Photographer for Babies & Children
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
- Photos of Newborn with parents
- Photographer for newborn photos
- Photographer for first birthday party
- Newborn photographer for less than $500?
- Child Photographer Recommendations Needed!
- Professional photographer for candid photos of kids
- Photographer who can capture my kids in motion outdoors
- Someone to take photos of 5 month old
- Children's Photographer for less than $100?
- Berkeley photographer for candid shots of babies & toddlers
- Candid, photojournalistic shots of children at play
- Photographer for one year old's birthday
- Earlier Reviews
Photos of Newborn with parents
May 2015
Hello BPN! I'm looking to give a gift of a photography session to my friend who is about to have a baby in June. I looked at the recommendations listed on the site, they seem to be a few years old. Any recommendations for a photographer for a newborn and parents? Looking for someone specifically who would give the parents a copy of the image files on CD. Thanks! Anon
For a Newborn Family Photographer, try http://www.tracyseeger.com/ TracyLynn Seeger Photography. She has done many newborn/family photos. Good luck. Monica
Call Cindi at Two Irises and you will give your friend the best gift ever. Check out her galleries, http://galleries.twoirises.com/Family and you will see that she is one of the best photographers that you could find. Not only is she a fabulous photographer, but her relaxed demeanor really helps the photo shoot be a success. Happy mom
I highly recommend that you try Margaretta Mitchell. She is a wonderful portrait photographer! She has done photographs of my family several times. She really knows what she is doing and is fun to work with. Best of all, the results are phenomenal! Check out her beautiful website at 'margarettamitchell.com.' She has been doing this for decades and it shows! Good luck and have fun with it! Leah M
I highly recommend Sara Hougan of Bloom and Zoom Photography. We did a family photography session with her and our 10-months-old last year, and it was great. She was wonderful with our kid, we had a great time, and the pictures turned out amazing. She also does newborn sessions, and She provides a link to download the pictures. http://www.bloomandzoom.com Anne
I recently contracted a photographer for our family portraits, and would wholeharteadly recommend her. The portraits turned out great and we were very pleased with the experience. The photographer's specialty is actually newborn photography, so this would be right up her alley. Her prices are very reasonable, and just like you asked - you will get the digital files. She is in SF, but will travel to you. You can see her work here: www.fb.com/AlbenaPhotography milena
Photographer for newborn photos
March 2015
I'm looking for a photographer for newborn photos that serves the East Bay. Any recommendations would be much appreciated! Katie
Tristan Crane Photography is my go-to. He's a great photog and loves children. He did a shoot with my partner and me while I was pregnant and another a couple weeks ago with our 3-month-old son in the Oakland Rose Amphitheatre. You can see his work here: http://tristancrane.photoshelter.com/gallery-list Lauren W.
Anne Daiva is outstanding. She photographed my son when he was just 8 days old and able to capture some very sweet shots. She was super flexible in taking lots of breaks for us so he could eat, change diapers, fuss, etc. We have worked with her for years as our family photographer. She is the very very best. Highly recommend. http://annedaivablog.com/beginnings/ Heather H
Nancy Rothstein has a wonderful studio. I've been there twice. Wonderful soft lights and she has the knack to relax people, including babies. You can see her work here. http://www.nancyrothstein.com/ Here is her contact info nancy [at] nancyrothstein.com {t} 877.881.7221 Stuart
Katie, my photographer Shoeu Sindel is an amazing. She makes connection with people very easily including babies and the little wigglers. You just relax and enjoy. She catches those precious moments while you are playing. She became a family photographer for many family from pregnancy to newborn to many many years of birthday parties to graduation. Her studio is on Solano Ave in Berkeley. Her email: shoey [at] shoeysindel.com phone# (510) 917-0659. Enjoy, Lan
You'd want a newborn photographer to be creative, sensitive, good-natured, professional and a mother herself. Shoey Sindel fits that description. Her photographs of moms and newborns are stunning. Her website: www.shoeysindel.com and phone: 510-917-0659 Katherine
Reenie Raschke has a wonderful eye for family photography. She is great at capturing beautiful images of little (and big) ones! She has a studio in Montclair, but also shoots offsite. http://reenieimages.com/ Angie
Photographer for first birthday party
July 2014
I am looking for a photographer to take photos at my son's 1st BD Party on July 27th. 2:30-3:45pm. -Must be good with kids of all ages. Thanks. MW
Nan Phelps is terrific. We've used her more than once. Happy Customer
Newborn photographer for less than $500?
March 2014
I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a good newborn photographer. It seems like the going rate for a 2-3hour session with digital images is at least $500. Has anyone used someone that is cheaper? I'd love any leads on someone that is fantastic but inexpensive. Michal
I have had a few different photographers for my son, but the best photos were shot by Sharon Goldstone. She has a website, but her phone number is 415-608-9373. She has been able to catch something about my son that no other photographer has done. Her prices were very competitive, and she does something that other photographers don't; she gives you the disc, rather than selling you photos. Of course she also prints out photos for you,too. Anyway, I've been very happy looking at precious photos of my son as an infant and toddler by her. very satisfied customer
I know a fabulous photographer who only charged $250 for newborn photos. She is a very intuitive artist that uses a candid approach that really captures the spirit of her subjects. She is located in Benicia but will travel to shoot on your location of choice. Her name is Danielle and You can check her out on instagram under moonfish photography or on her website moonfishphotography.com The pictures she took of my babies turned out so sweet and she even made me look radiant even though I was swollen and sleep-deprived. I was so happy with her work. Kylie
We love Opal from Opal Moments Photography. She was our photographer for our engagement photos, wedding photos, and we recently hired her again for just a fun photo shoot and to get a few professional photos. She does everything - including newborn photos. She also charges extremely reasonable rates - a total rarity in the Bay Area! She's fun to work with and I feel natural and comfortable around her, and she produces high quality photos. We've heard such great compliments on her work from people who really know quality photos. Check out her website: opalmomentsphotography.com Kirstin
I can recommend Valjean Anderson - am pretty sure she's cheaper than $500. She's a local mom and I've seen her newborn pics, they're great. Her biz website is http://bluechairphotography.com/#/val/ or email her at valorie83 [at] gmail.com - good luck! Debbie
Child Photographer Recommendations Needed!
Nov 2013
I'm looking for some recommendations for photographers that can take some photos of my 3 year old daughter, and possibly our dog (our 2nd daughter). I am more interested in someone who can take spontaneous photos in a natural setting (i.e., outdoors) rather than in a Sears Portrait Studio kind of staged setting. I am in Berkeley so the East Bay would be preferred to San Francisco or other areas, but finding the 'right' photographer would be more important than location. Also, do photographers generally let clients own the digital negatives or do they charge by the number of prints that are ordered? Is one way preferred over the other? Many thanks - any suggestions would be appreciated.
I personally know Margaretta Mitchell and she does beautiful work that starts by putting people at ease. I saw her give a presentation once and she is a passionate artist with a long history of experience. Her eye is fantastic - http://www.margarettamitchell.com I'm guessing she's fine with you're having the original camera images, but you'd have to check with her. Beautiful family pictures are SO valuable. Best of luck, Eric
We've used Rebecca Hutchins of RAH Photography. You can check out her work on her website, but we've used her a couple of times for natural/outdoor photos of the family. We also have a toddler and a dog we consider to be our ''firstborn''. Rebecca is flexible and has a sense of humor, a great combination when trying to get photos of kids and dogs. She is located in Mill Valley, but will travel around the Bay Area for a small additional charge. Her prices generally include a CD with all digital images. She's great! Karen
You should definitely use Mary McHenry Photography. She took photos of our children at when they were 3 and 5 and more recently again when they were 4 and 6 and she takes dreamy, gorgeous shots. She has two kids of her own and really knows how to work with them- calmly. You can purchase the files or prints, all top top quality. Highly recommend. Website: www.marymchenry.com Blog: www.marymchenry.com/blog Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaryMcHenryModernPhotography Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/marymchenry Phone: 510.407.7959
I know two photographers who will meet or exceed your expectations. The first Is Auey Santos (check out http://www.photograffiti.net/index2.php? v=v2#!/4/II_Belong/2) for a gallery of some of her portraits. She has taken spectacular family photos of friends of mine, some of whom are included in her gallery. Auey is also a bundle of smiles herself, truly easy to be around. She seems to do really well in natural settings outdoors, and she's able to capture the joy and relationship between people in her photos. The second is Cindy Fong, who also does design and branding. See http://www.studiofong.com/category/photography/. Scroll down a ways to see more of her work. Cindy's photos tend to have more of a designed aspect to their compositions, but they are also beautiful and brilliant. She's also very easy to be around, very low-key and calm. Either one of these would do a great job. Give them a call and see which one suits your fancy a little more--and then you can also ask them about digital files. I don't happen to know what their standard practice is.
