Mar
13
2017
I’m over on Modern Parents Messy Kids right now talking about this super easy Easter Dessert called Bunny Chow…a spin on the classic Puppy Chow. 🙂 It was so fun to make…go check it out!
II Photographer Long Beach Baby Mini-Sessions II Twenty minutes doesn’t seem very long. And it’s not. But, when we’re talking about photographing a moving baby, it’s plenty. When babies start being mobile, they are constantly changing body positions and have a huge variety of facial expressions. Mini-sessions are perfect for this age because it’s all you need. And right around the 20 minute mark, they’re getting a little tired of being photographed, so everybody wins.
If you haven’t considered a mini-session for your baby, check out the details here. Mini-sessions are more affordable than a full-session, so it allows you to capture the milestones….think sitting up, crawling, standing and walking. My studio provides the perfect neutral background for timeless photos.
Mar
07
2017
II Family Photographer San Juan Capistrano II Are you ready to adventure? If your kids are old enough to travel in the car without getting cranky, you should consider doing a photo session with a WOW location. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where these types of locations are in your backyard, well, lucky you. I grew up in Montana and this would be the type of location I’m talking about. Which is quite amazing, but has it’s drawbacks. My sister is a photographer in Montana and while she has an abundance of scenery, almost half the year she has to consider things like rain and snow. Have they plowed the roads yet? In California, we are stuck on permanently sunny. Well, at least until this year.
Maybe the beach is your WOW location, but for so many of us, we see the ocean every day. So, we want to be in an environment that’s different. This location was in San Juan Capistrano and it takes about an hour to get there from Long Beach. It’s a bit of a commitment. Families have to plan ahead, allow extra time, extra snacks, extra bathroom breaks…you know the drill.
But for this family, who I’ve photographed since Emma was a baby (!) making the drive to San Juan Capistrano was worth the effort. I absolutely love their color way, their natural interactions…the whole thing just works in this spot. So, if you’re on the fence, consider what your WOW location is and make a plan to go there and document it!
II Family Photographer San Juan Capistrano II Kristin Eldridge is a photographer servicing Long Beach, Orange County and Los Angeles.
When babies are born close together, sometimes it’s hard to realize you’re not the only baby in the family anymore. It can be a little bit of a transition for young toddlers to add a new baby to the mix. But, the flip side is that the transition tends to go quickly. Days and weeks later, the routine becomes normal and the siblings can hardly remember a time without each other. [ Newborn Photography Long Beach ]
I’ve been photographing newborns for 10 years and I notice this really unique bond formed between siblings that are close together. The older sibling wants to give all their love to the new baby. They shower the baby with kisses and hugs. Toddlers can also become little helpers and wanting to feed the baby and quiet her when she cries.
I think this bond is so special and I love being able to capture these sweet little moments.
Check out more newborn sibling photos here!
Feb
15
2017
Sometimes a good family photo session means capitalizing on what you’ve got. In this case, I had a very shy (and super cute) baby. Instead of focusing on the fact that I was having a little bit of a hard time getting smiles, I decided to recruit her big brother. I’ll always ask questions during the photo session. Is she normally shy? Did she skip a nap today? What do you do at home to make her laugh? Information is key. If I have a baby that is comfortable around her big brother, I’ll ask him to help me tickle her feet or give her kisses. (Huntington Beach Photographer)
Asking questions also helps with what strategies I’m going to use when everyone is in the photo. Sometimes a baby likes loud noises and silly dancing. Other babies aren’t quite sure about all that hoopla and would prefer a quite game of peek-a-boo. Again, getting the information I need and then recruiting help is my key to a great photo session.
Want to see another cute family? Check out this recently family photo session in Orange County.
Feb
12
2017
I recently made a little Valentine’s Day treat as a contributor for Modern Parents Messy Kids. I recipe tested this 2 ingredient recipe with pre-made pie crust and sugar cookie dough. The sugar cookie dough was definitely the winner here. Of course, no one can turn away cherry pie with traditional pie crust, but there was something about the sugar cookie that had you coming back. Maybe it was the density or the extra hint of sweetness. Either way, these mini valentine’s day treats are super easy and turn out so cute!
This sweet baby girl joins a family who loved her before she was even here on this earth. Her older siblings anticipated her arrival and now that she’s finally here everyone wants to hold her. It’s gotta be great to be the center of so much love.
