when i found out i was pregnant, 2 days before my 1 year wedding anniversary, i cried. not happy tears. i clung to marty, terrified, and tried not to think about anything at all.

the next day i went on a run. we lived on oahu , and let me just tell you that sweating in hawaii feels like secreting sticky glue from your pores.  i ran my normal route to the end of laie point,  cursing the hawaii sun because i was so freaking hot.  i was so uncomfortable i started to worry. not about myself, about something else. then suddenly a feeling rushed through my chest,  shocking me and relieving me all at once.

love.

fierce, crazy love. a desire to do anything and everything to protect my baby. and i know this sounds incredibly dramatic, but the fact is, it was dramatic. the change was so night and day, i could hardly believe it myself. the fear i felt finding out i was pregnant was replaced by love and curiosity. what would it possibly be like to become a mother? it became something i definitely wanted to find out.

when i look at this post–that is waayyyy too long because  i suck at editing sometimes—when i look back at the families i photographed in 2011, that is what i think about. how family changes everything even when you don’t want it to. its a miracle and a curse, and its the most beautiful power i’ve ever witnessed.  it will always be my favorite thing to photograph.

p.s. can you find the one photo that was actually shot in 2010?

SOME MODELS FOR THIS

WEEKEND’S WORKSHOP

CHANGE THEIR PLANS AND

NOW WE NEED TO FILL IN THE

GAPS! LOOKING FOR A FEW KIDS

AGE 4-9, AND ONE BABY AGE 6-12

MONTHS.  MODELS MUST BE

AVAILABLE THIS FRIDAY

FROM 3-5 AND ACCOMPANIED

BY AT LEAST ONE PARENT.

PLEASE SEND A RECENT PHOTO

TO photography.yan@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!

i’m telling you, this field of yellow flowers was the stuff dreams are made of. and so when i went back with another wonderful client the day following this shoot, only to find the  each and every yellow flower plowed and churned into dirt by a ginormous tractor, i was angry, sure, but i also thought “you were too good for this world yellow field.” hahahhahahaha.

and i know. you’re not just, “whoa, get a load of that field.” you’re also kinda thinking, “whoa get a load of adorable sebastian,” and of course, “get a load of sebastian’s drop dead gorgeous mama.” how could you not?  =) they are even nicer on the inside than they look on the outside. i feel so blessed to have such wonderful clients.

michele’s brother keeping the tradition alive of “putting (or tying)” pennies in his sister’s shoe.”

Michele and her Dad were so sweet.

Michele’s mom giving her some advice (aparently, it was funny advice)

Michele works as a Nanny to the following beautiful children…

group hug.

i love how happy they are.

and they lived happily ever after.