We worked with Keri from Small Miracles Photography and had a great experience! She photographed our 2-week old daughter in our home in Oakland, and I know she also does outdoor shoots around the bay area. She even came back for a second shoot for free because DD got too tired to finish the shoot. Keri was wonderful to work with and was very affordable for the quality. Her packages also include BOTH print and digital. All the other photographers I looked at charged a lot to purchase digital prints (~$100 per photo). Having the digital versions was important to us so that we can print more and post online. Emily
Roots and Shoots are amazing! They are fun, friendly, spontaneous, great with kids and families, work in outdoor settings, and they really know how to capture the spirit of your child(ren). Highly recommended. Check out their website at roots-shoot.com Debbie
Nancy Rothstein has a knack of relating to children. I'm in a business group with her and have seen many of her photos of children, including young ones and photos of pets. Nancy has the training and the eye to capture the best expressions of the people she photographs. Since many people want digital files of photos, she does provide clients a choice of the digital files or photograph prints. Here is her contact info 877-881-7221 Studio 510-384-9298 Mobile www.nancyrothstein.com nancy [at] nancyrothstein.com Stuart
I can highly recommend Angela Lang from Angela Lang Photograph. She lives here in Oakland with her beautiful young family and she is just great with kids and dogs too! She has taken photographs of our family over the past few years - even getting my grumpy teens to smile. Here is a link to her blog http://angelalang.com/blog/ so you can see some of her work. deb.h
I recommend Nancy Rothstein (www.nancyrothstein.com). She's fantastic with children and captures people at their natural, spontaneous best. We've worked with Nancy for several occasions. She can walk you through the options of negatives, prints, etc. RC
This is an easy one! Angela Lang! She is amazing with kids, families. . . and yes, she takes photos of dogs, too! www.angelalang.com. Debbie
I highly recommend Jessica Rattner (jessicaeverattner [at] gmail.com). She is brilliant. We've been working with her on a year-long-project with our family (which we began when I was pregnant with my #2). She specializes in informal documentary style portraits, is fabulous with kids, and takes time to get things right. She has an amazing capacity to just sink in with you, in your home and life, and create the most beautiful, unique image -- some high flying action, some intimate. I can't recommend her highly enough. Leda D
I strongly recommend my neighbor Jessica Rattner, a photographer who specializes in informal documentary style portraits. She really clicks with kids, and has captured my son in a way that I love, repeatedly. Her photos are beautiful and unique, and she is incredibly kind and inventive. Kristen
I would highly recommend Hasain Rasheed. Hasain is a kind, caring person who loves kids. His photography is outstanding. He is in Oakland in the Temescal, and he is an expert at getting the perfect candid shot of that cute shy smile or that adoring-parent-look in an outdoor setting. Just check out his website www.hasainrasheed.com or his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RasheedPhotography a photo-loving grandparent
Professional photographer for candid photos of kids
June 2010
We're looking for a professional photographer to take some pictures of our kids. Most of the photographers I've seen take pictures that look like the kids aren't really in their own element, or the photos are too forced in some way. We want a professional eye for detail and quality, but also photos that really capture the essence of who they are. I hope this makes sense! Any recommendations would be appreciated. picky mom
I would highly recommend Pat Chan. She is a fantastic photographer and really has an amazing ability to capture people's joy and essence. Her website is: www.patchan.com Kate
Lea Delson is great! 510 528 - 6725 http://www.delsonphoto.com/portrait.html Bubbi
Janice Charlson photographed my daughter's Bat Mitzvah and the best photos were of all the children. Check out her website gallery, she has a section on 'family' photos. http://janicecharlsonphotography.com Daphne
we just did a family photoshoot with a great photographer. His name is Jamey Thomas and he was really wonderful with our kids and very easy to work with. We went to the discovery museum in Sausalito and then to the marin headlands and got some great candid shots of the kids and some wonderful posed pics of the whole family. He had just the right balance of directing us to good locations gently while allowing us to be natural and do what we felt like. It was really a nice day/outing for the kids with a photographer along and the kids were not at all awkward. his website is jameythomas.com and his email is jamey [at] jameythomas.com
niki
I just had pictures taken of myself and my 6.5 year old son with Sarah Anderson. www.sarahandersonphotography.net She was absolutely amazing. She just hung out and played with us at the Bay Area Children's Discovery Museum, while snapping pictures along the way. My son loved her, in fact, he was hoping she was going to be his babysitter! :o) The pictures came out beautifully and really captured the essence of my son. I highly recommend Sarah. She's the best! www.sarahandersonphotography.net Heather
Eliot Khuner photographed my son's bar mitzvah, and I have seen photos he has taken of children. He has a playful manner that helps him connect with the child. He photographs in your home or in a park, and he has an eye for artistic compositions and good use of lighting. http://www.ekphoto.com/ 510.524.3569 stu
I highly recommend Reenie Raschke in Montclair- she is wonderful with children and and has a real gift for capturing the essence of her photographic subjects. She's a joy to work with! Check out her website, Reenieimages.com. Reenie fan
http://rachelcapilphotography.com/ Rachel is an amazing children's photographer! Please feel free to contact me for more specific questions! Alex
Fiona Sarn is an amazing photographer! www.fionasarn.com/#children-f478a anon
Margaretta Mitchell, http://www.margarettamitchell.com/, 655-4920, is a fine art photographer who does really exquisite work. She specializes in portraits and has taken pictures of families over the generations. She can help you save the photos in frames, albums, books, or special boxes. She works out of her beautiful garden and studio in Rockridge about Claremont. I have seen a small exhibition of her work and many of her portraits and books. She took the photo for my website, if it helps you can see it at www.centerforstressreduction.com/about.htm. Reba Connell
I can recommend Shoey Sindel, as a very child-friendly photographer. She is fun, funny, has kids of her own, and takes absolutely gorgeous, natural photographs of kids (and adults, too-). Call her 510-917-0659, or check out her website www.shoeysindel.com. Colleen W.
Reenie Raschke Photography in Montclair, Oakland. She's awesome. We've gone to her four times in the last 4 years. When I was pregnant, when child was 10 days old, 10 months old and then when my daughter was 3 with the dog.
She's super fun and spunky not mention a very talented photographer. She'll do photo books, prints, framing, digital images, etc. Her prices are also very reasonable. www.reenieimages.com 510-339-0449 We're happy to be used as a reference. Jennifer
I grew up with few professional portraits and have overcompensated now that I have my own children. I can enthusiastically recommend three kid-friendly photographers.
The first, Amy Perl. She will come to your home or go to a different location. She has a studio now too I think. We did, at least 6 different shoots with her either as a family or for individual children. She shoots in film or digital and her film images are truly wonderful. She is great at capturing the children in their own element. She is a master with framing with the film too - not that she has to retouch things digitally later. http://www.amyperl.com/
Katherine Emery is also fantastic. I think she usually shoots digital but can do film as well. Her framing and use of light is fantastic. She is very technically sound, but I think most of all, she really relates to the children and helps them relax. She is just awesome with all kinds of kids, even those with special needs. I've worked with her, three or more times for photo shoots, http://www.katherineemery.com/
And the third, is Ruth Woodruff. Again, technically great photographer, also really good with timing to capture some wonderful, natural expressions. I just worked with her once at a store event at Ruby's Garden! Fantastic. (Ruby's is an awesome kids store for anyone who hasn't checked it out yet.) My girls were a little tired, and I made the mistake of stopping someplace else on the way there (buzzkill) and scheduling too close to lunch so they were hungry. But she was super helpful and got some really amazing shots. http://www.ruthwoodruff.com/
I haven't been dissatisfied with any of them in any way shape or form, just wanted to mix things up a bit, so not all the childhood photos look 'the same.'
Both Ruth and Amy do store events at local children's stores in Oakland & Piedmont where you can pay a small fee, and try them out.
Babies and children change so fast when they are little. I think I had them photographed about 4 times in their first year, then yearly after that. We try to do an annual family one. If you can't make time stop, at least you can have great pictures. ;-)
Good luck to you. I don't think it'd be possible to be disappointed with any of these three. AJ Nicoll
I highly recommend Amy Perl. She's been photographing our kids for the past three years. Our younger son has never been an easy smiler, but she's always able to coax a natural smile or other expressions that make beautiful pictures. She's fast and affordable (not cheap, but reasonable for the quality of work). http://www.amyperlblog.com/ Christine Z
I have an amazing photographer to recommend: Alpana Aras-King. Alpana specializes in maternity, newborn, family and childrenC,bs photography. But then again, so do many other photographers around here, right? What really makes AlpanaC,bs work stand out is her ability to capture the essence of her subjects in such a natural, relaxed, authentic way. There's nothing forced or artificial about her photos. Alpana approaches her photography as storytelling and has a real gift for getting and presenting the story of whomever sheC,bs photographing. The final results are real one of a kind works of art. As a fellow mom at our school IC,bve gotten to enjoy the pictures/portraits Alpana has taken over the years. I'm consistently blown away by how she really gets the kids and how beautiful the pictures of them turn out. I've also had a chance to see samples of her portfolio and can say her work is just exquisite. I really canC,bt recommend her enough. You can find out more about Alpana at: www.storyboxart.com/blog You Won't Find Anyone Better Than Alpana!!!!
