MEF Photography Blog! » San Francisco-Based Wedding, Family + Portrait Photography

Have I hit the client jackpot this year, or what? I don’t know what I did, karmically speaking, to deserve all of these kind-hearted, loving souls around me who think I’m hilarious, but I will take it, and I will appreciate it and I will say thank you for it. Thank you and thank you and thank you!

I am especially thankful for Katie + Frank, who are a most perfect example of what I’m talking about. They cheerfully did all of the weird things I asked them to, and they thought basically everything I said was uproarious (or at least pitied me enough to pretend it was!). Plus, these two have been together for TEN YEARS (!) and they are just as sweet to and adoring of one another as if they’d started dating six months ago—just get a load of how they look at each other and it’s obvious what I’m talking about. But I just realized I’m rambling and my brain is not up for eloquence today, so let’s get to the pictures already, yeah?

Starting things off with a favorite, because I can! Hey, hot legs. :D

Just look at them. Those smiles! Those eyes! Can’t you tell they’re wonderful people?

Here I go with the light again! There’s a crinkle-nose smile in the right one, so you know it’s a favorite!

Did you know that posing like this on a crowded street can be awkward? Did you know I’ll make you do it anyway and you’ll probably like it? You do now! :D

I was holding the camera above my head with arms fully extended for this one. That it is so well composed and perfectly in focus is a miracle. That it is a favorite is just because I have good taste. :D (By the way, get ready for a close up of Katie’s INSANELY AMAZING eyelashes coming up!).

This might be in contention for one of my favorite photos of the year. I wish everyone, everywhere could be this happy all of the time. And have such awesome shoes.

THE EYELASHES! And the eyes, too, quite frankly. Katie, you stop my heart (and your big-smilin’ beau ain’t so bad, himself).

I was so excited when I woke up that morning because it had rained the day before and was supposed to rain the follwing day—the clouds were UNBELIEVABLE. And if you’ll recall from Laina + Chris’ engagement session a few weeks ago, I remarked how rare great clouds are for us around here. I was PUMPED all day for this. And when 6 p.m. rolled around? Yeah… this is what was left. But I worked it, and so did Katie + Frank! :D

Is every photo I took of you a favorite? Maybe. Just maybe. (They were craaaaaamed in this staircase, by the way, and they made it look gooooood.) :)

I’m posting this to show how quickly even the saddest cloud was disappearing. And also because these two are adorable.

Just before sunset, we drove like crazy up the hill to get some nature-y shots. Thank you, recent rains, for making the mustard greens bloom! :D

Ending with another favorite. :D

Katie. Frank. My loves. You are extraordinary. Being around your warmth, your humor and your devotion made my life better. And you also gave me the name of a new sushi place to eat at, so we’re basically best friends for life now, sorry. My fingers were crossed you’d hire me from the moment we met and I am so excited for your wedding this fall. I hope you love these photos and that you see your happiness pouring out of them, as I do. Now, let’s go get some pizza. ;) xo, M

 

 

First thing’s first, I cannot start out this blog post without saying: HI, KAELYN! I’m beyond flattered that you like my blog and my photos and I’m glad I get to put some people you know on it! I look forward to meeting you soon! :D

And now that I’ve taken care of that… ;) I struggled for a long time to figure out exactly what I do well in photography. Generally speaking, I think I can take a decent photo in any situation and I can capture candidness artfully (duh), but where I really excel is photographing two people, all on their lonesome. With one caveat—those people have got to be happy people. Let me put it another way: If in your relationship you don’t laugh easily or spend the majority of your waking hours trying to make your partner smile, well, a) Why not? and, b) My photos are probably going to disappoint you. Genuine happiness is my forté, guys. If that’s your thing, too, we’ll make a great pair. :D

SO SPEAKING OF GREAT PAIRS…Everybody say HI to Kaelyn’s friends Lara + Kevin! :D We met up a few weeks ago at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco (if you’ve never been there, it’s sort of a city staple—although to be honest, I couldn’t tell you what it’s actually for. A theater? A great place to watch ducks?). Springtime in the city is perfection.