She will have connections with each of her older sisters and her older brother in a unique way. One might want to rough and tumble with her and another might teach her to read before she starts kindergarten. I love seeing big families. They dynamic is so loving. That lucky baby will be adored times four..plus her parents.
Her newborn session went so smoothly as her older siblings doted over her and kissed her little head. She woke for a bit and then went right back to sleep for her photos alone. What a perfect baby model!
**Baby Photography Orange County
Feb
08
2017
Easy Shiplap Wall DIY
Our love of shiplap knows no end. Thanks Joanna Gaines. I’m no stranger to trends. If you look closely, you’ll see a wall of wallpaper that I HAD TO HAVE. So, when I was researching shiplap wall DIYs, I came across people that were doing the shiplap with plywood underlayment. This is awesome for several reasons. First, it’s so lightweight and easy to handle that anyone can assemble it. It’s way cheaper than traditional shiplap AND it’s not permanent. Which means when the shiplap trend is over I can easily pry these off the wall and move on to the next big thing. And I know they’re easy to rip off because we accidentally installed on the wrong way and it was easy to use a screw dry and pry it up.
Shiplap Wall Supplies
- Plywood Underlayment
- Sand paper
- Stud finder
- Nail Gun
- Pennies
- Wood Putty
- Circular saw or jigsaw
- Paint
Shiplap Wall Instructions
We took a trip to Home Depot and purchased two plywood underlayment boards and paid to have them cut into 8″ strips. The width of the boards is 8 feet, which happened to be the length of our wall. #winning But, if you have a smaller wall, have them cut to the width of your wall as well.
You’ll need to sand them down just a little. They are already pretty smooth, but you don’t want splinters. Then, you’ll need a way to adhere them to the wall. If you have access to a nail gun, that will make your life a whole lot easier. Simple mark the studs and use brad nails to attach the board to the wall.
In order to create the look of shiplap, you’ll want spaces. We glued 2 pennies together and used that to space out each board. (See the photo.)
If you have to work around light sockets and switches like we did, it’s helpful to use a circular saw or a jig saw to measure those out and cut them before nailing them to the wall. You’ll also need to cut the last board to fit evenly on the wall.
Once the boards are installed, use wood putty to fill in the nail holes and go over it one more time with a piece of sand paper. We had to go around a corner, so the corners were also filled with putty and sanded smooth.
Painting underlayment is a bit of a pain, I’m not gonna lie. The wood is porous, so it soaks up paint. I used Swiss Coffee by Valspar and paid extra to have paint with primer mixed in. I did two coats with the brush (so it would have a more natural look) and after a few days it was looking yellow. I applied one more coat with a mini-roller (because I was over it!) and that did the trick. It still looked naturally and stayed white.
Feb
06
2017
Last week I photographed this glowing mama in my studio in Long Beach. I absolutely love everything from top to bottom about this session. She wore a beautiful dress with delicate details. Her jewelry complimented the dress perfectly. I collaborated with her to make this floral crown. The soft light of the studio is so gorgeous for maternity sessions. If you’re considering a maternity session, the studio is a great place to keep it simple and just highlight your growing belly and the new life that’s about ready to enter the world.
You can also check out this Orange County on-location maternity session with the same soft colors.
Long Beach Maternity Session by Kristin Eldridge.
Jan
30
2017
If you have a toddler, you’ve made it through the toddler years, you know. YOU KNOW. It’s that transition from baby to kid. They are gaining all this independence, yet they are still working on things like fine motor skills and talking. It can all be very frustrating. Hence, melt downs. And since I’ve survived three toddlers, I know all about the melt downs. I also know about how cute toddlers are. How those chubby little dimpled hands eventually stretch out into adult hands. And the way they say new words makes you want to repeat them, even though they’re not correct. But, it’s just so stinkin’ cute.
So, when I plan out a toddler session, I’ll ask you, when is the best time for their schedule? I know that lighting is important, but more important than that is your toddler is in a good mood. I can work with lighting, but I can’t photoshop a smile. I also work fast. I don’t take similar shots over and over. Once I know I’ve got it, we’re movin’ on. And toddlers appreciate this. We keep the session fun and light-hearted and you get all the heart-melting shots like these…
You can also check out this adorable family session taken in Orange County.