ALL ABOUT eLLe

Elle Photography is a boutique photography studio, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in weddings and family portraits. Elle’s philosophy is simple: you should have fun when being photographed & you should love your pictures because they capture you, your style, & your day.

Our wedding photography philosophy:

*We try to stay out of the way as much as possible on your wedding day — it’s about you, not us. We’ll take whatever pictures you want us to, but we won’t force shots that you don’t want. We don’t go around asking your guests to pose for us unless you ask us to. Your guests may not even notice that we were there.
* We don’t believe in giving you incomplete packages or in holding your pictures hostage for some later date. With us, you get everything you’d want with the price of photography (you get the coverage for the whole event, you get JPGs right when they’re done, not years later, you get prints so that you don’t risk your event living in your computer forever & so you have something lovely to frame).
* We work as a team — my partner, Bill Hipps, & I do all our weddings together so you get a cohesive product from people used to working together. He’s a cool guy & I like to think I’m pretty normal/easy to hang out with too, so we’re pretty fun to have around on your wedding day (we think that’s pretty important too since you’ll spend a fair amount of time with us).
*We believe that every picture you get should be one that you can frame so we spend a lot of time editing the pictures after the wedding. You don’t ever get “proofs,” you get final products.
*We’re uber responsible people – I went to law school & Bill has a Masters. We’re in this business because we love it & we think we’re pretty good at it, but with our backgrounds, you get the super responsible/super on time/super reliable factor — we’re insured, we build in redundancies into our process (backup cameras, backup drives, backups of backups, etc.). We worry so you don’t have to.
*Above all else, we believe in making beautiful photographs that really capture the emotion of the day. We are all about the photography. We like classic images that have timeless appeal. We want to give you pictures that you will gush about & love.

Here are some more frequently asked questions and answers:

*What can I hire you to do & when are you available?*

eLLe Photography focuses on weddings and family photography. We also do parties and maternity shoots, and some portrait work. We work exclusively on location and not in a studio. Generally, we shoot only on the weekends, but will consider a select few weekday weddings each year. Please contact me with your plans & I’ll see if we can make it work.

*How much do you charge?*

Let me start by saying that we’d love to hear from you, and please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about the budget you’re working with.  That said, here is some general pricing information.  Please contact us for specific details.

We offer three wedding packages, each of which includes a CD of images and a selection of prints, and are designed to fit the type of wedding you are planning.  We include everything in each package that we would want.  Elopements are $850 and coverage is approximately 2-3 hours.  Very small weddings (25-50 guests, 5-6 hours of coverage) are $1900, and include an engagement shoot.  The classic, American wedding is $2800 and it includes full day coverage and an engagement shoot.   Please contact me for pricing specifics and let me know what your needs are so we can customize a package for you.

Our family portraits also have three price points.  Portrait sessions for one child are $350, portrait sessions for 2-5 family members are $500, and our “as you grow” package of three portrait sessions for 1-5 family members is $950.  Each family package also includes a CD of images and a selection of prints.  We also shoot family reunions and larger groups, please contact me with details for a quote.

*Do you shoot with film or digital?*

I shoot primarily in digital as it’s a wonderfully flexible format. It allows me to give you a number of options on your pictures, from “vintage” photos, to bright colors to black and white or sepia tones. I do collect old film cameras & will sometimes bring along one of those or a Holga for something fun, but this isn’t something standard with every shoot.

*Do you shoot weddings by yourself?*

Not usually, at all weddings except for those at City Hall, I always have a second shooter and I usually work with Bill Hipps, who’s another San Francisco-based photographer and artist. Our styles are a little different — I tend to like whimsical, pretty images & he’s a little edgier. As a result, you get a cool mix of pictures when both of us shoot your event.

*What are your favorite kinds of weddings to shoot?*

Any wedding where the couple is in love with each other and where that’s the most important part of the whole event.  We’re so lucky to be in the San Francisco Bay Area, so of course we adore Napa Valley and San Francisco weddings. We also especially love non-traditional events, small, intimate weddings that happen at private homes and in backyards, same sex weddings & ceremonies, and any event that brings us to New Orleans.

*Why should I hire you to do my family photos or shoot my wedding?*

I hope you hire us first and foremost because you like our photographs. I think a photographer’s style is almost like a fingerprint — you can learn technique and you can learn equipment, but you can’t learn to see the world in a beautiful or emotional way.  I think we have a really special knack for taking emotional shots that truly capture who people are, and that we can create some pretty powerful memories for you.  We also think we’re pretty darn good at capturing people on film in a flattering way — we know how to catch you at your best.

*Tell me about yourself.*

I’ve been taking pictures since I was kid — I got a Kodak Instamatic as a Christmas present & never stopped shooting (although I like to think my skills have improved since then). I studied photography at Santa Clara University & U.C. Berkeley and have been shooting weddings and family portraits professionally since 2008. “eLLe” is a play on my first name, which is Laura.

For more information or to contact Elle Photography, please email elle.photographer[at]yahoo.com.  Sample portfolio at www.ellephotographs.com

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