Best Orange County CA Photographer

Montage Laguna Beach Family Session | The Fliglia Family | Laura + Rob + Beckham + Sienna | Orange County Family Photographer | Cori Kleckner Photography

Montage Laguna Beach Family Session | The Fliglia Family | Lau + Rob + Beckham + Sienna | Orange County Family Photographer | Cori Kleckner Photography

Some Laguna Beach locations that give you so much variety without ever feeling like you’re photographing in the same little stretch of beach the entire time, and Montage Laguna Beach is one of them.

For this family session, we were able to move through so many different looks in one evening. We started with bright, open light and those warm sun-filled images that feel so quintessentially Southern California. From there, we wandered toward the cliffs and rocks, incorporated the sand and water, and ended up with a gallery that feels incredibly diverse while still flowing together naturally.

One of my favorite parts about photographing families at Montage Laguna Beach is how much the landscape changes within such a small area. You have open beach, rocky coastline, dramatic cliffs, soft sand, ocean views and pockets of beautiful light all within walking distance. It gives kids room to move and explore instead of feeling like they have to stand in one place and smile at the camera.

Their son especially loved climbing around on the cliffs, which ended up creating some of my favorite photographs from the session. Those are always the moments I’m drawn to most. Letting kids interact with the environment, climb, explore, run near the water and actually be themselves gives the photographs so much more personality than trying to keep everyone perfectly posed.

We also had the prettiest warm sunlight coming through during part of their session, giving us those bright, glowing Laguna Beach family photos alongside the moodier rocky coastline. I love being able to give families both. Some images feel soft and sun-filled, others feel a little more dramatic with the cliffs and ocean behind them, and then there are the simple barefoot moments right on the sand.

That variety is one of the reasons I continue coming back to this part of Laguna Beach for family photography sessions. You can create an entire gallery that feels like several different locations without having to pack everyone into the car and move somewhere else halfway through.

For families looking for a Laguna Beach family photographer, Montage is especially beautiful if you want your photos to feel relaxed, coastal and natural while still having plenty of visual interest in the background. I photograph family sessions throughout Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Orange County, with a focus on candid interaction, movement and all of those little in-between moments that actually feel like your family.

And while the Laguna Beach coastline is obviously beautiful, the location is really just the backdrop. The best part is getting to photograph your family exactly as you are in this season: kids climbing rocks, sandy feet, windblown hair, someone running toward the water and all.

Those are usually the photographs that end up meaning the most.

CORI KLECKNER PHOTOGRAPHY IS AN ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHER SPECIALIZING IN MATERNITY, NEWBORN, BABY, FAMILY, CHILDREN’S AND LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

San Diego Newborn Photographer | In-Home Lifestyle Session with the Bandak Family | Welcoming Sweet Sutton | Their First Baby Girl | Cori Kleckner Photography

San Diego Newborn Photographer | In-Home Lifestyle Session with the Bandak Family | Welcoming Sweet Sutton| Their First Baby Girl | Cori Kleckner Photography

Sweet Sutton was just two weeks old when I photographed the Bandak family at home in San Diego, and she happens to be their first baby girl after three boys.

She may not have been part of the original plan, but somehow she already feels like the piece they never knew was missing. It’s hard to imagine this family without her now.

It was so sweet getting to see all three boys again. The last time I was in their home, I was photographing Ford as a newborn four years ago, and now I was back photographing him as a big brother to their first baby girl. Seeing all three boys with Sutton made the whole session feel a little full-circle.

We moved from the master bedroom to the living room and eventually out into the backyard, letting the session unfold naturally wherever everyone felt most comfortable. That is what I love so much about an in-home newborn session in San Diego. Nothing has to feel overly structured. Baby can eat when she needs to, the older kids can come and go, and we can simply follow the rhythm of the family.

Some of my favorite photographs are usually the quietest ones anyway. A baby curled against Mom. Dad holding her close. Brothers piling onto the bed to get a better look at their new sister. Tiny hands, sleepy stretches, and all the little things that start changing almost immediately.

There is something so meaningful about photographing a family exactly where life is happening.

First Baby Girl After Three Boys

There was something especially sweet about watching this family welcome a daughter after three sons.

