She's a warm ray of sunshine with the slightest glimmer of mischief dancing in her eyes. Beach blonde hair so thick it would be the envy of every valley girl (who'd willingly empty their wallets to have her locks). A contagous laugh was never far from her lips and with a dash of her playful humor it wasn't far from mine either. I already knew what a gem I had the good fortune of photographing. Rachel's carefree attitude but sharp attention to detail hadn't missed anything. The secret ingredient to this portrait session lies smartly planned in the details. I've been looking forward to showing off this little beauty so allow me the pleasure of introducing you to one very savvy young lady.
Read MoreA Uromastyx Named Vincent and the Girl Who Loves Him
I breathed a sigh of relief. The snake was opaque and couldn't be taken out of his tank. I had been losing sleep over the idea of photographing this particular situation and now it seemed like I was in a safe zone. WHEW! Instead, we moved to a tank labeled "Uromastyx". Crystal fearlessly picked up Vincent and packed him in a carry case with the help of one of the Zoo Keepers, Matt. As our crew exited the "zoo's kitchen" one of Crystal's fellow Junior Zoo Keeper pals was outside showing off a hissing cockroach to visitors with her bare hand. I stared in disbelief when she raised a hand to her lips to kiss the roach...
Read Moresun + sand
I took a moment to soak it all in. The lake reflected my most favorite color of jade. It was just the way my memory had recalled it from three years prior. I had been lucky enough to shoot here before and had now been invited back. Ah, I loved this lakeside retreat and a second afternoon photographing Hayley. She was even more relaxed then the previous day and as cool as a glass of chilled lemonade. I secretly hoped her mojo was rubbing off on me. The cherry red pop of her sling-backed wedge sandals complemented the soft green hues that reflected from the water. These small details are the ones that make me happiest and today was full of happy.
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