WS
san clemente • cajulie irene
Photography
Photography
Photographer. Studio owner. Mom of three. Twenty years behind the camera and still moved by what a printed portrait can do for a family.
almost twenty years in, and still all in
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I'm Julie Boucher. I run Julie Irene Photography, a luxury portrait studio in San Clemente, CA. I work solo and handle every part of the business — the consultations, the sessions, the editing, the ordering appointments, all of it.
People call me the Baby Whisperer. I know how to calm a newborn, pose a reluctant husband, get a real laugh out of a 12-year-old, and direct a room of twenty people at a family reunion. That's not something you develop overnight. It's twenty years of showing up and doing it.
Before photography, I was a commercial mortgage loan underwriter. Finance background, business degree from University of Cincinnati. I say that not as a footnote but because it's why this business runs the way it does.
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A few months before my dad passed away, I made sure we took family portraits together — my parents, my brothers, our kids, all of us in one frame. Today, those images are some of the most meaningful things I own. I have photographs of him holding my children. I have my mom beside him. I have proof of a season of life that no longer exists except in those portraits.
I think about that every time I photograph families, and especially extended family sessions.
Not because I believe portraits are about perfection or checking something off a list, but because life changes quietly and constantly. The people we love grow older, children grow up, and entire seasons pass before we realize they’re gone.
You will never look at a portrait of your family and wish you hadn't done it.
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We live in a time where thousands of photos are taken every year, but very few ever become part of a family’s everyday life. The portraits that end up framed on the walls, passed down in albums, or pulled out years later are the ones that truly stay with us.
That’s why I care so deeply about creating printed artwork for my clients. Not because I think every moment has to be formal or perfect, but because I know how much these images will mean later. Long after kids have grown up and life has moved into another season, these portraits become reminders of who your family was during the years that felt like they would last forever.
My goal has never been to simply deliver digital files. It’s to create something lasting — portraits that feel meaningful today and even more meaningful years from now.
I grew up in Louisville, Ohio — chickens, a big garden, two older brothers, and a mom who is still my best friend. I moved to Newport Beach right after graduation, ended up in San Clemente when I was pregnant with my second, and have been here over fifteen years.
I started with weddings. After my second baby, I was gone every weekend and missing time with Brad and the kids. That's when I made the shift to portrait work — sessions during the week, weekends protected for family. That's still how I run things. The business works around my life, not the other way around.
I’ve learned over the years that a quick conversation is usually the fastest way to make people feel comfortable, answer questions, and turn what could feel overwhelming into something easy and enjoyable.
Because you should know who's behind the scenes — and because they are, honestly, a big part of why this work matters to me every day.
The one behind the camera who notices the small moments, fixes flyaway hairs, and somehow always ends up talking about food, travel, business ideas, wine or family before the session is over.
An exceptional husband and father. Loves his family, his business, and wine that he has researched more than most people research anything. The calm in whatever storm is currently happening.
An imaginative thinker and quick-witted in the way that makes you realize she was paying attention the whole time. Smart and loving, entirely on her own terms.
Sensitive and deeply sweet. The kind of person who loves with her whole self and means it. Has the biggest heart in a family that is not short on big hearts.
A firecracker with enough energy to light the world. Outgoing, sweet, and loves his mom in that way that ten-year-old boys still do before they decide to be too cool for it.
Often referred to as Dr. Evil and Mini Me. Emma is SO stubborn it is almost a personality trait. Loki just wants everyone to be happy. Together they are a lot, in the best possible way.
Started in 2008 and still here. That means you're working with someone who has seen every scenario, solved every problem, and knows how to create beautiful portraits regardless of what the day brings.
From wardrobe guidance to artwork design, every step is thoughtfully guided. You don't have to know what to wear, how to pose, or what to do with the finished images.
Babies cry. Toddlers melt down. Teenagers roll their eyes. Sunset arrives whether anyone is ready or not. Almost twenty years of experience means knowing how to navigate the unexpected and still create portraits you'll love.
The goal has never been a folder of images you'll forget about. It's artwork you'll enjoy every day and still be proud to pass down years from now.
“Portraits are not social media content. They are proof that your family existed, that you loved each other, that your child was small once and you were there. ”
• julie boucher •
From the first trimester to senior year — and the extended family gathering that took three years to coordinate — there is a session designed for exactly where you are right now.
The best client relationships start with a real conversation — not a form submission. Tell me where you are in your family's story, what you're thinking about, and what you're hoping to walk away with. I'll take it from there.
My studio is based in San Clemente, and I regularly photograph families throughout South Orange
County and beyond.
Julie Irene Photography, a luxury portrait studio in San Clemente, California. Newborn, family, maternity, headshots and personal branding for Orange County
san clemente, ca
