The Youngrens | San Diego Photographers » maternity

Cardiff-by-the-Sea Maternity Session Danica

Erin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:27:10 +0000

Once you're a Youngren couple, you're always a Youngren couple. We photographed Chris and Danica's wedding back in 2008, and three years later their duo is transforming into a soon-to-be-trio. Danica is one of those girls that exudes glamour, grace, and confident beauty, so when she contacted me for maternity photos, I just couldn't turn her gorgeous self down. She wanted a session by herself to surprise her husband, and it was such a fun time photographing just this beautiful girl and her perfect belly bump.

Danica brought along the perfect outfits for the shoot. I've fallen in love with stretchy dresses for maternity photos (much like Brianne's striped number and Crystal's raspberry dress), and Danica is so short and teeny that the long flow-y skirt gave her clean lines and long legs. Also, the feather clip for the hair added just the right amount of sass and style.

Good grief - this girl is dynamite! And her eyes are so crystal clear and gorgeous!

This soft flow-y top gave us a little more variety with the outfits. It was super easy to just slip over the black dress.

Danica is pretty much a rockstar. When I asked her to walk with her eyes up towards the light, she worked it like a seasoned model!

Absolutely stunning!

I loved this fun outfit for some bare belly shots.

Danica's toes matched her top which was so stinkin' cute. And we kept laughing because she couldn't see her toes over her belly! Ha!

Loved the baby boy shoes. They know they're having a boy, but don't have a name picked out quite yet.

We headed down to the beach at Cardiff by the Sea, where we had a beautiful golden sunset.

Some of my favorites!

I loved the pink dress and the bright earrings.

Beautiful!

Perfect photos to end to the day with!

Danica: You are gorgeous through and through and it was so inspiring getting to photograph you and your adorable belly! I can't wait to meet the little guy, and I hope that the last few months go well. Love you and Chris tons!

Hugs,

Erin

San Diego Maternity Session Bryan and Crystal

Erin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:21:06 +0000

Bryan decided that it was time to finally start meeting some girls. He had just moved away to college and his high school years were behind him - so he knew that he had to start putting himself out there and making new friends if he was going to make it through four years of living at school. He was sitting in the passenger seat of his friend's car as they were driving through campus when he made this bold social decision in his head, and his friend stopped the car to say hi to some friends walking by. Bryan peered through the car windows and saw a cute girl, so he laid on the flirting. Thick.

A few years later, Bryan married that cute girl he saw through the car window. Apparently when Bryan decides to woo a girl, it works pretty stinkin' well.

Not only did Bryan and Crystal attend the same college as Jeff and me, but they're also adorable married photographers here in San Diego. So when Crystal asked if I would photograph her baby bump, I just couldn't say no.

Everybody, meet Crystal. A sweeter-than-sugar musician, teacher, and photographer.

And now meet Bryan. The quiet yet hysterical woo-master himself.

Together, these two are a pretty dreamy pair.

My favorites from the session. I love the close-in moments and creamy, fun-filled portraits of these two.

Breathtaking.

Love, love, love!!

After an outfit change, we headed back out to the meadows to play.

Crystal chose the perfect outfits for this session - I loved the natural colors with a bit of bling in her first choice, and the bright color and flattering shape of this raspberry dress. It's just enough to frame her bump and still make her look like her fabulous self.

Bryan is an incredibly loving guy. I love this moment I caught of him making sure Crystal looked perfect in her photos.

And she definitely looked perfect!

Bryan and Crystal: Thank you guys so much for opening your hearts up to me and for making this session so creatively inspiring and downright fun. Your calm spirits and your love for each other are going to make you amazing parents! Love you guys!

Hugs,
Erin

Oceanside Maternity Session Chris and Brianne

Erin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:39:26 +0000

I don't shoot maternity sessions.

At least, that's what I've been telling myself for the past five years. I fought tooth and nail not to shoot maternity sessions for a VERY long time. If you had asked me to shoot your prego belly, I would laugh and say, "Me? Maternity? Ho no. You must have me confused with someone else..."

Fast forward to today. I've shot three maternity sessions in the past month. Not because of me trying to book maternity sessions (quite the opposite), but because the right couples have come along that have - in their own quiet ways - helped me to realize that I'm a photographer that specializes in couples - in two people that have fallen in love and are making their way through life together one milestone at a time, and that the maternity phase of life is one of the last stages of just two.

