Category Archives: Portraits

Roy & Amy Welcome Leo | San Francisco Newborn Photography

First comes love, then comes marraige, then comes…

I so enjoy baby sessions, especially when I’ve shot the couples wedding. I often tell people how being a wedding photographer has taught me more about love then I ever imagined, and now? Baby sessions? Have to admit that I kinda thought the whole pregnancy glow thing was a myth. Not so! As I see my clients again, once brides to be, now mommies, they look so gorgeous! There is something calm and happy to them.

And new mommies? If you don’t feel that way? Don’t worry because either A) you have us all completely fooled, or B) we can see something you can’t.

I suspect it’s B.

Roy and Amy already have two furry babies at home, so Leo is their first ‘non-furry’ baby. Their home must feel so full now with little ones at their feet, and another in their arms. Wait til Leo gets moving and spots those two puppies! Now those are going to be some cute iPhone pics!

In the meantime, here he is, just two weeks old and already breaking hearts (mine mostly, and my Moms who was here that day helping in the office).

Enjoy!

T

Jay & Kristen | San Francisco Engagement Photography

This couple, this couple is so sweet and so adoring of one another, they make me think that 20 years from now they will be holding hands and sneaking kisses while their kids yell, “GROSS”.

When we were planning their engagement session I tossed out the idea of a playground that I had used for a family session.

Now, you might think a playground isn’t that great of a place for an engagement session, but I love working in games and light hearted set ups for my clients because through the years I’ve found, that person who makes you laugh and feel like a kid again? That’s who you love. That’s who you grow old with. Yes, romantically you love them and think they’re the hottest thing since that fever you had last summer! But you also want to run errands with them, spend lazy Saturdays together while you read a book and play crossword puzzles. Basically you love your best friend.

Kristen loved the idea of a playground, and I think you can tell, from looking at these photos, that Jay is for sure her best friend.

On this day they played in the sand, pushed each other on the swing set, played superman!! (do you remember this? When you used the swing to fly through the air), chicken, and monkey bars. Jay can apparently pull himself up and do a handstand. I was suitably impressed and also more than slightly jealous.

Of course, when we design your session we want to show that silly playful side of you, but we also play dress up. So from their we were off to change into evening wear and suit and tie. Jay, my friend, you looked so handsome. I love the seriously sexy looks they’re giving one another in these images.

Usually that last look is your evening wear, but since we wanted their last location to be the beach we went for a more casual look this time. And these images? This is where you see the soft sentimental love they have for one another. That side of love is the kind that always reminds you of how much you cherish one another, and the thought of being apart for too long makes you hold them just a little tighter, and a little longer.

Also, they were cracking up in some of these because a group of girls were posing for a swimsuit fashion line nearby, and they may have been screaming through the wind how absolutely cold they were.

=)

It was a fabulous day, and I’m so happy to share it here. Up next? Their wedding!! You can’t wait, right?

T

Gee-Shin Family Session | San Francisco Family Photography

This family session was so much fun. Living in San Francisco we have a ton of amazing locations to choose from, but the weather? It can be unpredictable to say the least! A few days before it was raining, and so Sabrina and I had been emailing discussing an action plan. Yes, I have cold weather + photo day survival techniques! Ha. However when the day came it was warm, it was sunny, it was amazingly great weather. I took this as a sign that everything was right in the world, and that our final images would be amazing. Although, to be fair, no matter what the weather is, when I take your photo I’m always filled with the feeling that you’re going to love what I capture. I’m a big believer in self fulfilling prophecies.

This session took a bit of inspiration from the movie, ‘Up’. When Sabrina asked if we could use that as a jumping off point, I immediately wondered if they had a dog… and if they had a dog, did it talk? Ha. Unfortunately, no dog = sad Terra, but not sad for long. They loved the idea of multi-colored balloons, and I had recently acquired a gorgeous yellow chair for a photo prop!

When I think of the movie ‘Up’ I think of balloons, blue skies, and the color yellow.

Now, how to balance out something so fun and easy? Immediately I thought of a beautiful location I’d been longing to shoot at, it was dark, it was stately, it was a serene counterbalance to the second part of our session, and so? A plan was hatched.

Thanks so much Sabrina for hiring me to be your family photographer, it was great meeting your family, your sons are so adorable (can I say that of a teenager?), and the balloons? The balloons were so cute, even though I couldn’t tie them to a dog and laugh while he walked around a field.

PS

The photos of you and your husband together are some of my favorite couple portraits I’ve ever taken, you look that darn good together.

Michelle - March 16, 2013 - 9:41 AM

These are so much fun! I love the colors and the location. They are such an adorable family! Great photos Terra!

January New Year New Head Shot | San Francisco Photography

This year I thought, why not kick off January with a new head shot promo? This has been on my own mind as I struggle with, what photo should I use for my own head shot? 99% of the photos are obviously taken by me myself and I, and the others would need to be carefully cropped to disguise the fact that they were taken by a friend or family member at a social event. As you can see, not ideal!

With my studio set up being recently completed I’ve been itching to get in there and start creating. The window light is just calling my name, so a promo was created, emails were sent, Facebook announcements were posted, and the rest was history! I had so much fun doing this that the ‘New Year New Head Shot’ promo may just become an annual event! It fulfills a real need of my clients, and keeps me busy during a time that, ahem, I may have previously considered the month that I get to spend lots and lots of time organizing my closets. So my closets didn’t get as organized… I’d much rather be creating new images!

Here are a few samples of the images we took

and here’s some recent feedback,

“Thanks so much Terra, the photos are fantastic and you were a real help the day of my shoot, thanks again!”

Now you may be wondering, what if I want a more personal head shot?

I started getting this call a lot the last few weeks, because people don’t just need head shots for work, they also need them for Match, and POF, and you know, looking hot reasons? Or just really looking like YOURSELF, rather than a reflected, head tilted version of yourself that you capture in the bathroom mirror and then are forced to post.

Umm. Guys? Side note here, leave your shirt on in those photos.

=)

Well… guess what I found at a recent garage sale??? An absolutely adorable yellow armchair! It’s so photogenic that it’s crazy. You’ll see it appear soon in a fab family session I recently photographed, but that chair? Since then it’s been begging me to be photographed again! And the red brick wall outside is perfect for a more casual fun photo of yourself.

So February? February gets a head shot promo as well, but this time we go outside, we get a bit more colorful (I say that as the obvious understatement that it is!), and we update your online profile photo. Water spots and bathroom tile not included.

Spots are limited, please contact for availability at:

info@TerraTabbytosavit.com
650-777-7312

See you soon!

T

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