We had a wonderful time bombing around San Francisco, taking in the amazing versatility the city has to offer on one of those rare summer days where the sun was out in all its glory. It was a pleasure to capture this couple’s love for one another, so apparent in their interaction with each other on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.

We met in Mission Dolores park, along with a thousand other people; Tania and Daniel each carrying a big red balloon! Not wanting to seek attention (ha ha) they joked and shared some intimate moments on a bench with probably one of the best views in the city.

Next stop was a tranquil corner of the Golden Gate Park – not a soul to be seen, just a crazy couple with their balloons!

By the time we reached The Palace of Fine Arts, we were a balloon down, (it escaped to balloon heaven) so we ended the session with romantic shoots amongst a backdrop of grandiose columns and domes and those magnificant green doors.

This lovely couple will be getting married in September at Kohl Mansion, so be sure to check back for a posting on what is going to be an amazing wedding.

The boudoir photography session we are donating, to be sold in the silent auction, includes hair and make-up, 2 hours of photography with 3 – 4 changes, a private online proofing gallery with 50 fully retouched images and a bespoke sexy little book with about 30 of your favourite pictures.

Throughout the session we’ll gently guide you and put you at ease so it’s a fun, relaxed time, and you’re unaware the camera is clicking away.  The session can take place in your own home, or if you’d prefer, a hotel room, even outdoors…wherever tickles your fancy! The value of the session is approximately $850.

So please check out the Breathe studio on Saturday where a Shinto tree will be standing tall in their foyer where members and studio guests can leave prayers of hope for Japan. Take part in the raffle and silent auction which will be going on throughout the day. Enjoy the evening festivities with complimentary wine from Cin Cin Wine Bar, appetizers, Michi’s sushi, and a Japanese Tea Ceremony at 6:00pm.

We’re really looking forward to being part of this great fund raising event!

With a combination of classic, sexy, and a pinch of sassy images, your bespoke boudoir book makes a gorgeous gift for the love of your life or just for you!

Here are some of our favorite pictures from a recent shoot where make-up artist Wendy Tran really enhanced our client’s gorgeous eyes.

We like to use natural window light, but because the daylight was quickly fading Mark set out to fake it. For those interested in the technical details, we set up two Kino Flo 400 light banks with diffusers and warming gels as our key light. This was complimented whilst shooting with hand-held Video lights and reflectors. We then moved to conventional studio lighting with our favorite wind machines!

Throughout the session, we gently guided our client to create those oh so flattering “S” curves and feminine poses and highlight those fabulous eyes.

A boudoir shoot is an experience every woman should have, so what are you waiting for?… book a session today!

It was a perfect autumnal day – mild and sunny – the vines were a beautiful hue of vivid yellows and rich reds, and Lauren and John, who are very much into wine, had selected a few of their favorite wineries to have their photographs taken.

We started at V.Sattui – a particular favorite of ours too. It was busy (as usual) but we managed to capture Lauren and John enjoying a few quiet moments together. We then called in at Yountville’s Jessup Cellars’ tasting rooms to enjoy a sample of their award winning wines…and buy a couple of bottles! Our last stop of the day took us to Andretti, a Tuscan style winery with its gorgeous ochre washed walls, weathered doors and arched windows – the perfect romantic backdrop to capture a few final shots as the sun went down…

Recently, tobeadored was featured on Boudoir Photography Network for shooting in the Great Outdoors – a local San Francisco Bay Area shoot – using the gorgeous local evening light. As a couple originating from England, we can really appreciate the beautiful light here in California.

Our client had requested an outdoor session, which turned out perfectly as we captured her in the “golden hour” of the evening. The gorgeous light made her skin absolutely glow – the long grasses were a rippling sea of gold.

We chose a location that was fairly remote (a women in a basque is something you don’t see every day when walking your dog!) and had a mixture of old buildings and interesting backgrounds – perfect for one of the looks our model was looking for – of cowboy hat and boots.

So we suggest not to restrict your boudoir session to the bedroom – welcome the beautiful, flattering evening light and embrace the great outdoors!

We created a slideshow from the shoot on YouTube

Here are some of our favorite pictures, including a wonderful session we had with a wind machine in our studio!

Anna was being pampered at The Ritz Carlton’s beauty salon along with her big sister and dear friends from her home town of Chicago, and Paul was relaxing in their honeymoon suite, catching up with his Best Man who’d traveled from England along with Paul’s family.

Anna looked beautiful in her wedding gown of ivory lace, complemented perfectly with her late Mother’s pearls.

After the ceremony, where Anna was “given away” by her three brothers, we headed off in the decorated golf cart to picturesque locations for romantic photos. How we’d have loved to have whisked them away for an hour or so, as the evening light was just perfect, but back at Mullins Bar and Grill there were guests to be greeted, toasts to be made, speeches to be given, delicious food to be eaten and dancing to be done!

After the meal Anna’s sister, Christina, brought tears to our eyes when she spoke of their parents and performed a Polish-style offering of bread to the bride and groom. From Paul’s side the speeches were typical British style – lots of jokes, sentimental thoughts and gentle teasing of the groom – resulting in a wonderful blending of cultures.

And the celebrations will continue later in the year… with receptions at Lumley Castle, Chester-Le-Street in England and Lido in Chicago next year!

For Anna and Paul, their wedding day really was the start of the rest of their lives. With a move to the UK to join Paul, and new work opportunities for Anna, this lovely couple will no longer have that big pond separating them. We send you all our love for the most wonderful future together xxxx

Flowers by Alena Jean
Wedding officiant Terry plank
Wedding cake by Cakes by Maggie

Their wedding ceremony was held at the Presbyterian Church in Sunnyvale. Aline looked gorgeous in her wedding gown and the birdcage veil gave that oh so vintage look.

They chose a very different venue for their wedding reception. For these two technology fans the Computer History Museum in Mountain View was the perfect location. After the couple had pictures taken with the Cisco display (their employer, where they met, and where Todd proposed!) they were greeted by their 160 guests, who had traveled from far and wide. The seating plan was created using 5 1/4″ floppy discs and every dining table was named after a Bay Area technology company! The room had a sumptuous pink glow with binary numbers and circuit board lighting effects projected onto banners – all created by Aline’s friend.

The evening’s music was a mix of American and Armenian and certainly filled the floor with colorful dancing and lots of fun.

We had a wonderful day shooting your wedding Aline and Todd and wish you much love and happiness for your future together.

In October we will run a competition for you to win a boudoir session (for you and a friend) worth over $2000, to include full pampering!
(Be sure to follow us on twitter, so you don’t miss out…! follow tobeadored on twitter )

Here’s a little taster…