instantly moved to tears

this is one of the most touching videos i've seen in a LONG time. a 95 year old man writes as song for his wife of 75 years who has just recently passed on...give it a watch, it'll break your heart.

A Letter From Fred from Green Shoe Studio on Vimeo.

dance dance

i may be dated, "the look" by metronomy did come out in 2011. i revisited it recently and fell hard in love. it is SUCH a good summer jam:



and i love this song and this video called "breakers" by the local natives:



i hope you all have a great weekend. xo

quote love

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.” ― Mary Jean Irion

sisters ravari : a portrait session

last weekend i had the honor of shooting a bridal tea party and a portrait session with the stunning and sweet ravari sisters. the sister, nasim organized an amazing party with no details to spare - it looked amazing, complete with a live harpist. the bride, sahar was gracious and loving. i was touched to be a part of such a wonderful gesture of love from one sister to the other, by nasim hosting such a wonderful, beautiful party for her sister who is getting married to david in italy in a couple of months. enjoy the photos, i know i had a BLAST taking these precious photos!

congratulations to sahar + david, may your years be filled with laughter and love!

see my website for more of my portfolio. xo

hippie chic :: a polaroid portrait series of 2 women in flowers

you may have noticed that lately i've been obsessed with shooting faces in flowers ... i find it's a way for me to be close to nature whilst drowning in the bustle of big city life. and lucky for me, my dearest friend Anyssa came to LA this past week, and if you know LA, you know that there is always flowers in bloom all over the city - all sorts of varieties and colors. so for a couple of days, we drove around scouting for the prettiest flowers and then shot one another's portraits in them. this is just one of the reasons why i love LA - there are always bright, beautiful flowers in bloom. and this is why i love Anyssa - she is always down for taking photos, no matter the time, nor the place. i adore this series of us in nature - these bright, vivid flower bushes - all over LA. 

^ we came upon this last series of shots when i took Anyssa out to Malibu. the bougainvillea is so other-wordly. Anyssa commented that the photo of me looks like i'm on a cloud of flowers, it truly does look this way, and she, a angel on earth. we felt transported to a magical land that only exists in fanciful dreams full of magic and beauty.

some of these will make their way over to my lovely new website, come take a peek soon!

layli samimi photography :: ROXY + ASHKAN ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

This past weekend we had a blast with one of the best photo shoots of all time. I shot an engagement session with my dear friends, the beautiful couple Ashkan + Roxy. when they told me they were engaged, I was over the moon, as they are such a strong, radiant couple who complement one another so very well. They make one another laugh so much, can really have a great time together and truly are the best of friends. They are getting married soon and I absolutely cannot wait. If the engagement photos prove anything about how amazing they are in front of the camera, I am convinced that the shots taken on their wedding day will be phenomenal! 

We took to the streets of downtown LA for this shoot and the light was just perfection and the colors did not disappoint. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do this damn handsome couple:

 

Sending you both all my love and a I know you're going to have a bright future filled with laughter and good times.
Congratulations Ash + Roxy.
xoxo