So glad we slipped this senior portrait session in before the quarantine hit last month. With all of the sad news and cancelations in 2020, at least Audrey got to celebrate her senior year at Patrick Henry with this fun and colorful shoot at Balboa Park. Here are a few of our favorites:
This friendly squirrel was a fun surprise during our session.
Back when social distancing and the Coronavirus were not even blips are our collective radar, James called me to set up a stealth proposal session for Valentine’s Day.
He and Sandy were planning a trip San Diego to get away from the hustle and bustle for a relaxing getaway. Unbeknownst to Sandy, James had a special surprise in mind.
More than anything, James wanted to capture an incredibly romantic moment in the history of their relationship — one neither of them would ever forget. At the hotel concierge’s suggestion, he contacted Bill Pavlacka, Coronado’s legendary Sandcastle Man, to send this proposal into absolute WOW territory.
James, Bill, and I went back and forth, exchanging maps of the beach, and deciding on the perfect location for the castle. When I arrived at the designated spot on Valentine’s Day, Bill was there to keep an eye on his creation.
The castle was the subject of quite a bit of attention from passersby, and when Bill put me in charge of it so that he could check on another castle, I made sure to let the young men who stopped to admire it know, “This is how it’s done, guys.” 😂
Right on schedule, James showed up with Sandy. She was surprised and delighted by the castle, and by James’s sweet proposal.
Bill and I congratulated the happy couple, and Bill offered to write Sandy’s answer in the sand.
From there, we set off to enjoy golden hour on the beach, making some beautiful sunset portraits that James and Sandy plan to use for their engagement photos, to frame for display, and to create save-the-dates and wedding invitations. They chose a few favorites for me to post, while keeping others private for their wedding guests to enjoy.
For James and Sandy, a favorite memory of the evening was sitting in the sand as the sun went down, enjoying one another’s company and watching the waves crash on the shore.
James said his favorite shot was this image with the castle and hotel in the background.
There’s nothing like a global pandemic to show us what’s important in life.
Before any of this coronavirus craziness was even a thought, Thersa’s family gathered in San Diego for a wonderful week at the beach, staying at a vacation property in Carlsbad.
She told me, “As the family grows it is tough to get all eleven of us together for a time away from daily life. The week consisted of long walks on the beach, the kids playing in the sand box on our private beach, cooking meals together, and just loads of family time.”
Thersa’s daughters arranged the photo session, carefully choosing their coordinating outfits. Extended family styling can be tricky, and they did an amazing job. Although the day was rainy early on, the sky cleared just enough to give us a perfect sunset.
Okay, I love this one. How adorable is that??
Baby cousin’s turn with the boat! We had a little trouble getting in position. 🙂
I’m a fan of this dude. Very cool grandpa.
One of Thersa’s favorites.
This good-natured extended family can trace those smiles all the way back to Grandpa! I loved watching them interact on the beach at sunset during their stay in North County last month.
Brooke’s vision for her senior year at Point Loma Nazarene University included a photo session on the beach, and I’m so glad she chose me for that adventure! I loved her style, from her outfit choices to the cute hat that added some flair to the session!
Here’s what Brooke had to say about her college senior session:
Q. What was your favorite memory from your session?
A. I think my favorite memory was the freedom of just going in the water and playing around without worrying about my clothes. On a normal day, I would NEVER let my clothes get wet; the feeling of wet, sandy clothes sticking to me I don’t like. But this session gave me the ability to just get in and not worry about it-just having fun in the beautiful water was such a gift!
Q. Going into your session, did you have any concerns?
A. I was definitely worried about my hair. With my curls, the beach usually doesn’t make them look too crazy but it can certainly frizz out my hair! But the photos turned out great, hair included!
Q. Did you have any favorite images?
A. I love the photos on and underneath the lifeguard tower. The light behind me and the flowy-ness of my skirt just blow me away! I love the genuine joy of these photos.
Q. What is your plan for these images?
A. I will definitely print them and give them to family members as a memory of my senior year of college and graduation. My mom also wants to print them out and use them as wall art in our house. 😊
© 2020 All rights Reserved.
