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.

city hall wedding, sf weddingsBoris PolisskyJuly 5, 2021sanfranciscowedding, sfcityhallweddingphotography, sfchphoto, sfcityhallphoto, sfcityhallphotography, sfcityhallphotoraphy, cityhallwedding, cityhall, cityhallsfComment

Graduation photoshoot

Graduation is a big deal. Think about it - someone spent a good portion of their life studying towards a career. It’s a bigger deal when it’s graduation from Law School.

When Victor reached out to me he wanted to take some photos after he graduated Golden Gate University. He originally wanted to do the photos inside of San Francisco City Hall, but since it’s closed due to Covid restrictions, I suggested we shoot outside of the CIty Hall instead.

Normally a busy location, we enjoyed a quiet Tuesday afternoon near the CIty Hall area. We took advantage of this quiteness to get some dramatic shots.

Many many years ago I was planning to become a laywer as well. I got my Bachelors degree, interned for several lawyers and was going to apply to Law School. I eventually decided against it to focus on more creative aspects of my life. So this session was personal to me and I wanted to approach it with a concept and have some ideas coming into the session. While they don’t always work and need to be adjusted I find that having concepts before the session is a must.

Victor was such a cool and easy guy to work with. He is aiming to work as a family and immigration lawyer. My goal was to capture the seriosness of someone who works in a law firm already, someone who deals with people who has issues and tries to help them. It’s a tough job because in family law dealing with people’s pain is part of the job and it’s hard to tune off when you go home. And i felt that Victor is very empathetic and caring. So being a family lawyer can definitely weight down on you.

I wanted to show many sides of him. More dramatic, serious and at the same time as a fun, easy going person. We spent 2 hours talking, walking around, running in some cases while taking various photos

Boris PolisskyApril 27, 2021SF City Hall Photosanfranscisco, sanfranciscoweddingphotography, sanfranciscocityhallphotographer, graduationphotography, sanfrancinscograduation, sfchphoto, sanfranciscobayarea, sanfranciscophotography, sfcityhallphoto, sfcityhallphotography, photography, portraitphoto, portraitphotography, graduationphoto, goldengateuniversitygraduationComment

Kailyn Editorial Shoot

Before meeting, Kailyn and I talked about the kind of session we would like to work on. She said she loves travelling and can’t live without coffee. So through the conversations the concept of shooting in this European like cafe and then walking down the streets of Santana Row to recreate Kailyn’s longings (travel and coffee). If you’ve never been to Santana Row, it’s very reminiscent of Europe. Restaurants and cafe, wine bar, outdoor dining and even brick pavement have this European spirit about it. It even has a hotel called Valencia.

Kailyn and I sat down for a cup of coffee, talked about life, religion, our interests and anything that came to mind. I wanted to keep this shoot more casual and less about posing. Kailyn has done plenty of modeling shots and is quite good at it. For this session I wanted to bring to life her own personality, her own interests and desires. I was interested in showing a girl full of laughter, joy, energy and at the same time determined, not afraid and open to whatever life brings her way.

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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.

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Cecilia & Victor

Backyard wedding have become a norm for many couples in 2020 and early 2021. And there are many pluses. Couples save money by not having to rent a venue. Specifc catering companies that work with the venues are not needed and the couple has a choice to bring in any food they’d like. As you know alcohol bill(especially for an open bar) can be quite large.Number of guests is limited to pretty much closest family members. So if you don’t feel like inviting someone, there’s a great excuse not to do so now. In general there’s a lot of complexities and timnig when you have a large wedding in a specific venue. There are minuses as well for backyard wedding - preparation is done by you or someone close to you. You have to worry about cleaning up. There are friends you’d really like to invite and see but unable to do so.

At the end Cecilia & Victor decided not to wait for uncertancy of 2021 and got married in January. Their friend performed the duties of the officiant and did a nice job for the first time in his life. I could tell he was nervous and he rushed through some of the parts quickly, but none the less we got the first kiss, wine ceremony and a lot of laughs.

