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We found Zoe after deciding to fly from out of town, have our wedding ceremony at SF City Hall, and watching her Youtube videos for more information. Her knowledge and experience came through clearly, and her advice helped us so much to organize our wedding with confidence. We had a much better understanding of things like the online booking system, when we could/should book, what ceremony times during the day tended to be more favorable. So many things we never would've considered on our own. From there, we looked at her website, found even more valuable guidance, and got a feel for her style of photography, and decided to reach out and check her availability. From the first email, she made us feel like we were working with a professional. Her communications were always clear and prompt, and she makes an effort to really understand the wants of the couple in planning out the types of photos desired. We had no hesitation in choosing Zoe as our photographer for our special day.
She kept in touch regularly leading up to the wedding day, and provided a wealth of knowledge to help us prepare (including a planning cheat sheet, with a very handy list of vendors in the area she's had positive experiences with). She made herself available via email/text if questions came up and always responded in a timely manner. We felt so assured to be working with her and each interaction was a reassurance that we had made the right decision.
On the day of the ceremony, when we finally met Zoe at the foot of the Grand Staircase in City Hall, she greeted us so warmly and it felt like we were meeting a friend. Her guidance helped us capture so many beautiful moments throughout the day and we felt like we were in great hands. She had things very well planned out, taking us around to different areas inside and outside of the building to get many of the beautiful types of shots we planned to capture (e.g. Grand Staircase, Memorial Court, Ring closeups). She navigated us through the building with expert efficiency, even with many other photography sessions happening at the same time, and trying to capture many of the same photos in the same spots. Posing for the photos felt very natural, as much as they can, thanks to Zoe's prompts even for the two of us being more shy/reserved. Our friends & family who attended the ceremony and were directed by Zoe for specific group photos also had so much glowing feedback about her. In particular her positive demeanor, professionalism, familiarity with the venue. She kept coming up in casual conversation, unprompted, even well after we finished our photography session and left City Hall.
We paid extra for a Sneak peek (a small set of photos within a week) and we were so delighted that the photos were delivered within days. Likewise, the full gallery of photos (to have been delivered within 6 weeks) were also delivered ahead of schedule! The photos were more than we could have hoped for and we were incredibly pleased with the final product. It was such a marvel to see the power of editing and being able to "zap" away so many background people (especially on the Grand Staircase), and getting the look and lighting just right.
We recommend Zoe's services wholeheartedly and are both confident in her ability to work with you and your loved ones to capture special memories and moments. If you're specifically considering having your wedding ceremony in SF City Hall, look no further as Zoe really is an expert!
Zoe and her team were amazing! She was so easy to work with and the pictures came out amazing!
I don't know if I will ever fully be able to convey just how much Zoe meant to us on our wedding day. I started planning our City Hall ceremony as an out of state bride with an early ceremony. I had a bad experience with another vendor I spoke to on the phone, and was nervous to even reach out to ZLP. Zoe herself called me to talk me through my concerns and every negative feeling the previous call gave me melted away and she made me feel confident in our choices for wedding day as far as location, schedule etc. Through the months that followed I asked Zoe MANY questions and she answered each thoughtfully and kindly. She was truly not just a photographer for us but wedding planner and therapist lol! Our wedding day was exactly what I wanted, time for "romantics" but not hours of feeling posed. Zoe let us be ourselves and the photos are beyond anything I expected. City Hall is beautiful on its own, but Zoe's vision and eye make it EPIC! She was flexible with timing, weather etc. and we did Memorial Court photos right as some rain came and those pictures ended up being some of my favorites. She also was game to jump in uber with us to Spruce for the start of our small reception. I will treasure these photos and the memories forever, thank you Zoe.
Zoe is incredible! We were hoping to work with a photographer with experience photographing queer couples and found Zoe. Beyond being very comfortable and experienced working with LGBTQ+ couples, Zoe is also just a lovely person to be around. She's organized, experienced, flexible, and made us feel at ease. We first worked with Zoe for our engagement shoot about 6 months before our wedding, which was a great way for us to get to know each other before having her photograph our wedding as well. Between communicating with Zoe via Zoom, on email, and reading her numerous website resources, we felt as prepared as possible and totally confident that the photo sessions would go smoothly--and they absolutely did. All the photos turned out incredibly well. Zoe perfectly captured all the love and joy in our relationship, the happiness of having our family and friends around us, and all the great dance moves! Thank you Zoe, we will cherish these photos forever!
