Modern Kids Photography Blog

deciduous puzzle | modern gifts for kids

Sarah — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:43:03 +0000

I love this Deciduous Puzzle from Anthropologie. It’s lovely, unique and looks like it would be fun to put together…but don’t buy it for your 4 year old. Probably more suited to a big kid (or even just for mom).

lovely new bio images for Edyta Szyszlo in the Presidio | modern photographer, San Francisco

Sarah — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:40:39 +0000

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing the lovely Edyta Szyszlo – a talented San Francisco based photographer. We had a fun afternoon shooting some updated bio photos for her company. Enjoy the sneak-peek and check back for more very soon. Thanks to Edyta, Lindsay, and Jenna!

p.s. I’m headed out of town for a photography conference in Las Vegas! If you’re another photographer headed to wppi, drop me an email I’d love to meet-up!

hello, noah. sneak-peek | modern baby photographer, san francisco

Sarah — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:32:38 +0000

This little guy makes me smile so very much. I can’t get enough of those cheeks! Stay tuned for more from baby Noah’s recent shoot at home in San Francisco!

Top Five Baby Photographers in San Francisco, GGMG | modern baby photographer, San Francisco

Sarah — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:17:47 +0000

How fun, Modern Kids Photography was named one of the top five baby photographers in San Francisco. We heard about this late last year but looks like it’s now officially up on the Golden Gate Mother’s Group website as an official recommendation. We’re happy to be up there next to four other talented studios!

Thanks especially to all of our lovely clients who helped make that happen!

studio inspiration | modern family photography, San Francisco

Sarah — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:20:39 +0000

If you’ve been to my studio you know it’s on the teeny-tiny side of the spectrum as far as studios go. It’s really just a haven away from my home (which is under construction – so to speak) as well as a place to meet with clients before and after my shoots. I rent from Activspace in the Mission District of San Francisco and I love it. Not only is the space perfect but it’s in one of my all-time fav SF neighborhoods. The spaces are rented out as raw (no paint, flooring, etc.) and over time people have added better finish (and sometimes worse). I love my space but the finish is not quite what I would normally want. I just lucked out and found a space just a few doors down that has a little better finish on the walls and trim. I’m a sucker for a really well done taping and plaster job.

I’m moving in very soon and want to update the look and feel of my space. Been thinking of doing something like this (see below): white walls to enlarge the space, ikat somewhere in the space, chair or pillows, perhpas, a gigantic print or two hung contemporary art-style in white, branches hanging from the ceiling and a fun wall gallery with animal themes mixed with modern kids imagery.

Oh and I’m hiding the work zone (bookshelves, sink/kitchenette, printer cart, and chalkboard of todos behind a curtain so it doesn’t always have to be spotless).

What do you think?

Clockwise from center: Anthropologie, Savannah Story Bust, Rhino (made in Haiti), Easter Decoration with branches via Yvestown, can’t remember the source for the wall art images, sorry! DWR Flocks Pouf, West Elm Gallery Frames, Enfants photography by Gaetan Bernard

a day of little men, back to work | modern baby photographer, San Francisco

Sarah — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:11:15 +0000

As some of you may know I was out of town unexpectedly for six weeks with my husband and his family in Illinois. We recently got back to San Francisco and I’m officially back to work full-time. I won’t elaborate on our time there, just to say that we lost a truly incredible woman to cancer and I wouldn’t have traded those six weeks for anything. I admire my husband and his sister more than I could imagine. My wish is that everyone is cared for so lovingly in their last days.

Joe and I have been reminded of all the blessings in our lives and for me, one of those things is my job. I meet the most incredible people all over the country and spend my days celebrating the joy and wonder of childhood. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.

My very first day of shooting happened to be three 7 month old boys in a row, not sure how I planned it that way but it was the perfect re-introduction. I absolutely love the age before a little one goes mobile either expert crawling or full-fledge walking. It varies for every kid but the sweet spots seems to be between 6-9mos. I encourage everyone with little ones to photograph around that time – even though there isn’t an obvious milestone. Here’s one little guy from my first day back. I’ll be sharing the rest very soon.

Thanks for all the thoughtful emails and especially a big thank you to my clients for being so understanding with my schedule. I hope to see you soon.

TECHNICAL NOTE: I was shooting in the back of the house with very little natural light. I had set up a strobe so I could get both boys sitting up on the bed (yes this little guy is a twin – can’t wait to share images of the two of them) but took a few w/o the strobe to take advantage of the lovely, low light. ISO 250, f3.5 at 1/50.

vogue family spread | from russia with love | inspiration

Sarah — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:36:16 +0000

I am very much inspired by these images by Francois Halard in this month’s issue of Vogue. Halard documents the home of Charles & Olya Thompson. Their home in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York in my opinion is so very elegant and magical. I love all of the historical elements of the home mixed with very bold contemporary works of art. On top of that I love the perfect amount of chaos that can only be introduced in the home by children. I was also struck by the gorgeous photo of Olya holding one of her children, photographed by her husband. That image alone made me want a studio big enough to shoot only Avedon-esque imagery for families in San Francisco…perhaps one day.

