I met Cara Hollenbeck in 2005, my first year on the Big Island. We were introduced at a friends wedding, she was a bridesmaid and I was the DJ.  We became fast friends. She’s a livewire, energetic, funny, thoughtful, and creative. Yesterday,  I had the absolute pleasure of collaborating with Cara, for a photo shoot to debut her new line of jewelry for Dragonfly Diva, her custom artisan jewelry business.

This was our second photo session showcasing her amazing handmade jewelry, when I saw Cara’s combinations of precious stones with feathers and shells I was blown away. You can view her pieces on her website, Dragonfly Diva and read more about Cara on her blog, Dragonfly Diva Artisan Jewelry. This girl has style!

We spent a delightful afternoon with some wonderful ladies, photographing at Mahai’ula Beach…and we stayed a little too late after a gorgeous sunset. After the bumpy drive over  lava up to the highway from the beach we discovered that the gate was locked….luckily the caretakers came and let us out……eventually (and before we could figure out how to pick it with a bobby pin!).

Many thanks to those who made the shoot possible…

Design Director: Naomi Stefaney
Styling: Cara Hollenbeck

Makeup: Sara Taylor
Models: Angie Metriyakool, Cara Hollenbeck, Jen Liming, Karen Ippoliti, Morgan Taylor and Sara Taylor