https://kirschnerstudios.myportfolio.com/

Kirschner Studios, 236 N Santa Cruz, Los Gatos, CA (2026)

03/28/2026

Getting Dressed Is Not Superficial. It’s Strategic.

I am, in fact, a mother.
A mother of dragons.
Which means my off-duty uniform is… let’s call it “feral chic with snacks in the pockets.”

But then… I go into the city.
No one throws sand in my hair.
No one asks me for a snack every 11 seconds.
And suddenly… she appears.

The woman in the mirror with the sharp blazer, bold lips, and just enough gold chain to financially intimidate a small nation.

Here’s the thing—
I didn’t formally study styling.
I absorbed it.
Years of working alongside brilliant stylists, quietly watching, learning… until one day I realized:
Oh. I speak this language now. Fluently. Native level.

And styling? It’s not about clothes.
It’s about energy.

It’s about putting something on your body that says:
“I remember who I am.”

Because when you dress the part,
you don’t just look different—
you move differently.
You decide differently.
You show up differently.

And I’ve seen it over and over again with the women I photograph—
The moment they feel put together… something shifts.
Confidence isn’t forced. It arrives.

That’s why I style my shoots.
Not for aesthetics (okay yes also for aesthetics),
but because I know what happens next.

You don’t just get great photos.
You meet a version of yourself you forgot was always there.

And honestly?
She’s iconic.

03/07/2026

Yesterday I did a very scientific experiment in front of a brick wall.

The hypothesis: What happens when a photographer actually turns the camera on herself and plays?

Results:
1. Mood swings were documented.
2. Red lipstick improved all data points by at least 37%.
3. Lighting is basically therapy.

But here is the real thing I was reminded of: photography is power.

Not the fake kind. Not the “perfect Instagram life” kind.
The real power is that tiny moment when you see yourself in a photograph and think:
Oh… there I am.

A good photograph doesn’t invent someone new.
It simply shows you in your best light — literally and emotionally.

As photographers we get the privilege of giving that moment to other people every day.
Confidence. Recognition. Sometimes even a little magic.

And occasionally, if we’re brave enough, we turn the camera around and give that gift to ourselves too.

Yesterday I had fun with it.
Different expressions, different moods, a brick wall that absolutely understood the assignment.

Because photography is not just about documenting a face.
It’s about seeing the human being behind it — and celebrating them.

Grateful for the camera.
Grateful for light.
Grateful for a profession where curiosity, creativity, and a little lipstick can change the entire story.

And yes… sometimes the photographer is also the subject.

Turns out she’s not so bad in front of the camera either. 😉

PortraitPhotography

03/06/2026

Some people wake up and go to work.

I wake up, put on lipstick the color of dangerously optimistic red, persuade my hair into some form of cooperation, and step out the door with a camera like a slightly overexcited artist on a mission to capture human beauty.

And honestly? I love every second of it.

There is something almost ceremonial about getting ready for work when your work is seeing people.
Doing my hair. Putting on makeup. Choosing an outfit that makes me feel awake, alive, and a little bit fabulous.

Because before I photograph anyone else, I like to show up as my full self too.

Photography, for me, is not just a job.
It’s dressing up myself and my soul for the privilege of witnessing other people’s stories, confidence, and humanity through a lens.

Some mornings it feels like work.
Most mornings it feels like getting ready for a small adventure.

Grateful that my work allows me to celebrate people, creativity, and the magic of a well-timed beam of sunlight.

And yes… sometimes that adventure includes very red lipstick and a camera that almost never leaves my hand.

02/23/2026

It’s official. I have been in a committed relationship with photography for 22 years. 📷✨

This week I photographed several wonderful humans in Palo Alto and San Jose, using only natural light and the most cooperative California bushes as my backdrop. And honestly? I loved it as much as I did when I first picked up a camera.

There is something timeless about soft light, a clean background, and a face that trusts you.

People often ask me how long I’ve been doing this. I usually answer casually — and then I realise the number sounds… substantial.

Twenty-two years.
3,000+ clients.
Five countries.
Publications including Vogue, Marie Claire, Huffington Post.
Our own Women & Business Magazine.

For a long time, I never called myself an expert. I always felt like a student of light — curious, experimenting, refining. But when you stay devoted to a craft for over two decades, you quietly earn your depth.

What I love most is that the excitement hasn’t faded. I still look at a beautiful hedge in Palo Alto and think, “Perfect. Let’s create something elegant here.” I still adjust a chin slightly, turn a shoulder, lower the camera angle — and watch someone transform in front of me.

The real achievement isn’t the publications or the numbers. It’s the moment a client sees themselves in a photograph and stands a little taller.

Twenty-two years in, and I’m still completely in love with this work.

Grateful for every client, every city, every beam of light — and very much looking forward to what the next chapter brings.

01/21/2026

✨ When was the last time you actually enjoyed being photographed? ✨

If your answer is “never” or “I blacked out,” you’re not alone 😄

Most women don’t need a better camera — they need guidance, ease, and someone firmly in their corner. During my sessions I direct the posing, adjust the details, keep things moving, and hype you up until the whole thing feels surprisingly… normal. Even fun.

Somewhere between laughing and “wait, try that again,” the tension drops and something real comes through. Confident. Approachable. You, on a good day.

