At the Beach Archives

At the Beach, At the Park, Fashion, Senior Photography

Popular Trends in High School Senior Photography

Where should I shoot my OC Senior Portraits?

Orange County is an excellent spot for amazing high school senior portraits. We have beaches, open fields, city scapes, historic architecture and gorgeous parks.

Blue Sky’s Studio strategy for any portrait photography session is to start with your personal fashion style. If you tend to dress more edgy and high fashion, I would definitely recommend choosing a city background or in the studio. If FreePeople clothing is more your vibe then a flower field, a beach at low light or an open meadow would enhance the look of your session.

Fashionista Senior Session

If you love trendy clothing, fun accessories and the latest style in shoes and boots you are probably a fashionista. For your session, we want to highlight your amazing style. That means staying away from really busy backgrounds so all of the emphasis in the image is on you and your cute outfits. Here are some of my favorite spots for this type of session.

Boho Senior Session

If you love vintage clothing, neutral colors, free flowing hair and lots of texture, then a Boho inspired session is probably your jam! Think of Free People Clothing, or shop at your favorite vintage store or even raid your Mom’s old wardrobe. I love these sessions when the colors are really monochromatic as is the background look. The perfect locations for this type of session include.

Alta Laguna Park In Laguna Beach
San Juan Open Spaces A gorgeous field in San Juan Capistrano
James Dilley Wilderness Park In Laguna Canyon
San Clemente State Beach With gorgeous white cliffs and wide open beaches (to see more beaches in San Clemente Click Here.
The Great Park in Irvine Complete with small zoo, open fields, split rail fences and flower fields.

Endless Summer Session

Shooting your high school senior portraits on the beach is great any time of the year. It is true that Southern California is a photographers paradise. There are so many sunny days every year that it doesn’t matter if you book in August or February, you are sure to get at least a few, beautiful sunny So Cal days. Here are my top five spots for an endless summer session.

Enter to win a free fully styled high school portrait session with Blue Sky’s Studio!

CLICK HERE

If you are really into bold colors and statement clothing, you can read more in the Color blog post by clicking on this link: Using Color in your shoot to create style.

At the Beach, Blue Sky's Promotions, Fashion, Headshots, Orange County Photography, Portrait Photography, Senior Photography

Orange County High School Senior Photoshoot

The best thing about being an Orange County photographer and having a studio in Laguna Beach are the beautiful beaches! The beaches in Laguna are one of the most stunning places to have a high school senior photography shoot.

Although I end up with half the beach in my car after, it is truly one of my favorite places to shoot, especially in the Southern California “winter”. Personally, I believe the beaches in the winter make some of the most amazing backdrops. The unrivaled sunsets and blue skies, along with the beautiful textures of the rocks, sand and water, come together to capture the best moments!

If you have a senior that is graduating soon and you are looking for one-of-a-kind pictures to commemorate their high school accomplishments and utilize for gifts and/or graduation announcements, this is the perfect time.

I am offering a “Model for a Day” promotion in February and March. For $249, the package comes complete with hair and makeup and a portrait session with up to 4 outfit changes! You also get to go home with a 11×14 matted print. This is perfect for a senior session or even as a special treat for another treasured family member! Here are some of my recent beach sessions with some amazing seniors.

At the Beach, Family Photography, Kids Photography, Senior Photography

Newport Beach Family Photographer- The Wedge

Newport Beach Family Photographer- Sisters and Senior Portrait Session

The best thing about being a Newport Beach family photographer is that I get to capture such gorgeous subjects. I love this sweet senior and sister portraits session at the Bourke home in Newport Beach. Read more

At the Beach, Fashion, Orange County Photography

Summer Beauty Secrets & Tips

Summer Hair and Skin

Summer is here and with it more sun, sand, and hopefully fun! In Orange County, we have a loooong summer season that often extends far past when the kids are back in school. But as the summer season officially kicks off we want you to look your best for your family photos, Christmas in July session, or on any given day at the beach, or Fashion Island, concerts in the park, or wherever you like to spend your summer days (and nights).

We’ve assembled some of our favorite summer hair and skin beauty tips to help you look and feel your best both in front of or away from the camera.

Let’s jump in!

