Portrait Photography Blog

Leo Carillo Ranch Family Portrait Session in Carlsbad, the Spears Family!

Young girl in a floral dress and boots smiles near cacti at Leo Carillo Ranch under bright sunlight.
The holidays are upon us and I loved working with this family for their Christmas cards and holiday family portraits!

Location:
Leo Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad, California – “This secluded & meticulously-landscaped park is home to peacocks, birds of paradise, & more. Once part of the original 2,538 acre working rancho and vacation retreat of Leo Carrillo, (who acted in almost 100 films from 1927 to 1950 and co-starred in the TV series The Cisco Kid) the historic Leo Carrillo Ranch is an extraordinary educational and recreational resource.”

Vision or Style:
I love this family’s colorful and fun style. The Ranch and all its various backgrounds was the perfect location for them!

Favorite Moment:
My favorite moment was making a beautiful fort for the kids on one of the historic bridges. It was adorable, fun, unique, and the kids loved it!

Favorite Photo:
It’s always so hard to pick a favorite photo but here is a collection of the ones I loved the most…and there are so many more treasures in this collection!

A smiling baby in a hooded sweater holds a colorful garland at a Carlsbad Family Portrait Session; closeup shows curiosity.A woman in a purple sweater smiles at a baby girl during a Family Portrait Session at Leo Carillo Ranch, Carlsbad. A couple kisses their baby as a woman lifts the child up during a Family Portrait Session at Leo Carillo Ranch in Carlsbad.A smiling family poses outdoors at Leo Carillo Ranch; one photo by a cactus, another on a wooden bridge among trees. Left: Two girls sit on a lace canopy bridge. Right: Family Portrait Session smiles near tree and house at Leo Carillo Ranch. A couple poses affectionately outdoors in Carlsbad, holding hands and smiling near a white brick building. A young girl in a floral dress smiles outdoors at Leo Carillo Ranch, lying on a blanket in one photo and standing in the other. Two women and two young girls smile together outdoors at Leo Carrillo Ranch during a family portrait session in Carlsbad. A family of five sits on a porch at Leo Carillo Ranch; a woman sits separately, smiling at the camera.

Woman in a long red dress stands on a path surrounded by greenery and flowering bushes, smiling at the camera.

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Oceanside California beach family portrait photographer

family

A couple embraces in a sunlit garden; the woman wears a white dress and appears to be pregnant.

maternity

Newborn baby sleeping peacefully on a white bed, wearing a white diaper, with arms curled near face.

newborn

Woman in a white dress walks barefoot on a sandy beach, looking back toward the camera near the shoreline.

senior

A smiling couple stands on the beach, embracing, with a pier stretching into the ocean behind them.

couples

A person in a green dress holds soil with a small green plant growing in their cupped hands.

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The newborn photos are never really about the baby alone. They're about the people who already love them more than they ever thought possible. That's the story I want families to remember years from now. #VallentynePhotography #NewbornPhotographer #FamilyConnection #CarlsbadStudioPhotographer #BabyPhotography #NorthCountySanDiego #NewbornPortraits #FamilyStory #OceansidePhotographer

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
Sometimes families tell me they've been meaning to do photos for years. Then one day they look around and realize the baby isn't a baby anymore. If you've been waiting for the perfect time, this is your reminder that these are the days you'll want to remember. #VallentynePhotography #BeachFamilyPhotos #CarlsbadFamilyPhotographer #OceansideFamilyPhotography #FamilyPortraitSession #SanDiegoPhotographer #FamilyMemories #NorthCountyFamilies #BeachPhotography

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
It's always the tiny details parents miss the most. The little toes. The wrinkly feet. The way everything fit into the palm of your hand. You never realize how small they are until they aren't anymore. #VallentynePhotography #NewbornDetails #BabyFeet #CarlsbadNewbornPhotographer #StudioNewbornPhotography #NorthCountySanDiego #BabyPortraits #NewbornSession #OceansidePhotographer

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
Senior year has a funny way of sneaking up on parents. One minute you're dropping them off at kindergarten and the next they're making plans for life after high school. These photos aren't just about graduation. They're about remembering who they were before everything changed. #VallentynePhotography #SeniorPortraits #CarlsbadSeniorPhotographer #OceansideSeniorPhotos #ClassOf2026 #BeachSeniorSession #SanDiegoSeniorPortraits #NorthCountyPhotographer #SeniorPhotography

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
I hear this all the time: "I just want to remember them exactly like this." Not older. Not more grown up. Just exactly as they are right now with their little personalities, endless energy, and wild imaginations. Because somehow these stages disappear faster than we think. #VallentynePhotography #FamilyPhotography #CarlsbadPhotographer #ChildhoodUnplugged #VistaPhotographer #FamilyPortraits #FieldPhotography #NorthCountyFamilies #SanDiegoFamilyPhotographer

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.

 

Vallentyne Photography is a portrait studio in Carlsbad, CA, serving families throughout North County San Diego and surrounding coastal communities.

With 20 years of experience, we specialize in natural, timeless portraits for families, maternity, newborns, and seniors — photographed on location or in our beautiful natural light studio. Our goal is to make the experience feel relaxed, meaningful, and easy from start to finish while creating artwork you’ll love for years to come.

The newborn photos are never really about the baby alone. They're about the people who already love them more than they ever thought possible. That's the story I want families to remember years from now. #VallentynePhotography #NewbornPhotographer #FamilyConnection #CarlsbadStudioPhotographer #BabyPhotography #NorthCountySanDiego #NewbornPortraits #FamilyStory #OceansidePhotographer

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
Sometimes families tell me they've been meaning to do photos for years. Then one day they look around and realize the baby isn't a baby anymore. If you've been waiting for the perfect time, this is your reminder that these are the days you'll want to remember. #VallentynePhotography #BeachFamilyPhotos #CarlsbadFamilyPhotographer #OceansideFamilyPhotography #FamilyPortraitSession #SanDiegoPhotographer #FamilyMemories #NorthCountyFamilies #BeachPhotography

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
It's always the tiny details parents miss the most. The little toes. The wrinkly feet. The way everything fit into the palm of your hand. You never realize how small they are until they aren't anymore. #VallentynePhotography #NewbornDetails #BabyFeet #CarlsbadNewbornPhotographer #StudioNewbornPhotography #NorthCountySanDiego #BabyPortraits #NewbornSession #OceansidePhotographer

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
Senior year has a funny way of sneaking up on parents. One minute you're dropping them off at kindergarten and the next they're making plans for life after high school. These photos aren't just about graduation. They're about remembering who they were before everything changed. #VallentynePhotography #SeniorPortraits #CarlsbadSeniorPhotographer #OceansideSeniorPhotos #ClassOf2026 #BeachSeniorSession #SanDiegoSeniorPortraits #NorthCountyPhotographer #SeniorPhotography

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
I hear this all the time: "I just want to remember them exactly like this." Not older. Not more grown up. Just exactly as they are right now with their little personalities, endless energy, and wild imaginations. Because somehow these stages disappear faster than we think. #VallentynePhotography #FamilyPhotography #CarlsbadPhotographer #ChildhoodUnplugged #VistaPhotographer #FamilyPortraits #FieldPhotography #NorthCountyFamilies #SanDiegoFamilyPhotographer

𝘅𝗼, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀? Let’s talk!
Message me anytime and we’ll hop on a quick call to plan something beautiful.
A large, green, uppercase letter V on a white background.

3138 Roosevelt St M

Carlsbad, CA 92008