It was a lovely, quiet ceremony and reception at the couple’s house - mostly backyard as they tried to make sure everything happens outdoors.

Before the ceremony we met at Sharon Park in Menlo Park to take some pre-wedding photos. I took advantage of the sun being high up for some of the backlit shots as well as allowing for a lot of light to come through and lit up my couple. While it’s easy to simply hide in the shade and use flash for some of the photos, I really like to take advantage of the natural light even if it’s midday. My goal was to create real, more candid photos even if they were posed and guided and i wanted to focus on their relationship with their kids since both have kids from their previous marriage. And of course we timeboxed this wedding placing it in the middle of the pandemic with a matching mask - Queen and King.

Boris PolisskyJanuary 20, 2021backyardwedding, wedding photographer, weddingphotography, weddingguide, weddingpgotogaphy, wedding, weddingphotos, weddingphoto, wedding2021, covidweddingComment

Betty

Whenever i travel i always bring my camera with me. I guess that’s a given being a photographer. While i love shooting at the beach the key for me is not be repetative. But it’s also improtant to work with someone who’s willing to be playful, have fun and just try different things. I met Betty while at the Riviera Maya where i went to celebrate New Years Even with my family.

We chatted a bit but when we truly connected is when taking photos. We were both filled with energy and enthusiasm, ready to do whatever is needed to get some of the fun shots. I also wanted to capture Betty (who’s about to turn 17) in this very innocent way of the girl who’s whole life is ahead of her - all the choices, big decisions, new experiences are all waiting and are not that far off.

Here are some of my favorite images from our shoot

Boris PolisskyJanuary 15, 2021portraitphotography, photography, photo, photo album, photohrapher, professional photography, beachphotographyComment

Bridal Studio Session

Who says you can’t do a bridal photoshoot in the studio, not on your actual wedding day. Eli didn’t think so. If you like photos and really want perfection without worrying about what’s next on your wedding day agenda, studio photos on a different day are a great option. It’s just all about you and capturing the best images without all the wedding day stress. As a result we I want to bring out the beauty Eli possesses and not make it about the wedding dress only. Let’s just say the wedding dress was extra.

For a photographer who shoots a lot of weddings this was an opportunity to really take time, get perfect light, perfect poses, emotions without having people around, without time restrictions, location restrictions and all so many fun things weddings have. Within hour and half we were able to get lots of awesome shots. Here are some examples of what we were going for during our session.

Boris PolisskyDecember 1, 2020sfbayarea, san, sanfranciscowedding, sanfranscisco, studiophoto, studiophotography, bridalstudiophoto, bridalphotosanfrancisco, sanfranciscobridal, sfweddingphotography, sanfranciscoweddingphotograp, sanfranciscoweddingphotographyComment

Maternity Session

I love maternity sessions. There’s something unique and special about a couple that’s expecting their baby - especially when it’s their first child. They are excited, they are enjoying their last weeks as a family of 2 before a major change happens. Nothing will be the same after that. Motherhood and fatherhood bring in the kind of emotions that they haven’t experienced before. It removes some part of selfishness that we all carry in us. It can also test your physical and psychological limits especially when it’s combined with lack of sleep. In some weeks they will need to be fully dedicated to taking care of a new life and that concern is not something that ever stops. And yes it’s life changing, it’s exciting and it’s scary at the same time because now you’re responsible for this little life that can’t really communicate with you in their first months at least. Being a father I know how it feels and it’s much larger change for a mother.

So when Kanika and Rahul asked for a maternity session I was all in. I have a few ideas i wanted to try out and I wanted to create a unique, in some cases magazine like quality to the images. I also wanted to have a conceptual image of them in their house where the world is around the future mom.

Few of the images we captured during our hour and half session are here.

