Last week, in partnership with Anne Sage of The City Sage and Ingrid of Charmed, I announced a couples shoot giveaway. We’ve been hearing some awesome ideas on Anne’s blog and to tell you the truth, we are all getting pretty excited about this. Where better to funnel excitement than a photo shoot? I spent an afternoon with Ing and her beau Jake romping around the SOMA and Potrero Hill neighborhoods of San Francisco.

I think we giggled for an hour straight, and the pictures show it. Full of life and so in love, these two were a ball. Please enjoy these images of this gorgeous pair, and keep your ideas coming.

What a beautiful day in San Francisco. We literally sped up Potrero Hill chasing this beautiful light. Thanks to Ingrid and Jake for being such good sports! More to come.

This new year is already off to an excellent start. We are five days in and I have already spent some quality time at the gym, with a new book, with friends old and new, and hanging with the cutest puppy on earth.

Well, it’s about to get even better! You may have seen my dear friend Anne before, as we’ve worked together over polka dots, rain boots, and handbags. She is the mind behind blog The City Sage and Rue Magazine — which finally inspired me to decorate my place. You can see what a talent she is as a New York-meets-San Francisco-hipster-fashionista in front of the camera, but her real talent lies behind the camera — in art direction, visioning and styling.

Add to the mix my friend Ingrid, who owns a jewelry company called Charmed. She creates stunning, handmade pieces of jewelry out of her SOMA studio — I should mention they photograph beautifully. Ing and I bonded over our mutual 10th grade humor and love for all things classy and colorful.

So now to the good stuff!

The three of us are partnering on a giveaway to kick off the year. One person will receive a couples photo session shot by me, styled by Anne, including pieces from Ingrid’s line that will be yours to keep! This session will be a full production, including hair and makeup! So what do we mean by “couple”? It can be anyone — your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, best friend, dog — although I’m not sure on the styling and jewelry front for your pup but, hey, let’s not box ourselves in here.

Please head over to Anne’s Blog for the full details including instructions on how to enter.

One of the coolest things about working with families is watching kids grow up! I met little Freeman in his first week of life. He was not the most cooperative subject, but you can’t really blame a newborn. This time around, he was wide-eyed and very interested in the camera (future photographer on our hands!?). I had a great time hanging with Freeman, his mom, dad, and dog, Grace in San Carlos; it just so happened to be the day before Freeman’s 6 month birthday.

Please enjoy the set below, and of course — Happy Birthday, Freeman!

A couple of weekends ago, Rhett and I spent an afternoon hiking Castle Rock with our friends Nima and his beautiful wife Ziba. They are good friends of ours and Nima is a ridiculously talented photographer, who happens to be the man behind the lens of our Christmas card this year.

Enjoy these frames – a mix of digital and film (Ilford Delta on a Canon AL-1).

Soleio, the man who got us to ‘like’ everything, and Emmy Award winning screenwriter Kater are an exceptionally accomplished couple. To top it off, together they have created the most adorable child ever.

As I’ve written on this blog before, after years of film photography I bought my first DSLR in late February of this year. A few weeks later, my friends Soleio and Kater had their baby Silas and I asked if I could come by and take pictures of him. Graciously, they welcomed me to their home and I did what was really my first official digital photo session. Eight months later, Soleio and Kater asked me back and it sure is fun to see the growth, not just in little Silas but in my photography as well. Sometimes when I am feeling down on my work, I go to my favorite photographers’ blogs and navigate back a few years, to be inspired by the degree of improvement they’ve experienced. So in this case, it really is fun, albeit a little embarrassing, to take a look back on the work I was so proud of eight months ago and compare the two sessions. I hope this might encourage those of you considering picking up a camera to.. pick it up! It’s a process, and I’m excited to look back on today’s set in another eight months.

In the meantime, please feast your eyes on the gorgeous family captured below. Rhett and I are blessed to call them friends.

They say it is good luck when it rains on your wedding day. Sometimes I think “they” say that to make those of us who have rained out weddings days feel better! Nevertheless, Kirsten and Brett made the most of the drizzling, crisp fall day. They got married in a big, warm red barn in Chehalis, about 90 minutes south of Seattle. It was sweet, it was beautiful, and it was one hell of a good time!

You might remember Brett’s dress blues from their engagement session earlier this summer. They were back, and I can’t say I minded another dozen or so of Brett’s Coast Guard comrades in their sharp navy uniforms. But in all seriousness, thank you to Brett and all of those who serve our country. This wedding was over Veteran’s Day weekend, which made it particularly special to be surrounded by service men and women.

All of my warm congratulations to Kirsten and Brett!