Susan and Ken are a couple that has made such a big impact during my years doing photography, and that I always think of with so much fondness and gratitude. I feel so fortunate not just to have photographed their engagement and wedding, but also lucky to have been able to stay in touch with them afterwards, thanks to the wonders of facebook and instagram. It’s been two years since their beautiful wedding day, but we managed to follow along on each other’s adventures this way and I was beyond ecstatic to learn that they were expecting. And even more excited when they contacted me to do a maternity session! These two are seriously some of the kindest souls you will ever meet, and to be able to document another milestone in their lives is such an honor.

Susan and Ken – congratulations! Can’t wait for the arrival of your little one!

Clara initially contacted me for professional headshots, and I was so excited when I asked if she preferred something against a backdrop in the studio or an outdoor more organic setting, and she chose the latter. We headed to one of my favorite pretty nature spots and after getting some of the more standard shots, she happily let me get a bit more creative and I so love how these images came out. I remembered after this session the importance of “just because” portraits – it’s wonderful to celebrate milestone occasions with a portrait session, but there’s a beauty in capturing just the in-between pieces of this particular time in your life. Just simple beautiful portraits celebrating you.

Clara is such a beauty inside and out and we had so much fun a this session! If a “just because” session is something you’d be interested in, please feel free to reach out to me here!

If you know me at all (or follow along on my instagram) it’s no big secret that I love food. I’ve always had a real passion for it – I base my trip itineraries around what I want to eat in that city, I’m always keeping an eye out for new restaurants, I get a little too excited about large pizzas and Double-Doubles, and just generally enjoy the whole experience of trying new things and dining with good company. I’ve recently had the opportunity to do a few food related shoots and to combine my love for food with my love for photography has been such an exciting thing!

This is one such shoot – I had the opportunity to collaborate with The Little Black Coffee Cup and it was so much fun! I first met Ashley (who runs the beautiful blog) while shooting my client-turned-friend Jackie’s wedding {I’m sure you remember that dreamy day!} and have loved following along on her coffee adventures ever since. She has a lovely series called #ThingsThatGoWithCoffee, and we worked together to document this stone fruit + strawberry crumble, which is just perfect for summer! We enjoyed the crumble with a scoop of vanilla coconut milk ice cream and a cup of this coffee from Stone Temple Roasters and it was delicious (taste testing is definitely an added bonus of shooting food!)

You can find the recipe below. Head over to The Little Black Coffee Cup to see more, including a little interview Ashley kindly did of me. Happy baking!

This recipe serves 4 in individual soufflé dishes. To prepare your crumble in an 8 x 8 pan, simply double the recipe and cook it in the oven at the same temperature (350 degrees) for an extra 10 -15 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced peaches
1 cup sliced nectarines
1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup Quick Cooking Oats (gluten free if necessary)
1/2 cup Almond Meal Flour
1/4 cup sliced Almonds
3 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
pinch of salt

5 tbsp Maple Syrup
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Juice of 1/4 of a lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thinly slice peaches, nectarines and strawberries. Evenly distribute the sliced fruit between your small soufflé dishes.
3. Combine oats, almond meal, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and salt together in a medium bowl.
4. In a small bowl mix together maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the oat mixture, and stir with your hands until thoroughly incorporated. Squeeze lemon into the crumble and continue mixing until little clumps start to form.
6. Top your fruit with the crumble mixture (Note: for a prettier looking dish, be modest with the topping and leave some of the fruit exposed).
7. Place soufflé dishes onto a baking sheet or into a larger pan and bake them in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

This recipe was inspired by Oh She Glows & Minimalist Baker