Cathy Murai Photography | Los Angeles Newborn and Family Photographer

Happy News…We are expecting!

cathy — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:23:00 +0000

My little family of 3 (including my dog, Charlie) will soon be a family of 4! We are so happy and blessed to announce that we are expecting in October! =) Sorry that I haven’t been around recently. After I returned from WPPI (the conference and expo for Wedding and Portrait photographers) in Las Vegas this past March, I started to have horrible morning sickness! I felt really exhausted and super bloated, so I decided to take a little break. But now that I am in my second trimester, I am planning to photograph as much as I can for the next 2-3 months.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to share my maternity leave plans with you. It’s important for me to keep you informed, so that we can both plan for the upcoming months. I will be photographing up until July 6th, 2013. As my belly grows bigger and bigger, I am sure that it’ll be uncomfortable for me to get low enough to the ground to get the great shooting angles. I plan to edit and deliver all orders by the end of July. During my maternity leave, you will still be able to contact me via email, Facebook or phone. If you have any questions about booking your photo session, please feel free to contact me!

A Valentine’s Day Session with 3 Month Old Baby Astrid | Alhambra Baby Photographer

cathy — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:42:17 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day! I just love it when my newborn clients return to visit! I first met Baby Astrid when she was 1 month old. I photographed her and her family for their Christmas portraits. It’s amazing how fast she has grown in just 2 months! This little sweetheart arrived all smiles and I loved her Valentine’s Day dress! Baby Astrid is by far the happiest baby I know. Look at her smiling faces! She loved having her portraits taken and smiled through the entire session. And her beautiful eyes always just pop from the images. With such a gorgeous baby girl, her family is truly blessed! I am so happy that I had the opportunity to see Baby Astrid and her beautiful family again when she turned 3 months old! I look forward to seeing her grow even more!

And here’s Baby Astrid 2 months ago from her newborn and family Christmas portrait session!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you are looking for a Los Angeles baby photographer or maternity photographer, please contact us . Newborn sessions are scheduled to take place within the first 10 days of birth, so please plan ahead and contact us before baby is born!

Korean Dol: Dr. Seuss “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” themed First Birthday Party

cathy — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 01:40:37 +0000

Little Wilson celebrated his first birthday in style! His parents put together such an extravagant Dr. Seuss “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” themed First Birthday Party (aka Korean Dol or Doljanchi) at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park. According to Wilson’s mom, who spent an incredible amount of time and energy to plan for the big event, her inspiration came from the book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. She loved the meaningful message of the book and the whimsical artwork and colors. As a mom with high hopes and big dreams for her little man, it was a perfect theme!

While I was photographing some detail shots, Wilson’s mom told me that she came up with all the ideas for the decorations, which were then handcrafted by her crafty friends! From the dessert station, blue window shutters, stationary, signs, to all the small details, etc. Wow!! And the party was beautifully decorated and stylized by amazing event coordinators, Hanna and Christina, from One Sweet Day. I love how they incorporated Dr. Seuss’ whimsical colors and modern decorations with some traditional korean elements. Wilson’s mom sure knows how to bring her ideas to life!

In addition to Wilson being such a handsome little man, all the guests enjoyed the party with great food and were entertained by both the photo booth & caricature artist. A lot of kids and their families were happy to get their caricatures drawn and pictures taken which became their keepsake and party favors! The kids were also very happy to take a Dr. Suess book/puzzle home with them!

Now, let’s take a look at all the fun festivities!

Happy birthday Wilson! Thank you for letting me celebrate this special day with you!

Happy New Year!! | Los Angeles Newborn & Family Photographer

cathy — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 04:53:30 +0000

It’s hard to believe that another year has gone by. 2012 has been an awesome year! I’m so thankful to everyone, who has supported Cathy Murai Photography, including vendors, friends, and of course, our wonderful clients, for a fantastic year! I’ve loved meeting and working with you all. Looking forward to an amazing 2013!! Happy New Year everyone!

Here is the last newborn baby that I photographed in 2012. Ami sure made her family’s Christmas extra special! I can’t wait to share more of her images!

Merry Christmas! | Los Angeles Newborn & Family Photographer

cathy — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 18:08:58 +0000

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to all! It has been such an incredibly wonderful year meeting and working with many fabulous families and being able to see how much my past clients have grown! Here are some of my favorite Christmas portraits that I captured for my clients’ Christmas cards. I will also share more images from the recent (non-Christmas) sessions soon! I still have two more newborn and family sessions to go until the end of 2012, which I am excited about! =) I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season filled with love and happiness!

I also really enjoyed creating customized Christmas cards for my clients! Here are few examples!

And here is my fur-baby, Charlie, wishing you all a season filled with warm moments and cherished memories!

Featured on {Baby Lifestyles}! | Los Angeles Birthday Party (Dol) Photographer

cathy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:14:18 +0000

Remember the fabulous superhero birthday celebration (Dol) Jonah’s parents threw for his 1st birthday? I’m so happy to share that it’s been featured again! This time on Baby Lifestyles! Baby Lifestyles is a website with an online magazine which features real baby showers, first birthday parties, and nurseries. If you’re planning to throw a party, go check out their website and get inspired!

