[Picture Life] with The Lynns

Kristen Lynn and I played roller derby together years ago. She retired some years back when she started her family but we have kept in touch through Facebook. A few years ago when her son Harry was only a few months old, she let me come over to try my skills at "newborn" photography. Turns out, I'm not great at posing babies and prefer lifestyle/documentary style. Kristen told me that she never got family photos because she didn't like posed portraits. I was very happy to hear that, since I am pursuing this documentary style full-blast now!

Enough backstory, fast forward to a few Saturdays ago when I went to the Lynn household and spent a few hours with this awesome family, documenting their typical Saturday afternoon. These are my favorite types of sessions because I enjoy capturing the ordinary and freezing everyday moments for parents who can enjoy their babes and look back on these photos forever, to remember this fragment of time. From this session Kristen and her husband Harry will be able to remember when Joey loved playing dress up and would change her outfit multiple times a day and loved to play jungle gym on her parents. They will remember when little Harry was still into Lego's (even though Minecraft is also pretty important to him) and he was in the stage of wanting to show you everything he did with your undivided attention. In a few months, some things may change but through these sessions, we can create art and memories together to last a lifetime.
 

These moments will happen without a camera there to document. I'm honored to give this gift to the Lynns to cherish for a lifetime.  Hope you all enjoyed this session and be sure to drop us a line to book your in-home storytelling session today!

Thank you for stopping by. Check out our Facebook and Instagram for daily updates.

xo,
Sarah C.

The New Varisty & Bristol To Memory | Orange County Photographer

On Friday night I attended a show at The Constellation Room at The Observatory in Santa, Ana. My husband's band, Bird & The War, was on the bill to play so when I left the house I grabbed my camera, ready to shoot some video for them and also be the merch girl.  I was impressed by a few of the bands, so much so, that I picked up my camera and photographed a bit for them. The first band that caught my interest was The New Varsity. Within a few seconds, I knew it was going to be a fun performance. Why? Because, Pop Punk.

And then the headliners, Bristol to Memory played a great alternative, pop punk set! This was a kick-off show for their EPIC PROPORTIONS TOUR. They were really entertaining to watch.

Hopefully you can walk away from this post with some new music to listen to!

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Thanks for visiting my blog, see ya next time!

The Gromble | Orange County Concert Photographer

It was a pleasure to photograph The Gromble last night at Orange County DIY in Lake Forest, CA. This little venue is quickly becoming a favorite of mine to shoot at. They keep booking fantastic bands and it's a rad little spot in south Orange County. Upstairs there's a studio owned by The Gromble where artists are recorded and produced by the drummer, Stefan Mac.
Hope you enjoy these photos and be sure to check out the band's music.

Venue: Orange County DIY located at North Dwarf Records in Lake Forest, CA.

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- Sarah

The Shakes & Dear Kora | Orange County Documentary Photographer

Last night I attended a small show for local bands in Lake Forest, CA. The opener was The Shakes. They were a fun alternative indie rock band that moved people to dance which I really enjoyed. And next up was Dear Kora. I loved their emotional vibe and hint of Flyleaf tone. They really captured the audience and even had a mosh pit going at the end.

In the past when I have done concert photography I have solely focused on the band but now with the documentary mindset, I found myself focusing on the fans and getting the raw emotion of the show.

I shot in RAW but I put my settings to Monochrome (Black & White) in camera, knowing that I could see them in color later when editing. While editing, I decided I liked how the majority of photos looked in Black & White and stuck with that. 

Hope you enjoy :)

Venue: Orange County DIY located at North Dwarf Records in Lake Forest, CA.

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- Sarah

Smoke Bombs | Orange County Photographer

I recently did a 90 minute shoot with two subjects and five smoke grenades (or smoke bombs). I have been sharing photos on Instagram here and there and was asked to write a blog post about my experience using them. So here you go!

