Early Morning Sweetness

When Foram suggested 6:30a.m start time, I have to admit I was a little bit nervous. I thought that perhaps the beach would be too dark and shadowy but I trusted that all would work out and did it ever! The beach was empty, peaceful and full of pastel colors. Foram dressed her family in the perfect color scheme which complimented the backdrops so elegantly. We played at White Rock Beach on Maui’s South Side during this mini session and we all shared so many sweet stories and laughter.

Not only where we celebrating their daughters first time to Maui but Foram is expecting her next child with Abhi. I am so thrilled Foram shared that great news with me. Isn’t she just glowing?

Congratulations to you all and I hope to see you back here on Maui with your next little girl!

Why not come to Maui?

This great family session was sparked by the question “Why Not Come to Maui?” To be honest, this is my stepdad’s side of the family and seeing as my mom & he have a guest room, his daughter Sarah & her family hopped on a plane over to Maui for a visit. We all had such a great time and I offered them a family session at the stunning Kealia Coastal Boardwalk area. There were many laughs and so many highlights I was able to capture. I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I do!

A Whimsical Upcountry Garden Wedding

It’s always such a treat to photograph long time locals for their weddings on Maui. Venesha & Ian along with their friends & family brought the tender Aloha spirit with them that beautiful morning. We all gathered at the breathtaking Kula Botanical Gardens in Upcountry, Maui. The flowers were fragrant and abundant. The skies were sunny & clear and we all know the view upcountry is stunning.

Venesha & Ian met down at Ho’okipa while enjoying some ice cold refreshments after a long days work. The North Shore beaches can be the place for locals to gather to enjoy sunset and “talk story” about work weeks, kids and what is upcoming for the weekend. Venesha & Ian’s “Pau Hana” time turned into a beautiful love story. You can see it in their couples photos.

Throughout the day, the family & friends took care of the details and supported Venesha & Ian so much. Her friend made her Lei Po’o, bouquet & Maile Leis. Her other friend baked them cupcakes for all to enjoy in place of a cake. There was poke and refreshments for the guests to enjoy on the garden grounds. Truly inspiring to witness.

Enjoy the photos and get in touch with me if you are inspired to have a small garden wedding. I can connect you with Merry Maui Weddings. Ayesha coordinated the ceremony & was the officiant as well!

Congratulations to Venesha & Ian! I wish you the best journey ahead and can’t wait to run into you both real soon.

Dream Couple... Congratulations Luka & Rachel

When I met this couple in Seattle, I could feel their magic. They are both incredibly talented, Luka as a musician and Rachel as a dancer. They also make music together that takes me places. When they decided to move to Maui, I was so excited to cross paths with them again. Over Vietnamese food, they let me know they got married but never had photos done. I was more than excited to offer them a couple’s session on Maui! We went to a beautiful spot on the North Shore and the images speak for themselves. So much magic and beauty! Congratulations you two!!!

Family Forever

Gina & her family were so incredibly loving and sweet. We enjoyed the gorgeous backdrop off Kealia Boardwalk in South Maui. The expansive white sand beach and views of both Haleakala & West Maui mountains make for the most scenic backdrops.

Have a look at this beautiful session and contact me for your session!

Let Me Re-Introduce Myself

Aloha… I’m Desi. I’ve been busy working on other projects and I am ready to re-launch my photography business. I have been behind the camera this whole time creating and honing in on my craft. You will see many amazing posts to come showing my latest & greatest work. Please reach out if you are ready to book a session with me. I’m scheduling family sessions, elopements, maternity & other creative shoots! Look forward to seeing you.

Stretching the Limits ~ Website Content

I love helping people get the best images we can to launch their businesses to the world. Meet Nicole! She is ready to teach us how to stretch and move our bodies properly. Bending like her is probably not possible for most of us… but we can dream! There was so much magic happening during our photo shoot so have a look and enjoy!!!

A Wedding to Remember at Kula Botanical Gardens

Kula Botanical Gardens is tucked away against the slopes of Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii. It has a lot to offer as far as a diverse amount of foliage, old crooked trees and a few rustic gazebos for photography fun. I had the honor of capturing a lovely wedding for this cute tribe. Enjoy these moments and if you are interested in a wedding at the gardens, send me an email.

