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!

Garland Ranch - Carmel, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Mari + Juan

I was so excited when Mari + Juan booked me for a family session last month! I did their family photos about a year ago. That time, we photographed Mari’s side of the family, and this time I got to meet Juan’s!

They were just as much fun to work with. It was so cool to see how much this family cherishes each other. Mari + Juan’s kids have grown up so much!

Our session happened at Garland Ranch. I convinced them to go for a 4pm time slot, and boy, was that the right call!

The weather was one of those 10/10 days, and I could not have been more happy with how nice it was. The sun was just right, which gave us the chance to use all sorts of photography techniques like backlight.

This family loves western attire, and this wardrobe choice shines in every photo! The western theme is so perfect for showing off their personalities. They played with it!

With extended family shots, it can sometimes be a bit tricky to make sure that everyone has their eyes open, but we had such a good time! I kept things moving and paid close attention to all of those little details so this family has perfect memories to look back on.

Some of Juan’s family were even visiting from Mexico for the first time in many years. To be able to capture their reunion was such a blessing!

I took so many photos of everyone together, but I also set aside some time to capture just Mari + Juan’s family! They are such a joy to work with, and I look forward to hopefully seeing them again soon!

Mari + Juan, I was so happy to see you again! I can’t thank you enough for choosing me again to photograph your beautiful family and extended family. When looking at these photos, I hope you fondly remember the memories we made that day.

Asilomar Beach - Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Vargas Family

In mid-July, I had the immense pleasure of photographing the Vargas family for their annual family photos!

It’s always a little nerve-wracking to try out a new photographer, but as first-time clients, I was so impressed with the amount of trust they put in me!

Liz told me that one of the biggest struggles she has with family photos is keeping them fun and easy-going. Luckily, that’s my specialty! If family photos aren’t a blast, you’re doing it wrong, even with toddlers!

Toddlers will be toddlers, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make your photos magical. With a little kindness and patience, creating whimsical moments of your little ones isn’t difficult at all.

In fact, the toddler stage is one of the most energetic! I like to use that to our advantage to create movement and depth in your photos. The key to this is going with the flow and capturing them as they explore the beautiful world around them.

The Vargas Family were stunning in semi-formal fashion. Although you can never go wrong with dressing too fancy for photos, this family hit the nail on the head by choosing wardrobe that suits them and their styles.

As always, Asilomar Beach was gorgeous, and the family ended up loving the location so much that they wished they’d had more time!

After the shoot, Liz sent me an email to let me know how much she loved the photos. She was amazed by how well we captured her boys’ personalities, and wrote that it was by far “One of the best photography experiences we’ve had as a family.”

She went on to say that, “You captured some very sweet moments between each of us that we can now treasure for a lifetime. Thank you just isn’t enough. You are a master at your craft.”

Nothing makes me happier, Liz! Thanks for choosing me, and I look forward to taking your holiday photos later this year!