Photographer for Family Portraits
Berkeley Parents Network >
Reviews >
Services & Businesses >
Photographer for Family Portraits
|
Reviews of Photographers
|
Related Pages
|
Jan 2011
Hi BPN -
I'm looking for a photographer that isn't too expensive and
can produce really good photos. I need photos of my
daughter & I as I don't have any of us together. My budget
is limited so I don't know if that will be a problem in
finding a decent photographer.
thanks,
Lindsay
I have previously recommended Mark Joseph Studio on BPN. I
am extremely happy with the photos he took of my family.
You can contact him via his website
http://www.markjosephstudio.com. Verna
We just got a photo shoot from Sara Hougan and she is
awesome. She has a website http://sarahougan.smugmug.com/
where you can look at her work and know for yourself. She is
not expensive and does a great job. anon
Dec 2010
Hello All,
My Mother is coming to town for the holidays and I would
love to get some nice candid but professional shots of her
with the kids...ya know, nothing staged but warm and
life-like. or in-the-day-of (if you will)
Who's currently out there, can work with short notice? good
with kids (I have 3 .. toddler, 2nd grader, pretween)
Thank You, Karen
Shoey Sindel in Berkeley does wonderful candids of kids.
www.shoeysindel.com She has examples (maybe not exactly
candid) on her website. She is very warm and a pleasure to
work with.
Francesca
Hi, What a great idea to have professional photos taken with
your mom and the kids. Your mom will love it. I recently had
a photographer, named Kelli Yon, take portraits of my family
together. Both my husband and I are artists so translate
that to mean that we have pretty high standards of wanting
interesting composition, color, and naturalism in photos.
We're not into the Sears portrait studio aesthetic at all.
And, we're really not bad at taking our own portraits of our
beautiful son -- however it is next to impossible to take
that kind of shot by ourselves with all three of us in the
frame! Timers don't cut it. So, we got a bead on Kelli from
some friends and she came to our house (though she was
willing to go pretty much wherever we wanted in the Bay
Area). She took photos of us for an hour and we ended up
with beautifully lit and interestingly composed images which
we felt really captured the essence of our close family
dynamic. Kelli was low key, friendly and so great with our
son (she is a mom of two young children), and she had a way
to draw out both his silly and his serious sides. She took
an absolutely stunning image of him, reading with a stack of
books near him, that I treasure. And also a very funny,
poignant image of his knobby knees! But, truthfully, her
skill came out when both my husband and I were in the frames
together with our son. See, although we're OK looking -- he
ALWAYS closes his eyes and I inevitably have weird
expressions on my face in photos, so we're not easy. But
Kelli captured images of all three of us together looking
relaxed, natural, and engaging with each other (ok she took
A LOT of photos but persisted until there were several
amazing ones)-- and everyone looked great! For the shoot, we
read together, baked some cookies, and played piano all the
while chatting with Kelli. She made you almost forget there
was a camera in hand. Now, I have stunning photos that will
definitely be great Christmas presents for the Grandmothers!
And, I am happy to have a family portrait for ourselves.
Now, I am thinking of giving a portrait session with Kelli
to some friends of mine who have are due to have a new baby.
Check out her portfolio: freelance.kelli.yon.com Tis the
Season. Hopefully she is available for you.
carol
What a great idea to do candid pictures for a gift. They
tell a much bigger story than those perfect studio
portraits... I highly recommend Heidi Ezial. Her images
really capture the magic of a close relationship between
mother (or grandmother!) and child. Not only is her work
timeless, but she's so warm & intuitive that it's easy for
subjects of all ages to be at their best.
Here's her link:
www.heidiezialphotography.com
Good luck and Happy Holidays!
JoAnne, a Maxwell Park mom
I recommend Lori Fuller. You can look at her website:
http://lorifullerphotography.smugmug.com/ to see samples of
her work. She takes excellent, natural, 'un-posed' shots,
and has a knack with kids. Colleen
Shoey Sindel is a great photographer in Berkeley. She's done
headshots for me and my partner, and her candid photography
is beautiful. Shoey just seems to be able to capture those
unique moments that tell a story and show the personality of
everyone in the picture.
See her website - http://shoeysindel.com - for some examples
of her photography. You can contact Shoey at
'photos@shoeysindel.com' or phone 510.917.0659.
I'm a very happy customer!
David
We used Auey Santos, http://www.aueysantos.com/ and she is
fabulous with kids and adults (she has 2 young kids of her
own). She is based in Oakland but will go anywhere. Give her
a call, (510) 6762725. I don't know her schedule the next
few weeks but call and ask or send via her website. I can't
recommend her highly enough Wendy
I would like to recommend Mark Joseph Studio. Mark recently
took photos of my family (Mom, Dad & 2 year old) at our
home. He did a fantastic job capturing the nature energy of
our family with a very active 2yr old. You can contact him
via his website http://www.markjosephstudio.com. Verna
I would highly recommend Kim Larson. She is great, listens
to what you want and VERY talented. We have used her for
several BIG 'kodak moments' and are always so pleased with
the outcome. Her prices are very reasonable as well.
KIm Larson Photographer
PH#510-610-9384
(email/website)
photos@klarsonphotos.com
BD
Oct 2010
I'd like to have some holiday photos taken of my family
which includes 2 little kids. Does anyone have a local
photographer to recommend? Thanks!
I recommend Shoey Sindel Photographer. She's an excellent
photographer and a pleasure to be with. I've hired her to
take photos of me and my family, and I've been very happy
with her work. Her contact info is: Shoey Sindel
Photography, 510-917-0659 Find her website at Shoey Sindel
Photography. JoAnne
We recently had our family photographed by Madeleine Tilin.
She has a photo journalistic style that captures the essence
of her subjects and my husband and I were both amazed by the
outcome. Her work is really beautiful and she is fun and
easy to work with. I highly recommend that you check her
out.
Here is her contact info:
Madeleine Tilin Photography
mtilin@mac.com
510-435-3832
www.madeleinetilin.com
www.madeleinetilin.blogspot.com
www.madeleinetilinphoto.smugmug.com
Laura
I recently used Madeleine Tilin for some professional head
shots and got to know her style and personality easily in
the short 30 minutes we spent taking the photos. She is
amazing! She chose gorgeous backgrounds for the shots and
kept me laughing and at ease with the entire process - I was
thrilled with the results! I've since seen numerous photos
she had taken of kids and families and immediately hired her
for our holiday family photo shoot and can't wait to see the
results. Please contact her at: 51.435.3832 or
mtilin@mac.com and check out her website:
http://madeleinetilin.com/ to see her beautiful work - she
does weddings too. Best of luck! Rebecca
I highly recommend Shannon McIntyre:
http://www.smcintyre.com/#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=1&p=2&a=0&at=0
She is in my mom's group and did a couple of photo shoots
while she was building her portfolio for kid work. Her stuff
was so good I bought prints for us and our entire extended
family.
She has a wonderful knack for catching the spirit of
playfulness and joy that is in children. None of my
snapshots even come close to bringing out my son's
personality.
Sarah
Hi, you should definitely hire Priscila at Primagine
Photography. She's a local photographer and not only she
takes some amazing pictures, she can also make very creative
greeting cards. I had an idea of I wanted for my greeting
card last year, but I had no idea how to make it happen. She
did it for me and our card was the talk of the season
between my friends and family. I'm using her again this year
for sure! Check out her website:
www.primaginephotography.com. She's great and very
affordable! Amanda
Hi,
You didn't mention where you live, but I have 2 fantastic
recommendations for photographers. Both are in Oakland. I
have personal experience with both women, who have each
taken *great* photos of my 2 year old son.
Shannon McIntyre is a professional photographer with many
years of experience. She has shot for multiple publications,
has done advertising, editorial and catalog gigs but is
focusing on families and children lately, as she has a young
daughter herself. Please check out
http://shannonmcintyre.printroom.com.
Fairlight deMichelle has an art degree from Santa Cruz, and
has a great eye behind the lens. She recently launched her
website and photography business, and has a bright future
ahead of her. She's also lots of fun to work with and is a
Mama, too. Please check out
http://www.fairlightfoto.com/fairlightfoto.com/Home.html
(Proud Mama bragging rights: my son is on her front page)
I think either woman would be great for your holiday photo.
