Actually, first we met up with them in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano. We took some photos around the train station and movie theater before wandering Los Rios Street in search of some fun. Some of the ivy-covered walls still look like Autumn, as do the trees in the park. Just our style!

The sky threatened rain all day, but we had such good luck on Los Rios Street that we thought we might press our luck and try a new trail not far up the freeway to get a little different look: fields, flowers, oranges. There aren’t many orange orchards left in Orange County (at least not accessible to photographers) but this one beckons just over the railing, so in we went.  And we’re glad we did! Check out this adorable duo!

Apparently Morgan digs tractors, so to speak, and who can skip the chance to skipper this old jalopy?

Morgan and Ryan were great to work with, and they’re sweet with each other. We can’t wait to help them celebrate their wedding at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton this July.

The start of fall also means the start of our annual mini-session and holiday portrait season. Once a year we offer a discounted rate for portraits at some of our favorite Orange County spots.  Last Saturday morning we headed south to Los Rios Street in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano. This locale never disappoints.  And neither do our adorable subjects.  Meet the D. Family.  Baby Chloe and her mom met us near the train depot to start the session, where the green ivy is just starting to turn brown.  Fall has definitely arrived.

Chloe was a good sport for most of the session.  She let us sit her near noisy trains, on wood steps, and next to grass that was taller than her.

But then our adorable model got a little unsure and hungry.  Here’s proof that she’s cute even when she tears up.

But after a few cereal puffs and cuddles with mom, she was back to rockin’ the camera.

Thanks so much to the D. Family for making the trek all the way from the Bay Area to meet with us and kick off our fall portrait season! If your session is any indication for how the rest of our season will go, we’re in for an awesome couple of months.

The Y. Family - Irvine

The B. Family – Irvine

The K. Family - Irvine

The Y. Family – Orange County

The S. Family – Aliso Creek Beach

The G. Family – Irvine Regional Park

The T. Family – Orange County

The Y. Family – Mission San Juan Capistrano

Megan + Stuart - Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano

Instigator – San Juan Capistrano

The L. Family - Anaheim Hills/Yorba Linda

The K. Family – Aliso Creek Beach

The S. Family – Irvine

Stephani + Alex – Seal Beach

William – Orange County

The L. Family - Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano

The A. Family – Dana Point Ocean Institue

The Y. Family - Irvine

The C. Family – Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano

The L. Family – Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano

The F. Family – Orange County

Baby Elle – Brea

The V. Family – Irvine

The T. Family - Dana Point Ocean Institute

The C. Family – Dana Point Ocean Institute

The S. Family – Irvine

The P. Family – Irvine

The B. Family – Orange County

The T. Family – Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano

The A. Family - The Lab, Costa Mesa

The B. Family - The Lab, Costa Mesa

The K. Family - The Camp, Costa Mesa

To start things off, we each upgraded our cell phones to the Droid 2. One of us loves it, the other not so much. Guess who’s still missing the simplicity of their old phone? We also tried a new recipe, Paris Pasta, from a cookbook we got for Christmas. I’m pretty sure the cream sauce loaded with Parmesan cheese wasn’t the healthiest dining option, but it was pretty tasty. And finally, we had lunch with friends at a new restaurant, Lomeli’s, in Brea. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend the chicken fettuccine lunch special.

Over the weekend, Keith and I also spent some time reflecting on all the great clients we worked with over the past year. During 2010, we shot about 40 family sessions, engagement sessions, and weddings. It was a record year for us! And we’re so lucky to have worked with so many great couples and families. We’d like to thank all our clients with this week’s series of posts. First up, a look back at all our awesome couples who got engaged and allowed us to follow them around for an afternoon. We trekked through parks, beaches, and orchards to capture their smiles, giggles, and hugs—and we loved every minute of it. Posts on our 2010 family sessions and weddings are coming up.  Enjoy!

Heatherly + Chaz: UC Irvine

May + Son: Irvine

Diana + Phil: Dana Point Ocean Institue

Melanie + Keith: Irvine

Jenna + Matt: San Juan Capistrano and Aliso Creek Beach

Katie + Dustin: Oak Glen

Lacie + Scott: Huntington Beach

For the past two years, the L. Family has been up for a little adventure and chosen to break the mold by avoiding local parks and the beach to have their family sessions at a couple off-beat locations.  You might remember their awesome photos last year at The Lab and The Camp in Costa Mesa.

This fall, the L. Family took us up on one of our mini-sessions offered at Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano.  And just like last year, the results were awesome!  This trio has great energy and everyone was willing to explore all the scenic nooks that line this historic street.

Harrison was four when we first met him.  This year, he is a proud 5-year-old and in kindergarten.  It was great seeing how much he’s grown since their last family session.

Our favorite shot of Harrison.

And our favorite family shot. The tall tree in the background is actually a cactus.  It’s definitely a must-see!

Thanks so much to the L. Family!  We can’t wait to do it again next year.

First up was the C. Family.  We were excited to photograph this foursome from the start—they rocked their session with some great outfit combos that blended together well, but weren’t overly matching.  And their casual style fit in perfectly with the laid-back atmosphere of the historic district.

We loved Owen’s tie and sweater combo.  Totally preppy, and totally cool.

Little sister Olivia, was equally cute with matching purple bow and skirt.

And let’s not forget their folks.  Keith spent some time during the mini-session with Garey and Leida to get a few portraits of just the two of them.  We’ve had several couples request a few solo shots without the kiddos, and we are always happy to oblige.

Our favorite shot of the day.

Toward the end of the session, Owen and Olivia requested a photo of their parents smooching.

But I don’t think Owen was too keen on the idea when Olivia leaned in for a peck on the cheek.

Thanks so much to the C. Family for making our first mini-session of the fall season so great!

We’ve got one more session from last Sunday to post on the blog soon.  And we still have two mini-session slots available before the calendar for 2010 is officially closed.  Check our pricing page for more details.

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!

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!