photography
“Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words,”
– Plautus
What’s even better than helping women celebrate who they are through creating timeless images? Celebrating their life whenever a new birthday comes around. =)
Cheers to this month’s #MarchBirthdays!
Image | Heartbox Photography
Hair & makeup | Keziah Dauz
-Taylor Swift
Tara is a mother, an ambitious go-getter, a woman dedicated to continuously learning and meeting challenges head on. Her love for fitness, passion to help and serve others through her work is evident - I even had the opportunity to see her in action as she skillfully led the organization of a local fitness fair for the community here in the Bay Area.
As part of the continuing “Phenomenal Women” series that features women from all over the Bay Area, I am so proud to share with you all a glimpse into the life of this entrepreneur, mother, and resilient go-getter - the lovely Tara, owner of Infinite Health and Fitness.
Here’s to celebrating phenomenal women everywhere who hustle hard in their own life for the purpose of serving others.
Images | Heartbox Photography
Hair/makeup | Kalani Brown
There is a sweet and calm demeanor that I immediately liked when I first approached Monique for the possibility of doing a photo shoot with Heartbox Photography.
As most of you know by now, I am a firm believer in finding ways to connect with other women who run local businesses and organizations simply for the fact that women who support women is nothing short of impactful and great. The best part is that I get to know them even beyond the work they do and learn about them as wives, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers - as the unique and beautiful person they are.
Being allowed to share in their world and learn about what inspires them, their family history, even their dreams for the future is a privilege that makes the story of each woman I photograph so fun and beautifully unique.
Monique is the founder and proud owner of Innate Sense. She is a wife, a loving mother, a daughter, and a big sister. (I even got to meet her little sister during the Image Reveal appointment and absolutely loved the sweet, sisterly dynamic of their relationship as she helped her choose her images!) During our photo session, I learned more about Monique’s Portugese ancestry and how having a desire to help people be whole and healthy are one of the factors that inspired her work.
One of my favorite things about her photo session is her love for color, beautiful patterns, and accessories in the outfits she thoughtfully selected for her day - this probably explains why we definitely took a little longer wanting to capture the gorgeous look and feel of each outfit combined with the natural surroundings at a local park!
The sunlight was bright, the skies were clear, beautiful, and perfect for the afternoon and needless to say, I am so proud to be able to share with you all the final images and behind the scenes video from this lovely woman’s photo session with Heartbox Photography.
Here’s to celebrating the phenomenal women everywhere around us!
Many thanks to Kalani Brown for Monique’s hair/makeup styling!
Productivity...how do you find it?! I’m at my personal best when the rest of the world is at actually at lunch!
I am semi-functional in the morning, but somehow manage to get a surge of great ideas right around the end of my 1 o’clock lunch break.
So what does that make me, I often wonder. Not exactly an early bird. Not exactly a night own. But I guess whatever bird is it that thrives in the afternoons?
Here’s to the odd birds among us. :)
Happy Friday!
-author unknown
Eva is not only a wife and proud mother of 2, but she is a health advocate in the best ways. She is the owner of Eva’s Fitness here in the Bay Area and one of the things I think is especially awesome about her work is the obvious passion she has to especially help individuals who may be challenged in leading a fit lifestyle because of injuries. As I got the chance to learn more about her background, work, and family, it was clear to me that she is a woman using the education and experience she received to make a difference in people’s health and provide the best service for her clients. And perhaps that is why the quote that starts off this post is the one that I felt was most perfectly aligned with the work Eva dedicates her life to. In her own way, with the talents and abilities she uniquely possesses, Eva is helping to encourage people live the healthiest version of themselves and even more importantly, helping them see that it is indeed possible even through injuries or other ailments.
I always have been a firm believer that every woman has something to give, whether it’s in the daily grind of raising her children, to being that listening ear on the other end of a friend’s call, or being the head of a major corporation. And what every woman gives is not limited by her ethnicity, age, or size, but rather the unlimited grit and grace she possesses. Every woman is uniquely created, therefore has something unique to contribute to the table - that is what this series “Phenomenal Woman” celebrates.
It is my honor to share with you all these images and video that highlights Eva, one of the many phenomenal women out there I have been privileged to photograph.
Many thanks to Kalani Brown for the styling of Eva’s hair/makeup!
“The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.”