My partner and I did a two-part wedding, a small family-only ceremony at SF City Hall followed a few months later by a reception in Oakland. We worked with one of Zoe’s associate photographers (Marielle) both times and have had an amazing experience working with them. Marielle brought so much warmth to our photo sessions and helped to make us feel comfortable and make the photoshoot a memorable and fun experience. The photos we’ve gotten so far have been incredible, and we love how Zoe has a guide for EVERYTHING!
Zoe did a great job throughout the process helping us feel comfortable and understanding what it would be like on the day. She was very accommodating of to our families needs as well as dealing with us as a very photo sensitive couple. She laughed along with us as we tried different ideas and worked to find the best angles. We were searching for someone would let us find a comfortable space and flow and she exceeded our expectations.
Zoe Larkin was a DREAM to work with for our small / elopement style wedding!
We were always planning to keep our wedding small to make for easier planning and budgeting, but photography was something that we really wanted to be smart about. We really loved the balance of brightness and authenticity in Zoe's shooting and editing style! Zoe's pricing structure also worked really well for our scale and she was able to guide us through a lot of logistics we hadn't thought about, especially since we weren't working with a wedding planner. She was an ideal match for both style and practicality.
On our wedding day, shooting with Zoe was so easy! We had done all our chats and planning over the phone, since we were coming from out-of-state, but she made us quickly feel at ease in person. She really made the most of the time we had with her, both for couples shots, candid family shots, and documenting our ceremony.
Her flexibility and quick thinking truly came in clutch when we needed to extend our shooting time. We envisioned doing family portraits at the beach, but after a small wait + ceremony along the very breezy beach, it was best to move indoors. She was able to accommodate the extra travel time, for both her and our guests, and shooting in a new, unplanned environment.
All her delivered photos were amazing—she really captured the warmth and intimacy of our wedding. She's been a great communicator from the start, and seriously a huge reason why our wedding went super smoothly. I would 100% recommend Zoe to anyone who considers their wedding photography critically important to fully capturing their day.
Zoe is amazing, we were so lucky to have her as our wedding photographer!
On to what matters most, the output: we absolutely love our engagement and our wedding photos. They're incredibly beautiful. Zoe knows how to capture the best light, she pays attention to those beautiful-but-fleeting moments, and she turns those into polished photos that convey so much emotion. It's a true work of art.
And then there's all the other stuff that's just as important -- she's so easy to work with. She was an incredible communicator from the beginning, and was always on the ball with her stuff. She makes people feel at ease, and she excels at her job without being on your face. She cares about her customers deeply, and works with them to get an output that works for everyone. She also has an amazing network of wedding vendors; we got our florist through her, and, when our bartender had to cancel a week before our wedding, Zoe helped us find a great replacement.
We'd hire Zoe again in a heartbeat, and we'll continue to recommend her to our friends. If you like what you see on her website, you should absolutely get in touch!
My fiancé and I really enjoyed our experience shooting our engagement photos with Zoe! Between the Grand Canyon being the back drop and Zoe’s comfortability behind the camera it was a very memorable experience.
The experience from beginning to end with Zoe was incredible. During our initial exchange of emails and phone calls, Zoe was extremely professional but also warm and down to earth. She thoroughly informed us on what to expect and gave us some tips to feel comfortable. She even helped us brain storm our outfit ideas, for my FH to be in his uniform and for me to be in a dance outfit. Up until the day she checked in with us and kept open communication.
When the day before the shot arrived, and rain was on the radar Zoe allowed us to reschedule since our shoot was outside but also was open to shooting in the rain if we wanted to. Although it wasn't the look we were going for. I am very appreciative that she would be open and flexible to make it happen.
The day of the shoot we finally met her face to face and she had a very friendly mannerism and again very professional (which I appreciate so much). She helped to direct us on things to do so that she could capture the perfect moment. We felt very comfortable and at ease.
The pictures arrived sooner than expected and turned out absolutely amazing. It was a very cold day so I was very in my head trying to force myself not to show it and she managed to capture some moments that you couldn't even tell.
Overall she was very transparent and let us know what to expect throughout the process and the result was incredible pictures we will cherish forever. We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her.
From the moment that I started corresponding with Zoe, I knew she was a true professional. She was detail oriented, quick to respond to questions, and full of ideas and suggestions on how to make our engagement shoot truly memorable (like pre-arranging with a local ice creamery to let us shoot in their shop!).
