Dia Rao Photography

Featured on Rock n' Roll Bride

We're excited to have Kerr & William's Engagement Session Post featured on Rock n' Roll Bride!
We love all of the creative and inspirational un-wedding ideas being posted by Kat on her blog. If you haven't been to the site you have to check it out. 

When in France...

Ok, so I wasn't really in France. But this next post from an engagement session, reminds me a lot of France. I think it has to do with the amazing vintage dress, that Kerr borrowed from her Grandmother. The same dress that her Grandmother wore on her first date with her Grandfather!   Or the fact that we photographed most of the session at the San Francisco City Hall, one of my most favorite buildings ever.

Will and Kerr are getting married next month at the beautiful Presidio Chapel in San Francisco's historic Presidio, with their reception to follow at the Marines' Memorial Club. They both met while living in New York City, but now call San Francisco home. Kerr is a graphic designer, and has such great taste, so I can't wait for the wedding, I know it's going to be beautiful!!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day

Michelle & David's Engagement

Michelle and David are both from the Midwest, but met out here. They're getting married this fall in Napa, and it's sure to be a fun wedding!  These two are hilarious and I couldn't keep them from laughing no matter how hard we tried!

We started off in Golden Gate Park, and then headed over to a windy, totally fogged-in Crissy Fields. But we made the best of it, and I think, the photos are pretty authentic to SF Fog! 

Here are a few of my favs from the day. 

     
   

Heat Wave!

It seems like no matter what you do, you can't control the weather. One shoot its freezing cold, the other it  seems almost too warm! What can you do, other than enjoy what nature gives us and make the best of it.

Couples often ask me what to do if the weather turns on us, and I personally think that the weather is part of the shoot. Often the unexpected fog rolling in or a rainy afternoon can affect the mood and style of the shoot in a way that's unanticipated and often serendipitous....Somehow the cold elements touch the photographs in a way that brings you two together as a couple, and really adds to the moodiness and emotion of the image.

So I say, bring it on!

Here are a few of my favorites from Kim and Mike's engagement shoot, and the incredibly warm weather days of last month.

Tilden Park

I had such a great time photographing Joyce and Tom's engagement photos here in Tilden Park. Although the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees from the day before, we stuck it out and got some really great shots of the two of them playing around.

The park is beautiful and very similar to the Redwood Regional Park (Oakland Hills) which I happen to live just below. So for Tom who lives in the Berkeley hills, and hikes this part of Inspiration Point often, it was the perfect spot.

I can't wait for their wonderful wedding this summer at the Brazilian Room, also in Tilden Park.

Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

Uno!

We had fun photographing Stephanie and Aaron's engagement photos last month. Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

Bre & James SF Engagement

Breana and James are from Southern California, however James planned a surprise getaway to San Francisco one weekend. He'd planned to pop the question, at this beautiful lookout point, Jack Early Park, that had beautiful 360 degree views of the bay.

So it was natural for the two to do an engagement shoot here in San Francisco, for the couple who is later to be married at the Westlake Village Inn this summer.

We had a lot of fun running around town and shooting some of my favorite spots...St. Patrick's, Yerba Buena Gardens, Crissy Fields, Jack Early Park....Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

Christi & Rich's Engagements

When I first brainstormed with Christi about where they wanted to take the engagement photos, she kept saying that she wanted to capture the feel of being in Santa Barbara...the mountains, the beach, the pier...I feel like we captured not only their fun spirit as a couple, but also the beauty of Santa Barbara that lures us all... Here are a few of my favorites from the day...
 

Marianne & Frank's Engagements

 

 

 

Cassie & Jordan's SF Engagement

I had the privilege of photographing Cassie & Jordan's engagement photos the other day at the Embarcadero...the exact spot where Jordan proposed to Cassie. After a great dinner at Union Square, the couple took a very long walk all the way down to the Embarcadero...that's when Cassie knew something was up...Meanwhile Jordan was working up the courage and looking for the perfect spot to ask her to marry him!

Doesn't Cassie look just like an actress!...Does anyone remember WB's Evermore?
I think she looks just like the actress Emily VanCamp!....Here's a photo for comparison.

Well,  I'm really looking forward to photographing the wedding in May...just a few months away..at the Greek Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara.  Stay tuned for photos from the day.