My, my, how time flys. One of my best friends has two beautiful little girls, Elizabeth (4) and Victoria (1). Martina and I have been friends for about 15 years now, which is hard to believe, considering we met at Junior College and it really doesn’t seem like it’s been THAT long since then, haha. We met in Photography class actually and we hit it off the very first day. I didn’t know anyone in my class and I can be pretty shy when in an unfamiliar environment. I remember standing next to her, actually she was sitting up on the counter height area in the Photography Lab, eating a turkey sandwich on white bread (why and how I remember this, I have no clue! LOL!) while the instructor introduced himself and discussed what the class was all about. I’m pretty sure our conversation started with her offering to share some snacks with me, haha. We chatted that first day and every day moving forward our friendship grew closer and closer.
One of our favorite trends, which was started that first year in Photography class, is an annual trip to San Francisco during the holidays, specifically the first weekend in December. We were required to attend a field trip in SF that year for an Ansel Adams Exhibit and I hadn’t been to the city on my own with friends more than maybe a handful of times, so I was a little nervous not knowing my way around. Lucky for me, Martina was born and raised in SF, so it was much more familiar territory for her. We went together, after she told my dad not to worry, she knows her way around and “I carry pepper spray, just in case.” LOL! I think back to that…I mean really, I’m in college, it shouldn’t be an issue for me to go to SF by myself, but I was never comfortable with it and neither was my dad. We did it, had a blast that first trip (field trip) together and we made a day of it, shopping at Pier 39 afterwards. If I remember correctly, I think we took bart over, we rode the muni (my first time) and did a lot of walking…it was definitely an experience for me.
Martina and I had so much fun that day, taking pictures of each other and being silly, we decided to make an annual outting of it. We both love SF during Christmas, so we chose to make the first weekend in December our special trend =) But our time past the SF trips was always fun too…taking pics of each other in the studio at school, to familiarize ourselves with studio lighting, our frequent dinners at a favorite local restaurant (Sweet Tomatoes, which we jokingly call Sweet Potatoes), trips to the camera store to buy little bits of camera gear and Photo Paper for class, as we actually used a dark room in our Photography class and so many other memories we made together.
Being that we met in Photography class, it’s only fitting that as I became a Photographer, I would photograph all her major life events, right? So here we are today, wedding. check. pregnancy. check. baby girl #1. check. baby girl #2. check. Sweet Victoria turned one year old in November, so we’re a little delayed in her session, which living close to two hours away from each other can have an affect on that, but we always make it happen! I met Martina, Demetrius, Elizabeth and Victoria at a local park in Livermore, Sycamore Grove Park, for a belated “1 year session” for Victoria and to capture their first family portrait as a foursome =) I Love my friends and love that Elizabeth (4 year old) calls me Auntie Tiffy Poo (an old nick name Martina gave me). Can’t wait to hear little Victoria’s voice call me the same!
Enjoy looking at this beautiful family in a fun, candid manner, as I believe this truly captures their personalities =) 
Visit me at www.tiffanygreenphotography.com!
