Starting in 2021 I’ve officially started taking family portrait bookings again and I’m so excited to see both past and new clients booking their sessions with me! Thank you all who’ve supported this reintroduction of my portrait services!
One of my most recent family portrait sessions was at Irvine Regional Park with Darion, Jordyn, and baby J. They are the cutest little family and it was such an honor to document their first official portrait session as a family! Check out a few of my favorite highlights from the session below:
The family wanted pictures that felt both natural and fun with lots of pretty greenery and nature for the setting. We chose Irvine Regional Park because it’s got plenty of greenery and lots of little areas to go for great photos, even on a busy day.
A lot of my clients tell me during our first phone call or consult that they are nervous about being in front of the camera, but that they really want candid-looking pictures. It’s totally normal to feel nervous, even I feel that way when I’m being photographed! Something that I like to do is have a few little prompts, silly jokes, and “games” ready so that when I’m directing the session, the movements and smiles actually are natural!
The little prompts and games we use during the session help everyone to relax and start having fun during the session. For most people, that’s all you really need before you realize that being photographed doesn’t have to be stressful or awkward! Once my clients start loosening up, I can start incorporating poses that are a little more formal and traditional and you get a nice overall mix of candid storytelling, and naturally posed photos to pick from!
Little baby J already has her modeling face down if you ask me! She’s so adorable!
If you’ve got little ones, I don’t have to tell you that it can be tricky to get them to sit still during a portrait session. This is one reason why I love having some balance in my family sessions between formal and posed and more fun and candid bits. Not only does it produce great story telling images that are perfect for a wall collage or portrait album, it also gives the kids a chance to just be themselves. I find that this helps to reduce the chance of anyone having a mid-session meltdown!
That being said…here’s one of my favorites of baby J just doing her thing and tasting a few leaves! 😂
We came across this really cool tree and had to create a few environmental shots. Wide photos like this look really great on the wall if you’re looking for wall art that feels a little more subtle than a closer-up shot of everyone’s faces. They also make for really great finale photos in a photo album!
I hope you enjoyed these Irvine Regional Park family portraits!
Are you due for some new family photos? I’d love to chat with you about what’s most important to you when it comes to photography and together we can create a portrait session that your whole family will love! Visit my family portrait information page to find out more!
