I’m just weeks away from starting my first holiday mini-session! This year, I’ll be in Long Beach, Los Angeles County and Orange County. There are so many great locations. To see them all, you can click on the menu above to see the calendar.
Here a few things I love about this session…in no particular order. 🙂
The girls always come ready to have fun. They are giggling and being silly from the second we start. It always makes for great photos!
A couple years ago, I was looking for a location for a client and stumbled on to Castaways Park.
You might think that I have a ten step system to prepare you for getting in front of the lens. The truth is, I don’t. Having a successful photoshoot is quite simple.
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.
My best photo sessions happen when I can focus on present over perfect. Photographing kids can sometimes be like herding cats, so it’s better to go with the flow than against it. If everyone is looking and smiling at the camera, GREAT. If everyone is happy, but not looking at the camera, AT LEAST NO ONE’S CRYING.
But seriously, when we can relax into the rhythm of what a family is (ie: not perfect) things will be better than perfect. I love working with this family because they appreciate the in-between moments.
It’s hard in the middle of a stressful situation (like a photo session!) but try to remember to stay calm. Attitudes are contagious and when parents set the tone, the kids will follow. I love to see families laughing, joking and just having all kinds of fun. Even if they’re not looking at the camera, it’s perfect.
family photographer orange county, Kristin Eldridge
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.
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.
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.