Beautiful Backyard Wedding in Haiku, Maui

Simple beauty, a quaint garden and the cutest couple ever …equals wedding photo success! Jeana & Matt really love each other and it showed up in every photo. They knew how to help each other smile & enjoy their wedding day to its fullest. They were surrounded by their closest friends & family and were celebrated so genuinely. Congratulations you two!!! Enjoy your new life journey together.

Classic South Side Family Session

I have a secret spot in North Kihei that always gives us the best lighting, background and overall fun when it comes to family sessions. Have a look and if you want to know more about having a photo session there, contact me!

This cute family from Northern California was ready to play and enjoy one another. Makes my job not really seem like a job at all. I really feel blessed to meet such amazing folks all the time and capture their love.

Kula Botanical Garden Elopement

There is something to be said about keeping it simple… just a bride, groom, minister and beautiful gardens surrounding the wedding. Jon & Amy decided to have an elopement upcountry and it was a tender, sweet wedding. We all slowed down together and enjoyed to cool breeze and colorful flowers of the grounds. Kula Botanical Gardens is a well established place with plenty to offer if you want a laid back yet beautiful afternoon. Congratulations Jon & Amy… I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I do….

Hello.... How's Everybody Now~a~days?

Hey there…. Just like everyone else, I’ve been laying low for about a year enjoying slower days and some much needed rest. I am happy to say that I am back on the wedding scene on Maui and picked up some help during my “quarantine” journey. Photography is definitely a passion of mine and when I get to photograph a wedding or a family session, it hardly feels like work. I feel happy and the highlight is connecting with new people and learning their stories. I have never had a steady second shooter and I’d like you all to meet Gabriel. He is the man in my life and what a talented man he is. He’s normally traveling the world singing songs with his band WOLFCHILD but with the Covid stuff going on, he’s been hanging out on Maui. I’ve been teaching him all the tricks I know with the camera and now he is joining me on my photo shoots. Here’s a sneak peek of us behind-the-scenes at our most recent wedding and the photos we got from the spots we were in. I hope to see all of your smiling faces out in the world real soon….

Stunning South Side Family Session

I find it so incredibly touching when I get the opportunity to capture the generations in a family session. This beautiful family has been in my Maui life for quite some time now. They all have such amazing gifts and the best smiles. Angela and I met at the Haleakala Waldorf preschool yard when our daughters decided to be best friends. I think she & I were very relieved that we liked each other as well. Her husbands parents are also here on island and have helped raise their daughter. Their bond is undeniable and they were such a joy to work with. The golden light came out in full force and we bathed in it until the sun went down.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to photograph this moment in time. Congratulations to Marc & Angela for their 10 year anniversary together and to Leila & Dieter for being together for about 60 years ( i believe). How inspiring!!! Much Aloha to You All!

Eat Love. Pray Love. EnJoy Love.

I love when I get the opportunity to witness sweet, genuine love between a couple. Joy & Jake have been in my life now for awhile and we reconnected to capture their essence. They both have done an immense amount of spiritual work and they are both magical to say the least. On our walk upcountry on Thompson Road, I kept seeing these little micro-moments between them where their love was ever so clear. Enjoy these precious moments in time Joy & Jake… and thank you for allowing me to witness it… such an honor.

Being a "Mineral Being"

Maui is full of amazing people offering amazing things. Nicole Kinsel certainly falls under this category as she is the co-owner and founder of Mineral Being. Mineral Being is an online crystal shop filled with the most beautiful and rarest crystals found on the planet. I have seen her collection many times and let me tell you, it’s incredible. On top of having a stunning crystal collection for sale, she offers crystal sound healings. I was blessed with receiving a session from her and it definitely facilitated positive change in my life. She worked her way up my body, activating chakras with particular crystals while using sound bowls vibrations on my body. I was very inspired by everything she offers and we created this photo shoot so the rest of the world can reach her! It was no surprise when the angel light showed up among the photos when i sat down to edit. My love for creating website content and her love for the crystals & healing shine through in each photo. I hope you enjoy these moments and contact her in Instagram @mineralbeing.