When the day came for our shoot, we met her for a walking tour of our favorite spots in the Mission (the neighborhood where we fell in love), and she was able to capture the vibrant colors, the energy, and our joy perfectly! She even took extra time to visit a couple more spots than originally planned, because we kept seeing such interesting backdrops along the way. She was fun, patient, and encouraging, and we had a great time.
Zoe turned around our photos in record time, and we love absolutely love them. We can't say enough good things about Zoe, and would work with her again in a heartbeat!
#theJOSEPHS
If you are ever in The Bay area and need an amazing photographer, I highly recommend #zoelarkin - @zoe.larkin. She is truly amazing.
Cena and I took a mini-vacation last month and she was part of our amazing experience. I chose Cena to be my husband and I chose Zoe to be our memory catcher for our wedding that was supposed to take place in San Francisco. Months after our San Diego wedding, she was still able to bless us with her photography skills, kindness and generosity. She captured us so well! She is able to travel to you, and she’s worth her fee plus more. We hope to use her for many other important moments in our life. You should too!
Also, before i forget, Zoe increased my insight that Cena and I needed to be more tender with each other. We have a rough type of love/ affection and it shows in the way we communicate and touch each other. I even learned through our shoot that my hubby is super ticklish. Although we are still rough around the edges, I find that we try to be more gentler, intimate with each other. When I hold him, its with TLC and I think she helped bring that out of us. We needed to be more compassionate with each other.
Thank you Zoe!
#sfphotgrapher #zoelarkin #haitianlove #cityhallweddings #goldengatepark #blackluv #tlc #bayareawedding #newlyweds #haitianwedding
Zoe photographed our city hall wedding in November 2018, and we are so happy with the results!
We actually found Zoe through a referral from a different photographer, and we're thankful for the recommendation. Zoe was professional but approachable, making the entire experience smooth and easy. She was responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout the process, detailing and explaining everything along the way. We had a clear understanding of what to expect from our first communication with her in email. We met with Zoe prior to the wedding (she even made us tacos for lunch!), which was a great way to meet, discuss the details, answer questions, and get a sense of our style and photography "wishlist." On the day of the wedding, Zoe hustled to capture as many photos as possible in different locations within city hall, making the most of the later afternoon daylight. We were impressed and excited that nearly all of our "wishlist" photos were captured that day in a short timespan.
Our wedding was planned with short notice, and Zoe was completely accommodating, never making us feel inconvenient or rushed. She was flexible to our needs throughout, which we greatly appreciated! Her expertise and guidance related specifically to city hall weddings was an unexpected bonus - she definitely has a helpful insider point of view!
It was a such a lovely little surprise to receive a couple photo sneak peeks from Zoe in advance of our full wedding album, especially the one she shared with us on the same day as our ceremony. We received our full photo album within three weeks and were very happy with the final photos!
Thank you, Zoe, for a wonderful experience and for capturing our wedding so well!
Having Zoe as our wedding photographer was an absolute honor. Right from the start, she was so friendly and open to our idea, while also incorporating her experience as a San Francisco City Hall photographer. In the months leading up to the wedding, she communicated with me via email confirming the ideas from our initial conversation, and I felt completely confident we were on the same page.
When my wedding date arrived, she was punctual and immediately ready to start photographing. She came with my husband and me to sign our marriage certificate and got some really special photos of the ordinarily mundane moment. The photos she took of the ceremony are too beautiful to put into words. I can't believe it's really us in the photos! They look so good! Throughout the ceremony, I didn't realize she was taking the photos. She respected our space, which was so important.
Our photos in San Francisco City Hall are by far the best photos taken of my husband and me. They look like they're from a magazine! She was so patient and helpful in taking our couple photos, which can be a little awkward but she totally helped us through it. We were in City Hall then out in the street. We wanted photos of the city that were authentic to the grittiness of San Francisco. Our photos out of City Hall are so cool!
She did an amazing job and trusted our vision. I wouldn't change one thing. It was such a blast. I highly recommend Zoe.
Zoe is truly a master. She made us all feel so comfortable and at ease but even more importantly we all looked the best we have ever looked and the photos were gorgeous! There is something almost ethereal but natural about her photos that I have never seen before. Highly recommend!
Zoe is everything you know you want in your wedding photographer and more! She brings calm, professional expertise as well as warmth, creativity and intuitive interaction on a day that's full of nerves!
Zoe was patient throughout the planning process and amazingly helpful - I had recently moved to the Bay area and didn't have many contacts or much time to do research - she helpfully recommended vendors and ideas as we pieced together my non-traditional ceremony. She truly went above and beyond, helping with details that were beyond "just" photography, but I realize now looking through her amazing pictures that she endeavors to have a full understanding of the vision for the wedding day so she can capture it flawlessly.
