The Bartel Family Portrait Session & Blossoming Almond Orchards

For several years, I have had the pleasure of photographing the amazing Bartel Family in a variety of settings. When Kathy contacted me about doing another family portrait session, I was beyond excited. We had originally talked about doing holiday photos, but after tossing a few ideas back and forth we eventually landed on a Spring Celebration themed shoot, using Butte County's fabulous almond orchards as the setting. Getting wonderful shots of the almond orchards in full bloom is difficult enough due to the short window of time before the blossoms fall to the ground, but then add the task of finding a day within that window that all of the family members, the photographer and her assistant can make it. We had to reschedule a few times because the blossoms were not ready, but eventually landed on the perfect day: not only were the almond trees absolutely gorgeous, but a swiftly approaching storm brought in a dramatic sky which we captured in a few shots just before sunset.

It is always so rewarding to work with people who are willing to step out of their comfort zone, or think outside the box. The Bartel Family could easily have decided it was too cold, or that they may get sprinkled on, and rescheduled the shoot, but they knew that the stormy, moody sky would make for some dramatic photos, and that the rain may actually knock all those delicate blossoms right off of the almond trees. Thankfully, we made it happen and here are some of my favorite photos from the shoot.

Jennifer & Shane's Chico CA. Maternity Family Portrait Session

When Jennifer contacted me inquiring about maternity photos with her family, all it took was hearing that they were referred by Jessica & Benny for me to say, "Yes." Family portraits are always a ton of fun but, typically, weddings take up most of my time. So when I heard those two magical names I knew I wanted to make this Maternity Family Portrait Session happen.

Jennifer and her husband, Shane, love the water and wanted their photos to be taken in a spot where clean, manicured lawn meets a body of water. After tossing around some ideas, we ended up heading out to Sycamore Beach Park in California Park, located in Chico, CA. It is a tiny little slice if land pressed between rows of houses, but it completely fit the bill. We tried to keep it down to not disturb the neighbors, but these type of shoots tend to get a little noisy - especially when the finger paints came out!

Everyone looked good and the girls really did awesome for the camera. Here are some of my favorite photos from this fun Maternity Family Portrait Session.

Kristina & Ian's Truckee/Lake Tahoe Engagement Session - Northern CA. Wedding Photography

As with so many of my Truckee area brides and grooms, I have known Ian for a very long time. When I met his girlfriend, Kristina, back in December of 2011, I instantly adored her. She is so sweet and friendly, not to mention she also has a love for photography, I instantly felt a friendship forming. So with the news of the couple's recent engagement to wed I was beyond excited! With several months of scheduling photo shoots and having to reschedule we finally had the perfect weekend for all of us.

Our plan was to start early afternoon with Kristina, Ian, their two kids and Kristina's Mom, Red taking a few family photos. We met up at Rainbow Bridge on Donner Pass Road and, WOW!, the wind was bone-chilling cold. We were barely able to stand it so we decided to head down the hill to West End, Donner Lake. Not only is it a fantastic spot for photos, it is also the location of Ian and Kristina's wedding. It wasn't much warmer down at the lake, but we managed to get a few great family photos. While there, we decided to check out the wedding venue and get some nice engagement shots around the lake. Next, we decided to go to the location of their first date, The Bar of America, and get a few shots of them through the window. Another short stop was El Toro Bravo, a colorful mexican restaurant just down the street where we got a few shots and took a break for some yummy Mexican food. Finally, our day ended on Lake Tahoe at Sand Harbor - the perfect spot for sunset pictures. We had so much fun the entire day, especially when we decided to do some "hand heart" photos.

Thank you so much, Kristina and Ian, for an amazing day and the showering of compliments. It is such an honor to be photographing your wedding this summer.