Lewis's 1st Birthday Party in Fountain Valley

April 20, 2016

Congratulations to Jennifer and Josh on their first year of parenthood! Their firstborn, Lewis turns one this April and they had an amazing birthday (and farewell) party at their home in Fountain Valley. Not only was I able to enjoy time with my nephew and all his friends and family who love him, but I was invited by Jen and Josh to capture their memories in photos.

Between stuffing my face with delicious tacos and playing with all the adorable kiddos, here is a small sampling of the pictures I took.

The Birthday Boy and his SMASH CAKE!

Beautiful Party Guests

The Details

Amazing party, Jennifer and Josh! Looking forward to all the exciting family adventures ahead!

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

April 18, 2016

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. :)

Noah turned two years old this April. How did he get so big!?

My Baby's Monthly Growth Photos - Hi, Noah

April 13, 2016

As a parent, it's hard to not always look back at how far your baby has come since day 1. Preparation for the photo sessions increasingly took more preparation month after month over Noah's first year. Babies get to be a handful as they get smarter, bigger, and fearless -- for safety reasons, it becomes impossible to shoot portraits alone after baby learns how to sit up and roll over!

My husband and I are in awe of how Noah grew up so quickly, and we're glad we have growth photos now that Noah has turned TWO. I'm sure we will still look back at these pictures when he turns 18, haha.

Below is a peek at our monthly photos from week 1 to month 12!

I love shooting monthly growth portraits for other parents, as well. If you live in San Francisco and want to set up a monthly portrait for your quick-growing baby during their first year, contact me.

Naima loving her birthday cake with momma Paula

Alameda Event Photography: Naima's 1st Birthday Party!

April 11, 2016

First birthdays are so precious! Congratulations to momma Paula and daddy Bing on celebrating their beautiful daughter, as well as surviving the first of many years of parenthood. I was invited to capture memories from their amazing party at Twirl, a children's art studio in Alameda.

Happy party guests :)

The details

If you'd like me to provide photos for your event, 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. :)

Crystal & Ryan: San Francisco Botanical Garden Family Photography

April 6, 2016

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. :)