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bay area family photographers

Post-Thanksgiving Multi-Generation Family Portraits @ Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz CA

Post-Thanksgiving Multi-Generation Family Portraits @ Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz CA

Wow. What an amazing family to photograph at iconic Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz tonight. I always have families meet me at the rear entrance so we can get some forest-vibes shots before we head over to the beach. I’m SO glad I did because the sun coming through the trees + some fresh grass was absolutely beautiful. This was a big group, with grandma at the top, 4 adult kids, each with their own families. It’s tough to get all the combos, but I feel like we most definitely did. Enjoy my 50 favorites from the session, in both forest and beach environments, below. And if you’re looking for a photographer in the Santa Cruz are to expertly capture your rambunctious family, I’m your guy!

Holiday Family Portraits @ Filoli Gardens, Woodside

Holiday Family Portraits @ Filoli Gardens, Woodside

I’ve worked a lot with Crystal over the years, mostly on big corporate gigs and a few weddings – but I’ve never had the privilege of photographing her and Gerald’s lovely family. Even though we’re almost in December 2023, it was sunny and 62 degrees for this morning’s family portrait session in Woodside, CA. Crystal wanted to explore the expansive, amazing property of Filoli Gardens, which is one of the few private locations that are actually pretty friendly to professional photography (as long as you purchase an entrance ticket). This means we had to dodge around a few other families of like mind, but the place is so huge this isn’t a big deal. Oh, they don’t allow dogs, but there’s some cool areas adjacent to the parking lot so we were able to include their best friend Lexi in a few photos at the start. Their 2 1/2 year old son kinda stole the show with his adorable grin, which required only a little M&M-fueled inspiration at key points during the hour-long session :)

I’m really happy with how the photos turned out, and I hope the family is thrilled with the results as well. It’s good to know that Filoli still looks amazing in the wintertime – even though there’s no blooming flowers, there’s so many nooks / archways / doorways / walls with tons of character to explore, I didn’t miss the flora one bit. Enjoy may faves below, there’s so many more than this in the full collection!

A Vibrant Tapestry of Moments: Capturing Family Memories at Capitola Beach

A Vibrant Tapestry of Moments: Capturing Family Memories at Capitola Beach

As I arrived at Capitola Beach, the day seemed to promise a session brimming with color, emotion, and scenic beauty. It was going to be a somewhat atypical family shoot - centered mostly around the verge-of-adulthood teenager, almost echoing the essence of a senior portrait session, yet intertwined with moments that encapsulated the family's close-knit bond. The anticipation in the air was palpable, as the family eagerly awaited to explore the picturesque corners of the beach, creating a vibrant tapestry of memories that would be cherished forever.

The beach was more than just a setting; it was a character in their story, adding layers of texture and color to each photograph. We ventured to moss-covered rocks that bore witness to the passage of time, each mossy nook holding secrets of the ocean. Under the sheltered tranquility of the shaded wharf, the family found moments of connection, where candid smiles and spontaneous laughter were captured, becoming the precious tokens of their bond. The colored buildings that stand as iconic witnesses at Capitola Beach added a whimsical and vibrant backdrop, harmonizing perfectly with the joyous spirit of the session.

As the shoot unfolded, it became a beautiful blend of individual portraits and group shots, a dance between posed elegance and candid charm. Each frame encapsulated the personality of the individuals, as well as the special synergy that they radiated as a group. The session transformed into a series of memorable snapshots, a melange of singular moments that, together, painted a vivid portrait of love, unity, and the vibrant hues of familial bonds. As the day drew to a close, we left with not just photographs, but a rich narrative of a family, beautifully etched against the colorful canvas that is Capitola Beach.

Family Portrait Photo Session @ Capitola Beach, CA

Family Portrait Photo Session @ Capitola Beach, CA

Sometimes I’ll have a family that is applying for adoption or want to show their family interaction to a prospective private school. The reasons don’t really matter to me, but I take pride in really bringing out the true personalities of everyone I photograph. Sometimes it takes a little while for people to warm up, but once they are comfortable, the real them starts to show through. Capturing that is always one of my goals, and is very satisfying. This family of three was photographed at Capitola Beach, one of my favorite photography destinations.

