When I was young, Memorial Day was spent with family and friends, usually by the beach enjoying the start of the summer season. To members of the armed forces and their families, past and present, it means something completely different. Wanting to serve my country and see the world, I left home at 23 to join the United States Air Force. Though I served for six years, the experience has left an indelible mark on me. To this day, every time I see a person in uniform, I see a brother/sister in arms, and feel an instant bond like nothing else I know. I also find myself searching their uniform for rank and prepare myself to salute or return a salute even though I haven’t worn a uniform in over 15 years!

So on a cloudy, slightly cool Memorial Day, I visited the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA. I didn’t arrive until late afternoon, I wanted to be there after the crowds had gone and just spend time thinking about those that I had served with, especially those that are still deployed in Iraq, and those at home supporting them. It is in your honor, Pete and Randy (both colonels in the USAF) and all the brave men and women who serve alongside you that I dedicate these images. God Bless and Godspeed. We are so proud of you.

The Riverside National Cemetery facing March Air Reserve Base.

This was the only cross I saw amongst thousands of flags. It belonged to a WWII vet. May he rest in peace.

The cemetery houses a beautiful memorial for Medal of Honor recipients. On one of the walls is written, “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”

The National POW/MIA Memorial is located near the entrance of the cemetery. It is both beautiful and disturbing at the same time. Coincidentally, this morning I received an email from a girlfriend in Michigan who remarked that her 84-year-old mother had told her yesterday that if she could hop on a plane and fly anywhere in the world, she would go to New Britain Island (north of New Guinea) to find her husband who was MIA from WWII. She has not forgotten.

This three duck salute is a special tribute to a man who loved his family, his country, and his ducks. We love you and we miss you.

Weddings are always special events, it is not possible to be around people in love and not feel a little romantic yourself! One of my favorite places to shoot a wedding is the Mission Inn, located in downtown Riverside, CA., where I was lucky enough to have been asked to join my friend April Smith to photograph Noelle and Jefferey’s wedding. They are not only beautiful on the outside, they were truly amazing people to be with, and I wish them both the very best. Here are some of my favorite images from the day, I hope you like them!

This is the lovely Noelle. She is laughing because behind her is her husband desperately attempting to bustle her train!

The details of this wedding were extraordinary. See if you agree.

Just in case you were wondering what our handsome groom looks like, here he is in the arms of his beloved (sigh).

This is the famous Amistad Room. It is gorgeous!

The grooms little sister couldn’t wait to show off her teeth!

I played in Photoshop a little to get this effect. I liked it!

Thank you April! You look mahvelous:)

Every once in a while, the stars in the heavens line up just right and amazing things come my way. That must have been what happened when I was selected as one of five finalists to attend Photography Biz Boot Camp. The camp is possible through the uber generous and immensely talented Liana Lehman. Liana is one of only a small handful of photographers that run a program to teach other photographers that being a success has more to do with how you manage your business than the quality of your images (though that’s important too!). The workshop I attended was held in Atlanta in Liana’s home studio. My classmates included a seventeen-year-old sensation Jamie Delanie, the lovely and very pregnant Beth Daane, the fun and funky and soon to be wed Karen Mikols, the fit and fabulous Michelle White, and lastly, the stunning and graceful Ellen Mc Raney. I was there too, of course, but I have no images of myself (but you already know what I look like anyway!) and as luck would have it, I have no images of our brilliant and gorgeous hostess Liana. These images were taken on the last day; up until then we were busy crunching numbers and sharing strategies for effective pricing. My two and a half day stay in Atlanta was intense, there was a ton to do, but I came home feeling exhilarated and anxious to revamp my business to take my business to the next level. One thing that we did was write our own obituaries. I know it sounds weird but I highly recommend doing it. It forced me to think about how I wanted to be remembered and crystalized in my mind all the things that were truly important to me in life. Of course everyone cried as they read their own but it was awesome just the same. We also committed to reading one book a month, the name of our book club is “We Don’t Do Chemistry,” in Jamie’s honor since she was hoping to get the group to read her chemistry book before her high school graduation next month!

Jamie, Beth, Karen, Michelle, and Ellen, my fellow Boot Camp Survivors:)

I borrowed this image from Karen. I’m the blurry one in the purple.

Most of my clients are women, mothers wanting to have their families photographed, knowing that if they don’t do it, nobody else will. It’s a mom thing for sure. Recently, I was asked by a Dad to photograph his kids–Erik’s wife Kris admired my work and he wanted her to have photos of their kids as a surprise gift for Mother’s Day. What a thoughtful gift! So one sunny afternoon, I kidnapped Paige and Grant and spend a delightful afternoon playing, having fun, and oh yes, taking some photos. When we were done, I dropped the kids off at the end of the street, their alibi was that they were at the library studying. Then came the fun part. I was leaving town for Atlanta so had to rush the order in order to make it on time; Erik met me at my studio early in the morning while his unsuspecting wife went to the gym. We viewed the images, chose which ones to use for a book, some prints, a slideshow, and something for her to display at work. When the products came in a week later, we repeated the scenario, wishing I could be a fly on the wall when she opened her unexpected gift. Yesterday evening, I received a phone call from Kris. She loved the photos, the slideshow made her cry; she then thanked me for capturing her children’s spirits, and wanted to invite us to have dinner with them next week……. I LOVE my job:) So for all you Dads out there who are wondering what gift to get your wife or perhaps your mother, give me a call. I guarantee you will be a hero for a long time to come!

