happy sunday! holiday photos in san diego

we kicked off the holiday photo season early this year, with an end of september shoot that was so much fun.  this family is so amazing, full of love, goodness and friendship (plus, they are gorgeous!) --we've known them since before the little guy was born!  this was at tamarack beach in carlsbad, take a look at a few of our faves...

i mean seriously, does it get any more picture perfect than this? i'm waiting for the magazines to come calling...

happy holidays swensons!

holiday photos are coming to san diego

it's that time of year...
...when we pray that the kids will smile just once and at the same time
... when we hope that the weather will cooperate and not give us crazy hair
...when we hope that there won't be 500 other people with the same idea in the same place at the same time
...when we go shopping for the perfect outfit, coordinated, but not matchy, and what color is in style this year? 
...when we wonder when holiday photos got so competitive
...when we become those parents we never thought we would be just to get our kids to smile -- I'll buy you a candy, toy, puppy, _____! if you would just smile once

Yes, it is that time of year we all love, HOLIDAY PHOTO TIME!!!!

We are coming to San Diego a few times over the next couple months for holiday photos, so sign up now and pass along the info.

Oct 24-26
Nov 7-9
Thanksgiving Weekend

Cost is $125 for the mini session (15 minutes) and $200 for the 30 minute session.  Locations TBD.

Email us at daniphaneufphoto@gmail.com or find us on facebook and let us know what date / time works for you.

And to get you in the mood, here is one of my favorite photos from our shoot in october, at tamarack beach in carlsbad. imagine the envy all your east coast and midwest friends will have when you send them your holiday cards...

dec 18: a month of charitable giving -- princess project | sf bay area photographer

who doesn't remember pretty in pink? molly ringwald in all her 80s glory, desperate to go to prom, but didn't have the money for a dress. so she made one, a beautiful (in her mind) pink gown. well if she had known about the princess project, she might have been able to save herself some time.

the princess project is a cool organization that supports a girl's dream of being able to attend prom. through this organization, you can donate old dresses that they will in turn give to young girls so they can fulfill their dream of attending prom.  they also have opportunities to volunteer, both in san francisco area and in san diego, so there is plenty of opportunity for you to get involved. 

and today's post features an adorable little princess who was just about 3 months old for our shoot.  from engagement to wedding to maternity to newborn and now family photo shoots, we have loved getting to know lisa and tim and giving them the memories of a lifetime. 

 happy holidays,

dani + james

dec 17: a month of charitable giving -- alzheimers.org | sf bay area photographer

i can't imagine what it would be like to not remember things, basic things, memories of the good times, my husband's name.  but that is exactly what happens with alzheimers, it takes away your memory and interferes with your brain, making it difficult to even live.  according to the website, alzheimers is the 6th leading cause of death in the US.  with all the scientific advances and medical breakthroughs we read about every day, it would seem like a cure should be right around the corner, but the brain is a tricky beast and unfortunately, a cure still seems quite far away. 

alzheimers.org is an organization that helps both people suffering from the disease (or other forms of dementia) and their supporters and family.  we've been supporting this organization for the past couple of years, since one of my closest family members was diagnosed with dementia.  we see the daily struggles, see the difficulty in speaking and interacting and it breaks our hearts.  so we do the little that we can and donate to fund medical research, in the hopes that one day soon a cure will be found.

today we are sharing a family who we've know for so many years, we've watched their family grow and keep growing and its always so great to see their cute smiling faces.  this was taken under crystal pier, in san diego, on a perfect san diego winter day.

happy holidays!

dani + james

dec 16: a month of charitable giving -- jonathan collins org | sf bay area photographer

for the past few years, james and i have basically skipped christmas, only buying gifts for the kids in our life. we take the money we would have spent on gifts and donate to charities instead.  and this year, we took a percentage of each holiday photo shoot and donated to a charity that we like.  many of the charities we have been donating to for years, but we also find new ideas from friends, colleagues and from magazine articles like glamour's 31 days of giving.  this list has ideas that are easy to support, for just a few dollars. 

