Category: wildflowers

Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area with Courtney

I’m blogging again…I swear! Ok, so my photographer friend Courtney Carlmark and I have been location scouting a few times and this time we checked out the Yolo Bypass Wildlife area to see what it had to offer for a sunset shoot. I have driven by a million times (ok, maybe two million) and have always thought it was so pretty. My fam couldn’t join, but Courtney brought her 3 littles with us on the adventure. These are the cutest little beings, I just love them. I got to hold the baby (bonus*) and take some picks of Courtney being the amazing photographer that she is and she also took a few of me…

So….we got kicked out at sunset, but now we know they close the gate exactly at sunset. There were a lot of people there checking out the bats, which was super cool and I would like to  go back with my daughter to show her. The bats are under the Yolo bypass during the day and they all fly out at sunset to eat!

Here’s what I took from the excursion…note that Courtney is taking photos with a baby strapped to her and yes, her photos still turn out absolutely gorgeous. I will share those photos later! I would love to go back again to take some more family photos. The area is HUGE and it is a beautiful open space for photography!

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Fun was had by all! Get a hold of me if you would like to go on a little adventure with your family for photos…it’s so fun!

Until next time! Ciao!

Find my website HERE

by Jewel Photography

Glamping it up at Soul Food Farm

Elisa and Truman were heading into the valley from San Francisco. I was looking forward to meeting up with them at Soul Food Farm, just 40 minutes west of Sacramento. I was eager to check out this spot, with reservations available on hipcamp (aka: glamping), antiques, chickens, farm fresh eggs, an olive grove, and flower gardens galore. Just being surrounded by the golden hills covered in oak trees sounds like a good time to me, but now I know there is a lot more to this little farm than meets the eye. I will share more from Elisa and Truman’s photo session later, but for now I am going to give you guys a little glimpse of what it was like to explore the grounds of Soul Food Farm.

First off, I was greeted by the owner Alexis, and I wish I had watched this YouTube video of her Ted Talk before I went! This is a wonderful story about her dream to be a farmer. If you have ever farmed, or grew up on a farm, it is definitely something that lives in your soul. And now I know why it is so aptly named Soul Food Farm. Their story, The dirt beneath my feet, can be read about here.

I’m pretty sure these photos speak for themselves, but one of the first things I noticed was the truck “garden” bed. Have an old truck laying around? Put it to use! Now i’m thinking I need to turn every available spot into a garden. They have the prettiest lavender growing and an amazing field of flowers, which they sell for bouquets and flower arrangements. I will definitely need to remember to stop here when i’m in the neighborhood to get some farm fresh eggs.

 

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We had such a relaxing little adventure, I don’t think Elisa and Truman minded their picture being taken at all! Congrats to this beautiful couple and thanks for choosing me to take your photos and see Soul Food Farm!

xoxoxox~ Julie

Check out my website for more photos and testimonials!

by Jewel Photography

Where to find California wildflowers

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This spring has kept me busy! From engagements, to high school senior portraits…this beautiful weather and rain have made for some colorful photos. I love finding new spots around the American River, there are so many great paths to take. Here are a few shots of wildflowers I grabbed during recent escapades. So far I have managed to avoid ticks, mosquitos, and snakes. Knock on wood! I won’t be leaving my bug spray home quite yet. I am really thankful for my clients that trust me to take them out on little mini adventures. I can’t wait to blog about more photo shoots and weddings (past, present, and future!)…stay tuned!

This is a path at the Effie Yeaw nature center. What a great place, I highly recommend visiting this state park, especially with kiddos, there is so much wildlife to see!

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I wish I could identify some of these wildflowers! If only I wasn’t so busy being a photographer, I could go back to my botany roots and try to remember some of these flower names, or at least bring a California native book along with me!cropped-forest-northern-california-tahoe-wildflower_3.jpg

Sometimes I get to bring a little helper along too. Which is kinda nice 🙂 These photos are taken along the American River near Sacramento State University, where I just happened to graduate from. It was such a fun place for the family to run around and for us to get some great senior portraits. This senior happens to be Argia’s cousin. Alyssa is off to UCSB…exciting!

This photo was taken on the way up to Foresthill, CA. I was shooting an engagement session at the Forest House Lodge and had to stop several times because the drive was so beautiful and they had convenient little turn outs. (You can see those engagement photos here.) Anyway, at this elevation the lupine looks a bit different, so once again, I needed my CA native plant book with me! Silver tip bush lupine?  Maybe…

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If you have any fun spots you would like to take photos at, let me know! I love new locations (and hunting for wildflowers)!

Check out my BLOG and more of my work HERE

Or just contact me at jewelphotographysacramento@gmail.com!

xoxoxox~Julie

 

by Jewel Photography