Hi, I'm Emilie, your Northern California Portrait Photographer.
I'm so glad you're here! I'm a Bay Area portrait photographer with a passion for capturing genuine connection and the small, meaningful moments that make your story unique. I work with couples, families, and individuals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, creating portraits that feel less like a photoshoot and more like a memory worth keeping.
Photography That Feels Like You
My photography style is rooted in real moments, the in-between glances, the belly laughs, the quiet tenderness that makes your story uniquely yours. I believe the best portraits aren't posed or perfectly orchestrated; they're felt. My goal is to create sessions that are relaxed, fun, and built around genuine connection and tell the real story of who you are and what you mean to each other.
Whether I'm photographing couples, families, or individuals, I create images that feel true to who you are. Every session is guided by curiosity, laughter, and a whole lot of heart. You just need to show up as yourself. The result? Portraits that don't just look like you, they feel like you.
How a Bay Area Girl Found Her Calling
My love of photography started long before digital cameras existed. Growing up in the Bay Area, I was the friend always behind the lens, capturing moments on film and spending afternoons in the darkroom bringing them to life. After a fulfilling career in graphic design, photography kept calling me back and when the pandemic hit, I finally listened. Taking the leap and starting my own business has been the greatest adventure yet. I get to wake up every day doing work I love, create something meaningful from start to finish, and hand my clients portraits they'll treasure for generations to come.
Now, I get to do what I love every single day, photographing real people and real moments across the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. I live in Concord, CA with my husband and our two pups, Kaya and Alfie. When we're not out exploring the Bay Area, you'll find us plotting our next international adventure.
It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like,
IT’S ANOTHER THING TO MAKE A PORTRAIT OF WHO THEY ARE.
- PAUL CAPONIGRO
THE VALUES Behind the Lens
EVERYONE IS WELCOME.
I photograph individuals, couples, and families of all races, genders, body types, orientations, religions, and ages. Your love and your story deserve to be captured authentically and joyfully; exactly as you are.
KINDNESS & EMPATHY FIRST.
Every session is built on respect, patience, and genuine care. I prioritize connection, comfort, and kindness in how I photograph people, and I honor your story exactly as it is. No retouching, no stereotypes, no judgement.
BODY POSITIVE, ALWAYS.
I celebrate real people exactly as they are. No unrealistic retouching, no forced perfection. Just honest, beautiful portraits that reflect your true identity. I want every single person who steps in front of my camera to feel confident, comfortable, and completely seen.
COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT.
I believe in giving back to the communities that inspire my work. I make a conscious effort to support local spaces and small businesses across the Bay Area, practice sustainably, and leave every location better than I found it.
CONTINUOUS LEARNING.
I'm committed to always growing, as a photographer and as a human. That means actively listening to new voices, educating myself on inclusivity and accessibility, and continuously evolving my practice to better serve and represent every person I photograph.
FUN FACTS
About Me
My heart belongs to two very good dogs.
Kaya is a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix who thinks she runs the house (she does), and Alfie is an Australian Cattle Dog/Border Collie mix who is convinced every session needs a canine assistant.
I'm a Bay Area native through and through.
Born in Berkeley, raised in Alameda, and after calling Hayward, San Francisco, and Castro Valley home over the years, the pandemic led us to our dream house in Concord. I love California and everything it has to offer. Some people leave the Bay, I just kept exploring it.
My editing playlist is a little unexpected.
You may find me deep in a gallery with Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables playing at full volume. Growing up on musicals and golden oldies like the Temptations and Four Seasons means my editing sessions are equal parts dramatic and soulful. And yes, a Disney soundtrack or two may sneak in there as well. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I've been bitten by the travel bug & there's no cure.
I'm a passionate globetrotter with a camera permanently attached to my hand. I've explored Japan, Austria, Czechia, Germany, and beyond, always with my camera in hand. Traveling has made me a better photographer — there's nothing like experiencing the world to deepen your eye for light, culture, and human connection.
Christmas market hopping IS a competitive sport.
True story: in 2023 my husband and I covered over 900 miles across 3 countries in 6 days just to visit Christmas markets. We visited 27 markets across Germany, Austria, and Czechia. and may have gone slightly overboard bringing home 24 Christmas mugs and 32 ornaments. Zero regrets.
I'm a proud member of a philatelic club
Yes, that means I collect postage stamps. What can I say? Each one is a tiny, intricate work of art, and as someone who sees beauty in the smallest details, it makes perfect sense that I'd be drawn to collecting them.
drink order:
Green tea, oolong, chai, or black tea with cream and sugar. All the teas, please. I technically drink coffee too, but only if it's approximately 10% coffee and 90% cream and sugar. At that point you might as well freeze it and make me coffee ice cream, which happens to be my favorite flavor.