Engagement session on the Embarcadero

The other day we were walking around in downtown San Francisco and we thought it would be so great to one day do an engagement session on the Embarcadero.  Many of our recent engagement sessions have happened in wide open nature spaces, so the idea of exploring a more urban area and experimenting with some new scenery was exciting.  A few weeks later that opportunity presented itself.  We had spoken to Michelle and Geoff and had been going back and forth about where to shoot their session and we remembered some of the cool city spots we had found recently.  We met Michelle and Geoff near Justin Herman Plaza and set off to explore some green space at Sydney G. Walton Square and some of the areas around the Embarcadero.  The couple brought their fantastic smiles and great attitude as well as their two dogs George and Frankie. Our evening ended with us shooting some twilight photos on Pier 7. We had a lovely time shooting with these guys and wish them well as they set off for their wedding in the Dominican Republic next year.

Chris and Christian

Indian wedding at Lake Merritt in Oakland

Sharmila and Pace originally contacted us looking for some basic coverage for their Indian wedding at Lake Merritt in Oakland.  While many couples are looking for the full experience of their wedding day to be captured, we are always happy to work with couples that are after something more simple.  Even a short amount of photography coverage can provide a great representation of your day. Sharmila and Pace got married at the historic bandstand surrounded by friends and family.  They were having so much fun and really let it show.  They have to be one of the most expressive couples we've worked with to date.  Indian ceremonies are always so beautiful, engaging, and full of color, and we love shooting them.

After the ceremony, we took a short walk around the lake to The Terrace Room , which is a great space for a wedding reception.  Guests played a round of trivia while waiting for dinner and instead of the traditional "tinking" of glasses to get the couple to kiss, people had to perform a song that had the word 'kiss' in it.  This was a riot!   The evening progressed into some grooving on the dance floor with both traditional wedding hits and some Indian tunes that got everyone moving.

We had so much fun shooting this one!  Congratulations Sharmila and Pace!

Chris and Christian

Detail of woman holding conch shell during Bengali ceremony

Indian woman blowing conch shell during Bengali wedding ceremony in Oakland

Indian wedding at Lake Merritt in Oakland

Couple during Indian wedding in Oakland

Candid photo of bride during Indian Ceremony in Oakland

Exchanging of rings during wedding at Lake Merritt band stand in Oakland

Bride and Groom kiss at Lake Meritt wedding

Detail of Henna on hands and portrait of Indian Bride

Bride and Groom at Lake Merritt in Oakland

Wedding reception detail

Mini cupcakes at Terrace Room wedding reception

Wedding toasts at Terrace Room in Oakland

Guests singing at Terrace Room wedding reception

Bride and Groom kiss during wedding reception in Oakland

First dance at the Terrace Room in Oakland

Traditional Indian dancing at the Terrace Room in Oakland

Wedding guests having fun in Oakland

Small business portraits at Golden West Signs

We recently had the opportunity to shoot some small business portraits at Golden West Signs.  This little sign shop is run by Derek McDonald, a local sign painter in Berkeley. Derek has done work for many small businesses in the East Bay and beyond, including the Temescal Alley Barbershop and Beauty's Bagels. Back in the day, hand painted signs were everywhere but as everything has moved digital these handcrafted signs became somewhat of a lost art.  Thankfully there are still a few super talented artists that are taking up the torch and breathing new life into this craft. We really enjoyed this shoot and look forward to seeing Derek and his business bring hand made craftsmanship in to the future.

For more information about our small business and environmental portraiture, please fill out our contact form.

Chris and Christian

Portrait of local sign painter in Berkeley

Small business portraits at Golden West Signs

Colorful paint cans

Portrait of sign painter Derek McDonald

Portrait of Derek at Golden West SIgns

Environmental portrait of Bay Area sign painter

Temescal Wedding in Oakland

We love to travel and explore far off places and discover new venues.  The Bay Area and Northern California has so much beauty and it's nice to leave the East Bay and be inspired by new sights.  But when Lena and Brent brought their wedding at Pizzaiolo in Oakland to the table it had all the right ingredients and rekindled our love for staying local. We started our day at a lovely Airbnb rental in the South Berkeley area just on the edge of Rockridge in North Oakland.  We spent some time shooting a first look with Lena and Brent and some family formal portraits in the backyard.  We then made our way to a local lake with the wedding party to have a bit of fun exploring and shooting along the way.  Afterwards, it was off to Pizzaiolo in the Temescal District of Oakland.

