Your wedding photographer in San Francisco, San Jose & California
Hi, I'm Tessa
it's so good to meet you
nostalgic, artful, romantic, candid, alive, playful, emotional, effortless, spirited, intimate, sentimental, elevated, nostalgic, artful, romantic, candid, alive, playful, emotional, effortless, spirited, intimate, sentimental, elevated, nostalgic, artful, romantic, candid, alive, playful, emotional, effortless, spirited, intimate, sentimental, effortless, elevated
Your wedding is the best party you'll ever throw.
And man, I love a good party. It's the place where we come together in our best dressed, with a whole lot of joy and hopefully some great dance moves. It's overflowing with connection and nostalgia.
And that is what my approach to photographing weddings is rooted in.
My journey into weddings began in 2016 with videography, being drawn to the fleeting moments that make every celebration unique, the ones that happen once and then are gone.
Over time, I fell in love with the stillness of photography, and the way a single frame can hold so much feeling. Now, I shoot both digital and film, because each one catches something the other can't: the sharp clarity of a digital photograph, and the warmth and softness of film grain.
There's something I find a little magical about it, that fraction of a second, frozen in time. I truly enjoy capturing life's beautiful, everyday poetry.
How I got here
How I became a wedding photographer in San Francisco Bay area
- Ben & Dena
"Every shot feels so authentically us while also being absolutely stunning."
So when I moved here, Chinatown became my happy place. The dense streets packed with people and produce, the vibrant conversations in Cantonese, and the steam rising from dim sum dishes felt like home.
This connection meant Chinatown became one of my go-to places for photographing couples in a living, layered place full of cinematic texture.
Hong Kong
Before I moved to the Bay Area, I lived in
Cape Town is my favorite place on earth. Somehow, San Francisco is similar in a few ways - the diversity of people, cultures, nature, good food, and beautiful weather (well, Cape Town has one up on SF because we actually get real summers at the coast!).
My South African roots have shaped me into a person who loves wide and deep. It's also why I can't resist jiving on the dancefloor!
South Africa
I'm a rainbow nation kid, born and raised in
He's my best friend, my partner in slightly-too-ambitious cooking experiments, and the person I crossed time zones for.
We met when I was working on Hong Kong and he was working in the Bay Area. Long distance is not for the faint of heart, but here I am in California, so we did something right!
Here is more evidence of me loving a good dancefloor.
life
In 2024, I made it official with the love of my
My S(e)oul's love affair - no pun intended - started years ago and shows no signs of slowing down.
The food, the late-night cities, the way care shows up in even the smallest details — it's the kind of place that gets under your skin and stays there.
Every trip I take leaves me already planning the next one.
South Korea
Forever daydreaming about my next trip to
That has always been my passion, long before the camera.
I like the figuring-out part, learning what makes someone laugh, what they're a little self-conscious about, what makes them light up. Give me a room of strangers and I'm in my happy place.
Much of that comes from my time as a high school teacher. I enjoyed being in rooms full of different personalities, loud and shy alike. I learnt that people open up once they feel safe, and that is something you build.
I approach weddings with a similar presence to that of my classroom: paying attention, keeping it light, helping everyone feel seen and the best version of themselves.
I love making people feel themselves.
If any of this sounds like the kind of photographer you've been hoping to find, someone who loves people, loves a good party, and lets your day unfold without the stress it can sometimes come with, I'd love to hear from you.
I'm based in the Bay Area and available for weddings across San Francisco, San Jose, California, and pretty much any destination I can travel to!
I'm all in if you are!