The tough part will be which one to choose!
Caryn
I'd like to recommend Jennifer Graham photography
(http://www.jgrahamphoto.com/) for your family photos. In
the spirit of full disclosure, Jen is a friend, but also a
very professional and excellent photographer who runs her
own studio and business. She has taken some great shots of
our family, and I know many others who have used her
services for great results. Most importantly, she put us at
ease (which is almost even harder to do with a friend than a
stranger looking through the lens), so that our photos were
natural and joyful. She sometimes runs a holiday special
for 30 min portrait sessions out of her studio - check her
website to see.
Oct 2010
After deciding that we will need a family portrait session
after baby #2 is born in November, I became aghast at the
cost of photographers recommended in BPN's archives. I am
happy to pay a professional for their time for the session
and any post-production, but I do not want to pay them for
prints. Are there any photographers who will come to our
house in El Cerrito, shoot awesome photos of a newborn and
toddler, and then provide a CD of images? Prefer Not to Get
a Second Mortgage for Prints
I would strongly recommend Emily Heller of Hello Junior
Child & Newborn Photography. Emily comes to your house or
wherever you want to take the photos, she has a great sense
of humor, and most importantly she is truly talented at what
she does. She'll give you a CD of the pics and then you can
print however many you want on your own, which makes it more
affordable. Her contact information is:
http://www.hellojunior.com/ 415.409.9690
emily@hellojunior.com laura
Hello,
I wanted to recommend Jamey Thomas. He was actually our
wedding photographer a few years back and he is amazing. We
actually had him do a family photo shoot for us a few months
ago and I was thrilled with the results. I was hoping for
'candid' family pictures, so Jamey picked a couple outdoor
spots close to our house and let the kids do their thing and
he was able to capture many amazing moments. And he is very
reasonable. He charges $300 for a 2-3 hour session. He gives
you all the files on a disk in color and BW, all of which
are individually adjusted and optimized---in hi-res and web
(email) sizes.
I highly recommend him and I am planning on doing an annual
family photo session with him.
His contact info is:
jamey@jameythomas.com
James Thomas
415.509.3353
http://www.jamesthomas.us
anon
Ted Jocson is a talented local photographer and will give
you your photo files on CD so you can print them yourself.
His website doesn't show his family portfolio but you can
contact him for samples. www.tedjocsonphoto.com.
Eliot Khuner photographed my wedding, and we had the option
of purchasing a CD of the photos. He is good with relaxing
people and he uses multiple lights for a professional look.
http://www.ekphoto.com/ 510-524-3569
stu
March 2010
I've done some research, but would love to get
recommendations on photographers in the Bay Area
Specifically, need the following done:
1. My son is turning 5 soon, so would like portraits of him.
2. My oldest daughter is 17 and graduating this year from
High School, so we would love some great Senior Porraits.
and,
3. Would like some family portraits of our family of 5
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!
Stephanie
Great photographer: Anna Meyers, studio in Alameda, but she does site visits as
well. Check out her website: http://www.annamyersphotography.com/
I had maternity photos done, and they were beautiful and very artistic.
annette
I highly recommend Maggie Fessler. www.maggiefessler.com.
She did a maternity session with us and was great. I
generally do not like having my pictures taken, but she made
me feel at ease and she took some great memorable shots!
Lindsey
I can wholeheartedly recommend Anna Kaminska as a wonderful
and skilled photographer for your family. Anna has taken
photos of my children, which are displayed on my livingroom
wall at home, and many people have commented on their high
quality and asked me for the name of the photographer. I
have also viewed other photos she has taken of other
children and families and found them really unique. She
helps make everyone feel at ease, and has a great eye for
composition. You can view some of her art at
www.akaminska.com, and reach her at 510-599-0639.
Anon.
I would like to recommend Dorothy Brown located on the Albany/Berkeley
border. Dorothy has been helping me with some photos for my website and I'm
very happy so far. She is good at putting her subject at ease and its obvious she
enjoys being with her client as much as she enjoys photography! I've known
Dorothy for a long time and what impresses me most is her great attention to
detail and desire to produce a great product!
dorothybrown.zenfolio.com/
510-524-8071
You can also contact her via her website.
Good luck!
Sandy
Hi Stephanie,
I'd like to recommend Shoey Sindel. She's a fabulous photographer. I love her
work. Her website has a number of samples of her work, and this is the best way
to evaluate whether she's the best photographer to hire for you and your family.
http://www.shoeysindel.com/index2.php
You can phone Shoey at 510.917.0659 or email her at photos@shoeysindel.com
Best wishes,
David
Hands down, Shoey Sindel. Her photos are amazing. I was just in an office and
noticed some great photos, hanging as an exhibit. Sure enough, Shoey's!
Shoey Sindel: 510/917-0659. See so samples at Photos@ShoeySindel.com.
Jennifer
Eliot Khuner 510-524-3569 photographed my wedding and my
son's bar mitzvah. He is great with kids of any age, and
he is a very experienced family portrait photographer. He
often works in outdoor locations or at his clients' homes,
and is very flexible and easy to work with.
Stu
I highly recommend Mary McHenry Photography. Mary is
wonderful with kids and is very skilled at capturing the
essence of your family. Her photographs are beautiful. You
can check her out at: www.marymchenry.com
Megan
Shoey Sindel (shoeysindel.com) is a professional Berkeley
photographer who does beautiful work with people of all ages,
including active young kids. She was the photographer for
my daughter's preschool and her class portraits and individual
unposed(?) shots were amazing. Her website is very
representative of works of hers that I've seen.
Francesca
Amy Perl in Oakland came to our house in Berkeley and took
beautiful photographs of our family. She's really nice
too.
Amy Perl Photography
4456 Piedmont Ave
Oakland, CA 94611-4219
(510) 595-1039
Rebecca Landes
My husband, daughter and I have had annual photos taken for
three years (since my daughter was 3 months old) by Mary
McHenry. She's truly a gifted photographer and would do a
great job for all three of your situations. I find it
amazing that Mary can completely capture the essence of a
person and a family with such ease and elegance. You can
check out her work at http://marymchenry.com/#
Danell
You can not go wrong with Reenie. Her studio is on the
top of LaSalle in Montclair next to the Farmstead Cheese
Shop. Her studio # is 339-8565 and check out her website
at www.reenieimages.com
Tell her JM sent you!
I highly recommend Jamie Grenough. She is a beautiful, talented, generous
woman!
mail@mynameisjamie.com
Mailisha
Check out Anna Kuperberg. She's amazing - took the most
gorgeous photos of my newborn. http://www.kuperberg.com/
amy
I highly recommend Helen Bae (mommyphotographer@yahoo.com)
as a wonderful family photographer. We first hired Helen
to photograph my son when he was one month old and the
photos she took were amazing and we continue to use her.
She is very gifted and took incredible photos even on days
when my son was tired and cranky (and didn't seem to smile
at all). Her photos really seem to capture my son's
personality and she is so warm and kind that she
immediately puts him (and us!) at ease and makes the photo
session fun. Helen's photos are gorgeous and unique and
to me they are pieces of art. I feel so lucky to have
found her! Check out Helen's website
http://www.helenbaephotography.com (temporary site is
http://99.104.201.89).
Sarah
My family had a great experience with Helen Bae. She did a photo shoot
with my daughter when she was four-months-old. Helen took a lot of time
with us (around two hours) and was really fun and adept at getting my
daughter to smile. She also let us hang out for a while so that we could
take some sleeping shots. We were thrilled with the resulting pictures and
the quick turnaround time. Several of my friends have worked with Helen
and had similar experiences. You can check out her website at
www.helenbaephotography.com.
Nicole
Feb 2010
Can anyone recommend an affordable photographer who can
shoot beautiful family portraits, b/w + color and can work
with very young children (i.e., infants)? Don't have a lot
to spend unfortunately, but want to get something reasonably
good done for our memory book.
