Anna Wu Photography » lifestyle

Gardner Family | Oakland Family Portraits

Anna — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:54:52 +0000

It’s been such a pleasure to photograph the Gardners year after year and watch their family grow. Sadly, they are moving down to Southern California this month, and they will be sorely missed up here in the Bay Area! But I fully plan to visit them down in Ojai to continue the annual tradition, as long as they don’t get sick of me. =)

We kick it off with Isla the explorer. Isla is the best little girl ever. She loves zombies and Star Wars more than any other little girl in the world, she says outrageously awesome things all the time, and Aaron documents it all (along with writing awesome poems and other things) on his blog, which you should definitely read.

Classic Isla. The family was all posed for a portrait atop the Fairyland Hotel, but she was still having a lot of fun in jail.

Meet Miles! He has grown so much since I first met him for his newborn portraits.

Isla has her princess wave down pat.

Baby blues.

Love these precious moments. Telling daddy about how scary the wolf was, and getting a reassuring hug after going down the giant dragon slide!

Finally, a couple little Hallmark moments for posterity!

Joy & Tim | San Francisco Maternity Photography

Anna — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:44:36 +0000

Joy and Timmy are expecting!

Despite forecasts of rain, we lucked out on some gorgeous sunlight instead. It took a little bit of convincing for me to assure Tim that we weren’t going to create super awkward maternity photos (because yes, there are so many super awkward maternity photos out there in the world). But he was a good sport, and, well, I’ll let you judge for yourselves, but I think these turned out amazingly. I might just stick around this maternity photography business for a while. =)

I love Joy’s baby bump. Eight months!

So sweet.

Congratulations Joy & Tim! Can’t wait to meet the little one!

Hewett Family | Livermore Family Portraits

Anna — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:32:38 +0000

I will never forget when at the end of this session, Kristen turned to me and said, “Anna, thank you so much for taking the time to make our family feel special for a day.”

It’s an absolute privilege for me to build relationships with my clients and to keep in touch with them even beyond their wedding day. You may remember Kristen and Ryan from their beautiful backyard wedding in Sunol last summer. I was very excited to see them again with Kristen’s family for a family portrait session at her parents’ house.

At the end of the day, with all of the ups and downs that life hands us, isn’t it really all we can do to take a moment to celebrate joy, love, life, and make someone else feel special?

Enjoy!

Four generations of beautiful women.

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Play On, Philly

Anna — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:07:26 +0000

My good friend Talya is working with an amazing after school music program called Play On, Philly. While I was visiting Philadelphia last month, famed vocalist Bobby McFerrin also happened to be doing a guest appearance at the program. It was a perfect opportunity for me to grab some photos for them and capture the excitement and the kids in action.

Stan Thompson leads the program and conducts the symphony orchestra.

Students and teachers alike had a great time exercising their improv skills with Bobby McFerrin.

Thanks to Talya and Stan for hosting me in Philly! Talya is actually en route to San Francisco for a little California visit at this very moment, so I am sure you will all be seeing more of her soon!

The Imperfect Ones

Anna — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:44:22 +0000

Pristine, perfect, posed photos are nice. But to me, the imperfect ones are the real gems. I want to trap the sneaky little moments that fly by, because they are the split seconds that reveal our true spirits and remind us to celebrate life as it is, not just as we stage it to be.

Above, one frame from my annual portrait session with the Gardner family. We had a lot of fun running around Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, or rather, following Isla as she ran around Children’s Fairyland. And while mom, dad, and Miles were ready and posed for their family portrait up on the balcony, Isla was still perfectly happy playing in jail. Rather than wait for her to join the pose, I seized the opportunity to snap away.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the happy smiley family formals we got too. But this little moment here is just so them. Priceless.

Best of 2011: Engagements & Couples

Anna — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:53:43 +0000

2011 was filled with the most amazing couples. I got to shoot engagement sessions in New York, Atlanta, Seattle, and of course all over the Bay Area. I photographed a surprise proposal on the beach, a really disgusting (or is it cute?) gum wall, and even a baby pig! You can see it all for yourself below. Thank you to all the couples who made this such a fantastic year!

Sun & Elliot at Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California

Theresa & Rob at Muir Woods, Marin County, California

Debby & Justin in the Mission District, San Francisco, California

Jenny & Kevin’s Anniversary Shoot in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California

Connie & Tony’s Engagement Session in downtown Los Angeles, California

Magali & Sam’s Engagement Session in San Francisco, California

Silvia & James’ Engagement Session at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California

Shelly & Mark’s Surprise Proposal at China Beach, San Francisco, California, and their Engagement Session at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

Evelia & Joseph’s Engagement Session at the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Raquel & Andy’s Engagement Session at Lullwater Park, Atlanta, Georgia

Mega & Jason’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Catherine & Joe’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Janey & Lee’s Engagement Session on Treasure Island, California

Kristen & Ryan’s Engagement Session in Sunol, California

Cat & Dan’s Engagement Session in Buffalo, New York

Nina & Fernando’s Engagement Session in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

Cami & Eric’s Engagement Session at Pike Place, Seattle, Washington

Anny & John’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Inspiration | Shoot What You Love

Anna — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:30:31 +0000

Have you ever felt so passionate about something it makes your heart beat a little faster, turns interest into obsession? Have you ever been so excited to work on a project, it just feels like something deep within your soul is wanting to leap right out of you? If you’re a photographer, an artist, anyone who creates anything, chances are, you probably have. You may have since forgotten, but it’s what brought you to your craft to begin with. All too often, after that initial excitement of finding what we love, we start noticing the compliments we get, those paychecks we manage to receive, and we wander off. We start paying more attention to the whims of others than to that little heartbeat inside that drove us to create in the first place.

