This past weekend I had the privilege to mentor some amazing women at Click Away – A womens photography conference held in Dana Point California. I lead 3 programs over the 3 day span and had a wonderful time chatting, shooting, exploring and inspiring other colleagues. Curious to know about the mentoring experience I lead during a family photography session? Scroll down – 
The 3rd class I lead was an outdoor family session. We were able to sneak outside between the rain storm and captured an amazing gallery of candid natural interaction images. Just scroll I promise its true! The toddlers giggled and smiled along with some serious faces but hey that’s what fun about getting the family to interact and see the personalities of littles come to life. It was such a fun experience to photograph this cute family as I have known this mama for since the old babe was just under 1 year old. Over the past few years I have had the privilege to photography their milestone, Maternity sessions, fall pictures, Santa experiences and so much more. PS– if you are a mama that supports other mamas you will want to follow this family’s journey about food allergies on Instagram.
One unique option our studio offers is STYLING! Yes that stuff us moms stress over- I know its true because I stress over styling when I hire photographers for my own family. Our stylist did great styling this session- don’t you agree? With our styling program the client or photographer will complete a short questionnaire pertaining to their budget, color desires, stores they currently shop at, sizes and a few more important questions. Once the questionnaire is submitted our team will create a unique plan specific to the wishes. As you can see below the plan worked! Everyone looked great and cohesive– The plan allows for moms to purchase from direct store links or they can be inspired from the items choose and simply go dig in their closets for a similar item thus not always needing to splurge on new clothing. Incorporating the various patterns creates eye catching images.
As you know clothing is a key element for beautiful, timeless portraits. It is important to consider what is trendy vs what is ‘your style’ when choosing clothing for family portraits. If you plan to hang the images on your wall I encourage you to take the time to pick clothing pieces that represent you and your family.
Recently I partnered with an amazing stylist that offers complimentary styling for my family photography sessions. My stylist is amazing at what she does and helps each client tailor the look and colors to fit their vision.
Below you will see some BTS- Behind the scenes moments from of attendees capturing this sweet family alongside me. I try to teach in a way that they can see my vision through verbal and hands on learning. During mentoring I teach my camera settings, lens choices, and the how/why I pose the families as I do to get the natural smiles.
Now onto the fun pictures I captured during the outdoor mentoring. Scroll down- 
One of the biggest blessings of being a family photographer in Orange County is the gorgeous constant sunshine I get to utilize pretty much year round. During the summer, the sun staying high in the sky later allowing more time to capture families making summer the best time to take advantage of the sun. Shooting during the ‘golden hour’ before sunset makes for the pretty backgrounds in these outdoor photos. The sun shines and glows to reflect the love these families have for each other- because there is no love like a family’s love. 
Family sessions are precious to reflect back and see just how much your family has grown and changed. I am humbled when clients choose to decorate their home with images I have captured. Make sure to keep scrolling to see the Before and After image edits. 
If you would like to learn more about Family Photography Mentoring with Stevie Cruz Photography, contact Stevie at the CONTACT link above.
Stevie Cruz Photography specializes in emotional memories and timeless natural moments of families in Southern California- including Orange County, Yorba Linda, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Tustin, Fullerton, Brea, Fountain Valley, Riverside, Corona, Anaheim Hills, and Anaheim.
Loved your mentoring session. Your final product is awesome! So fun to learn from you. Thank you for sharing!