Lillian & Bowen

Call it luck, call it experience, call it the 6th sense, but so far I’ve been able to work around the most difficult situations at the City Hall to get great shots. And we didn’t need hours to do this. Lillian & Bowen booked me for 1 hour on a Friday. The City Hall gets normally very packed, but in this case the Grand Stairwell area was getting blocked off as the crew was setting up for an upcoming event.

I always arrive earlier to the City Hall as I wait for my couples. And I’m watching the Grand Stairwell area slowly getting blocked off from all sides except from the center. I see Lillian and Bowen (as they arrived early too) and after a quick introduction, rush over to the Grand Stairwell, where i get stopped by the manager overseeing the setup. He goes “sorry this area is closed”. It just got blocked off fully and so I ask him for just a few minutes to take my couples’ photos. He was nice even to let us do it. There were a few more couples with photographers rushing to get a few shots, so I quickly set up my lights and got some great photos of my couple. 2 minutes later the Grand Stairwell was completely blocked off to the general public.

As we proceeded after the ceremony to the 4th floor, it was packed, but we were lucky to get a very cute shots then and then moved to the 2nd floor Mayor’s Balcony which happened to be empty. And since the stairwell was empty too, we got some great shots from the Mayor’s Balcony.

When couples reach out to me asking what kind of photos I usually take within a certain amount of time, I promise them to make the best use of that time.

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Sandra & Gavin

I had an interesting email conversation with one of the potential clients. She reached out to me asking about my packages. I provided all the details. She then responded asking what is the difference between my packages on my site and my packages at another website (their rates are lower than mine). That other website is another photostudio and the only thing we have in common is we have cityhall in our name and obviously shoot in San Francisco City Hall. I responded to her with that information and explained that while I understand the price definitely matters, she should look at the photo portfolio and at the reviews to make sure the photographer is what she’s looking for. It’s not always about if you pay more, you get something better. And if the photographer charges less, doesn’t mean they are bad.

The general rule is that photographers charge based on their experience, artistic vision, etc…The main point I’m trying to say is that the couple shouldn’t book someone just based on the price. They should at least look at their portfolio. And you can tell a lot by looking at the images - these are usually the best that the photographer wants to showcase. It represents well their style, their color palette, their communication with the couple. At the end it’s your story… you shouldn’t compromise but also keep your budget in mind.

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Mariel & Chloe and my take on booking a photographer

I had an interesting email conversation with one of the potential clients. She reached out to me asking about my packages. I provided all the details. She then responded asking what is the difference between my packages on my site and my packages at another website (their rates are lower than mine). That other website is another photostudio and the only thing we have in common is we have cityhall in our name and obviously shoot in San Francisco City Hall. I responded to her with that information and explained that while I understand the price definitely matters, she should look at the photo portfolio and at the reviews to make sure the photographer is what she’s looking for. It’s not always about if you pay more, you get something better. And if the photographer charges less, doesn’t mean they are bad.

The general rule is that photographers charge based on their experience, artistic vision, etc…The main point I’m trying to say is that the couple shouldn’t book someone just based on the price. They should at least look at their portfolio. And you can tell a lot by looking at the images - these are usually the best that the photographer wants to showcase. It represents well their style, their color palette, their communication with the couple. At the end it’s your story… you shouldn’t compromise but also keep your budget in mind.

Now back to this beautiful couple. My goal is always to capture candid, real moments and to also pose my couple in such a way that it’s real. We all love watching the movies and can identify bad acting pretty easy now. Same with these images… the emotions have to be real. Otherwise the image isn’t good enough for me. As a photographers its our duty to tell the story and tell it right

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Christine & Tim

It’s quite true - every photographer has their own style not just in how the see the final image, but how the communicate with people, how they get those reactions. I came to the City Hall a bit earlier (as I typically do) and I was observing others at work. I have to say I always do that because there’s something to learn from everyone. I remember reading a story about Jimi Hendrix who’d go to clubs and watch other guitarists play and would take notes. We as photographers have to do the same. There’s a lot to learn from each other.

I can see some photographers spending a lot of time on the Grand Stairwell often time having the couple stand in the same pose for a few minutes. You can see the couple getting tired and not having as much fun when you have to freeze as a mannequin. There are photographers who laugh, joke with the couple and quickly move around the City Hall. I personally prefer that breezy approach. But I understand some photographers are looking for more magazine style photo. Like I said everyone has their own style and I’m in no way criticizing it. I just have my own preferences.