Thank you!
- new mommy
I would like to recommend Shoey Sindel to you. A selection
of her beautiful photography has been on display for
several months now and we get a lot of compliments and
inquiries about the photographer.
Shoey is a wonderfully warm and kind professional, good
with kids (she has two of her own). She does what she
refers to as life stages photography: anything from
pregnancy/pre-birth to memorials.
I recommend you check out her website at
www.shoeysindel.com and give her a call to find out
whether she'd be a good fit for you.
Rosie
We have used an amazing local photographer, Sapasorn
Ridhikerd(sapasorn@gmail.com)for the last two years. He
comes to our home so that helps our son to be relaxed.
Sapasorn is great with kids, incredibly patient, has all
the right equipment, previews the shots on his laptop so
you know what your getting before he leaves, makes great
suggestions for setting up the shot but also tries to
capture spontaneous moments and he is an all around great
guy. Seriously, this is your guy. And, the price is
incredibly affordable, I can't believe he doesn't charge
way more than he does, he could easily charge double for
the service and quality.
Happy Customer
Peter Lyons (peterlyonsphoto.com) is a maritime
photographer who this year has branched out and is doing
some portrait work. He may still be offering a free
sitting and will make a complete CD of the shoot available
at a very reasonable price. There are a couple of
galleries under ''your photos'' that might represent the
sort of photos you are looking for. Nice guy. Very good
photographer. His baby photos are really special and some
families I know have started using him regularly.
Maria
I definitely recommend Rita Ferrando, who is a great
photographer and also my daugher's daycare provider. She
is (obviously) very comfortable with kids, and since the
daycare and the studio are in her home, there are lots of
toys for little ones to play with. I had my daughter's 1-
year pictures taken with her, and it was less than $200,
including a CD with all of the images on it. Her website
is http://www.decassia.com/
Cassie
Nov 2009
We're looking to do a really nice set of pictures for my
daughter's first birthday of her alone, and some with the three
of us. I'm looking for a photographer, preferably in Berkeley,
who will provide us digital files of the photos. Our wedding
photographers did this and it was great, we paid extra, but it
was worth it to be able to easily share the pics with our friends
around the world. We live far from family and regularly share
photos through our blog. Of course we will respect copyrights
(none of our use is for profit) and will buy some prints from the
photographer. Does anyone have a recommendation of a
photographer that's good with kids and that does digital proofs?
Thanks! April
Ruth Woodruff! She just did photos of my family and son and did
an amazing job. Check her website. I know many families who
have used her. She will come to you, and work with you in
whatever space you are comfortable in (inside, outside). She
has a great sense of light, and so not only does she capture
unique moments with your child or family, but the color and feel
of the photos are just gorgeous.
Her number is: 510 655 6081. Her website is:
http://www.ruthwoodruff.com/
She does a good package where she offers you the digital
photos. I highly recommend her.
Ruth makes family photo magic!
Margaretta Mitchell is an amazing portrait photographer. You can check out her
work by googling her and getting to her web site. I would hire her in a minute to
do photography. I am not sure if she offers what you want, but you can ask her.
I will pass on your email to her and have her contact you to answer questions. Do
look at her web site, though (margarettamitchell.com). I think you will be as
impressed as I am. She's really fun with her clients, too. Good Luck!
Leah
Ruth Woodruff did a beautiful job with our newborn photos and she does digital
proofs. She came to our home and was a joy to work with. She has kids of her
own, too, so she has a particularly sensitive approach to family photography.
Check out her website or email ruthwoodruff@gmail.com
-Sarah
I highly recommend Fernando Aguila. He was our wedding photographer and provided
digital files of all the photos. He is great with kids and he took wonderful
pictures of all of the kids at our wedding (we had a huge wedding with at least
80 kids on the guest list). We have since hired him for prenatal photos, baby
shower photos at Tilden Park, newborn photos, and family portraits. He's a very
versatile photographer and is great to work with. He has a studio in Berkeley.
Contact him at photo@fernandoaguila.com or 510-502-1566.
Laurel
Eliot Khuner photographed our wedding last year and provided us with digital
proofs on DVDs. They are like photo CDs, just have high-rez images and a lot of
them. He is really easy going and fun to be with. He uses multiple lights to
add depth to photos and he has a knack for posing people for portraits. His
website is ekphoto.com and his phone is 510.524.3569
Stu
May 2009
Seeking a creative (and affordable) child and family
photographer in the East Bay or SF. I want somebody who does
candid, natural portraits, not so much posed stuff. Any
recommendations?
I highly recommend Anna Kaminska for child, family photography that
is natural and easy. She is great with children and adults, and
helps everyone to relax. She has taken pictures of my family, for
myself for my work, and other families I know, and they have all
come out great. Anna is a joy to work with, and her prices are
reasonable. Check her web-site at www.akaminska.com or phone
510-599-0639.
Yvonne
Shoey Sindel did a great job on pictures of my 6 month old and
family pictures for Christmas cards.
Tina
Stephanie Silk (mailto:jackalope@slick.org) took pictures of me and
my SO when I was pregnant and again when baby was 5 weeks old. She
was good at making everyone feel comfortable and took a bunch of
great shots. She also has excellent photoediting skills in case
something needs a touch-up!
Nicole
I highly recommend Winona at Shoot Me Now Photography. She
specializes in casual, natural photography and did our shoot at the
beach. She made my 18mo. old as well as my husband and I feel very
comfortable throughout the shoot. The pictures were beautiful and
affordable and I couldn't believe how many shots we received. I
think her website is http://www.shootmenowphotography.com
Ann
Definitely give Christina Shook a call. She is located in Orinda
and captures the natural essence and beauty of everyone she
photographs. She took individual as well as family pictures of
myself, husband and 2 boys. She was able to immediately connect
with a 12 and 16 year old and establish a nice repoire. We did the
pictures in nature which made the whole experience very relaxing and
natural. Both boys enjoyed the experience and I think really liked
the attention they got. The hardest part was trying to figure out
which pictures to purchase because so many of them were exquisite.
Check out her website at www.cshook.com. You'll immediately see the
joy in the faces of those she's photographed. Her # is 415.713.9717
or christina@cshook.com
a Christina Shook fan
Christina Hernandez from Nightingale Photography
nightingalephotos.com
http://nightingalephotography.wordpress.com/
Call: 510 338 2997
She took stunning photos of my son and also loves to take candid
photos in natural settings- she is so much fun to work with and got
amazing smiles from the baby!!
rachel
Dirk Setchko is a great photographer. He's taken many, many pictures
at school events that are fantastic portraits of the children. I
think he has a real gift for capturing people, particularly kids, at
candid moments. I highly recommend him. Email him at
dirksetchko@sbcglobal.net.
Burr
Try Heather Carpenter, heather@heatherart.com. Unbelievably good
photographer. She's done our family since before our first son was
born. Can't say enough about how great she is. Be sure to look at
her website.
http://www.heatherart.com
Em
I just used an awesome photographer (Courteney Coolidge) for a
Father's Day shoot last week. Her style is definitely candid &
natural, and I am highly pleased with the results. The best part
is, we got to keep the negatives/digital files. She has different
pricing depending on what you want to achieve. Here's her website:
www.coolidgephotography.com Good Luck.
www.getcaptured.com
She has a little one of her own. Easy to work with and is very
reasonably priced. We loved being photographed on location vs. in a
small room under hot lights. We went to the beach. Our pictures were
much more candid our baby didn't even know she had a hundred beautiful
pictures taken of her. Love her work uses all natural light.
meesah
I had planned to recommend this guy that my friend just happened
to tell me about right when I read your post... But then I saw
how many responses you got and worried that you're already going
to have too many to choose from!
