A little bit of Paradise If you don’t know this already, Paradise Cove is a great place to swim with Hawaii’s green sea turtles. There’s some seasonality with more turtle sightings in winter compared to summer. They’re also more common at high tide since it’s harder to access the cove at low tide. On most […]
Leaving Hawaii “We’re leaving Hawaii and want photos before we move.” Ugh, those words – I feel them in the pit of my stomach. It’s so hard to leave. Hawaii spoils you. The weather is flat out amazing. Okay, okay some people complain that they miss snow or fall leaves, but you can make a […]
Open Post
Each baby is deliciously unique, somehow fitting huge personalities into those tiny bodies. Baby Renley took his first tentative steps on the cool, shifting sand and decided to cling to mom for the next half hour. They were visiting Koolina all the way from New York so this beach scene was very new. As an […]
Open Post
If you’re a big Disney lover but you also love tropical vacations, Disney’s Aulani Resort is a no-brainer. The Payne family makes regular trips to get their Disney fix, but this time they had a special reason to celebrate. They’re having another baby! Before the return to sleepless nights and diaper mishaps, they planned a […]
Open Post
The Family Historian In every family there seems to be one person in charge of memories. They take on the exhausting role of historian and work feverishly to capture major milestones, big events, and family vacations. Whether you love it (me) or feel overwhelmed by the demand (also me), you often find that you don’t […]
Time in Paradise After four years of living in Hawaii, this soccer-loving, energetic family of six was returning to their native Australia. At 6-years-old, the youngest was taking an American accent back with her. Returning home is always bittersweet. As they return to their sun-drenched country, they leave behind, not only friends, but favorite landscapes […]
Open Post
Is a Week in Hawaii Enough? The seven day vacation is a tricky one. You head somewhere new and want to see and experience as much as possible. You might want to hike to a waterfall, try your hand at surfing, or visit a museum. And don’t forget all the good food to be devoured. […]
Open Post
Escaping the Rain in Koolina Rain fell hard on my early morning drive over the mountains. As I passed through the H-3 tunnel, buckets were unleashed from the skies and the car’s wipers struggled to keep up. I nervously tapped on the steering wheel and sipped my coffee. As much as I know that weather […]
Open Post
Rain beat down around us indenting the soft sand and making crabs scurry into their holes. We could have sought shelter, but we were transfixed by the sun slowly rising over the horizon, spreading a warm glow. The contrast was dramatic and spectacular. It was one of those mornings where you kick yourself for not […]
You had me at sun romper. Oh, if I could go back in time and find an adorable sun romper like this for my baby girl … The cuteness overwhelms me. And the sunrise. I’m always a little nervous to tell people my sessions usually start at sunrise. I’m not a morning person after all. […]
Open Post
On the shy side Booking a family photo session when you have shy children can be a bit nerve-wracking. Introduce a new person plus a new environment and you worry that they will cling to your leg the entire time. That was Caroleina’s biggest fear. At home her girls are playful, active and silly, but […]
Open Post
A bout of pneumonia was slowing me down. Nothing too miserable, but it felt as if the rest of the world was in fast motion. I slowly made my way up the coast to Laie Beach Park, one of my favorite photo locations on Oahu, to meet a family visiting all the way from Maryland. […]
Open Post
Get on the list