Hi, I’m Kanoa —
photographer, visual storyteller, mama of two, and your new favorite third wheel.
I’m a southern california based photographer, capturing love near and far.
Creating nostalgia for lovers
Southern California and beyond
Hi, I’m Kanoa —
photographer, visual storyteller, mama of two, and your new favorite third wheel.
I share a cozy beachside life on orange county, ca with my partner, Matt, and our two little wild ones, Wesley and Paisley. Living steps from the sand means life feels like an endless adventure—barefoot mornings, local coffee shop dates, salty hair, beach hangs and sunsets that never get old.
I first picked up a camera with a baby on my hip, desperate to freeze the way life felt before it changed again. What started as a personal love for capturing my own messy, magical moments quickly became a calling to help others do the same.
Fast forward five years, 100+ weddings, and countless family sessions later, and here I am — still chasing the real, the raw, and the beautifully unposed.
My goal is that being photographed by me feels like hanging out with an old friend — easy, natural, and fun. My approach is rooted in storytelling, nostalgia, and a deep reverence for connection. I’m here for the tearful first looks, the barefoot “I do’s,” the quiet cuddles, the chaotic laughter — the good, wild stuff you never want to forget.
If you’re dreaming of photographs that feel effortless, emotional, and entirely, beautifully you — you’ve found your girl!
Ready when you are
Let’s make something timeless together.
slow mornings with coffee and cartoons, local coffee shop dates to get an oat milk latte and a little treat, homemade dinners with everyone piled around the table, farmer’s markets and thrift shops, learning new hobbies, film photographs and anything a little imperfect, anything that gives Nancy Meyers aesthetic, true crime podcasts, spicy margs (chips and guac are a plus), Disney days with my crew, candid over posed moments, sticky popsicle kisses and grass-stained knees, traveling and shooting in new places
I love capturing all the moments and details that you might not see until you receive your gallery, like small stolen glances, your partner smiling at you when you’re not noticing, shaky nervous breaths before walking down the aisle, laughter and conversation, the small squeeze of a hand, a hug, slip of some tears, I love all of that so much