We hope it is not too late to suggest Dorothy Brown of Albany, who is just starting her business, so has reasonable rates, and has a wonderful way of making her subjects feel relaxed and unpressured - both kids and adults. She just let our kids play in our garden and figured out how to make their choice of activities work as a composition. You can see her work on her website; Check out Dorothy Brown Photography Capturing life in the best light Blog: http://www.dorothybrownphotography.com/ Website: http://dorothybrown.zenfolio.com/ cl
I want to recommend two WONDERFUL photographers. The first one we just had a session with today! Her name is Sarka and she photographs newborns and infants. She is incredibly patient and shoots beautiful pictures. Our three month old was fussy for most of the shoot and we still got gorgeous images. Sarka was wonderful to talk to as I nursed and tried to calm our little one down. http://www.sarkatragerstudios.com
Jen Howell is also awesome! She is such a lovely and talented women. She shoots newborns, infants, children, maternity, dogs and weddings. She lives a little far away in Lodi but is happy to travel. Also if she can get enough people to fill a day she will do a day of mini-shoots in the area. Her mini-shoots are only $75 for the session and are so worth it. She shot two of my friend's weddings, my maternity photos and we also plan to hire her for our wedding this fall. http://newvintagephotographybyjen.com
I highly recommend both of these wonderful women!! Have fun! Jessica
I didn't see the original post, but thought I'd put in a plug for Jeff Petry - info [at] petryphoto.com OR 650/529-4733 ... he did my sister's wedding and is not only a really good guy who I've known for years socially, but I can happily recommend him because I've seen his work! Amy
I would recommend my friend Laura at Elle Photography. She and her partner have done our family portraits and also do weddings. She has a great eye, is client-focused and is very reasonably priced. Check out her website at: http://www.ellephotographs.com Kate
I have seen the work of many wedding photographers but Madeleine Tilin's work captures something deeper. She has an eye for beauty and taps into the emotion of the moment. I've been married for ten years and recently Madeleine took photos of my family that nearly made me weep they were so full of love and playfulness. www.madeleinetilin.com www.madeleinetilin.blogspot.com www.madeleinetilinphoto.smugmug.com Find more information at: www.yelp.com www.weddingwire.com www.facebook.com/pages/Madeleine-Tilin-Photography Laura
Photographer who can capture my kids in motion outdoors
April 2010
I am looking for a photographer recommendation. I am interested in someone who can capture my kids in motion outdoors. Cheers!
Christina Shook in Orinda. She's great at capturing natural moments with kids.
I highly recommend e photography. Chris and Christian are local, great with kids and take beautiful photos, at an affordable price. We have done photo shoots with them at outdoor locations. http://www.enbphotos.com/index2.php have fun!
Modern Kids Photography is the best! Sarah Wert took amazing photos of my kids outside. They had a lot of fun (she is so nice and put us all completely at ease), and we will treasure those photos for the rest of our lives, really. http://www.modernkidsphoto.com/ Modern Kids fan
March 2010
Re: Mall portrait studio offering CD?
Why not try a more personal approach for portraits? I would like to recommend Caroline Ikeji for your photographic needs. I have seen many examples of her work with children of all ages, and she has a real knack for capturing the moment, which is very important with young kids. She is very sweet and patient and draws out even the shyest of children. What I really like about her is her sense of location. When appropriate for the subject, she seeks out the most interesting and often quirky location, and it really helps to add depth to the subject. This is great for her work with teens and recently engaged couples. Her pictures of children (and pets, by the way) are incredibly cute and natural without being in the least bit saccharine. You can check out her work at http://caroekgphotography.wordpress.com or email her at ca.ikeji [at] gmail.com Her rates are incredibly reasonable. Corinne
Someone to take photos of 5 month old
Feb 2010
I am looking for someone to take portraits of my 5 month old daughter in Berkeley. I have been to the major department stores but they are just too expensive and very impersonal. Any suggestions? looking for portraits
Recently, through local friends who have used her services, I've seen some really lovely portraits taken by Dorothy Brown--check out her website at www.dorothybrown.zenfolio.com or contact her by email: dorothybrownphotography [at] gmail.com. Her work is alive and warm, and really captures the essence of the people she is photographing. I believe she's very reasonable, too. Check her out! best wishes
I would highly recommend Dorothy Brown as a portrait photographer for your baby. She does amazing work that looks informal, relaxed, and real. She captures the essence of the person or people she is photographing and is so easy to work with. I had Dorothy take photos of me for work, Facebook, etc. and was so pleased with the whole experience. Visit her website: www.dorothybrown.zenfolio.com email her at: dorothybrownphotography [at] gmail.com Carolie
I'm happy to recommend Sarah Anderson as a great photographer operating out of El Cerrito. She does beautiful work, is really easy to work with, and is very reasonably priced. Check out her website: sarahandersonphotography.net. Anne
I recetly had portraits of my 4 month old daughter taken by Adrianna at Sweetheart Photgraphy. She was so great!!! She did everything I wanted plus offering her own opinion and inputs. She took gorgeous photos of daughter and perfectly captured our daughters personality. Her websie is www.sweetheartphotogrphy [at] webs.com I highly highly reccomend her!!!! very satisfied mother!!!
Children's Photographer for less than $100?
Feb 2008
I am looking for a studio/photographer to have my 2 year olds picture taken. When searching the archives it seems the photographers listed were all at least $200- before getting any pictures! Does anyone have any recommendations for a studio/individual who does children's photography for under $100? Does not have to be fancy, but would prefer to avoid chains such as Picture People, Sears, etc. Snap Happy Mommy
There are excellent photographers that do mini sessions at the kids stores Waddle & Swaddle (on Shattuck), and at Crackerjacks (off of Piedmont Ave). I've gone to the one at Crackerjacks 3 times now, the photographer's website is www.amyperl.com and upcoming dates should be on the site or you can call the store. She sets up a space in the store window to take pictures with natural light. The sessions are 15 minutes for one roll of large format film (12 shots per roll); you can get more than one roll at a discounted price. If I remember correctly it's $50 for the session and then you pay for reprints. You get to see the proofs on line and order online and she mails you the prints. The prints are really reasonable. In the 12 shots I always find a couple of images that I want reprints off. She shoots in B and/or color. anon
Anna Kaminska is a very talented photographer. She has taken photos of my children and I've seen her other work. You can check out her web-site at: www.akaminska.com, or phone: 510-599-0639. She is great to work with, puts the kids at ease, and has a wonderful way of capturing natural looks that really show who they are. Her fees are very reasonable. Yvonne
Lea Delson does a really nice job photographing families and children. She has taken great portraits of my older daughter as a baby, of my husband and me with the baby, and of our extended family, including grandparents and my sister's family. She also did some charming ones of my younger daughter who is now 8 months old. She has photographed my mother\x92s birthday parties and put together really lovely albums of the occasions. Lea enjoys photographing families in natural settings, such as parks and backyards, and she\x92s good at getting folks to relax and have fun so expressions are natural and kids look happy. Her rates are reasonable, and she will come to your home. Her website is www.delsonphoto.com and she\x92s at (510) 528-6725 emanuela
Berkeley photographer for candid shots of babies & toddlers
June 2007
Does anyone know of a talented local (berkeley) photographer who takes great candid shots of babies/toddlers, who has a decent price for the photo shoot AND includes delivery of negatives, or CD, in price for shoot? What I'm looking for is someonewho is willing to take some great pictures, and then I want to be able to print whatever I want to at a good price, not the $10/4 x 6 a lot of local photographers are charging. Lots of recent posts (from May) in newsletter on baby photographers, but none seem to offer this service. Want to be thrify in photo department
Nancy Rothstein is an excellent child photographer. She is reasonably priced and took the cutest photos of my three month old with 3 of my other friends babies. She photographed the babies with great skill and everyone had fun! She has a talent for capturing the life and personality of children. Her web site is www.nancyrothstein.com Julee
Try Janine Weston. She's not in Berkeley, if that is a top concern, but fairly local. Her photography of children is beautiful, very natural, capturing their whimsy. She charges a flat fee for a sitting plus some enhanced photos and a CD of all the unedited photographs so you can edit/print your own if you want to. www.westonphotography.net/ susan
I highly recommend Misty Richmond as a great children's photographer. Check out her blog at http://mistyrichmond.wordpress.com/ to see recent photo shoots she did of kids at local East Bay Parks. She does mini photo sessions (20 minutes) and gets terrific photos in a very short period of time (perfect for little ones with no attention span. We have used her two times and so pleased with her photos of our daughter both times. The prints are less expensive than what you have mentioned. I think she is wonderful and takes great photos. If you have any questions please feel free to email me. Lisa
Candid, photojournalistic shots of children at play
April 2007
Can anyone recommend a good children's photographer who could do candid, photojournalistic shots of children at play? kim
I highly recommend Jennifer Pantaleon at 650.359.6225. She's located in Pacifica, but East Bay locations would not be a problem for her. Her work is sensitive and beautiful, she does a nice job with children, and her prices are reasonable (at least, from my perspective as someone who hires her to do work for nonprofits). She's a great choice for candid, ''real'' shots, and also does nice environmental portraits. Eva
I can recommend Sam Deaner who might be exactly what you are looknig for (she has a background in photo journalism). She has taken beautiful black and white pictures of my 2 year old. Kasia
Sam Deaner (sammydeaner[at]yahoo.com) is an excellent journalistic-style photographer, and has two small children herself so she understands the demands of a photo shoot with young ones. I highly recommend her. Liz O.
