San Francisco photographer: corporate photography + online dating photos

Make the most of your branding photos with these 5 steps!

As a photographer, I naturally became the lead on the visual side of our new business. But as we started building our website, social media content and courses, I quickly realized that I couldn’t do it all on my own. I actually needed to be in many of the photos...

Maternity Leave

There are some big changes happening at Karina Louise Photography. I’m entering a new and exciting chapter in my personal life that will be taking me away from my photo clients for a little while. My husband and I are expecting a baby girl in the fall and we couldn’t...

Fashion Alert: How to Get Better Photos With a Personal Stylist!

Every once in a while one of my clients really surprises me. As a San Francisco photographer I get asked so many questions about wardrobe. Each of my natural portrait shoots comes with a few changes of clothing to create variety and make sure that we get that perfect online...

GUEST POST: My eyes were dead in photos until I met Karina

*Written by Shaleah Dawnyel Meeting San Francisco photographer Karina Louise changed my life. It might sound crazy but it’s true. Have you ever had a really good picture of yourself? A single shot, whether business portrait or even something candid where you looked at it and said, “Wow, yes, that’s...

How to avoid the worst mistake you can make in corporate photo shoots

Ever since I began doing corporate photography several years ago, I get calls all the time from busy human resource managers and executive assistants to set up photo shoots for their company. If you’re faced with the job of organizing an executive photoshoot it can be no small task. Just...

Guys! How To Look Away For Better Online Dating Photos.

As a portrait photographer in San Francisco, I’m always looking for new approaches, especially for online dating photos. Okcupid.com has done plenty of research about online dating photos. One discovery I wanted to share with you is that women respond more favorably to a man’s profile photos when he is...

How to Use Pinterest for Photoshoot Inspiration

People seem to understand the fun of Pinterest instinctively when it comes to creating a dream board for a project or a visual identity for a brand. But it can also be a huge help when it’s time to choose the right photographer for you. Pinterest is an excellent platform...

Make Your Online Dating Profile Better with Full Body Photos

There are countless online dating profiles where the primary photo is appealing, but when you click to see more photos of the person, the only shots they have are a really close crop of their face (perhaps cutting an ex out of the photo), or out of focus headshots of...

Are You Camera Shy? 7 Ways To Be More Photogenic

I get it – some people are just more photogenic than others. They get in front of the camera and they don’t get all weird or awkward like the rest of us. Ease while getting their picture taken just comes naturally, while for others (including ex-photo-phobes like me), building self-confidence...

Fall in Love with San Francisco this Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s just around the corner, it seemed a great excuse to write about love. Whether you’re new in town or you’ve lived here your whole life, I think we can all agree that San Francisco is a beautiful city. I feel so privileged and happy to call this place...

Photo Ideas to Personalize your Service-based Business

If you have a business these days you probably also have a blog and a few social media accounts. This is one of the main reasons why I’m so busy as a social media photographer. With the internet now flooded with information, great quality images are what catch people’s attention,...

KLP 2014 Roundup: Love, sweaters and my best photo tips!

One of the things I love when blogging about my life as a San Francisco photographer is the chance to get real feedback from the people in my Bay Area community. In 2014 there were a lot of fun stories sharing health tips, photo tips and more that were super...

Could your holiday use a Jar Sweater?

Although the holidays can be a hectic time for all of us, I try to focus on them as a time for coziness and warmth. In the Bay Area, and many other places, the weather is a bit more brisk this time of year, and we all get to enjoy...

Recover Like A Rock Star

KLP Favorite Find: Blooming Gratitude

When the weather changes and the holidays are near, I always feel like this is the perfect time to give thanks. Gratitude is one of the most beneficial states we can be in. It allows us to see the beauty all around us and it causes us to spread that...

Should I Make My Profile Photo Black + White?

I love color photos. If you take a look at my San Francisco photography, I almost always shoot in color. It’s how we see the world and for me, color portraits feel so much more natural and relatable than black + white. I rarely even think about changing a photo...

Playing Dress Up: Halloween Everyday

Do I want to look sweet? Stylish? Clever? Do I want people to think I am smart? Fun? Quirky? As I went digging through my costumes recently, getting ready for Halloween this weekend, it got me thinking about who we are every day. Every year on All Hallows’ Eve the...

