what people are saying

Sarah F.

Sarah is the BEST photographer I've come in contact with. I love her photos so much I just can't stop scheduling sessions!!! She takes her time and is so patient. You can tell she LOVES what she does and she is SO talented. I look forward to every experience we share and I'm so glad to have found someone to capture my life's precious moments!

Jessica K.

To say Sarah is talented and an amazing photographer would be an understatement! She exudes a passion that is inspiring and has an eye for capturing precious moments like no other! We are absolutely blown away with our wedding photos and I highly recommend booking her to capture your most special moments!

Egle S.

What an amazing photographer! I've had multiple sessions with Sarah and every time the photos are priceless. Somehow she manages to catch those shots with two toddlers and a dog all at their best moments. She's so fun and accommodating; she will make you feel very comfortable in front of the camera.  I'm so happy I found her, hope we'll continue our annual family photo sessions with her forever.

Anita J.

Sarah's sense of light, detail, angle, and just plain fun made our family photo shoot a success! She's fast yet also diligent. So glad we booked with her; we're repeat clients now!

FAQs & Session Information

Mini-Sessions

Mini Sessions are 30 minute sessions which include 10 digital images with the option to purchase additonal digital files. These sessions are $250.

Pro's:

-Mini sessions are great if you're just looking to capture a few portraits in a short period of time. These are perfect for the annual family picture for your holiday card or for business/corporate headshots. 

Con's:

-Mini's do not allow time for your little ones to warm-up to me so you may not get portraits really showcasing their personalities. We also don't get very many candid shots if any at all as the time does not allow for it.

-They are only done locally in Livermore (except for when I announce scheduled mini session days)

-They do not allow for outfit changes or location changes

-Mini's can not be used for extended family pictures.

-Often times mini's are done at less than ideal lighting times and this may yield a different look than what you see on my website.

**There really aren't pro's and con's, it's just whatever works best for you!

GOOD NEWS!!

Mini Sessions are offered YEAR ROUND! Yes, you read that right! Many photographers only offer mini sessions at specified times of the year. However, I am a firm believer that EVERYONE be able to get their pictures taken professionally and I understand that the full session cost may not be feasible for everyone. This is why I offer these sessions year round.

Scheduled Mini's are also offered twice a year in October for the Holidays and around April or May for Spring. These specified days are the only time I do mini sessions in other towns and sometimes bring fun props to use. I also offer specials where you could win a free mini session so be sure to follow my Facebook page for announcements!

What to Wear

Ok! So you've booked your session, you're SUPER excited.....and then you realize you have to pick out something to wear. I'm pretty sure this is the disdain of every one of my clients, unless you happen to be a wardrobe stylist in which case you're probably in Heaven.... or decision making Hell, ha! Nonetheless, you're not alone! Trying to figure out what to wear is probably the hardest, most daunting part of the whole portrait process, I know because I struggle with it too so I'm right there with ya which is why I've created a Pinterest board to give you some ideas of color combos, how to mix and match patterns and whether to dress up or dress down. Check it out HERE.

These are a few tips to help you look amazing and feel totally confident for your pictures!

1. Families! Don't be afraid to mix and match! Stick to complimenting colors not matching colors. Also, try to avoid hot colors like hot pink, neon green, etc. Another thing to think about is dressing for the location. This is something I will help you with so your outfits don't clash with wherever we decide to shoot.

2. Patterns, layers, textures....YES! YES! YES! They are not only ok to wear to your shoot, they are ENCOURAGED! Mix your florals, solids, strips, colors and add scarves, jewelry....got for it! It translates really well in portraits. And if you're not sure about accessories, bring them to your session and we can play around with them. Again, check out the Pinterest boards to see what I mean about mix and matching. I know it might sound crazy but it looks SO much better than everyone in white shirts and blue jeans, unless that's a specific look you're going for.:)

3. Don't forget hair and makeup! I would highly recommend getting both professionally done. You're already investing in this session that you will treasure forever so go spoil yourself so you can look and feel confident and gorgeous! I can recommend a few people and you can even go to makeup counters at the mall to get your makeup done in a pinch. The camera tends to wash you out so I always say more is better! At the very least don't skimp on the lipstick, it really makes your face pop on camera! 

4. Seniors! Feel free to bring a couple different outfits to really show off your style.

5. It never fails, someone always ends up wearing a hair tie around their wrist and I miss it until the very end of the shoot. Please make sure to take those off before we start the session. Same with regular sunglasses, keys in pockets, wallet in back pocket....take all those out. Also, if you wear transitional lenses and don't want them to look like sunglasses in your portraits, please remove them before the session. I do my best to catch everything you might have missed but these two things always get missed!

Great places to shop include Nordstrom, H&M, Forever 21, Old Navy and Gap, Asos, and Lulu's.

General Session Information

1. Session Timing- Outdoor sessions begin an hour or two before sunset. I know in the Spring and Summer months this can be a little late especially if you have kids but if you are wanting the look you see on my website this is the only way to acheive that. My best advice is to try to adjust the kids schedule for that one day so that they will be ok for an evening shoot.

For indoor lifestyle sessions, the start time depends on when we can get the best light in the room(s) we are going to shoot in. This is something we'll go over when we talk about your session.

I can not stress enough the importance of being on time. Lighting is EVERYTHING and when it's gone it's gone. So if you show up to your session an hour late, I can't extend the session by an hour since the sun will have set. I want to get the most out of the time we have together and shoot in all the different light that sunset provides so make sure you arrive on time ready to have fun!

2. Session Location -I have a bunch of great locations that I use at different times of the year. We'll discuss your vision for the shoot and I'll choose the perfect location for you! That said, if you have a specific location you'd like to have your portraits done at, let me know and we can see if the location will work.

3. During your Family Session -I know you have a vision for this shoot which is to have nice, happy, smiling children who do exactly what you or I say and are on their best behavior. But guess what? It's not going to happen. Actually the opposite will probably happen and it will frustrate you to no end and you'll want to reprimand them and lose it BUT for this one day as a one time exception, let your kids just be as they are. Let me focus on guiding them to whatever we need them to do. The most important thing is for you to keep smiling at looking great and happy and I will take the lead on the kiddos. Different ages also yield different results. For little ones, expect that the majority of the pictures might be them not looking at the camera but instead playing and being themselves. I actually prefer this! The whole point of a family shoot is to capture everyone as they are today. I want to see their personalities. If they want to cry, let them cry. It'll eventually stop and we will get great pictures. So just remember to let the rules fly out the window for this 1 hour. I promise it will be worth it. Also, during your session, play with your kids. Tickle them, snuggle them, kiss them, throw them in the air, chase them. Be YOU with THEM. That's what I want to capture. The posed shots are great but the candid playful shots are priceless.

4. Dad. Guys, I know this is wayyy less fun than sitting at home watching the game or hanging in the garage. I totally get it. But when you are an old man and your kids have grown and you're watching them play with their kids, these are the pictures you'll look back on that you'll be so glad you were present for. Don't worry about me being there. BE YOU with your kids and your wife. Allow me the opportunity to capture that for YOU. And when you're old your grandkids can look back and see how awesome their Grandpa was. Give this gift to them. Hang in there with me for 1 hour and I promise I will make this as painless as possible! 

5. This is more of a warning for my families. I'm crazy silly during shoots! Not much is off limits when it comes to getting real smiles from your babies so be warned!

If you have any questions before your shoot, ask away! I want this to be more than a picture taking session. I want this to be another memory created for you! I'm truly honored to be here to capture this moment for you!