My name is Allison

and I am a photographer.

I am also a mother, small business owner, and all-round-craft-loving-hand-making enthusiast. Recently I’ve started calling myself an artist.

Portrait of a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a black top, against a dark background.

I’ve had the privilege of professionally photographing people for the past 14 years. In that time, I’ve shot more than 1300 sessions. In other words, I have seen it ALL. I’ve seen meltdowns, wardrobe malfunctions, vomiting, and wipeouts. I’ve also seen impromptu dance parties, singing with abandon, full belly laughter, and so many hugs and kisses. My point is that real life will happen during our session and we’ll aim to say YES to all of it. I promise you, I’ll make you something worth remembering.

I believe every person is beautiful and worthy of documentation and I am here to be a safe place for all kinds of families and all kinds of creative folks. I reside in Berkeley, CA and serve the San Francisco Bay Area. Let's connect so that I can help you tell your story.

LET'S MAKE SOME PHOTOS!

Mom and Dad kiss tween daughter in silver sequin dress while sitting at Sutro Baths in San Francisco at sunset.

We feel so lucky that Allison is our family photographer. We've done four shoots with her in the past few years, and are looking forward to doing our fifth in a few weeks. She sets such a relaxing tone on the photo shoots, and puts our sometimes shy 6 year old completely at ease. She also captures photos that are distinctive, and have great energy. Her compositions are imaginative and artistic -- plus she is amazingly efficient at getting a good variety of shots in a short amount of time.

— Gail H.

Newborn baby wrapped in swaddle with ornage clementines coos in crib, shot during newborn session in Oakland.

We had newborn photos taken with Allison and had a wonderful experience! The photos are absolutely gorgeous, and communication was effortless from start to finish. She clearly has a wealth of experience working with families and made us feel completely at ease even though we’re not used to being in front of a camera. We couldn’t be happier with the results and highly recommend her!

— Kate M.

Want to see how I photograph my own family?

Two boys in swimming pool, one facing upwards with eyes closed atop a surf board and one floating face down.

Teenage boy in pink headband gets blush applied to face while making defeated expression.

Boy in black coat and fur-lined hood stands against cement wall in the sunshine.

Overhead view of boys hugging a brown dog as he looks into camera and light and shadow dance across his face.

Snowy landscape in sunrise light, taken from an airplane window.

Double-exposure view of child in blue tie-dyed t-shirt with serious expression standing against navy blue wall.

Shadowy room with one beam of sunlight coming through and lighting up the face of a teen boy lying on the bed.

Teen boys flip off camera from the other side of a window.

Teen boy looks in mirror while holding hair clippers up to head, while mom takes photo in the background.

Man lying down holding hand in front of face while sunlight streams in, creating strong highlights and shadows.

Shadowy room with one beam of sunlight coming through and lighting up the face of a teen boy sitting amongst green plants.

Two teen boys in thick coats feed reindeer in snowy landscape.

Close-up of two brothers' faces pressed cheek-to-cheek and gazing at the camera, cropped to show one half of each of their faces.

Close-up portrait of two teen boys' faces pressed cheek-to-cheek.

Close-up of two teen boys' faces pressed cheek-to-cheek and gazing at the camera, cropped to show one half of each of their faces.

Man standing against ocean horizon takes photo of child walking towards camera wearing a shirt that says "Sea Ya Later".

Boy stands on other side of fogged, water-beaded shower door, look downward.

Overhead view of mother lying in bed with a cuddling child on either side of her, while she kisses the forehead of one child.

Shadow of person waving hello against a white painted fence with large blooming pink Camelia bush peeking over the top of the fence.

Smiling child peers through wet and fogged-up shower door that has a smiley face drawn onto the door.

Boy playing basketball wearing red sneakers, while the shadow of him making a shot is cast on the blue, green, and yellow outdoor court ground.

Overhead view of boy in indigo-dyed shirt sitting on pink chair blowing large pink bubble from bubble gum.

Child in snorkel mask floats in aqua water on vacation in Mexico.

Two boys stand in backyard and one boy has just shot the other with a Nerf gun. The boy who was shot winces in pain as the other looks at him.

Boy lying in bed looking sideways toward the light that is coming in bright streams through window blinds.

Dark silhouette of child's head and shoulders indoors, framed by window with Warsaw Old Town square outdoors.

Woman wearing flowered blouse takes self-portrait into gold-framed mirror with gallery wall of paintings behind her.

Child in bathtub looks at their reflection in the shiny chrome bathtub fixtures.

Overhead view of dad and sleeping child in bed of flowered sheets, dad gazes at camera.

Mother stands in doorway and takes photograph into mirror while her two boys stand at mirror and fix their hair.

Overhead and close-up view of child looking up toward camera , wearing no shirt, with hands on hips and eyes and top of head cropped out.

Portrait of child against black backdrop wearing messy eye make-up, cheek tint, and lip gloss.

Young child riding scooter along the Domino Park High-line in Brooklyn, with the Williamsburg Bridge in background.

Motion-blurred view of child jumping on pogo stick with another child blurred in movement in foreground.

Overhead view of child in bathtub with only face peeking out and surrounded by bubbles.

People riding colorful swing carousel, shot from down low.

Mom drinks cocktail under beach unmbrella as two kids in bathing suits goof off next to her.

Four kids stand evenly spaced out on lava rock cliff and look out at the sea.

Two kids sit at table in sunny room while eating breakfast, with a violin hanging on the wall behind them.

Overhead motion-blurred view of child's back as they vigorously swish their hands through their hair in light blue bathwater.

Black and white, motion blur of boy standing in front of tiled wall and brushing hand across jawline while looking at camera with tough expression.

Boys shuffles cards while sitting at diner counter, shot through the window with reflections of nearby trees adding texture to composition.

Child stands in dark hallway with vertical blue neon lights framing him and one small spotlight above illuminating a sliver of his face.

Young child walks through glass sculpture that creates a triplicate reflection, while the mother taking the photograph is reflected as well.

Child wearing orange jacket and blue pants walks away from camera in soft focus in the background, with green grass and yellow flowers in the foreground in sharp focus.

Motion blur swirl of child in indigo-dyed t-shirt, lying on bed and looking up at the camera.

Kid siting at dinner table, drinking water, while cats sniffs at kid's mostly empty dinner plate, with candle burning in the foreground.

Boy balances on back two wheels of a skate board with desert scenery behind him, in Joshua Tree National Park.

Boys run through gallery with wall of windows that look out to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Teen boys in patterned sweatshirts sit on stone wall with ferris wheel in background.

Double-exposure of two boys seated and looking at camera holding a blue and a green balloon.

Get to Know Me!

Check out this short introduction video where I share my approach to photo sessions, and feature some live footage from an at-home family photo session.

One-on-One Mentoring

Did you know I also do a bit of teaching?

photographer's hand holds new camera still in packaging

Do you want to learn about photography or about the ins and outs of having a photography business? I teach professionals and hobbyists alike.

FIND OUT MORE