For Healthy, Radiant Skin

No matter your age, your skin is often the first thing people notice, and ultimately the foundation for any healthy look. Get your skin looking lush and the rest of your look will fall into place.

Alternate Exfoliation

By now, we know the importance of exfoliating those dead skin cells in order to promote a healthy complexion, but experts now say that it’s best to alternate your methods.

Switch up your exfoliation routine by using a chemical exfoliant one day and a manual scrubbers like a loofah the next time. Allure magazine has some great suggestions for both mechanical scrubbers and chemical exfoliators.

Healthy Water

Of course we hope you get plenty of time at the beach or in the pool, but when it comes to skin, it’s time to drink up. We’ve all heard that we need to drink our 8-10 glasses of water per day, but in summer it’s especially important. With higher temperatures or more strenuous activities it’s easy to get dehydrated. But did you know that drinking water isn’t just good for your general health but for your skin as well? Of course you did, but take a look at what Dr. Tara Rao says below.

Dr. Tara Rao, interviewed for Prevention magazine says, “One of the most important things I remind my patients is that your skin really is an outward sign of your internal health. The best anti-aging trick is to be healthy (and sun protect, of course). Hydration is just one, but important, part of that.”

Skincare Supplements

Speaking of healthy from the inside out…When we talk about skincare we often think of topical skin treatments like exfoliating creams, toners, cleansers, masks, etc, but there’s another way. Did you know there are actually holistic supplements you can take to improve your skin’s resiliency, youth, and boost it’s natural protection from the sun?

Studies have shown that Vitamin C and Vitamin E may help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced skin damage.

Green tea extracts, according to a UK study, reduce inflammation and may also help protect skin against harmful sun rays.

Vitamin K is essential to helping the body heal and can also improve the appearance of stretch marks, scars, dark spots, dark circles under your eyes and more.

Vitamin D is essential to a variety of bodily functions but also for maintaining healthy skin and treating psoriasis.

Biotin is excellent for both skin and hair health.

Check out this Anti-aging daily supplement pack on Dermstore.com.

For Beautiful Hair

Grab a Scarf

Add some style and protection to your summer wardrobe with a hat or scarf.

Not only does it help protect your scalp and hair from sun damage, but it also helps retain scalp moisture.

Sunscreen for Your Hair

We all know we should be protecting our skin with sunscreen, but it’s also important to protect your hair and scalp against damage with hair sunscreen, here are She Knows’ best recommendations.

A Mask

Once or twice a week drench your hair in a luxurious hair mask. That’s right, it’s not just for faces anymore!

Elle.com recommends Kérastase Reflection Masque Chromatique, (~$53), but we’ve also tried (and love) Trader Joe’s Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask, for under $5.

Love these beauty tips? Let us know in the comments below. Or share some of your own!

Whatever your regimen, we hope you’ll choose Blue Sky’s Studio to capture your beauty on camera, for years to come.

At the Beach, Family Photography, Orange County Photography, Summer Family Photography

Family Portraits While on Vacation in Laguna Beach

I am so fortunate to be a family portrait photographer in Laguna Beach.

That means that I not only get to capture gorgeous images of families from Orange County, but I also get an opportunity to meet lots of amazing people that choose Laguna Beach as their vacation destination. While visiting and being amazed at stunning ocean views, canyon areas and the cute downtown, lots of families get inspired to take family portraits in Laguna Beach or in one of the many gorgeous locations in Orange County.

The Rosenthal Family comes to the Montage every year for a family holiday. They have beautiful twin daughters that are both already enrolled in University, one at LSU (…. Geaux Tigers) and one at Chapman University. Their holiday is the perfect chance for them to reconnect. Scheduling family portraits during their holiday, creates a permanent memory that they will cherish for a lifetime.

Since they have previously taken portraits that the Montage’s Treasure Island beach, we decided to change it up and head down to Table Rock beach. From both our local clients, and our out of town clients, we often hear that I have never even visited this gorgeous beach. It was our pleasure to not only introduce the to this location, but to also get to use it as a fantastic backdrop. Blue Sky’s makeup artist and hairstylist visit all these beautiful ladies in their hotel room prior to the session, so they really got the star treatment.

Enjoy a sneak peak of a few of my favorites from the session!