Dawn Tacker

Noah, age 16 months, loves dancing, climbing the stairs, racing up and down the hallway with his shopping cart, and in general running big circles around anyone over three feet tall. I can see how parents David and Tristine stay so fit! His enthusiasm for life is infectious, and was a welcome reminder of the […]

I had the pleasure earlier this week of photographing Matt as he embarks on his last year of high school. I’ll try not to embarrass him too much by gushing about him, but suffice it to say that I can only hope that my son grows up to be as independent and sure of himself. […]

I was so thrilled to hear that PJ, age two, and mom Tracey were back in town for a girls’ vacation after moving from Cardiff-by-the-Sea to the wilds of Indiana last Spring. Their last portraits with me were the evening that the fire storms started last Fall - a very memorable evening! I’m sad that […]

Sweet as a lamb but with a gorgeous lion-like mane - time to meet baby Leo! I had the pleasure of photographing his sister Berlin when she was one year old; now she is a big sister, and settling into her new role nicely. It has been fun for me to photograph Leo both on […]

OK, raise your hands if you know about Quail Botanical Gardens! Extra points if you have a family membership to one of the most magical places in the county. I love shooting here. There is a peace that surrounds you the minute you close your car door and you start wandering along the footpaths. Tobey […]

I feel so lucky to have met my second new baby girl this week - sweet Madeline. She is almost seven weeks old, and already is incredibly aware of her surroundings. She sounds like a baby kitten, and just feels good in your arms. Congratulations to new parents Julie and Rob; thank you for asking […]

Nico just turned one year old! This was my second session in a series of three with his family; you might recognize him as one of the Best of 2007 contest winners! What a difference six months makes. Here is Nico at six months:

And here he is today:

Heidi and Greg - thanks for a wonderful […]

Please join me in welcoming baby Isabelle and her family to the blog! This was a very special visit; not only did she come down from Los Angeles with her parents, but this was her very first trip to the beach. How cool is that?! It was such a pleasure to meet her and parents […]

What a beautiful, ripe belly! I am so excited that Kyle and Birsen are expecting another child. I photographed their family unit a year ago - time flies! Now that Berlin is about to become a big sister, we’ll have another family portrait session when their newest arrives.

Bookmark/Share This Post

Please join me in welcoming baby Chloe to the world. At just three weeks old, she has already become the center of love within her family. Big brothers Jack and Ben are pretty enamored with her, and parents Shawn and Nicole are charmed to add a girl to the team. It really is lovely to […]

The man behind the starfish portraits - Dr. Robert Biter. More on the plans for the portrait exhibit coming soon! We’ve been hoping to get Dr. B down to the beach for some portraits for a while; being a busy obstetrician has its obstacles! But it was worth the wait. I think we got some […]

Sad! Our starfish project is coming to an end. I loved meeting my two new families, baby Koa and parents Keith and Angela, and expectant parents Scott and Amy. The twins, Eden and Alex, I have had the pleasure of photographing since they were on the inside - I always love seeing them, each time […]

What a fun session this was! Meet brothers Aidan and Mason. They made it easy to create beautiful portraits. Many thanks to Amber and Dan for asking me to photograph your family.

Bookmark/Share This Post

A few more families from the Starfish sessions… I met so many wonderful people tonight! Many thanks to all of the families who participated tonight, it was my pleasure.
First up - newborn baby girl! Meet Augustella, three weeks old, who was a champ during her very first visit to the beach:

So many gorgeous moms here […]

A beautiful evening at the beach with a friendly, lovable dog - what more could a girl ask for? Thank you so much to Kyla and boon companion Baxter for a very fun session!

Bookmark/Share This Post

More from the starfish project! This was a very special session for me; this big, warm, Italian extended family is very tight-knit. Mario is the youngest of the four generations pictured here. Many thanks to great-grandmother Mary, grandmother Dorotea, and new mom Maria for the great session, and to the dads too! It was wonderful […]

Independent, on the go, fearless, and fun - three years old is such a great age. It’s probably one of the most challenging ages for me to photograph, and I’ve had it too easy lately so I was so glad that Sydney and her family could join me for a beach session tonight. This is […]

Double the pleasure! Please join me in welcoming babies Connor and Tanner to the world. Congratulations to Liz and Ken and big brother Warren - we love you guys and look forward to getting into all sorts of trouble with your newest boys.

Bookmark/Share This Post

Meet sweet Lyla - a true baby rockstar. Not many infants will tolerate a stiff ocean breeze at sunset, much less naked baby photos as the sun goes down! Lyla was amazing. This is the first of a special series… more details in a few weeks! In the meantime, look for the starfish. Many thanks […]

Julie and Eric are taking the plunge! We met at sunset yesterday to document their engagement. Beautiful weather, an almost-empty beach, and a sunset that will always evoke a San Diego evening for them. I could not have asked for more. Their wedding will be July 5th in Virginia. Please join me in raising a […]