I recommend Nano Visser with 10,000 stars! She is truly wonderful to work with, and every single…read moreperson I've referred to her has been absolutely delighted with their photographs. Nano is a master of the "stealth engagement photo." I've sent several couples her way who wanted candid shots of their proposal, and she blends seamlessly into the environment, often looking like a tourist while quietly capturing the magic of the moment. The results are natural, intimate, and deeply authentic. She also recently took my new professional headshots. I normally hate having my photo taken, but Nano put me completely at ease. What could have felt awkward instead became relaxed and genuinely enjoyable, especially in the beautiful garden setting she chose. The photos feel like me but a more confident version of myself; I was surprised to see that poise shine through. Nano has an incredible eye, a calming presence, and a gift for capturing people at their best. I'm so grateful for her work.

If you want model-level photos that look like artwork, call Nano! She's our go-to photographer who…read moredocuments our family and professional milestones. It's not an event, if Nano isn't there to photograph it!

Kena is such a delight and her photos well exceeded our expectations…read more At first, my husband was ambivalent about having a professional photographer to shoot our 8 week old (fussy) infant. As soon as Kena walked in the door our baby was mesmerized. Kena is a mom and VERY good with babies. He was fascinated with Kena and her camera. The shoot went well. Kena brought loads of tasteful props like a cream hand knit cap (so cute), baskets and green woolly blankets. And she delivered the most amazing photos to us on DVD a week later. She really captured our son and the photos did not at all feel staged. There are so many good photos we ended up framing a bunch for our house, and passed out more as gifts for fathers day. What else can I say? Kena is lovely, brilliant and worth every penny.

Kena did our engagement shoot, and the photos we got were wonderful, lifetime keepers! I'm…read moredefinitely going to get some of her shots printed and sent to family. We did the shoot in various places around North beach (alleys, a bookstore, a pub and a park), which gave us a lot of variety in the photos. In all of the photos, we look like we're A) having a great time, and B) in love. Which is good, because that's the way we felt -- she captured what we felt like on the inside. Kena was easy to work with, friendly, and creative. She always had a plan for what to do next, but was also flexible enough to get great shots while we were goofing around doing our own thing. It's clear she puts a great deal of care into selecting and editing the photos -- you only get quality! Highly recommended!

I cannot say enough amazing things about Kristin and her creative work. I am a makeup artist and…read morehairstylist that has been lucky to work with her many times over the past ten + years. Initially it was a chance meeting to be booked on shoots she was photographing, but since then we have chosen to work together many times on creative projects. In addition to doing makeup on models that she photographs I have also been photographed by her, and they are my favorite images of me. There is something very magical in what she captures. I absolutely love collaborating with her. Kristin is professional, so extremely creative and an expert in her field. I can't wait till the next time we get to work together!

Kristin was amazing from the beginning of our conversations to the day of our City Hall wedding…read more She was very responsive, answered our questions and knew the flow of our event day. She made taking photos so easy with her and took the time to ensure we captured our day.

I owe Valentina an apology because this review is so long overdue. I contacted Valentina through a…read moremutual friend and was quoted a price. I didn't make it out to San Francisco at the time, so I ended up not reaching out Valentina until about a year later, August 2019. At that point, I knew that my past headshot HAD to be updated to something that was more reflective of what I was trying to accomplish in my work life. Valentina helped me by recommending a makeup artist and volunteered her studio as a place to get ready. She was patient and understanding while I brought my entire luggage of different clothes, gave me a lot of tips. If you get a chance to look at her portfolio, she captures the essence of a person in her photos. We tried so many different looks and different styles, it was great. She was funny, patient and really a sweet spirit. I've never met a photographer who I had such a great instant connection with. I felt completely comfortable in her studio. I ended up with a million different looks and chose not only a bunch of them but purchased additional ones because they made me look so good. Her talent shines through in the final product and what she was able to capture. Without her help, I don't think I would be able to upgrade my profile to the next stage. Many of my colleagues have commented on how beautiful the photos are. Thank you Valentina, you're an amazing photographer and I'm so sorry it's taken me forever to post this!

She is definitely the go to for classical singers for headshots in the Bay Area! I can immediately…read moretell if it's her work when I see singers' photos, yet still she manages to bring out what's unique and best in each person! She is also very friendly and positive to work with, gives good direction for newbies, and is very professional. Highly recommended!

We feel so lucky for finding Nicole to be our photographer for our wedding on 7.21.17 at Stern…read moreGrove. Things that we appreciated about her: 1. She was friendly, honest, organized, and efficient. She met with us at the venue and scoped out possible sites for us to take pictures. She also had us complete a list of what types of portraits we wanted on the day of the wedding to make sure that we were covered. Most importantly, she listened and always addressed our concerns in a timely manner. 2. She's not a cheesy photographer. We specifically chose her because she doesn't like to take overly staged pictures, instead, she captures moments at weddings and between couples. In our opinion, we think the photos turned out much more interesting that way. 3. She's extremely patient and diligent. We wanted a picture in front of our venue with all of our guests (~80) and she made that happen. She got everyone to line up and made sure almost everyone was looking at her camera in order to take the photo. 4. She sent us a 'thank you/pre wedding surprise' So sweet!!