See? Happy people. :D

I don’t know that you can photograph at the Palace of Fine Arts and avoid having columns in at least some of your shots. :D

Man alive, Lara. You’re too beautiful for words. :)

I’ve been challenging myself to look at light a little differently lately. Success, I think! Favorite!

Kudos to you if you can figure out what I photoshopped in this image (it’s significant!). I’ll never tell! ;) Favorite!

I’ll also never tell you what this area smelled like. Thanks for being troopers, guys. :)

I know I don’t usually post multiple images from the same scene, but these next two… I just couldn’t choose between them. :) For the curious, this “scene” was just inside the door of a garbage shed in the back alley (literally, it was us and like 12 garbage cans). Great light > everything.

Favorite, favorite, most favorite, favoritest! :D

Then we hopped in the car and drove over to Baker Beach, a place I’d never shot before, surprisingly enough. Lara used to live a couple of blocks from here, and after we finished they took me over to Robin Williams’ house (that overlooks the ocean). In case you were wondering. :)

Hey, Golden Gate!

Your love is perfect. :D

Does Kevin look like a celebrity to you? I feel like the answer is yes, but I can’t put my finger on who!

We had wrapped up and were walking back to the car when I turned around and saw this. If there hadn’t been signs telling me not to, I’d have made them hop that fence and go lay down in those beautiful shrubs. Such luscious jewely jewel tones! But they made a nice background instead!

Oh, Lara + Kevin. Guys. Seriously. I adore you. The genuine sweetness, caring and goofiness (just a bit!) that exists in your relationship is a pleasure to be around. Plus, Kevin, you like ducks, and that’s an A+ in my book any day. I had such a wonderful time exploring the edge of the city with you, learning your personalities and getting to know your lives and plans. Your wedding is going to be a great event, and one that I am excited and honored to participate in. I hope that you see your love in these images and that they make you as happy as they make me. Until September, sweets! xo, M

P.S. Kaelyn is a friend of Lara + Kevin who regularly reads my blog. L+K said she’d love an electronic tip-o’-the-hat, and since there are only about two or three people besides myself who check this blog on a regular basis (Hi, Debbie!), I was more than happy to oblige. :)

 

 

I only live about an hour and a half from where I grew up, but it didn’t occur to me until this session that I rarely photograph in that area. This year, however, I’m honored to have been asked by four different women with whom I went to high school to photograph their weddings, so I’ll be back often—and happily so! I was particularly excited to meet up in my hometown with Laina and Chris a few weeks ago because Northern California had finally gotten some much needed rain. And even though it was just a drop in the bucket and did basically nothing to alleviate the drought we’re currently suffering, it has caused every hill around us to begin to turn emerald green and every tree to blossom. It’s a welcome sight and made for a beautiful backdrop. See what I mean?:

Although, when you get a load of Laina + Chris, you realize very quickly that it wouldn’t have mattered what background I put them against—they look gorgeous no matter what. :D Also, the photo on the left was a total mistake, but I like it and I’m in charge around here, so I’m keeping it. :)

Laina never stops smiling! :D

I will never, ever, ever get tired of oak trees.

I love the way that people who are in love look at one another. Melts my heart. :) Also, isn’t that dress stunning?

I have to apologize to Chris once again for making him lay down for this shot. I always ask couples if they’re okay laying on the ground before I ask them to, but Chris didn’t tell me he’s allergic to grass and he was insanely itchy after he got up! Sorrysorrysorry! But I still like this photo. :)

Laina, you are so unbelievably beautiful.

See? Green!

We rarely get great clouds around here, so I took full advantage that day. This right here would make one heck of a great huge canvas. Favorite!

I knew this was my favorite image from the whole session as soon as I took at, and when I showed it to Laina on the back of my camera it made her tear up. Love is awesome, guys. A perfect ending to this post.

