For their maternity session, Stephani wanted a location that had both an urban and a beach vibe.  I think we picked the perfect spot: Seal Beach!

We started out with a stroll along Main Street.  Ellie is lucky to have such good genes to work with.

Then we made our way toward the Seal Beach pier.  The pylons framed the happy couple perfectly.

Thanks so much to Stephanie and Alex!  We hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

Meet Melanie and Keith, a wonderful couple planning their fall wedding in San Diego next year. They met up with us at our secret Irvine Location for engagement photos, but we all had so much fun we had to schedule a dinner date to chat some more!

Melanie and Keith are a photographer’s dream. They look good, they pose without even knowing they’re posing, and they exude a  fun, playful energy. Just look at these two!

And we lucked out during their session.  Keith is a bit of a musician. He brought his guitar and sang to Melanie.

A few weeks ago we met up with Melanie and Keith to get dinner at The Counter for some great gourmet burgers and delicious shakes (thanks for the tip, Melanie!) and ended up chatting until the staff headed home. It’s nice to know who the friendly people are in this town!

Congratulations, Melanie and Keith!

When we last saw them we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this little guy.

This morning we finally got the news we were waiting for…Baby William has arrived!!!  He weighs in at 9 lbs 12 oz and is 22 1/4 inches long.  We can’t wait to meet him in person.

Until then, we thought it was fitting to post a few more shots from Megan and Stuart’s maternity session in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano.

Congratulations to Megan and Stuart! And Happy Birthday to Baby William!

The L. family was adventurous and willing to try something a little more rugged and edge-of-nature. Believe it or not, those areas do still exist in Orange County! We found one such spot on the border of Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills. And Tiffany and Jef were smart to schedule their brood’s session a few weeks before the summer heat wave kicked into high gear.

We knew the greenery would make for a great mother/daughter backdrop.

But we didn’t realize the rocks and sand would be great entertainment for the little guys.

We might just add this location to our list of north Orange County options for family portraits. Thanks to the L. family for such a great afternoon!

We encourage our couples to bring props with them, especially items that represent their personalities or relationships. May and Son met while playing badminton so they brought their trusty rackets with them.

I think you can tell a lot about people by the way they interact, and these two were so fun and playful.

We finished the shoot just as the sun set over the ridge, which provided some great light and an aweseom warm glow. Congratulations guys! We wish you all the best.

Megan is beaming, isn’t she? With such good-looking parents, baby William will be a handsome little guy, no doubt!

Love that bump!

Congratulations Megan and Stuart! We hope you enjoy this sneak peek. And we can’t wait to meet the little guy!

So without further ado, let me introduce you to Baby Parker.  How adorable is this little guy?

We photographed Parker at three weeks old.  Keith and I loved his full head of hair. We were also quite impressed at his strength.  In the shot above, he propped himself up for a few seconds after we set him on his belly. He’s a future athlete for sure.

Keith and I have been looking for ways to mix up newborn sessions.  We’re in love with all the great and creative crochet hats and diaper covers on Etsy.  We found this adorable bear hat through Crochet TLC.  Based on Parker’s expression, he may not have been in love with it, but we still think it’s pretty cute.

Thanks so much to the T. Family! We’re so thankful for the chance to spend the afternoon with you and meet the newest member of the family.

We met up with these two at the perfect spot: UC Irvine.  It turns out both Heatherly and Chaz met and attended school here.  It was fun to hear them share a few stories from their own college days and Greek life as we strolled through the campus.

And I can’t forget to mention Bon Bon, Heatherly’s Pomeranian.  This little cutie joined us for a few shots.

Family portrait.

Heatherly and Chaz are getting hitched August 1.  Unfortunately, we aren’t able to photograph their wedding; we have another session on the books that day.  But whoever does photograph them is lucky.  These two are easy to work with and fun to be around.  To Heatherly and Chaz: Thanks so much, and we wish you the best as you start your new life together.

Keith and I met up with Diana and Phil at one of their favorite locations, the Dana Point Ocean Institute in south Orange County.  We LOVED the location they selected.  The institute’s building has great architecture, not to mention fabulous wood siding, which makes for a great backdrop.

This series of closeups is one of our favorites from the session.

After exploring the grounds of the Ocean Institute, we made our way down to the beach.  It’s unfortunate that right as we reached the shoreline, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped.  But Diana and Phil were good sports—they willingly walked and explored the rocky coast despite the chilly blast.

Before the end of the session, Diana and Phil gave us a tour of a little gazebo that overlooks harbor.  The view is pretty special.

Thanks so much to Diana and Phil.  It’s been great getting to know you both over the last few months.  Keith and I can’t wait to help capture your big day in August.

Yesterday, Keith and I had the opportunity to take engagement photos for an awesome couple…Matt and Jenna.  We met up with this duo at our new favorite location…the historic district in San Juan Capistrano.  For their session, Jenna got creative with these cute blackboards she picked up at a local craft store.  We love it when couples take the time to personalize their sessions with thoughtful props such as these.

One of our favorite shots—a romantic stroll on the train tracks.  But don’t worry, the trains weren’t running that afternoon.

After a quick outfit change, we headed to Aliso Creek Beach to enjoy a little time on the sand.

It didn’t take long before everyone got wet.

Thanks so much to Jenna and Matt for making our job easy.  We hope you enjoy your sneak peek!