today we are featuring a charity (we found on glamour's list) that is so heartwarming and thoughtful, helping the children of deployed military parents.  the jonathan collins organization will send a cute teddy bear with a recorded message from the parent to the child when a parent deploys.  the program is called a message from the heart, and i can only imagine the surprise and delight when the child gets that cute little bear and hears mommy or daddy's voice.  for just $25 you can send a child a comfort bear and you can find out more on facebook. 

for today's holiday session, we're sharing one of our LA families, who we have known for many years. we first photographed them when there were only 4, and now they are an awesome family of 5, with amazing personalities and fabulousness to boot (check out those outfits).  the pictures were taken at a gorgeous park in beverly hills, will rogers memorial park. 

 happy holidays!

dani + james

dec 15: a month of charitable giving -- the sam fund | sf bay area photographer

 

i came across this charity recently, on the recommendation from a colleague.  after reading the stories of these young adults affected by cancer and how the sam fund helps them to move on with their lives, i was hooked.  i like the idea of being able to help people move forward with their lives, to win over this vicious and indiscriminate disease, to be able to have just a little comfort after a lot of pain.  you can find out more about the sam fund by checking out their website here or by following them on facebook.

today's holiday photo session is from one of our san diego families who we have been photographing for years.  we have seen these adorable little girls grow up and we look forward to seeing them every year.  this year's session was taken in del mar, right near l'auberge hotel, which is quite a spectacular property.

happy holidays!

dani + james

dec 8-13: a month of charitable giving -- greater good | sf bay area photographer

no matter your preference, the greater good has a charity for you.  do you love animals? then you can donate to animal rescue organizations.  pets not your thing but instead want to make a difference in people's lives? then you can donate to fight hunger here, through operation sandwich.  or maybe you want to help our planet -- you can do that too, all through greater good. we like this organization because it simplifies giving, and they have donated over $30M to charitable causes over the past 7 years.  with a simple click, you can donate (sometimes for FREE) to organizations that really make an impact on peoples' lives around the world. 

for this holiday posting, we are sharing another one of our LA families, who we have known for years. they were one of our first wedding clients, and we have watched their family grow -- we love seeing them every year.  they just welcomed a new little boy and we were thrilled to meet the little guy.  this was taken at will rogers memorial park, in beverly hills.  love, love, love the navy and green, so fabulous.

happy holidays,

dani + james

dec 7: a month of charitable giving -- the breast cancer site | sf bay area photographer

this is a really cool and super easy way to give this year, it is FREE!!! yes, all it takes is a few seconds and a click of the mouse and you can give a woman in need a free mammogram.  visit the breast cancer site here and click your way to giving.

today's family photo was taken at the hotel del coronado, a fantastic hotel in san diego that provides a great backdrop for photos or is fabulous for a little r&r.  love how the colors pop here, and love the leather sassiness, fierce!

happy holidays,

dani + james

dec 6: a month of charitable giving -- drivetoendhunger.org | sf bay area photographer

every year glamour magazine does the 31 days of giving, and this year, we are stealing some of their ideas.  like today's donation, to the drive to end hunger. this is an aarp organization that helps seniors to make sure they don't go hungry.  according to their website, "Nearly 9 million Americans 50+ are at risk for hunger every day – a staggering 79 percent increase in just 10 years." with only a few dollars donation, you can help end hunger for struggling seniors in this country.

and today's family shoot is from balboa park, one of our favorite places ever.  it only took a little coaxing to get the little one smiling and posing, and then we couldn't get her to stop :) love how everyone has their own personality in these photos...just adorable!

happy holidays,

dani + james

dec 4: a month of charitable giving -- toys for tots | sf bay area photographer

 

in honor of james, whose birthday is today, we are featuring toys for tots, a fantastic organization that you surely have come across in years past.  the toys for tots program was started by the marines and is another organization that is super responsibly run.  we love that most of the money donated goes directly to the children to buy toys and gifts.  

you can donate by clicking here, and make a child's christmas super happy this year. 

and today's photo is another one of our san diego family, at another one of our favorite places, old poway park.  love, love, love, especially the cute little puppy...

