Emily Takes Photos

I’m not a talkative person. Open account for Emily and write to say many many thanks!
I was depressed somehow on my big day coz my families’ flight got canceled early in the morning. I knew this on the way to city hall. But she was soooo humorous, like an angel around us. The memories with her lightened me and my big day.
Emily was easygoing, caring, genial and cheerful. I got much more than expected. She made taking photo easy and happy, not boring or stiff at all. She always captured my right moments.
I cannot wait to see the photos and cannot wait to give her 5 stars for the best memories. Such a right decision to choose Emily as our wedding photographer! ;)

Emily is simply the best photographer for SF City Hall weddings. We found Emily online months before the wedding and she was incredibly helpful in helping us plan our day to be very special.
On the wedding day, Emily showed up early and knew the drill much better than we did. She helped put us both at ease both during and after the ceremony. We wanted to fit in pictures with all of our guests in a short time frame and and she was incredibly efficient! We fit in every picture we wanted in City Hall and had so much fun moving from spot to spot.
After the wedding, she came with us as we rode the F tram to our reception, taking pictures all along the way, and stayed through the toasts at the reception. Over the very short time we had with her, we felt that she had become one of the family and that she fit in perfectly with us.
Emily not only was a great photographer, but she helped make our day even more special. We cannot wait to see our pictures!

Emily was a pro — what can i say, she made the whole experience easy and great fun.
The photo turn around was really quick and the photos were amazing. The color post production is beautiful and we have the wonderful problem of having too many stunning photographs to choose from.

Emily is: talented, experienced, cheerful charming, subtle, helpful, enthusiastic, prompt, reliable, friendly, thoughtful, relaxed, knowledgeable, organized, expedient, calming, confident, trustworthy, intelligent, keen-​eyed, and, again, just so, so talented.

Emily did our photos for our city hall wedding in San Francisco. She knows her way around city hall so well and everyone that works there seems to know her. You may think you’re just booking a photographer, but for those 90 minutes or so she is your event coordinator! We could just submit to the chaos and excitement while she made sure we ended up at the right place at the right time and with all of our guests present and accounted for!
She also got our photographs back to us super quick! It only took 1 week! We love them and we are so happy we were able to hire Emily for our special day.

I have no words to describe how amazing Emily is, except to just say she is THE best, you will not find another photographer as talented, helpful, kind and as fun as Emily.
My now husband and I used Emily for our San Fran elopement. The process of booking was extremely easy, especially as I was communicating from Australia. All paperwork could be done online and took seconds. Emily was so kind and helpful to me. Given I was planning our wedding from Australia, she suggested hair and makeup and where I could get my bouquet made. She really listened to me and understood my style and suggested the most perfect places, which I used and loved. Emily continued to reply to my emails and offer suggestions, it was as if she was my wedding planner. I felt she was more than happy to help me and I was not an inconvenience to her at all.
On the day Emily welcomed me with a big hug and smile, which was so kind, given it was an elopement and she was sharing our wedding with us so intimately, as we both had no friends and family present. You could tell Emily knew all the great spots to take photos in the city hall (we took her 90 minute city hall location option). All the city hall staff were very familiar with Emily, which made our wedding day even more special, as I felt we were getting special attention as we were with Emily. Emily was so patient, Emily, my husband, and I chatted and bantered throughout, we all shared stories, and could not stop laughing.
Our wedding day was only days ago, but she offered to take photos on my mobile so I could share the day with my family back home. The photos on my phone were A M A Z I N G and I can not wait to see the professional photos. Again Emily is THE best, there is nowhere else you need to look for your special day.

We couldn’t have been happier with Emily as our wedding photographer! She took excellent, non-​cheesy engagement photos of us at Urban Ore and then totally wowed us on the day of our wedding with her great intuition and knack for getting great, well-​timed shots. I agree with other reviewers here that Emily’s warm, documentary style makes for great wedding photos. Also, she is just so friendly. We felt instantly at ease with her. She even sent us care packages!

