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Drew Zavala Photo

Capturing Your Moments, Your Life

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Asilomar State Beach - Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Milo + Maria’s Family Session

Asilomar State Beach was the perfect place for a family session. Milo, Maria, and their kids Hannah and Aden were absolutely fantastic. I’m so excited to share some photos from their session!

Milo is actually my second cousin, and this is my second time photographing their beautiful family. They wanted a different landscape from last time, and Asilomar State Beach popped out at them from my online location brochure. I have to say, it’s one of my favorite spots.

They took my advice and scheduled at the perfect time. The sun faced them at a beautiful angle, so they didn’t need to squint or look directly into the light. This made our photos so flattering!

Oftentimes, wind is also a tricky variable when it comes to sessions on Asilomar State Beach. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen beforehand, so a lot of times it’s like rolling the dice. However, today there was not even a breath of wind, so we didn’t have to worry about some of the things I normally would, such as messy hair.

It was great seeing them again and catching up with all the family news. Hannah and Aden are growing up so well, and I’m excited to see what they become in the future. Hannah had just returned from a week at Science Camp, and she was still glowing! She loved looking in the tide pools for urchins and other sea critters.

As our session came to a close, the tide started to come up. I had them stand on a rock while the water came in. These photos turned out particularly awesome! Better yet, we didn’t get wet.

I had so much fun during our family session, Milo! It was such a blessing to work with your family, and I can’t wait until the next session.

tags: Drew Zavala Photography, asilomar state beach, pacific grove, Pacific Grove Photography, Family session, family photography, family photos, California photographer
categories: Family
Tuesday 12.13.22
Posted by Sarah Joseph
 

Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Melissa + Kevin

Melissa + Kevin love the outdoors, so it felt perfect that we had our family photo session at a woodsy location in Pacific Grove!

This family shoot was squeezed into Melissa + Kevin’s engagement and wedding package. It was a pleasure for me to rework their package to include it! Family photos are so important, especially with a wedding around the corner!

Kids are always a blast to photograph, and these guys were all that and more! Letting them jump off stuff makes for great photos. I also love to play games like Simon Says with them, or crack terrible jokes to make them smile.

I love capturing them at this energetic stage of life. The kids are into soccer this year and just had their first game prior to our morning session. They were so well-behaved, and had tons of beautiful smiles!

Melissa did an amazing job with everyone’s outfits! The color coordination was on point. I love it when the family shares a similar color theme, but they’re not dressed identically. This gives everyone individuality.

Melissa wore a hat, which added a classy touch to their photos. We took some with it and without it so that they would have options! I can’t decide which ones I like more.

As always, we scheduled our shoot for the optimal light. That’s usually in the morning, like this session, or in the evening. That way, the sun is low enough for us to capture some amazing backlight!

Backlight makes the family pop! It makes hair shine and faces glow, adding so much more depth to each photograph. It makes a good photo great, and a great photo even better!

Melissa + Kevin are about to tie the knot, and their wedding is set for next August! I’ll be photographing that event, so stay tuned! I’m so excited that we were able to squeeze this family shoot into their package.

I’ll also be shooting Melissa + Kevin’s engagement session next month in Monterey. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Thanks for choosing me to document all of these amazing milestones, and see you soon!

tags: Pacific Grove Photography, Drew Zavala Photography, Family session, family photos, california photographer, Children, california family photographer, California
categories: Family
Tuesday 10.25.22
Posted by Andrew zavala