Los Angeles and Simi Valley Family Portrait Photographer

It was love at first site: 1994, exploratory foreign language class, crispy chola hair, adidas shell tops - you get the picture. Michelle was sitting in front of me doodling in her notebook when I of course befriended her by playing with her hair. The rest is history, as they say, as she is one of my only friends who have accompanied me into adult life. Best friends are like extended family who know all your business including your favorite foods, first kisses, drinks and disasters, and of course the glory and sorrow of all life’s treasures. They are also embedded in many “firsts” including weddings and then inevitably, babies. In August of last year, Michelle and Dionne came to visit me in New York to spend the weekend eating, drinking, slumber partying and shopping our hearts out. Not so fast, though! Low and behold Michelle rushed me in bed the first morning (not for old time’s sake) to share the news that she was indeed preggos. Now, this was extraordinarily special since I was the first person she told which makes me a believer in divine intervention. Needless to say, the weekend of unlimited drinking was replaced by more eating! Living cross country made it hard for me to document Michelle’s pregnancy with my Jewish neuroses and precision, but I did have the chance to shoot her in the Simi Hills, adjacent to our childhood homes on none other than her 30th birthday in April. Sorry Michelle, I'm spilling the beans about your age!  Michelle and Bill were great sports, and even let me inscribe "B M," on her belly. And no, it stands for their intials and not a common bodily function!  Jorge would kill me if I didn’t give him a shout out for being my assistant, he was great with the reflector and looking for the keys that I thought were lost in the hills but were in my pocket the entire time! Here’s to the arrival of the newest addition of the Deruso family, Marcus AKA Lil’ Deruzzi. Shots from our recent three month baby shoot up soon!