<atom:link href="https://dougellis.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/> <link>https://dougellis.com/</link> <description>Santa Barbara branding, family & senior portrait photographer — headshots, events, and commercial photography</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 14:57:37 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0</generator> <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><copyright>2010 Doug Ellis</copyright><itunes:subtitle>Santa Barbara branding, family & senior portrait photographer — headshots, events, and commercial photography</itunes:subtitle><itunes:category text="Society & Culture"><itunes:category text="Personal Journals"/></itunes:category><itunes:author>Doug Ellis</itunes:author><item> <title>Less Crowded Locations for Photos in Santa Barbara https://dougellis.com/musings/less-crowded-locations-for-photos-in-santa-barbara/ Mon, 25 May 2026 14:24:44 +0000 https://dougellis.com/?p=10485 Less Crowded Places for Photos in Santa Barbara People often ask what some of my favorite locations are for photos here in Santa Barbara and Montecito, and this is part of my curated list of off-the beaten track photo session spots! Nature: A couple of the best locations for forests and woods and tall grasses […]

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Less Crowded Places for Photos in Santa Barbara

People often ask what some of my favorite locations are for photos here in Santa Barbara and Montecito, and this is part of my curated list of off-the beaten track photo session spots!

Nature:

A couple of the best locations for forests and woods and tall grasses include: Douglas Preserve and More Mesa or Ellwood Bluffs. More Mesa also has a beautiful beach. The Mission Rose gardens can be gorgeous on an early morning but get a bit too crowded later in the day. Further up the hill in the American Riviera are some small parks with beautiful sweeping views of the coastline and rolling hills along the mountains.

Beach:

Arroyo Burro/Hendry’s is usually too crowded for good family photos or couples/proposal or engagement photos unless you are willing to get up super early, so I would suggest going to Mesa Lane or up north to Ellwood Beach or south to Hammond’s.

Urban Vibes

For urban vibes, we can often start at my office and photo studio in downtown Santa Barbara because there is beautiful Spanish/colonial architecture, stark white walls reminiscent of Greece, and all the color and humanity of the farmers market downtown and the Paseo Nuevo mall right in the center of the action on State Street. For other urban settings, consider the Funk Zone with its colorful painted murals and quirky slightly gritty architecture, the train station which has beautiful arches and an antique train you can climb on. I also

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]]> Doug Ellis Common Santa Barbara Photography Questions https://dougellis.com/musings/common-photography-questions/ Tue, 21 May 2024 02:03:43 +0000 https://dougellis.com/?p=7111 Frequently Asked Photography Questions How much do senior pictures cost in Santa Barbara? Senior picture packages in Santa Barbara typically range from $200 to $600, depending on the photographer and the package you choose. Basic packages often include a one-hour session and a set number of digital images, while premium packages might offer extended shoot […]

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Frequently Asked Photography Questions

How much do senior pictures cost in Santa Barbara?

Senior picture packages in Santa Barbara typically range from $200 to $600, depending on the photographer and the package you choose. Basic packages often include a one-hour session and a set number of digital images, while premium packages might offer extended shoot times, multiple locations, and a larger selection of edited photos or prints. For the best value, contact local photographers for detailed pricing and package options to suit your needs.

How do I prepare for a headshot photo shootin Santa Barbara?

To prepare for a headshot session in Santa Barbara, start by choosing outfits that reflect your professional image, keeping colors and patterns simple or solid colors. Click here and I can send you a style guide absolutely free.  Make sure to get plenty of rest the night before and stay hydrated to ensure you look your best. Consider scheduling a hair and makeup appointment to enhance your natural features. Lastly, discuss your goals and preferences with your photographer beforehand to ensure they capture the perfect shot for your needs.

What are the best places in Santa Barbara for engagement or family photos?

Santa Barbara offers stunning locations for family photos, including the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Butterfly Beach, and the iconic Stearns Wharf. For a more rustic setting, consider the Old Mission Santa Barbara or the scenic Douglas Family Preserve. Each location provides a unique backdrop that beautifully captures the essence of your family and the natural beauty of Santa Barbara.