We hired Emily to take our wedding photos for our San Francisco City Hall wedding, and we couldn’t be happier. We saw her featured on a bridal blog and instantly connected with the warmth of all the pictures she took. She was lovely from the day we hired her to the day she sent us our final images (which was less than three weeks after our wedding!).
She put us at ease with the fact that she knew all about the marriage process at City Hall, how to get around the enormous building, what to expect, and what were the best places to take pictures. We would hire her again in a heartbeat, honestly we can’t think of enough nice things to say. We’re so happy that we have these pictures to remember such a wonderful day. Thank you Emily!

For our wedding last year, we hired Emily as our photographer. While looking for a photographer, I really had no direction and did not know where to start. Luckily, I was able to get a few recommendations from a friend and after looking at the various photographer’s sites, I inquired with Emily immediately.
I really liked her style of photos — genuine, warm, and really catching the right moments. I also liked that she had a lot of work with outdoor spaces — this was the most important aspect since our entired wedding was planned to take place outside. Another reason I was interested in her work was her biography — after reading her biography, which she had already made me laugh without even having to meet her, I knew she would be a good fit.
When we inquired, we were lucky that Emily was available! (We had about a 2.5 month planning/​engagement period and with a Saturday event, I figured most vendors would be booked) Emily was very communicative, professional, honest, and the best part was, she was so fun to be around.
When we met up to take our Engagement Photos, the hubby (then fiancé) and I were nervous since this was the first time taking professional photos together. I am not camera shy, however, this was a whole new element for me. Hubby is camera shy, but Emily knew how to make us both comfortable. She was also hilarious, which made the process easier and able for us to let loose a little more.
After seeing the results of our Engagement Photos, we were confident with Emily’s work — we loved how our photos turned out and she was able to capture us exactly how we wanted to be. Not stuffy and nothing corny.
On the day of our wedding, Emily and her assistant came to photograph our day. They were both on time and very professional throughout the entire day. Thank goodness for Emily’s sense of humor — it definitely helped us get through the day. Especially while I was getting ready for the ceremony/​to see my future husband/​go down to my guests, I was nerve wrecked and with Emily, I was able to say whatever I needed to, make whatever bad jokes I needed to, to calm myself.
If you are looking for a photographer for your big day, I highly recommend Emily Takes Photos. I will definitely be inquiring with her for future photo ops. THANK YOU EMILY!

Emily was my favorite vendor at our wedding! I feel bad saying that because my other vendors were great too, but Emily really stood out. Beyond being a fantastic photographer (we love our photos) she’s also really easy going and easy to work with. She is highly professional and also has a great sense of humor. She includes so many little special touches (won’t ruin them for you!) during the process that she really makes you feel taken care of. She makes an already special experience feel even more special. I want her to photograph all my friends weddings, just so I can hang out with her more.
Highlights:
–put family and friends at ease during posed photos
–had great advice for our shotlist and suggested ones we didn’t think of
–got along great with our videographer
–kept in touch in many ways throughout the process and after the event
–tolerated my spastic 80 lb dog during our engagement shoot

Emily took our engagement and wedding photos. They turned out great! She does amazing work and is a joy to work with. F’reals, she made us happy and made EVERYONE look good.
Hire Emily for your wedding — it’ll be the best decision you make! (Besides getting married, I hope…)

