There is this amazing spot for graduation photography at UC Irvine, where there are the arches covered in green, leafy vines. It creates an awesome frame to any grad photo, and has a disappearing point due to the many linear arches. When given the chance, we love to squeeze in extra photos with family members. Here is one of our soon-to-be graduate with his parents, and then individual photos with the mom and dad.

And of course we have to get our UCI grad walking it out underneath the arches.

Here is a closeup of the UCI stole for the year of 2025, along with the cap and gown.

And we LOVE using flowers and greenery to add to a photo. In this case, some star jasmine was blooming and made a great foreground. The background has some of the many scenic trees on the Irvine campus.

Here is a really cool grad photo of the Samueli Science and Engineering building. We love how the glass reflects some of the blue in the sky.

And more UCI graduation photography in front of the engineering building.

And you can’t represent UC Irvine without any anteaters. They do make the cutest plushies in any UC gift store.

And of course we found even more mustard yellow flowers, which grace the rolling hills of Irvine in the springtime.

And if there is a swing, there is an obligation to take a grad photo on it!

We do many photography portrait sessions in the city of Irvine, which you can find on our blog. The university campus for UCI is yet another beautiful place and perfect for a recent or soon-to-be graduate.

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Isn’t it adorable when the two sisters hug? We like to get family photos like this and capture them throughout the years, which is awesome for a sequence of photos that show their growth and change.

The Glendora Arboretum has a selection of bushes and trees that make for a natural and rustic backdrop, a step up from the average park setting.

And we always love getting a few pics of the parents by themselves. It brings back fond memories of their wedding photos and the days before children…LOL j/k we notice that parents are so focused on kids that they forget themselves. It’s nice giving them an excuse to laugh.

And we love that the natural wildflowers at the Glendora Arboretum and Botanic Garden, which are seasonal. These purple and yellow flowers made a perfect backdrop to wrap this little kid in.

And of course we squeezed in the whole family in the same beautiful spot.

Them we did some mommy and me and daddy and me photos. We like to squeeze in those fun permutations during our family portrait sessions.

And what better of a way to end the session than with a little kiss.

Family Photos at the Glendora Arboretum

This is a great example of a family portrait session at the Glendora Arboretum and Botanic Garden, a hidden local spot in Glendora in Los Angeles County. We have many more examples on our blog of family photo sessions, including specific ones like have two children or two daughters in a family photography sessions. This session would be provided by Judy Holt of Judy and Gavin Photography, a dedicated and experienced family photographer.

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Carbon Canyon Redwood Trees

We started the session at the Carbon Canyon Regional Park Redwood Grove. It’s a local secret spot that requires a little bit of a hike, but it’s worth it for the amazing backdrops.

Then we brought in the grandparents for some pictures of the whole family. Three generations of an Asian family. That also could explain the red color theme.

And it’s always cute to get a grandparents family photo with their adorable granddaughter.

And a family dog too!

Gotta love the towering redwood trees, all in Southern California.

There is a wooden fence that can make a beautiful frame for our lovely family. One trademark of a good photographer is the ability to compose, using the foreground and background to tell a story about the subject.

How adorable is that little smile?!

These are some of the moments that we love to capture the most. A glowing family with their baby girl. The smiles. The laughs. I can hear the baby giggling that laugh that only infants do.

Carbon Canyon Family Photography at the Regional Park in Brea

This family photography portrait session was taken at the amazing Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea, CA. There is a Redwood grove with many adult redwoods along a hiking trail. This is a great example of how Judy captures a family with three generations, grandparents, grandchildren, and the lovely couple that joins them. This is a Chinese family from Orange County. There are lots of trees and trails in the photos above, and how often does one get to do family photos with redwood trees?

Are you searching for a family photographer in Orange County that can capture you and your loved ones? Judy is a family photographer that covers the OC and LA region, capturing families with comfort and familiarity. Make sure to give Judy a call to see if she can help you capture your own family with memorable and amazing images.

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Starting in the Redwood Grove

Carbon Canyon Regional Park has a 3 acre redwood grove that is absolutely amazing for family photos.

Here’s our cute family with two daughters and the family dog.

I love the way the sun comes through the redwood trees.

And here’s some more photos of the two sisters with their adorable dog.

I love the way the wooden fence runs between the trees.

Back up to Carbon Canyon Park to finish the Family Photos

After the redwood grove, we hiked back up to the lake (and yes, it’s a 1/2 mile hike) to finish up the session. The lake has a dock that lets us catch our family over and across the water.

Family Photography in Brea

Carbon Canyon Regional Park is a great place for family portraits. It has tall redwood trees that aren’t seen normally in Southern California. It has hiking trails, some with scenic and rustic wooden fences. The small lake has a dock that makes for awesome family photos across the gentle water. Contact Judy if you are interested in a family session that might involve a little hiking and a lot of beautiful images.

