#notaselfieheadshots // SJ Kincaid // Emeryville, CA

I had the honor of taking SJ Kincaid's head shots for her upcoming book! She crushed this session and was a pro. I love how her blue eyes just pop in each picture! There's a fun photo comparison at the end too! And for a fun addition, I wanted to show the comparison between using a reflector and not. I love "behind the scenes" looks and such, and this isn't so much a behind the scenes, but definitely a peek into how I work. I don't use my reflector on each shoot, but I wanted to for these head shots because I wanted to make sure her eyes look alive and bring some POP to her face! Use of the reflector fills in the light around her neck and face and gets rid of the shadows. Fun! 

PS- hey look, here's one of her head shots in use! :)

George + Julieta // Berkeley Engagement Photographer

George and Julieta are my first wedding of 2016! Whoop whoop! We did their engagement photos at Berkeley for multiple reasons. They both went to Berkeley, the campus is beautiful, and it's an East Bay staple. George and his daughters scouted some spots the day before, so we had a great time find all the good nooks and open spots of the campus. There are endless possibilities for photos! See you two in a month!

#notaselfieheadshots // Melissa

#notaselfieheadshots // Boo Boo

This guy. He has the best infectious smile and laugh! And is an amazing graphic designer and illustrator.

2014 Holiday Sessions

A small collection of the mini and family sessions I did at the end of this year. Many, many thanks to all the families that had me along :) You rock!  

#notaselfieheadshots

Pretty self explanatory :) Contact me if you would like to update your headshots or you would like one for your professional social media accounts, etc. Meet Jeff --

Windels Family // Maternity Shoot // Ocean Beach, CA

I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Sarah and her family, than having photos taken of their family and second child on Mother's Day. It may have been windy, but it made the wind-blown effect easy and we may have had only a little sand in our eyes. Enjoy!

Ben // Bar Mitzvah // Palo Alto, CA

For this Bar Mitzvah, I assisted Heather at the party portion of Ben's Bar Mitzvah. I haven't been to many weddings yet, but I know Mitzvah's give weddings a run for their money! It's basically a dance party for hours with some food thrown in the mix, and fun things to do, like airbrush painting onto shirts and hats. Here's my take on the event (sans flash)!

Karl + Jillian // Engagement // Alamo Square Park, San Francisco

For this shoot, I had the opportunity to assist Heather. This couple used to live in SF, but now resides in New York, but will be getting married in San Francisco, so the iconic Painted Ladies and Alamo Square couldn't have been a better backdrop for their engagement photos. We had a perfect Spring day with amazing light, and a couple that worked it!

(PS - as I am in the process of updating my website and blog, this travel blog will transition to a more everything blog, including posts of my photography... woo!!)

Seattle // Family Visit

Over New Years Eve I went up to Seattle for a few days. The main reason for this trip was to see my brother, Marcus, before he graduated from US ARMY boot camp and headed out for his deployment. While there, I also had the pleasure of taking the engagement photos of my great friend and her fiance!!

Seattle, you will always have a piece of my heart.

Family Visit // San Francisco

This past December my Dad, his wife Barb, and her mom, made a pit stop in Oakland on their way down driving to Texas. They would rather drive many, many hours and be able to stop and see the sights and countryside instead of flying. It isn't something I would enjoy, but they do. We went into San Francisco and explored around the piers along Embarcadero and the different Golden Gate Bridge vista points. The weather was perfect - clear and sunny.

Chelsea Dier Photography

In the beginning of November, I decided to finally take action and make my step towards becoming a professional photographer. It has been awesome!! What took me so long, I'll never know (well, actually I do know - it's scary taking the first step, but once you do, it's SO worth it). I reached out to some of the customer's from Highwire (day job) and starting taking their family and engagement photos. I am actually really enjoying the family photo shoots.  Having younger siblings has definitely helped me in approaching these photo shoots. I instantly feel comfortable around the kids and love the challenge of capturing their busy bodies.

Here is a small collection of my current portfolio, and if you know anyone who needs professional family, engagement or lifestyle photos, I would love to take them! Send them my way chelseadier [at] gmail dot com or find me on Facebook.