Steve Fogel Photography
Steve Fogel Photography
Family photography sessions that capture genuine moments with the people you love. Serving Redwood City and the San Francisco Peninsula.
Every family is different, so we offer three session formats to fit your life:
Our Redwood City studio gives me complete control over lighting and backgrounds. Studio sessions work especially well for holiday cards, milestone portraits, and multi-generational family photos where you want everyone looking polished. We handle all the lighting and setup — you just show up.
The Bay Area has some of the most beautiful outdoor settings in the country. We’ll help you pick the right spot based on the time of year, your family’s style, and the look you’re going for. A few of our favorites:
We know the light, the timing, and the parking at all of these. And if you have your own favorite spot on the Peninsula, we’re happy to scout it.
Some of the best family photos happen in your own living room. At-home sessions are perfect for families with young kids or newborns, or for anyone who wants portraits that feel genuinely personal. We bring our lighting equipment to you and work with your space.
Many families arrive unsure about being photographed. By the end of the session, they’re relaxed and enjoying it.
Sessions are never rushed, and poses are kept natural and comfortable. Using cinematic lighting techniques, each photo is designed to look natural and timeless while kids are free to be themselves.
Steve Fogel was voted Best Photographer in the Almanac’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, a recognition not only for the final images but for the experience families have during the session.
Your phone is full of snapshots. And that’s great — those everyday moments are valuable. But professional family photography captures something different.
It’s the photo that hangs on the wall for twenty years. The one your kids will show their kids. The image that freezes a moment you can never get back — when they were that small, when you all lived under one roof, when everyone was together.
Families grow and change fast. A session once a year gives you a visual record of who you are as a family, right now.
Capture memories as your family grows. Everyone will have fun with my relaxed family photoshoot.
Let me design a beautiful gallery of family photos for your home. Choose matted framed prints or easy-to-hang canvas wraps.
Most families invest between $800 and $2500 depending on the artwork and digital files that they choose. The session fee is $295, which includes preparation, setup, and an optional image review meeting. You can choose from several digital and print collections, including wall portraits, desktop prints, and digital files.
I’m always happy to help families choose the options that work best for their home and their budget.
Your family portrait session can take place in any of those places. My studio is in Redwood City, just 5 minutes from the 101 and 280 freeways. Taking photos in your home is sometimes the best option if you have small children. And I regularly shoot at some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful outdoor locations.
Family photo sessions typically take from 45 to 90 minutes. We try to move quickly if there are young children involved.
Solid colors and simple, soft textures are best. Stick with just a few and coordinate across family members. Avoid logos, loud complex patterns, and pure black. Ensure that all clothing is wrinkle-free. Men, if you wear a dress shirt and tie, ensure that the collar is snug around your neck. Bring a few ties. Simple jewelry is fine, but skip big pieces that draw attention from faces. Avoid athletic shoes, flip-flops, and very worn shoes. If you wear glasses, bring all pairs so we can find the ones with the least glare.
Sure, this happens. Not to worry. I’ve photographed dozens of families, and my sessions are designed to be relaxed and fun rather than stressful. I have props that can entertain the little ones (Elmo! Cookie Monster!), and we can take a break if needed.
If your family includes grandparents, adult children, and grandchildren, I can photograph the entire extended family together as well as each individual family group (parents and their children) separately. Everyone gets portraits of the whole family and their own immediate family. We can photograph whatever other combinations you like, such as all siblings together, mom and the kids, dad and the kids, and so on.
I’ll guide you through everything you need to prepare, including clothing choices, scheduling, what to bring, and more. On the day of the session, ensure that children are well-rested and fed. I’m happy to schedule sessions around nap time. Bring snacks, combs or brushes, and the kids’ favorite stuffies or other comfort items to keep them relaxed and happy.
After the session, I prepare a private online proof gallery where you can review the best images from the shoot. We can then either have an in-person or video image review session, which is included in your session fee, or you can mark your favorite photos in the gallery for retouching and printing.
After you make your selections and decide whether you want digital files, print products, or both, I retouch your images, deliver any digital files that you ordered, and order your print products from my professional photo lab.
I deliver digital files within 3 business days after you select your final images. My professional photo lab ships your print products directly to you, and they typically arrive in 7 to 10 days.
Yes, every final photo includes professional retouching while keeping your look natural and authentic.
Yes. Your digital files include a license that allows you to make prints up to 5 × 7 inches using consumer photo services such as those at CVS, Walgreens, Costco, and so on.
For larger prints, I strongly recommend ordering through me. Larger images are typically displayed as wall art or desktop prints, and print quality becomes much more important at those sizes. I use professional photo labs that specialize in color accuracy, premium papers, and archival-quality printing so your portraits look their best and last for many years.
Yes. I’m happy to help you choose the right sizes for wall portraits, albums, and desk prints so your images display beautifully in your home. My simulation software can show you exactly what your wall will look like with your chosen images, frames, and layout. This ensures that you choose sizes that are not too small or too big, and that your wall will look perfect with your new portraits.