-Maya Angelou
I had the privilege of meeting Tara a few months ago when she invited me to be a part of a fitness fair she was organizing for her clients and the the community. She is an incredibly driven woman, passionate in what she does as a coach for others as well as a loving mom to both her son and fur kid - both of whom I also had the privilege of meeting at the time of her photo shoot!
I am so excited to share with you all a sneak peak into Tara’s photo shoot as part of the continued celebration of phenomenal women all over the Bay Area!
Many thanks to Kalani Brown of Kalani Style for Tara’s hair/makeup!
-Michelle Obama
Women have broken and continue to break barriers. And as I write this post, I find myself reflecting on what I sense is a beautiful revolution today of women everywhere who are are being reminded of the positive influence they can have for change in their own home, own communities, and society as a whole. I want to always be a part of any movement that empowers women - from the young girls to the women who have walked the path ahead of them.
I recently launched a series titled “A Celebration of Phenomenal Women: Fabulous and Over 40”. This series was meant to invite women in who were over 40 years of age, proud of their story, their life, and most of all, proud to be a woman of today.
Daniella is 41 - a wife, a mother, and health, fitness, and nutrition coach. As founder and owner of DFitLife, she is a businesswoman in the Bay Area who continues helping and serving people live the healthiest lifestyle they can.
I am incredibly proud to share with you all these images and video from the first photoshoot of many photoshoots that will aim to celebrate these phenomenal women in our community.
Many thanks to Kalani Brown of Kalani Style for Daniella’s hair and makeup!
“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her own imperfection. To me, that is the essence of true beauty.”
-Steve Maraboli
Thuy is the founder/owner of 923 Design here in the Bay Area. She is a designer, a creative, a boss lady, a hustling mother who took the leap into her dream and never turned back.
In short, she is awesome and I am so proud to share with you all some of my favorite images from her photoshoot with Heartbox Photography, with hair/makeup by Miranda Villanueva of Love and Artistry.
Here’s to the women bosses out there representing the Bay Area. :)
Happy Friday!
You know what’s incredible about a woman?
She has this unique ability to bring glamour anywhere she goes. And part of why I absolutely love this photo of Eva is that it just exudes an enchanting classiness - a fierce beauty all her own.
Image | Heartbox Photography
Hair & Makeup | Kalani Brown
The continued celebration of life doesn’t stop after each year you’re given - in fact, I would think that the celebrations get even better. There’s something to be said about a woman who recognizes that and exudes that belief in all that she does, whether it’s in her work or within her family.
Daniella is a beautiful wife, mother, and hustling business owner. As we chatted and spent time creating her images on a sunny afternoon in Palo Alto, I was inspired by her energy, drive, and confidence in not only the work that she does, but also simply as a woman who is proud to be where she is today. Here is just a small preview into Daniella’s photo shoot that I am honored to share with you all!
Happy Wednesday!
Many thanks to Kalani Brown of Kalani Style for Daniella’s hair/makeup!
I read that quote from Sophia Loren and was reminded what a great privilege it is that I get to be a small part of that message that reminds women of their inner and outer beauty.
Monique is a wife, mother, sister, daughter, and woman-business owner here in the Bay Area and I am so proud to share just a small glimpse with you all into her photo session with Heartbox Photography below.
Happy Friday!
Special thanks to Kalani Brown for hair/makeup styling!
Minh and An are this really awesome and fun couple I had the honor of photographing not too long ago. Even after only a few minutes with them, I could see immediately that they were two people who thoroughly enjoyed laughter, love, and each other. I am so very excited to share with you all some of their images as well as a video of their session and time with Heartbox Photography. :)
Minh and An, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to get to know you both and to document your love. May these images serve as a treasured reminder to continue celebrating your journey together for years to come.
And of course, many thanks to Kat Tinney for styling Minh’s beautiful look for this photo session!
First impressions of one another?
I thought “tall, dark and handsome. An says he thought I was really bubbly (not sure if that’s true, I’m convinced I have RBF…) and smart (I think he meant I was a wise-ass.)
Who is more organized? I would argue that I am! I organize my things religiously. Everything has its place.
Who is the messy one?
An would say that it’s me, but I think we both think of the other person as super messy because we like our space a certain way. Haha, woes of living together.
Who is more forgetful?
An - he can’t leave the house without asking me where his phone and keys are. I have to invite him to events via calendar because he forgets what I say a second later when it comes to planning social events. Men can’t plan but they sure can draft their fantasy football team with great finesse, lol!
Who is most likely to be late? We both like to show up to things on time, if not fashionably late by 5 or 10 minutes.