What should I do with my hands when being photographed?

When being photographed, keep your hands relaxed and natural and moving or holding something to avoid awkwardness. You can place one hand in your pocket, lightly touch your face or hair, or hold onto a prop like a book or bouquet. If you’re unsure, ask your photographer for guidance. They can provide specific tips and poses that will make you look confident and comfortable in your photos.

Lets Chat

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]]> Doug Ellis Stephen Mcghee Executive Leadership Coach Branding https://dougellis.com/branding-photography/stephen-mchee-executive-leadership/ https://dougellis.com/branding-photography/stephen-mchee-executive-leadership/#respond Sat, 26 Mar 2022 22:44:33 +0000 https://dougellis.com/?p=4522 Spent some time with executive leadership coach Stephen Mcghee and his faithful companion Hu at their ranch the other day and we came away with some soulful Colorado inspired images.

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WELCOME TO THE

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WELCOME TO THE

Journal

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Stephen McGhee Executive Leadership Coach

Enjoyed getting to play and hang out with Stephen Mcghee, founder of Mcghee Leadership, a a coaching consultancy for people who want a holistic, heart centered approach to converting potential into results.

Stephen is the author of several books, including Get Real, Learning to Believe the Unbelievable and the book and documentary about his expedition to hike Climb to Freedom.  He, like me, is a Denver native, and attended the University of Santa Monica, which I also attended. His dog Hu is a sweet and gentle soul and good friend of my dog Baxter. 

To learn more about Stephen, contributory leadership methodology, and online coaching programs including the L4, see his website at mcgheeleadership.com. 

let's chat
Stephen Mcghee at Home on the Range in Wine Country
Stephen Mcghee at Home at the Ranch by Doug Ellis
Handstand with Tree Assist
Stephen Mcghee by Coach Photographer Doug Ellis
Stephen Mcghee Executive Leadership Coach
Coach Stephen Mcghee Hanging Around at Home
Coach Stephen Mcghee and Dog at Home at the Ranch by Doug Ellis
Coach Stephen Mcghee at Home at the Ranch by Doug Ellis
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]]> https://dougellis.com/branding-photography/stephen-mchee-executive-leadership/feed/ 0 Doug Ellis Rich and Kathy Fetke for Real Wealth Network https://dougellis.com/branding-photography/rich-and-kathy-fetke-for-real-wealth-network/ https://dougellis.com/branding-photography/rich-and-kathy-fetke-for-real-wealth-network/#respond Wed, 16 Feb 2022 20:37:37 +0000 https://dougellis.com/?p=4466 See Rich and Kathy Fetke of Real Wealth Network in Malibu loving the life that true financial freedom brings.

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WELCOME
TO THE

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WELCOME TO THE

Journal

garden_

musings

health_coach

branding photography

coaching
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Rich and Kathy Fetke for Real Wealth Network

Rich and Kathy are some of my longest and most dearly beloved clients. Long-time Malibu residents they started Real Wealth Network, a real estate investing community in 2003.

To learn more about Real Wealth Network, see www.realwealth.com.

let's chat
Rich and Kathy Fetke for Real Wealth Network in Malibu
Santa Barbara Branding Lifestyle Imagery for Real Wealth Network
malibu-beach-lifestyle_1
ojai_foundation_circle
headshot_for_comedian
musician-album-cover
patrick-daugherty_serimmune_business_photo-min
hand_fauld

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]]> https://dougellis.com/branding-photography/rich-and-kathy-fetke-for-real-wealth-network/feed/ 0 Doug Ellis Doug Ellis Answers the Vanity Fair Interview https://dougellis.com/musings/doug-ellis-vanity-fair-style-interview/ https://dougellis.com/musings/doug-ellis-vanity-fair-style-interview/#respond Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:02:25 +0000 https://dougellis.com/?p=4412 Santa Barbara photographer Doug Ellis answers the Proust Questionnaire.