The session with Christine and Tim showcase it quite well. We started with the 1st look photos and then went from there. Their wedding was not just about the 2 of them, but about the family. And you could feel a connection between Tim, his son and his grandkids and how they all connected with Christine. Just focusing on Christine and Tim on the Grand Stairwell for 30 minutes would do complete misjustice to their story. The best part is I photograph couples at different ages, and it really doesn’t matter how young you are, the wedding day is special and my goal is always the same - bring out the real personalities, have fun, the couple have fun and enjoy themselves. And we did just that

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Emma & Jake

I’m not a big proponent of large weddings. I understand there are large families and it’s hard to invite only a few people. There are also lots of friends and if you invite one, someone else might get offended. So while I shoot larger weddings I enjoy smaller events at San Francisco City Hall even more now. Yes, they don’t last all the day. There are less people and it could feel less private just because it’s a City Hall. But to me these weddings are more personal, intimate with a closer connection between the couple, their guests and me. I heard one of my favorite photographers and people Fer Juaristi say once that he wants the couple to treat him as a friend with a fancy camera. It’s how I approach weddings. To get great photos there has to be an emotional connection. It’s impossible to put it to words because at the end it’s either there or it’s not. And I understand that not everyone is open to strangers and that’s ok as well. It’s not about how much we talk, but about how much we explore during our session: how much we explore our emotions, happiness, joy, our family. For that amount of time we create the images that weren’t there before and to me that’s exciting.

The moment I saw Emma’s dress I had a thought of some Shakespearian play. And it wasn’t just the dress. It was her personality, how softly she talked and how gentle she was that brought the person in me who loves history, historical fiction and anything that deals with time before I was born. So for some of the couple shots I wanted to create this sort of a dream atmosphere.

The result are some fun candid images, first look, couples’ photos and so much more. I picked a handful for this blog

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Ashley & Nick

Spring this year has been a busy wedding season. I was lucky to photograph many great couples. I know I’ve said it before but when I photograph I’m not interested in just posing for posing sake or to have a cool background. My goal is to bring out the couple’s personality, their dynamic and to show their relationship through the photographs. It’s not always an easy task because most of the time I get about an hour to do that and these are people I’ve never met before. Then to add to that the couple is being photograph and we all know how when camera is in front of us we tend to feel awkward. I know I do and I do photography every single day… but I’m just not in front of the camera

Ashley and Nick are such an outgoing, easy couple. I wanted to show their fun personality, not taking it seriously and being occasionally goofy with one another. At the same time there’s a lot of softness especially that they are expecting a baby soon.

Sf City hall wedding ceremony couple photo

Sf City hall wedding ceremony couple photo outside

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Amanda & Nicholas

I love the first look. I don’t mind arranging it. I’d make sure the groom is positioned in the right place and not looking around too much. I’d arrange to meet the bride at the City Hall entrance and walk her to the right spot.

In case of Amanda and Nicholas, I wanted to hype it even more. I built up the anticipation with Nicholas and then took a few photos of him. I showed them to Amanda and told her he was very nervous (and he truly was).

Amanda looked beautiful and obviously Nicholas hadn’t see her yet. So I told her to take her time when she walks and build that anticipation for Nicholas even more.

And we got some awesome photos from that.

If you’re ever wondering why book the 4th floor for a private ceremony having an awesome harpist could be one of the reasons.

Here are some highlights from our 2 hours session

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Alisson and Peter

When i photograph my couples I often start conversations on how they met. I’m naturally curious of how people meet. Often times they come from different backgrounds, different cities, countries and chances of them meeting …. well are very slim. But somehow they meet, have a wonderful relationship and want to take it to the next level by getting married. I meet couples that have been together for many years, but their relationship feels fresh, full of energy and obvious love for each other. So it’s really not how long the couple has been together but it’s finding the right person.

Alisson and Peter met via online dating app. A common story for many couples I photograph now. And it’s quite normal because people have more opportunities to meet someone they wouldn’t meet otherwise.

After getting to know them for 5 minutes the chemistry and how they balance each other out was obvious. Alisson is hyper, with tons of ideas… she literally can’t stand in one place. I’m very much the same way at times. Peter is very calm, thoughtful and fun at the same time. They both love dancing and they put on a performance for me. Alisson was born in Columbia and speaks perfect English, but Peter wanted to learn Spanish anyway. You can see that they care for each other and show it in small ways every day.

The result was a large collection of photos at the City Hall and Fort Mason. Their friends put together a picnic for them. Together with their 2 cute dogs - Burrito and Rico Suave they had a wonderful wedding ceremony and reception. We have photos to prove that

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Christina & Nathaniel

The most serious people can appear very much fun, goofy and going along with the mood of the day. And the mood of the day is marriage. And unless you’re forced in it, It’s about having a great time.

