First Birthday Session | Sacramento, CA

This little sweetie Melanie turned one! I took her newborn photos last year and the next thing I know she needs another photo shoot! I think these photos speak for themselves. We had a lot of fun setting up this adorable tee-pee and boho floral setting just for the special first birthday girl. I think mom did a spectacular job picking out all of these items, it just turned out so cute. Enjoy!

We had to take some photos at home also, such an adorable watermelon first birthday party theme!

Fall Kids Portraits | Sacramento

I’m here to tell you there is such a thing as a stress free photo shoot. It might be full of silly faces and funny noises….and you might need a nap afterwards…but please make a vow to let your next kid’s photo shoot be worry and stress free! I have a few tips that make things easier with little ones.

  1. Yes to bribes and no to threats. Don’t fill the kids head with pending punishment if they don’t behave perfectly…make it sound like something extremely fun and follow up with a little bribe if needed.
  2. Let them pick out their clothes. YES! Don’t worry, it will be from a few outfits you have selected. Make sure you are happy with anything they choose (from the pre-picked and pre-approved outfits). This gives them some control over what is going to happen.
  3. Keep things light and let the photographer take the lead. I usually have some warm up time to talk to the kids to get a feel for what they will allow.
  4. Back up the silliness. I love it when parents or family members join in on the goofiness to get some genuine smiles and laughter. Play, tickle, joke around…just be silly. Your kids will have more fun and you will get happy photos and not forced smiles.
  5. Let go of perfection. No kids are perfect or behave perfectly. Let them be kids and I promise we will get some great photos that you will love forever!

I’m a Sacramento family photographer. Click HERE to contact me about Fall 2021 mini session dates and times.

xoxox,

Julie

Northern California Snow!

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On Valentine’s day, our little family decided to go up to the snow for the day. I had a few spots in mind for taking photos. One of them was Donner Summit Tunnel…except we played a little too hard the first half of the day and our 5 year old fell asleep before we could get to the tunnel. I wanted to set up a tripod and take a romantic little photo of me and my husband in the snow for V-day, but we didn’t quite get to that part! I did take some other photos that I thought everyone would enjoy. We love our little family road trips and feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful place as Northern California.

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To see more of my photos, click here.

To schedule a snow session, click here!

xoxo

Julie 🙂

 

Loomis Flower Farm Inn…A country wedding venue

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a wedding at the Loomis Flower Farm Inn. I had never been to this venue before and I was excited to see what it was all about. Not far from Sacramento, the property was perfect for a quaint outdoor wedding with all of the comforts of home. A country home that is! I loved this place and I took a few snapshots of the little vintage details that made the place unique. While I am not quite ready to post the wedding photos, I thought I would sneak in some quick photos I took while walking around. I can’t wait to photograph another wedding at the Flower Farm Inn!

The gardens everywhere made many perfect backdrops for photos. In one garden there was a rusted little vintage tricycle that caught my eye. I am sure some kiddos had fun riding this a long time ago!

antique vintage tricycle

The main house was amazing and the guest cottages were so cute! Perfect for wedding guests or family to stay. These fluffy little chickens were roaming the grounds!

guest cottage and chicken

I can imagine a yummy post wedding day brunch in this spacious dining room in the main house!

Flower Farm Inn dining room

The kitchen was packed with vintage charm!

vintage chicken cupboard

vintage chef wall clock

Rooster kitchen

What a fun place to have a wedding!

Loomis Flower Farm Venue

Wedding photos coming soon…until then, you can see more of my work on my website!  Thanks!

Friends and Family at the UC Davis Arboretum

I recently met some friends out at the UC Davis Arboretum for some multiple family photos. I love the Arboretum for all it has to offer. Every photo shoot looks completely different because of it’s enormous size and varying vegitation. The kiddos had fun running around and we got some beautiful photos at sunset. Sometimes (when you are a photographer), it is ok to mix business with pleasure!

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View more of my galleries here!

Newborn Margot and all of her Sweetness

Several months ago I was able to step away from wedding photography and do what I absolutely love, which is spending time with a brand new baby.  The second perk was getting to photograph this beautiful newborn and her family. The mommy is a very dear friend of mine, as is the daddy and vivacious toddler. Times like these make photography not exactly feel like “work”. Margot slept like a baby for me, and I was absolutely thrilled to finally meet her!

Emerson was ready for the task of being a big sister.

big sister and newborn Margot

A mother’s love is a joy to capture.

mother and newborn

Baby Margot is a sweet and healthy girl, what more could you ask for?

newborn girl sleeping

newborn baby Margot

Leigh Ann decorated her nursery in corals, grey, and white (with a hint of gold). This beautiful quilt tied everything together. The little details were so perfect!

baby girl nursery

Newborn babies are so tiny and they grow so fast. Pretty soon those feet will be running all over the place!

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The new member of the family.

Lifestyle family portrait

I love lifestyle photography, where I can come in to your home and make real memories. More of my work can be seen here.

Julie 🙂