Notes from behind the camera
Session announcements, photography tips, and the occasional story.
February 16, 2024
Cherry Blossom Sessions
Capturing Eternal Moments: Cherry Blossom Family Photo Sessions As a photographer deeply enamored with nature's beauty, I am thrilled to announce one of my most cherished mini sessions of the year:…
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May 19, 2026
12 Family Portrait Poses That Actually Look Natural
A working photographer's list of 12 poses that hold up across real families. Why each one works, who it works for, and the small adjustment that turns a stiff shot into a real one.
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May 19, 2026
Spring Family Photo Outfits That Actually Work (And the Three Bay Area Specifics Most Guides Miss)
What actually works for spring family photo sessions on the SF Peninsula. The colors that hold up, the three mistakes I see every spring, and the Bay Area specifics (wind, pollen, dew) that generic guides miss.
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May 19, 2026
Senior Portrait Ideas That Don't Look Like a Yearbook
Ten approaches that produce senior portraits a 17-year-old will actually want to hang on their wall. Skip the school photo. Build a session around who this person actually is at the moment they're becoming an adult.
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September 2, 2026
15 Photos Every Small Business Website Needs (And the Order to Shoot Them In)
Most small business websites run on stock photography. A model smiling in a kitchen that is not your kitchen. A handshake in an office where nobody works.
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September 7, 2026
How Much Do Headshots Actually Cost in the Bay Area? A Working Photographer's Breakdown
Headshot pricing is one of the least transparent categories in professional photography. Most photographers list "pricing available upon request," which forces every prospect into a sales…
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How to Take Family Photos That Aren't Stiff (The Real Reason They Look That Way)
Stiff family photos look stiff because nobody in the photo wanted to be there at that moment. The clothes are uncomfortable. The kids are hungry. The location was someone else's idea. The…
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The Best Lens for Portraits Under $500 (And Why the One You Already Own Might Be Fine)
Most "best portrait lens" lists are review-site filler. They list ten lenses, give every one of them four stars, and end with "the best lens is the one you'll use." That's not a recommendation.…
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iPhone Photography Tips From a Working Pro (The Seven That Actually Move the Needle)
Most iPhone photography advice falls into two camps: amateur tips that anyone with a phone has already tried ("hold it steady," "use the rule of thirds"), and pro-camera advice repackaged for…
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Headshot Photography Tips That Actually Help (From the Photographer's Side of the Camera)
Most headshot tips articles are written for the person being photographed. Wear navy. Get a haircut a week before. Stand up straight. Useful but shallow. The advice that actually changes how your…
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What Camera Should I Buy in 2026? (A Working Pro's Honest Answer)
Most "what camera should I buy" articles are affiliate funnels. The author recommends whatever lens kit pays them the highest commission, slaps four stars on every option, and writes a paragraph…
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Photography Composition Rules That Actually Matter (And the Three That Don't)
Most composition lists treat all the rules as equal. They aren't. A handful of them genuinely improve photos. A larger handful are repeated so often that they've stopped being rules and become…
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Manual Mode Explained: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO Without the Jargon
Most manual mode tutorials lose the reader in the first paragraph by leading with the exposure triangle. The exposure triangle is the right answer to the wrong question. The right question is:…
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Lightroom Tutorial for Beginners (The Six Edits That Cover 90% of What You'll Ever Need)
Most Lightroom tutorials are 90-minute YouTube videos that walk through every slider in order. The problem with that approach is the same problem with cooking shows: by the time you've watched it,…
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How to Shoot Portraits in Low Light (The Five Variables You Can Actually Control)
Low-light photography is taught as if it's a single problem with a single solution: open the aperture, raise the ISO, hold the camera steady. Then your photos are dark and noisy and you wonder why…
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Fall Family Photo Outfits That Actually Work (And the Three Most People Get Wrong)
Most outfit guides for fall family photos give you a Pinterest mood board and call it advice. The mood board is the problem.
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Golden Hour Photography: A Complete Guide From a Working Pro (Including the Two Things Nobody Tells You)
Golden hour gets treated as the magic answer to bad photos. Shoot at golden hour and your photos will be beautiful. There's truth in this. The light at the first and last hour of daylight does…
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