jump photography

celebrating life through lifestyle & wedding photography in the san francisco bay area.

jump? whats that about?

a few years ago i was backpacking through europe and i visited an exhibit focused on the urban history of photography. i read about a latvian born photographer who was making a name for himself in the photo world during the 1940's. he was hired to photograph lots of big names, but quickly became frustrated, unable to find a way to get his subjects to relax and be themselves in front of his camera. at the end of one such shoot, he asked his subject to jump. he later described the result: "the mask falls. the real self becomes visible. one only has to snap it with the camera."

the idea of a fallen mask revealing "the real self." i swooned instantly. THAT, i thought to myself, is why i have loved photography all of these years. it's honest. it allows me to record things that are real. at that exhibit i was reminded that in the moments we let our "real selves" come to the surface, our personalities, light and beauty seep out in the process. it became clear that those natural & real moments are the ones that matter most, and that those are the ones i want to record.

so, that is how my "jump" got its name. it is my sincerest hope that i will be able to witness & preserve the moments, both big & small, in the lives of those around me, so they may have the opportunity to remember, relive and enjoy these priceless times over and over again in the years to come.

May 09 2012

chris, sandy & michael at home

i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again, i love photographing families at home. especially families with a new baby. there is just a peaceful beauty about it. and this shoot with chris, sandy & baby michael is no exception. i love these people, and i love these images, and am so glad to have been able to record these special times at home.

Posted in families, kids, maternity

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May 07 2012

meghan & penny

my dear, sweet, beautiful meghan and her adorable penny. meg is the talent behind macaskill photography, but is also one of my dearest friends. i’ve photographed her during each of her pregnancies, but we have also teamed up in creating sweet “mom & me” moments with each of her girls around the same age. meghan was stunning pregnant, she was glowing in the hospital, but i must say these photos are some of my favorites because they show so clearly that meghan is a playful, loving, radiant mother. i love the energy and happiness in these photos, and i hope that one day penny can look back at them as a reminder of how much her mom LOVES being her mother.

Posted in families, kids

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jackie - May 8, 2012 - 9:15 pm

isn’t that chair great? but, i can’t take credit for it. meg found it on craigslist and thought of using it for this shoot. i love how they turned out, too.

May 06 2012

the stovalls, at home.

bringing a new baby home is always an exciting event. but when you already have an adorable, energetic toddler, i’m sure it becomes a very careful balancing act. when denise & i emailed about doing an “at home” shoot with baby noelle, i told her it would be quick & relaxed, and that we could worry about doing a longer, full family session a little bit later. i told her that even if we just spent a few minutes, we needed to record some moments of life as a new family of four. she & arnold agreed, and this was our result. i think we accomplished our goal, don’t you?

Posted in families, kids

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May 02 2012

welcome, baby michael.

baby michael made his way into this world on march 13th, and things haven’t been the same since. i took maternity pictures of sandy here, and while i love those photos, these ones kind of melt my heart. i’ve heard babies are a lot more fun “out” than they are “in.” and even though sandy made pregnancy look oh-so-good, after meeting this little guy, i’m sure she’d agree. :) there is just something special about those first few hours in the hospital, and i’m so happy to have been able to record those moments for chris, sandy & baby michael. welcome to the world, little man. we are so glad you’re here.

i’m sorry, but in the picture below does it not look like he is giving a little wave? i love it.

one finger for dad, one finger for uncle george.

Posted in families, kids, maternity, personal

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May 01 2012

sheila, expecting.

love this couple. like love them like family, love them. they are some of my dearest friends i’m so glad to have been able to capture this little frame of time for them. baby luke is now a month old, and is as cute as can be. i’m sure you’ll be seeing more of him around these parts in the future. but in the meantime, here are some of his fun, always laughing parents.