Welcome Baby Ford! | Los Angeles Newborn Baby and Family Photographer

cathy — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 22:48:37 +0000

It’s always such an honor to be asked to photograph special occasions in families’ lives. I recently had the pleasure of getting to know this beautiful family! Baby Ford was only 6 days new when he came to my studio for his newborn session. Doesn’t he have the cutest little face? Prior to the newborn session, Ford’s mom shared her ideas for the session via email. She wanted to incorporate her vintage Eames chair and the new monkey hat that she purchased for Ford for the session. I do have a large assortment of newborn accessories, blankets and other helpful items, which are always available for use during the sessions, but I love it when clients bring their own props, because it really makes the photos unique and personal. I absolutely adored what they brought with them and really enjoyed creating these images! Ford was sleeping when I put him on the chair, but as soon as I grabbed my camera, he opened his eyes! Since he didn’t move at all, I continued to capture him lying comfortably on the red chair, which turned out to be one of the family’s favorite images. They also used the image to create their custom designed birth announcements and I really like how they turned out! Thank you Ford for being such a great little model! I am looking forward to seeing you grow! Since the chair was so iconic and special to the family, it would be a great idea if your parents can photograph you on the same chair every month to see how much you grow in just one year. Wouldn’t that be so much fun?!?

To book unique and creative portraits of a newborn, baby, infant, and family photography, please contact us. Let us help you capture these amazing moments! You can also find us on Facebook to stay updated about upcoming specials.

2012 Christmas Card Mini Sessions! | Los Angeles Family Photographer

cathy — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:22:07 +0000

I am excited to announce the upcoming Christmas Mini Sessions for babies, kids, and families, including pets! It’s time to get those Christmas portraits done for your holiday cards and gifts for loved ones. There will be a variety of Christmas card designs and gifts to choose from. Don’t wait until the holidays are here to order them! Additional Christmas cards and portrait packages will also be available for purchase. Contact me via contact form or email (info@cathymurai.com) to schedule your session today! It is going to be one nice item to check off your holiday to-do-list!

* If November 18th, 2012 doesn’t work for you and your family, please contact me for other dates & times.

2012 Baby & Children Halloween Portraits | Alhambra Professional Portrait Photographer

cathy — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 06:15:34 +0000

I had so much fun photographing all of these little cuties dressed up in their Halloween costumes in my studio! There is nothing cuter than babies, kids and dogs in their adorable Halloween costumes!! Thanks to everyone who participated in the Halloween Mini Sessions! Since it was so much fun, I will definitely plan for these mini sessions again next year!

Special shout out to my dog, Charlie, who dressed up in his sexy costume for a test run the night before the Halloween Mini Sessions!

I also had a blast meeting and capturing many new little kiddos at the annual Halloween event , Hallowscream, presented by Downtown Alhambra last weekend. Can you believe that I photographed 56 people in approximately 2 1/2 hours? Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth that day. Finally, a big thanks to my husband and to my friends, Karen & Albert, for helping me carry heavy bales of hay, a canopy and other equipment and set up our booth so early in the morning on the day of the event! Here are some of the photos that I captured! Aren’t they adorable? There were so many creative costumes!

Precious Newborn with a Family Dog Portraits | Alhambra Newborn and Pet Photographer

cathy — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 18:22:41 +0000

Remember the family dog, Rusty, the lovable fox-red Lab that wanted to take pictures with his mommy’s big belly? Well, this time, he brought his new sister, Kirsten, to my studio for a newborn session when she was just 9 days old for more pictures! Wow, this dog loves to have his picture taken!! =)

Prior to the session, her mom, who is also one of my good friends, told me, “I don’t know how you’re gonna photograph her…. she cries so much!! You gotta do the session in 30 minutes, Cathy!!”. Yeah right!! LOL! Newborn sessions usually takes up to 4 hours, due to necessary feeding and diapering time for the baby and (much needed) breaks for the parents. Include a dog and it may take even longer. However, unlike what her mom was expecting, Kirsten slept like a charm pretty much throughout the entire session. I started photographing her, while Rusty was still checking out our place. His dad took him out for a long walk before he joined us for the family portraits, which turned out to be a great idea as he was more calm and cooperative. He basically took a nap during the session. I especially LOVE the image of Kirsten and Rusty sleeping and snuggling together =) Aren’t they adorable?! Remember Rusty’s “lap” command? Thanks to his parents, the training not only allowed me to capture some cute maternity portraits, but also some sweet newborn portraits. Rusty gently put his head on Kirsten’s back and took a nap together. I have no doubt that ”Big Brother” Rusty will not only be her best friend, but look out for her and protect her as well!

Welcome to the world, little Kirsten! Thanks to Kirsten’s parents and Rusty for letting me meet their precious new family member. I hope you love these images as much as I do!

If you have family dogs and want to include them in your newborn session or family session, feel free to invite them! They are family too!! Today, I am photographing a newborn boy with a dog PLUS their 2 year old sister! This is going to be a challenge for me. Wish me good luck!!