The Shvetsova Family [El Dorado Park Family Portraits]

LONG BEACH FAMILY + CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHY

As a photographer who primarily shoots on location with natural light, most of my sessions are held later in the day, a couple hours before sunset.  Late afternoon light is wonderfully soft and warm, and a favorite of many portrait and on-the-go lifestyle shooters. But for this family session, we took a different approach, and scheduled the session for early in the morning.  The family had to catch a flight by noon, so shooting later in the day wasn't an option.  The good news is morning light is just as cozy -- it's gentle and has a waking quality to it, minus the caffeine.

We rendezvoused at El Dorado Park, Long Beach -- which I love for its sprawling grounds, tree cover, turtle ponds, and oasis of natural beauty in an otherwise urban sprawl.  Little "K", age 14 months,  was such a great sport throughout the session. With a little one this age, I can usually snag a few good stationary shots while they're still curious about my camera, and then after that -- ZOOM! --  it's catch-me-if-you-can-photographer.  The session will last about an hour, and with the child taking an enthusiastic lead, I always walk away with a fantastic collection of candid moments.

I want to thank "K" and family for taking the time out of their busy Sunday to meet for this session.  It was a warm morning -- 80 degrees and humid -- that's unusual for Southern California, so kudos to everyone for braving the temperatures and giving 110%!