I always volunteer to take photos at any gathering since I am utterly self-conscious in front of a…read morecamera. When I needed photos for a professional publication, the reviews, photos and ease of booking led me to Matt's site. I didn't expect to enjoy a photo shoot as much as I did. Even while taking numerous shots, Matt made intelligent small talk to get me at ease, talking about everything from the content of the book the photo was going in, to favorite TV shows. He gave gentle direction on posing to ensure a variety of shots without making me self-conscious at all. Looking at the photos from the shoot, I'm amazed how quickly they shifted from my stiff uncomfortable pose to a warm, relaxed portrait and even genuinely laughing pictures. I also want to appreciate Matt's technical ability. The studio is small, but well designed. Without going outside, we ended up with two color backgrounds as well as a "nature" shot with a bokeh effect of the beautiful greenery visible from his windows. Matt's skill at lighting and then photoshop resulted in photos in which my brown skin glowed. Touchups (like my chapped lips and other elements) were dome masterfully. He even removed green glare from my glasses lens in a way that preserved the full detail of my eyes. I've seen other photographers smooth out an unwanted pimple for instance, but leave behind a discernible blurring. Not Matt - he somehow managed to remove spots while retaining full texture of the skin beneath! I know where to go for any needed photos in the future.

Matt took the time to look me up before we met to get a sense of what I did for work and what types…read moreof photographs I would need. He gave good suggestions during the shoot to improve the shots and was generous with his time. Parking was easy and it was easy to get into the building on the day of my shoot. He confirmed the week of for the location. Thanks Matt! Glad I get to show off my new professional headshots!

When I looked into Bay Area photographers for a fun and relatively informal photo session with my…read moresignificant other, I found no shortage of options, but one website and portfolio truly stood out -- Nightingale Photography. I knew from the moment I saw her work that Christina was going to be the right choice, and she did not disappoint. Tons of positives: - she was easy to communicate and plan with, even when I wanted to switch one of my locations the week of the shoot - she made us both feel comfortable in front of the camera, which is no small task - she was flexible with my ideas, but also brought her own to the table - photos were back even sooner than I'd expected, and were of the quality I'd seen on her website But I think what I liked best was Christina herself. She was extremely pleasant to work with, and treated my casual event with the same professionalism and respect that she would a wedding. She had very positive presence and brought a really good energy and enthusiasm to the shoot. She was a lot of fun and brought out the best in my partner and me. I'm so glad I selected Christina and Nightingale Photography, and she would absolutely be my first choice if I were to need a photographer again. Thank you!

Truly the best of the best! Not only did the photos come out absolutely stunning and perfect (and…read moreI'm a tough critic) but during the photo shoot, Christina was SO lovely. We had our two little daughters and she made them feel so comfy and they were laughing a ton. It was quick and painless and could not recommended enough.

I had such a great experience shooting modeling digitals with Mike. This was my first time doing…read moreprofessional digitals, and he created such a calm, supportive, and encouraging environment from start to finish. He gave clear direction while still allowing me to feel natural and confident in front of the camera. The turnaround time was incredibly fast, and the photos were exactly what agencies look for -- clean, natural, and high-quality. He also went above and beyond by sharing reputable agency recommendations in the Bay Area, which I really appreciated as someone stepping more seriously into modeling. If you're looking for professional, straightforward digitals in the Bay Area, I highly recommend Mike McGee Photography. I'm so grateful for the experience!

I wanted to commemorate a milestone moment with a nice set of photos to remember. I had never done…read morea photoshoot like this and was very nervous going into it, but Mike made it a great experience from the moment I arrived. He was very receptive and collaborative when I showed the reference photos I liked. He made shooting easy with clear direction and positive energy, even when I was a bit unsure myself. The final results went beyond my expectations. He took great photos and made them look even better with some light editing. I had a great experience all around and highly recommend Mike to anyone looking to do a photoshoot.

We cannot recommend Constance enough! After our original photographer did a complete no call, no…read moreshow for our newborn son's photo shoot, we were stressed, disappointed, and worried we'd miss those precious early moments. She truly came to the rescue. Not only did she respond quickly, but she was able to fit us into her schedule within just a few days. From the moment she arrived, she was professional, calm, and incredibly patient with our newborn. She handled our son with such care and made the entire experience feel relaxed and enjoyable during what can be a very overwhelming time for new parents. The photos turned out absolutely stunning -- more beautiful than we could have imagined. She captured the sweetest little details and moments that we will treasure forever. Her talent, kindness, and willingness to step in last-minute meant so much to our family. If you're looking for someone reliable, compassionate, and exceptionally talented, look no further. We are beyond grateful for her and would book her again in a heartbeat!