Well, I'll throw this one in too. His name is Michael Angelo and
he was recommended to me by my friend Kelly.
http://photographicproof.com/summer-2009-portraits-in-the-park/
Mailisha
Feb 2009
I'm looking for a local photographer that specializes in candid or documentary style photographs that will capture my 2 year old and the rest of my family as they really look. Thanks!
scott
Cowley Studios is excellent. They are based in San Francisco, but came to meet me and my son at Lake Temescal for no extra charge. Gregory and Debra have two pretty different styles, but they are both excellent. They come as a team, so you get the best of both of their work. There is (or at least was last spring) no sitting fee, and photo printing was reasonable. They were very attentive to my schedule (my six month old wasn't awake for very long, but they got him at his best) and chose a beautiful location. The photos are posted on line for over a month so I could send the password to family to help me choose. Plus, they could order directly. Their work made for the perfect father's day gift.
Contact Shoey Sindel for a great photographer. She took my pregnancy photos and they turned out amazing. She also took fantastic photos of my children. She's a real joy to work with as she has such a postive attitude. Plus she is truly a talented photographer. Here's her website: http://www.shoeysindel.com/contact/
Call her at 510-917-0659 or email her at photos@shoeysindel.com
JoAnne
I highly recommend Christina Shook in Orinda (www.cshook.com 415-713-9717). She is great with kids and really captures some great expressions! We took our now 4 1/2 year old and now 1 year old starting when they were both babies. She has a 3 sitting package (little baby, sitting baby, and standing/walking). And she'll put together a book of the best shots. We'll be seeing her very soon for our third sitting with her.
The pictures of my 2 girls together make me smile every time. Actually just thinking about the pictures makes me smile :)
Andrea
We just had photos of our family taken by Amy Perl, 510-289-4817, and they are beautiful! She came to our house, took candid and posed shots and we're delighted with them. I never thought I could look good in a photo but Amy was able to make it happen. She is based in Oakland, near Piedmont Ave., but shoots all over the Bay Area. She is a wonderful photographer.
Rebecca
''I highly recommend Christina Hernandez. Her background is in photojournalism so her pictures are really candid and playful. She also does gorgeous black and white.
Her website is: nightingalephotos.com''
Ginny
Christina Shook is a fabulous photographer in Orinda. Her website is www.cshook.com and her # is 415.713.9717. Christina just photographed my kids and truly captured the essence of them both. They are, by far, the nicest pictures we have ever had of our children. Christina is very easy to work with and both kids had fun posing for their pictures. The hardest part was choosing which pictures we wanted to purchase! I highly recommend Christina for any family photos or family event. Her integrity, skill and creativity are exceptional.
A Christina Shook fan
I would highly recommend Matt Lehman. He's really good, especially with candids. He did a photo shoot of my kids (2 and 4 years old) playing in the back yard - they turned out great. My four-year-old daughter hates getting her photo taken, but didn't much mind because Matt minded his own business, let the kids play, and captured images of what they do best. The photos made a great 70th b-day gift for my mom.
His portfolio and other info is here:
http://mattlehmanphotography.com/
Dan
Tim Nichols (www.roundtopphotography.com) is terrific. I love his
style - it's almost journalistic - and he has a great eye for color
and composition. He did an all-day shoot for my friends' very fancy
wedding and did a casual 1-hour, indoor/outdoor shoot with my very
active one-year-old. Both of the photo sets turned out wonderfully
and everyone was very happy with the results. He's personable yet
professional. He listens and is very responsive. He's got a ton of
his work up on his website and blog
(http://roundtopphoto.wordpress.com), so you can get a really good
idea of what you'd be getting.
A very happy client
I know of a great photographer who specializes in photographing
children and families. Her name is Elissa Kennedy. The name of her
company is Baby Steps Photography -- phone is 415-948-5285 Her
website is www.babystepsphoto.com.
Kim
I highly recommend Mary McHenry. She is great to work with. She takes amazing
photographs. She specializes in kids, families, and weddings, and also does really nice
commercial work. You can check her out at http://www.marymchenry.com/index2.php?v=v1
Megan
I just wanted to highly recommend a wonderful photographer. She just did
some family shots for our Christmas cards and they turned out beautifully.
She is particularly gifted with kids, and I am amazed that she was able to
get my sprinting 1 year old to pose with such joy. You can see her work
(and get in touch with her) here
http://jenaleephotography.blogspot.com/
Happy Customer
Nov 2008
Hi,
I'm looking for a good photographer for relaxed, candid holidays
portraits.
Thanks! Lynda
Two suggestions:
Eliot Khuner Photography, EKPhoto.com, 888-933-3456 (works well
with kids, relaxed)
Jim Dennis (I don't have his contact info, I think he's more
portraiture than casual)
Hope you find someone you're happy with!
Talia
We love our family photographer, Christina Hernandez.
She's a professional photojournalist and really knows how to
capture the most candid moments. She brings us to a park and let's
the kids have their way.
Her fine art work is even in galleries. So, you get real talent,
wonderful energy and a very reasonable package.
Her site is nightingalephotos.com
Her number is 510-338-2997.
Good luck!
Virginia
We had a great experience with Allan Ayres of Sprout Shots: he came
to our house, it was low-key, and we picked out the pics we liked
best. He was a very sweet guy, too.
http://sproutshots.allanayres.com/
--Have the 5X7s to prove it!
Hi there. I can recommend this photographer that a friend of mine
used for an event. Check out his website: laurentalfieri.com (his
info is on the site) We are looking into using him for a holiday
event and my friend said he was a joy to work with. I saw the
slides from the event, which turned out fabulous. I don't know what
his rates are, but becuase he's new to the area I think he gave my
friend a deal as he builds his clients here. His website is
beautiful, check out the portraits and essays for examples. He was
good at capturing 'moments' that are important for us. Good luck.
Hope this helps.
Happy Holidays.
anon
We just had some
family portraits done by Elizabeth Tichenor for our holiday cards that
came out wonderfully. She was happy to meet us at our house and listen
to our suggestions of locations, taking some photos at our home and then
we all moved on to the Alameda beach to take more photos both posed and
un-posed. She then provided us with a great selection of nice photos to
choose from. We're very pleased with how casual and easy the photo shoot
was for us and our twin daughters, and also with the keen eye Elizabeth
has for finding photogenic moments. You can find some of her photos and
her contact info at: http://www.elizabethtichenor.com/
Mike
May 2008
Over Christmas my in-laws made arrangements for family portraits and they were
fine but very posed. After going through all the effort and getting the kids
to smile and look at the camera and then not being totally satisfied with the
results, I'm hoping to get recommendations for a photographer that could take
some pictures of my family that actually look and feel like us. Someone with
some artistic sense and who can take beautiful pictures of my kids, my husband
and me, our whole family that really capture who we are in our life. I hope
this is possible and not exorbitantly expensive...
amber
For the past three years we've done annual family photo shoots with Pamela Zacharias,
and I can't recommend her highly enough. She is warm, fun, and energetic. Most
importantly, she really captures her subjects - everyone raves about how great our
photos are! We feel completely comfortable, and it shows in the photos. My daughter
(now 10) looks forward to our annual sessions, as Pamela keeps her engaged. Pamela
prefers to shoot out of doors (she has location suggestions, or will scout places
you've suggested). You can contact her at pam@pamelaphotography.com, or see her work
at www.pamelaphotography.com.
Lisa
The photographer you are looking for is Karle Fried. She does great work of families
and especially children. She captures her subjects vividly. Take a look at her web
site where she has some of her pictures. The site is www.karleskids.com. Her phone
number is 510-593-8895.
Ronna
My family had a great time with the photographer Maurice Ramirez. We hired him for a
shoot when my daughter was 16 months old. His studio is located in Alameda. We did a
studio shoot and then went outside to a local park for more pictures. He had a lot of
ideas on placement and is defiantly an artist. He doesn’t work with props so much, so
he really captured the natural side of our family as we interacted with each other.
His assistant is fantastic and loves kids. I would definitely use him again to further
document our family as my daughter grows.
http://mauriceramirezphoto.com/index.htm
KG
We just had a great experience with a photographer. Her name is Aimee Heinzelman, and
she was awesome. She came to our house and took pictures while we played in the yard
and garden with our 2 and 4 year old. She took tons of shots - mostly while we were
just hanging out, and some that needed some gentle posing (like she'd say, can you
look over this way, etc.). It took about 1- 1.5 hours, and we have a lot of really
really beautiful pictures - our kids alone, grownups alone, whole family, etc. She
gave us a disk of the pictures, and we'll print the shots we want. The whole thing was
very inexpensive - and there's no way we could have gotten our kids to sit still in a
studio.
