Capturing Love: A Heartwarming Family Portrait Journey with the Dobler Family
Every so often, I encounter a family where the father is genuinely passionate about capturing memories through family portraits. Usually, it's the mom who initiates these sessions. However, when I have the opportunity to work with enthusiastic dads like this, the results are fantastic. They arrive excited, full of love for their family, and eager to celebrate and document what they cherish most.
I recently took traditional senior portraits of Nicole for Western Christian High School at my Claremont Studio. We captured the usual cap-and-gown shots and a velvet drape pose for her school's yearbook. Additionally, we created some fun images that showcased her personality and artistic side. Her dad, Fred, enjoyed watching me work with Nicole and seeing the pictures appear on my laptop in real-time. He asked if I also did location portraits, expressing a desire to have photos that would tell more of Nicole's story in a natural setting. I can still picture the loving smile on Fred's face; he radiated adoration for his family.
I informed Fred that I typically focus on location sessions for families and seniors from January to May, as I'm not overwhelmed with in-studio senior sessions during that time at my Claremont Studio. He asked the common question, "Isn't it better to shoot in the summer when everything looks good?" Many clients inquire about the best time for family portraits and senior portraits in Southern California, especially in the Inland Empire. I told him that March, April, and May are ideal months. During this time, the landscape becomes much greener after the rains, providing a beautiful, natural backdrop for portraits.
We scheduled Fred's family portrait and Nicole's senior session shortly after the New Year in Dalton Canyon, Glendora, California. We alternated between individual portraits of Nicole, using available light and some strobes, and family pictures. We had such a great time that we kept shooting until there was no light left.
By the end of the portrait session, the Dobler family wore big smiles, realizing that what they thought would be a simple experience had become something they would cherish forever. A family session allows everyone to connect—looking at each other, walking side by side, and being present. It creates lasting memories that the portraits will remind them of for years to come.
During the location session, I took over 1,000 portraits, as I love capturing emotions. Afterward, I scheduled an appointment for them to view the images. I edited the photos down to a smaller collection and created a sample album. Fred wanted to display some portraits in specific locations at home, so I asked him to send me pictures of those spots.
During the ordering appointment, I showed him examples of family portraits in various sizes for his walls. Using family portraits to decorate your home is a great idea; it expresses your love for them and adds authenticity compared to generic decorator prints.
Using family portraits to decorate your home and create albums for storytelling is important because digital files can be temporary. Hard drives can fail, formats can change, or files can be lost, as highlighted by recent events like the Southern California fires. Personally, I display a few family portraits in my home, and in case of a disaster, I would grab the portraits of my grandfather and I, and the ones with my sons as well as a few family albums I've created over the years. Creating something physical is the best way to preserve life's precious memories.
The Dobler family really enjoyed their ordering appointment. After discussing their favorites, we chose two albums—one for the family and one for Nicole—and four portraits to hang in their home. After retouching the images and ordering beautiful products from Italy, I delivered and hung the portraits for them. It was an honor to work with such a loving family; they were truly the sweetest people ever.
From Fred Dobler
"My family had a special experience working with Michael and his staff for our daughter Nicole's senior class portraits and a location session in Dalton Canyon. Michael is super personable and an incredibly talented photographer. The location session started with our daughter but also included my wife and myself. He is the best at picking the perfect location, background, lighting, and expressions. We all felt extremely comfortable and confident throughout the studio and location sessions. We received amazing senior portrait images and phenomenal location shots. We purchased several large family portraits displayed in our home and two beautiful albums (one for Nicole and one for the entire family), which we will treasure forever. We totally recommend Michael!
--Fred"