Beach family photos in Malibu with the sweet (and adventurous) Robertson family was so much fun!! For starters, they brought me a Chik-fil-A sandwich (score!) and then mama Caitlin proceeded to climb down about a thousand stairs to get onto the sand at El Matador. Once there, they splashed and played and tumbled and I'm pretty sure everyone got covered in sand and saltwater and it. was. perfect. It was also right in the middle of COVID, as the beaches were opening up and the chance to spend a sunset evening next to the water was so very good for the soul. 

Clean Republic is a brand new cleaning and disinfectant supply company that aims to make a splash in the consumer industry, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic season, when families are taking a new look at how and what they clean. In order to tell their story online via social media and web in a compelling way, it was absolutely essential to have a robust library of photo assets that showcase the product in use, as well as the vision, values, ethos, and aesthetic of the company. They shipped me a box of product with a few specific requests: show cleaning of high touch areas and items, groceries and supplies, the product application to home fitness and any where else around the house that you're inspired to snap photos. 

Here are the commercial photos that emerged for Clean Republic's product line: clean and simple photos, lightly stylized, uncluttered backgrounds, and authentic storytelling.

Even (and especially) in strange times, the life and growth of new babies reminds us that life goes on. These sweet sunset moments with the Tikson family are particularly special because the photoshoot occurred just days before they packed up the car and road-tripped across the country for an assignment with the US Navy... in the midst of a quarantine lock down. Strange times. But also beautiful times. And also sweet times.

Congratulations Ford and Hannah on your new chapter and your amazing new baby girl Ember!! 

Congratulations Blake on your graduation from Pepperdine!! Your accomplishment is about so much more than this moment. It's about the last four years (and the last decade) of hard work you have put in, developing your knowledge and experience to become the person you are today.

I'm all heart eyes over Sasha's senior photos, shot right here in the hills of Malibu, California, where she grew up, made friends, and learned to play soccer before moving across the country to play college soccer.

We started out with a few more classic, garden-style portraits in Sasha's backyard in Malibu, then we walked over to the hiking trails overlooking her house and the surrounding coastline, where we marveled at the beautiful golden hues of the setting sun. 

Alaina's Pepperdine senior portraits were a meaningful opportunity to commemorate her four years studying, living, growing, and playing in this beautiful beachside town. Though the coronavirus pandemic cut her time on campus short, she (wisely) made sure to schedule some portraits in Malibu before the beaches and trails closed. The simple backdrop of a canyon trail in springtime allows Alaina's natural and youthful beauty to glow. 

Congratulations Alaina, to you and your 2020 classmates on all you have worked for an accomplished!! 

Here we've got a beautiful set of event coverage photos, showcasing one of the many awesome events Pepperdine University held to encourage students, staff and the broader community to build community around a common goal: fundraising. For Pepperdine's annual Give2Pepp day, a week full of festivities rolls out, bringing the community together and encouraging individuals to make their gifts—large and small—count for a bigger purpose.

One of these events was free In-N-Out for all takers. Students and staff lined up to have fun giving to the university and scarf down double-doubles in return.

You can support Pepperdine University's Give2Pepp campaign year round by donating via Venmo to @give2pepp 

Okay, I know it's not cool to brag, but this maternity photoshoot with the Thomases represents a first for me:
This couple
flew
across the country
from New Jersey
for this photoshoot
with me. 

I still can't believe it. They wanted to do a photo shoot, they looked around (on Instagram, I might add, where there are countless other worthy and talented photographers), they saw my work and liked it and decided they wanted to invest in the cross-country travel (from New Jersey) to have a photo session at El Matador with me. To say I felt both honored and unworthy at the same time would be a contradictory but totally accurate statement.
After I learned they traveled for the express purpose of this shoot, I was determined to make it knock their socks off. And it did.

​We shot at the world-famous, always photo-worthy, and always crowded El Matador State Beach. So why, you ask, are there no human beings in sight in the Thomas' photos? Because we shot at sunrise (didn't I say this couple is cool?!) We also shot this session right in the midst of the scare before the coronavirus shutdown, so I'm so glad this maternity session was scheduled for the day it was and not a week later..... then this gorgeousness might not have happened. 

They came. They saw. They picked out pants and then immediately ran into the ocean while wearing them. This crew of awesome active ladies (and one exuberant boy) went for a beach run and impromptu yoga sesh to test out lululemon athletica's latest innovation in stretchy, sweat-wicking fabric technology. (Spoiler alert: the pants passed, and I couldn't stop myself from picking out a pair too.)

Bev and Korey's Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center wedding was so delightful and easygoing, full of sweet touches from family and friends and their shared church community. This was my first time shooting a wedding at this awesome venue, and I hope to return many more times! This location is set up for photography, with lots of beautiful textures, landscaping, and a gorgeous valley view. Korey and Bev opted to share a first look and exchange personal vows before their ceremony, on a grassy hillside near the event center and it was the perfect way to calm the pre-ceremony jitters as well as nab some knockout couple photos beneath a moody, almost-rainy sky. 

Venue: Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center
Photographer: Cecily Breeding (that's me!)
Officiants: Gary and Tammy Selby (personal friends of the bride and groom) 
Wedding coordinator: Rebecca Elkins (family friend) 
Flowers: Claire Reynolds (friend of the bride and groom) 
Bev's dress: Terry Costa, Dallas, TX
DJ/MC: friend of the bride 
Food/Beverage/Catering: local favorite Wood Ranch BBQ
Dessert: Blue Bell ice cream