And I relate to that. I relate to the strange thought of another human being entering into this little intimate duo that we've created. (Gracie would be so upset to hear me say 'duo'. Shhhh...). It would be such an off-kilter moment - the day that our world shifts from thinking about only us to thinking about only them. That day is still a little ways off, but photographing these couples that are in the thick of the shift has been such a new and inspiring experience.

And it's been fun. So much more fun than I ever expected.

So I've decided to blog the three inspiring sessions from this past month of three beautiful women, their adorable belly's, and their handsome daddys-to-be. This first session is Chris and Brianne, a couple that we met five years ago right before Jeff and I got married. We lost touch until Brianne contacted me for a session, and I love that I get to see this couple at a whole new stage in life, five years after we met.

Chris and Brianne are an adorably stylish couple, and I loved the horizontal stripes that highlighted Brianne's belly perfectly. It was so fun hanging out with just them and me, since Jeff doesn't come to these sessions.

After hanging out at their house, we headed towards a meadow filled with purple flowers that I had spotted from the street. So gorgeous!

What a stunning chica - even with a little one on the way!

Chris was always on hand to make Brianne laugh!

Some of my favorites! So creamy and lovely at f/1.2.

We spent that last little bit of light down at the beach in Oceanside. Brianne brought along the PERFECT scarf that we wrapped around her teeny body.

Ummm, can I have that perfectly golden, textured, and lovely hair? Pretty please?

These next ones are my favorite.

There's nothing better than some creamy black and whites with a lovely girl!

Love, love, love! I have a ton of favorites from this session, but these two images take the cake for CUTE!

Chris and Brianne: Hanging out with you two was just like hanging out with Jeff and me. The way you guys laugh together, smile together, hug and kiss together felt so natural and real. I'm so excited for this next AMAZING stage in your lives!

Hugs,
Erin

Jen and Troy | La Jolla, CA

Erin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:49:26 +0000

What is that old saying? First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a complete home remodel, then the cutest little beagle named Lucy, then a belly bump, and then...? It was just a month before our wedding four years ago that Jen and Troy got married. And then it was just a few months later that we found ourselves in the same young married's bible study, both newly married, both excited for what this new life would bring. Over these past four years, we've gotten to know and watch our friends change and move through life together. We've watched them through remodeling their first home into their dream space - complete with their very own white picket fence - and filling it with their love, their little beagle Lucy, and now a brand new nursery for their little boy-on-the-way Brady. And through it all, they've remained that same newlywed, head-over-heels-in-love, cute as a button, and fun-loving couple that we met four years ago. Troy still holds Jen like he just found the most beautiful treasure in the world, and Jen still leans into Troy like she's holding onto her rock, her foundation. They still hold each other, and even if that picket fence fell down and everything around them was swept away, they would still be just as happy, holding each other for the rest of their lives.

Friends and Family: To be notified when the rest of the images are online, please sign the guestbook here.

With Jeff and I around, Jen and Troy had no chance of having Brady without some pictures, so we met up for a quick session and started in the completely adorable nursery.

I love little baby shoes.

And the sea turtle theme was so cute!

Their house was just too cute to pass up, so we began with Lucy the Beagle and some family portraits. I think Lucy is giving me the stink-eye! Ha!

Then we got our cuddle on!

These two are simply adorable. I love Troy's little kisses.

Oh Lucy. Her nose and tail show up in the most random places...

I heart this one.

And this one too. Can I look half as good as Jen when I'm pregnant? This girl looks GOOD.

These next ones are my favorite - love them!

Love, love, love!

Ha! Lucy totally cracks me up!

Is someone jealous??

Ok, daddy will pick you up and give you some cuddle love.

After photographing the front of the house, we headed inside for a little snuggly-time.

Then we made a quick outfit change and headed down to the beach where these two love to hang out together.

Jen, you are so gorgeous!

I love that Jen can still totally work it!

Warm, creamy, lovely, and beautiful - I just love this series.

Troy and Jen: You guys have been the most amazing people over the years and we are so blessed by your friendship! Stay your cute, adorable selves and we can't wait to meet Brady soon!

