Every once in a while I take a step back from the super creative process of creating fun and whimsical portraits and just take some regular old head-and-shoulders head shots. There is a real need for better photographs than snapshots in the corporate workplace and even for places like Facebook or LinkedIn profiles.  While not quite as exciting as chasing balloon-toting toddlers and commanding the attention of large family groups (not to mention getting everyone to look at the camera at once)…taking some plain head shots, whether for corporate work, modeling portfolio or personal use,  can be refreshing.   And this was such an easy session – it was great working with Jeremy – so laid back and natural in front of the camera.  Enjoy your sneak peek Jeremy – your gallery will be up before you know it!

I couldn’t think of a better word to describe this family, so keeping it short on the blog titles tonight! I was pretty excited to see that Jessica had signed up for my annual Valentine Mini Sessions, as I had a wonderful time photographing her lovely family just over a year ago, at the Redhawk Waterfall.  As you can see (if you clicked on the link) the kids have grown quite a bit – the last time I saw the baby, she was a newborn!  All three children were delightful, well behaved and simply adorable!  Add in a beautiful setting like Sage Ranch in Temecula, and you’ve got a recipe for some really fabulous photographs!  So hard to choose from for this post, but here are just a few of my favorites!

I mean the love in the air. And the excitement.  And the fun.  All essential ingredients for a successful session with the “Y” twins!  What made it even more fun is that this was the 4th mini session with the twins. You can see how they’ve grown over the years by checking out their past Valentine Sessions here:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Although technically this was a “mini” session, there was nothing “mini” about it. We combined with a couple of other families and went all out on everything – props, locations, settings and time.  And there’s no more beautiful and versatile setting to shoot in than Sage Ranch in Temecula.  My biggest challenge on this session was narrowing down the images and choosing what to share…you can see more fun images of the girls on my Facebook  fan page here!

For now, enjoy your “Sneak Peek” Renee!

So, today is my little sister’s birthday.  I thought I would surprise her with just a few images from the family portraits session we did in Laguna Beach when she came out to visit Sunny Southern California this month!  We had a great time for the few days her family was out here – dinner and sleepover at our place, then Disneyland and California Adventure, then dinner here again – and Christmas gifts!  It was a whirlwind of a trip, but so fun! Somewhere in there we fit in a quick portrait session at the Lab or Anti-mall in Costa Mesa and at the beach in Little Corono in Corona del Mar.  I haven’t even looked through the whole session yet, but I wanted to pull out a few for Britt’s birthday, so here are a few of the beach ones that caught my eye …surely more to come later! Happy Birthday Brittany!

Would love to have this large on my wall again sometime soon…

There is nothing quite so thrilling as being a part of that magic moment when a man takes a knee to ask his love for her hand in marriage…and she says, “yes.”  I get chills every time.  It’s the very beginning of a new path that two people set out on together.  I’ve done this several times now, and it never gets old. And part of the fun is that the gal usually never knows that it is coming, or that I was there to document the entire process.  And this was one of those times when she was really and truly surprised!  This session had been rescheduled any number of times, due to weather problems and conflicts with the bride-to-be making other plans. I told Danny that if she only knew what he was planning, that surely wouldn’t have been a problem!  But it finally happened and it couldn’t have been on a more beautiful day!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Valentine’s Day is less than a month away!  Take advantage of these mini session specials to make a meaningful gift for your significant other, capture a beautiful portrait of your child – and have some super unique and creative Valentine’s to hand out as well, or celebrate the love you share with someone else by capturing the essence of your relationship now.

Join us on Saturday January 21st (in Temecula Valley), Wednesday, January 25th (in studio) or Friday January 27th (TBD in Orange County)

There are 3 sessions available – for individuals, couples and families (or siblings, or other groups of more than 2).  To view the add-on packages, full location and date details and more images, please see my “specials” page!

Individual Mini Sessions

Perfect for giving your partner a Valentine’s gift that will remind them of you all year round, or for an updated portrait of your child, along with the cutest, most unique  Valentines in town- perfect for attaching to treats, cookies, or even suckers!

Want a quick session for your family, or adorable Valentines for each of your kids? Perhaps some updated group and individual shots of the clan?

Join us on Saturday January 21st (in Temecula Valley), Wednesday, January 25th (in studio) or Friday January 27th (TBD in Orange County)

Included in your session fee will be 3 full resolution digital files, 45 minutes with me,and your choice of Valentine’s day props such as: angel wings, tutus and pettiskirts, flowers, and balloons. And at least 30 edited images to choose from in a private, online gallery.

To reserve a family/sibling mini session, call Vanessa at (949) 478-3147, email her at vanessa@hondaphotoart.com or just click here!

Here is a sample Valentine card design – many other designs available! To see more card designs and further information about the sessions, please visit the “specials section of my website by clicking here!