Hollywood Homebirth

A beautiful second home birth in West Hollywood. This mama inspired me and showed me true strength and beauty in her silence during the birth of her sweet baby girl. I am so honored to be able to watch this family grow. This is what home birth looks like ♥

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

Send me a message today to book me for your homebirth in the Los Angeles area.

I have an awesome DSLR camera. I (my husband) paid lots of money for it. It takes high quality photos. My DSLR supports me. It lets me create beautiful images of my family and yours. It is in my top 10 favorite physical possessions.  If my house were on fire I would probably grab my camera bag before bothering to put pants on.. In fact, I think the order would go kids, lap top, camera, pants…. so yeah, it makes the top 3!   But all that said… it is big.  It’s heavy and at time inconvenient. It takes time to get settings right. It would be silly for me to have it on me at all times. My cell phone however is always with me. My phone fits in my purse without needing extra protection. Heck, it fits in my pocket! If I brake it, I just take it back to Best Buy and they give me a new one! This makes it the perfect camera when you don’t have or have time for your real camera. Sure the image quality isn’t near as good as my DLSR but it’s better than not having any pictures! Facebook and Instagram make it so easy to share my spur of the moment photo pictures with my friends.

The other day when looking back through my Instagram at my family and our little city life captured in cute little squares I was filled with emotion. . #LifeIsGood 😉

So here  are 10 reason why I love my camera phone as much much as my DSLR… (in no particular order)

1.  Saving my kids creations.

I spoke about this reason the other day on Facebook. Snapping a picture of my kids art gives me the ok to toss it. I don’t need a high quality image of something that would end up in the trash anyway. These pictures wont need editing. A quick snap with my phone allows me to keep it and post it to Facebook for grandma to see!

These two below were taken only 2 weeks apart. Look how much my daughters hand writing changed after 9 days of kindergarten! Without these quick snaps I may not have noticed how much she really was improving.

Glitter is not a good babysitter.. TRUST ME!

Neither is paint… but how could I keep this artwork without a picture?

2. Street Art

If you couldn’t tell by my Banksy post I LOVE street art! Since I don’t carry my camera with me all the time my phone allows me to capture pieces as I see them around town.

3. L.A. randomness.

Living in L.A. I would have to carry my camera with me at all times and have it set to auto to get these shots since they are so random. I have a lot of these shots but here are a few…

Sweet bed bro… hahaha who thinks of these things??? Public restrooms anyone???

This guy hanging in the park tree?? Or unicycle guy juggling down Melrose? No way I could have pulled my DSLR out in time to catch that!

4. My kids randomness.

This is probably one of my most cell phone captured images. My kids are totally random. These moments, while plenty, only last a moment. I have attempted to bust out my big camera only to have missed the moment. Sometime reaching for my phone is the best option.

I don’t even know what to say about these two pictures… other than.. I am glad I have them.

In our house all things are toys. Eggs and toilet paper are no exception.

Your camera phone is great of those moments when you ask your kids to pick up their toys and they just shove them ALL behind the couch or when you are chatting with a friend at the Griffith Park playground and you look over to see your 2 year old is going down the slide pantless….

5. My hood.

I am in love with my neighborhood. Not just the randomness but its beauty as well. This will not always be our home. When it’s not, I will be happy I have these pictures… all of these images were taken in Park La Brea aka home.

6. Date night!!

I don’t bring my camera on dates.. but doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have pictures!

Oh yeah, we know how to party! Caramel apples and pitchers of beer!!

7. Dates with my kids.

My kids, like all photographers children, are not thrilled with modeling. I sometimes have to fight my urge to turn everything into a pro photoshoot. Going out on a girls day or out for coffee doesn’t need to be a photoshoot. Doesn’t mean I am not going to take pictures 🙂

8. Sleeping beauties

Is there anything more beautiful than your babies sleeping? Trying to get a “perfect” shot risks waking them and then the moment is no longer beautiful.. haha with your phone you are in and out before they ever you were there!