She can be contacted at avandragt@yahoo.com.
Nerissa
Ralph Granich took our family portraits a few years ago and we were very pleased with
his work, as well as working with him. I initially saw his work after he did some
photography at our child's preschool. He's particularly good at photographing kids
and capturing a sense of their personality. www.ralphgranich.com
CC
hi Amber,
You have to check out Karle Fried's web site, www.karleskids.com It sounds like she is
actually what you are looking for. She captures kids and families as they really are
and the results are beautiful, candid, real memories of your family. You will love
her. Also check this link on Yelp.com about Karle.
www.yelp.com/biz/karle-fried-photography-berkeley.
karle fried photography
www.karleskids.com
karle@karlefried.com
Eliot Khuner does a good job of capturing children at play, rather than posed shots,
and takes some great photos. Visit EKPhoto.com for more info, or contact him at
888-933-3456.
Talia
I can highly recommend Amy Perl: amyperl.com. She did our wedding in 2004, and has a
wonderful eye. The photos she took there of my young nephews are priceless. She has
a great manner with kids (and adults too!). She's friendly and professional and very
easy to work with - her website will give you a good overview of her talents. She does
a ton of work with families and kids. Good luck!
Maggie
I have a wonderful photographer for you. Her name is Ruth Woodruff. She is
professional, kind and great with capturing kids in different settings. She took
photos at my child's school and they were amazing, very natural and artistic. I know
families who have had her take photos and have been very, very happy. Check out her
website ruthwoodruff.com. You will not be disappointed.
cara
We just took some family photos at a park in Oakland with photographer Barbara
Jerabek who we absolutely loved! She is this charismatic woman who has this
great energy to her and makes you so comfortable that the shots come so
naturally. She goes to a site with you and meets with you anywhere from 45 min
to 1.5 hours. She'll take a ton of photos, edit them, and the great thing is
that she turns over all the edited photos to you so you can develop them into
prints, holiday cards, photo books, etc. Best of all, she charges $150 to do
all this. We plan on going to her from now on for our annual family shots
instead of a studio. Her website with contact info is www.whatariot.net.
Good luck!
Carolina
May 2008
I am looking for a lifestyle photographer -- someone who will come to our house and
take great candid shots of everyday life with our newborn baby.
Cara
You could not find a better photographer for candid, lifestyle shots of your
family and baby than Courteney Coolidge. She has photographed my children
twice and we definitely plan to use her services again in the future. She had
such a wonderful connection with my daughter (4) and son (10 months at the
time), I couldn't believe what wonderful shots she got. And she is a technical
pro. The black and whites are beautiful, and the color very rich. All with
natural light. My brother and aunt are both photographers and both were very
impressed with Courteney's work. I spent a lot of time looking for a
photographer before I found Courteney because I wanted someone who could do
candid shots as well as portraits, and she has extensive experience doing
documentary photography of families. Take a look at her website:
coolidgephotography.com. Another great thing is that you get to own the
negatives (or digital media) and can make your own prints, rather than having
to buy prints !
from the photographer. And you get a proof of every image. My only regret is
that I didn't get photos of my daughter when she was a baby!
Lynne
I cannot recommend David BanksKong highly enough. He did our wedding photos,
shots of our baby at 3 months, and recently shots of the whole family at Tilden
Botanical Garden. He has great, creative ideas for settings and poses and he
makes you feel comfortable, and the results are really beautiful--candid but
flattering too. Check out his website:http://www.dhkong.com/
We're having a baby in July and will DEFINITELY hire David again.
A satisfied customer
May 2008
My extended family will be gathering in the town of Napa in June to celebrate
my mom's birthday. We'd like to have a photographer come to the house where
we'll be staying to take relaxed, fun, outdoor photos of the whole family.
We'll be 8 adults and 6 kids between the ages of 1 and 5, and would like to
spend no more than about 45 minutes shooting on a weekend morning.
Can anyone recommend a photographer in Napa, or one in the East Bay who is
willing to travel there? (It's less than an hour's drive from Berkeley -- we
will of course pay travel time or mileage or whatever works.)
Thanks in advance.
Katie
I would like to highly recommend Paige Green, she is a wonderful
photographer based out of Petaluma. You can view her blog, which
has many of her fabulous photos here:
http://paigegreen.wordpress.com/
her email is: paigephotography@yahoo.com
Steven bollman at stevenweddings.com took beautiful photos at a
recent family event of ours. I highly recommend him. He did a
great job of not being intrusive and yet capturing great moments
as well as taking some more ''formal'' shots when asked. He uses a
digital camera so everything is on line and ready for you. his
rates were very competitive and he was really nice to work with.
You can reach him at 415-730-3830.
Feb 2008
I am looking for a good photographer for a family portrait, to be taken
outdoors in a beautiful garden. We are planning to do this on February 17,
so being able to make it happen even in slightly inclement weather is a
plus- as is still having this date available!
susan
I would like to recommend Eliot Kuhner. He photographed my
family at a local park. We liked the photo so much we used it
for our Christmas card. I got lots of feedback from people
saying it was the nicest photo they got this year (subjects
not withstanding).
eliot@ekphoto.com
888.933.3456
Denise
I hired Eliot Khuner to photograph my family and he is
excellent both with making you feel relaxed and getting
well-composed professional-looking photos. He is the author
of the Everything Photography Book and he really knows his
stuff.
You can see samples at his website at http://www.ekphoto.com/
His phone is 524.3569.
Stu
I highly recommend Courteney Coolidge Photography. Her
portraits of families really capture the fun, love, and warmth
of parents and children, and are absolutely stunning. Her
website is worth a thousand of my words,
www.coolidgephotography.com
Her style is very warm and friendly, and i know she does all
she can to help her clients feel absolutely comfortable during
the shoot. I loved being photographed by her and i know she is
continuously listed in the BPN archives.
Anjuli
We have a great photographer who has done our family portraits
for several years now, and specializes in shooting outdoors.
Her name is Pamela Zacharias; her website is
www.pamelaphotography.com. We love working with her - she's
fun, funny, and takes great photos that really capture the
people she's shooting. Highly recommended!
Lisa
We just had some pictures taken of our children about two
months ago by happenstance photography out of San Francisco.
The pictures more than met my expectations they where
absolutly amazing and breath taking. Maria did an incredible
job and the kids just loved her, she related to them very well
and got them to enjoy the photo session which was really nice
for me. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to do family
or kid portraits. Her website is
www.happenstancephotography.com
wolfgang
I would highly recommend Christina Hernandez, a photojournalist for the SF
Chronicle, for 12 years. She created a relaxed, candid environment, which
we wanted, in a nearby park. She'll do beautiful black and white or color
and does fine art style as well, or day-in-the-life photo essay.
She just sent me a link to the SF Magazine she the main spread for.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2007/12/30/CM95TK0I2.DTL&o=0
Check out her editorial website:
www.ckhernandez.com 510 338 2997
Good luck!
Chris
Sept 2007
I'm looking for a photographer to take some pictures of my 8 month old with my husband and I. We'd
like both black and white and color, and for the photographer to have experience working with babies.
We're not looking to spend a ton of money (ie, like what we spent for our wedding shots!) and we'd
like to keep all of the digital files (so I guess that means that we'd like the photographer to use a
digital camera). Does anyone have any recommendations? Thank you!
JM
I highly recommend Linda Hanson. Check out her site at
http://www.lindahansonphoto.com/
For the person looking for an experienced, not too expensive photographer to shoot
digital prints of her 8 month old and partner, I wanted to recommend our favorite
photographer in the East Bay, Ruth Woodruff. Ruth brings a wealth of experience
and talent, and has often captured images of my children with their most intimate
expressions. She's a genius at guiding sessions in a way that we felt directed, but
not controlled, and is flexible with timing sessions around our schedule. Ruth is
also a wizard with touch ups, miraculously ''fixing'' areas of an image that
otherwise might have ruined a great picture. Her sense of humor helped to put my
husband at ease, and he hates to have his picture taken. If this sounds like the
kind of photographer you have in mind, but still need further convincing, check out
her website at http://ruthwoodruff.com. Feel free to contact me directly if you
have any questions.