Constance approached me in Rockridge when I was super pregnant at the end of October - she shared…read moreher business card, and I checked out her website. Really liking her style of photography, we scheduled a newborn photo session with Constance at the end of November with our two week old son. Constance was incredibly responsive and professional. Not only that, she is a baby photo whisperer - she had a bunch of helpful suggestions to help our time together go smoothly. She brought a whole bag of adorable outfits and props, and she was happy to let us choose some of our own outfits, too. For this session we decided to stay home and take photos around our house and yard, and they turned out beautifully. We are so pleased with these special keepsakes! Constance also made it easy to review the raw photo collection after the shoot, choose the ones we wanted, and deliver the final files all online. She also offers large size prints! In the future I'd love to do an on-location shoot with our son in the redwoods of Oakland. I already have ideas :) Thank you, Constance!

My wife and I got married this past December, and we couldn't be happier with our wedding…read morephotographer, Jennifer Michelson / A Girl and a Camera. I actually found Jennifer after searching online for photographers in San Francisco and her work immediately stood out. Her style felt fresh and unconventional -- more documentary and journalistic than traditional -- and I especially loved her use of black and white photography, which was a big reason we chose her. The day started at our hotel, where she jumped between our separate rooms to capture my wife and me getting ready. Before she had even gotten to our rooms, she had already scouted the perfect location for our first look. The moment was absolutely incredible, and she handled everything; we didn't have to do a thing but follow her lead. That professional confidence continued at City Hall. She has a masterful familiarity with the building. She took full control of the shoot, guiding us as she told us exactly where to stand, how to pose, and where to move next so we could just relax and enjoy the moment. As a photographer myself, I really appreciated her confidence and professionalism. All we had to do was follow instructions and be present. She knows San Francisco City Hall inside and out -- the lighting, the angles, the timing, and the key locations that truly matter -- every shot felt deliberate and it showed. The technical skill here is top-notch-- the compositions were beautiful, the balance of each frame was spot-on, and her gorgeous color grading. We received around 300 images, and the quality is so consistent that I plan to print every last one of them in large format to ensure we have a permanent physical archive. When we received the final package, we were so touched -- she sent our photos on a beautiful USB drive along with printed images, some sweets, and other thoughtful details. It was the perfect finishing touch to a genuinely wonderful experience. If you're getting married at City Hall -- or anywhere in San Francisco -- Jennifer Michelson / A Girl and a Camera is exceptional. Thank you Jennifer! Laura and Junior.

We couldn't be happier with the photos from our wedding day and A Girl and A Camera Photography!…read moreFrom start to finish, Jennifer and her team were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were professional, attentive, and so easy to have around on such an important day. What we absolutely loved was Jennifer's eye for the little moments. Beyond the portraits and formal shots, she captured the quiet glances, the spontaneous laughter, and all the small details that made our wedding day feel like ours. We can't recommend Jennifer highly enough!

Simone was our wedding photographer at San Francisco City Hall. We absolutely adored sharing our…read moreday with her and ultimately how our photos turned out. Leading up to our wedding day she was very communicative and laid out a clear plan of when we would meet at City Hall, as well as where we would take our photos around the city. She was open to our ideas and flexible in building the optimal photo shoot for the time we had. On the day of the wedding everything went smoothly. Simone was great with us as well as our friends and family, corralling us and ensuring that she captured emotional and authentic moments. On a side note, because she is so familiar with city hall she was able to give us tips of what to request for our ceremony and get the most out of our time in the government building. We had so much fun on our shoot around the city with Simone! Other reviewers have mentioned it, but her general demeanor and laughter is contagious and she kept our energy levels up with her good energy. She made us feel so special and comfortable which led to beautiful, emotional photos. Simone delivered the photos in a timely manner and gave full access to download our photos on our hard drive. We are still enjoying the process of reviewing our photos for an album because there are so many photos to choose from and remembering our special day. To sum up, we whole-heartedly recommend Simone as THE photographer to capture your special life events.

This review is 1+year overdue, Simone is INCREDIBLE!! She photographed our wedding and engagement…read morephotos. She is not only incredibly talented, organized, and punctual, she brought such joy to our experience that our family and friends still talk about how amazing she was to work with!! I found her online when venue searching, I kept finding venue photos that were just stunning and it tuned out the photos were taken by her! We reached out and she was incredibly responsive, her portfolio is amazing, and so so easy to work with. Her timeline was on point, she took charge of getting people where they needed to be, and the photos are stunning. Truly could not recommend her more!!!

Amanda and her team were amazing and so personable from the beginning! Amanda took into…read moreconsideration little details and made us feel at ease during our tele-meetings and the day of our wedding. She was seriously hustling on our wedding day and was able to accommodate us with slight changes. We would 100% work with her again and would recommend her to anyone in need of a photographer!

