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California Photographer
Montage Laguna Beach is a wonderful family destination because it provides beautiful scenery, kids activities, and great accommodation for the entire family. You’ll like it so much that it will become the place to go to when you need to recharge your batteries. And if you book a professional photo session each time you visit, you’ll have a rich photo album to document your family story.
The wonderful thing about photography is that it is timeless. We capture fractions of a second for you to cherish throughout your life. What’s even better is that there is no age limit on who can be photographed, no matter what the occasion. Here at Pacific Dream Photography, we have photographed as young as newborn children to great grandparents.
We believe that life should be cherished and special moments can be captured throughout one’s life through the lens of a photographer. In Laguna Beach, we have photographed a child’s first steps on the sand and first time touching the Pacific Ocean water. We’ve also had the pleasure of photographing milestone anniversaries, engagements, and Weddings here in Laguna Beach.
To make your photo session as memorable as possible, we recommend considering to bring a few things to make it extra special. It’s common to see customized shirts being made for your vacation. Especially with large groups, this adds a fun element into your photos when looking back at them later on. The second, if you’re celebrating a birthday or engagement, is to bring balloons or other props to make your session unique to you! If you’re celebrating a baby-moon and expecting, you can bring your ultrasound and baby shoes as props for a maternity shoot. Whatever you think will make your photography session more memorable, please let your photographers know! It’s our passion to document these important moments of your life.
So whether you’re celebrating your first anniversary or your 50th, the whole family is there together, or you are by yourself, we see no limits on your photography session and are here to capture memories for you.
Written by Alesha D. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Montage Laguna Beach)
Honey, the baby’s coming! Grab the camera.
Baby moons are the new honeymoon and as photographers, we love the idea! These vacations allow us to capture maternity photos in an exquisite location while you create memories before your babys arrival.
You may be wondering why you should have an entire photo session during your baby moon? Well, we can think of too many reasons to count!
When your beautiful baby arrives you will be busy, to say the least, and the idea of dressing up and taking photos will be far from your mind. Don’t worry, having a photo session with Pacific Dream Photography is as easy as enjoying the scenery at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.
We take care of everything from scheduling, locations, posing and sometimes we even have props. All you have to do is show up at your designated time and place, dressed and ready to smile! And when it comes to attire, for maternity sessions: long dresses, and tight clothing work best.
*Photographers Tip; If you want your baby bump really show, wear a bright color that contrasts with the other people in the photo.
Your baby moon is the perfect time to step outside of your comfort zone and have some fun with activities. Even though the photo session is to ultimately have great photos in the end, this should be considered a stress free and fun activity. We’ve noticed the more you have fun at the photo session, the more amazing the photographs come out.
If you’re deciding whether or not to take a baby moon, we say go for it. Most importantly don’t forget to allow Pacific Dream Photography to assist in creating beautiful memories. Remember, capturing the sweet moments of your baby in your belly are moments you will not regret capturing.
Still need more convincing? Check out another article on Baby Moons here.
Written by Alesha C. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel)
Animals are part of the family, too! It’s been a popular trend to include our furry friends in our family portrait sessions. This can be a hard task, but the results can be rewarding. Whether it’s photos for a Holiday Card or including a pet in your Wedding photos, here are some tips to consider:
Written by Savannah S. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Montage Laguna Beach)
California has been romanticized for decades. The state itself has such a vast variety of landscapes including the gorgeous beaches, miles of dessert, looming mountain ranges, and bright cities.
People from all over come here to visit and see what it has to offer. Being a photographer in Laguna Beach, I see people doing “staycations” all the time! Even if they live in a nearby city, they still come to this small beach city to spend their time.
At Montage Laguna Beach, it is so easy to completely lose track of time and spend your day at the beach, spa, or going on a stroll through their beautiful pathways lined with stunning flowers and greenery.
There is no better place to take photos of our guests then right here on the property. We don’t have to go far to capture the essence that this resort has to offer.
Written by Savannah S. (Pacific Dream Photography at Montage Laguna Beach)
I had the pleasure of meeting Mimi and Emir back in April. They were in the middle of a pre-wedding travel trek through California before heading to Maui to officially become husband and wife. They contacted me and wanted to take some pictures of the two of them in their wedding-day attire here in Laguna Beach, California before the wedding.
It isn’t often that a bride is able to wear her wedding dress before the wedding, but I think I’m starting to see the magic in it. There’s a certain sense of satisfaction that comes with breaking all of the rules and it was a real treat to capture that.
More than anything, I could literally feel the excitement from both Mimi and Emir; looking deeply into each others’ eyes as they imagine their upcoming wedding in Hawaii: the same dress, same tux, but an entirely different location, surrounded by their loved ones. It was a truly beautiful moment.
Written by James H. (Pacific Dream Photography at Montage Laguna Beach)
Group portraits are a fantastic way for friends and families to spend quality time together and capture unforgettable memories. Whether you're taking a much-needed family reunion trip to the islands or looking to update your photos of friends and loved ones, who wouldn’t want group photos on a lush beach in Hawaii to remember your time in paradise? Capturing photos of a large group can be a difficult task, but fear not! With some helpful tips; let our artists at Pacific Dream Photography make your group photo session a success by providing you with ever-lasting commemorations.
