Phuong Family

Being a small business owner while working a full-time job is no easy feat. When wedding season hits, I am running around with to-do lists for each night until the wedding day. I always reflect back on the people that took a chance on me when I first started out, thank you for sharing your precious moments with me.

The Phuong family will always have a soft spot in my heart. I shot their son’s 3-month session and family portrait back in 2013! Chad and Lily run a local catering business and an online Cambodian sauce boutique while Chad works full-time! Despite being busy with business endeavors, this family continues to give back to the community in every way possible. They often volunteer their time or services at local Cambodian fundraisers in the Long Beach area. They are simply amazing people!

It was truly an honor to see how much this family has grown since 2013 and I am excited to see the new addition in March 2020.

Elizabeth and Reed

Let’s talk about uncharted territories for a bit. For a long time, I was a West Coast gal that never traveled east of the Colorado River. When my younger cousin approached me about photographing her wedding in South Boston, I was admittedly nervous. Beyond photographing a wedding by myself (I will rarely do this now), I was doing this in front of my mom and elder relatives. It was one of the rare instances where my family would witness what I do for a living. I had to redeem myself from all past photography woes, especially to my biggest critic, myself.

Elizabeth and Reed’s wedding was simply perfect. If there were such a thing as a lighting God, He was working his powers on their wedding day. I was able to shake my nerves and do my thing.

I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity to go to the East Coast and redeem myself. Now my mom will allow me to take her portraits. That’s saying a lot.

Lee And Jeremy

The internet has introduced so many wonderful people in my life. Lee and I met over a decade ago in a prospective UC Irvine Student Facebook group. One thing led to another and suddenly we were college roommates.

Fast forward, Lee meets the man of her dreams while living in Washington, D.C. Yes, folks I can attest that Lee had predicated the exact description for her ‘now-future-husband.’

It was truly an honor when Lee asked for me to photograph her ‘Save the Date’ photos. She had witnessed my photography grow from its infancy to where it is today. For a bonus, I was newly pregnant with my first child during their session at Joshua Tree.

As a California native, I have to admit that I have never been to Joshua Tree until their session. Now, I am smitten by the allure of the beautiful Joshua Trees and giant rocks. I am itching for an opportunity to go back.

Welcome

I am a portrait and wedding photographer based out of Southern California. What I enjoy the most is turning ordinary stories into worthwhile photographs. Everyone has a story and it’s always worth sharing – the past, present and future.
Cheers!

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Sodavee photography
Los angeles & orange county