We reached out to Emily about a week before our wedding. She was offering a summer discount for City Hall ceremonies, so she was suddenly within the limits of our meager budget. After working with Emily and poking through our wedding photos, we can say with absolute confidence that discount or not, Emily is well worth the money.
From start to finish, we were blown away by Emily’s generosity, passion, and hospitality. She replied to our emails within hours, scheduled phone calls to iron out the time/​money details, and arrived early at City Hall just to photograph the venue. Also, on top of all that, she stayed over the allotted time, just to make sure we were photographed to our hearts’ content. On a more technical note, Emily’s knowledge of City Hall and photography is astounding. She knew every nook and cranny in City Hall that would make for a beautiful wedding (or any, really) portrait, politely scooted us from spot to spot to maximize the variation of our photos, and provided a very light-​hearted and friendly sense of humor to help ease our pre-​wedding nerves. More than that, Emily has a gifted eye. The two of us are overly self-​critical, but there was not a single photo in her collection that we didn’t absolutely adore; there was a balanced blend of candids and staged images that really captured the emotions and overall atmosphere of the day. All in all, we couldn’t be happier and more grateful that Emily agreed to photograph our wedding. To anyone seeking a wedding/​engagement/​baby/​party/​just-​because photographer, we recommend EmilyTakes Photos whole-​heartedly! We promise — you’ll be amazed by her work and adorably bubbly personality.

Emily photographed our engagement shoot and our wedding and she was pure magic.
1) My husband and I are not photogenic. I’m not saying we’re without our charms, but we always seem to get the «Chandler» effect (plus the blinking) when the cameras are out. When we were first interviewing photographers, we warned Emily that she’d have to be comfortable with our poor photo-​taking skills, and her assurances warmed our hearts. She did us proud on the big day!
2) Her and her assistant were like photo-​assassins — they completely blended in (to the point where I had no idea that they were so close during the ceremony until we saw the photos), but she stepped in when needed to «goat herd» us to have private moments, take the group shots we requested, etc.
3) She braved an absolutely frigid day in SF for our engagement shoot — we basically turned into popsicles.
4) Emily captured the spirit of our big day party — the photos were fun, genuine, and beautiful. Her photos reflected the goofiness of our friends, the joy of our families, the small details that we put hours of time into… everything. Emily did an amazing job vividly capturing all the experiences of the big day, including the ones that my husband and I would have missed due to the «wedding duties» (including some incredible dance moves from our friends)
5) As many other reviewers have mentioned, Emily takes client service to the next level. While I have many examples, the one that really touched me was that after the wedding I had a panic moment when I wasn’t sure whether or not I had a picture with some of my treasured family members. Emily searched through the THOUSANDS of photos she took (prior to them being ready to share) and sent evidence to me to show that indeed, I had nothing to worry about.
If the points above aren’t enough, she’s is a TON of fun. I recall ending the night saying, «I’m so sad that today is over because it means we don’t get to hang out!» Granted, that was two shots and two cocktails into the most fun wedding ever, but I still mean it six months later.
Emily, thank you for being amazing. The pleasure was all ours :)

I just want to chime in to say how lovely it was working with Emily! My husband and I are both camera shy and she was seriously a genius at immediately making us comfortable around her and her camera, which, it turns out, is the key to NOT looking weird in all your pictures. And, taking photos was actually fun, because hanging out with Emily is fun, and she manages to make photo sessions feel like we’re all hanging out rather than something with a lot of pressure riding on it. The photos came out amazing.
Her follow through and attention to detail is also what makes her a fabulous vendor to work with. When we interviewed her as a potential photographer for our wedding she invited us to her house, made us coffee and breakfast treats while we looked at samples of her work, and by the time we left we felt like we were old friends. She sent us little gifts in the mail in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and was a total pro on the day of the event. Later our proof book went missing in the mail and she followed up and made sure we got another without me ever having to do anything.
If you need a photographer for a wedding or event, hire this woman! :)

Emily photographed our wedding in September 2012 and we found her to be the best kind of professional – she is super talented, takes her job seriously, and is experienced enough to be totally relaxed in the moment.
One thing that hadn’t occurred to us when we were first searching for a photographer was that in addition to choosing someone who was talented with a camera, we had to find someone we wanted to spend the day with! Emily was so much fun to be around, blending into the background when we didn’t need her, and then breaking out her vivacious personality to make us and other guests comfortable in front of the camera. Even before and after our event she was very attentive to any questions from us and sent little care packages that made us feel like treasured clients.
Emily’s talent as a photographer is evenly matched with superb business and people skills that make her a valuable asset to any event. We are so pleased to have worked with her, and I would refer any of my friends and family to her in a heartbeat!

