Dawn Altier 4/6/22 Dawn Altier 4/6/22

Montage Family Session

Despite the roller coaster that 2020 has been, there have been many beautiful moments. Reconnecting with returning clients who have become friends, is always a highlight! I’m so thankful for the Case family! Please enjoy my favorites from their Laguna Beach family session. Please stay safe and well! And let’s plan to shoot together in 2021! xoxo

Dawn Altier 4/6/22 Dawn Altier 4/6/22

Laguna Beach Family Session

This Laguna Beach family session embodies many thoughts and emotions. First, this session was in honor of the long journey Mark and Traci have been on regarding their health. Mark has been suffering from Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for several years now and both of them underwent gastric bypass surgery last year. The fact that Mark was able to stand for more than a minute or two, in broad daylight, let alone participate in this photoshoot was a literal miracle! You can hear him tell part of his story by clicking here. He talks about how undergoing gastric bypass surgery allowed him to lose 190 lbs in less than a year and has helped alleviate some of his (IIH) symptoms.

The timing of our session was also miraculous! California beaches had been shut down for months because of Covid-19. They had reopened briefly, but were closing again for 4th of July. With the possibility of all of us having been exposed to the virus weeks before our initial session date, we tentatively rescheduled. (Mark and Traci are from Utah and extended their stay in SoCal to accommodate.) After confirming we were Covid-free and setting a new shoot day, the day before beaches were to close for the holiday weekend, our paths aligned and we were able to make beautiful pictures together! I’m so thankful this session came to pass! 😉

Dawn Altier 4/2/22 Dawn Altier 4/2/22

Laguna Beach High School Grad Session

There are a few times in your life when professional photography is an absolute MUST. Senior portraits are no exception. If you can swing it, please don’t settle for the school’s photographer. No offense to a studio set-up, but there’s only so much creative latitude you can have with a “step-right-up”one-stop-shot kind of set-up. Who wants to be typical and cookie cutter? Why not create portraits that are a bit more scenic?

Shayne wanted a beach backdrop. Done! No better place than Laguna! He wanted wardrobe options. Done! You want traditional mixed with non-traditional. You wanna wear your sunny’s in a few of the shots? Done and done! He brought props too. Cool!!! That said, this first shot is probably my favorite. Love the wave crashing in the background and the expression on Shayne’s face! Congrats Shayne on 4 years of hard work in the bag! I know it will pay off! Here’s to getting in to UCSD!!! Go Tritons!!! 🙂

Dawn Altier 3/30/22 Dawn Altier 3/30/22

Laguna Beach Family Session with The Tinsley’s

This is one good looking family catching some salty sun at Laguna Beach! It is a pleasure and privilege to know and have worked with the Tinsley family. For the past 6 years, I “worked”, (code word for played), at the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center in Long Beach. This year, Ana Sophia was one of my preschoolers. Her vivacious spirit added so much life to our program. It has been a joy getting to know her and her family. We spent an afternoon climbing rocky tide pools, soaking up the ocean mist, and creating memories and images that will last a life time! Enjoy!