The Dad of these sweet kiddos shared with me how important it felt to get some great pictures of his whole family together as his daughter is planning on moving to NY once she graduates. This really got me thinking about how the older your kiddos get the less time you get to spend together as a whole family, especially when kids start to head to college and work.

As a Santa Barbara Family Photographer, one of my favorite locations to have Family Portrait sessions is the Douglas Family Preserve, because of it’s variety of beauty from the tall shady Eucalyptus trees to the epic ocean views.

Once we reach our spot where we’ll shoot, I’ll give you a quick run down of some of the shots we’ll take and where we’ll move to get the best light. Although it is not my photography style at all I usually start the session with a couple of “look in the camera and smile” shots. I start with these because they are the most familiar to most people and the familiar helps families feel comfortable.

As a lifestyle family and maternity photographer a part of my creative process is to use the dramatic backdrop of nature to enhance and add drama and interest my images, whether it’s a session at El Matador State Beach in Malibu or a rolling meadow in Ojai. When you book a session with me we’ll talk about where we’ll do the photo shoot as a part of our preparation.