Sonia+Jack - San Francisco, CA - Mission District, North Beach Engagement

It was easy to pick up Sonia and Jack's casual cool over coffee on the edge of Lake Merritt.  It’s a common refrain when speaking of  our clients, but there was really a sense of reuniting with old friends when we met them.  On top of being great company, it was great seeing their warmth together, especially amazing when you consider somewhat inauspicious beginnings. 

By his own admission, Jack spotted Sonia at a bar in Chicago and opened with a line somehow relating her to Michelangelo’s Last Supper.  I don’t feel the need to elaborate because that can't be spun to go over well, but it worked out apparently (ending up engaged and all).  Following what could only be imagined was a period of forgiveness and/or distraction, they bonded over their love of travel (eventually living in Berlin for a bit!), and especially a mutual love for Motown and classic soul.  (sidenote: We can. Not. Wait for their reception/playlist!)

Sonia and Jack wanted this session to represent their move to San Francisco, the first place they would live together as an engaged couple.  Jack had spent time visiting family in the Mission District of San Francisco and knew well the wealth of texture and personality the neighborhood offered, and proposed we start there.  It was a great choice and from the first shot, we could not feel more privileged to document this period of their lives; just great stuff from the get go.  We moved through the city for different looks through Bernal Heights, the Financial District, and North Beach, each step of the way they could not have been better company and subjects.

They gave us a ton of great stuff that we’re happy to share with you all.  Enjoy!

Klara+Mak - San Francisco, CA Engagement

Working with Klara+Mak, we felt compelled to launch into a version of that schpiel that airline pilots rattle off thanking the passengers for choosing their airline, especially because there are plenty of options for air travel.  Klara+Mak are from Singapore and wanted an engagement session in San Francisco, a city which they've grown to love on their numerous visits.  That they chose us to help make their vision of themselves in iconic San Francisco environs was a huge honor, but after the shoot, we felt that we owed them because they were absolutely wonderful in front of the camera.  I wanted to tell them "thank you for choosing J&A Light, in a city filled with absolutely wonderful photographers, we're so glad that you decided to go with us!".

As we made our way through the city, it was evident that they were completely comfortable with themselves and with eachother; these guys knew how to work a camera!  It was a treat to see the things they loved about San Francisco, and we have to thank them for giving us the freedom and trust to go with our photographic instincts in the locations they chose.  It was a long shoot, but we were energized by our great subjects.  A huge thanks and congratulations to these two!

Anna + David - Albany & Berkeley, CA Engagement

What immediately struck us about Anna and David was their warm, laid back demeanor and smooth sense of humor.  If you took The Daily Show/Colbert Report/Last Week Tonight in completely adorable couple form, but toned back only the incisive/harsh sarcasm to a pleasant 15%, you’d have these guys.  Pop culture, the classics, issues of social and environmental awareness are all fair game with Anna and David, and they seemed to always have an interesting take on the subject at hand.

That said, the other way we’d describe what it was like to be around them was that you somehow had the sense that they had a rad apartment.  It makes no sense, but it’s true.  You can’t have people this cool and not have sweet dwellings; that would be tantamount to having a dirty gin martini without the olive juice.  It would be a contradiction of terms.  With this feeling about them in mind, when the subject of their engagement session came up, we suggested that it might cool to do a bit of our shoot in their apartment…and they agreed!  Guess what, we showed up, and we weren’t wrong.  Personality, quirkiness, and a keen orderliness abound in that pad!

When we showed up for their session, not only did it feel like your favorite interior decorating periodical, we got to meet their cat owners, Willie (not pictured) and Dijon (pictured with a smushed countenance).  After taking in their space for a bit, we started their shoot trying for a straight ahead family shot; two humans, two cats.  You’ll see that we only could manage two humans and a cat, as Willie just wasn’t having it.  After this brief set back we made use of their great apartment; the decor gave a sense of who they are (cool as heck!), and more importantly for us, interesting spots of light.  Shooting a bit in the apartment was a total win!

Anna and David let us know that Golden Gate Fields was a special place to them and their friends, so we headed there to catch some exteriors and make use of the clear day and great light by the water.  A bonus was that Anna’s retro-inspired, waist skirt-based outfit was a great complement to the throwback sensibilities of the race track.  To put it in cheesy terms, it was a nice juxtaposition of a new love against some old school charm (end cheese).

On our way to Berkeley, they treated us to some [very literally] sweet donuts at a favorite donut shop in Berkeley en route to exploring downtown.  After that we shot just off University Avenue, and no matter where we put them or asked them to do, they looked absolutely fantastic.  We spotted red neon in the windows of a swimsuit shop, and figured it was a appropriate quirk for them, and made good use of it.  These guys can also bring the drama, we found.

Throughout the shoot, we couldn’t ask for more; they were so loving and fun with each other, and their personalities individually came across strongly in their photos.  It really was hard to take a bad frame, just a dream.  If this session was anything to go by, it’ll be more of the casually cool fun come their wedding day.  Definitely check back in for that!