Natural and photojournalistic with a focus on outdoor landscapes and community bonds. I capture unscripted moments while highlighting a sense of space to tell a richer story of your day. Working with me means nothing overly posed, nothing ridiculously dramatic, nothing awkward, nothing that doesn't feel authentic to you. While we'll spend some time doing portraits, my priority is for you to be present on your wedding day. I shoot discreetly with an emphasis on candids so from the moment you first see each other to that last hilarious toast, you’ll be relaxed and focused on one another and won’t even notice I’m there. Your wedding is not a magazine photoshoot, it’s an opportunity to have a damn good party with your favorite people (and you just happened to get married too.)

I started photographing weddings back in 2006 as an assistant for high end wedding photographers before branching out on my own in 2012. Since then, I’ve shot over 450 weddings from grand celebrations at five star hotels to intimate elopements by the sea which means I’ve seen it all—including plenty of drunken shenanigans. A lot of my couples are introverts and camera shy so your comfort is my priority before I start shooting. As a logistical nerd who loves planning and time management, I’ll help figure out a timeline that flows stress-free and includes the formal group portraits your mom requested. (I’m great with parents!) I always keep fashion tape, bobby pins, detergent wipes and safety pins in my camera bag and will happily help pin boutonnieres. I don’t work off magazine shot lists as I believe those restrict creativity. I prefer to hang back and let the action unfold naturally, only stepping in to direct here and there. When it’s time for your portraits, I’ll help you pose with movement and draw upon the connection you have with each other. On your wedding day, I’ll be a calming presence and remind you to slow down, breathe and take it all in. But don’t take my word for it, feel free to read what my past couples have said.

Yes! You are more than welcome to work with my associate photographer, Erin Prado. With over a decade of wedding photography experience, she shoots in a similar style (loves candids and outdoor landscapes!) and all of her photos will be edited to match the color tones you see here. Erin will be there to photograph your celebration and take care of all the wedding logistics like your timeline and group portrait list. Erin’s packages are similar to mine and you can add hours, second shooters, rehearsal dinner coverage and engagement sessions. I’ll take care of the contracts, invoices and editing (a.k.a. the boring stuff.) It’s a win/win. Learn about Erin and see her work here.

Yes, our “Artistry Package” features 10 hours of wedding day photography coverage with both Vivian and Erin. Vivian is the principle and lead photographer for your wedding weekend while Erin is the second photographer. This package includes rehearsal dinner, an engagement session and much more. Fill out our contact form to see our detailed price guide.

For weddings needing a second photographer, Erin and I have a list of professional and experienced assistant photographers/second shooters who work in the same style as us. For a flat rate of $1000, they would stay the same amount of time as the lead photographer. Learn more about second photographers below.

Not necessarily! Erin and I both like shooting alone as it helps us be discreet and connect with our couples. However, some weddings would benefit from an additional photographer. Second shooters are good for weddings with 150+ guests, extensive details and decor, and/or multiple locations. For example, if you wish to do all your formal group portraits after the ceremony, then I would send my second shooter to cover cocktail hour during that time. My second shooters are professional photographers who I've worked with before and shoot in a similar style to mine. Their photos make up about 25-30% of the final photos delivered. I'm happy to show you examples of real wedding galleries with a second shooter and without, just let me know.

I currently do not provide videography services but I have a great list of videographers I love working with on my vendor referral page. The list also includes make up artists, florists, wedding planners, caterers and many more awesome people to help you with your wedding day.

Of course, I insist! Full wedding galleries will give you a better idea of the guest candids I love capturing. Fill out my contact form and I’m happy to send over a few real wedding and engagement session galleries for you to review.

Coverage hours depend on the size and location of your wedding. Generally I recommend six hours of coverage for intimate weddings in one location with 80 guests or less. Eight hours or more are perfect for larger weddings (120 guests or more) or weddings with multiple locations. I suggest budgeting at least two hours before the ceremony to capture getting ready, do a first look and shoot posed group portraits. Doing posed group and couple portraits prior to the ceremony is a great way to give yourself more time to enjoy the day and mingle with your guests (because isn't that what you'd rather be doing anyways?) During our pre-wedding consultation, we'll go over your timeline of the day to figure out a pacing that is realistic and fun for you.

Engagement sessions are not a requirement but I do recommend them as a way to practice for the big day. The sessions are a good way for us to spend time together and get to know one another. You'll definitely notice a sense of ease on your wedding day after doing an engagement session with me. Due to limited availability, be sure to schedule with me as soon as you book with me. Since weekends are reserved for weddings, engagement shoots must be scheduled on a weekday during wedding season. To fit all budgets, I also offer mini sessions and a “Give Back” option for a complimentary session. Learn more about my mini sessions.

