Posts tagged sfphotography

How much time should I book with you?

Quite often I get asked “What package is best for us?", “How long should our photo session at the City Hall should be?”

My answer is “It depends”. And here is what I suggest to consider:

Do you have a larger wedding party?
Have you booked the civil ceremony at the City Hall Rotunda or booked 4th floor or Mayor’s balcony?
Is it just the 2 of you?
Do you have specific images in mind that you must have?

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

30 minutes is truly designed to cover the ceremony. If it’s just you or have a small group of guests will take group photos after the ceremony and will have 10 or so minutes for just the 2 of you.
1 hour - If you have a wedding party and/or would like various photo combinations with them and a few couple portraits this is a great option for you. We can do a lot in an hour (samples below)
2 hours - If you have a specific images you’d like, specific locations including outdoors and potentially have a larger wedding party (10 or more) I would suggest this package
4 hours - couples that would like cover their reception after their City Hall session

I understand not everyone wants long sessions around the City Hall and couples are also cost conscious for very good reasons.

Keep in mind no session is alike. They are all unique because of the couples, their families and mostly because of space availability at the City Hall at the time.

My general recommendations when selecting the right package for you:

Here are examples of full session:

30 minute session - ceremony, family/guest photo (if present) and few portrait photos in 2-3 locations at the City Hall

1 hour session - more couple’s photos around the City Hall

1 hour session example 2 - more couple’s photos around the City Hall

2 hour session - for larger wedding party and more photos around the City Hall (especially if you have specific requests)

Boris PolisskyFebruary 27, 2023sfcityhallwedding, sfcity, sfweddingphotography, sfphotography, sfcityhallpackages, sfcityhallsession, cityhallphoto, cityhallsf, cityhallwedding, sfcityhallweddingphotographerComment

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.

city hall wedding, sf weddingsBoris PolisskyJanuary 21, 2022weddingphotography, weddingphotos, sfphotography, sfcityhallwedding, sfweddingphotography, sfcityhallceremony, sfcityhallweddingphotography, cityhallsf, cityhall, cityhallphoto, cityhallwedding, sanfranciscocityhallphotographer, sanfranciscoComment

Veena Studio Portrait

I was always interested in not just taking photos of people, but in creating a concept around what they like, what they enjoy and what is part of who they are. When Veena reached out to me that she wanted to do some portrait photos I didn’t just set the time, i asked questions. I wanted to know what she liked, what she couldn’t live without, what makes her happy, etc.. I wanted to get a feel for her as a person before she even stepped into the studio. So i wrote down some ideas I felt i should consider for our session. When she came in, I instantly threw half of them away and focused on the ones that felt right and fit the mood both of us were in. While Veena was nervous at first - which is quite natural - she relaxed shortly and her true self came out. The room filled up with peacefulness, harmony and a load of positivity.

My goal was not to force any concept or idea on her but to build the imagery around her personality and showcase Veena as she is and also to visualize her warmness and openness as a human being.