Holman Photography

05/06/2026

This week I photographed a talented designer with a beautiful sense of style and design. We approached the session less like an editorial portrait story: natural light, relaxed direction, thoughtful details, and images that feel authentic to how she moves through the world professionally.

Strong personal branding photography is not about looking overly polished. It is about looking recognizable, approachable, and confident.

These sessions are quickly becoming some of my favorite work.

Photography

04/20/2026

A new kind of wedding where you do the traveling, and your guests stay put?!

Not every wedding guest list is straightforward. But the wedding day can still feel like it belongs to the couple Sometimes parents are divorced and being in the same room is not only awkward, but too hard. Sometimes inviting one person means not inviting another. And sometimes not everyone is able....

04/09/2026

"How long will the posed photos take?" I am often asked for weddingsd. I try to keep them to a minimal, and I let folks stay casually comfortable in their posing as much as possible. And these photos are important, of course, but the images people tend to return to years later are usually the ones that were never planned in the first place.

I wrote a short piece about how I approach photographing a wedding — what I am watching for, and why I try to stay just ahead of the moment instead of directing it.

There are many beautiful ways to photograph a wedding. Mine has always been to follow it as it unfolds rather than direct it.

03/05/2026

Bouquets d'Art once again proves to be one of the most fun art shows in SF. Here are a few highlights... if you are looking for a joyful activity, it will not disappoint. The highlight (for me) was a new room full of mannequins wearing flower fashion from the School of Arts. Wow.. (and the arrangement in the bathroom was a show stopper). Have you been? Did you have a fave?

02/18/2026

As a photographer, being trusted to capture the genuine reactions of a marriage proposal, the nervous laughter, and that first “YES” is always an honor. It is never just a photo. It becomes part of a couple’s history.

If you are thinking about proposing — or helping someone plan it — I put together a practical guide with ideas to help the moment feel thoughtful and personal (even if your heart is racing).

https://www.holmanphotography.com/planning-a-marriage-proposal

02/17/2026

Decided not to propose on Valentine's Day? More of a "let's do this together" kind of couple? Some tips for things to consider, places to go, ideas to calm nerves from a photographer who has seen it all happen :

When I help couples plan a wine-country proposal, I pay attention to the pieces that gently shape the experience:

02/14/2026

Know anyone looking for a place to have a small wedding or elope in the SF Bay Area? Read on:

Holman Photography shares her favorite locations for elopements, small weddings and proposals in the Bay Area

12/27/2025

Thinking of updating your dating profile, website photo or facebook profile? The Bay Area has so many great locations for shooting, but here are some of my faves.

Great dating-profile portraits do not require stunning scenery, but they do require that a brief moment in time captures some essence of you.

12/18/2025

Did you see Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair series on Trump’s inner circle? Wow- they struck me! I wrote a brief take on how he uses light, space, and framing to dismantle authority from a portrait photographer's perspective. https://www.holmanphotography.com/single-post/backed-into-the-frame-vanity-fair-portraits

Anderson’s approach to these portraits immediately brought to mind other moments in photographic history where realism was used not to flatter, but to expose. Diane Arbus’s insistence on discomfort and confrontation is one touchstone; August Sander’s unadorned typologies are another

12/13/2025

Your dating profile photos are the first impression you can’t redo — so let’s make them count.

Just published: “Dating Profile Photos That Work” — a quick read with real-world advice on what makes a photo invite a swipe right…

If you’re updating your Bumble, Hinge, Match, or Tinder — don’t let your photos hold you back!
Read more and elevate your profile:



https://www.holmanphotography.com/single-post/dating-profile-photos-that-work

12/10/2025

In the SF Bay Area , I have found that there are about eight different kinds of light before lunchtime. It’s really a photographer Dream here if you know how to use it. The mix of fog, ocean glare, tree, filtered shade, that golden hour through the window. I wrote a piece on why I lean on natural light in my portrait work. Check out my LOVE STORIES blog.

https://www.holmanphotography.com/single-post/why-natural-light-still-wins-for-real-life-portraits-in-the-bay-area