Rebecca Seal Photography » Family

Maternity Session

Rebecca Seal Photography — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:23:32 +0000

I love maternity sessions and this one turned out beautifully if I say so myself After discussing with Racquel what type of portrait session she was looking for we decided the best location was in the comfort of her own home. Shooting in one’s home not only provides the obvious convenience for the soon- to- be mother but it allows me to personalize the portrait session for the family. Pre-shoot I like to offer tips on what to wear and arrive with a convenient backdrop to be used with natural window light and a variety of wraps and scarfs to use in additions to my clients wardrobe.

Racquel was at 33 weeks with her pregnancy and was in great spirits during the shoot, such a joy to work with. Her husband who was working in the office next door was also game to jumping in for a few of the shots

Stay tuned for part two of this shoot as I will be back on location around mid February to follow up with their newborn shoot (I advise to have these taken within the first 2 weeks of birth).

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Madeline Turns Three!

Rebecca Seal Photography — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:03:03 +0000

Kristi and Trevor were wedding clients who I had photographed back in 2005. Fast forward several years and their family has grown. I was very happy when they contacted me to see if I would be interested in photographing their daughter Madeline’s third birthday. It was held at her Grandparents property which gave us the perfect opportunity to include some family portraits before the guests arrived. Madeline was a doll, she was ready and willing to have her photograpgh taken at all times. Not only was she a joy to work with she let me in on some of her top secret kung fu moves!

The bounce house was fun though I think the parents had more fun in it then the kids The dinosuor theme was perfect and Madeline’s best friend thoroughly enjoyed the birthday cake!

Thanks for letting me a part of this special family day!

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Introducing Braiden Mann

Rebecca Seal Photography — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:59:17 +0000

Get ready for a true cutie, this little one with big blue eyes and ginger hair will steal your heart! At 10 months old this was Braiden’s first official photo shoot, and I believe he aced it. I shot on location at Katie and Tavis’ house (former wedding clients of mine) during our Santa Ana winds in October. Despite the near 100 degree heat Braiden kept his cool and was absolutely fascinated with the workings of my camera. Crawling at lightning speed, we would place him across the room and in about 2.5 seconds he was nose to lens. Pretty impressive and hilarious. He is quite a serious little guy, but he was no match for Dad doing monkey faces behind me

This being Katie and Tavis’ first child I was asking how they were adjusting and received my favorite quote to date from Tavis, “We may not know how to steer this ship but were really enjoying the crew!” Congrats you two, I look forward to photographing your beautiful family through the years.

Introducing McKenna Winker

Rebecca Seal Photography — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:38:51 +0000

Carolyn and Derek are former wedding clients of mine who were married in Temecula at the Ponte Family Winery back in 2008. I was thrilled to be contacted by Carolyn in July asking to have some portraits taken of their newest addition, McKenna Elizabeth.

I went over to Carolyn and Derek’s place which was a dream house to shoot a newborn in. They had floor to ceiling windows with no direct morning sun coming through, giving me the chance to shoot using all natural light. McKenna is completely adorable and she had absolutely no interest in sleeping or sitting still We took advantage of her awake moments, took several breaks, broke out the heating pad to warm her into a sleepy hazy but the real breakthrough came when we broke out the fuzzy white blanket. As soon as she felt it she cuddled right in, dozed for just a few minutes while I furiously snapped away. The results priceless I look forward to photographing her and her faithful buddy, Gordo, through the years. Congratulations Carolyn and Derek!

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For those interested in having your baby photographed-

MOST newborn sessions take place within the first 14 days of life and they are better for it Why? Because when newborns enter their 3rd week of life, baby acne can start to show up… they tend to sleep less and are more alert and awake. Plus, they start to lose that newborn curl and some other classic newborn traits.