That’s perfectly fine! Unless you’re a professional model, I don’t expect you to know. I remember how nervous I was before my wedding day, so I know exactly how you feel. But don’t worry, we will work together to embrace the awkwardness and make sure you are comfortable and at ease when it comes time for portraits. (This is also why I love engagement sessions!) I will do a bit of directing and check for stray hairs, but for the most part, I'll encourage you both to be yourselves and focus on each other and not me.

Yes! I love animals and am happy to include any and all fur (or feather!) babies for your engagement session, elopement, or wedding.

After we talk (either in person, over the phone or video chat), I need a signed contract and a non-refundable retainer fee to save the date. You will be automatically invoiced for the final portion of your wedding payment due a week before your wedding date. Portrait session payments are due on the date of your shoot or at contract signing. All contracts are completed and signed digitally. Invoices for payment will be emailed. Cash, checks, credit cards, Venmo and Zelle accepted.

Mileage is included for all 6+ hour wedding packages within California. Secured overnight hotel lodging (at least three star to ensure safety and security of myself and my equipment) must be provided for travel beyond a two hour drive (~130 miles) of 94803. Travel outside of a 60 mile radius of 94803 is billed at $1/mile ($1.50/mile for two photographers). Please inquire for a custom travel quote.

Not at all! I completely understand and respect my couples need for privacy in our social media obsessed oversharing culture. While my photography agreements come with a model release because these shoots allow me to expand my portfolio, I am happy to address your concerns on an individual basis to support all levels of comfort. I never share last names and can share only first initials if preferred. Some couples will opt to have nothing published, some ask for photo approval before sharing and others will do something in between such as sharing only detail and decor photos. If this is a concern for you, let me know and we’ll work something out.

Each image you receive is individually chosen and edited to my specific standards. The first thing I do is backup your images on several hard drives. Then I will cull the images down by removing any closed eyes, awkward facial expressions and anything else that doesn’t look quite right or doesn't help tell the story of the day. I also color-correct the photos to the proper exposure and tone (AKA making my photos look "happy".) For weddings, I’ll organize all the images into chronological order and into separate categories (“Getting Ready”, “Group Portraits”, “Processional”, “Ceremony” etc.) for ease of viewing. The digital negatives you receive are edited final images (JPGs, not the unprocessed RAW files).

Unfortunately, no. The best analogy for why is when you a hire a florist, you aren't simply paying for the flowers, you are paying for the florist's artistic eye and floral arranging expertise. It's the same with photography. While I aim to capture everything perfectly within camera the moment I press the shutter, I have a very specific way I like to post-process my images. RAW files are like an unfinished painting. The way that I edit and color correct is specific to me and my personal style aesthetic. It's what you see on my website and with all my photos and hopefully, it's why you hired me in the first place.

Four to six weeks is my average turnaround time for wedding photograph collections. During high volume wedding months (August-October), turnaround time can be up to eight weeks.

For a six hour wedding, you will receive between 500-800 images. For elopements, you will receive between 200-300+ images. The image count depends on the length of coverage and amount of events during the day. A good rule of thumb is about 50-75 images per hour.

Turnaround time for all other portrait sessions is two weeks and you will receive at least 80+ images from our session.

Yes! Because I shoot in digital, black and white to color conversion and vice versa is relatively easy. I am happy to convert 10-20 of the final photos from your wedding day or portrait session. All I need is an email with the filenames. (It's best to select photos you plan to print out and/or display.) If you wish to convert more than 20 images, let me know and I can send you a quote for additional editing work.

While I refuse to contribute to the media landscape of unrealistic beauty standards and diet culture, I am happy to do some light edits to your final images within reason. Examples of this include: removing small blemishes, a spot on your outfit or power lines in the background, etc. I will not Photoshop your body into a different shape, change your facial expression or remove wrinkles that occur naturally on your skin. I want my final images to look as natural as possible and not Facetuned to oblivion. Let me know what you want done to each photo specifically and I can send you a quote for additional editing.

Absolutely. The contract includes an exclusive rights print release. You'll be able to use the photos for any personal use (display, social media sharing, etc.) The digital files you will receive are edited, free of watermarks/logos, color-corrected and saved at a high enough resolution for any professional lab to make prints.

Yes, you can learn more about my album design services.

All retainer fees and payments are transferable to future events with no rescheduling fees as long as we are available on the new date. To reschedule, all I need is a new contract signed for the new date. If a new date is unavailable, let’s talk and figure out a way to transfer your retainer fee to a different type of shoot (engagement, family, small elopement, etc.)

Overtime is charged at $300 per half hour. Overtime is any additional time added on the day of the event. California state tax applies to final price if final photos are delivered via USB flash drive.

Communication and trust! The more I know about you and what you are looking for, the better we can work together to produce beautiful photographs.