Bay Area Film Photography

Documentary family photography on film, with a slower pace and a vintage vibe.

Why Love Film?

You don’t choose film, film chooses you.

There is an unmistakable charm in film photographs. Warmth and nostalgia, organic texture, rich tones, and a tangible sense of craftsmanship.

Film photography is all about the feeling that you get from a photo.

Do you feel it?

  • Mom holds daughter's hand as they walk towards the sunset on a rocky beach.
  • One year old standing outside watches water drip from cup to her feet
  • Close up of child playing with beautiful rounded beach stones.
  • Black and white of man kissing wife's head as she holds newborn baby.
  • Mom and dad hold hands on foggy beach as daughter's run from the incoming waves.
  • Two boys and grandparents in easy, loving embrace.
  • Toddler standing on sand with blue ocean behind smiling as seagulls flock around her.

Film is perfect for…

Long-form, documentary family photography.

A roll of film in my favorite camera only holds twelve frames.

Film invites a slower, more intentional approach. It is more about noticing than doing.

I want to spend all day with your family, film camera in hand, in the Bay Area or beyond.

More about David

Photographer holds vintage twin lens reflex medium format film camera

The Medium

Choosing film means embracing a medium that honors craftsmanship and authenticity.

It is perfectly imperfect.

35mm and medium format
Favorite film stocks – Kodak Portra & TMax 100, Ilford HP5

  • Mom and sleeping infant daughter lay on blanket in the son.
  • Family walking together down a beach towards dramatic Marin Headlands.
  • Toddler in foreground with parents, sister, and dog visible via mirror.
  • Toddler sprays hose into garden while family stands behind.
  • Grandfather and daughter sit and read on rug in front of Christmas tree
  • Infant close up with mom and dad's hands
  • Family of four in living room, golden morning light, 35mm film, Angel Island out the window.
  • Mother holds infant while standing in calm blue water.
  • Dad and toddler silhouetted on hilltop against dazzling clouds.

The Film Experience

Film photo sessions are a guided collaboration. Here’s what to expect.

01

Consultation

So you know exactly what to expect

02

Session

A relaxed, unhurried experience

03

Film Development

Each roll professionally developed and scanned

04

Gallery

High-res digital scans, pro prints available for purchase

Investing in Film

Film photography pairs perfectly with a long-form documentary approach. But you can also choose film for your shorter Bay Area Lifestyle Family Session.

Toddler sits in camp chair with headlamp on looking at camp fire, mom watches

All Day Documentary

starting at $3475

This is where the magic happens.

All day together means we let our guard down. We stop thinking and start doing. We forget the camera and just live.

In a full day we can photograph the bleary-eyed morning routine and a walk to your favorite coffee shop.

Then the local park or pancakes at home. Then who knows? Maybe load up the car to go hiking in Point Reyes.

I’m there to capture the whole thing.

I want All Day

Half Day Documentary

starting at $2475

In half a day we can spend quality time at home, then go to your favorite breakfast spot and visit the park on the way back.

Or we can go on a little adventure – bike with the kids to Tennessee Beach or a short hike around Land’s End.

If you like the idea of documentary film photography but aren’t quite ready to dive all the way in, this is a great place to start.

Let’s start with a Half Day

“So dramatic and unexpected!! …the grainy texture of the film…this is special.”

– text I received after gallery delivery

Questions. Answered

Absolutely! You can simply opt for film in a 2-hour Custom Lifestyle Session. A number of my shorter Inspiration Sessions are also offered in analog film.

Modern scanners allow your film negatives to be translated to high-quality jpeg images. They still retain the look and feel of film images, even when printed from these digital files. It’s the best of both worlds, really.

Easygoing, unposed, interactive. During most of my sessions, we chat a lot. I ask questions about your family and I share details about mine. If you have kids with you, I spend a lot of time connecting with them and building trust. 

I will direct you towards beautiful light. I might ask you to repeat a loving gesture. But I do not “pose” in the traditional sense, so expect candid photos that are beautifully un-polished.

Film is slower and more intentional, and the end result is less about technical perfection and more about feeling. I take fewer frames and commit to the moment. The photographs tend to have a softer, more timeless look, often with natural grain and texture. You may see a few frames that are slightly soft or imperfect in a way that feels human. That character is part of what people love about film.

Digital photography gives me the freedom to take a lot of images. That means I can work quickly with moving kids, handle low light, and deliver sharp photos in a wide range of conditions. It also gives me the luxury of selecting the “best” split-second moments during editing.

If you want the cleanest, sharpest, most technically consistent images, digital is the better fit. If you want something more tactile, nostalgic, and emotionally textured, film is magic.

Yes! Film does best with a lot of light, so I do suggest structuring our time together so we spend the earlier and later hours of the day outdoors, if possible. And when we’re inside, the closer we are to a big window, the better the light.

Sessions including film photography are delivered within 6 weeks of the session date. Rush processing is available for an additional fee. 

Some of my all-time favorite images have come from foggy San Francisco sessions. If you are adamant about sunshine, let’s talk about locations that are less likely to be foggy. Or you might consider my Sunshine Insurance option, where you get two reschedules without additional cost.

If the forecast 48 hours before your session shows rain, I am happy to reschedule. That said, I LOVE a family that gets out in the rain. Kids with cute umbrellas splashing around in rain boots make for some iconic San Francisco moments! I even have two clear bubble umbrellas that you can borrow!

You will have the ability to download high-resolution digital JPEG scanned images. Typically, I hold onto the negatives. If it is important to you to keep the negatives, please reach out and I will provide options.

Start Here

Make sure to let me know you’re interested in a film photo session, and whether you’re looking for all day or something shorter.

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