Mary
Try Eliot Khuner. He photographed my family and he has a gentle way of working
with people and an eye for great composition. He uses digital and I'm sure he can
provide both color and B&W.
phone 524.3569
website http://www.ekphoto.com/
Stuart
www.coolidgephotography.com.
Courtney Coolidge does excellent work...here's the link to her website.
aroth
Contact Shoey Sindel at 510-917-0659 or photos@shoeysindel.com. She's great!!!
And if you schedule a family portrait before Oct. 31 you also receive 25
personalized greeting cards... as a gift.
dearsooz
I would like to recommend Courteney Coolidge.
She took some wonderful pictures of my daughter and her friends.
She gives you the digital images so you can do whatever you want with them.
I highly recommend her! She has a website where you can see some of her work.
www.coolidgephotography.com. She is awesome!
I have recommended her to some people and they were also very happy.
Happy with awesome photos!
Hi. shoe@shoeysindel.com ie the email of this really relaxed and fun photographer.
She even made my pesky teenager relax and smile for the family shoot. We got both
black and white, and color photos and they really are amazing! I've also seen some
of her baby and pregnant mom pictures..gorgeous! Anyway, I'd recommend her and use
her again for affordable and professional family shoots. Maybe just call and chat
with her about your vision. She'a a kick, you'll like her(510) 917-0659
sally
Shoey Sindel, 510-917-0659, is a great family and portrait photographer. She took
stunning photos of my kids and of me when I was pregnant, both in color and black
and white. The kids really enjoyed posing for her, and the photos turned out simply
fantastic. Call her.
JoAnne
May 2007
I'm looking for a photographer to take a family photo. I'd like
to find someone who could take the photo outdoors, at our house
or a park. I want something where we look natural and relaxed.
I would like to spend bt $100-$200 for the session. I'm hoping
for one good photo, not one hundred. I checked the archives and
the last recommendations are from a couple years back.
amy
I highly recommend Tracey Prever (www.traceyprever.com) in
Danville. We have had two sessions with her over the last
several years--portraits of both of my daughters (between ages
1 and 4), as well as our two dogs and my husband and myself.
She has a studio in downtown Danville, but does on-site work as
well. We had outdoor sessions done both times (once in the
spring/Danville and once in the fall/Lafayette) with great
results. If you have particular spots you want to use--great.
If not, she has lots of wonderful suggestions, depending on the
time of year. She is friendly, thoughtful, low-key, a mother
of young children (so she understands their temperments),
accommodating and a perfectionist (to her clients' benefit). I
have recommended her to a friend of mine who was very happy
with her studio session results.
Suzy
I noticed several individuals are looking a for a
photographer. I would like to recommend Russeul Foote. He
takes awesome photos, captures the real person, is personable.
He had photographed my wedding and the photos were awesome. He
does all kinds of photography. Check out his
website:http://www.footephoto.com/index_flash.htm
Here is information if you want to contact him:
Russell Foote Photography
22789 Foothill Blvd.
Hayward, CA 94541
Telephone: 510-581-7159
Fax: 510-581-7125
E-mail: footerussell@yahoo.com
Cindy
I'd like to recommend Monica Michelle for any pictures. She
recently took pix. of my children. They came out amazingly! She
directed us to meet at a local park and had scouted out some
nice spots. She's got great energy and is very easy and
pleasant. Check out her web site: www.monicamichelle.com
Happy with my pix
Susan Louie is an amazing photographer, fairly priced and one of the
kindest people
that I have ever met! I highly recommend her. www.susanlouiephotos.com
onika
Elisabeth Benjamin is a fantastic photographer with a long history as a
documentary filmmaker. She is a grandmother and takes incredible photos of
children and families. She took photos for our wedding and caught moments
and expressions that were absolutely priceless. She is very affordable and
will definitely capture your family on film for sure and you barely notice
she's there. Her number is 510-277-0665.
Karen
May 2007
I am looking for a photographer who can take a family photos of
our whole family- grandparents, 3 sets of parents and 4 children
(weeks old to 3 years)....while everyone is together celebrating
my parents 50th anniversary at my Berkeley home. Any
suggestions?
nyinsf
Looking for a photographer?
Eliot Khuner is great! He captures your soul!
888-933-3456
eliot[at]ekphoto.com
EKPhoto.com
Good luck!
Karen
Susan Louie is an amazing photographer, fairly priced and one of the
kindest people
that I have ever met. I highly recommend her!
www.susanlouiephotos[at]yahoo.com
onika
Elisabeth Benjamin is a fantastic photographer with a long history as a
documentary filmmaker. She is a grandmother and takes incredible photos of
children and families. She took photos for our wedding and caught moments
and expressions that were absolutely priceless. She is very affordable and
will definitely capture your family on film for sure and you barely notice
she's there. Her number is 510-277-0665.
Karen
I highly recommend my friend Lea Delson, a photographer in Berkeley, for
the portraits of your extended family. She takes great photos of families
and children that reveal personalities and show the warmth among family
members. Her gentle, creative and enthusiastic approach brings out the
best in her subjects. She works well with both children and adults. Her
outdoor portraits are especially lovely. She's also great at photographing
events and makes beautiful albums. She's photographed many Bar and Bat
Mitzvahs, weddings, and other events locally. Her photos can be seen at
www.delsonphoto.com and she can be reached at (510) 528-6725.
Ellen S
October 2006
I am looking for a photographer who takes good photo journalism
type shots for some family pictures. I'm hoping to find
someone reasonable. The wedding photographers are soooo
expensive.
Does anyone know any budding photographers who would like the
work and the experience?
bonnie
Hello, Bonnie.
I highly recommend that you talk to Cathy Cade (510.251.2774,
cathy[at]cathycade.com, www.CathyCade.com) and/or Anita Medal
(510.845.8105, anitaphoto[at]hotmail.com,
http://homepage.mac.com/anitamedal/photo). They are both
fabulous family photographers. Talk candidly to either of them
about your budget. A few photos from either of them would be
incomparably more valuable to you over time than a larger number
from a less-experienced photographer. A photo Cathy took of me
and my baby son 24 years ago still takes my breath away.
Best wishes
ann
I'd like to recommend Pregnancy & Family Photographer Adina
Meastas, she is just beyond talented! She has photographed my
family several times and I could not be happier with her work.
She knows how to interact with clients to produce photogenic,
natural results and make you feel completely comfortable in
front of the camera. She also photographs pregnancy, children,
weddings and more. She just really produces beautiful work! We
recommend her to all our friends. Her info:
www.photographyam.com Photography by Adina Meastas
B. Concha
October 2006
Can anyone recommend a good photographer for family/child
photos? We're interested in finding someone who takes great
candid shots (as opposed to really formal studio portraits).
Ideally we'd like to be able to purchase the digital images
and/or negatives for a reasonable price
Thanks
Mark Estes is a wonderful photographer. Estes Photo. 510-653-
8950. mark[at]estesphoto.com. www.estesphoto.com
Kimberly W
Sam Deaner takes fabulous documentary style photographs of kids. She followed mine
around our yard and a local park for 2 hours taking pictures of them while playing and
running around. We did a couple of sit-down-portrait type shots, but even these were
very spontaneous. I don't think she would sell her negatives or images to you, but I
think that is standard for a professional photographer (maybe I'm wrong). You can
reach her at 504-4434 or sammydeaner[at]yahoo.com
Liz O.
Terry Riggins, a local photographer and parent in the Orinda
school system, donated pictures of all 5th graders to our
child's school auction last year. I helped her get the kids
ready and take the pix. She was wonderful with them, creative
about using the natural environment and light available, and
each package of pictures included a CD with all the photos.
The pictures of our son were terrific and really captured his
spark. I'd hire her in a heartbeat for family photos. She can
be reached at rigginsphoto[at]aol.com, or at 925-253-1658.