It goes without saying that choosing all the right vendors to support you and your love on your…read morewedding day is paramount. From my experience, I have never experienced an emotional rollercoaster like any other than on our wedding day - so much excitement, anticipation, and joy! Even though I was on cloud nine, I was so emotionally wound-up that I didn't have the foresight in the moment to direct the photographers to take a photo, make a grouping, etc. I am so thankful we had Nicole and Stephen to support us on our wedding day because they took initiative, directed our large wedding party and even larger family groupings seamlessly, and captured the life and mood of each moment into every shot! My husband and I shopped around (price and personality) for a few weeks for a photographer. Thankfully, we were referred to 43rd Ave. and set up a meeting time at our venue. Through the development of our conversation, we were able to learn about their approach to photography. We both really appreciated that they met in photojournalism school. This conveyed to us that they not only had the passion and love for storytelling through pictures but also the skill :) Although Instagram makes it look easy to take beautiful pictures and add a filter, we wanted a photographer who could handle different lightings (inside and outside), a rowdy group (my family is Greek!), and varied angles and settings. Additionally, we loved their spirit and zest for finding the candid shots that really embodied each moment. We couldn't be happier with our decision to go with Nicole and Stephen! They were with us every step of the day (getting ready, ceremony, first time along after ceremony!, reception, cake, the whole shabang!), and we felt like we had friends by our side supporting us through it all. Such a blessing! Also, all of our pictures turned out amazing! When my family viewed the slideshow, my mom said every picture was her favorite shot! We have so many beautiful pictures of our family and friends showing their true colors laughing, smiling, joking, crying (beautiful too :) that may have been missed with another skilled photographer. Lastly, just as a cherry on top, Nicole goes above and beyond with her special personal touches! We received our CD (no watermarks!) with all of our edited photos in a beautiful box tied with string and a personal note enclosed. Additionally, they sent us our first Christmas ornament with a picture of us at our wedding! They are exceptional people and photographers! Thank you Nicole and Stephen! Looking forward to seeing your promising career develop!

Look no further than Susie for all of your photography needs. Susie shot our engagement and wedding…read morephotos and from day one it was clear she is a caring and thoughtful professional. Every shoot had us feeling comfortable as she's easy to work with, helping you feel your best as she captures your special moments. She goes above and beyond to guide you along the way from the introductory call to the big day - suffice to say my wife and I are amazed by the quality of the photos from our wedding. Thank you Susie for everything!!

Her photos are amazing, of course! I want to frame every single one…read more Susie was an amazing part of a wonderful day. She showed up early to our wedding location to scope out the area and get ideas. She helped coordinate our first look and made picture taking feel easy. She gave us tips on how to stand and where to look so that we never felt uncertain of what to do. I felt so comfortable with her snd had a fun time taking photos all afternoon. Above all, I was so touched by her thoughtfulness! I felt like she cared about our wedding day and our story just as much as we do. We received some "sneak peak" photos the day after via text and the final gallery about 1 month after the day. She was very communicative and answered any questions I had all throughout the process. Hoping to be able to take photos with Susie again, and will definitely be recommending her to anyone who asks!

Julie is an amazing photographer. I met her when I participated in iliveheresf.com, and then also…read morehired her as my wedding photographer. Julie has a way of making everyone incredibly comfortable around her. My hubby is not a fan of the camera and so I was a little worried. But Julie took us out for an engagement photo shoot and she joked around with him and was just so friendly and warm that I think all of hubby's fears and worries (and mine) just melted away. She was also instantly happy to take "non-traditional" photos. I didn't want a bunch of people smiling at the camera, but just wanted the fun and happiness to come through in the photos. I have to say that Julie's candid shots are her best, and she manages to catch that smile or giggle from the other side of the room. It's like she has the ability to capture someone's personality in a single frame. From start to finish, working with Julie is a wonder. While organizing a wedding, there are enough things that you have to worry about, the photographer shouldn't be one. And with Julie, it won't be. She is wonderful and goes above and beyond for you. You can tell that she really cares about not only her photos, but also about you. I would never for a second hesitate in hiring her again, or recommending her to anyone. But I think her photos say it best. Here are some photos from my wedding, taken by her. http://www.flickr.com/photos/marikofk/sets/72157627644514841/

Julie is so fiercely talented. Not only is she a dream to work with because of her lovely…read morepersonality, but she has an incredible eye. She captured so many perfect moments from our union at SF City Hall; The images blew our minds when we got them from her. She is so good at listening and capturing exactly what you want and ask for, and infusing it with her own immense talent and intuition. Hire her!

I found Sarah early in the wedding planning process, after searching for photos taken at Lake…read moreMerritt. I loved the idea of the lake as a backdrop for our couples portraits, but I felt like it would be best to find a photographer who was already familiar with its various features and angles. When I found Sarah's portfolio I was delighted and immediately knew I wanted to work with her. This was a fantastic decision and I would unequivocally recommend her as a wedding photographer. We spent 12+ hours together over the course of pre-wedding couple portraits, rehearsal picnic, and the day-of. I didn't think ahead of time about how much time that is to spend with a stranger, but after a very short time she didn't feel like one. She's warm, cheerful and professional. She gave excellent direction, while still working to keep shots very natural, and very willing to take our input throughout the process. She was easy to communicate with by phone and email, her business info was well organized and it was easy to handle contracts, etc. I found her prices to be very reasonable for the quality of service and product, and I really loved the photo book she put together at the end of the process.

Seriously the greatest photographer you can have on your side for your engagement photos and…read morewedding photos. Sarah herself is such a genuinely kind and amazing person, truly an expert in her work. She made us feel so incredibly comfortable during our photoshoots, and we truly enjoyed her. Of course, her work itself is simply incredible. Whenever we saw her finished shots of us, we were so blown away. Many times we were like, "OMG is that us?!" Or, "WOW, that doesn't even LOOK like the same place we were at." Sarah has this ability to make her subjects and backgrounds look epic or incredible, or basically all the amazing adjectives you can think of to describe a photo. I have received numerous compliments from friends and coworkers saying how impressed and how much they loved how all our photos came out. Props to her associate photographer, Doreen, as well. She photographed our wedding day alongside Sarah, and she was also such a delight to work with and to have by our side. So much talent in Sarah and Doreen. A HUGE thank you for everything. You won't regret booking Sarah.