Lena and Brent and the Pizzaiolo crew did an incredible job creating a great DIY detailed space that was warm, welcoming, and fun.  The outdoor ceremony took place on a spacious outdoor patio with an urban garden feel.  The inside of the restaurant with its distressed brick walls, warm lighting, and large tables allowed everyone to enjoy each others company on that special day.  To wind it all down tables were cleared and folks enjoyed custom cocktails and dancing into the evening.

We are so thankful to the staff at Pizzaiolo for being so accommodating and serving us delicious food!  Congratulations to Lena and Brent!  We are so happy to have had the opportunity to work with you.

Chris and Christian

Bride and Groom during first look in Berkeley backyard

Bride tapping Groom on the shoulder. First Look

Candid of Bride and Groom in Berkeley, CA

Bride and Groom walking at Lake Temescal in Oakland

Candid of Bride and Groom at Lake Temescal

Portrait of Bride and Groom in Oakland

Detail of decorated fountain with wedding chalkboard

Bridesmaids walking down aisle at Pizzaiolo in Oakland

Officiant during wedding ceremony in Oakland

Wedding ceremony at Pizzaiolo in Oakland

Backyard wedding ceremony in Oakland

Bride and Groom's first kiss at Pizzaiolo wedding in Oakland

Cocktail hour at Pizzaiolo in Oakland

Parents of groom during cocktail hour

Inside of Pizzaiolo during cocktail hour in Oakland

Bride greeting wedding guests

Food prep at Pizzaiolo wedding

Detail of vintage lighting at Pizzaiolo

Detail of table setting at Pizzaiolo wedding

Inside of Pizzaiolo

Groom toasting with friends in Oakland

Detail of wedding rings at bride and groom in Oakland Temescal

Detail of yellow rose bouquet

Bride and Groom in Temescal Alley in Oakland

Portrait of Bride and Groom

Spirts on shelves at Pizzaiolo

Wedding toasts on outdoor patio in Oakland

Pizzaiolo patio at dusk in Oakland

Wedding guests mingling

Wedding guests dancing

Dancing wedding guest

Headlands Center for the Arts Wedding

We were looking forward to Kathleen and Jorgen’s wedding at Headlands Center for the Arts since their first email to us.  As photographers in the Bay Area, there are always venues on our wishlist that we can't wait to shoot at.  The Headlands was certainly one of them.  Located in the Golden Gate Recreational Area, the Headlands Center for the Arts is an old military building located on the former Fort Barry near Rodeo Beach.

In addition to picking a beautiful venue, Kathleen and Jorgen were just great to work with.  Kathleen was so detail oriented and she wasn't kidding when she told us that she "DIY'ed the bejezus" out of this thing! We always love brides that have awesome Pinterest boards and impressive timelines on Google Drive. Kathleen and her sisters made all of the bridal bouquets, homemade jam, and all of the other details on display.

The wedding itself was beautiful!  The Headlands certainly didn't disappoint and the campus provided amazing coastal backgrounds. The ceremony took place under a huge eucalyptus tree overlooking fog covered hills of the Marin Headlands. Afterwards we all moved indoors for the reception. The inside spaces were so unique, even the bathrooms were cool! The reception was close knit and food was done family style inside the mess hall.

From their engagement session at the Presidio in San Francisco to their wedding day, we loved working with Kathleen and Jorgen (and their handsome dog Quatrro). Congratulations you two!

Venue: Headlands Center for the Arts Coordinator: Simply Events Officiant: Carolyn Selic Catering: Katie Powers Catering Florist: Bride and Sisters