Eliot Khuner photographed my family several years ago. He has a technique for relaxing us before taking the photos. He also knows how to pose people for the best composition. His phone is 510.524.3569 Stu S
Jen Molander Photography. www.jenmolander.com Jen is a wonderful photographer and her work is nothing but beautiful and professional. I initially used her for my wedding. Then for my pregnancy, baby and toddler photos. And will use her again for my second baby who is due at the end of June. What I especially love is her ability to put you at ease. You forget rather quickly that your photo is being taken, even when you're exposing a rather big pregnant belly. When friends come to the house they always comment on the photos that we have displayed. They are ''real'' photos that capture you and/or your family in a natural state. I don't know how she did it but every photo of my son was beautiful. I cried when I first saw them. She got that smile or sparkle that I see in my son's face. The one that you wish you could bottle up and save for that gloomy day. karenlk
I wanted to give a glowing review to Jen Molander Photography, http://www.jenmolander.com/. She took both my wedding photos and recently did a photo shoot of my daughter, and both experiences were wonderful. She is so great at putting people at ease and capturing both candid and studio shots. Check out her website or give her a call at 510.528.0055 -- you'll love her!! Corinna
I have used Ruth Woodruff (http://ruthwoodruff.com) on numerous occasions because I enjoy her work so much. Photographing children in a photojournalistic style is definitely her strong point. The way she captures their true essence and spirit is really amazing! I always appreciated how she really just let my kids -be-, and didn't try to pose or position them or make them sit still ;) Her prices are extremely reasonable and she is such a pleasure to work with. Michelle
I recommend Shoey Sindel for candid kid shots. She took simply fantastic pictures of my kids. Call or email her. She lives in Berkeley and has a web site for you to check out. Shoey Sindel Photography, 510-917-0659, photos[at]shoeysindel.com JoAnne
We adore Katherine Emery. She specializes in children and has a journalistic approach. Contact her at www.katherineemery.com.
Our neighbor and friend is a wonderful photographer and specializes in candids of children. You can see her website at: http://marymchenry.com/ good luck
I have a fabulous photographer to recommend for portraits of children -- Photography by Laura Turbow. Laura has the great combination of technical skill and an amazing eye. She has taken photos of my children in her studio, which have such a great polished and professional look, as well as out in nature and in my own home, which have captured our everyday life, the essence of who they are. If you are looking for someone with that photojournalist eye, Laura has it. She has actually worked as a photojournalist for a few newspapers. She is incredibly enthusiastic, and positive...sees the best in her subject, and brings that out. She is also really good interpersonally with kids. Check out her website www.ltphoto.com, or give her a call 510-234-9836. Lilly
Try Mike Thompson. He's young himself, very sweet, and does lovely work. He can be reached at (925) 528-9335, and his web site is www.foolscircle.net. He's in Orinda. Julie
i can recommend a really wonderful kids' photographer who also happens to be a teacher at my son's school! she is very talented (both with the photos and with the kids); she took all their school portraits this year, and they are really lovely...candid, lively, very expressive and beautiful. in almost every single one the child's personality is fully captured--no small feat with 2- to 6-year-olds. the picture she took of my son is truly special--everyone we give/show it to loves it, and i love that it's not your typical school photo, with a boring background and a forced smile. she catches the kids being active and engaged, thus the photos are full of life.
her name is Sarah Tuttle-Singer, and she can be reached at saralehsarai[at]gmail.com. she's available weekends and afternoons for photo shoots, and is happy to share a portfolio of her work if you're interested. oh, and perhaps most important: she is great with kids, very patient and loving! tiffarhae
I wanted to recommend Christy McDonald for absolutely beautiful pictures of children! She captured my children in photos that really display their personality and unique qualities. She has young children herself and is very patient and creative in working with kids. Her website is: www.christymphoto.com Colleen S
My family, like you, wanted photojournalistic shots of our preschoolers rather than studio portraits. We hired Laura Turbow (ltphoto.com, 510.234.9836) to document our children's everyday lives at our house; playing in their room, in the tub, in our bed with us, etc. and the results were incredible. There were so many photos we loved, that truly captured the essence of our children, their play and their personalities. Everyone who comes to our house sees the photos in frames around the house and remarks how beautiful they are. This was the second time we used Laura, the first was for the baby portraits, which we also loved and why we hired her again. We plan to hire her every year to document our children being themselves! Please email if you have any further questions. Rachel
Angela Lang - fabulous - has a website!
Photographer for one year old's birthday
April 2007
Hi, So, my son's 1st birthday is coming up and I would like to have someone take professional photographs of him. I live in Berkeley and am new to the bay area. Something close by would be ideal. Thanks! Keri
We've had our son's pictures taken several times by Helen Bae - she is a Berkeley mom of two and takes wonderful pictures. You can go to her house, meet her somewhere outside or she will come to your house. Check out her website for pictures and contact info: http://www.helenbaephotography.com/ Love our baby pictures!
I highly recommend Anna Kaminska for photography of children and adults. She has a talent for getting great expressions of children captured in print. You'll find her kind, patient and great with kids (she has 3 children herself). Anna can be reached at (510) 599-0639. ymansell
My daughter is 15 months old and we have done two sittings (and are planning to schedule another) with a wonderful photographer named Helen Bae who I would highly recommend. Take a look at her website...www.helenbaephotography.com. Helen is really down to earth, has young children herself so she can handle a squirmy one year old and my daughter loves her. She works out of her home in El Cerrito or will do outdoor photos. I've found her prices to be very reasonable. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. Jaclyn
Helen Bae is a local wonderful children/baby photographer. She will come to your home. Take a look at her photographs at http://www.helenbaephotography.com/. She has a great sense of humor and makes people feel comfortable. I particularly like her ''body parts'' photographs http://www.helenbaephotography.com/collage.html Ruth E
Helen Bae took photos of our one year old (and some of our 3 year old and all of us). They turned out beautiful and the process was fun. She works out of her home in Richmond. Check out her website helenbaephotography.com. Her number is 548-2560. Melissa
Nan Phelps in Albany takes wonderful portraits of children. You can view her portfolio online at www.nanphelps.com. tjc
Anita Medal 510-845-8105. She does special events as well as portraits, very nice work. She is in Berkeley. Julie P
i'd recommend amy perl in oakland and lisa lefkowitz in san francisco. i'd check out their websites to get an idea of their work. they have both taken pictures of my 13 month old during this past year and i really like their work. lisa's main website is more wedding-related but her blog has some kid pics: http://lisalefkowitzphotography.bigfolioblog.com/ i believe amy perl's website is amyperl.com good luck! i'm so glad i have wonderful pictures of my baby - you won't regret it! anon
I highly recommend Helen Bae in El Cerrito. http://helenbaephotography.com/ She took pictures of my daughter when she was 2 months old and a few weeks ago when she was almost a year. She isn't cheap but you get what you pay for - beautiful pictures that really capture your child's personality. She took some wonderful pictures of our whole family too. martha
I'm sure you'll get plenty of responses for this...but I'd like to recommend Pia Navales-Cook. She took wonderful photos of my kids, our family, and our extended family -- on different occasions. Her prices are really reasonable -- and she is a friendly, patient, and warm photographer. My kids (even my son who was 15 mos at the time) ended up with gorgeous portraits that I (and everyone who sees them) adore. Check her out www.piafoto.com Paz
Mark at Mark Stephan Photography takes great children's photos. He's done our several years now and we've always been very impressed with the quality of the photos. He shoots with a very powerful digital camera and does wonderful close-ups as well as fun ''unposed'' shots. His website is: http://www.stephanphoto.com/portraitPage.html patti
I can very enthusiastically recommed Helen Bae. She took photos in February of our then-10-month-old son. I am really thrilled with them. They are fantastic photos. Helen had a real rapport with my son. We started the session with her just playing with him and letting him play, and then taking photos as the moments presented themselves. He was having a great time, smiling and giggling, and the photos are wonderful. She has a great eye for capturing just the right moment, and not just smiling moments. Some of the photos were thoughtful, some concentrated, some of my son in his own world. It was very hard to choose our favorites. Helen is located in El Cerrito. Her contact information is http://www.helenbaephotography.com, (510) 548-2560, mommyphotographer[at]yahoo.com. Good luck. Meghan Meghan
We had 1-year pictures of our daughter Zoe taken by Helen Bae in El Cerrito. They turned out beautifully and our relatives went nuts over them. We had rescheduled last minute (as can happen with a 1 year-old!) and Helen was really accomodating. My husband and I chose to be in some of the photos with Zoe and I wasn't really feeling like I looked my best that morning, but was shocked at how good I looked in the resulting pictures :). Oh ya, Zoe and my hubby looked great too!:) Helen's studio is in her home and she uses natural lighting. I have to say that I was a bit apprehensive about these facts as I really wanted the photos to look natural, yet professional (a la Herb Ritts:). I wasn't sure that shooting in a house with natural light would really produce the quality of photos we wanted. I was also looking for images that showed our daughter Zoe's personality. We have been very happy with the results! I found Helen's information on the Berkeley Parents Network and she has a website (www.helenbaephotography.com) where you can look at her work and get contact information. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. danagild
Earlier Reviews
Nov 2006
I am looking for recommendations for a photographer who takes baby and children's photos in San Francisco. I looked on the website and most of the photographers listed are in the East Bay. Anyone have recommendations for an SF photographer or someone who will travel without a large fee? Thanks New Mom
I know the best photographer in the universe. I have used her for family photos a number of times and she has such an artful way of getting us to laugh and be ourselves. No stuffy posing or silly outfits. I always figured that there would be one or two photos to choose from after a shoot, as I've never considered myself terribly photogenic. But she captures such a realness and playfulness that I love them all. Well she works in Portland, Or and San Francisco area and seems very reasonably priced. Check out her website and I encourage you to wait for her next S.F. scheduling b/c she is totally worth it. http://debbiebaxterphoto.com/ S.L.