McKenna was already entering her 3rd week when I first photographed her which accounted for all her activity but we used that to our advantage and got some beautiful awake shots. I also went back when she was at 9 weeks hoping to take advantage of her newly established nap times but she quickly woke up but this time it gave me the opportunity to catch her newly developing smile

Family Portrait: La Mesa

Rebecca Seal Photography — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:34:00 +0000

I met Edwina several years ago when she was referred to me by a former wedding client. Edwina and her siblings were holding a surprise 50th Anniversary party for her parents Edward and Marie. The event took place in Old Town and was a huge success! The afternoon was filled with laughter, heartfelt speeches, and lots and lots of dancing! Having photographed several hundred weddings over the years this party was very special to me. It was incredibly inspiring to see a couple still so in love, surrounded by two generations of family that they had created.

Three years later I was delighted when I received an email from Edwina asking if I was interested in photographing her immediate family as they were all in town for a “mini” reunion. They wanted to keep things simple, not travel far from her home and had one morning available before brunch. They were all staying in La Mesa so I used the opportunity to take a couple of trips out to the nearby surrounding parks to find the perfect location. The first outing did not produce anything but the very last park on the second trip was a success. I found the perfect patch of shade without any soccer fields, metal fences, or parking lots behind it (that can be quite a feat in San Diego sometimes).

It was so good to catch up with everyone and amazing to see how quickly the kids had grown. Edward and Marie are still going strong and I am happy to report still so in love

The Humphries

Rebecca Seal Photography — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:08:11 +0000

I was so excited when Shannon emailed me asking if I could photograph her and her husband with their darling little one Kate and the family dog, Lucy. Shannon and Scott are former clients who were married at the Wild Animal Park in 2005, and I am so pleased they thought of me to capture their family portraits.

I won’t sugar coat it, working with little ones in new wide open spaces has it challenges. There are lots of things way more interesting to look at than the boring old photographer, there are many things to pick up and put in your mouth (particularly if they are teething), and there is lots of room for them to run and explore–though usually in the opposite direction from me and my camera This is the challenge and this is the fun of it, kids being kids. It requires allowing them extra time to wander and investigate, taking breaks between groupings to prevent frustration on their part, and having a sense of humour.

One of my favorite photos from this session is the collage of Kate with all the objects she is “tasting”. She is in the teething stage so instead of trying to take everything away from her we let her do her thing, and I think the pics turned out as a perfect snapshot of this phase of her life and development. I also love that she wanted to share all her objects with adorable Lucy ( the family dog).

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Savannah Turns Four!

Rebecca Seal Photography — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:30:03 +0000

I had so much fun on this shoot! This was my first time photographing a children’s birthday party and I honestly had no idea what to expect. I showed up and there were 10 little ones running all over the front yard but the parents did a great job keeping them entertained. The kids were treated to a petting zoo, a pony ride, and a pinata! It was quite an exciting day and the kids kept me moving but I absolutely loved it and look forward to photographing more of these events (hint hint my past clients who have started their families Happy Birthday Savannah!

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An afternoon with the Morgan Family

Rebecca Seal Photography — Fri, 21 May 2010 23:10:35 +0000

I was delighted when Kristin, an old work colleague of mine, contacted me to ask if I would be interested in photographing her family. Her husband Joshua is an enthusiastic photographer himself and has captured many posed portraits of the family since the adorable Andrew came into their lives just over 2 years ago. In celebration of their upcoming 10 year anniversary they decided they would like to expand their family album by incorporating some “real life” casual and fun portraits. We picked the late afternoon to shoot since we wanted to make sure Andrew had a good nap and snack behind him. When photographing the little ones I have found this is key: work within their natural schedule.

With the recent discovery of both his and his mother’s noses, the fact that Dad flies the best airplanes in town, and just how much a willow plant tickles others when you stick it in their faces, we were off to the races. To me these are some of the most precious moments in a family’s life together, and I absolutely love being there to capture them. Congratulations you two on your 10 year anniversary and on your beautiful family!