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Starting the Brea Family Photography at the Redwood Grove

We started the session the redwood grove, which is conveniently 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding area due to the towering trees (it was a hot day).

Family Photos of the Parents with Each Child

Then we got family photos of each parent with their children, just to see what would happen.

And then this happened LOL!!

And here are the two brothers playing with each other. Such a cute and adorable moment.

The Fenced Trail in the Middle of the Grove

For some reason we really love using fences, especially wooden fences, for props in our family photos. Sometimes it’s a piece of furniture to sit on, and sometimes it’s an object in the foreground. Sometimes it’s used for guiding eyes to the family in the center of the image.

See the converging lines that bring your attention to the loving family in the center? That’s why we love fences! But seriously it’s a composition thing.

Orange County Family Photography and More

Judy does family photography in Los Angeles County and Orange County (Brea is in Orange County). If you are in the OC and would like a family photographer that is experienced, friendly, and fun, please make sure to book a family portrait session with Judy the next time family photos come up. We are also wedding photographers in LA and OC.

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We then moved into the wooded area for more shade and a forested look.

Here we have the two daughters with their mother.

It’s always fun to add a little humor into the family photo session.

And here is the large family portrait, with two grandparents, two daughters with their husbands, and four grandchildren.

And it’s always great getting a grandparent and grandchildren family photo.

We then walked over to a hiking trail with a long wooden fence running along one side (which makes a great backdrop for portraits!).

And of course we had to get individual photo portraits of all the grandchildren.

There was this amazing pier sitting on the edge of the small lake. Note that the mom is hiding right there in the bushes to make sure her son is safe!

This is a great example of family photos at the Yorba Linda Regional Park in Orange County. It’s also an example of how Judy handles larger families and groups, getting a variety of poses and configurations. In this case, it’s a large family consisting of grandparents, grandchildren, and two families from the two daughters. You can find many more examples of Orange County family photography on our website. You can also find more recent examples of our work on our family photography instagram.

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Starting on a Large Wooden Log in San Dimas

We started the Mommy and Me family photos on a log in Bonelli Park, where our little guy was able to have fun walking up and down the log.

After a little fun and games, we sat the mother and son down for say “cheese photos.” A good family portrait session is about getting both traditional/posed family photos and candid/fun family photos.

Walking Down the Trail, Just Mommy and Me

We then headed down the trail for a stroll, which also gives us plenty of opportunities for cute hand-holding family photography.

And how cute is this photo of our mother holding her son upside down?

We stopped at a very large tree with another log laying under it to finish up the quick family session (this was shot during a mini-session marathon).

And just look at that smile and laugh!

Mommy and Me Family Photography

This is a great example of focusing on the bond that a mother has with her child. Mommy and Me family photos are something that Judy specializes in, considering her own experience as a loving mother with our two little daughters.

This family photography portrait session was shot at Bonelli Park in San Dimas, in our hometown. We offer discounted rates for photos done in our hometown of San Dimas (family photography included). We also know all the little hidden secrets and spots in this area, allowing us to get unique and amazing photos in easily accessible and ordinary locations.

For more examples of our work, make sure to check out our Family Photography Instagram account for recent family photos.

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We started with some quick photo portraits of the 1yo boy along a dirt path.

Then we took some first birthday photos of the little guy. Here is the wooden crate and a banner saying “I’m one.”

Then we added more to the cake smash setup, arranging it with some balloons (with a blue-green palette), large letters spelling ONE, and the soon to be smashed cake. They went with a giant cupcake (using a giant cupcake mold) with blue frosting.

And Let the Cake Smash Commence!!

How adorable is this little boy with the big ole cake?!

I think this next photo has to be one of the cutest cake smash photos we have seen. It went viral on Pinterest when we posted it there.

And here’s a closeup of him stuffing his face with cake.

And look at that smile!

Cake smash photography is something that we’ve noticed becoming more popular as a one year old birthday tradition. The combination of sweet frosting, a curious little now toddler, and an open space that we can get dirty leads to cute and adorable first birthday photos. Judy is great at capturing this fun moment and we have even done the same with both of our own children on their first birthdays. Make sure to check out our family photography Instagram account for more recent examples of our work. Also make sure to check out the rest of our blog for more examples of first birthday photos.

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Starting Bonelli Park Family Photos at a Wooden Fence

We started the session at a wooden fence, which offers a nice foreground and perspective.

Gotta love a random, large log for our family photography session.

And here is another overhead with the fall leaves on the ground.

And we always love having purple flowers in the foreground and background.

More Family Photography in San Dimas

We live in San Dimas, so we offer a local discount for any family photography sessions that are local to us. You can find more about our family photography pricing online here. We also do lots of engagement and wedding photography in San Dimas. Our town has lots of little hidden gems, from the many hiking trails to the large water reservoir of Puddingstone (home to the Puddingstone resort). We know when are the best times of the year to get different types of photos, such as family photos with yellow flowers.

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