Did you see this article? Enjoy.

$1,000 says Keili can navigate San Francisco better than you can | modern family photographer, Cole Valley, San Francisco

Sarah — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:39:16 +0000

$1,000 says Ms. Keili can navigate the city of San Francisco better than you can. I’m kidding of course but this little lady has some serious “street-smarts”. She is hands down the most outgoing, affable, polite, and down right sophisticated little kids I’ve ever met. Yes, I’ve said it. I don’t always make such grandiose statements but little Keili is so very impressive!

We started our family session in her neighborhood first visiting her favorite French bakery, La Boulange. She gobbled down a delicious looking pastry not because she seemed hungry but she could tell it would make a good photo for me…a natural model! Then after saying hello to a few locals including their garbage man, we jumped on the N-Judah to head down to one of their favorite SF destinations (and one of mine too), the Ferry Building. Along the way Keili called out landmarks and instructed us on which stop to exit. Once we arrived downtown we enjoyed some Ciao Bella gelato, drank a glass of red wine (not Keili of course), and nibbled on some food from Taylors Automatic Refresher. Then we ended our shoot by running across the street to the park and blowing some bubbles. It was the best kind of shoot and Keili was the perfect storyteller!

A gigantic thank you to Susan, Joe and especially Ms. Keili for such a lovely morning. Enjoy some of my favs and let me know your thoughts (my comments below, including technical details for the photographers)!

MODERN KID: Keili + mom and dad

LOCATION: San Francisco >> Cole Valley >> N-Judah >> Ferry Building

Sitting outside La Boulange

Saying hello to the garbage man…he knew Keili by name!

Riding the train, Keili’s making sure we’re on the right track.

Keili showing us the way.

A serious moment en route

Making sure I’m not falling too far behind…

Does it get any cuter than this?

Heading straight to the gelato stand.

Mom and Dad enjoying a glass of wine and a quick kiss.

A big smile from our model

Running with mom to the park

What a beautiful girl!

Bubbles are great fun for kids and make great images for photographers…they never get old.

Wrapping up our shoot with a mini fashion-model

Big smiles all around and a glimpse of the Bay Bridge

TECHNICAL DETAILS (for the photographers out there): Shot almost entirely in natural light with ISOs between 200-400 outdoors and up to 1600 in the subway. With Keili alone most f-stops were between 1.4-5.6, groups are almost entirely f4.0-f5.6 with my 35mm. I pulled out the 50mm for a few portraits toward the end. Minimal processing: aside from basic RAW processing I applied a few TRA actions at low opacity – been going more and more towards less processing. With a shoot like this make sure to tell the whole story, move around all the time, and take some time without the camera in your face to just watch the fun unfold. Enjoy!

To book a shoot with Sarah and Modern Kids Photography simple give us a shout. Email hello[at]modernkidsphoto[dot]come or call 415.846.0533. We would love to hear from you!

little miss Arabel, traveling sessions, Chicago | modern kids photographer

Sarah — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:47:21 +0000

I have the wonderful opportunity of traveling to Chicago to shoot a few times per year, among other cities. If it’s a wintertime shoot I am usually a little obsessed with the weather the week before I arrive as anyone who has lived there will tell you winter weather can be unpredictable. On my last trip in late November we lucked out with an unseasonably warm weekend. I have a bunch of shoots to share from that trip that I will intersperse with Bay area shoots over the next few weeks. I’ll be posting more frequently so please stay tuned.

A gigantic thanks to Anne, Ryan, and especially Miss Arabel for a really lovely afternoon. We started at home where I got to see Arabel’s wonderful personality. She was giving me hugs within a few minutes of meeting her which is always a good sign of a great shoot. After we shot for about 45 minutes at home Anne and Ryan took us all to a perfect location nearby. We were greeted by really spectacular late afternoon winter light, mix that with a really handsome and fun family and well that’s my favorite way to shoot. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts!

slowing down, at home with family | modern family photographer, san francisco

Sarah — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:11:48 +0000

If you’ve emailed me recently or follow me on twitter you’ll know that Joe and I had to extend our stay with his family in Southern Illinois. My mother in law, Marilyn is very sick with brain and spinal cancer that developed after a year long battle with Inflammatory breast cancer. It’s been a sad holiday for us but we’re ultimately thankful to have this time with her to say goodbye. We’re finding that slowing down and just being with family has been a wonderful gift. We’ve been playing in the snow, warming up by the fire, watching tons and tons of movies, cooking, and just being together.

Marilyn moved back home with us yesterday and we are thankful to have her here. She is not suffering. Instead she’s teaching us all that life is very short and it’s important to follow your dreams and love with all you’ve got.

I hope you’re all enjoying a lovely holiday season with your families, much love from our family to yours. Enjoy a few images from our time together below. I am online here and there but responding to emails a little slower than normal. If you have an urgent request from me please give me a call.

xo,

Sarah

when i was a kid we didn’t have these clever devices for snowballs. I prefer the home-made variety (these snowballs hurt!)