A Sweet Family Session || San Ramon Family Portraits at Golden Hour
Some sessions feel so easy and natural. This session was one of them.
A mama from Greenbrook Elementary (Danville) asked if I would be willing to donate a family session for their annual gala & fundraising auction, and I am so glad I agreed since it led to me meeting this amazing family!
When this stunning mama, Katherine, first reached out to me about planning their family portraits, she shared that her main priority for their family portraits was getting quality images with their dear old pup Baxter. As an integral part of the family (and now in his older years) it was only natural to include him in the session. So we chose their Bay Area location with this in mind, basing our decision on where would be best for Baxter. We opted for this San Ramon Hilltop Spot since it is very dog-friendly — and gorgeous!
After the short hike up the hill together, I asked if there were any requests for who we photographed first, and Quinn (6) cheerfully volunteered! It was so sweet to watch her pose herself and give the most darling little smiles. Katherine had shared with me earlier that Quinn is funny + thoughtful, but that she is typically more reserved with new people and does not typically enjoy the entire “family photos” experience. But Quinn warmed up very quickly and was such a good sport about it from the start! She surprised me in all the best ways.
We then transitioned into some of Clara (10) — a bright, athletic gal who even at her younger age, moves through life with such buoyancy + ease that it is evident she will go far in life. At ten years old, she already enjoys soccer, flag football, softball, skiing, and theatre. Impressive to say the least. And her cheerful confidence is so magnetic! Not to mention photogenic.
Photographing these sweet girls was so easy and delightful, and capturing images with the entire family was equally so! Even though dads are typically not enthralled by the idea of taking family photos (and I’d assume Chris can relate to that ;), Chris was such a great sport about the session from the start and showed so clearly just how dearly he loves his girls.
In fact, everyone cooperated so well that we finished their session in record time. Katherine called our session complete so quickly that frankly I was a bit shocked (!!) — but it was a blast, and we certainly accomplished what we set out to do. A win for sure!
I didn’t even know until I was walking back to my car and saw their license plate frames that Katherine went to UC Berkeley for law school (Go Bears!!!) and Chris went to Stanford for undergrad. “A bit of a house divided,” were Katherine’s words when I texted her about it. But I of course loved hearing her share “My loyalties are definitely with the Bears💙💛”
Capturing this family’s portraits was a true joy, and I certainly hope this sweet family can cherish these images for years to come.
~Ellie Meberg Photography
Ellie Meberg Photography specializes in joy-filled, connection-focused family portraits that capture each fleeting season of motherhood + parenthood.
The way your family looks this year is not how it will look forever. If you're anything like most of the mamas I know, you may be the one taking all your family's pictures – but not getting many really good ones with you in them. Or at least not ones you’d choose to frame and display throughout your home.
Let's fix that & work together to create some beautiful images for your family to cherish and display on your walls.
This short season will be over before you know it. Let's not let these precious moments slip by without capturing any images that you truly love with you and your little ones.🤍