Nerd Alert: 5 tips for wearing glasses in photos

In fashion today, it seems that glasses are being fully embraced. It’s a part of hipster style, has always been part of intellectual trends, and many use their eyewear as a fashion trademark. As a San Francisco photographer I photograph everyone from creatives to lawyers to techies. Whether I am...

Breaking the Bay: 3 tips for San Francisco Newbies

If you have spent any time at all in the City you can tell it’s changing. Whether you have been here for a month or a year, its obvious that people seem to be arriving in droves. As of April of 2014, San Francisco’s unemployment rate was reported to be...

NoCal vs SoCal: Beach Photo Shootout

I LOVE the beach. It’s really one of my very favorite places to spend time and to take photos. Fortunately, as a San Francisco photographer, I am blessed with the option to regularly use the Pacific as my backdrop for professional profile pictures. The light and the soft backgrounds really...

Dating Tips for Grown Ups: Part 1

Finding love is never easy and after a certain age it seems to get even harder. I think this is especially true for those of us that didn’t grow up with much technology. When I first started dating, the only way to meet people was in school, at work or...

Match.com – Girl’s Night Out!

3 Reasons to Use Instagram

Lately, I’ve been kind of addicted to Instagram. I have found that I appreciate it for a few different reasons. For Relationships One reason why so many people are doing online dating these days is that it’s a good way to “weed out” the people you don’t want to spend...

Tinder Tips for Men

This thing has become so popular I had to write about it. Again. Tinder just keeps coming up in conversation. My online dating photo clients want to talk about increasing their chances of winning in this fast and furious dating game. Many of these are San Francisco tech guys and...

KLP Reading List: De-stressing the Job Hunt

The variety my San Francisco photography work brings me, by way of both people and topics, is truly exciting. A few months back, I started a little blog series highlighting the stuff that my clients are always asking me about. This one is for my corporate photography clients. With opportunities...

Tinder Tips for Women

OK, so there is this new online dating app that has everyone talking. Well actually, it has everyone “swiping”. Basically, it works with the maps function on your phone to find other singles in your area. Seems like a fun way to meet people right? Yes, but your photos are...

The Secret to a Good Selfie

I have never been a fan of taking pictures of myself. I know this comes naturally to some, but not to me. But lately I’ve noticed that when I feature photo of myself on social media, I get at least twice as much interaction as when another person or object...

My Top Tip for Relaxing Your Face in Photos

I find that so many people share the same problems and bad habits in front of the camera. If you don’t already know, I am a portrait photographer who specializes in getting the best natural headshots from people who really hate having their photo taken. In so many ways we...

More Water = Better Photos: 5 tips for healthier drinking

My photography business in San Francisco centers around natural headshots. As a result, I love finding simple ways to improve my clients photos, helping them to get corporate headshots or online dating photos that they really love. When I come across these tips, it’s always exciting for me to pass...

Fun Faces Roundup/2: I dare you!

Recently, I took my own advice and cleaned up! Being a social media photographer includes more than just taking great profile pics. It means helping people to look their best online. In this digital world, regardless of the work we do, to a greater or lesser extent, we are our...

Men in Suits: Are Suits Making a Comeback in San Francisco?

I have a confession to make. I know I’ve said over and over that San Francisco is a casual city. I have explained how in most of the largest Bay Area industries, men just simply aren’t expected to wear a suit. I have even written about the easy going local...

Fun Faces Roundup /1

There are 100 reasons why I love being a San Francisco photographer. But my number one is simple: The People Their faces and stories make my job fun, and I can’t imagine doing anything other than portrait photography. Every day I have the opportunity to meet new and interesting people...

5 Ways to Help Your “About” Section Stand Out

My love for natural portrait photography began with online dating photos. But very quickly, I branched out into corporate photography. With all the interesting tech startups in the Bay Area and other creative businesses, I find myself continually surrounded by brilliant individuals with companies who needed professional profile pictures to...

Fogust is Over!

As anyone that lives in San Francisco knows, there is a strange phenomenon that occurs in the month of August. Although it is very warm in the rest of California, and even other parts of the Bay Area, it is cold and foggy in the City. This is caused by...

San Francisco Startup Style Inspiration

The Bay Area is arguably the startup capital of the world. When it comes to creating breakthroughs in tech, this city is filled with hungry, talented people who are at the top of their game. The Bay Area seems to be the best place to get it all going, and...

