Family includes dogs and getting their portraits takes work. When those moments are captured--the…read moreportraits turn to art that sparks joy and commands attention. What a stellar show +'s: + Dogs love her. Talented photographers tease something out of their subjects to capture on film. Ellen did just that and wow! My senior dog (10 yrs) and teen dog (2 yrs) had different personalities. Both responded to Ellen. My dogs looked into the camera and forgot all about Mom. It was all about Ellen and her camera! + Mindful. My senior dog had eye issues and Ellen was mindful of the flash. Thankfully we had no issues but I am glad she had remembered. + Professional and clear process. We had a consult before the studio session. During the session she let the dogs run around on set before settling down for the actual shoot. After the shoot we took a break and got to see the proofs. + Patient. Ellen allowed me to ponder on my proofs. The task was challenging since I was on a budget but didn't want to lose special moments. She helped me navigate through all the proofs to find the ones I wanted. We followed up with a zoom call to finalize layouts and choices. + Instinctive. We tried posing with my girls on a sofa. The girls were not comfortable and I perhaps looked stiff. Ellen picked up on it and said let's move on. + Natural artistic vision. I had selected many for print but Ellen helped me select the right sizing and layout for my walls. Also what is key is finding the right photos for the layout. Her art studies came into play and this proved key. + Flexible and a listener. If I had concerns, Ellen heard me out whether through email, text, or phone. She actively resolved anything. Overall I am beyond pleased with the photos for my girls! I am completely thrilled with the final product. The richness of the prints and the quality of the work are worth the memories I now have on my walls. What a pleasure it is to have the work generate warm happy thoughts when either guests or I see them! Essentially I have not only captured priceless moments of my dogs but also showcased some real art in my home! Thanks Ellen!!!

My experience could not have been more perfect. Having never had pet photography done before, I…read moredidn't know what to expect but Ellen made the day one to remember. She clearly adores animals and treated my Emma with the finest, most loving touch. At first, I was unsure about making this kind of investment but something in me said "go for it." I am so glad I did. You see, our shoot was April and three months later my beloved Emma was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of mammary cancer. She likely won't make it to Thanksgiving. That shoot with Ellen was one something that I'll always cherish. The artwork means even more now. Our time with our babies are never long enough. Do all the things, make all the memories. Take all the photos. You won't regret it. Thanks Ellen. Emma and I are so greatdul for your kindness and love.

Teresa is phenomenal with animals, and she's equally as compassionate and patient with humans too!…read moreShe's been photographing my puppers for over 10+ years and each time the photos bring light and love into my heart. This latest studio sitting I had my two dogs plus their BFF join the shoot. Yes, that's 3 puppers at once. Teresa was a patient and positive photographer with proven techniques to capture their personalities. I'll continue to partner with Teresa for years to come to chronicle my love bugs!

I was able to get a few photos taken with my cavapoo Piper at a doggie event hosted at The Westin…read moreSt. Francis. Despite the chaotic environment with lots of noises and distractions, Teresa was able to capture really good photos. I am definitely considering doing a paid session with her down the road. Highly recommend!

Your doggie photos are in good hands with Angie…read more Angie is incredibly thoughtful and prepared. She also knows how to get your pup's attention after a long photo session. She will listen to what matters to you and what you aim to capture on photos.

Every single photo Angie took of our dogs was absolutely amazing -- she truly captured the essence…read moreand unique character of each of our pups. She went above and beyond to accommodate us and get the photos done quickly after one of our dogs received a difficult 6-month diagnosis, which meant the world to us. It's clear that Angie is not only incredibly talented and passionate about her work, but also a true animal lover who cares deeply about the pets and families she photographs. We are beyond grateful and couldn't recommend her more highly.

I had the pleasure of working with Jim on a series of shots I needed for a modeling gig. He was…read moreeasy to communicate with, accomodating, prepared and professional. I felt we used the time well and came out with great material. His pricing was more than fair and he even offered extra prints. Thanks again!

From the owner: Portrait and pet photography, with an emphasis on relaxed shoots and natural, flattering results…read more Based out of South Berkeley. Enthusiastic about working with underrepresented subjects and families. Pro-bono shoots are available for social justice organizations.

They did a great job of capturing photos of us and our dogs both individually and as a family. We…read moreloved the options to buy prints, collages and digital files.

Found this "photographer" in an add for photo candidates in IG. It's not hard to make black and…read morewhite photos look good. Ignored me, then when I was vetted in an interview, never heard from them again. I was willing to pay for a photo of my family with my senior baby, but because I said I couldn't pay $1000 I was never contacted again. Left feeling hopeless. Stage 4 cancer. Never gave my loved ones the time of day. Cold and heartless to my situation. Ignored me, and never responded after I answered all their questions. If you don't have money, you don't matter to this business!

Love the owner, really nice love the props: wings, tiara…read moreI'm self conscious, so I was done after 5 minutes but had 30 minutes so kept going. Best done with others? Great photos on display. beware the distortion mirror (makes you thinner)

I came here 11/1/25 with my spouse, daughter and dog for our first ever self-portrait photo…read moreexperience and we had a fantastic time. Our family was warmly greeted by Olga, the owner, upon arrival. My first impression of her was that she was friendly, professional and passionate about photography. The space was carefully curated and immaculate. Olga made some small talk with us before she led us to the photo room where our white background and professional camera setup was ready for us. The lighting was flattering and the room was spacious for the four of us to maneuver in. She allowed us to get our small luggage settled before going through an explanation about how the process worked, gave us pointers on how to pose in front of the mirror camera and take the best photos. After that, she left the room and let us take full creative reign. Olga remained outside touching up photos for the most part, but she knocked two or three times just to let us know we were out of frame or if we needed some assistance with our crying daughter, which I fully appreciated. The whole experience was stress-free and we enjoyed every single minute taking pictures at our own pace and changing into different outfits. The time really flew by and when we were done, we walked out and she shared the photos with us immediately via Google link. Our family loved the experience so much that we bought a few gift cards to gift to family and I'm about to buy a few more. Thanks Olga--we will definitely be back!