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Vanity Fair and then I'm DONE

So I will confess a photography bucket list item–getting just one of my images published in Vanity Fair is a bucket list item for me. Seriously, I might even hang up the cameras at that point. It doesn’t have to be a cover, I’m not pretending to have the talent of Norman Jean Roy, Mario Testino, Mark Seliger,  Art Streiber or Annie Liebowitz. If I could just publish a teeny tiny image somewhere deep in the society section or an editorial piece toward the back.

Until then, I will continue to hone my adequate but growing chops and drool over the glorious imagery and creative processes and teams of the other visual giants who have graced that fine publication over the years. I also always flip to the interview on the back page which follows this Proust Questionnaire format, designed to reveal one’s essence in 35 questions. I am dashing my answers down below in the hopes that one day when the phone rings for my interview I will be pre-vetted and ready. A guy can dream, right?

Santa Barbara Photographer Doug Ellis Answers the Proust Questionnaire

 

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A shared moment of breathless awe with my girlfriend, ideally in pristine nature.

What is Your Greatest Fear?

Dying alone, especially while trapped in a terminally broken body or mind. 

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Distractibility and Forgetfulness. Creating clutter and losing things. 

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

There are no others, but when I pretend there are I can get caught up in insufferable slowness and lack of spatial awareness. 

Which living person do you most admire?

Lately I am loving Codie Sanchez, Rich Roll and Mel Robbins.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Probably my camera and lens collection and large cupboard full of supplements and biohacking potions.

What is your current state of mind?

Grateful, streamlined and battened down. 

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Being a grown up or reasonableness. 

On what occasion do you lie?

To duck out of someone trying to loop me into a pity party and/or to protect them from a harsh reality. 

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

The balding patch on the back of my head and hair where I dont want it. 

Which living person do you most despise?

I don’t despise anyone brave enough to stay alive on this planet in these quasi times. 

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Presence

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Luminance

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Three: Take a snoozer. Give it a whirl. Thats true. 

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

God in the form of nature, music and silence.

When and where were you happiest?

At our cabin in Steamboat Springs playing in the barn hay loft and listening to old Hopalong Cassidy and Tom T Hall records.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Incredible singing voice

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My reluctance to extend myself/go first/ask for help. 

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Successfully living in California as a freelancer for 20 years now.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Osprey.

Where would you most like to live?

Either here in SB, Melbourne OZ or Carbondale CO.

What is your most treasured possession?

My scrapbooks and picture albums.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Being a burn patient ore believing your thoughts. 

What is your favorite occupation?

Rock star or pro surfer.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Unflappability 

What do you most value in your friends?

Acceptance and humor

Who are your favorite writers?

EB White, Hunter S Thompson, Mary Oliver, F Scott Fitzgeralt

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Howard Roark of the Fountainhead.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Ram Das or Abraham Lincoln

Who are your heroes in real life?

My girlfriend and my (now departed) dog Baxter

What are your favorite names?

Aquamarine or Topaz. If I was going to rename myself it would be Burch.

What is it that you most dislike?

Being stuck in slow traffic or having to drive over a sketchy exposed bridge where I can’t see the other side.

What is your greatest regret?

Not kissing this other beautiful tourist in the ascending elevator of the Eiffel Tower. 

How would you like to die?

Peacefully in the desert or a snowbank, before the vultures or coyotes find me.

What is your motto? 

We are one. 

Doug Ellis the Photographer in Montreal

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]]> https://dougellis.com/musings/doug-ellis-vanity-fair-style-interview/feed/ 0 Doug Ellis Santa Claus Beach Elopement Photos https://dougellis.com/case-studies/allie-and-max-santa-claus-lane-beach-elopement/ https://dougellis.com/case-studies/allie-and-max-santa-claus-lane-beach-elopement/#respond Thu, 22 Jul 2021 03:45:06 +0000 https://dougellis.com/?p=4135 Santa Claus Beach Elopement

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Santa Claus Beach Elopement

Had a great time in Carpinteria, CA at Santa Claus Lane with these two and Santa Barbara Picnic Company to create an elegant and fun elopement session complete with skateboards, a cardboard cut out of their cat with a bow tie, train tracks, delicious food on the beach, train tracks, and of course the love and excitement of their brand new love and start together. Congratulations Allie and Max and I was grateful to behold your bond and serve as its witness. I really think a sense of humor and ability to laugh together is key, and based on that you have an amazing future together!

