2012 Santa Monica High School Grad Portraits at PAL (Police ActivitiesLeague)

I just received my invite to attend my 10 year High School reunion. So you know what that means.... It's time to get on a diet!
When I was in High School I used to always attend PAL after school and enjoy the tons of activities they had to offer. I remember racking up all the balls at the pool table and learning how to perfect my "8 Ball, Corner Pocket" finally to try to impress the cool kids... The Several mile long marathons we used to train for running down the streets of Santa Monica, and let's not forget to mention free movie premiers, Ice Skating, and field trips to theme parks we always did on a weekly basis.
This place holds a really special place in my heart! It kept me out of a whole lot of trouble in my rebellious teenage years.... I always wanted to pay them back some way, some how. Well, what better way than to revisit and capture the smiles of the current "Rebellious Teenagers" that are there now (J/K on the Rebellious part... or not :)
Thanks to Don Condon who's been super awesome through out all these years, we set up a Time & Date to capture today's youth the day before their big graduation day. It was the first time they had unpacked their caps and gowns and were feeling the enthusiasm of THE BIG DAY just around the corner.
Here are a few pictures I captured... Enjoy!

Culver City High Graduate! (My wife Martha Gratuated from Culver High so had to give them a shout out too)

10 years Later and still feeling young... Shout out to the CLASS OF 2002 and everyone who graduated High School.

Remeber kids.... Be Cool & Stay in School!

(Is that still a cool thing to say to kids these days? Eeek... Stay Swag)

The Wait is over.... Welcome Baby Makayla!

You might remember Cassi and Sergio from a few blog posts ago. I had captured Cassi's baby bump in the beautiful botanical gardens in Palos Verdes. A month after our little photo session I received a text message, attached to the message was a picture of one of the most precious little angels I've ever laid my eyes on... Cassi had given birth to gorgeous little Makayla on May 5th, 2012 and now it was time for the New Born session! I love capturing new borns because it really takes me back to when my son was a couple days old... You want to remember EVERYTHING about them, from the tiny wrinkles on their fingers and toes to the tiny little lips, Eyes etc... (I could name hundreds of details you'll always wanna remember) You might be asking yourself.... Why would anyone want pictures of their kids finger wrinkles??? And the answer is simple! Cause they grow up in a blink of an eye and there will come a day when you would want to pull out thee old photo album and reminisce.
Makayla is a natural in front of the camera and it was an honor to be chosen for such an important job... To capture a child who's only been outside the belly for a couple of days and creating art that will be treasured for many many years to come is a blessing. God Bless this beautiful family and may they live long and thrive! (always wanted to say that)

View their slide show that captures the beauty of Cassi's Maternity to actually holding their baby Makayla  

The Best Feeling! Maternity Session + Best Proposal Ever!

This maternity session took place in Palos Verdes CA. We met up in redondo beach and scouted the area for beautiful locations. Originally we were going to do beach photo's but something told us to just take a little drive and go where ever the wind takes us.. Thank goodness we listened to the little voice in our heads and decided to venture out. It was a gorgious day and we stopped by several different locations.... Stopping every time we saw a little eye candy here and there.

Chris and Claudia were a blast to work with and am soooo glad we crossed paths. I literally felt as if we had known each other from past lives. After our shoot we exchanged numbers and I informed them to contact me at anytime if they ever needed anything... Literally the second day I got a text from Chris... ( The father to be) He informs me of his plan to propose to Claudia and if I could help... I almost jumped off my seat with excitement! It was an honor to be of assistance in a special time like this one. He came up with the idea of incorporating a slide show with a poem he wrote specifically to ask Claudia to marry him. I did what he asked and waited 1 whole week to see him go down 1 knee. It was beautiful and I'm so grateful to be in the line of business making memories last an eternity. I know as their child gets older and will see this blog I would like for him to say "Hey, there's William... He looks exactly the same as when he took my school pictures"... lol

Enjoy the video made with tons of JOY And LOVE!  

Check out the Slide Show with Bonus proposal at the end.

Love for the Baby Bump.

This adorable couple is expecting their first baby. As a Pre-School teacher she's surrounded by adorable children all day long... and now she'll get to know what it's like "after hours" when baby Makayla is born :) 

 I can’t wait to see how gorgeous this baby is! Not only was it a beautiful day in LA but we had an awsome exploration adventure while searching for locations we could utilize around the Botanic Gardens in Palos Verdes. Watching this couple embrace that baby bump really made me think...... I think it's about time I give my 2 year old a brother or sister pretty soon! I'll keep you guys posted on what the wife thinks of the idea... 

Here are a bunch of my favorites, I just couldn’t narrow it down.

Enjoy