Author Archives: allana

engagement portraits – Joanne & Hil

I was immediately struck by what lovely people Joanne and Hil are. I had suggested dressing for a casual date, but they stepped it up, with a lovely crisp white sun dress for Joanne, and a cool vintage tie for Hil. They were both naturals in front of the camera, and had gone recon style on some location scouting missions the week before. These two have known each other for over a decade, which does explain their rapport, both on and off camera and that the sweet whispers between them seemed to be about laundry and Sunday house chore divisions. Their familiarity and comfort shows. Joanne confided in me that Hil is the more romantic of the two, and this is something she is working on. Though I am happy to report that it was Joanne who chose these gorgeous (and romantic) spots to enjoy this Sunday afternoon.

A few memorable moments from our afternoon in the gardens.

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engagement portraits – Zoey & Scott

We met up with Zoey and Scott at their apartment in Santa Monica. While we walked to the waterfront, they recounted the romantic story of their long distance courtship comprised of red eye cross country flights, and sporadic weekends together. We enjoyed the morning by the Santa Monica shoreline, under the veil of the marine layer. We photographed them in a beautiful organic sculpture, and in a rose garden, and even found a little courtyard of brick for an urban feel. Pretty much touched on a bit of everything.

Here are a few images from our morning stroll:

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portrait – E. Lang & R. Harris

Still acting like newlyweds, though 9 years in, and newly grandparents to an adorable baby girl, Elizabeth and Rick invited me over to make a few portraits of them together. Their home, a wonderful embodiment of their life work – building and playing with structure, color, texture, and form – is an amazing space to visit.

Elizabeth is a spinner, weaver and importantly a thinker, synthesizing her previous careers as psychologist and engineer into her current vocation as an artist. Rick, who Eliabeth jokingly refers to as her Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer, proudly hows me their collection of spinning wheels, their work in basket weaving, spinning and together they are working on a book on Mad Weave, a triaxial weacing technique that is usually done with caning, but they have begun creating with fabrics, papers and wood.

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I was asked to create a graduation portrait for our neighbor and soon to be an SFSU alumn, Kai Pederson. Trent and I made use of his near empty house to set up a little studio. We tried to incorporate elements of his graduation, and his future plans. Kai’s dog Zoe is BFF with our dog. So when they return to New Mexico on Sunday, we are prepared to face some major puppy heartache.

This is one of my favorite portraits of Kai.

PORTRAIT KAI PEDERSON

engagement portraits – liz & steve

I first met Liz & Steve at the Vermont wedding of Scott & Simone.  Turned out they were newly engaged and lived in San Francisco.  Liz & Steve invited me to come along with them as they applied for their marriage license at City Hall.  San Francisco City Hall is a gorgeous interior space. During the lunch-hour we were there we saw a couple get married at the top of the steps (only the officient and the photographer present whom we assumed doubled as their witness); we saw several other couples come through the halls and file their own paperwork; some dallying and giddy, some efficient and business-like; and Liz was even asked to be an emergency witness for another couple who were in a frenzy to get married right then and there.

It was cool to be there to photograph the first legal document of their marriage.

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A ladybug party was discovered in a bunch of greens at the Civic Center Farmer’s Market.  Liz makes a wish.
Afterwards, Liz and Steve took me out to lunch at Tu Lan.  It was, of course, fabulous.

We are very excited to photograph their wedding in June at the Presidio.

expecting – averi & tim

How paths cross, and occasionally more than once.  I met Averi years ago in Boston through a mutual friend.  I ended up shooting her wedding to Tim on the Cape.  She and Tim moved to England.  I moved to San Diego a few years alter.  And now we are both in the Bay Area.  Now she and Tim are expecting their first child together.  I’m thrilled for them.

Last week I spent the afternoon with them at their home in Redwood City,  and we created some maternity portraits. It’s wonderful to reconnect with old friends, and find them in such a warm transitional moment in their lives.

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engagement portraits – Dominique & Jonathan

As those of you who were on the west coast this weekend, it was an amazing past few days in San Francisco. The sun was shining, the sky a brilliant blue, the breeze perfect for hammock napping, the shorelines very crowded. Baker Beach was out of the question for parking so I met up with Dominique and Jonathan on Saturday afternoon at Fort Funston to make some engagement portraits. We found a bit of sheltered shade in the trees and under the natural(I think) arch by the water.
They will be married in June, before their further adventures in Brazil to be followed by Harvard Business School and Law School respectively.


engagement san francisco wedding photography

san francisco engagement portrait

[lost & found] – portrait of actress Brenda Dodge

I took this portrait of Brenda Dodge right before Trent and I moved to San Francisco. Our portrait session began late and ended a bit early, and though I had flagged and finished a selection of images, I was looking through the originals yesterday and found this one.  I can’t believe this one had not been picked before.  Here she is – the very lovely Brenda Dodge:

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travis & sadie

We first met Travis and Sadie at Justin and Jen’s wedding last summer in Mexico. Six months later nearly the same group was gathered together again in Long Beach, at DaVinci restaurant to celebrate the wedding of Travis and Sadie. The whole thing was superb.


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katie & scott

Taking advantage of being in Arizona for the holidays, we met up with the adorable Katie and her fiance Scott to make a few location portraits. They will get married next summer at the El Cortez in San Diego. They currently live in Fountain Hills, and we took the requisite pictures next to one of the worlds highest fountains before heading into the McDowell Mountain Park to cozy up with some cactus. Well, I did at least, and not on purpose.

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