Mother -Daughter Photo Session {Cavallo Point}

Mother-Daughter photos are extra special to me because they always remind me of my own daughter and how much I love having our relationship documented. So, I was super excited when my friend and fellow photographer Pam and I decided to meet up and take photos of each other. We first met many years ago at one of Julie Paisley’s photography workshops and have stayed in touch ever since. Pam and I both have 1 daughter (similar ages) and share a love of Fixer Upper and all things Johanna Gaines. I believe he has visited Magnolia Market several times and I’m super jealous. You can tell from these photos that she has an incredibly strong bond with her daughter and I was honored to capture them together. I’m just getting around to blogging this session now during the rainy season so it’s nice to revisit this sunny day in June when we met at Cavallo Point in Sausalito. This spot has breathtaking views of San Francisco and the bay and I can’t wait to go back.

Aztec Dahlias Flower Fields {Petaluma}

This year I had one deep purple dahlia plant in my garden and it was so fun to watch it bloom and it’s become one of my favorite flowers. Dahlias come in so many colors and unique shapes and it’s too hard to pick a favorite. So, when I discovered Aztec Dahlias was located in Petaluma, I had to check out the fields for myself. They grow over 400 varieties of dahlias and sell cut flowers at the farm stand. The owner Kate, was so kind and gave me tour of the grounds. I got to photograph her amongst the dahlias and around the property. Not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but she is also so kind and passionate about her dahlias. It was an absolute pleasure to get to know her and I feel like I made a new friend. I also had a chance to meet her lovely flower stand manager, Danyell, who’s smile can put anyone in a good mood. They were both so welcoming and the whole visit was dreamy. I stayed until the sun set and even captured the harvest moon behind the dahlia fields. It was a dream to photograph such a beautiful location. If you have never been you need to put it on your list for next season. You can check out their website at www.aztecdahlias.com

A Flower Farm Tour in Petaluma {Sonoma County}

I have always loved flowers ever since high school and was jealous when my best friend got an after school job with a florist. Although she assured me most of her job consisted of cleaning out stinky buckets with freezing water, I still want eddo work in a flower shop. Can you believe I never did? But I did experiment with flowers, attended workshops, and learned to make floral crowns. I even did flowers for some weddings and it was a blast. But alas, I found photography and now I get to combine my two passions and photograph flowers as well as the creatives who grow them and arrange them. So first up on the flower photography tour is Many from Mandalion Designs. Mandy was a florist and created beautiful arrangements for brides for many years. Then, she had an opportunity to grow some flowers in a friends flower bed and after her first try she was hooked. Fast forward and Mandy now grows organic flowers for local businesses and florists on her lot located at Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma. You can see more of her blooms at www.mandaliondesigns.com I had been flowing her on Instagram for a while and since her growing garden is so close I knew I had to stop by for a visit during an evening harvest. It really was magical being out there during golden hour. I got to photograph Mandy and her crew doing their thing in the most gorgeous light. Since I was on the farm I even got to see some of the farm animals and my favorite were the goats!