Southern California Family Photographer | Kristen & Ash in Pandemic Times

It was a gorgeous, autumn afternoon in Southern California. After months cooped up and socially isolated, I was ecstatic when Kristen asked me to shoot some family portraits near our old stomping grounds.

One of my best friends from high school, Kristen, and I grew up together in Lake Elsinore, CA, which became the starting point of our worldwide travels together. It is such an incredible honor and joy to continue documenting huge life events for her, including her maternity shoot in Kauai and this follow-up mother-son session in which I captured her bond with beautiful baby boy Ash.

We did this particular shoot on my only trip back to Cali during the pandemic in 2020. We took a drive around the back roads of her beautiful neighborhood in Canyon Lake to look for the best photo-worthy locations. The first place I spotted had these majestic cacti we simply couldn't miss, while another featured the stunning silhouette of the dusty hills in the back.

A nice part of these types of shoots is their spontaneity. I'm really good at improvising and making the most of any situation I'm given. I also love capturing events as they unfold. Part of being a momma is soothing a child when they're having a tantrum, so I find documenting these real, raw moments in my photoshoots just as important as the joyful candids right before and right after.

These photos hope to capture the essence of the ever-growing bond between mother and son as well as the struggles and the beauty of single motherhood.


^ Click the Play button and select view "Picture in Picture" for a soundtrack while scrolling through the images...





























Family Photography by Brenda Bravo / www.bravoimage.com © 2020


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