Our Aliso Viejo mom called me hoping to get some new portraits of her two boys. It had been many years since they had any together and now the eldest was in High School and she wanted them done before they grew up too much. Having two boys of our own, we completely understand. I’m still amazed that our 12-year-old is almost as tall as both of us!

Family Photography Laguna Niguel Regional Park

The brothers were great on an early Saturday morning at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park. The grass was yellow from the few winter frosts we had, and the geese were waddling across the road giving us the evil eye as we tried to slowly move around them with our big, red minivan. The sun was bright and warm, and the small lake was full of early-morning fishermen. You could tell that it was going to be another glorious day in Southern Orange County, CA – and a perfect day for a children’s photoshoot.

To help get the boys feeling natural for the camera we had them first pose together – asking one to push against the other – a natural way to get them to have a bit of fun and get some natural smiles. We also asked for some ‘serious’ faces, which was a bit harder to do once they got going! But they were great sports. When we showed Mom & Dad the latest portraits of their two boys they decided on some of the more serious portraits for their wall – as well as the smiling ones. The serious side was one they rarely got to see.

One of my favorites, the one with the two boys larking around- the younger pushing on the eldest brother’s back- was made into a beautiful, yet simple necklace – something we now offer! Be sure to ask us about our sterling silver photography necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Enjoy the brother’s black and white portrait photography below!

I met Dan Lipton, editor of the new TravelHost Long Beach magazine, at a Constant Contact event about a month or so ago. I was so excited to hear about his premier issue of his new magazine that I us to take photos. It was a great event at the L’Opera restaurant  with fabulous food, and a great group of business owners, friends and family to celebrate this great accomplishment. We were happy to be able to capture the moments with some black and white photography. Cheers!

We are ecstatic to announce the addition of Glamour Photography to our offerings at The Pradhan Studios. Having gone through the diva day myself I can honestly tell you it’s an amazing experience and the photos couldn’t have turned out more gorgeous! I’m one lucky gal to have such a fantastic glamour team!

There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes of a family photoshoot – like studying poses, for example. Once we meet you and your family, we go back to the studio to study and sketch out ideas of how to pose you and your family to best achieve the photographic artwork that will put your family in the best light.

But sometimes, it’s the moment in-between the different poses that become a family favorite. There are some examples of that below.

It’s because we know these ‘in-between’ moments are so special, so important to the photoshoot, that we have two people on every photoshoot. Usually, I’m the one that poses you and your family, while Nirzhar is ready with the camera to capture those fleeting moments. If he was directing and getting materials and props together, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to capture them.

So why do we direct or pose at all? Because we know that there are many more ways to make you look great in a photo. With the tilt of your head we can get rid of that double chin (that you don’t actually have, but always seems to show up on snapshots). With shifting your weight to the back foot we shed pounds off your hips, and with the right hand placement we can help your arms look long and slender. We see what your good side is, and highlight it. Plus, once you’re in that pose, we take the photo, and then you relax and joke around with your family, that pose is still there – but you’re relaxed and that in-between moment is captured.

Enjoy some of these favorite photos of our in-between moments:

Soka University is one of our favorite places for an on-location photoshoot in Orange County. It’s white travertine buildings, reflection pools, and fountains make the perfect backdrop to a family photograph. This young family is actually our Aliso Viejo neighbors, and we were so happy when they asked us to be their photographer for their yearly portrait! Their son is just the cutest, and was happy to ‘play along’ with the band when we found out they were musicians.

Actually, that brings up something I wanted to mention. When we first start working with you and your family, I want to meet with you before the photoshoot. This helps us to get to know you, your family, and work together to bring about what you would like to create during the photoshoot. We may take a look at the walls your looking to cover with family portraits. We’ll find out what the children like, and what you love. Then we’ll piece together what would be a great portrait for your family. I’m so grateful to our clients to allowing us to do that in-depth discovery of their family so that we can develop an art piece that they simply love for generations to come.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the Soka University photoshoot: