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Two Babies on the Beach before 8 AM

What do you get when you ask two Mamas and their families to be ready for a photo shoot by 7:45 am?   You get a virtually private beach, happy babies and the whole day in front of you to enjoy.   The hardest thing with photographing babies is hitting the sweet spot for timing.  Since small babies typically nap 2-3 times a day, I have found that mornings really work best.  Despite a little June Gloom, the beach still looks beautiful, more like a watercolor backdrop, and the babies are happy…. well for the most part.

Will and Ella gave us lots of smiles, a few small tears and a whole lot of baby time for both Deseree and me!  Thank you so much to this beautiful family for getting up early and trusting us that it would look amazing!  Here is a little sneak peak!  Don’t miss the slideshow at the end!  Enjoy:

To see more highlights from this session, enjoy this slideshow:

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Beachbrella Boho Chic Sun Protection

Some of you might recognize these two from a recent styled wedding session we did at Sweet Pea Ranch wedding venue.  They were the perfect models for a vintage inspired outdoor wedding.  So naturally a styled photography session for the super fashionable and fun Beachbrella brellas made perfect sense.    I joked with both of them that this was like their honeymoon.

So most of you know I love Boho fashion and these umbrellas fit perfectly into my personal style.  I love the extra details on the fringe, especially the wooded beads… so amazing.  And the best part is that they are super UV resistant so no nasty sunburns after a day spent on the beach.  They also include a beautiful bag that fits over the shoulder, so they are easy to carry.  No trying to juggle everything on the way down to the beach.

Beach Brella is a premium, boutique ‘brella (short for umbrella) brand created to capture a luxury lifestyle beach and resort experience. Their brand mantra: “Made In The Shade” sets the tone for our unique line of ‘brellas that stand apart from the crowd.

These umbrellas can be purchased locally in Laguna Beach and other premium boutiques or online at their website www.beachbrella.com.  Checkout just a few styles from our recent session:

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Oh the Places we will go: Laguna Beach

I don’t know how I got so lucky to end up living in one of the most beautiful places in the world.  Seriously, I am constantly grateful that I get to call the beaches of Laguna my “office”. :)  And what could be better than to bring three gorgeous boys and their fabulous parents with me to work?   The Moses family was one of the last sessions of 2014.  As you can see from the photos, they are a spirited crew and absolutely beautiful children.   I love to capture boys just being boys, so we had a lot of tickling, tackling and a few slow motion races.  The best part about working with boys is that they are totally willing to play games.  The hardest part, is to keep it slightly under control and make sure no one gets hurt.  I even got a chance to catch a few quiet moments with just Mom and Dad.

December through February is the best time of year to shoot at the beach.  The sun sets directly over Catalina, and it is really the only time of the year that you get those truly pink sunsets.   Seriously, check out Facebook at the end of the day, and see just how many of your friends are posting pics of the gorgeous sunsets.  Thanks again to the Moses family for coming out to play!  Enjoy!

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Crazy Kiddos? No problem!

I am not ashamed to admit it, I am a photoshop junky.  Long before I was shooting fun, fabulous portraits for clients, I was cutting and pasting heads from one shot to the next.   Yes, I actually started my photography career as a touch up artist and quickly learned that if I wanted to fulfill my personal vision for my clients, I had to step behind the camera.

I love nothing more than working with crazy, spirited kids and their families.  But, and this is a big BUT, it is extremely difficult to get the “perfect everyone looking at the camera with perfect smiles on their faces,” shot organically.  This is where head swapping can save the day.  Take this example, I have been photographing these gorgeous kiddos for years.  Our sessions have lots of giggles, silly faces and potty humor and that means it is tough to get everyone to look at me at the same time.  The image on the left is the original image I shot.  Their darling son is cracking up and looking off into the distance.  The daughter’s hand, on the right, looks a little strange bunched up in her dress… but with the power of photoshop….. everyone is perfect.

Now you know my secret, not every portrait starts off perfect!  But hopefully the end results will be enjoyed for a lifetime.  Enjoy!

 

Orange County San Clemente Pier family portraits

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Beautiful Madison’s High School Senior Portrait Session

I have been fortunate over many years to have some amazing young photography assistants work for me.  In Madison’s case, I have known her for years!  In the Blue Sky’s Salon and Studio days, her portrait in one of our beautiful vintage dresses, hung on the wall.  She grew up to be every bit as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  I love that she runs on the same clock that I do… be early whenever possible…, that she has a great sense of style and always helps with wardrobe for our clients.. also, that she gives me great insight into the High School experience and what I should look out for when it comes to my daughter.  We have had some great laughs together, and more than one boy we have photographed seems to have fallen for her.  I was truly honored to shoot her high school senior portraits.  Thank you Madison and thanks to your family for raising such an amazing young woman! Enjoy!