Sea Ya Later, Charlie!
A Coronado Beach Senior Session
When Cara reached out about grabbing a few beachy shots for her son’s graduation invitation, I figured we’d do a quick Petit Session one morning on Coronado. (I almost never shoot in the morning — sunset is my thing — but for Coronado? I’ll make an exception.) What was supposed to be a couple of photos for the invite turned into so much more.
If Cara’s name sounds familiar, you might know her as the incredible Taking Cara Babies — she’s a nurse who helps babies and toddlers sleep so families can thrive. But today, she’s here as Charlie’s very proud mom.
The Backstory
Charlie is headed to Pepperdine University in the fall — go Waves! He already had his senior photos taken in the desert back home in Phoenix, but when the family planned a quick weekend trip to Coronado, Cara knew they needed some beachy shots to match his beach-themed graduation party. (The grad party theme: Pepperdine Waves, Sea Ya Later.)
I actually photographed Cara’s daughter’s senior session a while back, and a few of those photos included her daughter’s boyfriend at the time. Fast forward to today, and those two are husband and wife. I love that.
30 Minutes. That’s It.
Charlie wasn’t exactly counting down the days to this session. Early morning, vacation, and he’d already done his senior photos back home. Totally fair. But he showed up, we kept it chill, kept it quick, and 30 minutes later we were done.
Then I sent over a few sneak peeks.
Mom, these are so good. Tell her thank you so much. I love these.
That’s the thing with these quick sessions — you don’t need hours to get something good.
A Mom’s Favorite
I asked Cara which photo was her favorite:
Probably the one where he’s leaning at the bottom of the lifeguard stand. I see that he’s a grown man, but my heart still sees him playing near that lifeguard stand every summer as a little boy. We visited Coronado often as he was growing up. It’s our home away from home.
Mom’s favorite.
Getting to Know Charlie
Charlie has been at his school since first grade — a true “lifer.” He has friendships that are incredibly near and dear to him, but he’s also ready for the next chapter. Next stop? Malibu.
Charlie plans to major in biology and go to med school. His dad is a pediatrician, and his mom and two sisters are nurses — it’s in his DNA.
Charlie has a 4.3 GPA and a near-perfect ACT score. He was captain of the football team and emcee of all the school’s pep assemblies. He would never tell you any of this, of course — but that’s what moms are for.
Charlie needed a shirt the night before the shoot and grabbed one of his dad’s. It ended up looking great — and his dad’s not getting it back.
Our Little Slice of Heaven
I’ll let Cara have the last word here, because she said it perfectly:
Coronado is our little slice of heaven. Everyone needs to come vacation here and let Amy grab some photos while you’re there.
Whether it’s a full senior session, a quick family shoot on vacation, or just a few portraits to capture a milestone — Coronado has the most beautiful light, and I’d love to photograph your story here.
Congratulations, Charlie! Pepperdine is lucky to have you. 🌊
Visiting San Diego?
Whether you’re local or just in town for the weekend, I’d love to capture your family’s memories in one of San Diego’s most beautiful locations. Senior sessions, family portraits, couples — let’s make it happen.
Get in touch to book your session!
San Diego Senior Photographer · Coronado Beach Portraits · Senior Photos San Diego · Graduation Photographer · Pepperdine · Beach Senior Session · Amy Gray Photography · Coronado Island · Senior Portraits · Class of 2026








