It’s just about Summer here in beautiful SoCal, don’t you think? How lucky we are to live here. Ahhh…

As a high school student you are probably counting the days to the end of school and beginning your Summer vacation. Somewhere in the back of your mind you are also thinking about your senior pictures, especially if you are a Junior. Of course, not everyone gets their “Senior Portraits” done with a professional photographer. The ones that hire a professional photographer for their High School Senior Portraits begin looking for that cool photographer starting June and right up to close to high school graduation. Summer is a good time to take senior portraits as many girls and boys “get ready” for the beach, but other months are good time as well-it just depends on your schedule and how you may feel at certain times of the year.

Here are some things you can look for in senior portrait photographer to help you decide which photographer or studio to go for:

Portfolio: Look through their High School Senior Photography portfolio. Do the images speak to you? Do you want your photos to look like the ones in the photographer’s portfolio? Do you like how they’ve processed/developed the photos? Remember, you are going to hire the photographer for their style of photography, not to hire them hoping they can produce what your idea of cool is. 

Location options: Are you looking to do photo shoots in a studio as opposed to outdoors? Make sure the photographer has access to a studio and knows how to use studio lights. We are well versed with studio equipment, but choose to shoot outdoors because of the look outdoor photography can produce. 

Outfit changes: How many outfits can you change into?

Products (prints, digitals, etc.): Make sure the photographer offers what you need. Some will only offer prints, or only digitals and not offer any session albums.

Price: Are their fees, including product pricing, in your budget? Talk to your parents about this.

Learn more about our high school senior pictures.

It wasn’t as cold as I had expected. It was, however, quiet and serene. After riding for half an hour I came across this small cave during the ride. The cave was used by thieves as a hide-out after robbing stages or stealing livestock. Holes were made in the cave walls to fit pegs on which to hang supplies. What an interesting thing to stumble into!

After a while, I decided to take a little break from riding and rest my mountain bike. It isn’t fancy, but it serves me well. The morning was getting much lighter, and more joggers and other riders began using the path, so I decided to head back home after one final shot.

Let us know in the comments what you think.

Niraj, Miyoko and their daughter were wonderful – and a bit silly – while we were at their photo shoot at Soka in Aliso Viejo. It was a beautiful evening. The sky was a brilliant pink, and the moon reflected its lovely face over the fountains. But it was their daughter’s antics with her dad that really lit up our faces. It’s always nice to have the traditional posed portraits, but the real personality shows through when we can capture the candid interactions between the family members that’s really special. Here are a few of our favorites:

Happy Memories!

February is the month of love, and what better way to show your family you care than by getting your family photos or children’s portraits done? We think it’s such a great idea that we’re offering an amazing special for the month of February! Please feel free to give us a call with any questions, or to book your session. You can contact our Orange County family photography studio at (949) 427-5171, or fill out the short form below. We look forward to talking with you soon! Our mini-sessions include:

• 1/2 hour sitting for only $90 (65% off regular price!)
• Choose from 5-10 great photos
• No-hassle online photo review and purchasing of prints
• Includes one 8×10 archival quality print of your choice!
• Up-to 50% off gift prints, wall prints and wall canvases
• Hand-inspected and delivered for quality control

On-location Photos for an Orange County Family Photographer

We’re lucking to live and play in such a beautiful area such as Orange County! From the lovely beaches to the wide-open parks it’s a photographer’s dream. Rather than stay indoors, we like to take advantage of the lush surroundings Southern California has to offer. The photo shoot locations below are ones we love for family and kid portraits:

• Soka University in Aliso Viejo, CA.
• Niguel Regional Park in Laguna Niguel, CA.
• Doheney State Park in Dana Point, CA.
• The Great Orange Park in Irvine, CA.
• Tewinkle Park in Costa Mesa, CA.
• William R Mason Regional Park in Irvine, CA.
• Peninsula Park in Newport Beach, CA.

Family Photographer in Orange County California

You can fill out the short form below and we’ll be in contact with you soon. Happy love-month to you and your family!
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PS – just so you know, you can have ‘just the children’ portraits as well as family portraits. Have any more questions? Give Rachel a call at 949-247-5171 ext 0.

When I was a kid myself, my favorite time with my family was dinner around the kitchen table. We could be ourselves, and often had fits of giggles that caused us to need to hold back the stitches in our sides. I loved that.

As a Mom…

As a mom, one of my favorite times with the boys are when we’re having breakfast. We let the boys make their own breakfast – they hate cereal, so it’s often eggs and toast – I get my coffee, and Nirzhar has his huge cup of milky tea and we sit quietly and eat. Their heads are still damp from their morning shower, and their toast – often so toasted it’s nearly black – gives off the unmistakable scent and crunch of breakfast. Humming birds flit in and out of our garden outside the kitchen window. Sometimes the fog is just lifting off of the banana trees. It’s quiet, soft, gentle. I love those moments with my men.

