Spontaneous Brand Photoshoot for Bay Area Wedding Photographer
Road trips, hotel rooms and lots and lots of weddings. These all basically sum up how my time with my good friend, Monica Lam, was spent. When I was in the wedding world, she accompanied me on some of the weddings I photographed. Monica and I share a similar story, as we both left our 9 to 5 office jobs to pursue our passion for photography. Monica herself is now an entrepreneur and works as a wedding and lifestyle photographer!
I was so honored when Monica reached out to me to help her with her own brand photoshoot. There’s something so humbling when other photographers reach out to me to photograph for them, especially since they know everything that goes on behind the scenes. So when I heard from Monica about planning this photoshoot I was thrilled! Her goal for this photoshoot was to celebrate her growth as a photographer, as well as showcasing her brand and confidence in front of the camera. Before our half-day shoot in September, I discussed with Monica how exactly we were going to achieve this.
On the day of the photoshoot, we started at a Peerspace location in Emeryville (A State Of Space) to take some “working shots” and portraits. I captured Monica in different parts of the studio posing with a huge smile on her face. Her sister, Tiffany (Roots and Knuckles), was actually the stylist for this photoshoot and helped Monica look trendy and colorful in every picture. Monica wanted this photoshoot to exude confidence and spontaneity, while tying in a modern and editorial mood. Fortunately, the studio space we used lent itself to the mood we were aiming for and Monica took care of the rest!
After shooting at the Peerspace location, we made our way to the city for some lifestyle shots. Originally, I had planned to bring Monica to a cafe in North Beach, which I thought would compliment her brand. Unfortunately, due to Covid, we were not able to shoot there, as the cafe was closed. If there is one thing I have learned from my experiences as a photographer, it’s that you always have to be quick on your feet because you never know what might happen. I immediately thought of Wayfare Tavern when we were thinking of alternative options, which fit perfectly with Monica’s urban brand. Shooting in front of this restaurant actually made for some of my favorite images of the day!
Even though Monica and I were only together for half the day, it was a successful photoshoot. I have always been so fond of Monica and her values of family and capturing the best moments with loved ones. These images embody who Monica is as an entrepreneur, while revealing her adventurous and full-of-life personality. I hope you enjoy getting to know Monica through these photographs!