Laurel

It is so wonderful to look into the eyes of a teenager and be super excited about how they will eventually impact the world. Not that Laurel isn't already impacting the world around her but as her world gets bigger so do her dreams and so does her impact. I have no doubt that she will use all of the gifts she has been given for great things and that people will be changed because of what she has set out to accomplish. So here she is, Miss Laurel on the cusp of adulthood.   

It was wonderful being able to shoot your senior portraits Laurel! You're beautiful!

Ahlia

 It is such a great honor to take Senior Portraits. The moment you are capturing is so unique, a phase in some one's life where they are going from being a child to being an adult, and Ahlia is doing tremendously in the transition. She is already making wise choices and is confident in who she is. We had lots of fun as we captured her well, beauty of course, but also her sweet spirit, her joy and her creativity.

Thank you for such a wonderful shoot Ahlia! You are an amazing girl and I can't wait to see what lies in store for you!

My Photography Bucket List

It seems like everyone now a days has a bucket list. I actually have 3! One is my true bucket list (things I wan't to do before I die), one is my "Things I want to do before I move out of LA" bucket list and the third is my "Things I want to do with my photography before I die" bucket list and for all I know before anyone has even read this post I may have a fourth. I just love them, they help me think through what I really want and give me dreams that I can make into reality. It makes me feel like I'm actually going somewhere and accomplishing something when I get to cross something off the list. If you don't have one I would highly encourage you to make one and start acting upon them! So here is my photography bucket list, oh and P.S. if you can help me with any of these and would like to do so feel free to let me know. You can always contact me at beautyheldcaptive@gmail.com or if you know me personally then you can just tell me. So here it is in no particular order:

1. Photograph 5 Major cities at night
2. Make cards with my photographs and use them when I write notes to my friends.
3. Document friends out on the field and the people they are with.
4. Photograph a field with fire flies
5. Photograph the aurora borealis
6. Participate/Lead an event for charity using my photography or by taking portraits
7. Make sure that every middle class and lower, high school student can afford amazing senior portraits if they truly want them (will take trades)
8. Have every one of my FB friends at one time or another use a picture I have taken as their profile pic
9. Do family portraits of my own family, all together.
10. Take atleast one picture that goes completely viral (because it's a great shot of course)

I can't wait to start crossing these off my list and adding new things as I dream of them! My 1st item on the list is 1\5 complete thanks to the photograph below of Paris.