Los Angeles Maternity Session
Southern California was having a heatwave the day we ventured out for this maternity session! ‘Ave wore the perfect summery dress, and she and Quincey handled the afternoon like pros! It was so much fun working with this sweet couple and I look forward to the arrival of baby girl Kennedy! Please enjoy these highlights from our session! xoxo
Vogue all the waaaaay! #calvinklein
Cerritos Newborn Session
Can there be anything sweeter than bringing a healthy baby into the world and holding that child in your arms?? This Cerritos newborn session was a true celebration of life! Good things do come to those who ask… and wait! Baby Dean was a trooper the day of our shoot and Lindsay and Mike are taking on first-time parenting like pros! Please enjoy these highlights! xoxo
San Pedro Maternity Session
There is a story behind every photograph. This San Pedro maternity session is no exception. When I first met Claudia as fellow Grad students at CSULB, she was grieving the deaths of her firstborn child and father. I was in the throes of my dad’s battle with cancer. Our experiences brought us together and we were able to be a source of strength and comfort to each other.
The shoes above were bought for their first son Sebastian.
You can imagine the joy I felt to learn, two years later, that Claudia was expecting another baby, Santiago! We rejoiced together and this session was truly a time of celebration!
Love this next one!!! Erik’s expression is priceless! I truly love getting to create moments and memories like these!!
Congratulations Claudia and Erik on the new addition to your family! You have been through so much together and are still smiling! Your strength is inspiring! Looking forward to meeting baby Santi!!
Family Portraits Seal Beach
Another fabulous family portrait session in Seal Beach! I absolutely love working with this family! My first photoshoot with Angel was back in 2012 when I was honored to do her graduation photos. Now she is a beautiful mama to two gorgeous boys and she and her hubby make such a wonderful couple! I love documenting their family as they grow! Please enjoy some of my faves from this session! Much love! xoxo
Long Beach Sweet Sixteen Celebration
It was a gorgeous October evening in Long Beach a day after rain had cleansed the earth and sky. Alex looked like an absolute princess surrounded by friends and family as they celebrated her sixteenth birthday. What made this occasion all the sweeter for me was that I was this young lady’s preschool teacher. Being able to reunite with her and her wonderful family, and witness what a beautiful woman Alex is becoming, was truly an honor! Here are some of the highlights! xoxo
Stay Gold! <3
Echo Park Family Session
Creating these family portraits in Echo Park was so much fun! This stylish young couple have the sweetest baby girl who was full of smiles and giggles throughout the entire session! We had a great view of the DTLA skyline and the weather was perfect. Such a great shoot! xoxo
Next time you schedule a portrait session for your family, why not use it as an excuse to update your headshots for your business profile or website?
Long Beach Plant and People Portraits
After a Naples family session, I had arranged to pop over to Lisa’s house, from Succulents for the Soul Instagram fame, where we met for the first time! I photographed her amazing yard and met her adorable grandson named Dean. Lisa has poured hours into landscaping her beautiful front and back yards! She has created an oasis to surround her home. <3
December Portraits
How was your 2015? This year brought several weighty trials for my family involving the loss of loved ones. Saying goodbye has always been difficult for me in all of it’s sundry forms. I’m working on accepting what I cannot change and becoming more gracious in so doing. This is my goal for the new year; to possess grace. May this new year bring you and your families the fineries of life, laughter and much love. Creating images is still something that brings me great joy. Here are a few December themed portraits of Jackie and Gwen, Neri, Melissa, and Loraine with her beau. Thank you for following and supporting my work! xoxo, dawn altier photography!
Gum Grove Maternity Session
On a hot sticky summer’s afternoon, we braved an unexpected battalion of vampiric mosquitos to capture images of the little miracle growing inside Ariel’s belly. Eucalyptus oil pierced the breeze as we strolled down the path at Gum Grove. Despite the pouring sweat, we had a fun session! When we first met up, I asked Sam if he had a pocket knife. I wanted to cut a clean edge at the bottom of some reeds I’d picked on my way to the shoot. Sam went back to his car and emerged with a bowie knife!!! 😀 The thing was HUGE and came in SO handy! (No pun intended!) We cut out way through the rugged terrain again and again. It was totally worth the heat and bugs! Here are some of the results! Enjoy!
Summer 2015 Portraits
It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. I look back over the past few months and feel most grateful for two things: 1.The intense temperatures will soon be on hiatus, and 2. for the fun I’ve been able to have behind the camera with Andrew and Becca, The Walkowskis, Ana Sophia and family, and the Gleasons. Here are a few highlights. Enjoy!
San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail Family Session
I love this family for so many reasons! Fun, fashionable, and faithful are a few words that come easily to mind when I think of the Araizas. I know them through church association and have so many good memories with them individually. All the hours of ironing and agonizing over wardrobe choices, prepping and bribing the children to smile paid off. 🙂 Loretta and Henry, you have a beautiful family~ I hope to have such a legacy of my own. Much love to you all and thank you for your patronage! xo!
Rancho Los Cerritos Family Session
Talk about panache! You may remember Angel from her graduation shoot here. Since then, she has married, brought a son into the world, and is in the midst of obtaining a Masters degree in Education. GO girl!!! 😀 We had a great time catching up and I loved the energy they brought to the session. Here are my favorite images. Enjoy!