San Jose Family Photography

Today I'm featuring a beautiful family of five I photographed this winter in the hills just outside San Jose, California.

Going with the flow at family photoshoots

The story of their photoshoot is actually pretty funny and memorable! We had been watching the weather in the days leading up to the photos and the forecast showed heavy rainfall due the whole week of their photo shoot. I didn't think there was any way the weather would clear up long enough for us to take these photos! 

Credit to this mama, because she was determined to at least try for these photos.  We agreed we might as well go for it and if it rained, we would just reschedule for another day and time.

We studied the weather patterns and decided to switch photoshoot locations at the last minute to a different part of San Jose, where the forecast was predicted to be a little bit more clear that afternoon.  We also moved our start time forward about two hours hoping to dodge the rain before it arrived later in the evening. 
Normally I can't move my photo shoots forward because the California sun is way too bright in the afternoon.  On this particular date the cloudy sky softened the light so that we were able to shoot in the middle of the day instead of waiting for true Golden Hour, which is before sunset.

Photographing outdoor family photos

This experience is a great reminder that shooting outdoors is inherently unpredictable! There are so many elements outside of our control! Not only do we have to watch the weather, but we also have to watch for park closures, traffic, parking issues, wind, and in some seasons, landscaping/mowing at the parks. I do my best as a photographer to pre-scout locations so that there are no surprises on the day of the photos, but sometimes nature is unpredictable and we have to be flexible with a sense of humor.  

Fortunately this mama was so sweet and understanding, so when I switched the location and bumped the photoshoot forward several hours, she was totally accommodating and able to get her beautiful family ready just in time for our new start time.

This week I was telling my husband about another recent photoshoot, and my husband reflected out loud, “wow, a lot really has to go right to get good photos!” And this is totally true!  Good photos are a careful combination of intentional styling, careful advanced planning, a fun, snuggly family, and a little bit of luck for good weather & lighting at our chosen location.

Tips for styling your family for photoshoots

 And oh my goodness, don't they just look amazing?  This family totally nailed styling and wardrobe with a beautiful complementary palette of warm and neutral colors. It was actually very cold  and windy during this photoshoot, so their layering with jackets and scarves was a great strategy to keeping the family warm.  When it's very cold out, I basically just tell my families to snuggle as close as possible and try to keep each other warm.  That is how we got all these amazing snuggly and intimate photos in their gallery!

At the end of the photoshoot, Mama requested to take a few extra photos in her ethnic jewelry. We can all agree she is absolutely stunning!  I loved photographing these parents alone at the end of their session, really just focusing on their love and authentic connection. It is so important to get regular photos together as a couple, and it’s the first thing to get overlooked during normal family photos. When photographing couples I try to keep these moments authentic, relaxed, and candid. I tell my couples to just hug, snuggle, dance, laugh and tickle.  PDA is always encouraged! Having fun is the best way to capture these authentic moments, and you can tell in the final photos that this couple was doing exactly that!

Looking for a San Jose family photographer for your next photos? Contact me today to schedule beautiful, authentic photos of your sweet family!