Glorietta mom
Our family friend Loren Weltsch is great with kids and families
at very reasonable prices. We recently did a shoot with my
brother- and sister-in-law and their kids and our son, and she
gave each family one set of prints, a CD with all the photos
and a collage of some of the better photos. www.lorenwphoto.com
I would like to suggest Karle Fried. Her work is brilliant. It is
atypical, haunting, and gorgeous. Minimalist and art-inspired. It
captures the infinite range of emotions, not just ''someone ticked
me and ran out of the frame'' giddiness. True childhood magic.
She is not cheap, but is worth every penny. It's been a while but
I think she charged us $350, including unlimited printing to
several images.
She was classicaly trained. Her lighting techniques are stunning.
Her portraits are on the walls of master photographers,
celebrities and regular folk alike. I can't say enough. She can
be reached at 510.593.8895. Check her site www.karlefried.com.
Impressed Mom
i want to recommend dean bradley (zdbradley[at]hotmail.com or
510/517-1154) for pet/kid/family photos. you can see some of
her pet photos (poster size) in the windows of the store on the
corner of university & san pablo. she has done at least four
sessions with my family since my 3-year old was born, and we've
been thrilled each time.
dean uses digital equipment, and she has been willing to just
hand over the images we wanted after our sessions (she's
flexible). her sitting fee is $150+ --and she'll come to you
at your home or favorite outside space (light/weather
permitting). please email dean to see samples of her work.
jenny j
June 2006
As a Mother's Day gift my parents have offered to pay to have some photos taken of
our 9 month old. We'd also like to get some family portraits taken at the same time.
I've looked at the reviews on the website and found that most of the photographers
listed seem to work mostly in black & white. We're looking for someone that works
primarily in color and on location rather than in a studio (although we are hoping to
get a few b&w and studio shots as well). Since we're not limited by budget, who would
you recommend as ''the best'' given our style preferences.
Lia
I have used Russell Foote in Hayward. He is very good with
kids and has both a studio and can come to your location
Juliet
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am with my
photographer! I live in Walnut Creek and she also resides and
works here. If you are open to coming out this way, Laura is
the one to talk to! Here is her website: lauracphotography.com
Her name is Laura Cottril and her phone is 925-465-4466.
I have had maternity photos, newborn, two year old and four
year old shots done. She has done more formal poses but her
favorite thing to do is let the kids just be kids and see where
it takes them. She works from her home and has a backyard that
doesn't look like much but turns out wonderful photos. She will
also go on location and I think is pretty open as to where. She
does color and black and white. She has two young children and
really has a way with kids. I could go on and on about her! She
is wonderful!! Her sitting fee is around $200-250 and her
photos aren't cheap, but definitely in the range of others.
People ask me all the time who did my photos and I truly feel
that this time in their life is priceless. She is able to
capture my children in such a wonderful way! Call her!
Samantha
Rudi Halbright (Rudih[at]yahoo.com) tel 655 2633is an excellent
photographer who works in color. His creations adorn our
hallways.
metaorna
I highly recommend Jim Fidelibus of James Brian Studios, with
whom we have been working for all major life events since our
engagement more than 10 years ago. He is in Walnut Creek, but
will come on location. Really FUN to work with but also an
excellent, experienced photographer. Find him at
www.jamesbrian.com
Linda
Jonathan Payne of Jonathan Payne Photography works in digital, so
does both color and black and white. He doesn't have a studio,
he did my kids at a park, and the pictures were great. He has
three kids of his own and is very good getting the kids relaxed
to photograph. www.photopayne.com
Sally F
I can highly recommend Anna Kaminska who is a talented photographer
for families
and children. The photos she has taken of my family are much
treasured, and I
have seen a series she did of a class of children, capturing the
spirit of each child in
an amazing way. She has 3 children herself and is able to put even
shy kids at ease
right away. She works in color as well as black and white. You may
contact her by
e-mail at kamvera[at]yahoo.com
ym
Jonathan Payne does amazing work in black & white and color:
http://www.photopayne.com/gallery.html. He can do both or one
or the other.
Although we didn't use her (yet), I was also impressed with
Heather Whiting's work:
http://www.heathermwhiting.com/portsite/. She is also
incredibly nice.
Both can come to your home or choice of photo shoot location
Catherine
We highly recommend Jonathan Payne. He takes digital photos
which means you can choose color or b&w for any photo and that
you aren't limited by the number of photos he takes. He doesn't
tend to do a ton of posed photos, but rather uses more of a
photo journalism style. We've done 4 shoots with him (we bought
a Year in the Life package for our daughter's first year) and
now that she's two, have what we hope to be an annual occurence
scheduled. He also has photos up in the window at Cotton and
Company in Rockridge.
www.photopayne.com
Michelle
I highly recommend Valerie Kippen for photos of your family.
She came to our house, worked with available light and got some
truly amazing photos of our whole family. She works in digital,
so you can see the photos in color or black and white. She
donated a gift certificate to a school auction (which I love)
and she was very nice to work with.
Katia
My husband Chris Roberts has his own photography business and is
happy to meet you on location at your home or in a nearby park. He
loves child and family portrait photography, and the majority of the
photos he takes are in color (although black and white is always an
option).
He works with professional digital cameras, which means that clients
are able to see the photo samples within days of the photography
shoot.
He uploads the photos to a password-protected gallery where you can
review the prints and order any combination in any size you like.
You can find out more about his photography service Norcal Photo at
http://www.norcal-photo.com or give him a call anytime for more
information at 510-921-3946.
Good Luck!
Brenda
Amy Perl is an amazing photographer that works in color. Her
website is: http://www.amyperl.com/
She does private sessions, but I've gone to her twice for these
more affordable 15'' sessions she does at Crackerjacks
consignment store several times a year. The last time we went we
had one set done in B&W, and another set done in color. The
quality and natural feel of her photos are great.
ebba
We used our wedding photographer for our son's one-year shots.
She also did family shots for us (his b-day is close to the
holidays). Her name is Stephanie Pool. Her website is
http://www.stephaniepool.com she charged us around $300.00 for
the photos and gave us 100+ proofs (she also will give us our
negatives and we get to keep all the proofs). We asked for a
mix of color and black and white, and got good representation
of both. She met us at our house and we drove to the waterfall
area of Jaoquin Miller Park for the photos, but she said we
could do studio shots too. You can contact her for further
details. kukana
I could not recommend Courteney Coolidge Photography more highly.
Courteney's
website is mostly black and white although the shoot she did for us
was almost all in
color. In fact, I think she does most of her shoots in both black and
white and color.
She makes any family look gorgeous - her photography is super creative
and fresh -
far from the studio look. Her website speaks for itself. http://
www.coolidgephotography.com/ Please don't hesitate to contact me with
any
questions about her work or her style. Courteney has an amazing
ability to make kids
feel at ease so you get really natural shots and it's actually fun!
Tracy G
Hello-
In response to your request for a portrait photographer, I highly recommend ArtVisions
Portraiture. I think Kirstin's been photographing for over 20 years and she does exceptional
professional photographs. Her work is stunning. She places photographs on canvas, stone and
even makes watercolors out of them. Or just does regular printing. I cherish (both my black
and white and) my color photographs. The colors are rich and vibrant and her black & white
is done well. If you really want a piece of art, I think she is the only one to call. Some
of my friends have used her too and they are beyond happy. Her work is very special. She's
also extremely kind and sweet with children - just a very good person. Don't expect bargain
prices - she works hard to create her photography. I see that she devotes many hours to each
client she works with from beginning to end (not to mention what things must cost her--I run
my own business and I know!) She did something miraculous for my family because everyone
looked young and sparkly again. If my child had drool or bruises or whatever that I wanted
taken out, she includes that in the price already. I know that she frames too. She has a
great play area for your children while you look at her work. Her studio is beautiful. It's
near Chez Panisse in North Berkeley. I can't say enough about her work!! http://
www.artvisionsportraiture.com. 510-848-5450
anonymous
Loren Weltsch did our wedding photos--which we were very happy with--and does kids and
families too. She takes great photos at very reasonable rates. Usually outdoors. Color
and black/white.
www.lorenwphoto.com
loren[at]lorenwphoto.com
May 2006
I am looking for someone to take some family portraits. I left
messages with several of the recommendations from the website
but haven't gotten any return calls! Can someone recommend a
good professional photographer?
thanks
kb
Hi,
I'd like to recommend Shoey Sindel (c_sindel[at]hotmail.com). She's
great with kids and takes wonderful photos
jamie
Anita Medal creates fabulous portraits. I recommend that you call her and take a look at her
work. 510-845-8105
Julie P
I have a wonderful photographer. They are a husband and wife team. They were our wedding
photographer and also do family portraits. Patricia does fabulous work and they both ahve such
great warm personalities. Her website is Patricia France and her website is
www.patriciafrance.com. We are going to have them do our family portrait this year for our
annual Christmas cards. Let me know if you have any questions about her work. Jennifer
jennifer.g
I highly recommend Inga Heuser. She does beautiful work, in both color and black and white. She
has great ideas about where to shoot the photos, (we went to the merry-go-round!) Or, she has a
great studio in the Montclair Hills. She is easy to work with, and her work is top quality.