Boris PolisskyNovember 23, 2020maternityphoto, maternitysession, maternitysanfrancisco, maternitysf, sfbComment

Lana & Tom Sutro Baths Wedding

I love when couples called me because I was recommended to them by their friends. To me that’s the biggest compliment one can get. So when Lana contacted me about a wedding they were planning in November I was excited. After talking with Lana and Tom over the phone i felt that this is my kind of couple. And it’s hard to explain exactly what that is but generally there’s a connection. And to me having that connection is extremely important. It allows for complete trust in each other. It also allows the couple to be a lot more relaxed with me. And from the start there was no tension. We didn’t need 5-10 minutes to get to know each other and overcome meeting new people sort of deal. As i said we just connected and as a result we were able to get some really cool images.

Lana and Tom contemplated a few locations for their ceremony till they settled down on the Sutro Baths in San Francisco and we agreed that “the golden hour” and sunset would be the best time for what we wanted. The ceremony was very intimate. Just them, an officiant and myself. They day was just perfect. The sky especially was gorgeous and my eyes were drawn to it. As a result i wanted to make sure we have the beautiful sky in the background on a lot of the shots.

sf weddingsBoris PolisskyNovember 18, 2020SF City Hall Photophotography, sutrobathsphotography, sutrobathswedding, sanfranciscowedding, sanfrancisco, weddingsf, sutrobathssf, goldengatebridgeComment

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.

Elopement - what to do when San Francisco City Hall is closed for wedding

San Francisco City Hall has closed its doors on March 17 and hasn’t reopened since. Unfortunately there’s no sign of it reopening to host numerous weddings. On average 30-40 weddings were officiated in San Francisco City Hall. I was told around 90 weddings were held on popular dates like Valentines day or 7-7-2017, If we do the math a large number of weddings got cancelled this year.

In case you didn’t know all San Francisco City Hall officiants are volunteers. Even when City Hall reopens for wedding I imagine the number of these weddings per day will be a lot smaller.

So what do you do?! The beauty of the SF City Hall is that it provided an intimate, budget wedding in a one of a kind location. Add a photographer who knows the City Hall in and out, and you get memories and photos preserved for the rest of your life. But let’s not divert. This is in no way about me :)

It’s about couples that would like to get married, planned on getting married in San Francisco City Hall but got their wedding canceled or unable to book in the near time future. What do you do!?

While i love San Francisco City Hall, there are options.

While San Francisco County offers “deputy commissioner for the day” program where you can marry specific couple, it needs to be obtained in the City Hall which is currently closed. So unfortunately this is not an option at this time
You can hire a officiant. Formal officiant cost varies, but typically is around $300-$500
Anyone can be an officiant. The process is relatively simple and you can have your friend or family member officiate your wedding. It has to be someone you trust to take care of the paperwork and not lose it while celebrating your wedding. As a matter of fact i often recommend this option because it ends up being more personal. I have officiated several weddings for close friend. While it’s nerve wrecking (oh that pressure) it makes your wedding even more special in my opinion.

Here are few resources to consider to become an ordained minister:

https://www.ulc.org/
https://theamm.org/

There are several other institutions that provide these services but it’s basically the same concept. Make sure all your paperwork submitted in timely fashion after the wedding is officiated.

Now that you have an officiant, you need a place. That is the easy part if your wedding party is small. Remember San Francisco City Hall enforced rules of having 6 guests only at the Rotunda. If you were looking for Rotunda wedding, you probably had handful of guests. You can get married on the beach - San Francisco, beaches like Bakers beach, Half Moon Bay, Stinson Beach are all great places to tie the knot.

There are plenty of other locations to consider including doing it in your own back. The point that if you’d like to get married nothing should stop! No viruses or lockdowns. Of course you have be safe and smart when planning your wedding Make sue you stick with current restrictions and regulations.

And of course we would love to photograph your wedding. A few photos from non City Hall locations that we shot recently

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge Elopement Photo

Boris PolisskyJuly 28, 2020sfcityhallphotography, sfcityhallphotographer, sanfrancisco, sanfranciscogoldengatebridge, goldengatebridge, palaceoffinearts, sanfranciscowedding, sanfranciscoelopement, elopement, elopementsf, sfwedding, sfcityhallwedding, sfcityhallphotoComment

Editorial work

It’s not a ground breaking statement that Covid-19 has turned our plans inside out. Lot of weddings i had booked for the summer got either cancelled, postponed or are up in the air.

San Francisco City Hall is quiet these days with no brides rushing through the security check point to get to room 168. No numerous photographers waiting in line to take a must have Grand Stairwell photo. No quinceanera girls dressed up as some princess from Disney movie with her makeup/hair artist, photographer and a few assistants taking over some area in the City Hall.

I miss that craziness but it’s also good to use the break and time to work on other aspects of photography that i like.

I enjoy shooting weddings for many reasons. I get to meet couples with their families and friends on one of their most memorable days. I get to share it with them, capture these moments. And while there’s a lot of pressure to get it right the 1st time (there are no redos here), I enjoy that adrenaline rush and excitement. So it’s natural that I miss it, but it also opened up an opportunity for me to spend more time shooting something else. I enjoy working in the studio or on location focusing more on editorial kind of work. While there’s plenty of spontaneity it also gives more time to think through some of the shots, create concepts and gives more room to play during the session. There’s more time to think and something new to try that i wouldn’t normally do during the wedding.

A few samples from 2 of my most recent sessions.

Boris PolisskyJuly 3, 2020san francisco city hall, san francisco fashion photography, san francisco editorial photography, sffashion, sfeditorial, sfcityhallweddingphotography, sfweddingphotographer, sfwedding, sf, bayareaeditorialphotography, bayareafashion, sanfranciscobayarea, sfbayarea, sfbayareafashionComment

Personal favorites during non wedding days

Normally this is the wedding season with lots of wedding either taking place or being planned. You can ask any wedding photographer who’s been in this industry for a while and this is when we start getting creative in managing our time as more requests and bookings come in. San Francisco City Hall would typically be overrun with couples getting married and their guests, especially on Fridays.

Instead all wedding at the City Hall have been cancelled, couples either looked for other places to get married when quarantine lifted, rescheduled for next year or waiting for the City Hall to open up.

As photographer who has a camera always handy, sees lot of fun moments, has tons of ideas to shoot, what can be better than taking photos of my daughter who’s about to turn 18 months.

When i look back at her photos from before it serves me as a reminder how important it is to capture life’s moments on camera. Our memories are tricky. We remember bits and pieces, some specific images. When we are inside of these moments, we don’t always notice small details. It’s these small moments that make up the whole picture to me. Time moves so fast and while we can’t pause it, look around us, take in everything, we can capture some of these moments.

While i do miss shooting weddings at San Francisco City Hall and other locations, meeting awesome new couples, shooting engagement sessions, I’m glad i have time to spend with this little one and capture her small footsteps

Boris PolisskyJune 10, 2020sfcityhallweddingphotography, sfcityhallstylist, sfcityhallwedindg, sfwedding, kids, kidphotography, toddlerphotography, sfcityhall, sfphotographer, sfcityhallphotographer, sfcityhallphotographyComment

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.

Tiffany & Bernard

One of the main reasons I enjoy shooting City Hall weddings is because majority of the time they are very intimate. There’s a small number of guests, often it’s the just the couple only. Don’t get me wrong, large, elaborate weddings are interesting, but they just aren’t as private. Often times they are about the guests more than about the couple getting married.

In the case of Tiffany and Bernard it was just them and their parents. Having 2 plus hours to spend with such a small group creates a sort of intimacy and an atmosphere where the couple gets to know you and I get to know the couple. To me they are not some people i just met. We have a moment to talk and get to know each other a little. I get to understand what they like, what they are into, how they met, etc… And the end result is we had time to do preparation photos at the hotel, first look, the ceremony, group photos, a very good variety of portrait photos as well as some individual shots.

We partnered with IqVideography to get a very cool highlights video - https://vimeo.com/379934906/85fc9e368c

SF City Hall Photo

415-770-0555

info@sfcityhallphoto.com

30 Patton St, San Francisco, CA 94110