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Newport Beach Newborn portraits

A few years ago I hired two photographers/ editors to work for me part time.  Both gals were interested in growing their own photography business and wanted to work for me to not only supplement their income, but also to learn how I run my business.  I shared with them that I was one of the minority of photographers who actually did not specialize in a type of portraits.  What I mean is I like all types of portrait photography.  Weddings, high school seniors, kids, fashion, corporate head shots, you name it and if there are people in the image, I love to shoot it.

The one and only thing, I told these two, that I don’t really do much of, is newborn and tiny baby photography.   And no joke, the next 20 or so clients to book with me had babies under one years old.  Hey wait a minute, they both said, I thought you don’t really do baby photography.  And…. I ate my words.  Not only do I “do” baby photography, I really love it.  Typically we shoot a newborn session, a six month session and and one year session (yes, this is my baby plan).  I love getting to know the families and seeing how these babies change over the course of the year.  Most of these families end up clients for life and as a bonus, good friends.

Here is an absolutely beautiful family that just welcomed their baby girl into the world!  Congratulations to the whole Vali family!  I love calling you clients and friends.  Enjoy!

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My Austin Peps: Laguna Beach Kids photography

I have to admit it…. I am obsessed with Austin, Texas!  The food, amazing… some of my favorite restaurants include Eddie V’s, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, Garridos Austin for atmosphere and great food  , and Blue Dahlia Bistro just to name a few!  The people are so genuinely nice and have such great style, the music scene is exceptional, the landscape is amazing for photography AND you can walk everywhere in the city… a huge plus.  Not to mention that it is my son’s dream to swim for University of Texas.

Over the last several years both my kids have gone to swim camp at University of Texas and Bob and I have spent the same week exploring the city.  It has been our “date” week.  We love it so much that in the future we would like to live there part time.   Really, can you imagine calling Laguna Beach and Austin Texas both home???  Pure bliss.  And we have been so lucky to make friends in Laguna who also call Austin home, The Sadler family.  If you want to really know what the people in Austin are like, you have to meet Frana!  She is an amazing ball of energy and positive vibes.  She has been so generous with our family, helping set up reservations at The Austonian for us, recommending great things to do and places to go, etc.  Her kids are just as amazing as the rest of her family!

So, thank you Frana!  For being a great friend, and raising amazing kids.  I can’t express how grateful we are to you!   Enjoy!

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Laguna Beach High School Senior: Jake Hexberg

Wow, this has been a busy week. Just this weekend I shot a styled session, a wedding, a newborn baby, a family and an engagement session. Gotta love the diversity of my photography life. Here is a quick preview of Jake, volleyball player, beach lover and off to University of Arizona this fall. Enjoy!

Fashion Friday: Laguna Beach Portrait Photography

I am a total sucker for teen romances and I can’t get enough of the original brat pack!  I still get excited when a new teen romance comes out and I read all the books my thirteen year old reads!  The good news is I read really fast so my selection is not limited to teen romances and the even better news is it gives me a chance to bond with my daughter and her friends.   Here is the list of Teen must reads for the summer (just an fyi, I haven’t read them all, so I don’t know about the content) from Cosmo Magazine:

The Truth About Forever- Sarah Dessen

The Impossible Knife of Memory- Larie Halse Anderson

Allegiant- Roth

Deadly- Shepard

The Hunger Games- Sue Collins

The Moon and More Sarah Dessen

The Fault in our Stars- John Green

I would love to do a 1980’s inspired session for some senior.  Here is a great look board for one of my favorites, Pretty in Pink. I definitely need to get myself a pair of the pink kicks!:

 

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Laguna Beach High School Senior Portraits: Sierra

One of the best things about being a photographer for me is variety!  I love waking up and knowing that today will be completely different than yesterday or tomorrow.  I may end up at the beach, at an amusement park, at a baseball stadium, you never know.  I am the kind of person that always tries something new on a favorite restaurant menu, or takes a different driving route home, just to mix it up.

I believe all my clients deserve the same thing.  I have literally photographed 100s of family sessions, high school senior sessions,  and weddings.  Many times they are in the same location that I have used numerous times in the past.  So how do I prevent every image looking the same, with only the subject changing you might ask?  Simple, I give myself a little assignment at every session.

For example, if I am shooting on a beach that I have used several times before, I challenge myself to find one totally different background that I have never used.  Since I photograph using a very shallow depth of field, I don’t need to find a huge spot, just a little corner somewhere that is entirely new to my photography.  Changing up poses and clothing can also help create an entirely personalized look for my clients.

This is also really important as the majority of my Blue Sky’s clients, take family photographs with me every year.  I can promise you that in most cases they want something original each year that help celebrate and document this time in their families history.  Sometimes that is a tall order for me if I have been shooting the family for 10+ years.  By constantly keeping my eyes open for new places to shoot, keeping up with the latest clothing trends and investing in the best camera equipment, I have managed to successfully offer original photography every year.

Here is a recent example of a senior session, at one of my common photography spots.  I used lots of flowers to differentiate this session from my previous work at this location! Enjoy! ;)