To all of us collectively, I say come back. Take some time and simply create something that is just for you. What is it that only you can create? What is it that you have always wanted to create? What would you absolutely put everything else aside to do?

Do it.

Personal projects are not just luxuries. They are your core, your heart. They allow you to discover and celebrate who you are. They feed your creative soul. One heartfelt personal project will give you more energy than five hundred well-executed but not very interesting gigs. Find what compels you. Shoot what you love.

I am so excited to share with you this sneak peek from a session today. This is my passion project right now: a personal endeavor photographing ballerinas. I am falling in love with photography all over again. I could not ask for anything more as we wrap up the year. And it makes me so excited to see what 2012 will bring.

Ballet dancer: Sharon Kung
Makeup: Pretty by Julianne
Assistant: Jonathan Lee

Little Sarah | San Gabriel Family Portraits

Anna — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:31:07 +0000

She might not be able to walk without wobbling all over the place, but she’s smart as a whip! Little Sarah reads entire books and answers all sorts of questions, from “what sound does a monkey make?” to “who is the president?” (both answers are really adorable, by the way).

It was a sunny Monday afternoon when we all met up in Lacy Park, San Marino, for a family session with the Espinosas. We kick it off with the whole fam! Joseph, Sarah, and Marilyn. Plus, another little one on the way!

Fun fact: Marilyn and Jenny (of Kevin and Jenny) are twin sisters!

A kiss for mommy!

Dimple power!

Precious!

Jenny & Kevin | Little Tokyo | Los Angeles Anniversary Shoot

Anna — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:50:11 +0000

This is an anniversary shoot. It’s also a story of love and family and Thanksgiving.

It was just over a year ago that we were all gathered in Southern California for Jenny and Kevin’s beautiful wedding. I was their official photographer, and we were also there with our brand new videography company Seaglass Cinema, which Kevin and I had co-founded.

We had already been friends before their wedding, but in the months since, we have all become closer than ever. Even though we live on different ends of California, I’ve seen Kevin just about every other week this year, and I’ve come to regard Jenny & Kevin’s place as a second home. In fact, as I am sitting on Jenny and Kevin’s couch right now on Thanksgiving Day, it’s no understatement to say we’ve become family in many ways– just one of the many things that I’m incredibly thankful for this Thanksgiving.

The anniversary shoot was initially Jenny’s idea as a followup to their engagement session and their wedding photographs, and I immediately jumped on it. I love absolutely everything about the anniversary shoot idea. It’s a celebration of love and life and a reminder that yes, weddings are fantastic (and I love them too), but they are only the beginning. The years that come afterward are just as important and worthy of celebration (if not more!).

So on a lovely fall weekend, we dressed up Jenny and Kevin and headed to Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, to kick off our new anniversary shoot tradition.

I should mention that being close friends with your photographer has its perks. Our other friend Jon and I spent the week leading up to the shoot playing stylists and shopping for a variety of outfits for Jenny and Kevin. Jon actually bought Kev a whole new wardrobe, not just for the shoot. Jon helped out for the actual shoot too, driving us around and playing assistant. I’d like to think our styling efforts paid off!

We pulled off some quiet moments in the Far Bar alley tucked between two buildings.

Love the soft sun flare and long shadows stretching across the frame. And Jenny’s pristine white TOMS complete her second outfit.

More fun with shadows.

Jon drove us to his favorite ivy wall and to a bridge underpass.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Technical note: half these images were shot on digitally and processed with VSCO Film (and other tweaks). The other half were shot on a 35mm film on Fuji 400H and processed by Richard Photo Lab. Can you tell the difference? Probably not! (Success!)

Baby Miles | Richmond | Bay Area Family Photography

Anna — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:42:07 +0000

It has been an absolute privilege to watch this family grow over the last couple years. I’ve known Aaron since we were partner teachers in 2008, and I’ve photographed his daughter Isla twice before. This time I came back to meet the newest member of the family, baby Miles!

Precious.

Even more precious. My favorite.

Isla, can you curl up like Miles too?

Baby yawns are so stinkin cute! And if you’re wondering why Miles’ tongue is black, it’s because of a homeopathic remedy that’s supposed to help with spitup. I think the verdict is still out on it.

Teeny tiny Miles was working really hard to hold his head up!

Of course, Isla is still a little diva.

Oh, and here are some more of the motley crew of Gardner family characters!

Not exactly the standard family portrait, but I think it sums it up nicely. =)

Congratulations Aaron & Tegan on your growing family! I still have a whole bunch more images of Isla at the park… but we’ll have to wait until I get around to developing that film. Something to look forward to!