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!

At the Beach, Family Photography, Kids Photography, Mother Daughter Photography, Orange County Photography

How to Prepare Kids for the Best Portrait Session

Photographing kids in Orange County can be fun and a little stressful. Here are some helpful hints to make sure your Orange County Family Photography session is the best it can possibly be. Here’s how to prepare kids for the best portrait session.

We understand that sometimes children can be unpredictable when it comes to photography sessions. Maybe they are nervous, anxious or just having an off day. It happens, and rest assured that we are able to handle just about any situation. However, there are things that you can do to help ensure a smooth and happy photography session for your child, so please read our suggestions below and apply them at your child’s Blue Sky’s Studio shoot.

1) If your child is at all shy, please be patient.

We give them as much time as they (not you or I) need to warm up to me and my camera. It is very rare that even the most apprehensive child doesn’t become my buddy after 20-30 minutes. Eager to please, many parents urge their child(ren) on, and this rarely ever helps. Please allow us to create a bond with your child at their pace. Giive us a little space with your child so they do not feel as though they have to “perform” for you with us.

2) Please do not answer for your child when we ask him or her a question.

We try to bond with them by getting them to talk to us. Often times, we will reach out to “test” your child(ren) to see how they will respond. Depending on their reaction (if they reach back to hold a hand/finger), we will know how to proceed. We like to take time to get to know your child and let them get used to us before we start shooting.

3) Please please please do not tell your child(ren) to “smile” or say “cheese.”

That’s our job. Besides, “cheese” or “smile” is almost always a fake or forced smile. We will get your child(ren) to smile by other measures that create real smiles such as goofy faces, funny stories, talking up their interests, etc…you know, kid stuff!! We’re great at kid stuff (we’re kids at heart)!

4) We encourage any ideas or props in your session, so have fun with it and get creative!

Many parents bring in 1-3 outfits and various accessories such as hats, scarves and jewelry. However, it’s important to keep in mind that changing multiple outfits on younger children usually changes their moods too. We recommend keeping it simple for the younger subjects. They grow up so fast! little-princess

5) Prioritize outfits and props!

Depending our your child’s age, they may not be able to stay happy and positive through an entire session. For toddlers, usually 45 minutes is the maximum amount of time that they will be able to be photographed. So, make sure you let us know the most important shots, and outfits so we get those done at the beginning of the session. That way, we make sure that if the session ends early, you still got the best shots that you will love an cherish for a lifetime. adorable-family-portraits playing-in-sand

Taking the time to prepare for your child’s photo shoot will not only make the experience enjoyable for you and your child, but will also help create an environment for amazing photographs for you to treasure forever. We are so excited to work with you!

The photos in this post are from one of our recent mother daughter beach photography sessions, in Laguna Beach. We decided, with input from her mom, to stick with two outfits and get lots of candid and interactive portraits. These will be cherished for a lifetime. family-photography

Family Photography, kids modeling, Kids Photography

Kids Photography in Orange County

Orange County Family Photography, Individual Kiddos

I have been an Orange County Photographer for more than 15 years and have learned that to get the absolute best images of your kids, sometimes the best thing to do is an individual session.

It is really fun to get the entire family together for a family portrait, but you have a lot of different things happening to make it really difficult to focus specifically on one child’s personality. Sibling rivalry, showing off for Mom and Dad, and seeking approval from me or from his parents, can all make it difficult to have a kid’s true personality shine through.

So, if you book a family session, and want to add additional kids sessions on to the shoot, we offer a reduced session fee. You can contact us for more details.

Here is one of my favorite recent sessions with Connor. He is a total doll and we had so much fun focusing all our attention on him. He has a brother and a sister and tends to be a little more quiet than his siblings. Not on this day! Enjoy.

Summer Family Photography

Family Portrait Photographer: My Summer Favorites

Family Portrait Photographer: I always looked forward to summer as a kid, to frolic and play with my friends, enjoy the longer days, take a dip in the ocean and to play in the waves. I grew up in Newport Beach and never dreamed as a kid that I would grow up to be a Newport Beach family photographer. Now each year, Summer is a reminder of childhood and the spirit of living in the moment. Here are a few of my favorites things during the long Summer days:

Favorite Summer Place: Crystal Cove Beach

Favorite Summer Beverage: Sparking water with a splash of Trader Joe’s Limaide

Favorite Summer Reading: Anything by Amy Harmon

Favorite Summer Movie: Dirty Dancing

Favorite Summer Song: Will Smith, Summertime

Summer is also an amazing time to book an Orange County Family Photography session. Here are some great ideas for props, etc. to incorporate into your session to make it unique to your family:

Red Wagons
Popsicles
Small US Flags
Beach Pails
Bubbles
Sprinklers
Tent on the Beach
Balloons
Sparkler

Let me know a few of your favorites things in the comment section! If you are interested in booking a Christmas in July Session, please click here: Book a Session.

At the Beach, Blue Sky's Promotions, Family Photography

Orange county Family Photographer- Christmas in July

Orange County Family Photographer Promotions: Yes, it is that time once again to start thinking seriously about getting your gorgeous family in front of the camera. After all, the only way to create a permanent memory for everyone is to document your family annually. Don’t worry about the details, because we can help. From suggesting the perfect location to helping you layout everyone’s outfits. We can even provide hair and makeup for all of the ladies in our recently renovated Laguna Beach Studio! Here are all the details.

Get a jump start on your family portrait session by booking our Christmas in July promotion! You will receive:

– (1) fully styled portrait session in the location of your choice. (Within a 50 mile radius of our studio.)

– 25 free custom designed flat holiday cards with the purchase of a collection or Image box, or (1) 4×6 edited digital file to make your own cards. (No purchase required to receive the free digital image.)

– $100 print credit. (Must have a review in our studio to select your favorite image.)

Price of the session: $299.00 (value $415.00.)

Promotion will be running from now until July 30th. All sessions must be booked and paid for to receive the discounted session fee.

There are a limited number of sessions available, so book your shoot today!

Call us at 949.510.3862 or send us an email at kristin@blueskysstudio.com to book your session.