The Lockdown

Last March I photographed my last indoor newborn session a day before California’s pandemic lockdown. Prior to the formal lockdown, I had not quite realized the degree of danger posed by COVID-19 and the lasting effects it would have on my business. However, I recognized that hard times required hard choices. I decided that, in order to safeguard my own health and the health of my clients I would no longer perform indoor newborn sessions until such close-quarters indoor activities were deemed safe again. I knew this change in my business practice would hurt my earnings and inconvenience some of my clients, but I believed and I still believe, that safety should come first. Soon, hopefully, vaccines will be widely available and I will be able to recommence indoor newborn sessions.

Outdoor Newborn Session

In the meantime, I managed to serve some of my clients through outdoor maternity and family sessions. I also had the chance to experiment for the first time with outdoor newborn sessions. I had the opportunity to photograph a few and really enjoyed each one. At times it was challenging, but with a little bit of creativity and enthusiasm, I really loved the process and the outcome. The session I chose to feature in this blog post is my favorite. I just love how the images turned out. I want to show that outdoor newborn sessions are not only the safe alternative during the pandemic but could also be a valid new option for clients who prefer nature over the confinement of shooting indoors.

Bump to Baby Package

When these clients booked my Bump to Baby package, the pandemic was not in sight. As it became a reality, my clients and I decided to adjust our expectations to the reality of our new world. Although we knew there would be obstacles to planning their maternity and newborn sessions, we were determined to do our best to make them happen. We chose San Francisco’s Lands End as the location of the maternity session. When we first met, we immediately felt a connection and had a great rapport. I had a lot of fun during our shoot. My clients loved the images and enjoyed their experience. Despite a great start, I communicated my understanding should they choose to go with another photographer for an indoor newborn session. While I chose to forestall any newborn sessions until safety permitted, I recognized that my clients may not feel the same way. My goal is always for my clients to be happy whether with me as their photographer or someone else. I am grateful that my clients chose to trust me and attempt an outdoor newborn session. We met at the Piedmont Community park, not too far from their home. The outdoor newborn shoot was a great success and I loved the entire process. We kept baby Ethan warm and fed. He was happy as can be in the fresh air. Here are the photos…

After our gorgeous maternity session at the Sutro Baths in San Francisco, we waited for the baby boy to make his appearance.

BOJANA KORACH IS A PUBLISHED LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER SPECIALIZING IN NEWBORN, FAMILY & CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES.

One of the best photography spots in the San Francisco Bay Area is definitely Crissy Field. It is a versatile location that is perfect for any type of photoshoots and is a favorite of many local photographers. I love it primarily because of the stunning views of Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay but there are also many other reasons why this is on my top 10 list of go-to places.

HISTORY

For those who are not familiar, Crissy Field was once a military airfield for the Presidio military base. It used to be a paved over area which was transformed to be one of the most beautiful urban national parks in the USA. It’s 4.3 miles ocean-front long promenade offers breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz. Crissy Field features an open green field area, beautiful beach, a promenade, trails, tidal wetlands and much more.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

From a photographer’s perspective, there are a few things to consider before deciding Crissy Field is the best for you and your family.

• First thing to consider is unpredictable weather. Crissy Field has it’s own micro-climate within San Francisco. It can often be covered in fog and the winds can be quite powerful. Dressing properly is the key.

• Second thing is the timing. Crissy Field is a wide open area, there is not that much shade so sessions have to be timed perfectly in order to achieve the best possible images. An ideal time to do a session at Crissy Field is the Golden Hour. Starting the session about an hour prior to sunset would be perfect.

• Third thing to consider are crowds. Crissy Field is not only one of the most popular tourist location, it is also a most popular recreational area for the locals. Avoiding people is easier as it gets closer to sunset. It could be overwhelming for a newbie photographer so make sure that you find a right person with experience.

MATERNITY SESSION

While Crissy Field is a perfect Bay Area location for all types of photoshoots, my absolute favorite to photograph there are maternity sessions. For this blog post, I wanted to include highlights from one of my most recent Crissy Field sessions with beautiful Jody-Ann and her husband Troy. I thought that this particular session is a perfect representation of everything that this gorgeous location has to offer. Cypress trees, beautiful filtering natural sunlight, green fields, promenade, iconic views of Golden Gate Bridge and sandy beach are all featured and hopefully it makes it easier to envision your next photoshoot there. Enjoy!

BOJANA KORACH IS A PUBLISHED LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER SPECIALIZING IN NEWBORN, FAMILY & CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES.

East Bay is beautiful. There are so many gorgeous locations to photograph at and one of my all time favorites is Lafayette Reservoir. The lake is located near Lafayette downtown and it’s super convenient to access. In the late afternoon the sun falls behind the hills which surround it creating a magnificent backdrop for photos. Many locals go there to enjoy the lake’s beauty and I love taking my clients there for their photoshoots.

About the Session

For this particular maternity session, the location decision was easy because my clients, Mayara and Dmitriy, live nearby. We started the photoshoot in the surrounding wooded area and then walked over to the lake as the sun went down. Gorgeous colors of the nature around us were amplified by the beautiful dresses that Mayara wore. These gorgeous dresses were both purchased from Pink Blush.

Here are some highlights from this perfect East Bay maternity photoshoot.

Dresses by: Pink Blush

BOJANA KORACH IS A PUBLISHED LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER SPECIALIZING IN NEWBORN, FAMILY & CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES.