Start living your dreams

Growing up, I never really knew what I wanted to be. Sure, I had dream careers - a teacher, an astronaut, and my favorite, a photographer for National Geographic- but when I entered college and had to think seriously about what I wanted to be, I was lost. I majored in international development studies, which allowed me to learn about world through a mix of different classes which I loved, but when I graduated I again felt lost because I didn't know what I wanted to do with that education. I went into nonprofit work, found out that it was not for me, and then jumped around for a bit trying to find myself. That's when I returned back to my originally dream of being a photographer. As I've mentioned approximately one million times on this blog, for the past year and a half I've been developing my professional photography portfolio. I've been offered unbelievable opportunities that have helped shape my view of what I want to do and who I am, and I've continually loved learning about and expanding my skills with photography. All of this to say that I am beyond thrilled to announce that I am now working full time on my photography business. It came to a point that I was overworking myself trying to build my business, plan my wedding, and work during the day, so I had to make the choice to cut something out. Since I was having to turn down photography opportunities because of my day job, it wasn't that hard to decide what to do, so I decided to take the plunge and dedicate myself toward pursuing my dreams. I always knew I wanted to be a photographer, but never thought it would actually happen. There are so many photographers out there and so many things to photograph that it's an incredibly intimidating profession. I thought that maybe when I had a family and more time I'd be able to explore photography deeper and maybe shoot family portraits or something. Never, and I mean never, did I think that I'd have a summer wedding season booked with seven weddings and constant inquiries about family shoots, portraits, interiors, and lifestyle work. It just shows how amazing it is to have a supportive and encouraging network of individuals who want to see you succeed. And I am eternally grateful for all my friends and family that have spread the word about my passion. 

Film 03// Coming Home

A few months ago my three best friends from high school and I spent a gorgeous afternoon catching up after years of being apart and it was one of my absolute favorite days. We've spent the last few years separated by states and continents, busy schedules and different life paths, but as soon as we were reunited it felt like we are 16 and wild and careless and free again. Being surrounded by these amazing women made me forget about life's current stresses and helped me reground myself, which is something I needed very very much.

We started off at Hog Island Oysters in Tomales for some afternoon snacks and catching up, then ventured over to Marilyn's parents' house in Pt. Reyes. Her house has always been a safe haven for me, a place to escape when we were in high school and be free. We spent so many nights taking over their cozy cottage and even though it's been years since I've been back, the second I walked in was greeted by a feeling of comfort and tranquility. It felt like home.

I love these girls dearly and can't express how wonderful it was to be around them again. We each have such different perspectives on life and love, but no matter where we are or who we've become we have a profound respect and love for one another. They are my soul sisters and it's days like this that refresh my view of the world and of myself. I'm so grateful for their support and love and look forward to many more days like this spent laughing and loving each other in the warm West Marin sun.

Anna Marks Photography on Gilt City

I’m so excited to announce that Anna Marks Photography is being featured on Gilt City San Francisco! For one week (ending February 13th, 2014) you can get up to 50% family, engagement, and portrait photo shoots as well as a highly discounted wedding package! Since launching this morning at 11am yesterday, I've seen my web presence grow tenfold and have received numerous inquiries from interested clients. I can’t thank my amazing friends enough for spreading the word on Facebook and for the great staff at Gilt for this opportunity. Check out the link below for more information and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

http://www.giltcity.com/san-francisco/annamarksphotosffeb 

Film // 02

Full blog post with more photos found here.

After my amazing experience at the Jose Villa workshop in Napa I was itching to play with a Contax 645 camera. After some thorough research, I found a great deal on a body and lens and decided to pull the trigger without ever shooting with one. Crazy, maybe, but this camera is amazing and I knew I would love it. And boy, was I right.

A few weeks ago I finally found some time to take a couple practice rolls with my Dad in our backyard and we had a field day running around during the gorgeous November sunset. My dad is the one who first got me into photography- he loaned me his Nikkromat 35 mm film camera in high school and has been my mentor and advisor for this hobby turned obsession throughout the years- which is why it means so much to share this passion with him. He has a film collection to die for, and his affinity for beautiful film cameras has been passed down to me. We spent the afternoon oogling over the gorgeous Contax 645 body and the beauty of the way it photographs and. I was nervous to get the film back, thinking they’d all turn out extremely over exposed or blurry, but I have to say that I’m so very pleased with how things turned out. And of course, the first thing I did was text my dad a photo of the contact sheets and we both oogled some more over how they turned out.

A few frames of love

A few weekends back I had the honor of photographing a beautiful wedding in Marin. For the portrait session we went up to one of my favorite lakes in Marin and roamed the golden fields surrounding it. Here are a few of my favorite frames from the day and some of my favorite photos I've ever taken. Just look at that gorgeous light and how beautiful this stunning bride is! Visit the photography blog (www.annamarksphotography.com/blog) for more of the sneak peek.

Blogger Brunch: Denim Street Style

Back in August I attended a wonderful Blogger Brunch hosted by Nicole from Vanilla Extract at Wanelo. It was an awesome event with fabulous people and delicious treats, plus I got to take photos of the ridiculously trendy attendees for Rue Magazine's Denim Street Style article with Gap. Needless to say it's time for me to go shopping to recreate some of these styles. You can read the whole article here.

Beyond the Fog: Voyager

One of my favorite stores to visit when I'm in the Mission is Voyager. It's a collaboration between SF's store Revoler and an Austin based store called Spartan, and it is an amazing collaboration if I do say so myself. There's a gigantic deer head with branches for antlers on the wall when you first walk in, a yurt-like structure in the back corner which houses the men's clothing, succulents galore, and approximately one million things I'd like to purchase when I win the lottery. Definitely on the list of places to visit if you're ever in the Mission!

Jose Villa Workshop- Wedding Styled Shoot

Day two of the Jose Villa Workshop was filled with more learning, laughing, and an unbelievable styled shoot that we had the honor of photographing in the gorgeous afternoon Napa light. We were able to watch how Jose photographs each element of a wedding- the invitations, flowers, table, jewelry, and most importantly, the bride and groom- before taking a stab at it ourselves. It was invaluable to see first hand how he views a situation and creates a stunning piece of art from it. And to top it off, we had our farewell dinner at this very table under the stars in the gorgeous Aetna Springs vineyards. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience this gorgeous event and am so grateful for the talented and hardworking team that put it all together: Jose Villa, Joel Serrato, Lacie Hansen, Laurie Arons, Team Hair And Makeup, Grey Likes Weddings, Ariella Chezar Design, Janis Anzalone,  b. Hughes, and Scout Model Agency to name a few.

Venue: Aetna Springs

Film Photographer: Jose Villa

Art, Coordination, & Direction: Laurie Arons

Film Maker: Joel Serrato

Film Photographer: Lacie Hansen

Hair & Makeup: Team Hair And Makeup

Wardrobe Styling: Grey Likes Weddings

Florals: Ariella Chezar Design

Calligraphy: Janis Anzalone 

Paper: PS Paper

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Place Settings: Casa de Perrin

Linens: La Tavola Linen

Cake: Maggie Austin

Lighting: Illusions Lighting

Film Photographers: Briana Marie + Brian

Album Design: Cypress Albums

Fine Art Paper: Hahnemuhle

Ribbon: Frou Frou Chic

Stationery: Julie Song

Bridal Formals: b. Hughes

Wedding Gowns: Vera Wang and Inbal Dror

Models: Scout Model Agency

Transitioning

The website got a face lift last week, which means that it also go a fancy new professional blog! I've missed blogging for me, instead of just blogging for business, so I've transitioned to two blogs (one for fun- this one- and one for business.) This might be a lot of extra work, but I'm excited to take on the challenge and have this space be more for every life. So, check out the new website and while you're at it, check out the blog!

Jose Villa Workshop: Engagement Session

It’s been a month since I attended the Jose Villa Workshop at Aetna Springs in Napa Valley and I’m still in shock that I experienced this amazing opportunity. Not only did I learn invaluable tips and tricks that have already helped my business grow, but I was constantly inspired by the 20 other incredible photographers and in awe of the amazing team that put the workshop together. At the end of the first day we photographed two stunning couples in a styled engagement shoot where we had the opportunity to see how Jose poses couples and to photograph them ourselves. Thank you to the amazing team that put together this gorgeous shoot for us: Jose Villa, Joel Serrato, Lacie Hansen, Laurie Arons, Team Hair And Makeup, Grey Likes Weddings, Aetna Springs, and Scout Model Agency.