And that’s how it was with Christina and Nathaniel. When you see a man in the uniform you always think discipline, seriousness. While Nathaniel possessed that, he always had the most caring smile and his eyes sparkled when he looked at Christina. And he wasn’t hiding his feelings. There was no reason to do so. Besides, his bride looked gorgeous in her white dress, with her veil and he obviously couldn’t take his eyes off her. There were few specific shots where I wanted to have both of them looking at me, and you could see it was quite an effort for him to stop looking at Christina and look at me. And i can’t blame him :)

As my April and May have been extremely busy with weddings (i don’t even get enough time to do regular blogs), I’m realizing more and more while I like artistic shots, I’m learning more towards interesting shots where my couple’s character is coming out, where their personality shines. And I’m beginning to have larger number of those type of images versus cool silhouette shots with City Hall in the background. Don’t get me wrong. I like those, but lately I’m leaning more towards personality shots. And here are a few examples of that.

SF city hall wedding ceremony mayors balcony

sf city hall wedding the grand stairwell

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Bella & Joseph

I love January. Not just because it’s when my birthday is but because it often feels like a fresh start. Maybe it’s because of the vacation and holidays and maybe because in our minds new year is a sort of reset when we start anew.

First wedding of January after holiday and a long deserved vacation and I loved being back at the City Hall. The light at the City Hall in winter time is one of a kind. It’s low and it hits the windows on the north side, bouncing off the walls, creating this ethereal feel.

I love backlighting my couple, often times using another light on them as I like to have more light on the faces. Other times I’ll just ask my couple to be directly in the sunlight and pose them in such a way that it works. With Bella and Joseph I was able to experiment and try what I don’t usually do. And that’s the best part of what I do and makes me excited. It’s never the same and it’s not going to be the same for my couples. It’s not this pose with this spot - a template shot. No it will always vary and will be adjusted to the couple, to the feel, the mood, the light. So many little components go into the shoot and it’s not something we think about in order. All those things go through our head at once. Often times it’s not even a thought, it’s a feel.

You can compare it to a jam band. A great jam band just go for it. They aren’t thinking of the guitar solo.. they are in the moment enjoying what they do. I feel wedding photography is similar to that. While I can plan some shots, more often there’s just no time to do so within 1 hour session. And within that time I try to get to know the couple, observe their behavior with each other, get them relaxed, get them feel comfortable and to not think of me as a photographer but as a friend who’s going to take their photos.

And at the end I feel i had a good session when I have a good mix of images - from candid moments to real emotions to a few artsy shots that make sense and aren’t done for the sake of doing it.

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Favorite Fall wedding moments

What a fun, busy and crazy this Fall has been. I can have a separate post for every single wedding I shot because each one was unique, exciting and emotional in its own way. And once I have a bit more time I would like to go back and cover some of them. The light on the 4th Floor North side was something you can’t just pass by. I was draw to it and wanted to take advantage of it. There were these pocket of lights that make the City Hall even more mysterious and unique.

I was lucky to have some of the funniest couples that chose me. Maybe it’s not a coincidence they picked me. I always say that my goal is to not only have great photos that capture their day, but to make sure they don’t forget to have fun and to enjoy the process of taking photos. Without that the most beautiful place will look dull because they aren’t enjoying themselves and instead are posing for cameras. While I will always direct and come up with ideas and images I want to see, I love capturing these moments in between and strive to orchestra these moments.

And then there’s the actual ceremony where the couples and their guests are fully into that little moment that binds them together. I’m there to observe, watch and catch these little details that matter the most - like a tear shed by one of the guests.. or a bride, the way the groom looks at his bride.. the first kiss.. all that is important and the job of the photographer to capture it but to capture it from our point of view.

And while I love a lot of grand wide photos of the City Hall, my goal is always the couple. Make them laugh, smile, feel emotions, go back in time to their first day, or just talk to me about what matters to them. And it between all that I keep taking photos… i talk.. i encourage them to show their love for each other.. and keep taking photos.

Here are some of my favorite images and it was really hard to chose these because each wedding has a good number of images I really liked.

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Kristen & Brennan

I mention this often but I get very lucky to work with some very cool couples. And I don’t mean in a sense that they are models who just look great on camera. I mean they are just good people. And as I work with them I’m thinking - I could see us being good friends. I don’t know if a like a word ‘client’. I don’t see many of my couples as clients. Yes, I get paid for the shoot, but then I’m not doing it because I’m interested in the money… Well ok… of course it’s a job, but my goal is to tell their story of their big day. And it’s a privilege if you think about it. A couple let’s a stranger in their life. And that stranger wants to get close to them in order to tell their story right and not through awkwardly posed images. When I have more time to spend with just the couple I want to know their story. I’m curious how they met, I want to understand the dynamic of their relationship. I really want to get to know them better in order to capture something of them in the shots.

