olive lou | newport beach in home portrait session

you know when you meet a baby that keeps getting better and better with age which is hard to believe because they started out so great already? this little munchkin can flash the most contagious full-face smile and all your worries go away. 6-7months is hands down my favorite age to photograph. smiley, snuggly and oh so squishy. and i can't even get started about the light in this bedroom or the way those stripes look on that ilford 400 film. it's been so fun to watch this mama come into her own. she sure is good at lovin' that baby.

zoe nathan for life + thyme

When I first moved to Los Angeles I had a list a mile long of creative folks to contact, introduce myself to and hope to collaborate with. A very small list of folks even responded and when they did, not much was returned. This kind soul, however, welcomed me with a warm cup of coffee and proceeded to share his vast knowledge of the city's best restaurants. Writer, photographer and founder of Life+Thyme Magazine, Antonio Diaz is so good at what he does.

Their most recent issue was released in December and all about family, tradition and food (my most favorite things). So I met Antonio at the home of baker Zoe Nathan to discuss how those things fleshed out in her own life. I entered the light-filled quiet space in disbelief that there were three children living there. Things were in order and the newest babe (just six weeks!) was dozing contentedly in a bassinet in the corner. Zoe and her husband Josh Loeb spoke graciously and attentively to each child while somehow managing to carry on a poignant conversation with Antonio about the restaurant industry and how they strive to serve and love on their employees all the while throwing together the most delicious cranberry orange cornmeal cake. (Cut to my memory of myself six weeks after I gave birth to Ruth and the house was a wreck and I couldn't tell you way day it was...) In short, the morning was a beautiful encouragement to me of a kind, generous, loving family who happened to have a successful business. You can read all about Zoe+Josh's mission, passion and success in the Winter Issue of Life+Thyme

Olive Lou | newborn in newport

This was my first time documenting a pregnancy all the way through and it was so neat to watch Ashley physically and emotionally prepare for this baby's arrival. (You can see the first, secondthird and fourth maternity sessions with mama Ashley Wilcox.) We shot all of the sessions in film and played with light, setting, pools; but nothing was as wonderful as finally documenting this sweet little one in the flesh. Olive Lou is hands down the smiliest human being I have ever met and already spreads so much joy to all who meet her. I know she's gonna do great things and love her people deeply. 

fujifilm + tri-x film processed by Richard Photo Lab