Laina + Chris, I know you didn’t do it just for me, but thank you for making the trek out from New Jersey to meet with me to take these photographs. It was a pleasure to spend time with you (and to finally meet Chrissy!), to look for wild animals with you (Chris is the only person I’ve ever met who gets as distracted by ducks as I do), and to learn about your lives.  You’ve already tackled a lifetime’s worth of hardships together and come out on top, and your relationship is all the more beautiful for it. I am so excited for your wedding and I hope you love these photos as much as I do! xo, M

 

 

I’ve had a handful of people tell me they don’t really like the tagline I use for my business (you know, the “capturing good, authentic, giggly love” one). And sometimes I even understand the criticism. But then I get clients like Sarah + Jeff and I know I couldn’t do any better a job of boiling down into five words what I most love to do, or the type of couple I most love to do it with. Everyone and every relationship is different and I get it and I respect it and I love the variety it brings to life. But I would be lying to you if I said I was REALLY good at romantic photos, or REALLY good at photographing more traditional couples. My heart sings when I get around two people who can’t stop laughing, loving and enjoying each other. And guys, that’s Sarah + Jeff in a nutshell: genuinely happy and generous of love and sprit. Just wait until you see Sarah’s smile and Jeff’s eyes and I promise you’ll feel this instantly.

Plus, they totally thought all of my really stupid jokes were funny, and that is a quality that just cannot be beat, friends. :)

But let’s let the photos do the talking, shall we?

Why is it some of my favorite shots end up being light tests? The photo on the right is a perfect example—they just look so happy and relaxed! :D P.S. We dodged a dead bird to get to that spot. Thanks, guys!

Seriously, Sarah. Seriously. I smiled the entire time I edited this photo—yours is just so contagious and beautiful and perfect! And and and! :D

I think this photo is all the more enjoyable when you know that there was an endless line of slow moving cars directly behind me while it was taken. We got many a smile and a wave. :)

LOVE THIS! Look at those smiles! This is my most favorite photo I’ve taken so far this year, no question. :D :D I posted this as a sneak peek on Facebook, sand Sarah said when she saw it she thought, “Wow, Molly takes really great photos of people!” without realizing that SHE AND JEFF were “people!” I let out a pretty embarrassing, donkey-ish laugh when I read that email. (Also, who else is suffering serious hair envy over Sarah right now? Because I sure am!)

Favorite! :D

Outfit change! The thing you need to know about this day is that, by San Francisco standards, it was beautiful—clear skies and warm, at least midday. But by the evening, and especially near the water, it was WINDY and FREEZING. Like, couldn’t-feel-my-fingers-to-adjust-my-camera-settings freezing. And yeah, okay, all of my non-California friends and family are suffering record snowfalls and polar vortexes and whatever, but I live in California for a reason and that reason is that I like to feel my fingers. All of that to say, S+J were total troopers, because I can’t tell from the photos how much their noses were running (but if it was anywhere near as much as mine was, it was a lot!)!

I don’t usually post everybody-looking-at-the-camera-and-smiling photos, but I’m warming up to them (pun sort of intended!). This one was just too perfect not to share. You two… you just melt my heart.

You making each other happy makes me happy. :D

I liked this background (it was a public restroom, by the way), but really I just liked that it was acting as a wind break.

And this is where ended right before we died of exposure. :)

Sarah + Jeff, you are a dream. Your happiness filled me up and left me both smiling for days and certain that you were meant for each other. Thank you for letting out all of your giggles with me; thank you for thinking I’m funny (I’m really not!); thank you for putting up with the cold and the wind. Dare I say that even though it took 30 minutes of blasting hot air on my car ride home before I got back the feeling in my hands, it was worth the struggle. :) I hope you adore these photos and see as much of your love in them as I do (SO MUCH OF IT!). I cannot wait for your wedding—and not just because it will be warmer! xo, M