While I enjoy creative, more artistic shots, there are times I would go for something simpler because it doesn’t fit with their story. And with Kristen and Brennan, the less felt better. Speaking of trying more creative shots. There’s a shot here where I used blue and red gels in a wide shot. I’ve done similar shot for other couples and wanted to try something a bit more unique. And to be honest I didn’t feel it completely worked for the couple. Something just wasn’t there. I’m posting it here so you can see for yourself.

Lately I’ve been watching interviews and listening to podcasts of several famous cinematographers including Roger Deakins. And it’s always about the same - how does your visual fit the story. While I can’t do storyboards and thinks of the shots in advance, that doesn’t change the fact that wedding photography is not about being a good documentarist, it’s about honesty, about having a good feel for your couples… and to me it’s about really giving your best to capture the day in its true color.

Why do I bring all this up with this San Francisco City Hall wedding followed by a session at Palace of Fine Arts? I feel that being a photographer and being invited into people’s lives is a big deal. It should be honored and I don’t look at it as a paycheck (while it is of course). If this world wasn’t revolved around money and needing to sustain yourself and your family, I know there are 2 things I would be doing - photography and music.

But back to Kristen and Brennan who was such an amazing couple. We ended up spending extra time and I didn’t want to leave them as I had more ideas and things I wanted to cover. But we were already over time and it just so happened that it was my son’s birthday. So I wanted to make sure I’m not late. It’s great to meet such genuinely good people who care about each other and also care about people around them. They were shy at first in front of the camera, but as we got to know each other better (i get a bit nosy with questions and comments :) they freed up and felt very comfortable. Here are some photos that we got. And again.. I went for their story as opposed to showcasing some artistic shot.

SF City Hall is finally reopened

The last wedding I shot in San Francisco City Hall was on March 13 2020. On March 17 2020 Bay Area went into a lockdown with SF City Hall being completely closed. Finally on June 7th 2021 the City Hall opened its doors to the wedding ceremonies. There are 2 ceremonies every half an hour (used to be 3) and the appointments are only 9-1. As a result there’s a lot less people in the City Hall which allows for some really cool wide shots that was harder to achieve before. Well… you could, but then you’d get lots of other people in the shot. And i just don’t like that unless the people are part of the story somehow.

Danielle and Thomas live in San Diego. They were planning to visit San Francisco for a while and decided to combine pleasure.. well and pleasure. They got lucky that they were able to book an appointment in San Francisco City Hall somewhat last minute. Did I mention it’s really hard to book appointments now due to the demand. So it was just the 2 of them and a tripod with an iphone that allowed them to do livestreaming of their ceremony.

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Priscilia & Derrick

This was by far the most unique and insane wedding sessions I’ve ever shot. Insane because San Francisco got covered with dark orange haze making a day look like a night time. We never saw the sun and there was barely any light when we started at 11.30 AM. It felt like we were on a different planet.

But that didn’t stop Priscilia and Derrick. They originally planned to get married on Bali this summer, but COVID changed these plans. They ended up booking a virtual ceremony at San Francisco City Hall followed a session with your truly. But another surprise happened on the day of their wedding. Wildfires burning in California and Oregon brought down a huge dark orange cloud covering San Francisco Bay Area, creating what some call a ‘nuclear winter’ feel.

How many times have i said I get very lucky with the couples i photograph? I really am! Priscilia and Derrick just went along with whatever the day brought them. I offered to reshoot some other day when there was light if they felt so. But they were dressed up, ready to go and willing to go with whatever the day brought them. And I’m so glad they did. We got some of the most unique wedding photos and the couple was really happy with the end results. The credit really goes to them for enjoying the day no matter what happens. It’s a lesson we can all learn

How To Get Married While City Hall Is Closed

So you’ve been planning to get married in 2020. It’s such a great year for that - numerically, symbolically and just why not? Nothing should stop the couples from tieing the knot. But then the pandemic hits and all the plans are changed. San Francisco City Hall that always attracts a large number of couples from all over the world wanting to get married closed its doors on March 17 and hasn’t reopened yet.

The good news is.. San Francisco City Hall started doing virtual licenses and ceremonies. There are certain requirements you have to meet but for majority of couples it should not be an issue.

