Why I Love San Francisco's Crissy Field + Baby Bradley Turns 1!

September 22, 2017

I have a couple of special things happening here. First -- mini sessions are nearly sold out, and I'm so happy I'll be reunited with families from last year, as well as meeting new faces! Some slots are available for the incredible, colorful, family friendly Hayes Valley, but Crissy Field is sold out. If you're still interested, let me know and I will open up a new date. stephanie@marilee.co

This brings me to the other special thing -- one of my newborns turned 1 year old! Proud parents Grace Ann and Brad brought baby Bradley to play in the late afternoon sunshine, and I was bewildered to see him walking (even chasing me!) in the blink of an eye. There is such joy from behind the camera over this past year. Thanks G&B for inviting me to cover his first year!

If you've never visited Crissy Field before, you'll see amazing views of the San Francisco Bay, but the most prominent part of your view will be the Golden Gate Bridge. Crissy Field used to be a former U.S. Army airfield until 1974. Residents now enjoy a huge stretch of grassy field right along the water.

We met & hung out by the Warming Hut for a few reasons: 1) great parking, 2) there's a pier! 3) beautiful proximity to Golden Gate Bridge and the downtown skyline, 4) lots of grassy fields, 5) tree line to create some shade when needed, 6) there's a little beach! All this is within stumbling distance, so it was great for baby Bradley to roam around. So if you've booked a mini session with me, you'll get to see some of these scenes.

Here are a few of my faves! Enjoy.

Tiffany & Al at Flora Grubb Gardens, San Francisco

May 1, 2017

The vibe at Flora Grubb in San Francisco is amazing. Such beautiful, green life all around with a little Ritual Coffee shop nestled right in the middle. I visited during a quick break in the rain, and it was just so... relaxing.

Tiffany and Al frequent this neighborhood and met for some quick snaps. Check out some of my favorite scenes from around Flora Grubb Gardens below.

Holiday Mini Sessions 2016: San Francisco

October 12, 2016

Update from Monday, Nov 7: I'm excited to report that all time slots have sold out for the original Holiday Mini Session dates, but thanks to those still interested, I've opened up a NEW SHOOT DATE ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2016. Presidio Woodline is the location again due to it's popularity. I have 4 spots available. First come, first served. These photos will be delivered before Thanksgiving. The remainder of the details below remain the same.

Newly added shoot date: November 19 (Woodline)
Shoot dates: November 5 (SOLD OUT), 6 (SOLD OUT), and 12 (SOLD OUT)
15+ photos digitally delivered to you by November 19 in your own shareable online gallery
Cost: $200 + tax ($217.50)
Accommodates up to 4, additional people are $25 each
Reserve your spot: stephanie@marilee.co

This the season for holiday photos! I'm offering a limited number of 30 minute mini sessions in San Francisco this Fall. You'll get a minimum of 15 retouched photos digitally delivered before November 19, perfect for those greeting cards you'll send to family & friends.

You can enjoy the session with just yourself, with your partner, your friends, or with your family of up to 4 (additional family & pets are welcome at $25 per person).

Sign up by emailing your preferred date/city to stephanie@marilee.co. We'll agree on a shoot time and your slot will be saved first-come first-served upon completing payment through my booking system (I use Square).

Holiday Mini Session Dates & Locations

Don't see a date or city that works for you below? Feel free to request another day and I may open up another block.

[SOLD OUT] Saturday, November 5, 2016: San Francisco Golden Gate Park Music Concourse
[SOLD OUT] Sunday, November 6, 2016: San Francisco, Presidio Woodline
[SOLD OUT] Saturday, November 12, 2016: San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts
Saturday, November 19, 2016: San Francisco, Presidio Woodline

Weather permitting. In the event of heavy rain or act of nature, we will reschedule at no additional cost.

Styled Bridal Portraits at San Francisco City Hall

August 23, 2016

How lucky I am to live in San Francisco, home of the most gorgeous City Hall I know of. I was looking do a bridal inspired photoshoot here, so I dusted off my very own San Patrick Calais wedding dress, picked up an amazing floral bouquet from a local neighborhood shop, and joined forces with my good friend & model, Robelene Novero.

Being a new real-life bride herself, Robelene had her modeling muscle memory down solid for these photos, because she looks gorgeous. Though City Hall can be crowded during the week with tours, fieldtrips, and other brides & grooms (we shot on a Tuesday), everyone was extremely respectful of each other's space. We had an amazing time meandering through the beautiful halls to find some beautiful portrait spots -- there are way too many locations in this single building to show here.

Below, you can enjoy a few of my favorite shots from City Hall. More of my bridal & wedding photography can be found here.

Credits: Coordinated by Stephanie of Marilee.co. Special thanks to model: Robelene Novero, assistant: Tiffany Ho, florist: Vanessa Lovato, Polk Street Florist, hair: Adrian Enriquez, makeup: Robelene Novero, dress: San Patrick - Calais

Shooting Aerial Photos from a Doors-Off Helicopter in Kauai

June 1, 2016

I didn't think this would be on my bucket list, but when my husband suggested we take a doors-off helicopter ride (potentially in a storm), I said YES! And I'm so glad we went. We chartered Jack Harter for the helicopter experience in Kauai, starting from Lihue. I knew this would be a great opportunity to learn how to shoot from the air while moving around fairly quick, and I was eager to test my Sony A7.

Lens: My only regret was not bringing the wide angle lens. Because I travel with a toddler, the amount of stuff I can carry is limited, so I only carried my 55mm 1.8 prime lens (aka the workhorse for portrait photography). With a wide angle lens (I have a 24-70mm), MAYBE I could have fit an entire waterfall in one shot. But nope, Kauai waterfalls can be 3000 feet tall!

Shutter speed: Because we were moving super fast (compared to my two feet being planted on the ground 99.9% of the time) and I'd never been on a helicopter before (would it be smooth? bumpy? whippy!?!?), I intentionally shot at 1/1000 and ended up with most shots hovering around f8. In hindsight, the ride was smoother than I ever expected and maybe I didn't need the shutter that fast, but 100% of my shots came out crystal clear with limited noise.***

*** Excluding the shots taken in the rain storm. Yes, we flew doors-off through THE RAIN! The water was hitting so fast, my husband's finger got a small cut when hit with a drop. Craaazy. You will see these ominous looking rain shots. Just scroll down.

I was sure to shoot in RAW because I knew I wanted to see every detail of those mountains, and damnit I'd like to find a shark in the water if at all possible in post (this did not happen).

Thanks, Coryfoo for the grand adventure! Here 27 pics for anyone who wants to see Kauai from above. If you are eager to see more, visit my full-resolution album on Flickr (165 pics).

Our pilot, Myles was the best! Highly recommended. :)