Sara's Branded Lifestyle Session

One of the things I love most about my job as a photographer is meeting incredible women who are passionate about giving back and helping others.

Sara is a vegan – fitness - and body recomposition coach, CEO of Doyouevenveg, and she just launched her Flourish in 50 challenge.

Our photoshoot in La Jolla, California was so much fun while we chatted a little about her brand, and I loved her mindset so much that I was inspired to share a little bit about that here.

Let’s face it, we’ve all tried diets before that made us feel like we’re missing out on our favorite foods. Sara’s program takes the focus off dieting and limiting food - and places the focus on making sure you’re getting the right macronutrients your body needs to function optimally. Through customized nutrition coaching, easy to follow workouts, check-ins, and weekly mindset training videos – Sara’s mission is to help her clients create a positive relationship with food and exercise by helping them lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Her program is also incredibly affordable, and she provides so much value to her clients, which is something I absolutely love seeing! She also showed me some before and after photos of her clients and the results are incredible!

Check out Sara’s website here and her Instagram @Iamsaramilic- she’s always sharing great fitness and nutrition tips on her page.

A little side note, this photoshoot left me feeling incredibly inspired. I absolutely love connecting with coaches and small business owners. If you’re a San Diego/Southern California small business or coach and would like some lifestyle headshots or content for your website, please reach out to me and I would love to plan your brand photoshoot!

Wafeeqa's NYC Fashion Shoot

New York City is full of cool locations and hidden gems, and it’s always exciting stumbling across them while roaming around. Wafeeqa and I were doing an urban mini photoshoot, and instead of planning it all out, we decided we’d be spontaneous and go on a walk. Right as we started, we saw a (mostly empty) bus parked on the side of the road. Knowing that this bus was about to leave we ran to the bus and asked if we could use it for a couple photos. Thankfully the bus driver agreed, and we started shooting!

After that we walked to Columbus Circle and took some photos there as well. One of my favorite things about this location was the fact that it was both green and still urban. I usually shoot in nature so this was the perfect way to incorporate some nature into a city shoot. It was such a beautiful day, and I really love how the mall in the background creates a gorgeous backdrop

After this we walked around a bit more and decided to incorporate some of busy New York City into the background. The wind was blowing so perfectly and added such nice movement to the photos. Overall, I really feel like this mini shoot turned out amazing! We were both so happy with the outcome!

Diana's Studio Session

Diana was the winner of my annual photoshoot giveaway contest this year, and we finally had our shoot yesterday! Not only is this girl gorgeous, she's also incredibly smart. She's on a pre-med track in college majoring in biology, and also interning at a hospital. Diana and I have been wanting to shoot together for a while now and I'm so glad that our schedules aligned and we finally had the chance to do so! She told me about how she wanted an Audrey Hepburn styled shoot so we decided to do a vintage-fashion look in the studio. Despite it being pretty hot in Brooklyn (90 degrees) plus the studio lights, Diana powered through the shoot without breaking a sweat even while wearing that fur collar - what a trooper! 

Overall, it was a really fun shoot and I loved working with Diana. She and I spent a lot of time planning this shoot to make sure that it came out perfect, and I think that we both did a great job. Take a look for yourself!!

What Are Senior Portraits and Why Do We Need Them?

 If you've graduated high school, you've probably taken a senior yearbook photo. However, a senior photo session is much different from the average senior yearbook picture. Seniors are not required to wear their graduation gowns (unless they want to) or follow any strict wardrobe rules. In a senior photo session, seniors are given the opportunity to choose every outfit - which allows them to express their individuality. Senior portraits are about celebrating a life stage! Senior year is all about being on the cusp of something great - the future, and seniors will never see the world the way they do right now. Not only are these photos great memories, but the photoshoot is also a great experience to have! The senior becomes a model for the day, getting their hair and makeup done and expressing themselves in any way that they want! These are photos that are cherished for life! I offer a variety of products such as photo books, prints, canvases to hang on your walls, and of course digital copies to show off on social media! 

In many areas of the US, a senior portrait session is tradition. In NYC it isn't as popular but lets be real, it should be! Senior portraits are FUN, high-quality images!  How often do you get an opportunity to have a fashion shoot? How often do you get to make the shoot all about you?  How often does a photo shoot really show a snapshot of your life? High school seniors have one opportunity to show the world who they are in a really creative way. Remember, time is fleeting. Your high school years have likely flew by, and soon, this moment will be gone too. For many people, their high school senior portraits will be the last portrait they ever have taken!

Not only are senior portraits fun for the upcoming graduate, but these portraits are also for the parents. The child you have raised for 18 or so years is never going to be the same. They will soon move on to college or the workforce, and the recent memories you have now will become more and more distant. Senior portraits are a way to preserve this part of their life - to keep these memories alive for years to come. Don't miss out because you will regret it later!