The Walgrave Family

Let's talk about a rambunctious and fun-loving crew- The Walgrave's. Carson (5) and Savannah (3) surely keep mom and dad running on the regular, but are just as sweet as can be. The Walgrave's take family pictures every year with Bob, but this is the last time their photo will include just 4! Out on the North Shore, clouds threatened rain, but we pressed on and luckily, the storm passed over and we ended up with some terrific shots. Bob and I decided to divide and conquer to give the parents some personal time for a few romantic shots together. So I took the kids over the water and we played and spashed and laughed away, capturing some truly dear moments. By the end of the shoot, Carson even asked if we could come get snow-cones with them since they were so good. Unfortunately, that's not part of the job, but then again, it rarely feels like work when you're having such a blast. Thanks to the Walgrave family for a great shoot and we can't wait to see the family get bigger and even more beautiful with kid #3! =)

Rooz and Ami's Post-Wedding Glamour Shoot

When Rooz and Ameneh (Ami) pulled up for their shoot with Bob and I last week, we were excited that they were not only young, fun, and BEAUTIFUL, but artists, themselves! We knew we were about to get some serious creativity rolling on the North Shore! Though their shoot was only supposed to last for 2 hours, we had so many ideas and were having sooo much fun that 3 hours from the first click, we finally called it quits, though we surely could have kept going! These two were married in March but wanted some romantic, artsy shots on the beach in their wedding attire. Post-wedding, the bride was totally willing to try all sorts of crazy things, including wading thigh deep in the ocean and laying in the sand while donning her wedding gown. Trading off with poses and angles, Bob and I were able to get some amazing frames of this gorgeous Persian couple, he with studio lighting and I with natural lighting to give them a variety of styles. Here's a taste from an amazing day with an AMAZING and sweet couple. A big thank you to Rooz and Ami for letting me take part.

Logan's senior pictures

I met the Oglesby family while along on a shoot with Bob at the Malaekahana State Recreation Park, a gorgeous new location with a mix of lush, shady greenery and a quiet, hidden beach. The family of four was vacationing from Minnesota, so the high school senior, Logan, was super excited to squeeze in some tropical, warm weather photos to compare with his classmate's typical winter woodland themed senior pictures. He had quite the outgoing and and adventurous spirit, willing to swing from trees, weave among driftwood, and even climb the giant ocean rocks! I think it's safe to say Logan will have the most unique senior pictures in Minnesota.

The Keefer family

We now welcome the first little faces to grace this blog, the beautiful Hailey and Makayla, along with their gorgeous parents, Kathryn and Cory Keefer. I met Kathryn through singing in church and was so thrilled when she asked to have me take her family pictures on the beach! Cory is a US Marine, so it comes as no surprise that the Keefers will relocate to NC in the spring of 2012. They had only ever had family pictures done in studio and wanted to take advantage of the beautiful background of HI before leaving. Who could blame them?! I was also excited to capture a few shots of just Kathryn and Cory together after Kathryn informed me that they had hardly any pictures together, even from their wedding! Thankfully, she loved the photos and the love of their beautiful family shines through in each frame. Great friends, great location, great fun=great photos!

Amanda, Ethan, Lauren, and Kyle

Some of you might recognize Amanda in this shoot from a previous shoot I did along with Bob the Camera Man of her and her boyfriend, Daniel. Amanda loved her pictures and edits from me so much that she asked to schedule another appointment, this time with just me! I was flattered and so thankful to Bob for allowing me these great connections for clients! She brought her adorable son, Ethan, and gorgeous sister, Lauren along for the ride. Ethan's dad, Kyle even found his way into a few frames while playing with Ethan on the rocks, encouraging the most contagious giggle you can imagine from a 2 year old! It was incredibly windy the day of the shoot, especially right by the water, but the crew was willing to be a little adventurous with their posing, which I always love, and we ended up getting some great shots! Amanda especially liked the more faded, vintage effects I gave some of her last photos, so I tried to follow suit with these to give her exactly the look she wanted! Thanks to a fun group for a great afternoon!

Nick & Valerie

I now have the great pleasure of introducing you to the lovely Nick and Valerie Seraday! This couple is a true inspiration of strength and trust. They were introduced through a mutual friend and "dated"/fell in love through the course of emails and letters. Nick is a member of the United States Marine Corps stationed at Kaneohe Bay here in HI and between the island and deployments, did not even meet his future wife for months, though they both knew it was destined! When Valerie came to HI to finally meet Nick for the first time last summer, the connection was instant. They were married in December! Since Nick will sadly be deployed for their one year anniversary, they agreed to let me shoot a couples session to celebrate their 6 month mark of marriage. I feel so blessed to have met both Nick and Valerie within my first week of moving to Oahu and I'm happy to share their beautiful and loving smiles with you!

For more clips from the shoot, check out my website!

Daniel and Amanda

In my quest to become a better photographer, I was blessed to meet professional photographer and makeup artist Laura Aguon while on a hike one random day. In turn, she also introduced me to Bob Duren, another photographer with who she works closely. Both have willingly agreed to let me assist them on their many shoots in order to learn, grow, and gain experience!

My first shoot was assisting Bob on Saturday at the North Shore with a couples session. I started by handling reflectors and observing, but soon was able to pose and shoot my own frames, as well as shoot simultaneous angles using Bob's equipment. The session took place during what we call, "the golden hour" which is the time period right before sunset. It's said to be the ideal time for shooting, and I can tell why! The constantly shifting light and colors in the sky, mixed with more mild temperature and a less crowded beach combined to showcase a truly beautiful couple.

Daniel and Amanda are a sweet boyfriend/girlfriend duo who are clearly in love! A member of the US Navy, Daniel was scheduled to deploy for 6months on a submarine in just four days from their shoot and wanted to have something special for each of them to keep while their lines of communication were broken. A memorable beach photoshoot allowed them to have a memorable experience together and stunning pictures that will last forever! Here are some of my shots from the session, just a glimpse compared to the amazing array of Bob's work!  I hope this young couple finds comfort in the photos through the difficult times ahead of them.

My Handsome Hubby

Meet my husband, Matt O'Connell. Unlike most adult males, he was willing to go on a little adventure for a practice photoshoot with me and my new camera, the Nikon D800. I'm still deciding on a name for the thing, but trust me, it is quite the machine and I treat it like my baby so it does deserve a name other than "the camera." It's too special for that.


This shoot took place along the ridge of the Lanikai Pillboxes near where we live. It's a bit of a hike, so not exactly the ideal shoot for ladies and gents who wish to look fresh and clean. Since this was more of a rugged, outdoorsy shoot and "pretty" was far from our aim, we voted that the scenery was worth the sweat. Below are a few of my favorites, though I'm admittedly bias... I mean, look at those eyes. ;-) Check the website for the full shoot!