Headshots don’t have to be stiff or intimidating. They can feel supportive, relaxed, and quietly empowering — especially for women who lead and build and juggle a lot.

✨ If you’ve been avoiding updating your photo, this is your gentle nudge.
📩 DM me or visit the link in my bio when you’re ready.

SanFranciscoPhotographer

01/21/2026

✨ Ever wish someone would just tell you exactly how to stand, smile, and breathe in a photo? ✨

That’s my favourite part of a headshot session.
You show up as you are — I do the posing, the styling tweaks, the gentle guidance, and the enthusiastic hyping up along the way.

Most women arrive saying they’re “not photogenic.”
They leave saying, “Oh… that actually looks like me.”

Because great headshots aren’t about being perfect.
They’re about feeling supported, relaxed, and confidently yourself — and letting that shine through.

I love creating that ease for women who lead, build, create, and carry a lot.
You don’t have to know what to do — that part is on me.

01/17/2026

Yesterday’s self-care looked like this:
📸 creating art
👸watching a client light up seeing herself on the back of my camera
💄 buying red and pink lipstick because my grandmothers taught me that a lady wears lipstick (and who am I to argue with ancestors)
👓 getting new Prada glasses while laughing with my eye doctor about the universal truth that I can, in fact, see perfectly fine… just not read anymore
🎶 waltzing into my house to Gloria, fully convinced I was the lead character in an ’80s music video

And honestly? I am ecstatic.

This backstage moment is from yesterday’s shoot, the quiet, joyful, deeply affirming part of the work where art is made and confidence is restored in real time. My client trusted me because she’s seen the women on my website. She believed me when I said: yes, this is my specialty: making women look and feel their absolute best.

Five countries, countless faces, and now… a San Francisco studio on the horizon. The alignment is aligning. The Fire Horse is flirting. 🔥🐎

Self-care isn’t just spa days and green juice. Sometimes it’s lipstick, cake, a fresh haircut on the calendar, dancing in the street like nobody’s watching and doing work that makes your heart sing.

So if you want to be extra happy:
Buy the lipstick.
Eat the cake.
Dance anyway.
And when you’re ready — book the headshot session.

✨

12/31/2025

2025, you absolute overachiever ✨🥂

This year felt less like “a year” and more like a highlight reel edited by the universe on triple espresso.

From countless headshot and fashion sessions (strong jaws, power stances, wind-assisted coats, confidence everywhere) to watching Women & Business Magazine land every three months like clockwork—each issue a reminder that consistency, vision, and community actually work.

In April, I flew to London to take part in a six-figure networking event—the kind where ambition is fluent, conversations move fast, and dreams come with action plans. I also got to hug my friends scattered across Europe, proving once again that creativity (and chosen family) has no borders.

Somewhere in between, I had the surreal honor of meeting Annie Leibovitz (yes, that Annie), shared my journey through interviews, and kept writing gratitude posts that quietly turned into connection, visibility, and opportunity. Turns out gratitude is not just a mindset—it’s a very elegant business strategy.

There were border crossings into Canada, creative resets, and the very best kind of joy: loud, silly, deeply present days with my kids, who remain my greatest teachers in courage, curiosity, and wonder.

And then—because 2025 clearly chose drama—I moved to San Francisco. New light. New streets. New creative nervous system unlocked.

So here I am, closing one chapter with a full heart and opening another with my camera already out.
Next up: beginning the next phase of my photography journey in San Francisco—and soon adding regular manifestation circles to my creative offerings, because art, intention, and community belong in the same room.

Thank you, 2025.
You didn’t just give me work.
You gave me alignment.

✨📷✨

womenandbusinessmagazine

11/19/2025

✨ My latest article for Women & Business Magazine is out! ✨
…aaand I still can’t believe I get to say this, but as the cofounder of the magazine, this one feels especially close to my heart.

This month I wrote about the one thing that accidentally changed my life, improved my mental health, expanded my community, added sparkles to my nervous system… and apparently made me hotter.
Yes. Gratitude.
I know. I didn’t see it coming either.

The article is called:
“Gratitude Made Me Hotter (and Other Surprising Side Effects of Saying ‘Thank You’”)
—written by yours truly.

If you’ve ever wondered whether a daily “thank you” can genuinely rewire your life (or at least make you glow like you’ve been lightly kissed by the gods), this one’s for you.

You can read the full piece here:
👉 womenandbusinessmagazine.com

Now excuse me while I go say thank you to my love, my tea, and the universe’s questionable sense of humor. 💫

03/30/2025

Power, Presence, and a Camera: My Latest Editorial Shoot in SF

San Francisco provided the perfect backdrop for this editorial session with my friend Mary for Women & Business Magazine. Every frame captured her strength, ambition, and unwavering confidence—exactly what this publication stands for!

This shoot reinforced my love for storytelling through photography. When was the last time you had a portrait that truly represented your power and presence? Let’s make it happen!

DM me if you’re ready for a photoshoot that tells your story!

.ontrary .artistry

Kirschner Studios

03/28/2026

03/07/2026

03/06/2026

02/23/2026

01/21/2026

01/21/2026

01/17/2026

12/31/2025

11/19/2025

03/30/2025

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