WHAT TO WEAR: San Francisco Women’s Corporate

If you work in the corporate world, it’s pretty mandatory these days to have a LinkedIn photo and/or a business portrait for work. In recent years it has even become a signature feature on resumes worldwide. And, given that San Francisco is a very casual city, this makes dressing for...

Avoid Professional Boredom- Introducing “Creative Corporate”

When I meet people and tell them what I do, they usually ask me what kind of photos I take. When I tell them I am a social media photographer specializing in online dating photos they are intrigued and surprised. When I tell them I also take professional corporate headshots,...

What NOT to Wear, Part 1

My job is all about people. That’s the deal with natural portrait photography– my work is to help individuals to look their best. And it’s my job to understand things like lighting, background and focus. But when my clients are preparing to shoot with me for their corporate headshots or...

Is it Normal to Be Nervous?

We all seek different types of attention in our daily lives. Because portrait photography in San Francisco attracts so many different types of clients, I meet people every day in very different situations. Many of my business clients, who are coming to me to update their LinkedIn profile picture, are...

5 Ways to Tell: Is Your Photo Faking It?

One of the most popular things my San Francisco Portrait Photography clients ask for is a good, candid shot. They then often proceed to explain in detail exactly what “candid” looks like. They seem to have every detail considered; what they want to wear, what they want to convey, etc....

Basic Make-Up Tips for Photo Shoots

Because I specialize in natural portraits in San Francisco, a topic of discussion that comes up with my female clients quite frequently is make-up. I had been somewhat avoiding the subject because for me it feels rather sensitive and personal to each individual. Sometimes I get in touch with just...

LinkedIn Photos & the San Francisco Job Market

The digital age has certainly changed the way we do business. It has changed the way our customers find us, communicate and buy from us. The internet forces even the most tactile businesses (such as massage therapists) to communicate in words and pictures on a screen to express who they...

I Am Not Photogenic!

It seems there are two types of people: those that look great in almost every photo they are in, and then, there are the rest of us. As a photographer (and a person who for the majority of my life considered myself “un-photogenic”) I have noticed that there are lots...

Getting Naked

I have found that the best way to get natural photos of my clients is to help them to get naked. Its important to avoid the fake smile, the one I call “the mask”. It’s that pose we all snap into whenever anyone utters the phrase, “Say cheese!” This expression...

Your profile picture is your first impression in the digital world.
Whether looking for a potential partner in online dating or a potential business opportunity,
great photos are a fantastic ice-breaker and make it easier to find what you are really looking for.

Featured

Corporate Headshots

Professional headshots used to be a requirement reserved for actors. But today busy, professional people (just like you) are finding that having a quality executive headshot is an essential part of the business or looking your best.

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Recover Like A Rock Star

As a San Francisco photographer, I have seen it all. But there is something that happens a lot, especially around this time of year that I think we should talk about. It’s important as an adult to find a way to say yes to those fabulous invites and still make it to your business portrait shoot the next day! So you partied like a rock star the night before your photo shoot and by morning you feel and look far from your best. Or perhaps you just found out that your company’s big holiday party is the night before you are set to take your online dating photos and now you’re wondering whether you should re-schedule. Of course, it’s always ideal to get a good night’s sleep and be fully hydrated before taking natural portraits, but that’s not always how life works. Take a hint from rock stars everywhere and don’t worry about re-scheduling your...

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Match.com – Girl’s Night Out!

When I was first contacted by Match.com to photograph their Girl’s Night Out event, I didn’t even have to think before saying ‘yes’. Even with the rise of dating apps like Tinder, How About We, and Coffee Meets Bagel, Match.com is still one of the largest and most effective online dating sites around. It’s where many people go if they want to meet their life partner. And for me as a San Francisco photographer, taking professional profile pictures of people who are at that stage is really fulfilling. Just the idea that a natural portrait I took would get the attention of someone’s future spouse makes me smile. The girls Night event was held at the Bebe store in Downtown SF. There was plenty of wine, hors d’oeuvres, music and clothes. The women who came had a fabulous time of pampering which included getting their hair done; trying on clothes and then getting some new...

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San Francisco portrait photographer specializing in corporate photography, online dating photos and social media headshots.

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