Why the name – Tiny Heart Studios?
“All that is worth cherishing begins in the heart, not the head.” Suzanne Chapin
Young people are so much better at appreciating the small things in life. Probably because they don’t spend much time comparing the relative size or significance. In fact, everything to them is so much more, so much bigger. I remember that tiny little heart that I first dared to dot my ‘i’ with. To my childhood self, it was a big deal. Who knows what the recipient of that note thought? In my mind, that heart was remarkable, and it meant so much more than its size suggested.
And so, from my back deck, looking at the stars with my husband, Tiny Heart Studios was born (bye-bye CCJames Photography). A culmination of the many moments of love in my life. Valentine notes with my signature heart, the ‘i’ so subtly dotted with a heart, and finally, the tiny hearts on our toasting glasses at our wedding, representing a lifetime of love ahead.
Who is Crystal James?
I often ask myself that same question! 
The basics: I am a mother of two wonderful kids. Kylie was born in 2006 and Jake in 2009. Parenting them is simultaneously the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done AND the most difficult learning experience of my life. Which brings me to my husband, partner, best friend and love of my life – Jeff. Thank goodness we are in this together because I could not imagine doing any of this without him!
The not-so-basic stuff: I love people and I love life. Of course, I love pictures too. I have always been the one with a camera at every event (even as a kid), so it’s a good thing I have an excuse now. Nobody ever tells me to put the camera away anymore! Just like that tiny heart, a picture can hold so much more meaning than the image suggests. I have an old picture of me at five years old standing on a sidewalk (yellow dress, ugly brown sandals, pigtails, hands on my hips with a pout face). To everyone else, it’s just a picture of me. But when I look at the image I also see my first house, our old red tuna-boat car, and the above-ground pool in the back yard where I used to swim with my neighbor Judith. I also remember how mad I was that my mom made me wear those awful sandals AND she was taking a picture of me! And so, thirty-something years later, we visited my hometown and I took a picture of Kylie in that exact same spot.
I wonder what she will remember?
Some other stuff you might not ever know about me if you didn’t read this:
I am an only child
I used to be a singer (yes, in a band)
I used to be a dancer (in high school)
I played the flute when I was a kid
I love to play tennis
I love chocolate, cheese and wine (in that order….I think)
I could eat Mexican food everyday
I worked on a cruise ship for a year and traveled to the Caribbean, Alaska, the Panama Canal, Hawaii, and a 53 day cruise around South America
I am from California (oh how I miss the weather, and In-N-Out Burger)
I am shy (HA! Just checking to see if the people that know me are still awake!)
And for those of you that are STILL reading…. here are a few images of my family.
I am a proud member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and an award winning member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP)
