Family Photos | Bend family pictures | Danielle Gillett Photography

Beach Family Photos | Santa Cruz Family Photos

Danielle Olson — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:38:30 +0000

Beach Family Photos

Beach Family Photos are one of my favorite locations for outdoor family photography. Beaches are a perfect location to let kids run and be kids while capturing fun memories in a beautiful location. 4 mile beach in Santa Cruz is my favorite beach for family photos. I love the dramatic cliffs and the way the light sets behind the cliffs for sunkissed photos. There are lots of locations at the beach to explore besides the sand and ocean including fields with wildflowers, a pond, and railroad tracks. Having different options within a location is one of my favorite tricks for successful family photos. It keeps the scenery changing and everyone happy.

5 tips for successful outdoor family photos

If you are a parent of young kids you have probably dealt with a melt down in the middle of your outdoor family photos. Don’t worry as a photographer I have seen it happen a million times and as a parent of two little ones I have dealt with more meltdowns than I can count. Meltdowns are inventible but here are a few tips to help make the best experience for your family photos.

Keep them moving. Kids don’t like to sit or stand still for more than a few seconds. It helps as a photographer to scout out a few areas with good light before the shoot so you can quickly change the scenery.
Let the kids explore. I always try and get a few posed family shots in the first few mins of the shoot and then let the kids explore. They will show you where their intent are and these are the moments you want to remember.
Play together. Rarely are the posed pictures with everyone looking at the camera going to be your favorite shots. The best shots are the ones that show the relationship between you and your family. Play together and let the kids jump and wrestle on each other. Squeeze them tight for a hug and give each other eskimo kisses.
Dress appropriately or have a backup plan. Sometimes it can be daunting trying to figure out a wardrobe for family photos, especially if the weather is cold. You may not want to have every picture completely bundled up. If its cold outside you can bring blankets and jackets to get warm in-between shots. Think about bringing hot coco or hand warmers to stay warm.
Snacks. Don’t forget the snacks. Most kids need to recharge with some food during the session. Always have a few snacks to keep their belly happy.

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Smith Rock Outdoor Family Photos | Bend Oregon

Danielle Olson — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 20:07:51 +0000

Central Oregon has many amazing locations but Smith Rock is one for my favorites for outdoor family photos. Smith Rock was one of the first places I wanted to explore when we moved to Bend and I am still in awe of it every time visit. It is perfect for families that want dramatic landscapes and sunkissed memories. I am so excited to share these images from a recent Smith Rock family photo mini session. Mini sessions are a perfect quick and easy way to get some amazing images for holiday cards and gifts.

Another favorite location for family photos is Smith Rock. You can see some family photos here.

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Shevlin Park Family Portraits

Danielle Olson — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 21:34:12 +0000

Fall mini sessions are one of my favorite times of year and I had so much fun this year photographing these Shevlin park family portraits. This was my first year experiencing fall in Bend Oregon, and watching the leaves turn and transform into a rainbow of colors was such a treat. Shevlin Park stole my heart with the aspen grove, I have always had a fascination with aspen trees and watching them change color even brought more inspiration for these family mini sessions.

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San Jose Family Photographer | Brian + Jackie

Danielle Olson — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 21:33:28 +0000

This San Jose Family Photography session was one of my favorites of the year. Not only am I in love with the family, I am so excited for them to welcome a new baby girl into their tribe. Brian and Jackie have been friends or our family for many years and it was my honor to document this new milestone in their life. They wanted their pictures to be soft and have oak trees and fields so we chose an oak grove at Pichetti Winery. I love that they brought a wagon to put the kids into, it was a perfect prop of the day. I love they way the sun shines through the trees and I couldn’t be happier to see these new pics hanging in their home.

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Bend Oregon Senior Pictures

Danielle Olson — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 04:03:58 +0000

Senior Pictures in the Central Oregon Badlands

This last week I had the joy of photographing my niece’s senior pictures in Bend Oregon. I was super excited at the opportunity. Since neither of us know the area very well yet, and we wanted something a bit outside the box we headed East to the Badlands Wilderness Desert. Waiting for us was an adventure, an awesome backdrop and a bit of cold weather. Although these pics look like a beautiful day keep in mind that it was probably in the low 40s on this March evening and my niece was brave enough to model in a sleeveless shirt. When leaving the desert I learned three things.

1. I fell love the Badlands and definitely want to explore more of Central Oregon.

2. I have the coolest niece, who not only braved the cold with a smile, she put up with all my creative ideas.

3. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed photographing senior pictures

A bit cold but a trooper

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Mini Sessions

Danielle Olson — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 03:28:19 +0000

I have always loved photographing kids and watching families grow and change over the years but I have gained a much greater appreciation for family photography after I became a mother myself. My kids grow and change so quickly and I want to freeze the memories of them at each stage. Mini sessions are a wonderful way to keep up to date photos with your family. They are fun, easy, fast and budget friendly. I offer 2-3 mini sessions throughout the year in the spring for Mothers Day and fall for Christmas cards. It is wonderful for me to see the couples that I have watched commit their lives together grow into young families and its great opportunity to have these lasting memories.

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Bend Newborn Photos |Bend Family Photos

Danielle Olson — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 03:40:11 +0000

I feel incredibly blessed when my clients choose me to photograph their newborn photos. As a mother, I can barely remember the first few days after having my children. The journey into motherhood is such a whirlwind of joy and exhaustion. However, when I look back at the newborn photos of my own babies I am incredibly grateful I documented them during them when they were so tiny. They grow and change in the blink of an eye and seeing their wrinkled face and tiny toes is something I want to remember forever. I am so excited to capture these memories for other new families.

My newborn sessions are held in your home so that you and the baby can be relaxed and I can get natural lifestyle photos. The sessions are led by the babies schedule and feedings. I bring a variety of wraps and props to the session to add to the photos, and I primarily focus on the relationship between baby and family. I love the moments that capture the true joys of parenthood.

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Santa Cruz Family |Wilder Ranch

Danielle Olson — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 04:09:09 +0000

Wilder Ranch is one of my favorite locations for family photography. Its the perfect location to let the kids run and explore. I love to photograph outdoors incorporating lots of natural light and beautiful landscapes and focus on relationships. I love the natural joy of children and taking pictures of them exploring and having fun. It can get a bit wild and crazy at family photo sessions, but that’s when the real memories are made.

For another favorite family photo session click here.

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Family Photography Paul and Gabi

Danielle Olson — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 19:38:18 +0000

I love watching the families that I photograph change and grow. It has been one of my biggest joys in the business to photograph a family from courtship to kids. It gives my work a new sense of purpose, it helps me feel like a small piece of their family, and it is an honor to document their stage in life. Paul and Gabi have been one of my all time favorite couples and I am so excited to be on this journey of love, parenthood, and life with them. Since I got married just a year before them, and had my son almost 1 year before they had their beautiful daughter Liv, it has been so much to grow with this beautiful family. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

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Mothers Day Mini Sessions

Danielle Olson — Mon, 04 May 2015 19:23:43 +0000

“Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.” —Gail Tsukiyama

It only seemed fitting to do some mini sessions in honor of mothers day. Moms are rarely in front of the camera and it is a perfect time to capture this bond of moms and their babies.

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