Alena shared the great news that she and Richard were expecting and she wanted me to help them preserve some memories. After a number of emails and messages, we decided to explore the local area close to where we lived.  Our session took us to Niles Canyon in Sunol which is just a few minutes drive from Fremont. Alena mentioned she loved the idea of abandoned railroads and majestic oak trees and I knew exactly where to take them. Needless to say, the afternoon turned out to be incredible. We didn’t really had a set “plan” on where to capture the photographs. If we saw a place we liked, we stopped the car and would take a few frames. Alena had the most incredible glow to her that day. We visited the old railway station in Old Sunol and they even got a chance to sit in a Lotus Exige Sport! Incredible right? We were heading back to the car when Richard wanted to have his photo taken standing next to the car. The next thing we knew, Alena and Richard were invited by the owner to sit in the car and use it for our photos. The night ended at a local laundromat. I’ve always wanted to capture a few photographs at this place specially since they’ll be doing their fair share of laundry soon. They had such energy and enthusiasm that they obliged my request.

I’ve always loved capturing the beauty of maternity sessions. It’s a very special time in the couple’s lives and capturing the images let’s them preserve that moment for a lifetime. I am so thrilled that I can be part of this experience. Good luck to the both of you. I can’t wait to meet the little one.

Can you guess what they’ll be having? Here’s a tip: check the laundromat photos. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this special time in your lives!

Check the full gallery here.

I love this next image. It’s something that people seldom see and more behind the scenes. To have Alena’s bump show even more, I asked Richard to crouch down low while pulling tight on her top from behind. The result of this effort is seen in the images below. I should really post more of these “behind the scenes” takes. They’re so much fun and relaxed :)

Check the full gallery here.

This past Saturday, my sisters and sister-in-law hosted a Little Lamb baby shower for M and me. When asked what the theme of our nursery was, M immediately answered: “No pink. Just sheep.” It was great to see everyone indulge her and pull together a very sophisticated, not-too-sweet-or-girly shower. Taupes, greens and soft pinks ruled the day, and the centerpiece—a three-layered diaper cake that my cousin created—kind of reminded me of our own simple wedding cake. My sister even made little lamb cupcakes made with marshmallows!

There was a lot of raucous laughter from the ladies present as they played several games, but the highlight of any shower is, of course, opening the presents. Oohs, aahs, and awwws were all you could hear as our Little One received one amazing present after another.

In the end it was the warmth and love we felt, made obvious by the notes written on the Wishing Tree. Our little Sofia will definitely know how anticipated she was right from the start.

Oh what a fun session today with Melissa! We drove to Sunol, a nearby scenic location, to capture some images for one of a few maternity sessions we had planned. At 25 weeks, she’s glowing as ever. I love the blue dress she wore this afternoon matched with her rain boots. At one point, I couldn’t help but ask her to show off her boots so I could capture a few frames. Her expression in those few frames were priceless. We are definitely loving this new experience we both share as we eagerly anticipate our little one’s arrival in April.

I remember one of Melissa’s friends saying “Make sure you choose the right photographer for the job. It makes a big difference! You’ll cherish the photos for a long time.”

I hope she chose the right one :)

More of the images here.

Stay tuned for the rest of the series.

On our anniversary, Miss M. posted this on her Facebook page.

“Two years ago today you made me luckiest girl by becoming my husband. Last year, you gave me the gift of keeping your promise to my Dad that he would get to walk me down the aisle. This year, you’ve given me something even more wonderful.

Happy 2-year anniversary!”

I’ve captured many images in my time but I think this is the best photograph I’ve ever done (to date). It’ll only be a few more months before our lives will change forever! We’re both excited at what the future promises.

Lisa and I have been friends for a long time now. I still remember the time when she told me about this guy she started dating and how special he was to her. A few years later, I found myself witnessing their intimate wedding ceremony with dear friends and family. Then life took its’ own course. Lisa and Scott were busy building their little nest at home as I did for myself. Fast forward 4 years and I receive a phone call from Lisa. She wanted some maternity photos of her with her second baby boy. She was 8 months pregnant at the time. I immediately told Lisa that I loved the idea especially since I haven’t seen her and Scott in all these years.

One of Lisa’s request was a shot in a field of mustard flowers. So off we went and found a tiny patch on the side of the road. “Will this do”, she asked. I simply told her not to worry. We’ll make it work. And we did. We had such a great time during our session and I just had to share some of my most favorite images from that wonderful Saturday afternoon. I hope you enjoy.

(By the time this article is posted, Lisa is mere days away from delivering her second baby.)

Congratulations to Lisa, Scott, and soon to be big brother Hunter!

It’s been a few years since my good friend Meera approached me and asked if I could take her maternity photos if and when she got pregnant. A few months later, we had a fun session with her and her husband, Gautam at their parents home in Fremont, CA. Well, it’s been close to 9 months since then and now her daughter Aya is all grown up.We have a session scheduled for Saturday, August 1st, in San Francisco. Will post photos as soon as they are ready. Stay tuned!

Here are some of the images from Meera’s maternity shoot.