JUNE 2017
Another session with Kelley and Alden.
This glowing mom-to-be is due to give birth any day now, and she’s making pregnancy look like a piece of cake! Her bump has grown a lot since the last month (more preggo photos here).
After our last session, Kelley was inspired to get a “preggo dress” made by an Etsy seller and it arrived just in time for one more maternity session! Kelley and Alden are almost there!!
In my attempt to blog more (consistently) this year, I’ve only been maybe 25% successful. I have so many photos and ideas of things to post but not enough patience with my Internet connection and most of the times, I get so distracted with day to day life things and blah blah blah…
Well, these days, I always feel the need to go on vacation, to take a long break and get away from my day to day routines and experience something new. So it was good timing for my college friend Scott to visit.
I took a week off work to go ti’eti’e pasi and show Scott around American Samoa, then we headed off to Samoa for a long weekend getaway.
The perfect jumpstart to any day is brunch at Home Cafe – the cutest little hipster spot in town. There, we decided we wanted to go wherever the water was and drove off to Papase’ea Waterfall Sliding Rocks. I’d never been in the past because the waterfalls were dried up, but after the previous week of rain showers, we had no reason to not walk down the steep and uneven stairway down to a series of waterfall slides. I knew it was going to be fun, but I didn’t realize it was going to be really fun. We slipped and slid our afternoon away, and I almost wanted to spend the whole day there sitting in the pools!
PAPASE’EA SLIDING ROCKS
BRUNCH VIBES
AT HOME CAFE
After satisfying our hangry bellies at Sinalei Reef Resort, we headed back into town and chilled out at Le Manumea Hotel. We were thoroughly ready for a nap. But first, dinner plans at Giordano’s Pizza with a couple of kindred spirits whom we had met at Taufua Beach Fales.
We lounged in the pool the next morning, and Ian decided to check out the SPREP offices to network with the environmental folks. We then hastily made the decision to drive south again but this time to Savaia to visit a giant clam hatchery – which by the way, was incredible! So many colors and psychedelic patterns! The clams are part of a Marine Protected Area, which makes them legally protected (and so should not be touched), and swimming amongst them was the highlight of this trip for me.
To sum up our trip: we got exceptional food, exhilarating waterfall slides, beach fales, ocean trench visits, and giant clam swimalongs. The trip was meant to both show Scott our island life and celebrate me and Ian’s 3 year anniversary. It was something like a vacation.
JUNE, 2017
I walked up the steps to Moana O Sina, where we agreed to meet for the shoot, and I am immediately stunned by this tall tanned teen in towering heels! Her sister and cousin are attending to her hair with bobby pins and fastening her gold choker necklace. She’s laughing about something her cousin says, and she oozes cool confidence.
Suli is wearing a long majestic purple couture gown with a sexy leg slit and with gold lace adorning her chest and neck.
Her senior prom theme: Fire and Ice.
Location: Moana O Sina, American Samoa
Dress: Island Image Creations
Hair and Makeup: Cherry’s Salon
“I was truly overwhelmed by the amazing photos taken of me in my prom dress. It was my first time and I ws very nervous. I am not usually photogenic, but thanks to you, the shoot was loads of fun and I was very confident. I felt very comfortable and at ease and the results are absolutely breathtaking. I loved each and every photo! It was like seeing my own fairytale. You are such a talented photographer! Thank you so much Nerelle for capturing each photo in such an aesthetic way. The attention you gave my dress was mesmerizing! It wasn’t just a photo shoot, it was a memorable experience. Thank you for being so sweet and patient with me.“
– Suli Sataua