The boys were curious, proud, affectionate, and already completely taken with her. Those early sibling dynamics are such a huge part of a newborn story, and they are some of my favorite things to photograph because they cannot really be recreated later.

A few months from now, Sutton will already look completely different. The way she fits into their arms will change. Her brothers will settle into having a little sister, and this brand-new chapter will start to feel normal.

That is exactly why these first weeks are worth documenting.

A Relaxed Lifestyle Newborn Session at Home

I never expect newborn sessions to be perfectly quiet or perfectly posed. Real life with a newborn rarely looks like that anyway.

If baby is awake, we photograph her awake. If someone needs a snack or a break, we take one. If the older kids need a minute to run around, that is completely fine too.

The goal is not perfection. It is connection.

That relaxed approach is what makes lifestyle newborn photography feel so personal. The images can still feel beautiful and intentional while also feeling like your family.

For the Bandaks, that meant photographing the way their home felt in those first few weeks with Sutton and letting each family member interact with her in their own way.

Thank you, Bandak family, for trusting me with another chapter of your story.

Welcome to the world, sweet Sutton. You are already so deeply loved.

Cori Kleckner Photography offers natural, in-home newborn photography throughout Orange County and select Southern California locations, including San Diego and Encinitas.

Newport Beach In-Home Newborn Session | The Klein Family | Orange County Newborn Photographer | Cori Kleckner Photography

Newport Beach In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session | The Klein Family | Orange County Newborn Photographer | Cori Kleckner Photography

The best newborn photos are usually the ones that bring you back to what those first weeks actually felt like at home. A toddler hovering nearby, the dog following everyone from room to room, a feeding in the nursery, or tiny feet dangling against your hip.

As an Orange County newborn photographer, those are the moments I’m always looking for during in home sessions throughout Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and surrounding areas.

For the Klein family, we moved naturally between the nursery, master bedroom, and backyard with their brand new baby boy, toddler daughter, and dog. The result was a gallery that felt layered and personal without feeling overly posed.

What I love most about in home newborn sessions are the little things that would otherwise be forgotten. A sibling brushing the baby’s hair. Mom nursing in the rocking chair while a curious toddler comes closer. Dad changing a diaper while big sister watches. The dog underfoot. Tiny newborn feet dangling against Mom’s hip.

Those moments may feel ordinary while you’re living them, but they’re often the ones that end up meaning the most.

Toddlers don’t need to sit perfectly for the entire session. We let them wander in and out, investigate the baby, climb onto the bed, help, observe, and take breaks.

That freedom is usually what creates the photographs that feel the most honest.

For families searching for a Newport Beach newborn photographer, Laguna Beach newborn photographer, or relaxed in home newborn photography in Orange County, my approach is centered around candid connection, natural light, and the details that make this season feel like yours.

Because the nursery changes. The baby grows. The toddler becomes the big kid.

And eventually, all of those tiny everyday moments become the part you wish you could step back into for just a minute.

CORI KLECKNER PHOTOGRAPHY IS AN ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHER SPECIALIZING IN MATERNITY, NEWBORN, BABY, FAMILY, CHILDREN’S AND LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Artz Extended Family Session | Large Group Family Photos| Orange County Family Photographer | Cori Kleckner Photography | Newport Beach Family Photographer

The Artz Extended Family Session | Large Group Family Photos| Orange County Family Photographer | Cori Kleckner Photography | Newport Beach Family Photographer

There’s something incredibly special about capturing the love and connection across multiple generations. The Artz family came together for this beautiful extended family session, and it was a true honor to photograph their timeless bonds. From grandparents to cousins, we captured each unique relationship while documenting the love and laughter they all share.

As an Orange County family photographer, I specialize in creating images that tell the story of your family, no matter how large or small. Extended family sessions are a wonderful opportunity to gather the whole family—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and everyone in between—to create memories that will last a lifetime.

During extended family sessions, I ensure to capture a variety of groupings, from the entire family together to intimate moments like grandparents with grandchildren, siblings together, and of course, each smaller family unit. The beauty of these sessions is in documenting the bonds that span generations, creating a keepsake that each family member will cherish for years to come.

If you’re looking for an Orange County family photographer to capture your extended family, from multi-generational portraits to candid moments, I’d love to help you create lasting memories.

 

B&W & some BLOOPERS I love ;)