When my (now) 6.5 year old daughter was a baby, we had a woman named Max Schoder take pictures of her. The pictures were fantastic! At that time, Max had a daughter who was only a little older than ours and I think she has a son now, so she understands about taking pictures of babies and small children. She came to our house to take the pictures so we would be more comfortable, talked to us about what we wanted, and gave us suggestions. She was so calm and friendly that my usually anxious daughter was comfortable enough to have some really great pictures taken. She has a website maxlarosa.com Joan
I highly recommend Tami DeSellier (www.tamiland.com). Most baby photographers are great with kids, but Tami seems to be able to connect with babies and kids in such a way that they really respond to her antics. And of course, she has a fantastic eye and artistic sensibility. Her rate is not inexpensive, but the amount of usable images you get from a shoot with her compensates for that. Her studio is easy to locate and parking is available. But she is busy, and sometimes responses are delayed. So be persistent and get a booking with her - you won't be dissatisfied Ellie's Mom
I have used Christy McDonald, Christy McDonald Photography (Fine Art Black & White Photography of Children), Tel: 510-524-6896 a few times in the east bay. She also works in SF and does beautiful work. Christy has two children of her own ands works really well with kids. We love our pictures and will use her again and again as my daughter gets older. Oh, she is very reasonable too. This is her web site http://bludomain6.com/christym kelley
I responded to someone's posting about a photographer/studio in the last newsletter but didn't mention that this guy lives in San Francisco. He recently took my pregnancy photos and they were stellar. Everyone thought I paid big bucks for them--all black and white, all beautiful, and ridiculously cheap. He has been doing photography for years as an amateur because he's passionate about it and has invested in all the professional equipment. He does photos for people on the side (he's really a sociologist/community development consultant). I've known him and his wife for a while and is a really great person and is terrific with kids. His email if you'd like to contact him is: diepinto[at]gmail.com and his name is Diego Pinto.
We have a great, creative and incredibly reasonably priced photographer; he comes to your house with his own lighting and backdrops, he shoots you and your kid/or baby and your dog or whatever on digital, inside or outside or both, black and white and color, he gives you all the images on CD, he creates a beautiful DVD with music that you choose and he uploads them to a site where you can order beautiful prints. His rates are fantastic, he is a kind new father who you don\x92t mind having in your house for an afternoon and we are thrilled with the images he took of our son - my parents watch their DVD every day. His name is Olivier and he actually just moved to North Carolina, but is thinking of coming to the Bay area for a week in early December (12/1-12/6) to do some photography. Here are some links:. http://www.gradientmedia.com/archivebaby/index_2.htm www.gradientmedia.com http://picasaweb.google.com/olepord http://picasaweb.google.com/gradient.media.olivier Please feel free to call or email Olivier if you are interested - Cell 415 786 9903 olivier[at]gradientmedia.com and please pass on to anyone else that might be interested. PAT Reilly/Alexander Winslow PR[at]prandcompany.com
Chris Mende is a wonderful photographer in SF. She's photographed the children of two of my co-workers, and the photos were beautiful! She also photographed my friends' wedding, and I know they were very happy with both the results and the process of working with her. Chris's website should be up and running by the time this comes out: www.chrismende.com Mary
Curtis Myers is an SF-based photographer that does amazing Commercial and personal photography. He's got 2 young kids so he knows how to make the young ones shine in the camera. I work in advertising and was fortunate enough to get to know this warm individual. I will be taking my baby for a shoot with Curtis next week. Email him and he can send you specific samples of children's portraits. His website/contact www.curtismyers.com Art Director Mommy
Sept 2006
Gorgeous Minimalist Children's Portraiture...
Karle Fried is marvelously talented. I recently hired her to take portraits of my boys. They are spectacular. I am an agent for commercial photography, so I have extremely high standards. Karle's work is absolutely breathtaking. Distinctly expressive of the children she shoots, her style is sad and beautiful... bringing up the range of emotions our children fill our lives with. I cannot reccommend her strongly enough. She can be contacted through her website www.karlefried.com.
Rebecca
May 2006
I have reviewed the archives and I'm looking for a recommendation for a reasonably priced photographer that has a package for both maternity shots and follow up baby shots. Any help/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks! Stephanie
I highly recommend Angela Lang for your maternity/baby shots. You can see her work at www.angelalang.com. She does indoor and outdoor photo shoots and is especially good with babies and kids, as she has her own. She recently shot my 3 and 5 year old girls on an outdoor shoot and they turned out beautifully. Many of my friends have used her too and have been very happy.
Try Susan Louie. I don't have her contact info, but she recently had her photos displayed at the Berkeley Main Library. I've seen her baby shots and they are great!
Hi - we used our wedding photographer, a woman named Nu Ho in the Temescal area of Oakland. Her website is www.nuphotography.com, where you can see the spectrum of her work (including 2 of my husband and me!). We used her for our wedding, some pre-pregnancy shots, and late pregnancy photos, and though we never got around to having her do baby shots, will be using her again for toddler photos. She has an amazing eye for artistic shots, and is incredibly nice and easy to work with. Please let her know I recommended her if you go with her. Star
Heather Carpenter is a talented, warm and reasonably priced local photographer with a great portfolio available for viewing online: http://heather.daresay.com/heatherart/index.html Love my photographs!
I can recommend Anita Medal, she is an excellent professional photographer. Her photos of people, young and old, seem quite remarkable, and compared to other photographers her prices seem quite reasonable. She can be reached at: Anita Medal Photography (510) 845-8105 office (408) 472-4721 cell anitaphoto[at]hotmail.com http://homepage.mac.com/anitamedal/photo Ernie
I know an awesome couple who are photographers in the SF area. They were the photographers and my wedding and were FABULOUS! Her name is Patricia France and her husbands name is David. www.patriciafrance.com She does beautiful work and can't wait to have her do our family picture this fall for our annual Christmas card. Jennifer
December 2005
I am trying to take a holiday photo of my twin boys( they'll be 2 in Jan.). It is so hard to not only get them to stay in one place, but to both look in the same direction! We cannot afford to do it professionally, but I am wondering if anyone out there has any ideas or tips on taking a photo of 2 very active toddlers! Also, if you know of any places that have a festive holiday background, I'd love to hear about them. Thanks! karie
It might be easier to get your boys both interested in looking at something together for a few minutes and take the picture then. If they could both be still while looking at a christmas tree ornament being held up for them, or a really cool book or anything that would hold their attention then you could snap the picture. All of these objects could be off camera with the photo framed tight on their faces. Sometimes the best pictures are when the subject is engaged with something but not looking at the camera. Good Luck! mom of busy busy toddlers
Once I was trying to take a picture of our play group kids (2 year old) at the pumpkin patch. They were all on the wagon but climbing around and not looking. So I started to sing Happy Birthday to you. They all looked up, at me and stood still!
