This El Matador beach family photo session was just the right mix of energetic big brother, sweet twin sisters, and everyone super excited to welcome a new baby into the world. Congratulations to the awesome Piippo family as you away the arrival of little Number Four! 

I'm loving these photos of Blair's proposal to Kristina at the beach in Malibu! The two were on vacation (from the east coast), and had scheduled a photo shoot under the guise of maternity photos at the beach. The two are expecting their first child in a couple months, and this vacation was their "babymoon." Kristina knew about the photoshoot, but she didn't know about the surprise proposal. It was the perfect guise to get her all dressed up at this beautiful location and let the magic ensue. 

Click READ MORE for all the photos and for a play-by-play of this beautiful Malibu beach proposal. 

Beach family photos in Malibu with the sweet (and adventurous) Robertson family was so much fun!! For starters, they brought me a Chik-fil-A sandwich (score!) and then mama Caitlin proceeded to climb down about a thousand stairs to get onto the sand at El Matador. Once there, they splashed and played and tumbled and I'm pretty sure everyone got covered in sand and saltwater and it. was. perfect. It was also right in the middle of COVID, as the beaches were opening up and the chance to spend a sunset evening next to the water was so very good for the soul. 

Okay, I know it's not cool to brag, but this maternity photoshoot with the Thomases represents a first for me:
This couple
flew
across the country
from New Jersey
for this photoshoot
with me. 

I still can't believe it. They wanted to do a photo shoot, they looked around (on Instagram, I might add, where there are countless other worthy and talented photographers), they saw my work and liked it and decided they wanted to invest in the cross-country travel (from New Jersey) to have a photo session at El Matador with me. To say I felt both honored and unworthy at the same time would be a contradictory but totally accurate statement.
After I learned they traveled for the express purpose of this shoot, I was determined to make it knock their socks off. And it did.

​We shot at the world-famous, always photo-worthy, and always crowded El Matador State Beach. So why, you ask, are there no human beings in sight in the Thomas' photos? Because we shot at sunrise (didn't I say this couple is cool?!) We also shot this session right in the midst of the scare before the coronavirus shutdown, so I'm so glad this maternity session was scheduled for the day it was and not a week later..... then this gorgeousness might not have happened. 

Oh this sweet growing family of almost four! And what a lovely purple, gold, and peach sunset to serve as the backdrop for these beachy family photos. These snaps here are documenting the brief days before Baby Luke made his entrance into the world. Back when big brother Isaiah still wasn't entirely sure what it meant to be a big brother. I'm so glad I got to spend this sunset with the Begert family, when Isaiah was the only One and the whole world was waiting for little Two. 

This Malibu beach proposal was about as picture perfect as you can possibly get. With a hazy golden sunset and a troop of family members flown in *surprise* from the east coast, to celebrate the moment when Taylor said yes when Bray asked the most important question of both their lives. With a little planning ahead (making sure they knew and I knew where to stand), we pulled off these beautiful photos of the moment and the aftermath, with all the hugs, kisses, and champagne toasts from beloved family.

And I even got to take 20 to sneak these two away for a couples-only session to snap a set of photos for their invitations, frames, wedding website, etc. Congratulations, Bray and Taylor, on your engagement!

Korey and Bev are engaged!!!! And we snapped these awesome sunset beach engagement photos at El Matador State Beach on a gorgeous January evening a few months before their wedding. I'm so excited to photograph Korey and Bev's wedding in March. 

The amazing M family is growing and changing and with every added human, I think the love this family shares seems to double! We planned these beautiful beach family photos at El Matador Beach in Malibu, CA, to make the most of the early winter sunsets (kids need to eat dinner!) Between the hugs, kisses, splashes, rock scrambles, and cave exploring, we were able to capture so many beautiful moments that this awesome family will treasure for years to come. 

The Horn family planned a beach vacation and thought ahead... to beach family photos! The Horns are expecting baby #2, a little sister for their son, and they are SO excited to welcome a new little one into the world. 

We met at El Matador State Beach for some family and maternity photos, snapping a mix of candids and posed, laughing and connecting and appreciating the sunset as the sky turned gold and then pink and then blue. 

I feel like you could rename this family photoshoot, "The Many Faces of Ford." This kid is a HOOT. He smiles, he roars, he laughs, he yells, he pouts, he smolders, and he does it all in rapid succession on after the other. 

We scheduled this sweet beach family photo session in Malibu at El Matador Beach on a beautiful weekday evening in October. (Weekday is key... that's why we have the whole beach to ourselves!) 

Cam and Abby are friends of mine who I've known since their newlywed days at law school. Now here they are with a firecracker of a son, expecting another in the new year! 

Loved shooting this beautiful sunny family session at our legendary El Matador coastline.