Bridal Bouquet Victory Pose
Can’t Resist a Good Couples Train track Portrait
Allie and Max Cracking Each Other Up
Allie and Max on the Tracks At Santa Claus Beach
Showing Off the Ring and Standing United
A Quiet Moment at Sunset on Santa Claus Beach
Sunset Elopement Photo
Celebratory Kiss After the Twirl at Sunset
Allie and Max Carpinteria Elopement
Allie and Max Carpinteria Elopement
Allie and Max Carpinteria Elopement
Allie and Max Carpinteria Elopement
Picnic by Santa Barbara Picnic Co
Allie and Max Hanging Ten on the Skateboards
Honoring the Feline Companion
Dual Skateboards with Buoy Background
Allie Shredding Solo
The Champagne Cork Goes Flying
Allie and Max Carpinteria Elopement
Allie and Max ride off into the sunset, cans a clattering.

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]]> https://dougellis.com/case-studies/allie-and-max-santa-claus-lane-beach-elopement/feed/ 0 Doug Ellis Sarah Livia Brightwood for Rancho La Puerta https://dougellis.com/case-studies/sarah-livia-rancho-la-puerta/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 06:21:11 +0000 https://www.dougellis.com/?p=3540 Portraits on location at Rancho La Puerta for Sarah Livia Brightwood by Doug Ellis.

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SARAH LIVIA

Rancho La Puerta Branding Portraits

Role: Branding, Headshots & Lifestyle Photography
let's chat
Go Back To Branding

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]]> Doug Ellis Mark Sisson Branding Photos https://dougellis.com/case-studies/mark-sisson-branding-photos/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:10:15 +0000 https://www.dougellis.com/?p=3525 Branding photography for Mark Sisson and Live Primal in Malibu CA

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MARK SISSON

LIVE PRIMAL BRANDING, PACKAGING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Role: Company Branding, Headshots & Lifestyle Photography

Enjoyed playing with Mark and a cast of fitness models on the beach in Malibu for his Live Primal branding imagery and product packaging photos. We had a great time capturing a mixture of outdoor portraits, lifestyle images, running from rogue waves, frisbee candid action shots, some with his dog Shanti and wife Carrie and balancing on the slackline. Mark is a true inspiration and his physique, energy level, clear mind and positive attitude are testament to that fact that he definitely walks the talk. 

let's chat
Go Back To Branding

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]]> Doug Ellis Medical and Dental Branding Photos https://dougellis.com/case-studies/medical-and-dental-branding-photos/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:00:48 +0000 https://www.dougellis.com/?p=3515 Medical practice and dental practice branding photos in Santa Barbara by Doug Ellis

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Medical & Dental Branding

Branding Visuals + Websites + GMB +SEO
Role: Brand Imagery, Websites, SEO, GMB and Social Media
let's chat
Go Back To Branding

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]]> Doug Ellis Solopreneur Branding Photos and Video https://dougellis.com/case-studies/courtney-virtual-assistant-branding-photographer/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:46:51 +0000 https://www.dougellis.com/?p=3493 See sample branding images and video for a Santa Barbara-based solopreneur

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COURTNEY Warren

SOLOPRENEUR BRANDING PHOTOS AND VIDEO

Role: Prop Styling, Company Website Launch Brand Photography & Videography

With a beautiful Airbnb in downtown Santa Barbara as the setting we created custom branding photos and branding video for Courtney Warren of Office on Call, a business coach for therapy-based businesses and medical and healthcare professionals who are making the turn toward successful entrepreneurship.  The banner image video was used as a moving background of her original website and the branding images are on the current site as well as social media. The half day branding photography session included four outfit changes, two separate locations and the sizzle reel.

let's chat
Go Back To Branding

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