In the evening, after the giggles have died down and they’re snuggled in their beds, I love to read to them – or listen to Nirzhar reading. (I love to listen – and watch – Nirzhar read. He gets really into it, and often the giggles and excitement from the boys gets high again!) You can see the stories unfolding in their minds as the words come alive. We’re currently reading Harry Potter – book 3, ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’, and although our eldest has already read it about 3 times, he still listens enraptured in the story of the latest quidditch match – as do I! And then the last kiss and hug before lights-out.

What’s your favorite time with your kids?

Leave your comments below Who knows, we may find some new ways to enjoy being in our kids lives!

See the photo below? We asked her what she would like to do for the photo, and right away she began her spontaneous routine of cartwheels and high jumps. These are fun times!

Personally, I’ve gone to my own portrait sessions without much thought to it, only to regret it later. Like the time I didn’t look at my outfit until the day-of only to find a small stain that just was as stubborn as a mule and I had to pick something else last minute. I’ve also had great photoshoots where I had prepared long in advance and was rested, dressed in my favorite outfit and was so happy with the results. Getting your portraits done captures a moment in time – a moment that you will look back on, hopefully, with fondness – and you should look your best for that moment! Below are a few ideas that I’ve found helpful with getting myself ready for a photoshoot. Have other ideas, or a story of a photoshoot gone bad? Leave it in the comments below! A future blog post will come soon on how-to have a good experience with a family photoshoot, especially with little ones – but let’s focus on the grown-ups first:

Your Outfit(s)

Though we will be focusing more on you than on your clothing, we want you to feel great in what you’re wearing. To do that, choose and outfit that fits ‘just right’, looks as good as “new”, and is clean and ironed. Outfits that are too tight will show everything that you may want to hide, yet baggy clothing (even one size up) can make you see bigger than you are.

It’s best to not wear outfits that are too busy with patterns, small or thin stripes, signs or logos, and not too trendy that will be out of fashion before the next season. When photographing in black and white, think about contrast – and not just with the outfit, but with your skin and hair color as well. For example, if you’re fair, consider wearing darker clothing, and if your olive or dark then consider wearing white or a light color.

If you’re not sure what looks right, ask some friends or family that you trust will give you their honest opinion. And if you don’t have anyone that feels comfortable answering – don’t worry – the internet has you covered! Fashism.com is a site you can take pics of yourself in an outfit, and people will vote if they ‘Love It’ or recommend you ‘Leave It’ – and will give you suggestions on how-to make it better. The site is free, so take advantage of it!

Accessories, daaawling!

Oh, yes, it’s important to remember the small details, but keep them complementary and not over-bearing. Accessories to consider for your photoshoot:

• Earrings
• Bracelets
• Gloves
• Necklaces
• Neckties
• Hats
• Veils
• Scarves
• Other

48 hours before the shoot

If you booked a photoshoot with us, we will give you a call to confirm that the photoshoot is still on and you are feeling well. If you haven’t booked with us, you may want to call your photographer and be sure they’re on. Trust me, I’ve had the situation of getting the whole family together, in their best, on the beach, only to have the photographer not show up! That’s one big reason that we call 2 days ahead – just to make sure we’re all on the same page.

If you’re getting your nails done, now is a great time to do that. It’s best to use a light neutral color as strong colors, such as red or black nails, can be distracting. But don’t let me tell you what to do too much. If you always wear black nail polish, then wear it – it’s part of your personality and that is something we definitely want to capture.

Now is also the time to start laying off the salty, greasy, and sugary foods to keep your skin clear and unwanted bloating off. Also, to help cleanse your body drink more water, and less alcohol. It’s also important to start getting to bed a little earlier – beauty sleep!

24 hours before the shoot

Time to make sure the outfit(s) you’re going to wear are clean, pressed and ready to go. Lightly exfoliate your skin and lips, and think about tweezing, trimming or waxing any unwanted facial hair. Also, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to print off directions to the photoshoot and you have our number on your cell (949-427-5171). Yep, and more water and beauty sleep!

Time for your close-up!

Time to take a little more time to get ready – and relax in the moment. Be sure to drink water (yep, you can never get enough!) and eat a light meal before you go. I would also suggest bringing a bottle of water and a light snack.  Enjoy!!

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Time to have your own close-up? I have a camera, and ready to travel – around Southern California, that is! Use the contact form on this site to contact me – I’m looking forward to learning about you and what you want to capture with my camera. Until then – Rachel Pradhan, Aliso Viejo, CA Photographer and Artist