We all know that life is short.
Maybe you see how your kids are changing by the minute, maybe you can sense the weeks flying by.
Maybe you realize it’s time to honor the thing that is most precious: Your life. Your family. Your gifts. Your LOVE. YOU. This is YOUR life!
When all is said and done, that is what it really comes down to.
I am here to help you stop time, and honor your life, your love.
It’s your time to shine!
I want to capture the beautiful that is unique to each person, couple, and family.
I am here to create custom photography that truly captures YOUR essence.
Bonus: I am super easy to work with & I have had a TON of experience, and I promise you will have fun.
There is nothing to lose, except more and more time gone by…
So what do you say? Let’s stop time together!
Hi! I’m Shell. I am so glad you stopped by!
I am a lifestyle portrait photographer in sunny Southern CA who has a PASSION for creating soulful, whimsical, intimate, and fun artworks of you and your loved ones!
I want to help you celebrate your life by capturing you, and those you love, in beautiful, soulful, dreamy and fun photography artworks! I want you to have gorgeous images to display in your home and share.
I am here to document the unique beauty that only you and your loved ones share, even if you can’t see it.
I want to help you see it.
I am here to capture and celebrate what makes YOU, authentically you.
Sound good? Yay! Read on…
“My family and I had the pleasure of having Shell take family photos for us…what I got in return far exceeded my expectations!! Shell has a gift for just spotting the simplest momemts and capturing them. My boys are very active, to say the least and Shell made it look like they were calm little gentlemen. We had such a great experience and I know we will have Shell photograph more family events for us in the future. I couldn’t be more pleased and I am so excited to have these photos to share with our friends and family for many years to come!!!!” ~Amy R, Ojai, CA
I believe that life’s biggest and most valued treasures are memories– and photographs are the best way to stop time and capture those memories in real tangible works of art – allowing us to cherish every stage and age of life! I am dedicated to helping you capture those memories in a beautiful and unique way that is completely and totally authentically YOU with my Wildflower Studio flair. Every session is customized to each client’s vision or personality, and is a ton of fun!
My photographic style is often described as whimsical, soulful, intimate, and fun with a mix between a conceptual and a creative photojournalistic feel. I like to capture, or catch people being naturally happy and really interacting, really connecting with eachother. Rather than pose people, I guide them or assist with creative ideas. Sessions typically flow naturally and are very organic, reflecting the true spirt of the family or client I am photographing. I am so grateful I get to do what I do– create beautiful, soulful works of art for you and your loved ones to cherish for generations. I am honored to capture your love in photographs!
“Shelly has an amazing eye. I’ve always loved her pictures and I finally got the chance to do a session with her. I absolutely LOVE my pictures. I highly recommend her. She also was amazing with my children!”~Karin Coye Silvestri, Hollywood stunt double & actress
More about me:
I am also a wife to the love of my life, and a mother of two sweet boys. I am happiest when outdoors doing outdoor things in nature’s beauty, especially with my family. I love travel and exploring new places, and learning new things. I treasure my friends and family, and have a perpetual need to create.
I have always felt that life needs to be lived to its fullest and there is no time to waste! Live it, celebrate it, love the ones you’re with, and surround yourself with things and people that bring you joy and love you for who you are.
My love of family and nature can be felt when viewing my work, so I have been told, & I am proud of that!
I truly put my heart and soul into every session, and my desire to celebrate the love and uniqueness with each couple and family is accomplished. Its what I feel called to do!
Other fun facts:
I have my college degree from UC Santa Barbara in cultural anthropology. (My parents, grandparents and other family members always said I would be an artist or a creative director when I grew up. The arts have always been a passion of mine, but once in college, I got really scared of having school “kill” my creative voice or spirit, so I avoided art as a major and went with something that celebrated art and cultures around the world- cultural anthropology.)
I have traveled to 20 countries and counting, and now love traveling the US as well.
I have always loved working with families and children, I have always been interested in the arts, and creating, as well as celebrating different cultures around the world.
A few previous jobs that have given me an edge with working with children of all ages and families have included:
- International au pair
- nanny
- Montessori teacher
- special needs aide for children with autism and ADHD
(I also used to work in the healing arts as massage therapist, and before that I worked with people Alzheimers and Schizophrenia as a activities coordinator/director).
Before my photography business, I used to design and sell my artwork as prints and greeting cards to stores. Once my photography business took over, a publishing company took a few designs to sell for me. My greeting cards can still be found in stores, especially in Ojai, CA.
Now I am a mother of 2 and a lifestyle & portrait photographer. I Feel I am exactly where I need to be. I LOVE it!
For my 40th birthday my family and I rented a VW bus (I always wanted one of my own) and camped the Mojave desert for a week. :) (Update: we now own one of our own. Her name is Francine).
I used to be a bit of a daredevil (not even close to that now!) And have had the experience of hopping freight trains to San Fransisco, skydiving in Hawaii, backpacking and camping through Costa Rica, Europe, parts of South America (including the Inca trail to Machu Picchu), and islands in Indonesia, (among other random things I pray my kids don’t try)…
Now I am much more tame, but I still try to keep up with my boys, so I try to surf, skateboard, and snowboard with them– I said I try! ;)
I believe in giving back. Every year I donate proceeds or sessions to different causes I believe in. I am interested in different ways to give back.
My family and I are native Californians who recently completed a 3 year adventure of living in New England. We love to travel, and we had so much fun exploring the east coast and Canada before ending with a cross country road trip back to California! We now reside in sunny San Diego County, California.
I am available to travel to capture your love in photographs worldwide.
Please watch my video (link located in menu bar or front page) to get a feel for how I work and see a session in action! Oh, and please reach out and say hi if you like something on my blog. I love reading comments on my posts!
I am so grateful I get to do what I do- create beautiful, soulful works of art for you and your loved ones to cherish for generations. I am honored to capture your love in photographs!
Please use the contact form to inquire about session openings. I can’t wait to meet you!
XOXO Shell
“Shell is definitely the most talented photographer that I’ve ever come across. She is so easy going and fun to work with. Somehow she captures the most amazing moments in such a unique and beautiful way. One year, when she was taking our family photos at the beach, my toddler threw a massive tantrum and unexpectedly dove out of our arms and into the water. I thought the shoot was ruined and that we would not be getting any good family photos out of this day. But Shell stayed calm and positive, and just went with it, and I don’t know how she did it, but she ended up giving us our favorite family photos of all time. She’s a miracle worker, I tell ya.” ~Ashley F, NYC (Read More Reviews Here)
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[…] About Shell […]
[…] It’s my birthday today and I am jumping out of my comfort zone. I feel like I need to show you guys the person behind these photos and business, but like the cobbler without shoes, I myself don’t have a lot of photos of myself. I will be completely honest- its mostly my fault because I prefer to be behind the lens, rather than in front of it. I am also great at making a lot of excuses for not getting photos of myself done: I don’t have time, I don’t know what to wear, my roots are too dark, I need to be in better shape, etc, etc- can you relate? I know- they stuff I tell my clients not to worry about- because time keeps ticking by and now is the time! Well, since it’s my birthday and I have been doing some soul searching the past few months- mostly about me hiding in my little comfort zone, scared to be in front of the camera, or posting about myself- (what is that about?), I finally just took out my darn phone and took a picture of myself- while I was AT THE STORE- messy hair, t-shirt & not the greatest colored lighting, (hence the B&W) and on my phone! And yes, I am sure the store guy near me was thinking I was nuts, but I just had to do it and stop making excuses. I know this may sound so silly and minor to some, but I think we all have something like this we just get sick of putting off. For me its photos of myself alone. So this is me at 44, 2019, my birthday. I still have freckles from my childhood, and now wrinkles from adulthood. Its been a wild ride of a life, many ups and a whole lotta downs, but its all made me stronger- you could say like a wildflower- I have chosen to continue to grow no matter what life has thrown at me or where I land. I continue to grow and push past my comfort zone in different ways. Thank you for being here on my journey with me! Cheers! 🙏✨🌺 Now I am going to hop on a plane to Hawaii! Woo Hoo! Now it’s your turn- what’s something you are afraid to do or something you put off? Comment below! If you want to learn more about my story and other stuff here is a link: http://www.wildflowerstudiophoto.com/blog/about-shell/ […]