BAY-AREA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY
We believe family looks different for everyone, and that's what makes it so special. What always stays the same is the love that ties you together.
We're Mario and Lina, a husband-and-wife photography team based in Oakland. Family sessions with us are documentary in style and unhurried in pace. Families marking a moment that matters: a new baby starting to show personality, a kid about to start kindergarten, the summer before someone leaves for college, a visit when everyone happens to be in town. The reason doesn't have to be a huge milestone. It just has to mean something to you.
How Our Family Sessions Feel
Most family photographers spend the session directing. Stand here. Look here. Now the kids in front. Now everyone laugh. We work differently.
Our sessions are documentary, which means we're following what's already happening rather than orchestrating it. We'll suggest a starting point and a general direction, but the goal is to give your family room to be itself. Kids running ahead. The grandparent who pulls a face every time the camera comes out. The toddler who insists on holding the baby. These are the photos that age well. The ones that look like your family was actually there, not posed there.
Practically, this means our sessions move at a slower pace than traditional portrait shoots. We give kids time to warm up. We let moments find us instead of forcing them. Ninety minutes feels generous, not rushed.
This style works best for families who want photos that look real. It works less well for families looking for a quick set of matching-outfit portraits to send out as holiday cards. If you're not sure which direction you're leaning, send us a message and we'll be honest about whether we're a fit.
“We had such a wonderful experience with The Little Things for our family photo shoot! From the very beginning, Mario and Lina made the process feel so easy and enjoyable. They immediately understood our vision, brought incredible ideas to the table, and scouted out the shoot location ahead of time, which made the day itself go off without a hitch. The entire experience was so positive, and we’re so glad to have found our family photographers for life. Highly recommend!”
Jackie + Alvin
Love Notes
Sessions We Love
A few kinds of family sessions we especially love photographing:
New Baby Sessions
Not traditional newborn photography. We don't do studio setups with props, posed sleeping infants, or wrapped wraps. What we do is family sessions in the early weeks and months, when the baby is starting to show personality and the rest of the family is settling into a new shape. Usually in-home, sometimes outdoor on a calm afternoon. Best timed somewhere between six weeks and four months, when the baby is awake more and the parents have come up for air. These sessions tend to be quiet, slow, and deeply specific to who your family is right now.
Golden Hour Outdoor Sessions
Late afternoon light, somewhere meaningful or beautiful. The Bay Area in the hour before sunset is one of the best places to photograph anywhere in the world, and we love spending that hour with families. Hills, beaches, parks, neighborhoods. Better for families with older kids who can handle being outside for an hour, families marking a milestone, or anyone whose ideal family photos look like a quiet evening together. We'll help you pick a location, or you can bring your own.
Lifestyle Sessions At A Meaningful Place
Somewhere your family actually goes. The park you walk to on Saturday mornings. The bookstore you've taken the kids to since they were small. Your grandparents' backyard. The neighborhood coffee shop where everyone knows your order. We come to wherever your family already spends time, usually in the morning when the light is good and the energy is fresh, and we photograph an hour or two of real family time. These sessions are particularly good for families who want photos that look like their actual life, not a styled version of it.
Locations We Love (and Yours, too)
Some of our favorite Bay Area locations for family sessions:
Crissy Field and the Presidio in San Francisco, for families who want the Golden Gate as a backdrop
The Berkeley and Oakland hills, for that hazy late-afternoon light over the bay
Lands End and Sutro Heights, when you want something a little more dramatic
Tilden Park and Joaquin Miller Park, for families with kids who want to run
Ocean Beach and the Outer Sunset, for foggy, atmospheric sessions
Your neighborhood, your house, the cafe you go to every Saturday morning
That last one is the one we want to flag. Some of our favorite family sessions have happened at places clients brought us. The Ferry Building because it's woven into the family's daily life. The grandparents' house. The school where the older kids are about to graduate. If there's a place that means something to your family, we'd love to shoot there with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Honestly, any age works. The right time is whenever your family is at a moment worth marking. That said: toddlers between roughly 18 months and 3 years are the hardest to predict, and we recommend planning shorter sessions, mornings rather than late afternoons, and a lot of grace for ourselves and for them.
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Then they don't cooperate, and we work with what we have. Some of our favorite family photos are of kids mid-meltdown being comforted, or wandering off and being herded back, or refusing to look at the camera and being completely themselves. We don't expect kids to perform. The candid moments are the point.
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Wear what you'd actually wear. Coordinated but not matching is usually a good rule. Soft, natural colors (creams, sage greens, dusty blues, warm neutrals) photograph better than bright primary colors or busy patterns. Avoid clothing with large logos or text. If you're not sure, we can walk through it before the session.
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Our standard family session is 90 minutes, which is the right length for most families. Long enough that we don't feel rushed, short enough that the kids don't fall apart. Sessions with very young babies or very young kids sometimes go faster. We have a more-time add-on if you want it.
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Absolutely. If there's a place that matters to your family, we want to know about it. Some of the best family sessions we've photographed happened at places clients chose because of personal meaning, not because they were photographically famous. The Ferry Building. The neighborhood park. The grandparents' backyard. Let us know what you have in mind.
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Keep it casual. Don't build it up as a major event or warn them about behavior. Tell them you're going to spend some time with us and we'll be taking pictures while you all hang out. If they ask what to expect, the honest answer is: nothing scary, no forced posing, snacks encouraged.
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For families with young kids, late morning often works best. Light is still good, kids are well-rested, no one is hungry yet. For families with older kids, the hour before sunset (golden hour) is the most beautiful light we have to work with.
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Full gallery in three to four weeks. We also send a sneak peek of around 10 images within 72 hours of your session, so you have something to share right away.
Whatever shape your family takes right now, we'd love to spend a quiet hour or two helping you remember it.
Family Session
Starting at $850
Family sessions book up fastest in the spring and fall, especially during golden hour windows. If you're planning a session for a specific moment (a new baby, a milestone birthday, a family visit), reach out as early as you can. We'd love to hear what's bringing you here.
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Up to 90 min session
Covers up to 5 family members; $100 per additional person.
1 location of your choice or our suggestion (within Bay Area)
Minimum 60 edited photos
Private online gallery
3-4 weeks turnaround time
72hr Sneak Peek
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Add a fur baby - $100
Add a family member - $100/pp
Add another location - Inquire for pricing
Add more time (at single location) - $250/hr
