family portraits

San Clemente Pier family session

Finally late enough in the year where I can start sharing photos from the Christmas sessions! I’ll share a separate post with a roundup, but sharing this session for now.

This one was a fun shoot down at San Clemente Pier with a coworker of mine, her husband and little Aveline. Aveline was so good for the first 15 minutes then hit the inevitable “I’m over this” wall. Which I secretly love just because those photos of parents pleading with their kids to smile and stay put for just one more photo show the reality of parenting. Also had the boys and Alex with me down there: of course Josh had to proceed to fall over in the waves and make mom run in with her shoes on to get him (hence the photo of a pantsless Josh). KIDS! But it was a great evening at the beach and a reminder of why I can never leave Southern California: photos at the beach in December!

PORTRAITS OF MY BOYS

Had a quick garage portrait shoot of my dudes for some mothers day prints recently. Set up some lights, a sheet hanging off a ladder and a cooler too sit on and we were ready for silly faces! I do think it may be time to invest in a real studio backdrop though.

Competitive baby tossing and cuteness overload.

A late post but one of my absolute favorites from the busy Christmas season. If you know me or have been following my photography, then you already know my connection with this wonderful family. And now they have a seriously adorable little Cameron May who is just as photogenic and smiley as mom and dad (even when she’s flying through the air) Which brings me to Competitive Baby Tossing. I have had multiple dads toss their little ones during photo shoots. Some just barely leave dads hands and some go soaring into the sky while mom looks on with terrified eyes. But none have done it with close to as much style as baby Cameron. I mean seriously, it looks like I photoshopped her into the photo. I love it. Looking forward to watching this family grow through the coming years and love that I’ve been a part of it for so long already!

Laguna Sunsets

The main reason I can no longer do mini shoots. How am I supposed to stop taking photos when I have such a great location and subjects!? It’s always a gamble with beach photos and sunsets. A lot of times it can be overcast and cold. Well Southern California cold. But there are times when the lighting and everything just seems to come together. I absolutely love those moments when I’m shooting and I am immediately excited to see the final product when I get home. Got to shoot a wonderful family with two little boys who were awesomely adventurous and smiley (thanks to ice cream bribes). It’s evenings like these that make me realize why it costs so damn much to live where we live.

LAST MINUTE LOCATION CHANGE AND IT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN BETTER

With the sun setting fast and our initial location being too dark to shoot in, we all jumped in the car and took a quick ride down the road. Thankfully our last minute change led to a great little path and hillside to snap a few shots. I’m also thankful that it doesn’t take much to make this wonderful little family look good, especially when Megan is such a great stylist for her beautiful family!

Smash cake for Phineas

Got to do some photos for a good friend and her wonderful little family for a special occasion: her son Phineas’ first birthday smash cake. Mom made the crown (and cake!) and I was seriously dying of cuteness. Not to mention there is something just so tragically funny about a kid crying his heart out while at the same time shoving cake in his mouth.

My number 2 is turning 1!

My how time flies. Had a little lumberjack smash cake shoot with my boys for Josh’s first birthday that’s coming up. Big brother had to get in on some of the cake but not before making sure his nose was clean. 😉 All the decorations were done by my amazing wife.