little jonah, one year old.

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IMG_6358*-3 Finally sharing this adorable family session I shot back in May! Little Jonah turned 1 year old, and toddlers are MY JAM. It's so obvious how much his parents love him. He is so fun and expressive! And he loved when planes flew over us :)

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Such a pretty place & family to shoot! 

I hope everyone is having a nice summer so far :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a session with me for you and/or your kids in Orange County, CA, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com

kat + rob, married.

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IMG_4531*-21 oh my goodness. what a busy past two months. it has been non-stop activity, but it breaks down into this: I've worked a lot (photography + art + nannying), and I went to Norway for two weeks! I have so much to share from all of that.

first up: my friend Kat's wedding! I had never photographed a wedding before; I'd just done one video. But Kat is so great and really loves my work, so she asked me to photograph her wedding to Rob, up in Northern California. I was so nervous but excited. It's so much pressure to know you're the only person in charge of capturing one of the biggest days in someone's life! I could not be happier with how the photos turned out. It felt really special to be the one with them the whole day, seeing all their little interactions and love, and putting this day that they'll never forget on film. I'll never forget how full my heart felt, being a part of something that means so much. (and how tired I was after it was all over!)

Here are my favorite photos from the day: 

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one of the bride's best friends with her boyfriend. I included this one because I love it, even though the rest are of the bride & groom.

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It was such a beautiful day. Perfect weather, such a pretty and inspiring venue, and a pure & true love. And Kat was the most entertaining bride I've ever seen on a dance floor; she's like an energizer bunny and I love it.

I'm always thinking about how this whole life of mine is so intense and emotional. But I'm learning so much about the work I'm capable of creating and the meaning of what I do, and that is by far the most rewarding thing about living a creative life.

me + kat + rob :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a session with me for you and/or your kids in Orange County, CA, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com

addy, all grown up.

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IMG_2262-81 I don't normally do senior sessions- I focus on littles. BUT I had to make an exception when one of my best friend Karissa's (whose wedding I did the video for in November) little sister Addison asked me to do hers! I've know Addison since she was 4, and she has grown up to be hilarious and bold and beautiful.

Funny story, actually... when I got my first digital camera when I was 16, Karissa & I were doing a "photoshoot" in her front yard, and I took a photo of Addy at age 9, sitting in front of flowers. I was cracking up when I remembered this and found the photo... oh man. I'm glad I've improved my skills in the 9 years since this photo!

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So I wanted to share my favorite favorites from her session! We shot for about 2 hours in a fun location, and I love how the photos came out- it was hard to choose favorites! It was fun & creatively different to photograph someone over 4 feet tall and able to take direction well haha. She had style & ideas, and that's always so fun to work with!

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I'm working on new paintings and prints, so hopefully I'll be able to share those next week :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a session with me for you and/or your kids in Orange County, CA, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com

hello, baby Oliver.

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I finally have some new work to share! (I was sick for over 3 weeks with what I'm calling the plague and my life was on hold. But I'm now better and back in the swing of things). Look at this cute little babe! Oliver was about 2.5 weeks old when I took these. Oh, man. Tiny newborns are incredible. Here are some of my favorites...

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I always hope that when you see my photos, you can feel the sense of awe and intense love I have for babies and kids and parenthood. I think it's the most beautiful thing.

Side note that I recently upgraded to the Canon 5D Mark ii and I'm in love with it :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a session with me for you and/or your kids in Orange County, CA, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com

this is #yeahfieldtrip.

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Three weeks ago I attended Photo Field Trip in Santa Barbara, CA for the 2nd year. It's a 5-day photography workshop /camp /gathering, and it's one of the most amazing things I've been a part of. Last year I learned so much that it actually launched the photography portion of my business. I knew nobody, and had to push my comfort zone so hard so that I could meet new people. This year I took more wonderful classes, was less overwhelmed and a lot more comfortable, and made new friendships a priority. As a result, I feel like I found a little creative haven where I actually fit. This is #yeahfieldtrip. Where you learn through play. Where you stay in cabins and tents and wake up early and go to bed late and learn from your favorite photographers. Where you laugh and love so hard it feels like your heart is going to explode. Where 400 photographers flood the beach at sunset and don't even get bothered by the crowd. Where you find your people, the people with creative heartbeats who understand yours. Where you talk about where you live and what you photograph, but then immediately start talking about life stuff and there are no walls up like when you're in the rest of the world. Where photographers are finally sometimes in front of the camera. Where you're encouraged to do what you love and do it the best you can. Where you are reminded of why you love to do what you do and feel inspired to keep doing it, no matter how hard it is. Where you feel like it's all worth it and that what you do is really important in the big picture of life.

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And now a couple of my favorite SmileBooth photos with friends...

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I'm so happy to be a part of this. I'm not really a joiner, so to finally find somewhere I genuinely love and fit is so welcome in my life. 

To the people who made Field Trip a home, thank you for welcoming me. Kindness is the most beautiful thing. And the power of a familiar face should never be underrated.

[some friends pictured who you should check out because they do beautiful work: yan palmer | anna naphtali | jenna kutcher | megan gielow | alicia white | posy quarterman | becky earl | simone anne ]

You can see my post from last time here.

I'm working on a watercolor piece to remember this year, because I loved making one last year. So you'll see that soon :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a low-rate portfolio-building session with me for you and/or your kids in OC, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com