San Francisco Wedding Photography Blog | SASHA

Axis Cafe Wedding | Stephanie + Neil

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:41:07 +0000

Wedding photography is symbiosis. Brides and grooms find my work, and it inspires them. Then I document their wedding, and I’m inspired by what I see, what I capture. And so on. Stephanie and Neil told me that my work inspired them, and in turn, their wedding at Axis Cafe was inspiring because everyone who showed up – the bride and groom first and foremost – contributed a very distinct presence and sense of style. Stephanie was dressed in a gorgeous and sensual gown, and Neil went three-piece. A stunning combo. They opened the doors for their guests, and their wedding day was instantly filled with a flood of creativity and joy. Most obvious were the myriad hats on display – elegant, funky, unexpected. After the ceremony, an a capella group helped the guests decompress from an emotional ceremony, as Neil and Stephanie looked on. A huge “L’Amour” neon sign – a gift – presided over the reception. I was happy to have the sign in the room, not only because it was simply awesome, but also because its warm, gentle light allowed me to throw an 85 1.2 on my new 5D Mark III and push it to its ISO limits. (Yes, that was a shameless, geeky, gear plug.) After numerous touching, hilarious, even interactive toasts, the night wound down at Axis. Outside, fire dancers began practicing their craft, and I invited Stephanie and Neil to step into the warm April evening for a final portrait.

A San Francisco Wedding: City Hall, Golden Gate Bridge, Cable Cars | Lily + Jeff

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:55:27 +0000

After Jeff proposed to Lily (with a plane, in the sky), they built their dream San Francisco destination wedding from scratch, and invited their families and community to celebrate with them. Coming from Maryland, not only did they put on a magnificent ceremony, but they took their guests on a Cable Car ride around San Francisco, and treated them to a lavish dinner reception at Perbacco. With the expert help of Christina at Platinum Wedding Events and her team, the day came together perfectly. The weather could not have been better, and the City was alive – full of music, sunshine and surprises. Our itinerary took us from the steps of San Francisco City Hall, to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, past Lombard Street and on to Perbacco in the Financial District. It was a great privilege to document this perfect San Francisco wedding with both photography and video, because only both perspectives could do justice to the excitement of the day, to Lily’s radiant smile, to Jeff’s movie-star coolness and good looks, to the affection and connection between the newlyweds. I even make a cameo appearance in one of the pictures. See if you can spot me! Lily and Jeff, congrats to you both and to your big new family!!

NEW! Check out Lily and Jeff’s San Francisco City Hall wedding video!!

Classic San Francisco Engagement Session | Thea + Cliff

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:31:32 +0000

Last week, San Francisco delivered an epic lighting storm. It loud, intense, accompanied by thunder and howling winds. It was visually stunning. I could never have imagined that just a couple of days later, my engagement session with Thea and Cliff would be situated on such a gorgeous Saturday evening. The Embarcadero buzzed with people, and was bathed in glowing late afternoon sunlight, the rays bouncing off the sidewalks and buildings, the waterfront awash in contrast. Soon enough though, the dusk settled in, and the sky took on sharp blue and purple hues. As the evening presented all of these gifts, Thea, Cliff and I explored the Embarcadero area along the Ferry Building and Justin Herman Plaza, looking for colors, textures, reflections. There was so much fun to be had, we didn’t really want to leave. But eventually, we took our engagement shoot towards AT&T park, where crowds of people had gathered for the Giants’ opening weekend game. Thea and Cliff donned their Giants gear, and just as we started taking pictures, a fireworks display erupted above the park. I was instantly reminded of last week’s storm. Except here we were, right below it all, so much energy released right above our heads. It was an amazing moment! The fireworks were a stunning experience and an awesome visual conclusion to our classic San Francisco engagement shoot. Congrats, Thea and Cliff! If this is how we kick things off, I can’t wait for the fanfare of your big day!

Mountain View Engagement Session | Martha + Sean

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:30:16 +0000

Awesome weekend! Documented a glitzy party at the Pavilion by the Bay on Treasure Island, celebrated my wife’s birthday, and then met up with these two incredible people in Downtown Mountain View for their engagement shoot. As soon as I met this couple, I knew we were a perfect fit. Sean is a photographer himself, so he has respect for the craft and a total willingness to play and experiment. Martha is just radiant. Those eyes! It was obvious from the very first minute that the chemistry between these two was fantastic. We got lucky, and the rain that had persisted all weekend decided to let up. Beautiful sky? Check. We hiked all around Castro Street – the main drag – and took advantage of the lovely light and abundant urban textures. Very excited to share these images, and even more excited to document Martha and Sean’s wedding in May!

