Sacramento family photographer Doug Miranda Photography has been capturing classic and timeless family photos in the greater Sacramento area since 2007. After receiving his BA in professional photography from Brooks Institute of Photography he started his own wedding and portrait photography business in Northern California. When not photographing couples getting married Doug is snapping photographs of families of past and new clients alike.
When most parents think of family photos the first thought that runs through their heads are stuffy and boring family pictures that take place in a studio environment that resembles something that was hanging on the walls of their parents house when they were kids. Don’t get me wrong studio photos are nice, but going outside opens up a lot of new opportunities for backgrounds and having your photographs taken at a location that has a special meaning to your family and you. Family portraits are supposed to be and will become a family heirloom that will be passed down generations for other family members to view and hold onto in years to come. With that being said wouldn’t you want these special photos taken somewhere that has great meaning to you.
When it comes to location for your family portraits I first leave the ball in your court to see if you have any ideas. These locations usually end up being your own home or parks nearby that you enjoy with your kids. It can even be a location in the surrounding area that you love to go to with your family to have fun at or have a special meaning to you. If for some reason you don’t have any idea of where to have these pictures taken at, then that’s where I step in and give you some direction to lead you to the prefect spot. We are super lucky in the Sacramento area to have many locations to pick from. There are a ton of parks and even the state capitol here in the city of Sacramento. Then venturing out you have lots of great spots to pick from in Roseville Folsom, El Dorado Hills and all the surrounding areas of the foothills. There is also Folsom Lake and even the UC Davis Arboretum, which has many diverse backdrops to pick from in one small area. Then there is the Lake Tahoe area, which is a photographers playground and a nice day trip for the family as well. I’m sure know matter what area you pick for these family portraits it will be perfect for you.
Another big factor when looking into having your family photos taken is what time of year or what season to have them taken in. Again this is totally up to you and what fits your expectations of how you want these photos to look. You may want those fall color photos or those tall green grass photos during the spring. I typically recommend that these kind of photos take place during the cooler months up here in Northern California. No one really wants those hot and sweaty looking pictures of themselves hanging on the walls. Sometimes you don’t have options and you want these photographs taken as soon as possible. If that is the case we can make it happen and still have you look good. Usually the work arounds for the hot weather is having the session take place early in the morning before the temperatures rise for the day. The other bonus of morning session is there are a lot less people out and about, which gives us more freedom to move around at the location. The other option for when it’s hot outside is to have the session take place in Tahoe or another cooler location. If you’re wanting to do the session at your house this is another way to beat the summer heat. Another big factor when it comes to the time of day is the lighting. I would highly recommend these photos taken in the late afternoon near or at sunset. If this can not happen I would then go with an early morning session so you can still take advantage of the sun being low in the horizon. Early morning sessions are also good for little kids or babies since most of them are early risers.These times of day create those magical photos you see and is all do to the lighting. If none of the above can happen then we can head to the shade of trees or the inside of your home to create magic. Again, no matter when you decide to have these special photos taken I will be able to make them turn out great for you.
I am sure when you first look into having these family portraits taken you start to think do I really need a professional photographer to capture these photos? I could have my good friend or a relative that has a nice camera and some photographic knowledge take these photos for me. It would be a lot cheaper or if not free. But in the end, you get what you pay for. With that being said it would be in your best interest of skipping the heart ache of having bad photos and hire a professional photographer to capture these pictures for you. They’ll be able to turn your dreams into reality, instead of a nightmare. Plus you’ll want to stay in good speaking terms with these people. As they say, never do business with family or friends. It usually never ends well. With all that being said just do yourself a favor and hire a pro.
Lastly, you might be asking yourself why do I really need a family portrait taken of us? It seems like such a big daunting task to just have some photos taken of us. When it’s all said and done photos are one of the few things in life that can take us back to a certain timeframe in your life or moment and help us relive that time of your life. It’s amazing how fast time goes by and how fast kids grow up. Memories are great, but photos can take us back to remind us how our kids looked at that age and how much they’ve grown. In the long run these photographs will become family heirlooms that will be passed down to future generations to view and see what their relatives looked like.
Having a newborn baby photographer document these special moments early in your child's life is such a special treat for you and your whole family. Babies grown so quick from week to week and month to month. Before you know it you baby is already one years of old and at that point maybe even finally walking around. You'll be so happy that you have professional portraits of how precious and small your child was back when he or she was newly born. These photos are so fun to look back on and remember just how addable they are and how fast they have grown. Some photographers capture studio portraits of newborn babies and others take photos of them in their homes, rooms, cribs and with their parents. It's a nice way to make the photo session more relaxed and comfortable for everyone involved.
If you’ve read all the above information and have gotten this far then please go a little further and get in touch with me about photographing your family portraits for you.
If you are interested in hiring me to photograph your portraits please fill out the contract form on this website. You can also email me directly at doug@dougmiranda.com or give me a call at 916-422-2256. I look forward to hearing from you.