This is the second session I have done with Sheyla and her son. I always have the most wonderful time with them. Chasing a four year old and his elusive focus on my lens is always a fun challenge for me! I hope to do many more shoots with these guys in the future. Hopefully we can get dad to come along next time ;-) 

Pearl is going to be a famous actor one day... mark my words! She has been telling her mom for years (and mind you she is only 11!!!) that this is what she is meant to do. I believe her, and if you met her in person you would too! It was fun to do a second set of head shots for her while I was on the Big Island last week. She is heading to LA soon, and I am sure we will be hearing about her! I also got the pleasure of shooting some portraits for her lovely sister. I always have the best time with this family! We shot all over Waimea town and ended up at an old warehouse which I fell in love with on this last trip.

I had so much fun with this young lady. She was so easy to work with and had the best attitude ever! Ifell in love with the rest of her family too, so the whole day was great! We shot some portraits of her for a sign in book for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah celebration.

Where do I start with my mom? She is a Hawaiian girl, born and raised. She is a badass. I really do bow down to her badassness (yes, mom I know that is not a real word). She gave birth to 5 10+ pound babies and lived to tell about it. She raised 3 step sons as well. She is strong and capable and the most accomplished multi tasker you'll ever meet. She can make an amazing dinner for 10 with about an hour's notice. She loves like nobody's business and takes nurturing to the level of art form. She is generous (sometimes to a fault). She makes everyone feel comfortable and loved. She is wicked smart and reads about a book every other day it seems like (Oh and she WILL correct the sh*t out of your grammar). The only thing she was ever super strict about was manners. She insisted that we needed to be just as comfortable at a 5 star restaurant as at a back country barbecue . She easily glides between these 2 worlds with grace and humility, and we learned by watching her. She taught us acceptance and compassion by living those things every moment of her life (still does). She taught us that worry is futile and is probably the calmest person I know in a crisis. She is an amazing artist and her creativity has been woven into ourlives. From hand painted lunch boxes to decorated love notes within them to elaborate hand made costumes. These days she paints and makes the most gorgeous hand-bound books you have ever seen. OK now,back to her badassness....I remember going to a feed store (did I mention she is an accomplished horsewoman??) with her when I was little, and watching all the dudes in the store watch her in awe as she slung a 50lb horse feed bag over her shoulder and walked out. Need a dress, she can sew you one. Need to fix some plumbing, shes your gal.Need to build some stuff? She can do it. Oh yeah, do you need anyone to run your cattle ranch for you? She can do it all from round ups to delivering calves for a distressed heifer in the rain. She has the patience of Job and has singlehandedly made more people than I can even count feel like they matter when no one else did. She SEES people, and makes sure they know that. She glows. She radiates love. She remembers EVERYones birthdays. I am so blessed to have this mother, and I am eternally grateful . She is in me every day. I can feel her gentle guidance in all that I do from helping raise my step-daughter to speaking to people I don't know, to doing about 50 million things in a day and doing it with ease. I mainly feel her in the way I love and express love. I catch her words coming out of my mouth and her lessons flowing through me out into the world almost everyday. She is a true example of teaching by living. She is a stellar human. I hope you all get to meet her. Those of you who know her, know exactly what I am talking about. Here she is in all of her 65 year old glory....I love you Mom!!!!!!!!