Her pricing is fair and easy-to-understand. And I always felt comfortable asking questions.
Working with her was amazing, her presence at our wedding was a gift, and the pictures she captured were beyond perfect - and THEN she introduced me to the printed wedding album. I didn't even know I wanted it, but she met with me and without ever pressuring me showed me what was possible and helped me think through why I might or might not want to make this investment.
I am forever grateful I did! I honestly considered printing some fav pics myself and putting them together somehow, or using a separate online service to save some money, but I'm so glad I didn't do anything like that! For one, I learned that her price was AMAZINGLY fair. Beyond that, with her ability to help me make decisions about pictures, and the talent and skill she brings to developing the layout, and the gorgeous, better than I could have dreamed finished product - so grateful.
Zoe understands fully the quirky dynamics of an intimate wedding. She's patient and wise and warm and captures all of the moments you want plus a million you didn't even notice, but she does!
Book Zoe - she brings the magic!
I couldn't be happier to write this review for Zoe Larkin. We found Zoe and chose her to be our engagement photoshoot photographer. We had only had brief phone conversations and a few exchanged texts, but even with those brief communications, it was more than obvious that she was the right choice. She is so friendly, funny, and really genuinely cares to know her clients and their needs. She was also ahead of the game by asking us out front what we didn't like, and what we should try to avoid (in terms of poses, cheesy cheesy stuff, etc.). We finally met in person on a beautiful Sunday morning, and she came to us. She even agreed to do our photoshoot at Kuleto Estate in Napa, which is (I believe) more than 25 miles outside of her preferred shooting range. That was extremely nice and accommodating of her, and not many folks would do that for their clients (in my opinion). She met us at our apartment that morning and then we made the drive up. She is extremely kind, passionate about her work, and just so easygoing. She asked us questions about our proposal, our lives, our work, everything - she genuinely cared about us and what we were into. We knew immediately that she would make us feel comfortable and get right into the photoshoot. When we started, we had nerves. I really wasn't feeling it because I don't like taking pics, generally. However, after about 5 minutes that all changed. Partly because we adjusted to the situation, but also because Zoe just has a real gift - making people feel more comfortable in typically awkward situations. The rest of the photoshoot was awesome, and we got to do a ton of different poses in different scenery. In terms of the photos, she had a natural talent for finding not only the right backdrops and scenery, but also the perfect lighting for excellent photos. You have to have a real eye for that sort of thing, and she truly does. Our photos came out excellent, and we could not be happier. Truly, select Zoe for any of your photography needs. She is an amazing person, and we couldn't be happier to have gotten the chance to know her.
Incredible doesn't even begin to describe our experience with Zoe. Our first meeting was at a small coffee shop in Oakland, and we vibed from the moment we met. She's kind, personable, and warm. We talked for a couple of hours about all sorts of things, as well as how my fiance and I met, the proposal, and our vision for our engagement shoot. She was really into making sure it captured the essence of who we were as a couple, and I really appreciated that.
Between our meeting and the shoot she was really quick with communication through email, which was wonderful and left me stress free.
We chose a location for the shoot near highway 1, in a hiking place very special to my fiance and I. She was totally open for the mini roadtrip, and we had an amazing time getting to know each other on the way up.
The first few moments of shooting were a little awkward, as she told us they might be, but she has a way of making you feel comfortable, and we were able to relax after a couple of minutes and have a great time.
My fiance and I are kind of wanderers, and we ended up shooting in not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 locations in the area - all in a 2 hour slot! I love and appreciate her willingness to venture out and explore.
The photos are breathtaking, and the variety in location and quality is more than we ever could have hoped for. Her use of light really speaks in the photos, giving them a beautiful, happy, romantic glow. She's got an amazing talent that can't be beat, and I feel truly lucky to have found her to take our photos.
Our engagement photoshoot with Zoe was not only professional, but so much fun! This British lil lady may seem like some cool down-to-earth person you might just chat with at Dolores Park, but she will take your breath away with her incredible sense of eye for glamour and capture the dreamy aura of love created by you and your lover. Zoe seems to have an extra layer of creative dimension that you can pick up in her relaxed vibe when you meet her. She is absolutely what "good people" are defined as in any dictionary.
As an introvert, it was important for me to really feel like myself, not only in front of the camera, but with the photographer as well. It is hard to find calm and sincere people in the wedding industry who aren't hounding you or adding more stress to your big day. But with Zoe, I could tell she just genuinely cared about the overall well-being of me and my fiancé. I was nervous about being in front of the camera, as I am very camera shy, and we talked about this well before the shoot. She immediately understood me and had valuable insight to share to reassure me that I didn't have to fake anything during the shoot. I felt reassured that it was going to be everything I wanted it to be. She intuitively makes you feel comfortable.
In the time between our initial coffee shop meeting and the day of the shoot, we were emailing back and forth the way you do with a close friend. There was no delay in our communication, and in fact, I think she more on top of it than I was. Without a doubt, you can just tell that she cares and respects your session and comfort.
Zoe gave us more than enough room to be ourselves throughout the session. She has recommended poses, she lets you do what you have in mind, she is flexible with what is right for you. Some of the best photographs were when she caught us off guard from relaxing the poses we were holding. Those photos are hilariously "real"! I had no idea I could open-up so much so soon! My fiancé and I were comfortable enough to throw on some music to unleash some dance moves and to our absolute delight, we caught her bopping along as she worked the camera!
Zoe's style is free-flowing, enchanting, and enlightening. She's a magical person and her photographs reflect her charm. It was a pleasure seeing her mind at work as she came up some on-the-spot locations to photograph us. We are so grateful to find a photographer who really has fun doing what she loves. We chose an environment that had bright and dark locations for our shoot (to reflect our eccentric personalities) and the techniques she used to bring out the vibrancy of colors in each surroundings came out jaw-droppingly gorgeous! Her love for natural light is expertly used to capture creative moments with skill and elegance. Zoe's photographs whisper songs of romance.
Zoe offers more to your shoot than your typical photographer. She is clever, imaginative, progressive, unpretentious, and undoubtedly experienced. She is a dream wedding photographer come true.
Photography is both a precious and careful art. The master behind the lens is charged with the responsibility of capturing an ephemeral moment that would otherwise pass with the seconds of time. When you hire a photographer, you are entrusting them to apply their skills, art and talents to capture specific, valuable moments that you want to cherish and remember forever. We knew that when we chose Zoe as our photographer, we had truly found not only a professional, but an artist who would be able to capture the essence of who we are on our wedding day.
There are truly not enough words to express our gratitude to Zoe for taking our photos. We were seeking a reasonably priced individual that we could trust with capturing our wedding day and thanks to Instagram, it led me to Zoe's work and her beautiful portfolio. We opted for her City Hall package (https://zoelarkin.com/city-hall-weddings-elopements/) which was the perfect fit for us. It allowed us time to take breathtaking photos at City Hall then capture other landscapes and moods at Strawberry Hill and The Conservatory of Flowers. Although there are many talented folks based in the bay area, we ultimately chose Zoe based on several factors:
(1) Talent: As evidenced through her portfolio and work, Zoe has an artistic eye. She has many more examples aside from the beautiful ones already featured on her website. We, for example, received examples of her work using different types of lenses and with couples who she worked with in the past. She evidenced her ability to truly capture the natural emotions, expressions and candidness of her subjects with such beauty and light.
(2) Communication: With all my questions, concerns and inquiries, Zoe has been 100% on-point communication. From day one, she has been incredibly responsive, thorough and available. She offers you a means to connect via Skype, telephone, email, and text based on your personal preference. She is quickest by text, but otherwise prompt on all other forms of communication. I highly appreciated this -- especially when I had questions about the process, dates, etc. She provided all the information quickly and promptly. She also truly takes the time to connect with you and get to know you so that you feel comfortable working with her. When we did finally meet again on our wedding day, it was like seeing an old friend again.
(3) Price: Zoe is extremely competitive for price. She was with us for more than three hours and took the time to make sure we got all the shots and locations we had brainstormed together before meeting.
(4) Patience: She is SUCH a calm soul. We had our entire family with us (who can be very demanding, restless and opinionated) plus our malti-poo, but she directed all of us with such grace and ease.
(5) Quality of equipment and skill with photo editing: Photography is one part, but equipment and editing is another. She graciously edited the photos and the results were so breathtakingly beautiful. She knew that I wanted our photos to be light, airy and romantic and boy did she deliver!
All in all: We highly recommend Zoe. She will meet your expectation for skills, pricing, and capturing that precious moment you wish to remember and cherish always. For us, that was our wedding day and we are so incredibly grateful to have worked with her. I'm thrilled that we now have these photos to remember and cherish for a lifetime.
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