We had the absolute best experience with our wedding photographer! From the very beginning, she…read morebrought such a warm, positive energy that instantly put us at ease. On a day that can feel a little overwhelming, she somehow managed to keep everything fun, relaxed, and running smoothly. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she also has an amazing eye for capturing those genuine, candid moments that make the day so special. She didn't just take photos--she told the story of our wedding in the most beautiful, authentic way. Looking through our pictures feels like reliving the entire day all over again. She was also so easy to work with--responsive, organized, and genuinely invested in making sure everything turned out exactly how we hoped. Our family and friends even commented on how great she was to be around! If you're looking for someone who is professional, creative, and brings the best energy to your big day, I truly cannot recommend her enough. We're so grateful we chose her!

We did a photo shoot with Heather 4 years ago for our son. We loved our prior experience and chose…read moreher for a new born photo shoot for our new born daughter too and I couldn't be happier with the experience! From the moment we arrived, she made us feel completely comfortable and at ease. Heather was incredibly patient, gentle, and so skilled at handling our baby--which made a huge difference for us as new parents. Her studio was warm, calm, and perfectly set up for newborns, with thoughtful props and beautiful backdrops. She has a true eye for detail and captured the sweetest little expressions and moments that we'll treasure forever. What impressed me most was how professional yet personable she was--taking the time to work around our baby's needs while still creating stunning, high-quality photos. The final images are absolutely breathtaking, and I know we'll cherish them for a lifetime. If you're looking for someone talented, caring, and professional to capture your newborn's earliest days, I highly recommend Heather!

I can't say enough about how incredible Heather is to work with, and how beautiful the results are…read more She was incredibly patient with our newborn, and took so much time and care during the session to create a welcoming environment for the baby and her brother. She worked very closely with us in selecting a flattering color palette and introducing textures that would suit the baby. Her style is very gentle and easygoing; she spends the time to really get to know a family and pays attention to all the details that go into a shoot. When the photos came out, we were truly blown away--they were all so tender and stunning, showcasing not just the miracle of birth, but all the familial love and tenderness. I cannot stop looking at them! We were so delighted that we opted for an album keepsake. I was impressed with how much care and time Heather took making every page perfect, and how she collaborated so well with us. My son is an amateur artist, and she welcomed and integrated all his inputs and built on top of them to create something we will treasure for many years. I wholeheartedly recommend Heather to any family--she is a true artist, and we will definitely be returning to capture more precious moments!

Eva has taken our daughter's newborn and 6 month photos so far and we have been very happy with…read moreboth sessions. Her ability to work with babies and capture such beautiful moments made the sessions worth every penny. The environment is relaxed and she has stations ready for different props, ready to capture any moment. She helped not just the baby feel relaxed, but myself as well at times. Lol If you're looking for a professional photographer, give her a call.

Just got my pictures back from my daughter's first birthday photos - LOVE!…read moreEva was so sweet and easy to work with. Her studio was easy to find with free and close parking - a must with littles! She had a changing table and everything someone might need. The outfits she has available were so cute and hard to narrow down to just a few. My daughter had fun and it shows in the pictures. Would definitely recommend Eva Photography!

Sandy is truly one of the most skilled newborn/family photographers in the bay area! I was lucky to…read morefind Sandy 4 years ago with my first born and the newborn photos ended up being incredible! It was an easy decision to go back to her with our second baby. Here are some of the ways that Sandy truly stood out: - Both our babies were born around Christmas holiday and scheduling was not an issue at all for Sandy. She checked in ahead of the appointment to ensure we didn't need to reschedule (much needed for parents that just gave birth recently) and had our themes ready prior to us arriving. - The themes were 10/10, better than what we could've envisioned ourselves. And our themes were generic such as lemon or Christmas. - The amount of patience Sandy has is seriously amazing! Our second baby was a bit harder to photograph compared to the first, in addition to a toddler who wasn't in the mood for pictures, and it didn't phase Sandy at all. She took her time to make sure she was able to capture each theme well and had tips up her sleeve to get the toddler to take some pictures. I highly recommend going with Sandy if you're considering photo sessions! She goes above and beyond to ensure all the special moments are captured and the pictures are so incredibly worth it.

I'm truly delighted to share my experience working with Sandy! Her communication was wonderful from…read morethe very beginning, from arranging the appointment and customizing the scene setup to sending the photos. Everything went so smoothly. I am really impressed by her talent with infants and children; she was fantastic with my newborn and my 2-year-old. Her ability to craft stunning scenes is also incredible. And when it comes to her photography and editing skills, they are truly outstanding--just look at the edited photos, they're absolutely stunning! You won't be disappointed with Clairbare Studios and Sandy's gift for capturing beautiful, lasting memories of your little ones.