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Orange County Family Photographer: The Super Bloom

As an Orange County Family Photographer, my focus is always on documenting local families throughout the years. That means, often I start photographing a family when their children are young, and then continue the sessions all the way through their high school senior portraits. Sometimes this even includes their kid’s weddings!

This is such a magical part of being a photographer. I love people and creating connections and long term bonds with them. There is nothing better to me than having a Mom cry over the beautiful portraits of their high school senior, Or Dad laughing at a silly face their young child always makes.

Recently, I have fallen in love with moving portraits of my clients. These are small snippets of video that help more completely tell the story of the family as it changes and the kids grow over the years. I only regret that I didn’t think of this sooner (with the help of my videographer Rebekah Pantel), so I could have had these videos for my kids as they grew up.

There is no better place to do one of these session than in the open fields of Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano or Upper Newport Back Bay. The yellow mustard is gorgeous and the soft water in the background makes the images really dreamy. All of the rain this year has lead to the “super Bloom” with flowers we may not see again for another 10 years.

This month, anyone that books a portrait session with Blue Sky’s Studio will have a videographer at their session to help tell their complete family/ senior portrait story. This is a $99 value is free if you book by May 30.

Here is a sample of a moving portrait video of the gorgeous Sofie Salvino!

And more favorite still images from the session!


To book your session or inquire about one, and include a videographer, click here or email me at kristin@blueskysstudio.com.

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Portraits in the Mustard Fields in Orange County

Can you believe how amazing the California Super Bloom is? If you have dreamed of a flower field photography session, now is the time to book while they are still in bloom. I have literally been waiting years for the mustard to grow this lush once again. I took this image in 2013, the last time we had a super bloom.

Fast forward to 2019 and the mustard is once again blooming and looking so gorgeous. I was lucky enough to help celebrate this gorgeous girl’s first birthday! My mother in Law, Ginny, gave the Anderson’s a gift certificate for their wedding present to get a family portrait. The Anderson’s raise service dogs. They have such big hearts to raise a dog from the puppy stage and bond with it. Then once the dog reaches 18 months, they give it to a person needing a service dog. Unfortunately, their now family dog, Siri, didn’t make it through the program. The good news is, she got to stay with the family and become the fourth member of the Anderson family.

Baby Olivia was a totally dream to photograph. With her sweet dimples and even better disposition, she actually loved the camera. Thanks so much to the Anderson family for braving the chilly weather in order to make sure that the fields were still blooming. Enjoy!

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If you want to take advantage of this year’s super bloom, go to Blue Sky’s Studio website and click contact us. Or click on this button.

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What is the ideal location in Laguna Beach to get engaged?

That was the question presented to me a few weeks ago when a close family friend introduced me to Michael Chadwick.  Now, if you are not in the swim world, this name may not mean much to you.  But for me and my family, Michael is a rock star swimmer.  One of the fastest humans alive in the 100 Freestyle, he is an absolutely amazing swimmer.  Here is the thing, he is an even better human being.

Michael called me up to let me know that he would be in Laguna Beach for his Spring break and was planning to ask the love of his life, Cassi, to marry him.  He wanted to know my option on a location that would be super special and unique to Laguna Beach.  I could not think of a better place than Victoria beach.  He agreed and we set the plan in motion to surprise Cassi.

As is usually the case, there were a few hiccups in getting their close friends and family down to the beach and hidden before Michael and Cassi made their way to the designated spot.  And, Michael pretty much forgot all of the directions about where to meet, because he was so darn nervous.  However, it all came together perfectly and just as the sun started to go down, I was able to capture Cassi saying YES!

chadwick-9017Since the entire engagement was a surprise to Cassi, we wanted to give her the opportunity to make the engagement session something really special.  We scheduled for a complete session a few evenings later.  Cassi had the opportunity to choose the location with Michael and do her hair and makeup so she looked perfect.  Here are some of the beautiful engagement images from the open field in Laguna Beach.  Congratulations to both of you!  Enjoy!

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Rent the Runway; tips on picking a portrait wardrobe

My goal has always been to not just photograph a family one time, but to build a lasting relationship and document your family each year.   This is the best way  I know to build a family history and to make sure your children can look back at the entire family over the years and see the close relationships and defining moments throughout their childhood.

One question that comes up repeatedly among my clients, especially when we do a family session each year, is “what should we wear”?  We love to work closely with you to put outfits together that not only compliment each person in the portrait, but also have the look and feel of the location of the session.  And, it is extremely important, to make sure the images compliment your home.

We are now in the process of building a more extensive shooting wardrobe.  Watch for future announcements on how you can get involved helping us complete our shooting wardrobe.  Since I love vintage dresses and accessories, we definitely have those in our studio and we are always on the lookout for more.  But for the gals in the family, I high recommend using services such as www.renttherunway.com to access one of a kind beautiful dresses and outfits at a fraction of the retail cost.  For the holidays this year, one of my favorite families, decided to go all out and rent formal red outfits and combine this look with an organic setting.  The results were stunning!   I also love that they rented a tux for their gorgeous son Daniel!  What a great sport.   Here are some of the
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To book your portrait session, you can email us at kristin@blueskysstudio.com or call at 949-510-3862.

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The Best Orange County Locations for Photos (Part 2)

In my years as an Orange County photographer I have more than a handful of amazing locations up my sleeve. So here’s part two of my best Orange County Photography Locations. (The first 10 locations are here.)

Rancho Las Lomas

  1. Rancho Las Lomas 

This resort and zoological garden is a little known Orange County setting for great photography. Located in Silvarado Canyon, it’s lush setting is perfect for family photos.

San Clemente Beach photography

  1. San Clemente State Beach 

Traveling a little further down the coast San Clemente State Beach is a less crowded, more varied seaside backdrop for a stunning photography session.

Nellie Gail photography

  1. Nellie Gail Trails 

Nestled in south Orange County are the 26 miles of trails of the Nellie Gail Ranch. The native California greenery gives way to beautiful grasses and trees, making this an especially unique photography location.

in home photography

  1. Your Home

Sometimes you don’t need to travel at all to find the perfect setting for your family photos. Sometimes you need only stay at home. At home photo shoots can be especially fun as they not only show your family’s story, but your home as well, adding an especially unique element to look back on.

Laguna Beach photography

  1. Downtown Laguna Beach

I’m lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful beach communities in Southern California and my studio, in Laguna Canyon is just minutes from one of the best “downtowns” in the county as well. This location is a treasure trove for a variety of shooting possibilities. (Read even more in this recent post about Laguna Beach Photography)

San Juan Capistrano photography

  1. Los Rios Historic District 

San Juan Capistrano boast several great photography locations, but one of the most fun is the Los Rios District, just across the train tracks from the Capistrano Depot. You can even stop for a bite to eat or tea time after your shoot.

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