Brian and Diea. Better together.

My dear friend, Brian, married the love of his life this past Saturday in Florida. I had the honor of being invited as their guest and very specifically NOT their photographer. Of course, I would have enjoyed documenting their day but more than that I felt so special knowing that they wanted me to simply just be there........ especially for open bar cocktail hour. :o)

Two days before their wedding I went snorkling in the Atlantic ocean with Brian and his family. As we slightly treaded water letting the oceans current carry us north we spoke of Diea and how in just two days he will choose to be with her for the rest of his life. He told me that for the first year of their relationship he lived in California while Diea lived in Florida. They were first friends, spending every chance they could communicating with eachother via internet. They would purposely go out and rent the same movies and buy the same type of wine. In sync, they would watch movies together while sipping on wine, even though they had miles of land between them. A entire year of good morning emails, from Brian to Diea..... made them realize that they are better together.

On Saturday, my dear friend married a woman that he loves dearly and she loves him back. They have a deep friendship and honest love and to witness their celebration made me feel so honored. And just think...... the best has yet to come!

Hello gorgeous!

For: Brian... Yours, Diea.

The boys.



For: Brian .......love, David

For: ME .....because he's THAT cute. 

David took this one....and 'posed' me too!

Then I took his idea.....

love the laugh.
and LOVE the kiss more....
but LOVE the way Brian looks at Diea MOST!
Ring shot: Now they never have to have land between them again.... 
......umm, I don't even like wine.... yet I drank this entire glass. 

Brian and Diea, 

It was an honor to witness your celebration of love and a much needed vacation for me and David....... many many many thanks. 

Love, Sarah

I am my father's daughter and I wouldn't want it any other way.

This blog post is extremely personal and probably crosses the line of being professional in many ways. However, I truly believe that we all have our own version of life and I know that I am who I am because of my story. It has shaped me into the person I am today and for the most part I really like the person that I am: forgiving, embracing happiness and loving.... and because I bring so much of who I am into my photography, I wanted to share a small piece of my heart.

This image was taken while I was on a 36 mile backpacking trip through the south island of New Zealand. At one point (after climbing for about eight hours by myself) I turned around and looked back at the path I had just climbed. I remember thinking about how, at certain points it hurt so much.... but looking back it was totally worth every step. Then for a moment, I didn't know if I was thinking about the path....

....or my life.

One of my very first memories that I can ever remember is of my dad. I was four years old. He was sitting on our maroon colored couch, his back faced the 80's style crackled mirrored wall that went straight up to the ceiling in our living room. The three bulbed lamp dimly lit the room while the sound of The Beatles danced through the faux wood box speakers. My dad hunched over his 'seed slide' brought a joint up to his lips, sucked in chronic and exhaled, his mouth shaped like an 'O'.... puff, cough.... exhale, breathe. My brother and I stood before dad anticipating the perfectly formed circle of smoke that would float from his lips.... like magic. We would use our index finger and poke it through the middle of the circle that would quickly grow bigger and bigger until all the smoke had dissipated into hazy air. We would jump up and down, 'Do it again dad, again!'


My dad was a drug addict for almost thirty years. It consumed him and shaped our family during my (and my brothers) entire childhood. Growing up we shared laughter.....but mostly anger. We walked on eggshells never knowing if dad was high on the roller coaster or crashing down..... on us. Emotionally. One day, dad had a moment of clarity and made the choice to stop his addiction. He has told me many times, 'once an addict, always an addict.' So, everyday he makes a choice not to go back.


The moment he quit is when, I believe, my dad really started living.


He left himself vulnerable to his 'true friends'.... his family, himself. He had to be openly honest about EVERYTHING and the deep tracks he carved into his family. For many years I used to wish my childhood was something else....something without circles of smoke. I think about how symbolic that simple puff of smoke shaped my life and how my dad chose to break the circle. The patterned cycle of life. To me he is proof that people can change. They have to want it though. The amount of love and pride I have for him is something that cannot be measured.