Another time I was trying to take a pic of a 2 year old boy and his mother. He would not look at me. So I said...''Hey, there's an elephant!'' He looked up. I snapped the pic. Then I said ''Sorry, I must of been mistaken.'' Good Luck! Cecilia
I almost hate to admit it, but have you tried sitting them in front of the TV, getting all lined up and focused, then turning off the TV with the remote? They'll look at you to see what happened, then you can click! works for me
I don't have twins, but I do have two kids younger than three, so I have a similar situation. Two words: Ice Cream. Sit the kids down in a scenic location, hand them ice cream cones, and take pictures of the happy smiles and mess that results. One good place to go might be the outdoor mall in Emeryville (I can't remember the name offhard -- the one next to Ikea). It has a big Christmas tree and ice skating area the might make a pretty background (there is a bench right in front of the tree that you could put your kids on), and you can get ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery that is right there. Good luck! Been there
How about capitalizing on their activeness and doing an action shot? Last year, we had pix taken for our card (by a professional photographer, admittedly) of our 18mo son rolling out cookies and playing with the dough and cutters, and they came out really well. You could put them in nice sweaters and shoot them playing with trains, or get them together on a piece of colorful playground equipment. Of course, I know this is all easier to fantasize than to achieve - I actually had such a hard time getting a good pic of both my boys this year that I ended up Photoshopping the head of one of them in from a different picture, because each kid looked best in a different photo! Thank goodness for technology
June 2005
Hi. I'm looking for a recommendation for a professional photographer who is good at taking pictures of children. I have an eight year old and a seven month old, so I'd like someone who can work well with both babies and school-age children. Thanks. Sharon
I highly recommend Courteney Coolidge for your child or family portraits. She lives in the East Bay, has children of her own, and has an amazing way of capturing the essence of your kids, no matter what their age. Her portrait sessions are all on location, using natural light, and include ownership of the negatives. We have used her services for a few years now and have never been dissappointed. We especially like the sensitive way she interacts with our kids. Her website is www.coolidgephotography.com. Todd
Anita Medal anitamedal[at]mac.com is a great professional photographer, especially with candid shots of kids. She ran a nursery school and loves children. Contact her or check out this page on children http://homepage.mac.com/anitamedal/photo/PhotoAlbum61.html You'll see what you can expect! Ilene D
Jim Dennis is a professional photographer with lots of experience photographing kids and families. He has a studio in Emeryville, loads of awards and was a staff photographer for Kodak for several years. His phone is 510-595-8634, email: jmdennis[at]dnai.coom Stu S
I'd like to recommend a fantastic photographer, Martina Konierny. She took photos of my daughter's baptism and got incredible pictures from it. She's very up on the latest photo technology, very well organized and gracious and friendly. Speaks German also. Colene T
March 2005
Does anyone know of a really good baby photographer? Thanks!
Jonathan Payne took photos of our son when he was 7 mos. old, and we were--and still are--quite pleased with them. He's a dad, so understands kids and he works very quickly, yet seems to know just where/what will look good. Our son had a cold when we had the portraits taken, but he looks happy as can be in all of them (except the contemplative ones that we also love). Jonathan also shoots in digital, so you can get your prints in either black and white or color. We got his name off BPN, but here's his URL so that you don't have to dig it up: http://www.photopayne.com/gallery.html. Lindsey
I highly recommend Kelly Corrigan at Stratford Candids.
She's been our official ''family photographer,'' for the last 2.5 years, starting with our son and just recently with our new daughter (plus my giant pregnant belly before she was born). She's consistently captured the spirit of our kids/family with photos that we'd never have gotten snapping away on our own.
She gets the most amazing shots and brings a ton of creativity to the output: albums, announcements, large prints, and wallet snippets. Plus, because she's so great with the kids and really enjoys what she does, it makes it all a very fun experience with incredible results that are really as much art as they are memories.
We just sent out birth announcements that she did for us and have been receiving calls/emails about the photos/creative. How often does that happen?
She's done a neat job packaging her services--check it out: www.stratfordcandids.com Feel free to email me if you've got any questions. patty
Helen Bae makes baby pictures with a lot of love and beautiful light. Check her website at www.helenbaephotography.com. I am sure you will enjoy the experience and the photos. danapics
I would like to recommend Helen Bae. My 8 m.o. daughter and I had our photos taken and I was amazed at how many we had to choose from. Helen is very flexible with baby schedules and needs. She works out of her home which is relaxed and comfortable. She uses natural lighting, does fabulous B but also color - you feel like you are at home with a friend. The environment is easy going and out of that she is able to capture very natural images of you and your baby. Her website is: helenbaephotography.com Have Fun!! chele
If you are looking for a creative photographer to capture the joy of your baby or journalistic history in the making Yael Dahan is for you. She came over and captured my husband and I two days before the birth of our 3 week late baby. They are truly beautiful and artist photographs. You can view her work at yaeldahanphotography.com Tina
I highly recommend Christina Shook to photograph your baby. In an hour, she captures more expressions on your baby's face than you could ever notice. We LOVE our pictures. She offers a package of three sittings over the course of a year or so. Her website is www.cshook.com. If you want to see our most recent pictures, e-mail me. Andrea
We wanted to have some very special and unique photographs of our first child Sonya for ourselves and for our family who live all over the country. When we saw Helenms pictures we knew she was the right fight. Sonya was just six months old when we came to Helen and during our sitting she was able to capture so many wonderful expressionssall the faces and gestures that we adore about our girl. We ended up with a body parts collage that makes us smile every time we look at it. The prints we gave to our family are their favorite pictures of Sonya. We are looking forward to returning again and again over the years. I canmt recommend her enough! Here website is www.helenbaephotography.com Fran
I would like to highly recommend Courteney Coolidge for baby, child, or family photos. She has a very personal style and will work with you on whatever focus you would like for your photos. You can see some of her amazing work at www.coolidgephotography.com and her email is cmcoolidge at aol.com. She will come to your home for the photo session and/or meet you at an outdoor location. Lynne
I'd like to second the unsolicited positive review for baby photographer Tami DeSellier. I am addicted to her photographs. I have 15 month old twins and she has done a great job photographing them. She has really captured each of their very different personalities. Everyone who sees the pictures comments on how great they are. She also really understands what parents go through and has a no hassle cancellation policy if your child gets sick etc. I could not have been happier with her work. Louisa
I strongly recommend my baby photographer to all of you. Tami DeSellier (tamiland.com) has been photographing my family regularly for 3 years now. Over those 5 sessions, Tami has captured what I can't even see! Our house burned down last year, and her images were the items I most hoped to recover, so now I really appreciate their value! In a 90 minute intense session she finds 60-100 magical moments and sends all the proofs. She (and her funny lobster, puppy, and other friends) is infectiously full of energy and in love with life. We are already looking forward to our next visit. Karel
Limor Inbar-Hansen photographed my child every three months and then put together a beautiful album of the first year of her life. It's something our family will always treasure. You can check out her work at www.indelible-images.com. kimarm
If you are looking for a creative photographer to capture the joy of your baby or journalistic history in the making Yael Dahan is for you. She came over and captured my husband and I two days before the birth of our 3 week late baby. They are truly beautiful and artistic photographs. You can view her work at www.yaeldahan.com Tina
I want to recommend Helen Bae as a baby photographer (www.helenbaephotography.com). Helen did a great job with our 2-month old daughter! We absolutely love the photos she took, and we have received a lot of compliments on them. Although I hadn't planned on doing many family photos (just wanted to focus on baby), at the sitting I decided to do more shots with myself & my husband. I ended up loving all these photos of the baby with one or both of us! Helen is patient and has a great eye for capturing the innocence of babies as well as the love the new parents have for their little one! She also has a great package deals for baby's first year. Ivette
If you are looking for a creative photographer to capture the joy of your baby or journalistic history in the making Yael Dahan is for you. She came over and captured my husband and I two days before the birth of our 3 week late baby. They are truly beautiful and artistic photographs. You can view her work at www.yaeldahan.com Tina
I can highly recommend the following photographer: Sophie Maher Photography, 415.987.3350 Website: www.sophiemaherphotography.com She does portraits,weddings, and magazine work. Her work is beautiful and captures something beyond the normal photograph- She does black and white, and color. She is based in the East Bay. Patrick
I would like to recommend an excellent professional photographer for child/baby or pregnancy photos. I have hired her to photograph my five year old son several times throughout his life. Her photos are fun, dreamy, classy and flawless. Her name is Shannon McIntyre and she has been shooting for advertising clients for ten years and one of her specialties has been children's photography. She has done several major campaigns that focused on children. She is especially good at photographing children in their natural environment, doing things they love to do. Her website is http://www.smcintyre.com Take a look at the Kids section. She charges $200 for a session (up to two hours of time) which includes: her coming to you (your home or another selected location), the proofs, and studio lighting for portraits, if desired. She can be reached at 510.543.3837 or shannonmcintyre at comcast.net very happy client
