This was such an incredible surprise proposal. Vijay crafted such an intricate plan, completely thoughtful and intimate down to the last detail. It was not a big public display or self indulgent in the least. It was all for Anika. It was all about Anika. While Anika went to work, Vijay prepared everything in her…
This is an engagement I’ve been looking forward to for a while now. You may remember my friends Sun and Elliot from their portrait session a year ago, before they were engaged, just as they were about to embark on a year of long distance across San Francisco and Vietnam. Well, they made it through…
She is a pharmacist by trade, but she doubles as a clarinetist in her free time. I met with Elisa one Sunday for a quick headshot session outside the Dean Lesher Theater in Walnut Creek. I love the mix of looks we got! Some of my favorites are below.
A surprise engagement session! Erin and Jack were so great to work with. They were visiting San Francisco from Seattle, and Erin planned the whole shoot as a surprise to Jack for his birthday weekend. We started by the California Academy of Sciences and wandered through Golden Gate Park to the San Francisco Conservatory of…
My friend Talya is an incredibly talented opera singer. She also happens to be gorgeous. She’s one of my long time fans and has made frequent appearances on this blog. This time, I told her if she flew out to California, she had a portrait session waiting for her over here. She got a little…
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…
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…
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…
Christine has a cheerful demeanor, an easy smile that breaks across her face and leaves an endearing little dimple on her left cheek. Scott is sharp-witted, a quiet observer, but always willing to indulge and humor those around him. They’ve been inseparable for years, and it’s fun to watch how they support one another. It was…
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…
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….
2011 was the year I really delved back in to film. Yes. Real, tangible, old-school film. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done for my photography. I rented the beautiful Contax 645, purchased my own Canon EOS3, and blogged all my adventures and experiments along the way, from comparing film vs. digital to comparing photo labs. My…