Central california portrait photography
SANDPRINTS PORTRAIT SESSION INFO
The Sky is the Limit
authentic. organic. spontaneous. unposed.
Let us make beautiful artwork for your walls
Taking portraits is much more than just standing there in a pretty place with a big camera smile. Anyone can do that with a cell phone! At Sandprints, we strive to get to know you a little. We hope to make your portrait session more of a fun & unique experience in nature, somewhere you love, at a beautiful time of day. We offer you the opportunity to simply enjoy being with those you love, and let us capture this moment for you. Celebrate family, and celebrate our gorgeous Central California Coast!
After we agree on the DATE (and possibly a back up date, depending on the time of year!), it is time to start thinking about your clothing, and your session location. Please review many options in the gallery below and you can always come back to us with suggestions of your own.
BEST LOCATIONS - Locations with wide open spaces with no fences, parked cars or houses. Many people believe their own property will be awesome, and of course we can happily discuss this. Some wineries & hotels also allow portrait sessions, if you love the architecture and vibe.
TIME OF DAY - Best time of day to start taking pictures is 1.5 hours before sunset. We can also start at 8am for crisp, pale blue light. Sweet Springs Preserve in Los Osos is excellent for sessions which must occur in the middle of the day - the light filters through a wooded area and is very flattering, the open beach is too squinty and harsh during the day time.
WHAT TO BRING - Bring an extra layer of clothing for each person (just in case), easy on/off shoes, no sunglasses and preferably no extra bag, no pocket bulges from cell phones or keys. Please leave towels in your car in case you get wet! If you have young children, do not arrive hungry. Taking pictures makes everyone extra hungry!
We can carry vital things for you. It is best for your pictures, if you are light & free of extra things.
NO CELL PHONE PICTURES DURING YOUR SESSION PLEASE - Sorry, but interrupting the carefully channelled flow of your portraits will be detrimental to my concentration and yours. Please do not take cell phone pictures during your session. In fact, please can you leave your cell phone in the car, or give it to my assistant for safe keeping.
Location Options
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What to wear:
- Dress in clothes you love. Do you have a favourite outfit?
- Take a moment to think about what will look good on the wall in your home.
- Dress smart casual. No sweatshirts or sloppy tshirts! Take a moment to look your best.
- General rule of thumb, wear light colours if you have dark hair and dark colours if you have blonde/light hair. Redheads can always do whatever they like!
- All in white shirts with jeans? or all in black shirts with jeans? Only if this is a look that works for your family, if you guys like matching.
- We also recommend you choose three colours, and everyone in the picture wears TWO of those colours. This creates cohesion without being too matching.
- Please do not wear red. This will 'flare' in the picture and draw the eye away from enjoying the picture. Yellow is similarly too eye-catching.
- Please no large writing on your clothing. All your eye will do, is read and re-read the words, not looking at the picture on your wall.
- If you wish you were slimmer (who doesn't?), create vertical lines such as a shirt with a wrap layered on top, or a long scarf or long necklace. We will always position you to your best, so please put your trust in us. We really have all experienced that painful inner gasp when someone takes an unflattering picture of us. No one wants that.
- Finally, Moms you should get yourself ready first. This is your moment to shine. Get the kids ready last.
Number One Rule: Have fun on your Portrait Session!
Testimonials
"Ginger captures the essence of what she photographs ~teens, toddlers, families, couples, pets -anything! Her positive energy, ever-ready laughter, and contagious smile put all her subjects at ease to be themselves. She ensures all people involved have a good time as she captures formal and candid shots. I’d recommend her for any occasion and subject. The only problem someone could have when working with Sandprints (and it’s not really a problem) is having to choose just one photo. Her work is so incredible, you’ll want them all! Prepare to create an album or a wall of photos. You’ll want everything! Thank you, Ginger, for sharing your gifts and talents with us. You’re the BEST!
Eileen & john
"Working with Ginger to find the proper lighting and location was the beginning of a thoughtful and fun process, that ended with gorgeous photos of our little family almost 10 years ago.
From that time, we have used Sandprints Photography on several family shoots with amazing results each time. We appreciate Ginger's outgoing personality and fun loving ways. She is a delight to work with and the results have been visual treasures we will cherish always."
Krista & jason
"It was such a relief working with Ginger on an anxiety prone/ potentially chaotic project of getting a family of 21 people to coordinate and be happy! We have had numerous photographers over our 31 years of marriage; none of them even approached her depth of knowledge on flattering vs. unflattering poses, grasp, and control of group dynamics, not to mention her artistic skills. We feel so blessed to have found her; she is hired for life for our clan.
Our first family session (8 people and 2 dogs) in Morro Bay was so good that my biggest issue was the hours I spent pouring over the shots to figure out which ones to choose. Then she was willing to travel to San Clemente to do our extended family. That is a challenge! She did it all with aplomb, running 5 family groups through their paces at sunset on the beach all within an hour. She arranged us and took control without any angst- even creating laughter and fun. Anxiety has no place around her.
She is gifted. If you're hesitating on spending the money to hire a pro thinking you can capture it yourself- but you want a shot that looks great and will stand the test of time- do it. Without hesitation. No regrets. So grateful we found her."
robyn & john
About Ginger Dinunzio, Chief Photographer
I have been a professional portrait photographer since 1998. I still get the best thrill making beautiful pictures that capture love, written all over people's faces. I just love the click of the shutter in a split second when someone looks true to themself, in exquisite lighting. I also genuinely enjoy getting to know people. I find us all fascinating. I love to lark about on a portrait session and by being a goofball myself, this often helps others to simply relax and be themselves.
I adore pizza, exercising, being outside and dancing to 70's or 80's music. I long to spend more time with our teenagers, but they do not (!) Instead, I lavish all my love on our basset hounds, ginger cat and my husband. I am very lucky, he supports me wholeheartedly!