Janaki & Johan’s Indian-Swedish Wedding at San Francisco City Hall

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:35:50 +0000

I’m back, baby!! OK, I won’t lie, I think Janaki and Johan were a little skeptical when I told them that I was coming back from my own wedding just in time to document theirs. I assured them that I would be rested and creatively recharged, and that I’d do my very best to be on time for my flight home. While that was all happening, these two were finalizing their plans for a pretty complex day! Not only were J&J (may I?) playing host to inbound guests from outta town, they were also coordinating an intricate Indian-Swedish wedding ceremony. Fortunately, they had more than a little help from their friends and family! Bosco, a close friend, and one of the people who was present at J&J’s first meeting, officiated the ceremony, while Mr. Ramanathan, Janaki’s father, led the bride, groom and guests through Indian wedding traditions. The ceremony was uniquely special and meaningful, and it was incredible to see cultures and traditions intertwine before my very eyes. The ceremony began with the placement of sandalwood garlands on the couple, followed by a beautiful Swedish poem which Johan had chosen for the occasion. Mia, a close friend, began reading, Kärleken är så förunderligt stark, kuvas av intet i världen… (Love is so strong, so wonderously strong – nothing in the world can make it yield…) After the poem, the couple performed the Sapta Padi – known as the Seven Steps, which represented the beginning of their journey together and the vows which J&J read to one another. As we neared the end of the ceremony, an incredible warmth and depth of feeling had settled, like Vibhuti – sacred ash – upon the couple, the guests, and even the wedding photographer! Although rings are not traditionally exchanged in an Indian wedding, J&J chose to retain this traditional element for their ceremony, and they also performed the Indian ritual of Jaimala – the exchange of flower garlands. This act officially symbolized that the couple were married according to Indian custom. Rewind about an hour. I see Janaki enter City Hall in her radiant sari, and I immediately feel a breath of inspiration coarse through me. The reds, the golds, the textures were like a feast for the eyes!! Of course, Johan was perfectly coordinated with an elegant suit and a snazzy red tie. After people mingled, we took family photographs, and then I whisked J&J away from their guests so that I could get to work on capturing some beautiful wedding portraits around City Hall! The weather magnanimously withheld rain, and instead gave us beautiful diffused sunlight, which filtered through the giant windows on the fourth floor, where the couple had reserved their ceremony space. Needless to say, I spent the next couple of hours in photography bliss. These two were so natural, so effortless together, and their energy was endless. We explored all around City Hall, and then headed out to take more photos on the Embarcadero, and on to the wedding reception. All in all, it was an incredible day. Janaki and Johan, thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to bear witness to your celebration! Congratulations!!

Wedding Photographers Get Married, Too.

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 05:07:16 +0000

I know the blog has been a bit silent recently, but I promise there’s a good reason! I just returned home from the most incredible week of my life: my wedding celebration in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! We chose to get married at the Villa Cielito, in Chileno Bay (halfway between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo). It was truly an incredible experience to see everything finally come together after months of intense planning. To stand there on the beach, under the Cabo sun, with my wife, in front of our community of family and friends, was a transformative and defining moment. Our awesome planner Patricia, and Lazy Gourmet Catering made the planning seamless and made sure everyone filled their bellies with tasty food. We were fortunate to have Rabbi Ian Adler conduct an incredibly meaningful ceremony for us and our guests. So, after feeling what it’s like to plan a wedding, and to be a groom, I can honestly say I’ve walked a mile in my couples’ shoes. I had always objectively understood the flow of a wedding day – as an observer – but the emotion and intensity I experienced are impossible to put into words. So I’ll stop trying. Of course I took care to arrange for professional photography and videography for our day, but this amazing photograph was taken at the wedding reception by my dear friend Igor, (it’s easy to be fooled, but he’s not a photographer – he’s a San Francisco Bay Area real estate agent). Anyways, I’m back home – rested, recharged, inspired, and…married! Off to document what promises to be a unique and gorgeous San Francisco wedding tomorrow! It feels good to be home, at the opening of this new chapter in my life. Come back to the blog soon. It’s going to be busy!

Update! Our professional photographs are now available from our incredible photographer and my colleague Joseph Kohn, on his IQ Photo Blog.

Another update! Our wedding video is now available from Alexander Kohn on his IQ Videography Blog. He did such a beautiful job capturing our vows and telling the story of the day. We are very fortunate to have had the IQ team document it all!