Summertime Photoshoots on Golden Hills | Family Photos in San Jose, CA

Family Photos in San Jose, CA

Shooting on rolling hills at sunset

This blog post features two beautiful families from the SF Bay Area region who traveled to the south of San Jose for their family photos. Read on to find out my best tips for lifestyle family photos, an overview of this gorgeous location, and some of the wonderful praise I received after delivering this gallery!

San Jose Summer Family Photos on Golden Hills

The season of beautiful golden rolling Californian hills has officially arrived! These two galleries are about to be ALL over my Instagram feed. So many beautiful moments captured here in these quiet summer evening!

These photos were photographed in beautiful Calero County Park, South San Jose. I’m a huge fan of this location.

This location is a bit more of a drive for families in the Peninsula; however, it’s a very flat, straight easy drive with convenient access right off the highway. Also, the drive is beautiful! As soon as you see these rolling hills, you’ll understand completely why I chose this location. My clients who visit this spot always rave about how beautiful it is, for good reason!

There are many popular photo locations in San Jose and the SF Peninsula. You can find many of these trendy spots with a quick google search. Those locations tend to be crowded. They’re located in the midst of the cities, so parking or onlookers can be more of a problem.

Calero County Park is on the outskirts of town so it’s always very quiet there. There is a big parking lot so there’s always enough room without having to circle the lot waiting for a spot. I favor nice quiet places where we can totally relax with our families.

Details about the Family Photo Session

Both these photoshoots were scheduled at Golden Hour, the hour before sunset. That’s how I have all that pretty sunset lighting in the panoramic photos. I do a blend of up-close and panoramic shots; and a blend of candid in-between moments and more traditional smiling pictures. I always try to capture a big variety of locations, poses, setups, and shooting styles to give the final gallery a lot of diversity.

This session was photographed exclusively on a Canon 5d Mark IV with a 50mm 1.4 lens. (one of my favorites!) All photos were edited by hand in Lightroom, with details and smaller touch-ups accomplished in Photoshop. I did not use any presets in editing either of these galleries.

My photography is my art and these beautiful families are my muses. It's a privilege to do what I do.

I photograph families & children on purpose.

I am often asked,

“Do you shoot weddings?
Headshots?
Birthday parties?
Bar Mitzvahs?
Baby showers?
Graduations?” The list goes on.
But my answer is always no, and I'm happy to refer that work to another wonderful photographer.

Mamas and babies, children and families. This is my art. This is what I love.
At my core, I adore children. I’m a teacher by training. Hanging out with kids is the best part of photographing families. Usually after most of my sessions, my mamas will text me afterwards to tell me how much their kids loved me.

And I love them back wholeheartedly, too.

And, I love the way my mamas love their children. That love is truly a masterpiece.

So come as you are, and love your family exactly the way you already do.

I’ll handle the rest.

”Your Heart Knows the Way. Run in that Direction.”

-Rumi

Tips for Lifestyle Family Photos

The biggest piece of advice I can give to families who are looking for authentic, unposed lifestyle photography is definitely to relax and truly play. These types of candid, joyful moments can only come when everyone is relaxed and enjoying each other. I let kids be the boss during photography sessions because its important to keep them happy so the photos will turn out well.

I never expect children to “behave” during photo sessions. I understand that children are in a brand new environment, often for the first time, and they want to squirm and explore and play and run around. This is one of the most beautiful features of childhood and I would never want to squash that impulse!

Parents, I just encourage you to tickle and nuzzle and snuggle your children. Give butterfly kisses with your eyelashes. Close your eyes and hold them tight. All of that fosters intimacy and connection, and I will interpret that through my lens.

If you have particularly energetic kids, I encourage you to arrive 15 minutes early to let your child(ren) run around and play and acclimate to the new location.

Finding your Voice as a Photographer

I don’t think editing is “one size fits all”. I believe editing should reflect the colors present inherently in the image, but it should also enhance and conscientiously convey the overall mood and feel of the image.

I like light & airy editing for weddings and newborn lifestyle images. I like rich & colorful editing on outdoor family photos. And I like dark & moody editing on boudoir or intimate couple photos.

Many photographers talk about the importance of finding their style, and yes this is an important creative journey; but at the end of the day—I honestly think, you should just do you. There truly is no single right answer when it comes to photography, because art is inherently subjective. As an artist, just do what makes you happy…the rest will come.

Kind Words from Clients:

It’s always a privilege to photograph such beautiful families, and I am blessed when they share kind words with me afterwards! This beautiful mama wrote to me,

“These are so gorgeous. Thank you so much for your effort, and love, that you put into your work. It’s evident.”

Thank so much for visiting, friends!

Want to see more of my work at sunset/ Golden Hour? Click Here!

Want to see one of my favorite mountain locations in the SF Peninsula? Click here!

Ready to book beautiful family photos in a gorgeous Bay Area Location? Click Below!