A relaxed photo is important, but a little direction is always a great key to ensuring a successful photography session. Most of the time a group will pose themselves naturally with tall people in the back and short people in the front. But if needed, feel free to take control of your group and position others in visually ideal positions. Here at Pacific Dream Photography, we like to make sure our subjects feel comfortable without feeling too forced, so loosen up and don't forget to take in the beautiful scenery!
When posing your group, place people according to families and couples. This makes it easier for everyone, as they are able to locate themselves easily when looking through their photos. If you'd like the session to be centered on two specific people, place them in the middle of the group.
It is very important to make sure that everyone's faces are visible. If they cannot see the camera, they will most likely not be seen in the photo! As a professional photographer, it is our job to scan the group and make sure that everyone is clearly visible. If one or more subjects are looking away, it may take away from a potentially perfect photo.
To avoid awkward spacing in group photos, use a wide angled lens and tighten up the frame. Closing in any unwanted gaps between individuals is a great way to unite your group. One effective technique is to tell your group to lean their heads in close together. Allow your subjects to hug and hold each other and be ready to capture big smiles at any moment.
As professional photographers in Hawaii, we take pride in sweet moments with family and friends. Your group will thank you for a great time and stunning group portraits.
- Written by Julia P. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Grand Hyatt Kauai)
"Candid" in the photography sense, describes an informal photo, taken without the subject’s knowledge. "Candid", however can also be used more generally to describe something that is both truthful and straightforward. It’s use in photography is often understated and draws on both definitions.
A recent portrait session at the beautiful Montage, Laguna Beach in Southern California, perfectly captured the essence of great candid photography. Candids require a keen attention to detail and the ability to always be present in the moment. A family holding hands, a loved one running on the beach and even sand covered feet, were all brief moments captured during the family's sunset experience session.
Originally the family was planning on a more traditional, portrait family photo session. What they didn't realize was that their photographer was actually capturing both styles of photography. She was clicking away at the family poses, but in between, she was also capturing those brief moments when the family was relaxed and simply enjoying their time together.
Ultimately the photographer was utilizing her mastery of candid photography alongside her planned portraiture. We were able to surprise the client with both beautiful and detailed moments from their family vacation at the Montage, Laguna Beach.
- Pacific Dream Photography at the Montage, Laguna Beach
The vows pronounced during a wedding are a sacred promise and expression of love. However, over the course of many years, the weight of those initial words can often be lost in the hectic and busy days we call life.
After 10 years of marriage, and two adorable daughters, this happy couple wanted to show their continued devotion to each other by renewing their vows at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. They shared an elegant, yet simple celebration. The family dressed in breezy all-white attire with pink rose and baby’s breath hair wreaths, which were color to contrast the subtle white outfits. To us, it was the a picture-perfect palette to match the warm sunset colors present as they said “I do" for the second time.
For events such as this, the use of props can be a fun and different way to capture the experience. This family brought a "Married Again" sign to use in their pictures, which was a great compliment to the beach setting photography session. The sunset on the evening of the vow renewal was absolutely beautiful. Our photographer was able to capture stunning family portraits and candid images with shades of orange and pink colors reflecting off the sand and water.
Our Laguna Beach Photography Team had a wonderful time capturing this lovely vow renewal ceremony. We were honored to be a part of their celebration and give them beautiful images to add to their collection of memories.
-written by Donya (Pacific Dream Photography at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel)
In photography, lighting and colors are everything. This is one of the main reasons why sunset photo shoots are always taken in the schedules of a beach photographer. However, what many don’t realize is that sunrise can have just the same amazing effect.
Early birds Nicholas and Allegra were able to catch this amazing morning lighting on their couple's photo shoot at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Nicholas had been planning to propose to his girlfriend of many years, and he reached out to our Laguna photographers to capture the moment and make it an extra special surprise. He let our Pacific Dream Photography photographers in California know that he was interested in proposing at sunrise, and we were more than happy to accommodate his request. After setting up a quaint breakfast picnic for the couple on a lawn overlooking the ocean, our photographer captured Nicholas proposing and Allegra’s eager delighted reaction.
Nicholas and Allegra- just seconds after he popped the question. (Laguna Beach)
The couple continued on to get some great early engagement photos in Laguna Beach, and the early morning sun was the perfect compliment. Our photographer was able to capture the orange glow of the rising sun against the cool morning colors in their images, which created a beautiful setting for all their photos. Also, since it was the beginning of the day, their photos were able to capture a great range of lighting in the 45 minutes they spent on their shoot.
Some fun sunlight effects and casual beach stroll make for great couple photos.
The result was a beautiful variety of photographs that annotated Nicholas and Allegra’s lovely moment. We were so happy to provide this couple with precious memories for their future lives together!
-written by Donya (Pacific Dream Photography at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel)