Ulupaulakua Family Session ~ Blissful

Since Covid has transitioned our photography reality on Maui, it has given me time to reflect and learn patience. Now that our focus has shifted to supporting our local community, I was so blessed to hear from a young family wanting to document their life at this time. It was even more special when I was able to meet them at one of the most picturesque spots that is rarely seen by most ~ Ulupaulakua Ranch. Kristin works with the local “paniolos” (cowboys) and so I was able to off road a bit up Haleakala and see parts of the Ranch that only the working cowboys see. We were blessed with beautiful morning light and a gentle breeze. The couple was celebrating their sweet baby, Gabi, who was all smiles and giggles. I am so grateful for the opportunity to give these memories as gifts to those I photograph. Contact me for your family session as these times will never be upon us again

Upcycled Clothing you will Love

Meet Ari! She is such a talented woman. Not only is she a mama, she has created her own successful clothing business. I love that she takes gently worn items and re-creates them into beautiful pieces of art. From rompers, to jackets, to dresses and stylish tops: you are sure to find something you love. I love the details in her work like her hand stitched and hand painted touches. We went on a forest walk to capture just a few of the many amazing garments she has for sale right now! Check her out on Facebook at Ariana Light and on Instagram @r3byari to have a look at what she has. It is such a great time to support locals and this mama deserves all the support we can give her. It was a pleasure working with you Ari and by the way, I love my howling wolf top!

A Quarantine Session with an Amazing Musician

So here we are in the middle of a time that most of us have never experienced before. A virus has spread worldwide and the entire world is in this agreement to stop the spread by being at home in quarantine. On Maui, the tourists have left and our economy has been effected dramatically. I am out of work as I rely heavily on the wedding industry to survive.

One of my passions & gifts is photography and it has been really hard to see my camera get dusty. I have spent time re-thinking my purpose and evaluating my priorities. I remember looking out my window a few days into this quarantine thinking that I would be incredibly grateful to pick up my camera once again sooner than later.

It was a very pleasant surprise to here that my dear friend Gabriel was back on island because of the current world situation. He is a very talented and gifted singer & songwriter for his band WOLFCHILD. We have discussed doing photos in the past and our schedules were always quite full so this never came to fruition in the past. I guess the slow down became a blessing because we landed a time to capture some photos. We followed safe protocol and stayed outside ( on my private property) in the sunshine all the while practicing the new hot phrase… “social distancing”.

I felt alive being able to photograph again and relish in what brings me joy. It was a memorable session because it was the first time I have been sung to during an entire photo shoot. Gabriel came up with impromptu songs inspired by our simple surroundings while we moved about. I have to say that I was very impressed with the way songs came to him so easily and the quality of each song was record worthy in my opinion.

So…. thank you Gabriel for opening yourself to my art and in exchange sharing yours. To all of my friends, family & colleagues check out WOLFCHILD on the web or directly on Instagram @wolfchildmusic. Maybe consider giving them a download to your playlist on Spotify or Apple Music. If you want to see one of their latest music videos.. click the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs0mQpo-vwM

Our support now may help them in the long run as musicians are also taking a huge hit with no way to tour & offer shows at the moment.

Health & Happiness to you all…. Enjoy the photos!

Holiday Time with Family

I love seeing families get together for the holidays including mine. It is even better when they schedule a portrait session to remember these cherished moments. Blair & I have known each other since before either of us had children. She is an amazing mama and it was so nice when she reached out for family photos. Her family from the East Coast came out to enjoy a Maui Christmas and we ventured out to Thompson Road together. Now Upcountry can have glorious mornings and moody afternoons if the clouds decide to settle in. I kept picturing the rolling green hills of Haleakala and warm sunshine in hopes that we would all get so lucky to have those conditions…. well …WE DID!!! The pictures say it all and as we had fun together, I was reminded just how lucky I am to get to the opportunity to call this my job.

Thank you Blair, Laine & Family for being the beautiful people you are and letting me in.

Family + Poli Poli + Puppy = Priceless Portraits

Tikky & her beautiful family met me on the slopes on Haleakala Maui in Poli Poli. It had been a rainy week and I was keeping my fingers crossed that the sunset time would be just right for us. They all hopped out of their car excited including their cute puppy, Amber. We cruised around the tip of the disc golf course by an amazing tree and then as the sun began to drop below the clouds, we raced toward the golden light. The orange moss on the Waddle trees along with everyones smiles & laughter filled my heart. The pictures say it all. This family has such a sweet essence about them and I was honored to capture their love.