Travels Through My Lens: My Experiences Traveling the World

Welcome to the new travel section of my website, where I will share stories, tips, and can’t-miss experiences from my favorite travel destinations over the years. 

Perhaps that’s why I’ve always had a unique life philosophy, and sometimes wonder if my global roots are the reason.  

It has been my pleasure and honor to assist clients with full service photography in Orange County, helping document the most important and beautiful events of peoples’ lives. As much as I love this area, my story didn’t begin in Orange County, in California, or in America. 

I value making memories over “things” in this life; moments over materialism. We live in a vast and beautiful world, and each country offers a unique culture that embodies something so different. That, in a nutshell, is why I, a full-service photographer in Orange County, California, am sharing parts of my travel journey over the years, along with things I learned from globetrotting to 30+ countries. 

A Citizen of the World

I was born in Kenya and raised in Montreal, Canada, which is the French-speaking part of the country. Later, I grew up in Ottawa, which I call “home”, or at least my home away from home now. While getting my bachelor’s degree in Business, I studied in England, where I found myself travelling to a new part of Europe every month and where I believe this passion for travel was born. 

Upon returning to Canada and beginning my career in Marketing, I felt a strong urge to see more of the world, to work in a more global environment. I took a huge leap of faith and moved to Central America where I then spent three years continuing to grow my career in marketing, working as an expat for Adidas, immersing myself in the customs and beauty of Panama, and learning Spanish. During these three years in Panama I travelled throughout central and South America for both work and pleasure and continued to fall in love with travelling. 

Becoming the Person and Mother I Want to Be

After moving to Southern California and starting my family, I vowed to continue to be a full participant in life, to continue visiting amazing places, meeting remarkable people, sharing good food and better conversation, and to live so vibrantly that I perpetually fall in love with my life and my work over and over again. Even more importantly, I want to show my children the diversity of this beautiful world. 

Clients know that I fully embrace motherhood and family life. I also believe in our ability and duty to guide and raise children who view differences as opportunities to learn and grow. It’s really important to me as a mother to give my kids unique experiences with new cultures and in different parts of the world as they grow up. 

I’ve documented irreplaceable moments for families across the globe and have been able to share the world with my kids.

Inconveniences Don’t Stop Us 

Planning a family vacation in another country requires effort and research, especially when travelling with children. Sleep schedules are disrupted by red-eye international flights, delayed flights, missed connecting flights, and the responsibility of traveling to unfamiliar places with kids who depend on you for safety and comfort. 

We like to work remotely, settle in and stay at an Airbnb for a few weeks every year in order to appreciate a new culture and environment and challenge ourselves as humans of the world. The children are homeschooled during these adventures. Another life lesson for the kids: We maintain our responsibilities no matter where we are in the world. The children continue learning, usually by an independent study program while the adults work. This is also not without challenges, due to the time difference and often having to conduct meetings at night. We always build a routine and schedule that involves work + play. It usually means the kids are taking care of their responsibilities in the morning and we are exploring in the afternoon. 

All the stressors fade from the pure joy of experiencing new places. My children both held passports within the first month of their lives and I flew solo with my son on his first journey to Canada at just six weeks old. I’m not one to shy away from a little adventure. 

The list of unique challenges of travelling great distances with children is long, but so are the joys.

Photography Beyond Orange County 

While I’m based in Orange County, I work with a limited number of destination clients for my Newport Beach photography business. 

My concierge photography service is available not only to mothers and families in Southern California but also to adventurous, globe-trotting families worldwide who seek to preserve those beautiful, irreplaceable moments of family connection that are enhanced by travel and discovery. 

Newport Beach is a wonderful and stunning place to live and work, but the artist in me requires movement, novel experiences, and witnessing the subtle beauty of everyday moments around the globe. I have learned so much! 

Friends and family know that my knowledge extends far beyond this state and this country. They regularly reach out to me when they travel to a place they know I’ve been. For years I’ve been wanting to find a beautiful way to share my experiences and help other families plan their travel. This year I decided to launch this travel section of my blog to celebrate some exciting milestones that I will reveal in the coming weeks. 

Until then, come with me on this journey of reflection as I share travel tips, can’t-miss destinations, and lessons learned along the way from my favorite destinations over the last decade.

Life is remarkable; let’s capture beautiful memories!

The next stop on our journey: South Africa! 

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Reshma Sondagar is a photographer, designer and legacy preserver who helps create custom destination experiences for her clients. creating memories & handcrafted family keepsakes that evoke feelings of joy and nostalgia as I document authentic moments & connections while you experience a new part of the world, a new destination. 

As a mother of two young children, she knows how important it is that she provide her children with tangible memories to look back on of their travels. 

She is based in Southern California and travels to a handful of destination clients a year, including internationally. 
She would love to customize an experience for you and your family.