First of all: I bought my smoke grenades from this website. Enola Gaye Wire Pull Smoke Grenades. I used Red, White, and Green smoke grenades during this shoot. They have military grade available but I did not buy those. I hear those last longer and likely create more smoke. Amazon also sells them but this site was cheaper. Each one lasted about 5 minutes (give or take) 

Once you get the smoke grenade, I suggest making sure you have an assistant with you to help. I didn't want my subjects holding the smoke grenades so I needed an assistant. It's also possible for the smoke grenades to stain light colored clothing so that is another reason I didn't want my subjects holding it when being photographed.  I suggest your assistant wear all black to prevent staining. 

Okay so to use the smoke grenades, you want to grab the wire tab, away from you and then pull it, again, away from your body and others.

When pointing towards the sun, the red smoke bomb lost some color.

It was really interesting to see how the colors photographed.

To get the above effect, I shot towards the sun when it was probably at a 50 degree angle (an hour before sunset) and let the sun rays engulf the smoke. 

Just a lot of waving the smoke grenades up, down, and around.

Once you are finished, the grenade will be HOT so it's a good idea to put it some sort of container or let it rest on something until it cools down.

This was the red smoke grenade and for some reason this shot had some purple hues.

Played with color hue in Lightroom to change the green to blue!

I jumped in for a few photos and I really liked the green smoke in the background as it faded into the trees.

Thank you for checking out my blog, all about using Smoke Grenades/Smoke Bombs! Feel free to ask anything in the comments below. I would love to hear your feedback!
If you're interested in booking a shoot with me using these awesome props, don't hesitate to contact me!

Keep up with me on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates. 

Until next time!

- Sarah xo

Women's March 2017 - Orange County, CA | Orange County Documentary Photographer

Today was one of the best days of my life. It was such an honor to be part of history where in 60 countries around the world, over 3 million people marched on behalf of women. I marched in Santa Ana, CA (Orange County) with over 20,000 people of all ages, race, creed, ability, and sexuality. I was in awe of my community coming together for me and all women.

As one speaker proclaimed, "This was a coming out party for the allegiance of social justice warriors."

I didn't see any "official" press at our event. Surprise, surprise. So I took part in documenting and being the people's press. It's important that our voices be heard, and our ideas shared.

Enjoy and please share!

Thank you for visiting and supporting.

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Be good to one another.

[Picture Life] on Friday the 13th

"Friday the 13th" brings up different thoughts for everyone. For some, it's horror films, and others fear it will be an unlucky day. Some people just go about their Friday normally.  For me, I think about $13 tattoos! For the past few of years I have gotten 4 of these simple design tattoos. So yesterday I met some friends at a tattoo shop in Costa Mesa for some tattoo fun!

Now, I realize I didn't get any photos of the final tattoos (except mine) but I really wanted to focus on the energy of the day. I hope you enjoy!

Agape Art Collective - Costa Mesa, CA

Jon with Aaron behind

The boys patiently waiting. We waited a total of 3 hours! [L to R: Jon, Jeremiah, Aaron]

Aaron stole my camera and took some photos including this one.

This is our tattooer, Sal. He was rad and down to earth.

Aaron stole my camera again and snapped this of me.

I always love checking out tattooer's stations. The artwork on their wall tells a lot about what kind of artist/person they are.

And now the prep begins for my tattoo!

Thank you Aaron for snapping away while it was my turn!

yum! I have a deep love for pizza and I am pretty stoked on this new tattoo :)

Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my personal life!

I am available for hire in little adventures like this so drop me a line and we can discuss working together.

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Until next time!

[Picture Life] with The Guimonds & Powell Families | Orange County Family Photographer

This is a Sunday afternoon, well spent! Sunshine, planes overhead, and two loving families ready for some portraits!

I met these families under sorrowful circumstances. We have a mutual friend who recently died. His mother, Lynda, gifted Heather and Terra and their families with a photo session this holiday season. I was thrilled to spend some time with them and capture some special memories.

We decided to shoot at Back Bay in Newport Beach where I photographed Michael this summer to pay tribute to our friend. I am stoked on these photos, so enjoy! 

First we have The Guimonds. This trio was so much fun. I let the little one take the lead and he did a marvelous job. 

and now for The Powells

Thanks for visiting! If you would like to book a family session, contact me!

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Until next time!