Check out her website at www.venividiclick.com or call her at 800.822-1428
Susan
Hi,
I can highly recommend Shoey Sindel for family photography. She has done both candids and
portraits of my daughters, and we were very pleased with the photos, but even more with her
great approach with our kids, creating a warm, fun environment. And I can guarantee that she'll
call you back! Here is her contact info: shoeysindel[at]msn.com; phone 510.917.0659
Cheers, pc
I would highly reccomend Pia Navales-Cook as a family photographer. In May 2006, she
photographed our family of four at our home -- and I believe she really captured our
family's personality. The photographs turned out absolutely beautiful. I think she is
comprable, if not cheaper, than other photographers out there. She charges $60 per roll of
film -- and if you choose to do what I did and buy each roll of film on disc ($200/roll) --
then you can easily print out your pictures at a high quality pretty much anywhere (I used
kodakgallery.com). We in fact loved Pia's work so much and her friendly easy going demeanor
-- that she will be photographing my parents, two brothers and their families, and my family
(there's 12 of us in all) in just a few short weeks. Besides doing family photos, she also
does ''belly shots'' (pregnancy), kids pictures, and portraits. Reach her at 387-7927 or
pianavales.cook AT gmail dot com. Paz
April 2003
My mother & sister will be staying with me for a week from April
18th. We would like to get a 3 generation portrait taken (2 yrs-
60yrs.) Ideally, the photographer would be in the
Concord/Pleasant Hill area. I've looked in the archives and
would appreciate recommendations.
Thank you.
KB
Hi,
I recently hired Fernando Aguila to take pics of me and my two
kids. I was really pleased with the results, and his rates
were quite reasonable. He gave me a CD with all of the
pictures on it, which was great. I'd definitely recommend him.
I don't know if he works in your area, but you could give him a
try. He's posted in this newsletter a few times and I believe
his website is www.fernandoaguila.com.
Good luck-
Jennifer
There is a photographer that I used and she is absolutely
amazing. Her name is Patricia Kingsley and she can be reached
at (415) 203-8423 or patriciaATpatriciakingsleyDOTcom
Take a look at her stuff at www.patriciakingsley.com
Although in SF, I am sure she will travel and again, she is the
best.
Vincent
I highly recommend Courteney Coolidge to take your family
portraits. You can see some of her work on
www.coolidgephotography.com. She is an extremely
talented photographer and a close friend -- she
photographed our wedding and the pictures were amazing.
She works in Point Richmond and I'm sure she would be
happy to travel to your home for the photo session. Her
email is cmcoolidgeATaolDOTcom.
I have a wonderful photographer to recommend: Wentling Studios
in Concord. They are on Colfax right off Willow Pass Road.
Their number is: 925.685.7760. They have a fantastic way with
kids and are great with adults as well. Please tell them that I
sent you!
Melissa Heller
Check out www.holtzkids.com for family shots. You can see the
wedding work at www.holtzweddings.com and commercial work at
www.ronholtz.com
a much photographed family
Fernando Aguila takes wonderful photos of families and babies.
He lives in Oakland but is willing to travel pretty much
anywhere in the Bay Area. Check out his portfolio at
http://fernandoaguila.com/samples/portraits/portraits.html and
http://fernandoaguila.com/Pages_Portfolio/Portfolio_Portraits_01.
html.
Carrie
Tracey Prever (a good friend) is a great portrait
photographer located in Danville. Please look at her web
site portfolio listed below and call her with any questions.
Tracey Prever Photography
Traditional & Digital On- Site Photography
Phone: 925-837-5804
Fax: 925-837-1604
E-mail: photosATtraceypreverDOTcom
WEB SITE PORTFOLIO: http://www.traceyprever.com
Portfolio.Com Page: http://www.portfolios.com/TraceyPrever
emily
If you're interested in some beautiful but affordable black and white
candid photos of your baby or kids, this is a good deal. Andreina
Febres, a photography student, comes to your home and captures your
child in his or her natural environment with or without the whole family in
the picture. Her rates are less than half of what most photographers
charge since she develops even the big the pictures by herself, rather
than sending them out to a studio. Very good with babies. I wish I had a
scanner to put up on the web the pictures she took of our family, but you
can always meet and see her portfolio.
email her at: andreinafebresATyahooDOTcom
2000
Regarding the request for a photographer, my sister and I used a great
photographer who does do color and black and white. We used him for our
weddings, but he also did a black and white portrait for each of us and our
husbands. At my sister's wedding, he did just a ton of portraits of all her
guests that came out great. If you'd like to reach him, his name is Craig
Merrill and he's in Alameda. I don't have the number, sorry. But I would
think he's listed. Good luck.
I can't recommend highly enough Stephanie Tabachnikoff (Oakland). She is a
wonderfully skilled photographer with an artist's eye and a warmth that
enables her to truly capture the essence as well as the image of people and
relationships. You can reach her at fuff AT ccnet.com.
Lisa
I had the most incredible pictures taken by Tami DeSellier in San Francisco.
She specialized in children. You get one and half hours and two rolls of
film. You can join your child or children in the photo. She is so good at
capturing the babies different expressions. I have never seen pictures like
hers. Several friends have gone and been as equally happy. It is slightly
expensive, but well worth it. I recommend black and white.
Marci
From: Karen
This is in response to the person looking for a photographer to do portraits
that is something between Sears and Sarber's.
I can recommend a photographer who recently took our family portrait. He was
great. We got a lot of good pictures to pick from (including a couple of great
ones of just our son), and he is really good with
kids. (He used to teach in a Montessori preschool).
He doesn't have a studio -- he came to our house and set up all his lights and
stuff. (He lives in Oakland). He's very reasonable and a very nice guy. You
should be very specific about what your'e looking for though just the make sure
that he can do what you have in mind.
His first name is Stu (Stuart)-- I can't remember is last name
off-hand. His phone number is 510-336-0345.
From: Gloria
We used Jamie Westdal for our family portrait. We took several poses with
the whole clan (grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, kids and infant) in
both black and white and color. My sister's proofs looked great.
Unfortunately, when the one proof was blown up, my brother in law's eyes
were closed. I was surprised that Jamie did not notice the error and
still tried to sell the picture to my sister. The pictures with the whole
entire family turned out well. I was not happy with our family picture
which included our 7 week old infant. I think she ran out of patience by
the time we posed for the pictures with our infant.
I have mixed feelings about her work. I don't think she did anything too
creative with our family. I was disappointed because her portfolio looked
great. Hope this helps.
Good Luck!
From: Linnea
If you're interested in an excellent and creative photo (black and white or
color), try Claudia Marseille Photography. She was previously located for
a number of years on San Pablo near Cedar in Berkeley; she's now in
Oakland. Her fee is $200 for a sitting. I haven't had a photo done by her
but have seen her work, and knew her when she was a student on campus years
ago. Very creative and talented. 595-1144
this page was last updated: Mar 5, 2011
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network