For the past two years I have been fortunate enough to be involved in an amazing transformative project founded by Rhee Bevere and supported by the Soroptomists called Project Smile. We work with women and their families at two South Bay housing communities for victims of battery and abuse. Many of these families escaped their abusers in the dead of night with only the clothes on their backs. They have survived heinous abuse, and through these programs, are beginning the long struggle back to life. They are used to being told they are ugly, fat, useless, bad wives, horrible mothers, and when immersed in this kind of abusive environment it is usually very difficult not to believe what they are told, and very difficult to muster the strength to leave the situation and protect themselves and their families. One of the many things they leave behind with their self esteem is any family photos they may have. Some have no family pictures, but they have their lives and their families are safe. Portraits, while valuable and desired, aren’t high on the priority list, and neither is a day of pampering and beauty. That’s where we come in… The amazing makeup and styling of Maria Chang, Monina Wright, and their staff of makeup and hair people give these ladies a lovely makeover, pampering them, and coaxing out their inner and outer beauty. We create beautiful portraits of them to remind them that they are strong, beautiful women. This is a new beginning. They deserve to be safe, happy and loved. We take portraits of their children, and of the family together. We laugh with them, cry with them, and by the end of the day we leave a wonderful stronger group of women who are beginning to realize their power and their worth. All of the amazing photographers who are a part of this are a joy to work with as well… Jennifer Skog, Angela Banchi, Rhee, and our amazing event coordinator, the lovely and talented Nicole Lisanne (formerly D’Ambra), who pulled it all together for us (great to finally meet you, feel like I’ve known you forever!), along with the Soroptomist and S-Club volunteers – Thanks for a great day! Since I can’t post any of the images of our ladies to protect their identies and their location, I will post two of the portraits I grabbed of Rhee… Isn’t she gorgeous?!

Always when I get a new piece of equipment I always test it thoroughly before I trust it and put it to work for my clients… I just purchased the phenomenal new 5D Mark II for this years main camera, and I am completely thrilled with its performance in my tests, and am excited to use it this year!

Here’s Josh in one of my tests… patient child… lucky me!

The importance of family portraits is a topic I often discuss, and go on and on about… we don’t get these moments back, and we really need to celebrate our family’s love and document it with images! Today Josh, my mom, Karen, and I went to my good friend Tami Desellier’s studio and we did just that! Tami is an amazing photographer, and while I usually hate to be on the other side of the lens, she made it fun, and the images are fantastic!! I hardly have any images of Josh and me, though Ray does his best to make sure to grab a couple whenever we’re out with the camera… and the last time my mom and I had a portrait taken together was in the 80’s… (she looked great then and now, but I had some freaky hair extensions going on, and don’t look like myself at all…) Thanks so much to Tami and her staff! Here are a couple of my favorites! (All images in this post by Tami Desellier)