Family Photos: the Wolffs (Berkeley, California)

I met up with this lovely family in Berkeley, where all of us had a great time exploring the Botanical Gardens. There were so many great photos throughout this session, that it was hard to narrow down the choices for a blog post. Looking through them I am so drawn to the big smiles, laughter and sweet relationships between the family members. Enjoy!

Whenever possible, I always like to take time to get a few photos of just the parents. This relationship is so important to the entire family unit and I want to take time to appreciate their bond too!

Wedding Photos: Anastasia & Ben (San Francisco, California)

What a wedding! Anastasia and Ben chose San Francisco for their destination wedding (traveling all the way from Australia), telling me they had always wanted to visit this area. That is such a special way to see a city and celebrate such an important event at the same time. They chose San Francisco City Hall for their ceremony, which is an absolutely beautiful building, with a reception at the Marines Memorial Club. Everyone involved was so excited to celebrate the bride and groom on their wedding day and it was a pleasure to spend a day among such sweet people.

Ceremony venue: San Francisco City Hall
Reception: Marines’ Memorial Club
Flowers: Farmgirl Flowers

Family Photos: the Coates (Berkeley, California)

This is one just one great family and good friends to us. I got the chance to capture all of them together at the Tilden Botanical Gardens in Berkeley, California. Looking back through the photos, I couldn’t help but smile at some of the moments captured – these little glances and interactions add up to a lovely family relationship.

Family Photos: Thurnaus (Oakland, California)

While this family was back in town visiting, we set up a session for some family photos. The location request was for “something rustic” and when I brought up the horse arena in Joaquin Miller Park, it turned into the perfect location, because this little girl is currently SO EXCITED by horses.

Multi Generational Family Photos (Hayward, California)

This was a special shoot, with four generations gathering together to celebrate some milestones in the family. It was a rare opportunity for this much of the family to all be in one place, so I was asked to spend some time taking family photos. Along with the larger group photos, we took the opportunity to do smaller family portraits as well. As you can guess, the cousins ended up stealing the show and were having so much fun together.

Family Photos: the Groenenbergs (Seattle, Washington)

We had the opportunity to spend a bunch of time with dear friends of ours in the Seattle, Washington area. I brought along my camera gear, hoping to capture some updated images during our adventures. It definitely paid off, because we got photos in some really unique spots.

Maternity Photos: Melissa & Eric (Castro Valley, California)

At July 14, 2017
By faye
In Couples, Families, Maternity, Photography
1

For this maternity session, Melissa really wanted a spot near the water but that had lots of trees for variety. The levels of water at Lake Chabot were really high and we found some really cool spots where the staircases just ended in the water. It added a new and unique element to a spot I enjoy shooting at and made for some lovely photos. Their pup also joined us for some family photos.

Newborn Photos: Klay

At June 23, 2017
By faye
In Children, Families, Newborn, Photography
0

I got to meet this little guy one week after he was born, which was a real treat. It’s always special to capture the very early days of a new family. Congratulations on becoming parents and welcoming such a sweet little one into your family!

Maternity Photos: Turquoise & Brandon (Hayward, California)

It was so much fun to meet Turquoise and Brandon to celebrate their growing family! Our maternity session was on a lovely Saturday morning (we were lucky enough to avoid the rain) and they were so natural in front of the camera. The connection between these two is so evident in these photos, which makes me excited for their baby to be born into that love. Looking forward to meeting your little guy!

Wedding Day: Justina & Jamie (Castro Valley, CA)

It is always an honor to photograph a wedding day and even more so when it is my very own friends and family. For me, it’s also more personal (and probably more emotional) since I know more about the couple’s story and have seen them grow closer to one another. Meet Justina, one of my best friends from high school and her husband, Jamie. I was asked to spend the morning with the girls while they got ready and also photograph some traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies. Continue on for some beautiful and funny moments.

There were two dresses for the wedding day – the white dress for the ceremony later that day. Since it was such a perfect dress for Justina, I had to take the time to photograph it.
Castro Valley Wedding Photographer For the traditional Chinese ceremonies, the bride wears red and, in this case, chose to go with a modern and beautiful dress.
The groom and his friends showed up to take part in the traditional Fetching of the Bride. This is the first time I had heard of this tradition and witnessed it and it was so much fun! I couldn’t help but laugh as the guys did their best to win their way into the house. There were questions to answer, dancing to do, songs to sing, blind tasting and identification of food and lots of negotiating.
Of course Jamie and his fellas were talented, charming and ultimately won their way into the house. Then we all took off for the traditional Wedding Car Ride. (Everyone in this car was a major trooper too, because it required running out in the pouring rain!)
Then it was time for the Tea Ceremony. While working on the images, I was really struck by how much honor and importance is represented in this ceremony, but by how well it was balanced with such love, sweet moments and laughter. It really acknowledges the role elder family members have played, while also being a celebration of a new family forming through the bride and groom. And, since we had a smaller group for the morning events, I asked if we could do a quick shot with everyone – turns out they have a fun crew!I am so excited for this couple and the happiness they have found in one another. All my best wishes as you continue your journey together!