We all have a story. I wouldn't change mine for anything. Today, I honor my dad and his choice to be drug free. This year marks an entire decade!

My favorite dad......my hero.

Forever changed.

Thank you for making a choice: every. single. day.

Love, your favorite daughter

Adrianna and Arycela. Twinship.

Twins. I have always been extremely fascinated with twins and multiple births. My grandpa was an identical twin and maybe that has something to do with it. I have thought about this a lot growing up and some things that keep playing in my mind about twins is their special bond. They start their life at the same exact time and at the same exact place yet they are very different. They carry an unexplained unity of twinship love that can only be felt.

The moment I met Arycela and Adrianna my heart was joyful. They didn't hold back smiles or personality traits... how perfectly amazing is that? I have been documenting them for over a year now and it's incredible how much their outer beings have changed and at the same time how their sweet bond has stayed very much the same. At the end of their first session with me they fell asleep holding hands.... a powerful moment I will never forget.

Sweet face of Adrianna.

This is joy!

LOVE this one.

Too cute!

Arycela got in her jeep and took off! It was one of the cutest things I have EVER witnessed!!

Love this.

Gorgeous smile.

With twins I believe it's: Double the blessing, twice the amounts of kisses!

Guillen family, I always look forward to seeing your girls! It was been an honor documenting your girls grow and laugh and play and love...... thank you for trusting me to document their twinship. One day, I look forward to wedding bells and more.... BUT that's a long time from now..... like we talked about, cherish each moment. Love, Sarah

Sweet Angelina.

Angelina arrived to her photo shoot with her purse (Mary Poppin's style) fully prepared to share everything in it with me. Inside her purse contained things that she was interested in doing. (Playful items that reminded me of being eight years old and feeling like I was all grown up. Because that's what carrying a purse can do for a girl, as we girls know.) Angelina was perfect in pink from her polka dotted dress to her matching sandals and freshly painted finger nails. She has proper manners, shy giggles and a sweet disposition. I am positive that if her purse would have contained a measuring tape it would have read: 'Angelina, Practically perfect in every way.'

Gorgeous, right?! Seriously WOW.


Precious.

Love it.
LOVE it.
Makes me giggle!
Now this.... is love.

Ann, Thank you for introducing your beautiful daughter to me. The amount of pride and love that you have..... has to be immeasurable. Hugs, Sarah

Geraldine and Kermit. The Proof.

Geraldine and Kermit are one of those couples who just happened to meet on a random day, totally unsuspecting that what they just encountered was love in its truest form. On their wedding day, I noticed that even when Geraldine and Kermit talked to separate people they would still be connected to each other some how. They would be touching shoulders or holding hands..... maybe without even knowing that they were still holding onto each other. What I loved most about their love is that the moment their eyes connected it was almost as if you could see their hearts light up like those plush glow worm toys (remember those back in 1984?) Comfortable and soft and proof that there is light in the dark. Everything at their wedding seemed to have a soft glow to it and just thinking about it literally brings tears to my eyes.
Beautiful.

Handsome.

At the salon.

I love this one my assistant, John, shot during pre-ceremony time.
Stunning!

This one was John's shot. WOW.
Seriously Geraldine....YOU ARE BEEEEEAUTIFUL!!!


Here comes the bride.


Pretty lady.
I dreamt about a couple of image ideas the night before their wedding. This was one of them:
and this was the other:


Smokin' hot. LOVE IT.

Gorgeous!

Geraldine and Kermit, The moments that unraveled on your wedding day were not something I could have ever predicted! I had a couple of 'wedding photographer firsts' occur at your wedding (...possible disc jockey services to come perhaps??) and I couldn't be more thankful. You are both a testament to true love and proof that finding happiness happens when you stop searching for it. I cannot thank you enough for welcoming me into your lives and trusting me to capture your proof. A complete honor (I know my assistant, John, felt the same.) Thank you for thanking me...... it means soverymuch. It's people like you that allow me to pursue the passion in my life and I don't think there are a million 'thank yous' that can ever express the way my heart feels right now....in fact, I think it might be glowing. Love, Sarah