Who is the night owl? I am - I stay up until 1 AM while An tucks in at 10PM.
Who is the better dancer? An can totally twerk. Watch out, he’s climbing on your tables!
Who is more likely to get sick? I am. :(
Who laughs louder?
We both seem really reserved in new settings, but we end up being the loud and rambunctious couple when we’re in a warm and welcoming space.
Who is the better cook? No comment. We both can’t cook and like getting takeout, but I’ve been trying to be a good dutiful wife and finding recipes for the Dutch oven. An is really brave for even trying to eat my cooking.
Who is more affectionate? We both are very affectionate people if we get to have our own time alone to recharge. Even after 8 years, I think we will have a lot of chemistry (read: really bad habit of PDA.)
What you do you appreciate and love most about each other? I really appreciate that he takes care of the little details of day to day life for me, like washing my car or bringing me my favorite food, especially whenI have my head in the clouds. An appreciates that I provide him with support, even when days are dark.
What are you both most excited for with regards to your new future together? We’re both excited to strengthen our long term relationship into a marriage full of friendship and laughter for the years to come.
“Share your sparkle wherever you are.”
-Dodinsky
It’s official.
The class of 2019 is well under way to completing their final year of high school, a chapter of life that once seemed so far away and now is just around the corner.
This is Malia. She’s a beautiful young lady who is part of that soon to be graduating class of 2019. And if I could write a long ol’ post on what I wish and hope for her in this next season of life, it might be a list that looks just a little like this:
I hope you life a crazy and adventurous dream of life. Full of the ups and downs but even more than that, a sense of richness that can only come from LIVING.
I hope you get to not only see parts of the world that you’ve never seen before, but also remember that simply enjoying a moment in the sunshine right where you’re at is just as valuable, is just as worthy of your attention and awe. Especially when it’s shared with loved ones and friends that make the moment worth it.
I hope you grow in confidence as a woman and fully see the unique advantage and opportunity you have in this world to make changes, big and small, within your circle of influence and beyond it.
I hope you never stop being open to learn, to try, and to understand. In books, through people, through life experiences, both in the classroom and outside of it. It’s incredible and it’s available to you - take hold of that chance to learn, always.
I hope you don’t settle for just making a living but instead always grasp how much more fun it is to LIVING LIFE.
I hope you love and laugh hard. And that people can see that love and laugh in your eyes before you even say a word.
I hope you take great care of your skin, drink a ton of water, and sleep well. Trust me, coming from a woman about twice your age, you’ll wanna remember this. :)
…and the list goes on, but I’ll save that for the graduation ceremony, kiddo.
Below are just some of my favorite shots from Malia’s senior photoshoot as well as the a video of all her images. Be sure to check it out.
You are almost there, class of 2019. GO GET ‘EM!
Happy Thursday!
"She's a strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love."
-JM Storm
She is a lot of things.
And if I'm honest - really honest - ALL of us women are a lot of things. We are NOT just one way, one mood, one level of depth, one way of thinking, one way of seeing, one way of feeling, one idea or one thought.
No.
We are a myriad of something far more complex and far more special.
But one thing I can absolutely attest to is this: out of the many character traits of my mom one of them is that when she loves, she loves hard.
Maybe it's because she had to figure out a majority of her adolescence without the help of a mom. Maybe it's because she was an immigrant to this country in her mid-twenties. Maybe it's because she hustled the raising of kids along with a full-time job, a commute, and an exhaustion level that only another mother could truly understand.
And throughout this, all she knew to do to was to give it all she could to those she cared about and throw all her heart in along with it. And if that's not loving hard, especially in a world where shallow love is more common and popular, I don't know what is.
Proud to share with you all the very first portrait of my momma.
Special thanks to Miranda Villanueva of Love and Artistry for lending her incredible talents to the styling of my mom's hair and makeup for this shoot!
“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”
-Timothy Keller
What better way to start this weekend than with a sneak peak into this shoot with the beautiful couple, An and Minh.
This photograph is only a fraction of the laughter and love that radiates between these two and to say that I am honored to be able to capture a glimpse into their lives together would be an understatement.
As always, there is more to come that I am excited to share with you all so stay tuned! :)
Hair/makeup: Kat Tinney
“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent."
