faces of faith

over a year ago, i met greg and daizy when i went to india with several friends from my church. they were part of the family who hosted our visit. we experienced so much while staying with them. recently, we learned that greg has been battling cancer. they came to the states to spend time with their families and i had the opportunity and honor of doing a brief session for them.
it was a very rainy sunday with no sun, and greg had just finished sharing his story at church. i was aware that he was very tired and eager to get some rest. fortunately, there was an empty room in the next building with lovely backlight. we were able to get a few shots before he headed back to the house for some much needed rest. it was so encouraging to see the smiles on their faces despite what they were facing. i am in awe of their faith and their courage, and i thank them for sharing this precious time with me. we continue to pray for them, for strength and healing.

los angeles family session

last week, i had the privilege of doing a shoot for this adorable family. little joey rae and her big brother nathan are so adorable and fun to be around. and yeah, mom and dad are pretty cool too. ;o) here is a sneak peek at our session.

turning 95

this weekend, my grandpa turned 95. it was also his first birthday without my grandma by his side, his wife of over 70 years. every year since i can remember, we have had dinners where the entire family, all the children and grandchildren and his close friends, gather to celebrate. and now, these include his great grandchildren.

ive been wanting to photograph my grandpa for a while now, documenting his daily life and his surroundings in general. he is the man who encouraged me to pursue photography after my first trip abroad alone some years ago. thank you, grandpa, for your encouragement and enthusiasm. i love you.

these are some highlights from our dinner.


being an accomplished photographer in his heyday, my grandpa never hesitates to give instruction to any of us.





this one is from last year's celebration, in memory of my beloved grandma...

wishing you a LOVEly day!

happy valentine's day, everyone! hope your day is filled with love and great things!

speaking of love...pt. 2

here are more images from my favorite travel moments. each time i look at them, i am taken back to the exact moment they were captured, sometimes even remembering the scents that were in the air. my husband jokes that he worries that i depend so much on my images to remember moments that in my old age, i will forget all of the memories that he and i shared.

perhaps i should start taking more pictures of us. ;)




























btw, most of these are available in print. if you are interested, please email me at esperanzajenn@gmail.com)

speaking of love...

its almost valentines day and the air is buzzing with the the word "love." lately, ive been contemplating some of the things i love and one thing that is at the top of my list is travel...well, along with photography that is. for me, they really go hand in hand. and since im not able to just get up and hop on a plane these days, ive been diving into my travel archives a great deal.

i thought i would share some of these memories of the places that moved me, changed me, and most importantly, the incredible faces ive encountered on these journeys. the next few days, i will be revisiting some of the most amazing times of my life. thanks for allowing me to indulge in this stroll down memory lane with you. hope you love it as much as i have. :)

(btw, most of these are available in print. if you are interested, please email me at esperanzajenn@gmail.com)























check back tomorrow for part 2!