Multi-Generation Family Portraits @ Stanford Campus near Palo Alto, CA

Multi-Generation Family Portraits @ Stanford Campus near Palo Alto, CA

The toughest shot to get is always the one with the “most eyeballs.” So when we have multiple families coming together, I try to get that most difficult photo done as early as possible in the session. Especially if there are little ones that may end up in tears or just not having it – at some point during the shoot. I met this family near The Oval on the Stanford campus – a great location as it is photographer-friendly and has lots of interesting architectural elements / settings to use. When you have a group this big, though, you aren’t exploring a bunch of different settings all over the place. You pick one central location you can do most of the photos at, and have nearby locations within easy walking distance for when you break the shoot down to the individual families. It’s also hard with these large shoots to include a bunch of candid photos since there’s so many permutations of different groups we want to accomplish – but I still managed to get a few in-the-moment shots in-between the more formal posed groups.

Forest and Beach Family Photos @ Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz, CA

Forest and Beach Family Photos @ Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz, CA

Natural Bridges is a great spot as you can start in the forest/field setting at the rear entrance, and end at the beach. The beach is often crowded, especially the money-shot angle that has the natural bridge in the background, so I always start with the more private forested region off Delaware Ave.

This family I swear could all be models, and I had such a fun time capturing how much they adore each other. They even pulled off some pretty well-matched outfits, which is always risky. I think they nailed in, and I’m pretty sure they think I did too!

Multi-Generation Family Photography @ Private Residence in Aptos, CA

Multi-Generation Family Photography @ Private Residence in Aptos, CA

This is the second time I’ve photographed this multi-generation family at and around their home in Aptos – it’s so great to see clients’ families grow over time, and satisfying to capture who they are at that moment. I captured a few photos of the whole clan in different settings, as well as the separate families and of course the kids running around being kids.

Maternity / Family Photo Session @ Nisene Marks Redwood Forest in Aptos, CA

Maternity / Family Photo Session @ Nisene Marks Redwood Forest in Aptos, CA

I love the color and vibe from this young family’s maternity / family session in the lush, dark redwoods of Nisene Marks in Aptos. Their young daughter stole the show with her cuteness and kept us all on our collective toes as we explored the forest together. It was hard to pick my favorites, and I’m sure it was even tougher for them! Enjoy my selection below:

Capitola Beach Family Photography Session

Capitola Beach Family Photography Session

I love this family, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph them many times, since before there were kids – I feel a photography relationship often starts with the engagement/wedding, and if we can keep in touch, it just grows over the years. Kaelin is a successful real estate agent in the Santa Cruz area, and I have really enjoyed seeing her grow professionally along with the creation and growth of their family. Here’s a few of my favorite photos from their most recent family portrait session at Capitola Beach:

Santa Cruz Family Photo Session @ Wilder Ranch

Santa Cruz Family Photo Session @ Wilder Ranch

I’ve photographed this family every year for over a decade and it brings me so much joy to document their lives, it’s truly an honor to be their go-to family photographer for so long. We’ve historically always shot at Seacliff Beach, so it was nice to change things up this year and explore Wilder Ranch in Santa Cruz. Enjoy a few of my faves below:

Wilder Ranch Family Portraits in Santa Cruz, CA

Wilder Ranch Family Portraits in Santa Cruz, CA

After a while, families in the Santa Cruz area have done the beach shoot, done the forest shoot, and are looking for something a little different. Enter the rustic farm-y destination of Wilder Ranch, just north of Santa Cruz off Highway 1. I last photographed this family about 10 years earlier, so it was a bit of a shock to see the kids all grown up, but so great to reconnect with this lovely family. We explored the old buildings and pastures and had a great time making new family memories in a unique Santa Cruz spot.

Anderson Lake County Park (Morgan Hill) Family Photo Session

Anderson Lake County Park (Morgan Hill) Family Photo Session

I know it’s a gloomy, rainy day today in the Bay Area, but as soon as that sun comes out it’s picture time! I used to live and work in Morgan Hill, but I’d never actually shot a session at Anderson Lake County Park. My client’s dad has limited mobility, so we mostly picked a few different locations that would make for interesting backdrops. I used off-camera flash for most of these to control the light. Enjoy a few of my faves below!

