to move, how to adjust your camera, consider the lighting, the subject, the emotion…

and snap the shutter at the exact. right. second.

thanking your subject for allowing you to catch a glimpse into their life, their soul, their love.

selecting the perfect images to proof.  the ones that most perfectly portray the expirience.

proofing in a way that reflects the subject, the day… proofing in a way that you’re sure to not only make the viewer feel deep in their heart what it was like to be there,

but also in a way that makes the subject remember, deep in their soul what it was like to be.

looking back on images once taken and recognizing how you’ve grown, knowing that as an artist, though you may reach your “happy place”,

you will never truly finish growing.

remembering that the steps you take in your career are not steps of mistakes and imperfection, but rather building blocks that fit perfectly together

to create a windy stairwell of experience, emotion and love.

knowing that the first thousand steps are just as important as the very last.

being a photographer is really important.

trust me.

today i had the pleasure of photographing isla’s entrance into this big world.  isla’s mama had a 100% natural home birth.  she was so strong and brave, and simply beautiful.   isla’s dad should basically teach a class to men on “how to be awesome when your wife is giving birth”.

they were such a great team, and i feel so blessed to have been able to share this very important day with them.

at not quite a day old i was able to get a peek at jake in the NICU earlier today.  i can not wait to steal a snuggle from this little man. he’s doing well, just needs a little practice breathing and extra TLC.

i’m kind of at a loss for words.

there is truly nothing more amazing than watching a life enter this world.

ok, i tried. i have no other words. i’m still in awe of how perfect birth is.

introducing: the day of JAKE.

calling their people

waiting…

making fun of the “pain”.

the first sign of REAL pain…

a bunch of really awesome things happening, i’m sure you can imagine…

grandmas gazing into the nursery.  it’s amazing the love you can see in a photo of the back of heads…

and last but surely not least… what all the fuss was about:

jake scott |3.24.10 | 2:54pm |  7lbs 3oz | 20in

from the deep down bottom of my heart, thank you amanda, scott, big brother dylan, and baby jake.  thank you for letting me and my camera be a part of such an important day.  i hope you enjoy and treasure the photos of this very special day for years to come.  my love to all of you. xo.