June 2005
I would like to recommend a friend who is a photographer of children & babies, families, weddings - Heather Whiting - she's VERY talented and just a great, nice person to work with! http://www.heathermwhiting.com/ -Allison
2003 - 2004 Reviews
August 2004
I've checked the archives, but would be interested in some more recent recommendations. We're looking for a reasonably priced professional photographer to take photos of our baby (especially ones that have websites with sample photos and pricing information). We are not interested in going to department stores. Michelle
I used Helen Bae (www.helenbaephotography.com) with both my children and am incredibly pleased with Helen's work. She was patient (willing to take lots of time) with my shy/reluctant daughter (3) and also able to handle my very active son (9 months). Her sitting fee was reasonable and the pictures were posted on her website within a week. They now line our hallway and most every parent that has seen them has asked for Helen's name/number! She also just won a photography contest in the August 2004 issue of Parenting, where you can see a great picture of her son Diego. Breese
You could try my old neighbor. She is very personable and comes with great references off of gocitykids. http://www.maxlarosa.com/ liz
Our wedding photographer, Aicha Nystrom, whom we love, takes wonderful baby (and pregnancy) pictures. She has two children of her own and is really great with kids. Just take a look at her website: http://nystromphoto.com/portfolio.php maria
I highly recommend Ruth Woodruff (www.rwoodruffphotography.com). She has a young son and is very flexible and attentive. We've had a number of sessions with her since the spring and have been very happy with all of them. Her pricing is very competitive, as well. Hannah Pirone pirones AT sbcglobal.net
Tracey photos AT traceyprever.com You will not be disappointed if you look at: www.patriciakingsley.com Give her a call...she is great! happy
We have used and LOVE Limor and Rachel at Indelible Images www.indelible-images.com or contact limor AT indelible-images.com or call 510/558-0663, 510/375-6067. They have package deals that are very reasonable. They are experienced and award winning and have had photos in publications like Time and Newsweek. They have gone WAY above and beyond for our family on more than one occasion and we couldn't be more thrilled with them. We'll use them again and again as our family grows up. Check out the galleries on the website. Shaun
go to nuphotography on line one of their photographers is really exceptional. she did my friend, violeta, wedding which may still be up. she does babies and kids and lots of other stuff really an artist of photography ilona
Call Angela Lang (534-6310) or check out her website at www.angelalang.com She's been photographing my twins for 3 years and is the best! She's reasonable and gives you all the proofs. I don't think anyone else does that. She truly has a talent for capturing those special looks! Feel free to email me if you have any questions. marissa
2002 & Earlier
November 2002
I saw a photographer with a business called ''Moe's Blues'' or something like that at the world record breastfeeding event. I liked his work and want to pursue having him take some photos. I didn't get his card and would like to contact him. Does anyone have his number or email? Thanks! raffels
Pete Rosos is a great guy and a talented photographer (his wife also is a photographer), I liked his work so much I will be using some of his images on my website. You can reach him by phone at 510.704.0614 or 510.390.2159, his website is www.moesblues.com and his email is moesblues AT earthlink.net. Linda
I am recommending a photographer, Amy Perl, for photos of your children. She has been taking pictures of my family for three years now and I have always loved the photos she takes. Her style is artistic and real. She captures not only the beautiful face of your child, but also the feelings they had at that exact moment. I treasure every photo she's taken and only wish I could monopolize her time! She has a website www.amyperl.com
vanessa
I am responding to the person looking for a photographer. I don't know of the one you are referring to, but I would like to highly recommend Jonathon Payne (www.photopayne.com). His photos are wonderful. He specializes in candid photos of children and families and was able to capture the essence of my children so well. Jon was easy to work with and very patient. He also has two young children. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions. Elise
I have two suggestions: first I know a fellow mom who I believe was photographing the breast feeding event, named Ilona ilonasturm AT attbi.com it could possibly be her work? Christina Shook
I think I saw his ad in the November parents' press magazine. Check there. Lisa
I recommend Aicha Nystom. She takes great candid photos, especially portraits. Her web site is nystromphoto.com. catrin
Dana Davis did my wedding, and we couldn't have been more pleased. The candids were fabulous, and he really ''told the story'' of the wedding. He also talked me into doing some artificially lit portraits that I was suspicious of, and they were the best photos of all--so glad I listened to him! And he's a nice guy to boot. Virginia
We know of a pregnancy and family photographer named Heather Hart who is based in Southern California and is now coming up every other month to the bay area for pregnancy photography shoots (she's an ex-Berkeleyite). She meets her clients at The Palace of Fine Arts and takes a roll or two there and then goes across the road to the bay with her clients where are there are sweeping views of the bridge and takes a roll there. Check out her website, ww.ALaModePhoto.com. Her photography is really special. Also, this great photographer wraps each of her clients in two great pieces of material (one black and one taupe with rhinestones) - it's really neat and takes on a different look for everyone. She also encourages lots of wardrobe changes and brings plenty of stuff to play with. She's really into pregnant women and has been shooting them for more than eight years - here's her toll free number: 877-764-1988. Tell her you found her through this list and she'll give you a 10% discount. Maxhipcat
I missed the first request but want to highly reccomend Kelly Corrigan. She has taken photos of my family twice now. When my baby was about 3 months old she managed to capture her essence exactly (this after an embarrassing amount of failed attempts on my part.) We used her photos for our birth anouncements and received rave reviews. She has since taken a series of photos of our now 9 month old baby, my husband and myself. She captured my baby on her tummy smiling joyously at the camera. Since my child hates ''tummy time'' this was no small feat. Kelly comes to your house and her photos convey very natural, non- contrived ''day in the life'' moments. She brings all the negatives to you and then brings your final selection. This convenience is wonderful for busy moms. I think Kelly's way with babies comes from the fact that she herself is a mom. She certainly made us feel at ease. You can contact me (Stevie at 528-3454) or Kelly's number is 595-7300. Her photography business is called Stratford Candids, and her website (with many photos) is called stratfordcandids.com Stevie
I just found a photographer who got some amazing shots of our two kids. His style is casual, candid, and he's totally relaxed with the kids. He really captured their personalities. His name is Jonathan Payne, you can find samples of his work at: www.photopayne.com. I highly recommend him ... and I'm picky! If you have questions, you can email me. Elise
2001
Can anyone recommend a good and reasonably priced baby photographer or photo studio that works with babies? This would be for my one year-old. I called one studio and was quoted something like $800.00 for the photo session and this didn't even include any prints. Is it possible to find cheaper without going to the department stores? Alisa
I have used Expressly Portraits at the Hilltop Mall.a Sometimes the employees are the best, but the pictures have come out great!a I have found the early morning appointments to be the best, if your the first customer in, they seem to do a better job with their customer service.a They take 5 poses and charge $12 per sheet of pictures.a A sheet is either 1 8x10, 2 5x7's or 8 wallets.a They also offer package deals.a There is a sitting fee of $10.00 and you aren't obligated to purchase any pictures...a Good Luck! Rachel
We had a great sitting with Jamie Westdal in Orinda. Her number is (925) 254-9689. Her prices in 1999 were $150 for a 30 minute sitting (12 poses + 1 5x7 print) or $295 for an hour (24 poses and one 8x10 print) She does excellent work in b/w and color. If you're interested in some of her work I can e-mail you some scanned photos to get a sense of her style. She's really an artist and well worth the money. Kristi
A friend of mine just had one of those department store portraits done of her two kids and they came out great -- the trick was that she had them do the photos in black and white instead of color which did much to mitigate the potential cheesiness. She got multiple copies of two images for something like $30. Might be worth a try before you invest in a photographer. Dashka
Regarding a baby photographer - I finally did go to Sear's after considering a 'professional photographer' and LOVED the results. After checking out of all the dept stores, Sear's Portrait Studio is the best because they have a computer screen that shows you what you are getting right as the photos are being taken, so you can pick and choose right then and there. They also will put a proof sheet on a floppy disk for you. Even with a coupon, I still paid around $150 for our photos - but I did get 6 different poses, around 60+ prints, a proof sheet floppy, and a membership that covers sitting fees for 2 yrs. I would reccommend Sear's at Hilltop Mall and also 'Ayo' a young woman who works there and has been taking kids pictures for 5 years. I plan on going back for Xmas photos. If you want I'll email you the pictures we had taken there to see the results. Allison
I've got three kids, and I've done Christmas pictures for seven years, and done it in several different ways:
First year One baby: Modern Art Photographs (now in Orinda, before in Oakland). Great, very expensive photos.. But really good
Second year-One two year old: Sarber's in Montclair. Really good kid photographer, good photos, not too expensive
Third Year: Three Year Old and a six month old Sarber's in Montclair. Mediocre Photos, terrible customer service (we were promised delivery in time to mail pictures to East Coast, finally got them on Christmas Eve)
Fourth Year: Four Year Old, and 18 month old Photographer came to the house: Kind of expensive, not so great pictures. He was late, and we had the kids kind of dressed up, and they were cranky. The guy was nice, but he didn't take the pictures quickly enough so missed some of the cute shots, very frustrating.
