Family Photos at Home

Judy started with the newest addition to the family by herself. Look at that smile and those cheeks!

And these photos of the three children all together on the bed is probably one that they’ll recreate in 20 years.

Walking to the beach in Manhattan Beach

After their home, we started walking to the beach, where there were trails available for more family photos.

Manhattan Beach Family Photos

We caught the sunset at Manhattan beach for some amazing sunset family photos on the beach. We do a variety of photos, including both natural light (this first series) and strobed, off-camera lighting (the sunset photos after). The strobed lighting allows us to get more dynamic range into the photo, since the sun is too bright (and HDR can look to fake sometimes).

Here are the sunset family photos that use strobed, off-camera lighting. Notice the gorgeous colors and tones.

And how cute is it when kids go running after seagulls at the beach?! The low tide and low beach slope made for a prefect reflective surface.

This shows us doing Manhattan Beach family photography with a gorgeous sunset. We started at their home for more casual, lifestyle family photos, followed by a short walk to the beach, and ending with a multi-colored sunset and a reflective, mirror-like beach. This is a growing family with three children (two boys and a baby daughter).

For more examples of Los Angeles Family Photography, make sure to check out the rest of our blog and the many family portrait sessions we have done. You can also find more examples of family portraits done in Manhattan Beach and the surrounding beaches.

You can also find more examples of our recent family photography and portraits on our Instagram.

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Family Photos in their Home

Whenever we get the chance, we like to do lifestyle family photography in their home, especially since it will always have a special place in their heart.

They have two sons, so we also got photos of the two of them in front of that orange wall. So adorable!

After that we walked down to the beach.

Manhattan Beach Family Photography

We started at the swings, which always makes for fun family photos with two little children. One of the secrets of doing family portraits is keeping young kids entertained, as if they aren’t doing a family photoshoot.

Annnnnnnnnnndddddd….. he’s out.

The older brother started running after the seagulls on the beach.

Sunset at Manhattan Beach

The sun started setting enough where we could get some awesome silhouette photos (where our family is completely black against the colorful sunset), along with remotely lit family portraits with the sunset.

This next family photos with seagulls IS NOT PHOTOSHOPPED! It was a pretty cool moment capturing the seagull flying right through the frame during a silhouette photo.

We then went over to a lifeguard tower to finish the family photos on the beach.

Notice the moon in background!

And here is one we lit up even more, making the sky darker and the moon more prominent.

This shows Manhattan Beach family photos in Los Angeles County. Family photography along the westside beaches (or South Bay) is something we’ve done for a while, including the many neighboring beaches. This includes family photos at Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach to the south of Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo Beach, Venice Beach, and Santa Monica Beach to the north. All of these beaches get an amazing view of the sunset every evening, so having family photography portraits at one of these beaches should always have lovely sunset family photos.

Make sure to check out our blog for more examples of family photography done in Los Angeles County. We also have more examples of recent work posted on our social media, such as here:

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Starting with family photos under the Manhattan Beach Pier

We started with family photos under the Manhattan Beach Pier, with the daughter holding some flowers. Look at that laugh!

Using a Tent in Family Photos

Here is a tent that they made for the family photo session, for their cute little baby boy.

A most unique Manhattan Beach sunset

Here is the instagram post that day of Judy shooting this family:

That post is taken with her cellphone, so you can see what we had to start with. Oh and Judy was super duper pregnant with Hayden at that time.

We had them walk it out along the beach waterline.

And how cute are these mommy daughter family photos!?

More Manhattan Beach Family Photos

As the sun set under the clouds and smoke in the background, we got more remotely lit family photos with sun fading away.

And here are some super cute daddy daughter photos.

We went back to our little picnic setup with the blanket, tent, and stuffed animal toys.

And more family photos of everyone all together before wrapping up the shoot.

Family Photos – Manhattan Beach

Here is a great example of Manhattan Beach family photography in Los Angeles County, but also a great example of how a good photographer can take advantage of a unique situation. The sunset that day was very unique due to the huge wildfire happening in Orange County that day. The smoke drifted out over the ocean, giving a soft haze that the sun would diffract through. We saw other family photographers that day that didn’t use any light to take advantage of that unique scenario. This leads to images with a white background (like the ones seen above of the family walking along the beach), which has a place and makes for good photos. But the difference between a good photographer and a great photographer is in that ability to adapt and capture that moment and setting.

Make sure to look around our blog for more examples of Manhattan Beach family photos, along with family photography with sunsets.

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Starting with family photos at their home in Manhattan Beach

Here they are in their yard, with Judy easing them into the portrait session.

She then focused on the two boys.

And then got individual family portraits of each son.

Walking down to Manhattan Beach

After easing into the family portrait session, we walked down to the beach, getting them as they walked toward the sunset.

Family Photos of Playing on the Beach

There is a public swing set right there on the sand, which made for some fun family photos of them together.

And then we had them run across the sand while holding hands.

Manhattan Beach Sunset

It was time for the sunset, so we used remote lighting to get a nice family photo of the Manhattan Beach sunset. This is the everyday view of the South Bay in Los Angeles County (unless the marine layer comes in).

We had them walk along the sand and the waves at low tide, which made for a swash zone so smooth it was like a mirror.

The Moon after the Sunset!

The full moon was in the background 180 degrees from the sun, rising in the east.

Look at that moon rise!

Manhattan Beach Family Photos

This is a Manhattan Beach family photography portrait session that starts in the home residence of the family, has family photos in their yard at their home, shows them walking down to the beach along the streets of Manhattan Beach, the sunset across the horizon of the Pacific Ocean, them playing on the swing sets on the beach sand, and with the moon rise in the background. They have two adorable sons, and I think that family photos with two children is our most common combination. This took place in the South Bay of Los Angeles County, in the area known as the Beach Cities. Manhattan Beach is one of the many beaches along that stretch from Palos Verdes to Malibu, neighbored by El Segundo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach.

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Starting at their home in Manhattan Beach

We started at their home residence, getting more lifestyle photos of their son in his natural and comfortable environment.

I think that guitar is a little big for him!

And here they are getting ready for a walk down to the beach.

But not before getting a family photo on their bed.

Walking down to the Beach for more Family Photography

We then started walking along the streets of Manhattan Beach, getting family photos when opportunities presented themselves.

And on to the boardwalk of Manhattan Beach.

Family Photos with the Manhattan Beach Pier

Underneath the pier, the columns created beautiful converging lines and patterns, along with soft shade for our family portraits.

But even then we like to use remote lighting to get different and better photos when we see the opportunity for it.

Manhattan Beach Family Photography

This is a great example of a Manhattan Beach family photography portrait session. It started at their home residence, with us walking down to the beach, walking along the boardwalk, and then walking under the Manhattan Beach Pier and along the sands of the beach. Manhattan Beach is part of the South Bay and the Beach Cities, including the neighboring Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and El Segundo.

Make sure to look around our website for more articles of family photography in many different locations and settings. For example, here is page that just has family photos with piers. If you are planning a family portrait session and wanted an idea of how Judy can help you execute that vision, take a look.

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