happy holidays,

dani + james

dec 3: a month of charitable giving -- USO | sf bay area photographer

as many of you know, james is a former marine, so military-focused charities have a special place in our hearts.  for years, we have been donating to the USO, which provides care packages, entertainment and support to our troops overseas. 

it is amazing how little you can donate and still make a tremendous difference in the lives of the soliders who are away from their families for months at a time.  from phone cards to magazines to basic toiletries to snack foods, the USO provides it all.  and if you want to get more involved, you can volunteer with the USO and provide much needed help welcoming our soldiers back home or assisting in putting together care packages.  you can also check out their facebook page here.

for today's holiday photo, we are sharing a session from balboa park in san diego, one of our favorite locations EVER.  this little guy is so personable, and loves to rock it out with the camera.  thanks holden for being such a little rockstar!

happy holidays,

dani & james

dec 2: a month of charitable giving -- Second Harvest | sf bay area photographer

 

when we look for charities to support, we love finding ones that have a big role in the local community.  so when we moved to the bay area, we found second harvest food bank, which provides food and meals to people who are down on their luck.  we also like that they have a high score for fiscal responsibility, meaning that the majority of our donation goes right to buying food and goods. this month, you can donate a turkey to help a needy family or you can volunteer at a local food bank. 

and for today's holiday photo, one of our favorite families in san diego, taken at crystal pier in pacific beach. 

happy holidays,

dani & james

san diego portrait photographer | holiday photos: garrett and darien

its always fun to see good friends in the midst of all the holiday chaos, and especially nice when the kids are as cute as these guys.  always smiling, and always up for a lot of fun, darien and garrett are pros at holiday photos.

holiday photos: tara and mike | san diego portrait photographer

switching it up a bit, because i love, love, love this holiday portrait / pre-engagement (j/k mike, no rush) session.  after meeting at the prado for a quick drink, it was picture time at our fave places around balboa park. i know, there is a theme in our holiday photos this year, but we just can't get enough of this place, maybe because we moved. now about the gorgeous couple, tara and mike wanted some holiday photos they could share with their friends and family, but we couldn't resist making this like a mini-engagement shoot, just to get some practice in :)  tara looked absolutely stunning, i think i could have shot her all day.  and mike is just naturally handsome and super photogenic. put the 2 of these guys together and all i can say is WOW!!! here are some of my faves from the session.

holiday photos: schramm family | san diego family photographer

another set of adorable kiddos, and a gorgeous mom and dad to boot, how can i not love doing holiday photos? these were taken at balboa park, alcazar garden

holiday photos: jackson | san diego family photographer

this little guy was such a pro at posing and smiling, he made my life super easy.  even better, he is so cute i couldn't stop taking pictures of him all around old poway park.  thanks jackson for being such a rockstar model, and thank you debbie for all the referrals, you are awesome!

san diego family photographer | holiday photos: drew and mackenzie

these kids are some of my favorites, not only are they absolutely adorable, but they always have the cutest outfits and the best smiles. these were taken down by petco park, for a little san diego urban flavor.

san diego family photographer | holiday photos: luke

this little guy had so much style with his cute little fedora, and can you believe his t-shirt was his dad's when he was little? how cool is that? day 2 of our holiday countdown, this was at mission san diego 

san diego family photographer | holiday photos: holden

we've taken enough family photos in the last couple weeks to put a new picture up on the blog everyday until new years. so that is what i am going to try to do. first up, holden, with his mom, dad and dog along for the ride. is he not the most adorable little guy? and he likes to dance, even better!

its holiday photo time...and we are partnering with a new card company!

many of you have already signed up for holiday photos, but if you haven't there is still time left.  we'll be in san diego the weekends of nov 2-4 and nov 9-11, then again over thanksgiving weekend, so let us know if you are interested.  this year we are doing mini-sessions which are 15 minutes each, perfect for your holiday card.

and this year, we have partnered with minted.com for photo cards.  they are super cute, very stylish and very customizable.  you can check out our storefront here.  it is a fairly easy process, you go online, request photos from us and then we upload, send you a key and you can design your card.