Photographer in Huntington Beach

Yuen Lui Studio, a family-owned photography business specializing in individual and family portraits and wedding photography, creates visual heirlooms in a tradition of quality it has upheld since 1947. With several area studios available, each boasts a multitude of backdrop options for portraiture sessions, or photographers may take sessions outdoors to add natural scenery to the frame. Wedding and engagement shots come to life under the careful eyes of each photographer as they seize rare moments and trap them in frames to be displayed like trophies from a hunt. High-school, child, baby, and family portraits keep precious memories locked in time for clients, who can peruse an online gallery of their images after their session.

Staffers cart Elegant Photo Booths’ free-standing camera kiosks to weddings, parties, and events, where they translate treasured memories into 2"x6" double photo strips. Revelers pose in front of a drape background lit by natural sunlight and the glow of fireflies working freelance as a professional attendant keeps the booth operating smoothly. Some packages also include scrapbooks for guests to fill with photos and signatures or bins of props such as hats, glasses, and boas. The resulting displays are viewable the day after on online galleries and image CDs or via telepathic connection with the darkroom's photo enlarger.

Stephanie Albao of Intuitive Images Photography conducts her work in the key of self-styled observational portraiture—her images are candid and unposed, and she often breaks the ice with clients over life-based dialogues. Each one-hour session brings out dormant sass and cheeky glamour in subjects as they soak in the lens' gaze, adopting a retro aesthetic with the aid of stylist-provided props and accessories including parasols, feather fans, and live bearskin rugs. Each pin-up session features a hair and makeup stylist, although Betties and Veronicas should bring their own threads. Vintage sessions allow for up to four subjects framed in yards and themed backgrounds. Each deal option also includes 15% off additional services, allowing customers to upgrade to a disc of high-resolution images ($75) or stuff all their photos in a time capsule. Each shoot also gets clients access to an online gallery.

Photographer Austin Cochran has fixed his camera eye on celebrities the likes of Moby and Rob Zombie, and has done shots for Black Star Beer and Morgan Bacall Clothing. While he takes immense satisfaction from that work, the inclusion of pet portraits is what really rounds out his business, Whiskers and Beaks Pet Photography. Getting families and their pets together makes for uniquely photographable moments in which Austin fosters an energetic and laid-back atmosphere, allowing for comfortable, natural interactions. He also shoots standard portraits, headshots, and engagement sessions, whether there’s a four-legged friend there to steal the show or not.

Situated in the throes of a celebration or large event, The Booth’s photo booths beckon guests to don a wig, novelty hat, or glasses and wander in to pose for a color or black-and-white photo. Helmed by an onsite attendant, these portable studios capture memorable photos of as many as eight people at once, which are printed out on the spot and archived on The Booth’s blog for later viewing. Photo booths can be rented for as little as two and as many as six hours, and certain packages allow hosts to customize their photo strips and take home scrapbooks as reminders of their big gala.

Huntington Photo Workshops instructor Tim Mathiesen has collected four decades' worth of panoramic landscapes on trips across the United States, Europe, and Asia. His partner in image stalking, Paul Thompson, has filled the 35 years of his career with countless faces of families and newlyweds. In detailed workshops, the two tackle topics such as sports photography, posing, and harnessing natural light, and aim to get all students comfortable with their own digital camera and inimitable eye.