-Madeleine Albright
Outdoor summer sessions with gorgeous light and the warm smiles of client's like Natasha are the best ways to spend an afternoon "working" as a photographer. :)
Hanging out with Natasha was more like hanging out with a friend and as we took a stroll down the dirt path of a San Jose park, ducking in and out of the summer sunshine, my heart smiled to see images like the one below captured onto my camera.
This woman is simply a sweet and easygoing individual and I am so excited to capture a bit of who she is in this sneak peak below to share with you all.
Stay tuned for more to come!
And many thanks to Kat Tinney for her styling of Natasha's gorgeous hair and makeup for this shoot!
My dreams, turns out, are way too wimpy. Like, insert the *womp, womp, womp* sounds right here wimpy. Upon this realization, amazingly enough, I didn't cry. :)
It's a little more than halfway through 2018 and also that time when I like to look back and forward all at once. To assess goals, to dream up new ones, and even to stop and awaken the parts of my heart that grow sleepy and comfortable with complacency when things still seem to have a ways to go.
I'm reading this book right now called "All In" by Mark Batterson. In fact, I've already finished it and am actually going back and reading it a second time. Yes, it's that good and I highly recommend you stop reading this for one moment, go order it on Amazon, and then come back and continue reading my blog post. :)
The one thing that stands out about this book isn't that it gives some new and improved way to do things, to structure goals, to make dreams come true - nope. In fact, the main reason this book is phenomenal because it's actually kicking me in the @#$ in the best way possible and in fact, making me see that perhaps, JUST PERHAPS, my dreams are a bit too small. It's making me frustrated, but frustrated in a good way, frustrated in a way that makes me see that IF I say I know God, do my dreams reflect that? Am I playing offensive or defensive in my career goals, my marriage, hell, even in the my daily THINKING?!? And so far, after evaluating my lovely and structured plans for 2018, the answer is bit of an embarrassed "uh, oops. Dang, I live and dream WAAAAY too small!"
In a way this book has fanned the flame of a a fight that's been awakened in my sleepy heart, a frustration that is birthing much needed change. It's a little scary and a little exciting and a whole-lotta convicting to know that a huge chunk of me FORGOT big time that it's about charging forward to FOLLOW Jesus, not charging forward and dragging Him along to follow me. It's getting me to suddenly dream up new goals that seem impossible to achieve, but moving forward with them because in God's world "impossible/crazy" is actually the norm.
Today I am reminded that while the idea of "reaching for the sky" is awesome, a life given over in trust to the leadership of the Almighty makes reaching for the sky seem like child's play. His plans are far greater, far grander, and ridiculously more than I can ever imagine or dream of. And while the scared/excited/frustration/fight emotions are certainly still all present in me from this huge reminder, I am finding more confidence and wholeness in what He promises of my life than even what I can dream up of my life on my own.
P.S. Just so you know, I learned about the book "All In" from the amazing story teller and spoken word artist Hosanna Poetry - someone ya'll need to follow as well. :)
"As you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store-bought map and begin to draw your own."
- Michael Dell
This year seems to be filled with just a smidge more risk-taking, newer adventures, and a fresh-er (is that a word) perspective. In addition to launching the very first magazine for Heartbox Photography (whoo-hoo!), which I'll talk about more about in a later post, I am excited to now launch into senior photography and get a head start on the class of 2019!
All stages of a young woman's life, including her transition from high school into the adult world of college and endless possibilities are more than enough reason to celebrate - and what better way to do that than through capturing this moment in a story told through timeless images? :)
And oooooooh, can I just say I LOVE this? As part of Malia's shoot, she wanted to integrate something that was a nod to her Polynesian background and to her faith - hence the haku headdress and the beautiful tattoo of Romans 8:38. Mix that with a bit of afternoon lighting and I swear even the camera smiled at the result.
This is just a sneak peak but stay tuned for more to come!
Azalia is a lovely wife, mother, and grandmother. I had met her some time ago through a mutual acquaintance and I'm so excited to share with you all these final images from her photo shoot with Heartbox Photography. And yes, that shade of purple on her dress was beyond AMAZING and I loved how it just brought out her elegance so well!
Many thanks to Kalani Brown for her lovely styling of Azalia's hair and makeup for this photo shoot!
You know that saying that says "dance like no one is watching" - well, it's Monday and I'm thinking, shoot, why not dance like EVERYONE is watching?
More and more I find that at the heart of this God-given life it is possible to have joy. Because the God who created this life has joy in His heart when He created us.
So yeah, dance like everyone and their mama is watching. Maybe they'll join in. :)
Happy Monday!