When they are sleeping in your arms you can’t get up to get your camera. He will only be small enough to sleep in my arms for a little longer.

8. Some moments can’t wait.

These photos I took with my DSLR, but… clearly needed to go of Facebook and Instragram ASAP. #WeddingFun #MyHusbandIsGoingToKillMe haha

9. FOOD!

Cause, ummm, YUM!

10. Family

Family movie night. Family wrestling matches.

Family firework watching. Family story time in the closet.

Family curtsies and cheers.

Family vacations.

and day trips. (both fun and less fun)

and every. day. life.

Life isn’t perfect. All of my photos don’t need to be either.

All of these images were taken from my Instagram account LittleLAPhoto,  there are plenty more and more to come so follow me and I will follow you back!  While pro photos are great (and you should hire me to take yours)  life is still happening between your sessions. Capture it. Capture it with your DSLR. Capture it with your point and shoot. Or even with your phone! ♥

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

@littlelaphoto

To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week each year I have a sale on nursing photography sessions. These sessions are for moms and their nurslings. They capture the natural beauty and bond between a month and child. Nursing sessions can be held in the comfort of you own home or at an outdoor or public location of your choosing.

Session includes:

Session time, scheduled around your child’s nursing times.

Gallery of fully edited images to choose from.

5 full resolution digital images of your choosing.

Option to purchase additional images or prints.

Only $100 when booked and paid for by August 7th 2013

Check back to see all the beautiful mothers and babies I photographed after the world breasfeeding week sale!

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

Banksy Balloon Girl

Street art is part of city life. I love watching my regular drives transform even without structural changes. It makes me think, creates interesting conversation sometimes just confuses me…

Either way, I love it.My all time favorite piece is Banksy’s balloon girl. It has always reminded me of my daughter. Her hair blowing in the wind, little dress over jeans..

I see innocence, I see loss, I see hope, I see myself… Let Go.

I have had this shot in my mind for a few weeks. Last night my husband, daughter and I went for it! We hike as high as we could over Griffith Park and set up this Banksy inspired shot of my 5 year old Kara Justice.

If you are not familiar with Banksy or the art that inspired my photo you can find more is his work at www.banksy.co.uk

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

Yesterday my daughter woke up with a fever. She stayed in bed and cuddled me most of the day. Getting some (any) food in her was a priority and was thrilled when she requested yogurt! What better food than probiotics and fruit when your sick. I made this recipe for her yesterday and when she woke up feeling better this morning she asked for more. So I showed her how to make it herself, with a little help from her brother. I hope you and your kids enjoy this simple recipe as much as my kids did.

What you need:

Strawberries

Bananas

Plain yogurt

Cut the tops off the strawberries

Just like this… 🙂

Get your bananas and make a phone call….. call your grandma and tell her about the yummy yogurt you are making!

Now cut up the bananas

Put the bananas and strawberries in the blender

Add the yogurt… tasting some along the way is a good idea too!

Blend it all up!

Add any topping you like. My kids used bananas because they opened an extra but ground flax seed, strawberries, whipped cream.. all sound yummy too!

Enjoy!

If you make this or any other recipe on my blog with your kids share your pictures on my Facebook page! My kids would love to see them!

xoxo

Christina, Kara and Lex

Los Angeles senior photographer Class of 2014

Hey moms, dads, and high school seniors! Now is the time to book your 2014 senior photo shoot with Little L.A. Photography.

Beautiful and affordable custom senior portraits shot at your favorite locations around Los Angeles and Hollywood. Locations like the beach, the hills, downtown, Beverly Hills are a few options. I allow several wardrobe changes and treat senior shoots just as I do my fashion shoots! Packages include digital images to share with all your friends on Facebook, Twitter and of course to send to grandma! They are come with a print release to have printed at a printer of your choosing. I offer printing services as well.

