Karina Louise

Because every person is different, so is every photo shoot. It is my goal to create pictures that highlight the real you for your dating profile.

Location

One of the most important ways to capture your true essence in photography is to make sure that you are at ease.

Therefore, a relaxed location for your photo shoot is very important. In my experience, the best natural portraits are never taken in a studio.

Therefore, I love finding beautiful, private, locations in nature to take your pictures. We want to create pictures that show the real you, so a comfortable location is key.

Pricing

Package A: $350  – 2-hour photo-session in location of our choosing. 2-3 different changes of clothes. You will receive 8 high-res retouched images ready to post to your online profile or print. This is the standard package, suitable for both social media or business portraits.

Package B: $450 –package A + online dating bio written/edited by professional writer (short interview required for bio)

Package C: $600 Bring a friend, and do your photo-session together. You will both receive 8 high-res retouched images ready to post to your online profiles or print. You will also receive one photo of the two of you together.

Package D: $650 for up to 3 employees. Designed for businesses. $100 for each additional employee. The company will receive 4 high-res retouched images per employee ready to post or print.

Booking your shoot couldn’t be easier!

Simply complete the confidential form below or call Karina Louise on 415.606.3464.

But what does photogenic mean?

According to the dictionary, the word photogenic has 3 definitions:

1. Attractive as a subject for photography.

2. Producing or emitting light.

3. Caused or produced by light.

Most of us think of the first definition when discussing the word- we think of people who look good in photos. But as a portrait photographer, I find it interesting that two of the three meanings have to do with light because even and especially when it comes to taking a good photo of a person, lighting can make or break how good someone looks.

I think it’s true that some people just have an easier time getting good photos, but I also think it’s true that a beautiful portrait can be taken of anyone. I love shooting people who are “not photogenic.” One of my greatest joys is when a client tells me before the shoot that they look terrible in pictures and then afterwards, they are excited and surprised with how great they look in the photos. Finally seeing a good photo of themselves is a priceless experience and I am honored to be the one holding the camera.

“The state of being photogenic may or may not necessarily be related to one’s physical attractiveness in real life. Models are usually described as photogenic. The bone structure of their faces may represent something that is not generally pretty or may be even unattractive or frail looking, but when photographed; their features can turn into something that is physically attractive.”

~ Quote from Wikipedia on the definition of Photogenic

I am thankful for the years I spent traveling the world, taking pictures, meeting new people and expanding my world view. But most importantly in this time, I got to know myself, realized the things that intimidated me (like getting my photo taken) and started pushing beyond my fears and limitations.

I am thankful for the opportunity to move to the Bay Area and start my own photography business. I had made a true commitment to trusting the universe and it came through for me in the form of good ideas and good connections to make my dreams into reality. Realizing that I loved love and I loved capturing the best in people through photography was just the beginning. But I am so very thankful for all of the things that fell into place to make my passion into a profession.

I am thankful for you. Each and every person that I have met along the way, each and every photo I snap, feeds me. This process brings so much love, wonder and energy to my life. I get to attend the most interesting events, meet the most amazing people and spend individual time with humans that I would never know if it wasn’t for this business. I am thankful for all the people that make up my portfolio, read this blog and that I will meet in the coming year.

This year, my heart is full of gratitude. What are you thankful for?

As a photographer I get to see some pretty wonderful things. I want to take you behind the lens of my life.

Picture Title: “JUICE BOX” Diversity| Innocence| Refreshment

Always meeting friends and colleagues for coffee?

When is the last time you met up for a juice box?

This week’s Weekly Shot is about transparency.

Picture Title: “SEE NO EVIL” Intuition| Commitment| Reality

In work and in love the truth is always there. It is our choice whether we are ready/willing to see it. Open up to what is real, uncover your eyes!

This week’s Weekly Shot is about limits.

Picture Title: “REACH” Opportunity| Energy| Response

Every day we are faced with chances to expand- our friendships, our romances, our careers. And with each interaction and each decision comes an opportunity to grow. Pushing past our perception of our limits is the very definition of growth. Today, let’s step out of our comfort zone and reach!

This week’s Weekly Shot is about love.

Picture Title: “KNOCKING OPPORTUNITY” Awareness| Symbolism| Expression

The enjoyment of life is a matter of perspective. For this reason, love can be found everywhere. Seeing the best in people and moments can make each day an event. What can you do to make your ordinary day extraordinary?

This week’s Weekly Shot is about wisdom.

Picture Title: “THUMBS UP” Experience| Acceptance| Enjoyment

Wise people will often say that the more they know, the less they understand. So perhaps true enlightenment comes from us accepting how little we really know. This picture reminds me that no matter how my life goes and no matter how long it will last, enjoying it is up to me. Are you giving your life the affirmation and encouragement it needs today?

This week’s Weekly Shot is about freedom.