Hugs,

Erin

The Races and a Sneak Peek

Erin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:14:03 +0000

It's off to the races today! Jeff and I are taking a much needed break from the office today to do two things: (1) hang out with our most favorite hair stylist in the world, Miss Gretchen, to tame the crazy poofs that are currently ruling our heads and (2) try out our luck at the Del Mar Horse Races. I mean, the last time we went to the races we won a whole $2.80, so we're slowly working on our fortune folks. In fact, our goal is to be able to buy TWO ice cream cones at McDonald's instead of just sharing one. You might want to brush up against us sometime cuz our crazy winner's luck just might rub off...

To kick off the weekend, I'll leave you with a little appe-teaser for what's coming your way this next week - the lovely Jen and Troy with little Brady on the way and their too-cute-to-be-true beagle Lucy. We'll catch you over the weekend!

Hugs,

Erin

Sarah | Del Sur, CA

Erin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:31:18 +0000

If you're allowed to have favorites, I pick Sarah. She was the first of Jeff's cousins that I met, and it was right before our wedding. Jeff asked if his awesome cousin Sarah could help greet guests and hand out programs at the ceremony. I asked if she was a cool girl. His reply? "Yeah, she's kind of the coolest..."

I totally agree.

She's a kind, funny, and sweeter-than-sugar-itself girl from the Midwest with one of those Minnes-oooooh-ta accents that makes you want to talk just like her. And she's gonna have a cuddly, cute, and more-lovable-than-a-teddy-bear little girl in just a few weeks. Before her baby girl, Lydia, comes along, Sarah and her best friend, Molly, came out from their hometown in Minnesota for a little R&R with her west coast family in San Diego, and it was so fun showing them around our city! And of course we couldn't resist taking Sarah out for some portraits in the back fields of Jeff's parents home in Del Sur.

Sarah, if Lydia is half as cute you are, she's gonna break some cutest baby in the world records!

I love these next two. Here's Jeff's...

And here's mine.

Sarah is so gorgeous!

My favorite of the session.

Sarah's best friend and roommate, Molly, came along for pictures, so we grabbed some quality best friend time between the two cutest girls ever!

Molly manages an Anthropologie store in Minneapolis, so she constantly had the cutest outfits! That along with her rockin' fun personality, we became pretty good buds!

While Jeff hung out with Molly, I played in the fields some more with Sarah.

I love these candids of the two of them!

Sarah (and Molly): You rock our world and bless us so much more than you know! We can't wait to meet Lydia when she arrives, so save some cute baby toes for our cameras!

Hugs,

Erin

The Diederichs Family | San Jose, Costa Rica

Erin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:00:33 +0000

Life can be a lot like curls and bathing suits. They're messy at three years old, but it doesn't matter, because they're curls and a bathing suit. They mark the fun parts of life. Like jumping into your dad's arms in the swimming pool, feeling safe and strong, like you could conquer the world. Or at least the swimming pool. Or sitting on Mom's lap while she runs her fingers through your hair, reading your favorite book and sipping a glass of milk, feeling content and warm, like you could be happy for always. Or at least until the story ends.

Kaia was one of the first babies that Jeff ever photographed, and its become an almost yearly tradition to photograph this growing wonderful family. We haven't seen Kaia for almost a year, so when she came bouncing up to us in Costa Rica with her long curls and enormous smile, we were stunned to see how much she's grown. And, well, she's become pretty stinkin' adorable...

Friends and family: To be notified when the rest of the images go online, please sign the guestbook here.

As you have probably noticed, Jeff and I love big grassy fields, and sure enough, they have those in Costa Rica. Purrrfect. Isn't Kaia the cutest thing ever?

It cracks me up how tall the grass is. Or maybe how short Kaia is? Hmmmm.... that's a brain twister...

Justin and Kara are expecting baby number two, a boy this time, so it was the perfect timing to grab some of just the two of them.

My favorite one of the entire day. Kara is so stunning!

What a cute family!

A few last shots at the end of the session.

Kaia, even with your tongue sticking out you make me smile.

Justin, Kara, & Kaia: Basically, you guys are awesome! Thanks for letting us be a part of your family and we can't wait to hang out when little "Bubba" comes along!