You can view all that you need to know here and then book your ceremony with San Francisco City Hall officiant.

https://sfgov.org/countyclerk/video-marriage-services

Now i understand virtual ceremony is not the same as the one where the officiant is right in front of you. I’ve seen a few of these ceremonies. The officiant is still engaged, the moment are emotional and real. Unfortunately you’re not at San Francisco City Hall Rotunda, or on the magnificent 4th floor balcony, or the grand Mayor balcony. But you’re getting married, you have the person you love the most next to you and you have the officiant who’s “blessing” your union, giving it an official Californian stamp. In the eyes of the state you will be married.

So you get dressed, get your hair and makeup done. Why not take that opportunity and do a wedding photo session after your virtual ceremony. You can’t get inside of the City Hall, but there are plenty of great spots around the City Hall area. As a matter of fact I always left enough time for outside shots because San Francisco City Hall architecture strikes me the most from the outside. It’s what stands out first. The wedding session can be followed by going to the beach, overlooking the Golden Gate, Palace of Fine Arts or any other awesome location in the city.

Tala & Jad

On March 17 for the first time since reopening in 1999, San Francisco City Hall closed down for all wedding ceremonies. As counties in San Francisco Bay Area became the first in the US to mandate “shelter to place” order, all wedding ceremonies got cancelled through April 17..

While coronavirus was taking hold on Europe and various parts of the world, it was still relatively on a low radar in the US. The toilet paper panic hasn’t started. Beans, pasta and rice were still available on the shelves at the stores. But couples started cancelling their wedding as they were concerned already. All that changed in a few days when more and more cases of COVID 19 were being reported in the US, particularly in SF Bay Area.

Tala & Jad didn’t want to cancel. They were determined to get married. They didn’t have a large party. It was just them, Tala’s brother with his wife and daughter. And they were lots of fun! You could tell from the start when they are just “good fun people”. They laughed, joked … and then even danced extremely well.

While this was one of my last sessions at the City Hall before the lockdown, I have no doubt life will go back to normal. Engaged couples will once again walk into the City Hall and leave it happily married… with great memories and photos.

Maria & Jacob

How much can a photographer do when most of San Francisco City Hall is locked for in preparation for an events - the Rotunda is closed off to a point that the ceremonies are done in the private room, the Grand Stairwell is off limits, the 2nd floor is completely blocked off, the lights are being setup on the 3rd floor. In addition to that both North and South side of the 4th floor are reserved for private ceremonies. You get a little creative

Luckily Maria, Jacob and their family were so flexible, fun and easy to work. They completed trusted me and followed along with whatever we did. We spent about an hour plus to get all the shots we needed and we could under the circumstances. But i couldn’t have been happier. We did break a few rules but without causing any issues or endangering anyone in the process.

Maria and Jacob brought so much energy and emotions to every shot that I honestly could’ve gone the whole day with them if they didn’t have a dinner waiting for them.

Alyssa & Kevin

I’m always excited when i get booked for half a day. And it’s not because i’m greedy and here to make money. I enjoying spending time with people and getting to know them. It really is - ask my wife. She’s more of an introvert who has to deal with me always wanting to talk to people, ask questions and have random conversations.

So when i had an opportunity to spend 4 hours with an amazing couple like Alyssa and Kevin I’m beyond thrilled. First off we started off walking on the beach - the weather could not have been better. Then we headed to the City Hall and had time to do both serious and fun photos. It takes a little time for people to open up and be themselves in front of the camera. And I want to get the real, true them out.

Turns out Alyssa loves dancing - so of course i wanted to incorporate that. She has a lot of natural grace and i wanted to capture that as well… along with the silliness of course.

At the end i couldn’t have been happier with the collection of photos we got. There were lots of candid honest moments during the ceremony, very cool group photos and of course plenty of Alyssa and Kevin photos to chose from.

Lisa & Louis

I just love intimate small weddings. That’s one of the best part about shooting at San Francisco City Hall. Yes, you can rent the whole City Hall for the day, for few hours on the weekend, invite everyone you know and don’t know. And i will enjoy shooting that and will give it my 200% percent of focus and creativity. But nothing beats spending 1 hour and being part of a small family. That’s the best part about being a wedding photographer. It’s the connection to the couple, to their big day and to their lives. Even if that connection last for a little bit, it’s still there. And I really enjoy it.

And while i love a lot of creative and artistic shot i love to take the images that the couple would print, hang on the wall or put on their bed stand. Print an album and look at it.

Robyn & Mason

While i love shooting at San Francisco City Hall i often wish i had more time with my couples. Robyn’s mom booked me last minute and wanted to do some more photos at the Fairmont hotel. Unfortunately i was already booked. So we just had 1 hour session at the City Hall right before Christmas.

Robyn and Mason had tons of personality, emotions and passion. Being around couples like that energizes me and reminds me why i I do this.