Click here for SLIDESHOW

This morning I woke up at 5:30 am, couldn’t get back to sleep, got up, fed the dog, made a fresh pot of coffee, emptied the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, folded laundry, and straightened out the den. I looked at my watch; it was now 6:30a.m. I deliberated going for a quick 4-mile run but opted to write my mother a heartfelt message on a card, and while I was at it, wrote one to my sister Mary Lou as well. It wasn’t long before the tears ran down my face as I thought how lucky I was to have such amazing women as part of my life. My mother suffered a stroke last October. At the time, we all wondered if she would be around this year for Mother’s Day and thoughts of what life would be like without my mother preoccupied me day and night. It was a difficult time, to say the least. The day we brought my mother home from the rehab center is one that will stay with me for a long time to come. Even though she was unable to walk, her speech was intact and her prognosis was unsure; her blood pressure was higher than we wanted and we had to yet to see how much her body would allow her to recover. It didn’t matter; my heart was so full at the sight of my mother home again (she was at a rehab center for three long weeks) that I jumped up and down like a little kid saying “My mommy is home, my mommy is home!”

I am one of five children, three girls and two boys. I am the middle child, preceded by an older brother and sister, followed by the same. I cannot speak for my siblings but even now with two of my own children well on their way to becoming young adults, I still get an incredible sense of peace and tranquility knowing that my mother is around. I can remember being a teenager, having a bad dream and crawling into bed next to my mother. She didn’t have to say anything; all she had to do was move slightly aside, make just enough room to let me in, and within minutes, I found myself fast asleep. At 78, my mother still worries about me, tells me I take nice photos, wishes I could visit just a little bit longer (I see her every week, sometimes more), and tells me I’m young enough to find another husband! Mom! My mother taught me how to behave like a lady, how to cook, sew, take care of people, write letters, entertain, recycle, make do without, keep an clean and mostly orderly house, follow a religion, ….there are so many things that I do well because I had a mother who cared. Thank you mama. It is my utmost wish to give back to you everything that you have given me. Happy Mother’s Day!

Here are a couple of photos from today. The kids and I went to my brother Gilbert’s house for brunch. We were joined by our parents, and my youngest sister Mary Lou and her family. The food was great, the company was excellent. I even played a game of ping-pong against my 82-year old dad! Don’t let his age fool you, he is a shark when it comes to ping-pong.

My wonderful parents. They have been married for 51 years!

My beautiful sister Mary Lou, wonderful mommy herself.

Grandpa with Marcus (my brother’s son) and Aiden (Mary Lou’s son).

Me and my mom

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My crazy boy, Peter.

My nephew Nick, my lovely Sarah, my brother in law, Steve. He’s silly!

My sister-in-law Marcia and my nephew Marcus.

The kids doing what they do best…..

My God daughter Erin and Aiden. Aren’t they the cutest?!

Me playing ping-pong with a baby on my hip (and I’m barefoot to boot!) Isn’t that what motherhood is all about???

I am so behind…so much has been happening these last couple of weeks so I best get cracking on the latest and greatest:)

Been to Long Beach lately? I have and boy was I in for a surprise! I recently attended a reception at the Long Beach Museum of Latin America, an awesome event sponsored by Brides.com. The museum patio is a gorgeous venue and is definitely worth checking out as a possibility for a wedding/reception. It was spacious, the lighting was terrific, the garden is sleek and beautiful. The last time I was in Long Beach was when I got lost on the way to the airport last Chrismas, but that doesn’t really count because I stayed mostly on the freeway. I need a GPS to save me from myself, but I really don’t like to be told what to do…..help!

The last time I was technically in Long Beach was in 1985. You do the math! This most recent venture was for a bridal vendors event. I met lots of people, drank and ate more than I should have, but best of all, had time to tour the marina before the event started. In case you haven’t heard, I have an affinity for the ocean and will seek to be near it at any given opportunity. I am convinced I was a mermaid in another life (probably a sea urchin) but I really, really LOVE the smell of the salty air and the sound of crashing waves. And, much to my surprise, Long Beach is really quite nice. They have done a bit of work these last twenty years…I think I will go back and visit on a slow Sunday. So here are some pics, I hope you enjoy them.

These gams belong to the lovely Rowena Curtis.

These boats are waiting for someone to take them out for a ride….I will see what I can do to set them free! Either that or beg the owner for a sail around the marina. They are sooh beautiful!

The Long Beach Museum of Latin America. Very nice!

Me, Tammie, MaryAnn, Sandra, and Marissa . Just a couple of the gorgeous and talented women who also happen to be awesome photographers! I’m the short, regular looking one on the left…I really have to find some ugly friends!