Thursday, July 20, 2017

Little Bundle: Milestone Photography Packages for your growing family.

Special, surprised, long awaited... Whatever the case, Congratulations! You're going to be a parent!
It all goes by so fast (so the Mommas tell me) and each unique season deserves to be preserved.
From that first "positive" test to that precious little ultrasound, from nesting to a brand new life, the first few days to toddler years; life happens quickly. I mean for reals how has it been that many years since I was in High School?

I know you'll have enough to focus on and I would love to help you plan ahead to preserve these valuable seasons.

Book your Little Bundle package and you'll be set for each milestone:

Maternity - Newborn - 1 Year

These sessions are uniquely crafted around each special time.
You can even add on sessions for 6 months and more. 
Each session includes beautiful photography, custom wall art and the option to order additional art, albums and images.

Ready? Let's chat about creating your Little Bundle Package!
This also makes a great gift for the Parents To Be in your life.


Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Salcido Family | Downtown Fullerton Family Session

I first met Alise and David for their Anniversary & Maternity session. They hadn't had professional photos taken and had a lot to celebrate & document!

We recently did their third session. Their sweet little Gideon was one and it was time to capture this season. I can only imagine how fast it has flown by for them and it was so fun to see him walking all over the place!

"Love these! This session is my favorite so far!" - Alise 

Not much makes this photographer happier than sweet words like these.



A little look back at our first session expecting Gideon & our second session with Gideon here...

And now, little Gideon taking on the world! 

This session was just in time for Father's Day. Isn't their bond the sweetest?

And he's off to take on the world! 

Where it all began!

Friday, July 7, 2017

Fun Friday: Summer Vacation Photo Tips

It's that time - Summer Vacation!

We took our first real Summer Vacation last year (we're more Winter people) and it was quite the adventure.

Summer is a great time to take advantage of beautiful weather, vacation days and checking off that place you've been wanting to go (or hitting your annual favorite).

So, you've got this awesome adventure planned. How do you document it well?
I've got some tips for you that I hope are helpful.

Lets Talk Technique:
  1. Learn Manual - at least a little bit. Sometimes auto just doesn’t do the trick (weird lighting, night photography, etc.). Knowing how to adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO are a big help to getting good results.
  2. Capture what matters to you. Sure, your vacay may be full of awesome, but not everything needs to make the highlight reel. Why? Because if you’re so focused on capturing everything, you won’t experience anything. So, pull over, pose, snap away when you want. But don’t fret about missing a sign, monument or silly moment. Find the balance of taking it all in, too!
  3. Learn the self timer settings. You can use this with or without a remote. Most cameras have a 2 second feature (great for remotes) and a 10 second (great for jumping in). This is great so all your photos aren’t weird angled selfies!
  4. Have fun! 

Once You're Home (wah wahhh):
  1. Back up your files. I hope you've never had a hard drive crash but it happens. I recommend backing up your photos on an external hard drive or cloud storage.
  2. Don’t just let them sit there; make art! Big prints, photo books, wood prints and more. There are so many great options. See recommendations below.
  3. Share your stories. Upload your favorite photos (Facebook, IG, Blog) and share about your top moments, funny stories, unique experiences. Plus, it is fun to relive the moments! 
Here are some of my top resources for helpful tools:
  1. A wireless remote: great for setting up the moment and snapping away. This one has a 10 foot range. This one has a 16 foot range.
  2. A tripod. Here's a list of top tripods depending on what you're looking for.
  3. Plenty of memory cards. Cards hold a lot but it's always good to have a back up.
  4. A good camera bag or backpack. Something that makes your gear accessible but keeps it protected is important.
  5. Travel battery charger (road trips) like this one. This saved my life last week on our two week road trip as I tried to charge my battery at a Utah gas station. Just make sure it has the power you need. 
 And finally, make art! Here are some places I love for turning my moments into tangible art:
  1. A local print lab, like my favorite Fullerton Photo
  2. Artifact Uprising
  3. Woodsnap
  4. Mail a postcard while traveling with Sincerely (a free phone app)



Thursday, July 6, 2017

Jeff & Stephanie | Orange County Engagement Session

In the beginning of all sessions I get situated and tell my clients to ignore me and be themselves. This is hard but it lets them get warmed up. I then step in and help them interact, pose and make tweaks as needed.

With Stephanie and Jeff that wasn't really needed. I laughed as I told them that I felt like I was interrupting if I stepped in to say anything. They snuggled close, had sweet conversations, laughed and danced. It's so easy to see the love and range of emotions they shared in their session! Being in front of the camera isn't easy, but they sure made it seem that way.

I can't wait for this December wedding with these two!