San Francisco Engagement Photography: Steven & Michelle at Golden Gate Park and Sutro Baths

Freshly engaged, Steven and Michelle spent a sunny week in San Francisco and we met in Golden Gate Park at the De Young Museum and took a quick spin over to Sutro Baths. I am honored to have been asked to capture photos of their beautiful relationship. Congratulations on the celebration of your future together, Steven & Michelle!

If you're interested in an engagement photography session, please contact me to reserve your date. I look forward to exchanging creative ideas with you. :)

Yerba Buena Portraits with Amrita and Hafiza - San Francisco

I love that Yerba Buena is so convenient to visit between SoMA and the Financial District, not to mention that it's gorgeous! Amrita and Hafiza met me here for a quick portrait session, and we took a breather from this hot San Francisco afternoon next door at the Metreon Center. Despite the heat, both of these beauties managed to keep looking cool. Looking forward to meeting again, ladies! :) 

If you're looking for a quick < 1 hour portrait or headshot session, contact me! 

San Francisco Maternity Portraits: Karen and Ollie at Stow Lake

With only a little over one month until Karen and Ollie's baby girl arrives, it's hard to believe that they pre-registered at the hospital for the pending birth only hours before meeting me for their maternity session. Karen definitely has that pregnancy glow, and it shows in her beautiful portraits! We met at Stow Lake and took a nice and easy walk around the island in Golden Gate Park.

I love this location for new moms and mommies-to-be because it's relatively flat in most of the picturesque spots, plus it's stroller friendly for when the baby arrives. There's plenty of shade due to the huge amount of gorgeous foliage, so shooting at any time of day is possible. In this case, we met at noon, which is typically the most disadvantageous time to take photos due to harsh light. But with a little bit of flash and some reflectors in the shade, anything is possible!

Check out our results below... we have other super cute photos to share after baby arrives. :) Congratulations, Karen and Ollie! You'll be amazing parents, and I can't wait to meet your baby girl in June. xo

If you'd like to schedule a maternity portrait session, contact me to save your date before your last trimester. Typically, 30-32 weeks is great. 

Edit: Baby Avery Olivia is here! We can now share her name, yay!

San Francisco Fitness Photography: Yoga in SoMA with Hafiza and Amrita

I am a frequent visitor to San Francisco's Public Open Spaces in SoMA and the Financial District. So when I saw this fountain... I had to come back on a weekend when most of the crowds are gone for the weekend. I was not the only photographer who showed up at this location - it's easy to see the attraction!

Models Hafiza, Amrita and I collaborated creatively on these set of photos. I wanted to create a series of images that evoked a sense of calm and beauty in a place that's as urban as it gets. 

I'm really happy with our results and would love to do more of this! Schedule your own portrait session like this... contact me. :)

Crystal & Ryan: San Francisco Botanical Garden Family Photography

Crystal, Ryan and their 1-year-old little girl were in San Francisco celebrating Easter in Golden Gate Park, and we met after the egg hunt for some family portraits. The flowers on their dresses fit in wonderfully at the Botanical Gardens. It's also worth mentioning that the way baby Kaila connected with the camera melted my heart.

I've been eyeing this whimsical red tree for some time now, and I finally visited at a time where the light hit the dangling vines just the right way. It's named as a New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros Excelsa Pohutukawa), but these long reddish vines don't show up anywhere when I do an image search. It's kind of driving me bonkers. Nonetheless, here are our results from our late afternoon stroll through the gardens -- beautiful family, Crystal and Ryan!

If you'd like me to provide your family a photo session like this, send me a message here or email stephanie@marilee.co. I work within a variety of budgets and most of all, I love what I do. :)