family

Little boy laughing at family behind the Atalaya Castle - Huntington Beach State Park

Winter family pictures at the Atalaya Castle

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I thought I would make a quick post about one of my family portraits sessions over the Thanksgiving weekend. With the clients featured below, we didn’t pay to go inside the Atalaya Castle at all, but there are still a lot of nice exterior areas for pictures. The front lawn with the castle in the background is very pretty as well as the patio area in the back. I normally really like the walkway in front of the castle and some other spots, but because of the mosquitoes we had to leave that area quickly. Perhaps it’s something to do …

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Wedding couple from 5 years ago came back for family pictures - North Beach Plantation

Family portraits at North Beach Plantation with my previous wedding couple

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I had to quickly post about this family of three because I also shot their wedding pictures back in 2011! It was nice to see a previous wedding couple again after so many years, this time with a new addition to the family. Their new baby girl was also an excellent subject for pictures. Sometimes I needed other family acting silly or making sounds behind me and the camera to get a baby to smile, but she was great just for me without any extra help. She had some cutest expressions, like she knew she was showing off for the camera. …

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Guy getting a really big hug after surprise proposal - Myrtle Beach State Park

Surprise engagement proposal with the whole family at the Myrtle Beach State Park

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I’ve been doing a lot of surprise marriage proposals recently. I think it’s because I’ve blogged about it several times, and clients must be seeing my posts. Whatever the reason, I always enjoy doing these, so I hope I keep getting more. I believe this engagement proposal was a real surprise. She was under the impression we were doing portraits of the whole family. I took pictures of the five different couples, including parents and grandparents, up by the oak trees and then by the dunes. When it was the about-to-be-engaged couple’s turn for pictures, he picked up the ring box the family had …

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Family of 4 in front of a beautiful sunset by the sea oats

Taking family pictures to the next level with all prime lenses like the Nikon 85mm f1.4G

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I’ve used my Nikon 85mm f1.4 prime lens for several years, primarily for weddings and engagement pictures. My other workhorse lens was the Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 lens. This is considered an excellent lens and should be as much as it costs. It focuses very quickly and gives a fantastic range for family pictures. I could shoot the whole group and still get excellent close-up portraits of individuals and kids. The longer I do photography, the pickier I get about wanting a specific look to the pictures. I like that soft Bokeh or out-of-focus background, and there is something special about the …

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First kiss - Members Club at Grande Dunes

Sunset wedding on the veranda at the Members Club at Grande Dunes

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I always love going to the Grande Dunes Members Club for weddings. It’s a beautiful clubhouse located on the golf course inside the Grande Dunes. This bride wore a stunning lace-covered ball gown. This is a perfect dress for getting pictures of the bride standing in a doorway with the full dress flowing out behind her. Working with some of my favorite wedding vendors, including Sara from Stunning and Brilliant Events and DJ Scott and Company, was also great. I began the day by taking pictures of the bride’s wedding dress and other details. I always love photos of the …

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Fun senior couple at their surprise 60th anniversary party – Doubletree Resort

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This was a sweet senior couple that had a surprise 60th-anniversary party at the Doubletree Resort hotel. I wasn’t expecting such an elaborate event when I arrived. It was like a small wedding reception. They had a band, a wedding-style cake, and a dance floor. They even played that wedding game where they asked the couple questions and see how well they know each other. You can see in the pictures that they were constantly smiling or tearing up. They just seemed to have the best time and loved each other. I’m sure we all wish we could be like …

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Documenting a wedding reception with candid photography

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What is the most important part of a wedding for a photographer? What might come to mind is the ceremony, or first kiss, or pictures of the couple after the wedding, even the special dances.  So when I put up a blog post, photography of these things is what I’m usually concentrating on.  But really, what I spend probably half or more of my time at a wedding doing, is just keeping a close eye on the couple and trying to document the event.  I want to catch the emotions and the natural expressions of everyone there.  But at the …

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Couple smiling at each other in front of the pier

Secret pictures of marriage proposal and engagement portraits after

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I got to do something fun last week, trying to do marriage proposal pictures without being noticed. The man’s family, including his daughter, were hiding by the dunes while we waited for him and his girlfriend to arrive at the beach. There are always a lot of photographers down at the state park, so it was pretty easy to blend in. I don’t think his girlfriend noticed me until after he proposed, so I thought I did a good job. Then they just took engagement pictures on the beach together. It was a lot of fun and easy to get …

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HDR of a wedding ceremony on the compass pad at the Marina Inn - Grande Dunes

Wedding of mother with four fun kids at the Marina Inn with reception at Joe’s Crab Shack

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This was a fun recent wedding at the Grande Dunes Marina Inn, with a reception at Joe’s Crab Shack at Broadway at the Beach. I didn’t ask, but I would imagine this was a second wedding for both the bride and groom. Those are always fun because when it’s the second time, it’s usually more about just having fun with the family.  Especially when they have great kids with good personalities.  Instead of my most important pictures being about the couple, it’s usually more about the family and having fun with the kids. I’ve never been to Joe’s Crab Shack …

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Fun large family with colorful outfits doing portraits at the Myrtle Beach State Park

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I keep having some great families for pictures recently. It’s so nice when everyone in the family is in a really good mood and ready to have fun with the pictures. The family I’m highlighting was a larger group I took to Myrtle Beach State Park.  When photographing a large group, I usually don’t go to the oak trees but just take them down to a more secluded area of the park on the far side of the pier. This was a cloudy, not very nice-looking evening. When the sky is overcast like this, you get clean, less harsh lighting …

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