My husband and I hired Emily to do a maternity photo shoot when I was about 6 months pregnant. In order to make sure we were all on the same page about what kind of photos we wanted, Emily created a Pinterest board where she pinned different kinds of maternity shots that she liked. We were then able to give her feedback on the ones that we liked and on the day of the shoot, Emily knew exactly what shots to get. She gave us excellent direction and came up with lots of great ideas. We loved how our photos turned out and really enjoyed working with Emily, who was fun, friendly, and very professional.

Emily is simply amazing. She was the first vendor we picked for our wedding, as I had been following her career for quite some time. Her warm and magnetic personality sealed the deal, since I already knew I loved her work. Throughout our planning process, she was extremely thoughtful and sweet. Sending us little care packages and constantly presenting us with wedding-​related opportunities. She has a way of putting you at ease in front of the camera, since it doesn’t always feel natural to have someone snapping photos of you making out and stuff.
Our engagement photos and wedding photos were so lovely and natural; capturing the essence of the emotions and reactions of such a momentous occasion. She also incorporates ideas you like, blending them seamlessly with her overall vision. She’s just the bee’s knees!
I recommend Emily with my highest regard. She is such a joy to work with, not to mention hilarious and oh-​so-​talented. We love you E!

I can’t believe that Emily only has 9 reviews… I also can’t believe that I never thought to write a review for her on Unilocal!For starters… my wife and I were married on July 25, 2009. Emily took our engagement and wedding photos. We still have a bunch of them hanging in our house and enjoy looking at them. They did such an amazing job of capturing the essence of the day. That in itself is an amazing skill and would have been plenty to warrant a 5 star review. On top of her skills as an amazing photog, she is a wonderful, warm person, whom we enjoyed having in our lives for our special day.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay to Emily is that my wife and I are expecting our first child in November and we are trying to figure out a way to get to San Francisco (or the central coast) to have Emily take the pictures of our little rascal once he arrives.
Emily is the best and is an easy, no brainier decision to have as a wedding photographer.

I cannot say enough good things about Emily, of Emily Takes Photos. She is a lovely person and a joy to work with. She is incredibly personable, but not in your face. She was able to get a crowd in line (bridal party of 14!) but doesn’t seem bossy. And most importantly, she took gorgeous photos of our wedding that really captured the spirit of things.
I wouldn’t have planned on doing an engagement shoot but the package we got with Emily included one, so why not? And I am so glad that I did. We got some of the coolest photos from that day. And also (and I think this is part of Emily’s master plan), we really got to know her and so I felt so happy when she showed up the day of my wedding while I was getting ready. Like seeing an old friend!
Check out her website, and you will see for yourself her beautiful and whimsical style and then you should book her for your wedding!

Emily is one of the best things that happened to our wedding. We only met with one photographer, Emily obviously, and we were smitten. She was so cute and down to earth from the get go, we had no doubt she was going to fit right in with our wedding.
Neither my husband nor I are very comfortable in front of the camera but Emily brought such a calm presence to our engagement shoot we soon got the hang of it. She made us feel so comfortable and relaxed that we were able to be ourselves.
She takes the most amazing photographs and perfectly captured the overall feeling of our wedding. When I look at the beautiful images she took I am instantly taken back to that day and filled with all the same wonderful emotions I felt then.
Emily was also just very helpful and calming that day. The little things like taking our dog out for a break while we sat down for a few seconds and tried, tried being the operative word, to eat something during the dinner hour. She was really a doll to have at the wedding, not only was she my favorite photographer but one of my favorite guests at the wedding.
I couldn’t be happier with our wedding photos, they are gorgeous. And the package they came in was gorgeous too. All the though and detail Emily puts in to her work really came across in our photo package. She is the best. I kind of totally love her.