Hugs,

Erin

Violet Taylor Marie Cross

Jeff — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:40:21 +0000

Okay, I'll admit it. I love being a crazy Uncle. When our dear friends Dave and Jenny had their 1st daughter Ivy almost two years ago Erin and I drove to the hospital in the middle of the night to meet her for the first time. I remember so clearly holding her that night and having Dave turn to me and say "How does it feel to be an Uncle?" It feels good.

Now, Ivy calls me "UncleJeffBigCamera" which is just fine by me. As if my heart wasn't already melted enough by Ivy, last night we welcomed the latest addition to the Cross family - Violet Taylor Marie Cross. And she's perfect. What a total blessing.

Born Thursday, July 30th at 11:40 pm, she's 6 lbs, 12 oz and 100% adorable.

Ivy is so happy to have a sister! She's completely glued to her every move, and kisses her head every chance she gets. I think she's going to be a great big sister.

This picture melts my heart

Baby Violet with Aunt Cheryl (Jenny's sister)

Baby feets! Wrinkley and soft!

This is: Goofy Dad (left) / Proud Dad (right)

Jenny is one of the bestest mom's ever. My mom wins, but Jenny is up there

First family portrait by the Youngrens! I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot more of this family to come

Not to be outdone by the arrival of Violet, Ivy started playing dress-up and trying to steal the show...

Welcome to the world, Violet. I'm your crazy Uncle Jeff. I'm the one with the camera

-Jeff

Dave, Jenny, and Ivy (plus one)

Erin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:45:40 +0000

Rocks are fascinating, mud is delightful, bugs are monsters, and nap time is constant.

Being a kid is, in a word, awesome. Dave and Jenny are some of our best friends, and their little girl, Ivy, is our little jewel. Jeff and I don't do family portraits very much at all, but when it comes to the most precious little girl in the world, we're there in a heartbeat. Now that Jenny is expecting their second child, Jeff took the three of them out for a session to document this special time in their family.

Friends and family: To be notified when the rest of the pictures go online, please sign the guestbook here.

Ivy was such the camera flirt the entire time! Here's daddy teaching her how to "show her teeth" for the camera. I think I just melted a thousand times...

Ivy loved to "squeeze her hands and smile" for the camera. It was ADORABLE.

Jeff took a few of just Dave and Jenny, who is due in just a few weeks with their second baby.

Ivy was so excited to play in the ocean. She had talked about it in the car the entire way to the session and she's LOVING it.

Show your teeth!

This was try number one to get Ivy to face the camera. I love her dirty legs from the beach and her mischievous eyes.

And here's what we were going for! Love it!

She's a daddy's girl for sure.

Dave, Jenny, and Ivy: We love you guys and you mean the world to us. We can't wait to meet the new little one in just a few weeks!

Hugs,

Erin

Aaron and Pam + One | San Diego, CA

Erin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:39:28 +0000

I think its the way he makes her smile that I love so much. Pam is GORGEOUS, but when she glances over at Aaron, her smile radiates something genuine and wonderful. He laughs, and she glows. He gives her a kiss, she softens. Their baby girl will forever know how in love her parents were.

Jeff and I have known Pam and Aaron for most of our marriage. They are part of our Young Married's Bible Study that we attend as part of our church, and it has been an instrumental part of our marriage and faith. This group of people has become a solid foundation for us and we can't say enough great things about Pam and Aaron in particular. These two are just fun and easygoing and we were so excited when we heard they were expecting! Our little bible study is growing!!

***Friends and Family: To be notified when the rest of the images go online, please sign the guestbook here.***

I met up with Pam and Aaron in Mission Beach to get a good variety of colors and backgrounds. These two are so relaxed around each other! Aaron's big smile always cracks me up!

Gotta get some good profile shots of the belly! Pam's due in February, and she's got the cutest bump already!

Pam was such a trooper getting down on the ground for me.

I know, you can't see the belly in this one, but they're so darn cute!!

My favorite. I love everything about it. Pam is so BEAUTIFUL!

Rockin' it out for Aaron.

We headed to the beach and the breeze made everything quiet and peaceful.

Pam and Aaron - Thank you so much for letting a dork like me hang out with you guys for an afternoon. You two are so much fun to be around and I can't wait to meet your baby girl!

Hugs,

Erin