Picture Title: “LOUD” Living| Dreaming| Expressing

There is a time for everything. A time to dance and a time to rest. A time to catch and a time to release. But this picture reminds me that there is a time to be quiet and a time to scream. Don’t let it all just build up- feel your life along the way, every day. So whether you are outgoing or shy, whether you consider yourself weak or strong, try to find a way today to do something out of the ordinary. Live. Out. Loud.

This week’s Weekly Shot is about hope.

Picture Title: “MAKE A WISH” Honesty| Belief| Release

What does it take to create the life you want? Sometimes we are so busy making things happen we forget to make wishes. But in the absence of birthday candles, we still have the power to ask for our dreams. Stop today, preferably somewhere beautiful. Take a moment to be clear with yourself about what you want. Make a wish, believing it will come true and then let the outcome go. You will certainly be amazed at what happens next…

This week’s Weekly Shot is about direction.

Picture Title: “BLANK CANVAS” Crossroads| Possibility| Desire

Life is all about the journey, not the destination. But what if your path currently has you standing still? What if you don’t know where to go next? Maybe it’s time to seize the uncharted territory and write your own map. Or perhaps it’s time to simply enjoy the view…

“I’m a photographer and I specialize in natural photos for online dating.”

They both looked at each other and giggled. When I asked what was so funny, they told me that they had just met two months ago and were very excited about their romance. And after a long search, trying to find someone special, they had met each other through online dating.

The woman in the couple then proceeded to tell me about several of her friends who had also met their partners online. As we were talking, another couple in the room added,

“We also met online.”

I know there are all sorts of amazing online dating statistics, but it’s always refreshing and exciting to meet success stories in the flesh. These living breathing examples of finding love online, breathe new life into my everyday work. I guess I am truly just a romantic at heart and I know I have a passion for helping people to show their best self in photos.  It makes me feel so good to know that the work I do is actually making a difference out there and is helping to bring more love into people’s lives.

I’m a sucker for a good makeover show. There are so many different kinds to choose from whether it be cars, homes or people. And despite my morbid curiosity to see how it will all turn out, I find that often when it’s a personal makeover, one thing always seems to happen: the person involved inevitably ends up looking less like them self.

As a photographer who specializes in natural portraits, I think this is a shame. Too often, our society tries to create one singular standard of beauty, one that is streamlined and consistent. But the more places I go and the more people I meet, I am finding that beauty is one of the most totally diverse and relative things on earth. There is no absolute beauty. It is an individual experience that can only be judged by “the beholder”.

In my photography, rather than create beauty, I seek to capture it. My favorite part of what I do is discovering what makes each client unique and then translating that into a single, digital moment. I guess you could say my sessions are a bit like an anti- makeover. It is my personal mission and pleasure to embrace the true experience of beauty and therefore create images that make you look more like you.

A photo of mine is currently being featured on the cover of the most recent issue (published Sept 15^th) of Conscious Dancer magazine. Conscious Dancer is a quarterly active lifestyle magazine that celebrates transformative dance, mind-body fitness, and energy movement arts.

I had such a great time during my photo session with co-founder, Aspen Madrone, her daughter Geneva, as well as Anjali Sawhney and her family. The shoot was set up to support an article about the benefits of dance during pregnancy and I was happy to participate in the merriment.  The issue highlights how fun dancing together as a family can be and I felt so fortunate to be a part of such a lovely day of living out loud.

At 6:30 am on the first day, 12 people, most of whom didn’t know each other, woke up and started hiking into the forest. In the midst of a 5 mile walk, we slowly began to learn about each other. As we relaxed into the new environment, we were eventually surrounded by a harmonious combination of fresh friends and untouched wilderness.

It was a stunning natural setting. But even more stunning were the people. Taking photos of the participants on this journey is what captivated me most. With no cell phone or internet, the days felt long and full. And in the midst of the peace and serenity, I remembered how important it can be to unplug from the machine and come Back to Earth.

Online dating, online networking- the online world of social media can make your personality and goals a relative thing. Like somehow who you are and what you want is no longer a quality of your essence but more a factor of what you can communicate on a page, much like this one, using only words and pictures.

But is it smart to create an avatar of yourself, a sort of sub reality that embodies winning concepts with no real substance to back it up? In both love and business it might be a more relaxed and dare I say authentic approach to simply introduce yourself to the world instead of trying to compete.

I am not a robot. I am not a concept. I am not words on a page.

That’s one of the reasons I love taking photos because it helps to bridge this gap. There seems to me to be a chasm between the idea of a person and the real person. With so many competing realities: the person you want to be, the person you think you are, the person other people want you to be, the person you think they think you are, it can all be so dizzying.

I believe a really good photo changes everything in this context. It opens up doors to those who have eyes to see what really matters. It’s not about being attractive or winning people over with your looks. A truly good photo captures the you that your best friends know and gives a potential partner or employer the ability to understand, beyond words, what makes you like no one else in the world.