I’m a big fan of muted neutral colors for photo sessions. This palette has just the right amount of color mixed with pattern and texture.
Mamas…the ones who make the world go round…this is for you.
I’ll be opening my Long Beach studio on May 2 for a special discounted event. Come with your baby or come with your big kids.
Mar
10
It’s been a minute since I’ve offered spring mini-sessions. But, IT’S TIME! We’re so lucky to have an abundance of wildflowers and long grass. All that texture is so pretty for photos!
A couple weeks ago, I met with Amanda in Long Beach for a mini-session. She had traveled from out of state and was excited to spend the week in Long Beach. Long Beach had special meaning to her, so of course it was the perfect place to photograph her daughter.
One of the benefits of living in southern California is the beauty of shooting outside pretty much year round! I was hired to shoot these spring outfits for Little Skye Kids in the fall, so we planned a shoot at the Long Beach marina.
Family Photographer Newport Beach
When clients book me for the first time, they ask…can you really get good photos in 20 minutes? The short answer: YES.
I love working with little kids because they are so authentic. They don’t mince words and once they’re on my side, we’re winning. I can get them to create the images I know their mom and dad will love while they think we’re playing a game.
Sometimes we look at a photo and feel like it all just fell into place. When in reality, as photographers, we are spinning quite a few plates. Here’s a little bit of what’s inside the mind of a photographer. During a photo session, I’m thinking about my camera settings and light angles first. But if that’s all I thought about, my photos would be boring. I’m also reading people (and kids!). I’m trying to get to know them…and eventually make them laugh. I want my angles to be flattering, so I’m thinking about that too. THEN, you throw in something like the wind. I have to trouble shoot the wind be placing my subjects in a way that won’t leave them with hair flying everywhere. And if I can manage to keep all the plates spinning, I can end up with beautiful, authentic photos.
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.
Sep
21
Orange County Family Photographer
I have 2 boys, so I’m pretty comfortable around them. It didn’t always start that way. I have 2 sisters, so there was a lot of pink going on when I was a kid. But, raising my own boys has taught me to get my hands dirty. I’m all about the rough and tumble. Boys have so much energy, it’s my job to corral all that energy during a photo session. I love the way this session turned out. There was tree-climbing and stick-fighting and lots of hugs in between.
Feb
03
Family is everything. Right? I mean when it comes down to it, those people that you live with, those are the ones that matter most at the end of the day. We might struggle with getting everything finished at work and checked off on the to-do list. But, making family number one is so key to a happy life. I’m most fulfilled when I get to work with people that get this. And to be honest, if you’re investing money into photography than you value your family. Maybe that’s why I love my job so much!
Photos were taken in Newport Beach, CA by Orange County Family Photographer, Kristin Eldridge