Fifth and Sixth Year: Had them done at Expressly Portraits in the Bayfair Mall. One decent shot in each sitting. The second year, the guy got one of the very best pictures that have ever been taken of my older child (so good people who got it asked if we had ever thought of having him model). Avoid the cheesy props and do it against a plain background. Out of ten poses, there is really only one. Affordable, fast and decent. Absolutely get an appointment around Christmas... You'll still wait, just not as long. The kids at the counter are a little clueless, but I can usually be tolerant of that. Myriam
Hello. I read your posting looking for a reasonably priced photographer to take pictures of your one year-old. I am a freelance photographer that works with babies, and my fee is much less than what you have found in your research so far. My background is in photojournalism, so I like capturing candid moments, as well as taking portraits. If you would like to check out my work, the website address is http//www.angelalang.com I can be reached via email at ang2000 AT pacbell.net or by phone at 510-420-0541. Angela Lang
Baby Photographer
Can anyone recommend a good (excellent!) photographer to take pictures of my 1 year old son? I've gone to J.C. Penney, which is fine for the money you pay, but now I'm ready for a big step up and willing to pay more. Of course, I want someone who will take pictures and be able to put my son at ease. Thanks in advance Catherine
Stephanie Tabachnikoff is a wonderfully talented photographer with a true artist's eye. She is also the mother of a young child thus very good at putting children at ease and really capturing their personalities. I particularly love the b & w photos she took of my daughter at age 1, 2 and 4. Her email address is Fuff AT ccnet.com
although I just sent in this recommendation one month ago, here it is again for the person who asked......we had some pictures of our 9.5 mo. old taken by a woman in San Francisco named Tami DeSellier (415) 668-5930. She specialized in babies. The pictures are SO AMAZING, that it was completely worth the money. I don't know what is considered expensive or top dollar, and she was somewhat pricey I think ($250 for an hour or so sitting, includes a copy of all proofs). She does color, but specializes in B/W. My daughter was being kind of fussy that day (of course!), but Tami was able to get her to smile and laugh, and you could never tell by the pictures that she was not in the best of moods. Anyway, I couldn't be more happy with them. Three of the pictures are scanned, and if you'd like to see them, I'd be glad to email them to me. Just let me know. Hilary
Karen
Almudena Ortiz is an wonderful photographer and very friendly and warm with children. Her Berkeley number is (510)526-0692
From: Hilary
we just had some pictures of our 8.5 mo. old taken by a woman in San Francisco named Tami DeSellier (415) 668-5930. She specialized in babies. The pictures are SO AMAZING, that it was completely worth the money. I don't know what is considered expensive or top dollar, and she was somewhat pricey I think ($250 for an hour or so sitting, includes a copy of all proofs). She does color, but specializes in B/W. My daughter was being kind of fussy that day (of course!), but Tami was able to get her to smile and laugh, and you could never tell by the pictures that she was not in the best of moods. Anyway, I couldn't be more happy with them.
From: Letitia
Dana Davis has taken some great (color) photos of the kids at the univ preschool. I felt that he really captured the charm of my son where other photographers hadn't. He's a dad, but beyond that, I think he simply is the type of person that kids can relax around. I don't know his number offhand, but his wife Maureen is a subscriber here and I'll bet she'd pass it along.
From: LBeittel
There's an Oakland woman named Lisa Hoffman who runs a small company called KidPix. She specializes in candid shots of children in their home settings. She shot a roll of our 13 month son at an outdoor party. Every single shot turned out well. She prefers to work in black and white, but I'm sure she would also shoot color. She also incorporates photos into greeting cards on her computer. Her number and email are: (510)261-2453, lisshoff AT aol.com.
From: Hilary
photographer: try Meera Fox, tel. 521-0438
From: Karen
I would recommend Judy LePire at 510-548-0670. She has photographed fundraising events for us, but I have seen work she has done with the children of a friend of mine, as well as wedding photos. She charges the going rate for professional photographers, which is not inexpensive, but she is good.
From: Ann
Darin Steinberg took some beautiful black & white photos of my children. I was impressed with how easygoing he was and how well he got along with my kids. He took his time and got some perfect shots. He suggested we go to the grassy area next to the Brazil Room, which turned out to be a great background. He was $350 for the sitting and $50 for each 8 x 10. He develops the black & white himself and also does color. He'll come to your house or go places like Tilden Park. His home number is (415) 821-5798. (He's also a framer so can even frame your photos.)
I have had very nice pictures of my family and the children taken at the Sears in Hilltop and Sears at SunValley, the Xmas pictures came out beautiful and you have your choice of 4-6 different poses. What is nice is the computerized monitor you can select from. The downside is the wait. It is best to go early in the morning or at least before 11am. Also, our family portrait from Olan Mills was excellent. Yolanda
I recommend Ralph Granich who is in Montclair. He did pictures at our pre-school and is great with kids. He does color or black and white. You can look him up in the phone book. I don't his prices, but he seems to capture a lot of personality in his photos. Leslie
From: Susan
I just had my two young kids photographed at JC Penney at the Hilltop Mall. Although the four-year-old was uncooperative we did get one adequate shot out of the many poses. The young woman photographer tried very hard and was very good at getting the baby to smile. You get to choose the pose you want immediately on a video screen and in some packages can choose a variety of poses. The sitting charge is $6.75 per person and with a coupon each sheet of photos (e.g. nine wallets or two 5x7s etc) is $5. Without a coupon it's somewhat more, but still a good deal. I had a good experience at a different JC Penney photo studio two years ago so I think they have this kind of mass-produced photo down pat.
From: Katie
Thanks to those who gave me recommendations for portrait photographers. Unfortunately, your recommendations were out of my price range. I struck out on my own (e.g., opened the Yellow Pages) and found an inexpensive photography studio in Alameda called Raintree Studios (521-4900). I had a free consultation and met with Albert, the photographer. He showed me some excellent samples, and I set up an appointment for next week. His prices are: $35 sitting fee for just black and white, $55 if you want black and white and color photos, $43 for 8 x 10s. He understands that with an infant (8-month-old), we have to be flexible with time. If we don't get all the shots we want before the baby gets cranky, then I can return and finish the shoot later at no additional charge.
From: Rose
Re: Raintree Studios in Alameda
Just thought I would share our experience with Raintree. Last fall we decided to take a family portrait. The idea sounded simple enough until we got to picking the style of the picture... of course that is because the family group we were photographing consisted of 10 adults who all had different ideas of what would look good. Albert met with three of us in advance to give us recommendations about clothing and background as well as possible poses. He has a good eye and was very flexible. We were there for a couple hours on a Sunday evening. One thing I should point out is that the sitting fee of $55 for color photos was regardless of how many people were photographed so it came out to $11 per couple. Plus we took many shots of each couple as well as numerous group shots in a myriad of configurations! That part of the price seemed extremly reasonable. The price of ordering photos was pretty high compared to a place like Sears.... but they were much better in quality.
The only real problem that we had was that the group photo was intended as a Christmas present for my in-laws. We had our sitting the first week of November, and expected the proofs by Thanksgiving. We were under the impression that we would get the photos back in time to have them framed for Christmas. Well that didn't happen! However, on Christmas Eve Albert delivered the photos to my sister-in-law's door (she lives near the studio, so I dont' know that this is standard.) To our surprise the larger photo (an 11x14 that was the actual gift) was already framed (of course we didn't have any input into what frame would be used, etc.) So the gift was ready to go, but it left me a little dissatisfied. Some of the pictures we had developed ended up a little dark and he was really good about having them redeveloped. Overall I would consider going back if I want a good portrait done and couldn't beat the price, but I would definitely start further ahead for the holidays!
From: Katie
I wrote awhile ago about baby portrait photographers. I just received my proofs back from Raintree Studios in Alameda (phone 521-4900) and wanted to give the many people who wrote me an update. Overall, I am pleased with the photos. My nine-month-old lasted for 45 minutes and four outfit changes, and Al the photographer was able to snap 21 black and white photos and 15 color (all for a $55 sitting fee). From these, I am going to order additional copies of eight prints, although I really liked 13 of them. When I shoot a roll of 24 photos, I figure I'm doing great if one turns out nice! So Al's ratio of good to so-so photos is way up there, in my opinion. Prices for enlargements are $36 for 5x7, $43 for 8x10, and $100 for 11x14, with prices decreasing the more duplicates you buy. One suggestion I'd make if you decide to use Raintree Studios: bring your own props. Al only has a few (a baseball, a rubber duck), so I'm glad I brought a few cherished toys.
Hi! We recently did a newborn and family photo shoot with Constance Chu and she was great. I think the package we did was $425 which was one of the cheapest I found. She also had a $50 off deal I saw on yelp that she applied so it was $375
We have the most wonderful family photographer, Albena Ilieva. We found her on BPN a few years ago. She's much more affordable than others because she does mini-sessions and sells only digital images (retouched if you like). Once you have the digital image, you can do whatever you want with it. Others will try to sell you expensive albums and prints. We have done 4 sessions with Albena and plan on sticking with her. She is great with kids and knows how to engage with the entire family. We absolutely love the photos she has done for us.
https://www.albenailieva.com/
Definitely Marin Family Photography, it is super affordable! We worked with Hilary for our maternity shoot and she was fantastic.