The artist behind the camera

This is how it would look?: I’m a personal brand photographer and strategist in Los Gatos, California. Since 2009 I’ve photographed more than 900 families, entrepreneurs, and professionals across the San Francisco Bay Area, and that work has earned over 250 five-star reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. I specialize in Strategy First personal brand photography for women who are the face of their brand. Before the camera comes out, we sit down together and define her ideal client and her brand voice, so every photo has a marketing job: website, social media, press kit, sales pages.

Why I photograph brands the way I do

I’ve been an entrepreneur for 30 years. So when a woman tells me she’s tired of being the entire marketing department of her own business, I know exactly what she means.

Most clients call me thinking they need a couple of headshots. If you work for a corporation, that’s true, and I’m happy to make you a great one. But if you’re the face of your own business, you need something different: photos that show the whole arc of what you do. You working with clients. You in your element. You, recognizable as the expert you already are.

Think about how a house for sale gets staged. It’s staged so the buyer can see themselves living there. Your brand photos do the same job: they let your ideal client see herself working with you.

That’s why every session starts with strategy, before the camera ever comes out. We sit down together, in person, and define your ideal client and your brand voice. No questionnaire, no homework. Then we plan the shoot around it, and after delivery you get the tools to put every image to work. That’s my Align. Shine. Scale. Method™, and it’s the reason my clients’ photos end up on websites and sales pages instead of sitting in a folder.

Three passions

My family

I love being a mom to my son, Kolya. And I’m convinced my husband Paul is the best out there (I’m biased, of course).

Travel

I love immersing myself in other cultures. Seeing how the rest of the world lives, eats, and enjoys life gives me a chance to practice a few languages and appreciate this beautiful planet a little more.

Photography

After all these years, I still feel lucky that my work doesn’t feel like work.