Aptos Maternity - Family Portraits

Aptos Maternity - Family Portraits

I photographed Ali and Brandon’s elopement almost exactly one year ago at a beach house in Aptos, California. Today, we came together again for pictures, but of a different sort :) Ali is due in 6 weeks, so the time was perfect to get some great maternity photos of that beautiful belly. Plus, her sister’s family was also visiting, so we of course had to get those adorable kids (and parents) involved in the shoot. We’ve been having quite a bit of rain lately, so we had to play this shoot by ear, but I’m so glad we were able to make it work in-between rain and wind! Enjoy a few of my favorites below…

Windy, Fun Family Photos @ Pajaro Dunes, Watsonville

Windy, Fun Family Photos @ Pajaro Dunes, Watsonville

I’ll be honest, I fully expected this family to cancel their photo shoot. They are multiple generations, coming together at a rental house in Pajaro Dunes to celebrate Mom/Grandma’s 70th, so it was a special occasion for everyone. However. Something happened with the weather that day in the early afternoon. A light breeze turned into steadily increasing winds. The marine layer came in and blotted out the sun, rendering the environment in flat, gray tones. And it was cold, more so as the wind picked up. Not the ingredients you want when you have a bunch of people to capture at their best. But I showed up, they showed up – and were like, “we’re dressed, we’re here, let’s do this!” I immediately perked up and saw that there was opportunity here. I stressed that if they were expecting perfect hair and a California sunset, that they would be disappointed – but if they wanted someone (me) to capture some fun, authentic moments in the face of 40mph winds, well I’M YOUR GUY!

So we did it, we did the shoot, it was great and we managed to get a few keepers along the way. It just goes to show that attitude beats the weather any day! Enjoy a few of my faves below:

Twin Lakes Beach Santa Cruz Newborn / Family Photography

Twin Lakes Beach Santa Cruz Newborn / Family Photography

Okay, so most newborn sessions happen at home, but lately I’ve been doing newborn(ish) family sessions on-location, in a redwood forest, or in this case, on the beach! Working with little kids means I don’t go into a session with a preset idea of exactly where it’s going to go. I may have some loose ideas, but it’s all about interacting with my subjects and deciding on the fly the best path to take at that moment. Maybe kids are in a “pay attention” mode and I’ll take advantage with some posed (directed), well-lit shots. Maybe that falls apart quickly and we transition to fun, candid playtime. Flexibility and a good attitude is essential to a successful portrait session with kids! The gallery below is the perfect example of the pace and random nature of a typical family session. For the baby, I made sure the parents brought along a blanket, and I was able to find a shaded spot behind a large piece of driftwood; dad held my light-source low so I could control the light for those shots (thanks dad!). Anyways, enough words, enjoy the pics:

Beer Can Beach / Aptos Muti-Generation Family Portrait Photography Session

Beer Can Beach / Aptos Muti-Generation Family Portrait Photography Session

This adorable central-California family rented a house near Seascape in Aptos, CA to celebrate their mom’s 70th birthday, and even though it was windy, chilly, and occasionally very rainy, they wanted to capture this special 3-generation get-together with some professional photos. I knew we had some little ones in the mix, so I made sure I worked quick and with all my skills on hand to make it a fun experience for everyone. Here’s a few of my faves from the session…

Vasona Park Los Gatos Family Photos

Vasona Park Los Gatos Family Photos

This little darling just turned one, and of course she deserved to have her very own photo shoot to commemorate the occasion! I love this whole family, they made it really easy to get a bunch of keepers in a short amount of time. We had our family portrait session on a Saturday morning in Vasona Park, Los Gatos – and being the dead of winter and all, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Enjoy my faves below:

Capitola Beach Family Portraits – Verona and Kids

Capitola Beach Family Portraits – Verona and Kids

I've had the pleasure of seeing these boys grow up over the years and take a few photos along the way. Their personalities really come out in this beach photo shoot in Capitola. I love getting people to come out of their shell a little so I can capture their true essence. Here's a few of my faves from their beach family portrait session below!

Seabright Beach, Santa Cruz Family Photos

Seabright Beach, Santa Cruz Family Photos

Shooting multi-generational families can definitely be a challenge – the grandparents may have limited mobility, and the youngest grandkids, well they have limited attention spans! But you know what? I always embrace the challenge. If a few families come together to make this happen (and believe me, it can be stressful getting everyone going and keeping them clean), then it's my duty to kick ass on their behalf and get the shots they want and then some. Sue is the matriarch of this extended family, and we got some great shots of the whole clan, the individual families as well as lots of candids and other fun groupings. Enjoy my faves below :)

4-Mile Beach, Santa Cruz Family Portraits

4-Mile Beach, Santa Cruz Family Portraits

It's been a while since I've shot at Four Mile Beach in Santa Cruz. It's a total surfer's beach, I rarely see any casual beachgoers there, which honestly makes it a great location for family photos. Tons of privacy, easy access, and being relatively unknown makes it a great choice. This family has kids going off to college, so this was the last pre-empty-nest-opportunity to get some family pics. They were lovely to get to know, and we had some great light to work with at sunset! Here's some of my favorite photos from their portrait session: