SF East Bay Family Photographer

At Coyote Hills Regional Park

This beautiful family was so much fun to photograph. This family came to me from the East Bay and wanted to bring their golden doodle along, so I mentioned one of my favorite dog-friendly parks in Fremont as a great location for their family photos. This park features gorgeous rolling hills, and in the Spring, even wildflowers! It’s a short 10 minute walk up to the top of the hill but it’s always gorgeous and panoramic. I love bringing my families here, they always really enjoy the view!

Capturing Authentic Moments

This family did a great job of embodying intimacy and authentic connection in their photos. I encouraged them to just “love on each other”, which is something I repeat often to my families. For some families, that means breaking out into a tickle fight. For some families, it means playing with your children’s hair. For some families, it means snuggling with eyes closed. It’s important that each family embodies their own truth and natural expression when documenting their own love. I don’t want to pose anything too much. As some photographers say, “just stand close together and look like you like each other!” which is exactly what this sweet family did. They look great!

Tips for Family Photos with Dogs

I love puppies SO much! I’ve gotten lucky this year and had the opportunity to photograph quite a few families with dogs. I was raised with golden retrievers. I will cross the street to pet someone else’s dog. My TikTok algorithm has learned to just feed me dog videos and I’ll never get off the app!

Considering including your dog in your photos? Bringing a dog to a photoshoot is a great way to include a beloved family member, but also can make the shoot a little bit trickier to navigate. Many of my locations don’t allow dogs, but I can recommend one or two gorgeous locations that do. Some dogs are VERY energetic, especially when they’re in a brand new park surrounded by exciting potential new friends, so I recommend giving them a good long walk before your photos so they’ll be as calm as possible. I would love the opportunity to love on your fur friend!

Looking for an East Bay Family Photographer in the San Francisco Peninsula? I specialize in authentic family lifestyle photography. I am based in Mountain View, California and serve the greater Bay Area.