We have had Sarah play with, pose, and photograph two of our girls two years in a row. We love the…read morelooks on their faces and the feeling of movement in their bodies captured in the prints. The photos sessions have been fun for us all and the pictures are full of emotion and spectacular!

Sarah and her team are so sweet, understanding, patient. However, the photo speak for themselves!…read moreImages I will cherish forever! Thank you Sarah for going that extra mile to makes this so special.

This review is long delayed as our wedding was in October 2025 and engagement photos in April 2025…read morebut looking back at the pictures captured by Vivian brings back so much good memories! Viv was immediately our first choice because she has an incredible portfolio of photographing in redwoods and nature which is sometimes very difficult to photograph with the different lighting. We are a bit awkward but from the get go, she was easy to talk to and was also organized. Our wedding was on the casual side so we did not have a planner but Viv was on top of everything and even though we had a day of coordinator, Viv was the one coordinating when it was her time and took lead which was much needed to wrangle everyone. The wedding was a tiny bit chaotic, running behind and rather short but Viv did a fantastic job capturing candid moments and making sure to pull us away for portrait photos away from everyone else before the wedding ended. She was professional and there wasn't a moment where I thought she was distracted. Her work speaks for itself but I really love that she shoots in multiple formats and captures the light and nature around the subjects so clearly and naturally. I often wish our wedding was slightly longer or not running behind because that would have given Viv even more time to take amazing pictures! We really enjoyed having Viv as our photography and thankful for the memories she has captured for us.

Vivian was an outstanding photographer! I'm a nature lover, and pretty shy in front of the camera…read more Vivian did a fantastic job helping me feel comfortable and capturing the most beautiful aspects of my wedding and love story. Her focus on nature was why we decided to work with her and WOW- the shots are breathtaking. We were married among redwood trees, and she was an absolute pro, getting incredible shots of the trees and lighting. Vivian is kind, talented, and incredibly experienced. Worth every single penny, easily one of the best decisions we made for our wedding!

The many previous reviews written are exactly right about Maxine's photography acumen and computer…read more& technical knowledge. I have referred her to friends for photo sessions and she has photographed my family as well. This review focuses on another of Maxine's expertise. She enjoys to create and design special projects. I can only rave about the unique and magnificent wall design she put together for my hallway. I want to give Maxine a round of applause for photographing the covers of my 250 LP albums from the 60's 70's and 80's. She then designed the layout and selected material for final product. See Below. If you need someone to work with you on photos of your family (friends, animals), help with figuring out computer issues and especially have someone with a creative brain work with you on special projects, I cannot be more enthusiastic to recommend Maxine.

WOW....What and where do I begin…read more.... I recently got married and in my previous years planning I came across Maxine Arton photography through a friend. I reached out to Maxine about 7 months prior to my wedding. She was available and after a few short emails...I hired her. She directed me to her website to view her work and then we worked out a quote for my special day....it was a price that I could afford....I had asked a few of the other "Google" recommendations and they darn near made me faint:( A few months before my wedding day, Maxine and I met and she asked a bunch of questions about me and my fiance, how we met, our relationship, our family situations, and most of all....how and what I wanted to capture on my special day! She was extremely thorough and made me feel at ease about hiring her to be the photographer of my wedding! A few weeks before my wedding she asked if we wanted photos of our pre wedding events.....save the date, shower, bachelor (ette) parties etc....as we didn't do any of those things....we didn't need her. I asked her if that would cost more and she said it was all part of her " wedding package". Nearing our day, Maxine met with my fiance and I and we went over the pictures that we wanted, she made a spreadsheet of our families, the pre ceremony pics, and asked a ton of questions about what I wanted...uh duh...I dunno....just shoot what you think is pertinent to wedding photos....geez I felt like the most unorganized bride....but she assured us and made us feel so at ease. She listened to our basic desires and assured us that she would capture all of the special moments, whether we knew we needed them or not. She said, not to worry "I got it" and would produce everything. She asked if I wanted a video of the ceremony and the reception, I said sure! She provided a video camera and ensured that it would be set up for the ceremony. She worked all alone and I wasn't sure how or when she'd be able to take a video, but once again she assured me it will all be great! For the rehearsal dinner, Maxine was there, which I didn't expect! She captured all of the special moments between our parents and my siblings, I was not expecting that. She shot so many rehearsal dinner pics that I was not even thinking I would have wanted to see later, it was so special and an added touch that I hadn't even thought (once again) that I'd have wanted. Come wedding day.....Maxine was there....before I had even woken up to begin thinking about what I should be doing!! She took pics of my shoes, rings, boquet, little things.... invites, table place cards, ceremony setup, gosh....so many memories, I am SO grateful that I hired her!!! From that morning forward, Maxine was shooting, snapping, in and out of my room and my fiances room. She was like a ninja, I didn't even know she was there sometimes. She shot our WHOLE day....from me getting ready to our sparkler send off! I can't say enough great things about Maxine. A consummate pro, her photos are amazing!!!! THANK YOU Maxine for capturing our special day!! Your photos helped to fulfill our memories and we will forever be grateful for your above and beyond effort!!