Add-on’s like professional hair and make up and even a wardrobe stylist are available for your shoot and affordable as well!

Be sure to book soon as my schedule is quickly filling up as the year comes to an end.

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

Message me today to book your 2014 senior portrait session and be sure to follow me on Facebook to hear about my latest specials and deals.

First of all, WELCOME to my new website! After a week of serious frustration, some snapping at my husband and a few tears that were thankfully followed by “AH-HA!” moments I am so happy to finally share it with the world.

Who knew I was a web designer?? I sure didn’t! I had been telling my self for a few years that to have a site like this I would have to pay for it. When in fact.. I just needed to quit Facebook for a week and FOCUS!

My website and blog are now ONE! No more confusing back and forth for you or me. I hope you will have a look around, but keep in mind I am still adding photos to galleries and making small tweeks!

To celebrate (really to thank my kids and husband for sticking it through “Christina pretending to be a website builder week”) we headed to the beach for a much needed family day at the beach.

Here is a little peek at the fun we had.

Lex working hard!

Kara “catching a wave!”

Luke and Kara working together! haha

My boys ♥

How cool is this shot!!! Kara and daddy jumping over waves!

All of my loves…

And the last two photos of the night…

“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.”
– Anonymous

Want me to send the day photographing your family at the beach? Send me a message and lets make it happen!

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

Dana is a mama of a little guy already and expecting a daughter in a few weeks. Last week she came over to my house right from work (and got a peek at what life with more than one kid looks like… I hope my kids didn’t scare her!! haha). She was pampered by my lovely Hair and make up artist Hiroko. Then we headed to Santa Monica for the evening. It was such a beautiful day. The sun was warm, the breeze was light. Dana was so much fun and up for anything… including going into the ocean.. dressed! By the end of her shoot we were both soaked and had sand where sand just shouldn’t be 😡 It was so worth it for these pictures we got! I can not wait for meet your daughter Dana ♥

Oh and shouldn’t we all be so adorable in our bikinis when we are 8 months pregnant??

My baby girl turned 5 this week!

She is growing up more and more each day but being 5 is a pretty big deal!

All week my husband and I thought about ways we could keep her 4 forever.. but we don’t have super powers or magic wands and she wouldn’t

agree to wearing a stack of book on her head no matter how much we bribed her.  Can you believe it!

She did agree to a birthday photoshoot! We played around our tower and then headed to the Hollywood Hill for some more photos at sunset. Here is what I captured!

xoxo

Christina Hultquist

To book a session with me visit Little L.A. Photography email me at Christina@littlelaphoto.com or give me a call (916) 317-7124

Want to remember all the fun you had this summer playing by your pool, at the beach, or having a picnic in the hills?

Invite me to come along and capture it!

Book your session before August 31st 2013 and receive all your digital images for only $300!

Sessions are held at a location of your choosing in the Los Angeles area.

Took book follow the info on the image.

xoxo

Christina HultquistLittle L.A. Photography

My daughter LOVES cooking. I don’t. But I do love photographing her in the kitchen.

This morning she made blueberry pancakes for her and her younger brother. I captured it..and cleaned up 🙂

Here is our little recipe (measurements were “eyed”)

Trader Joe’s Multi Gain Mix

Hemp Milk

Organic Blueberries

(berries found for only $1.99 at Whole Foods last night during my late night wine run.. SCORE!)

Coconut Oil (for the pan)

Butter

Syrup

ENJOY!

When I walked into Nora’s home I was greeted by two little guys wondering what side

of my car my tailpipe was on. I hadn’t thought about it before then… I now know, the left!

Their home screamed toddler BOY everywhere (there was a trampoline in the dining room, yeah so fun!)

Two little guys escorted me up the stairs to their mom, who was in all white bed nursing the

sweetest little bundle still wearing her band from the hospital that read “GIRL.”

This is a little bit of what I captured during my stay….

3, 2, and new.

Thank you boys for sharing your mom and sister with me and all the laughs!