Personality Minis are a relaxed and simple way to get gorgeous portraits of your kids so that you can get back to the much more important business of snuggling and kitchen dance parties! Life is busy, and I make it easy so you can skip the stress and get images you’ll love forever. I also offer adult portraits and more, all with the same ease. Everything you need to know is below.

Why trust me to photograph your kids instead of someone else? I’m an exclamation point of a human and I absolutely adore making portraits! Clients come back because I know how to get right into the moment and draw out something special in my subjects that other photographers simply can’t. It’s more than just skills or technique: connection is what drives me. I love people, I’m silly, immune to embarrassment, and know how to make anyone feel comfortable in front of the camera within minutes. It’s how I create deeply personal, timeless images.

I’ve been a photographer for almost 25 years, shooting celebrities and global campaigns for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, often under intense, high-pressure conditions. I’ve literally seen it all, nothing fazes me, and I get killer images no matter what. Portraiture isn’t just what I do; it’s my great love and what I’ve built my life around.


ALL THE DETAILS!

  • THE BASICS

    Who: For kids and teens under 18. Babies must be able to sit up independently.
    Where: In my downtown Mill Valley Studio, against a clean white backdrop.
    How Long: Sessions are 30 minutes, including time to arrive and get settled. Kids are photographed for just 10–15 minutes (or less if they nail it!), keeping things quick, spontaneous, and low-pressure.
    Preparation Guide: You’ll receive a wardrobe and prep guide the day before your session. You can also find preparation tips below.
    What's Included: 3 high-resolution black-and-white digital files, selected and retouched by me. Files are sized for large-format printing, framing, and sharing and are delivered within 4–6 weeks, often sooner. Use the photos for anything and everything personal! If you need your child photographed for a professional need (such as modeling or acting headshots) please just send me a note and we can set that up.
    More photos! You’ll also receive a curated gallery of additional images available for purchase.
    Siblings / Parent + Kid Photos: Book back-to-back sessions and we can leave a few minutes at the end to photograph siblings or you and your child together. If you simply want a parent/grandparent/child photo, you can add that on, see below for details. Kindly note that siblings are often wonderful together, but I can’t guarantee group participation.

    Retouching: I keep portraits looking natural, removing small scratches and scabs. Swelling and bruises don’t lend themselves to natural editing, so if there’s an injury before the session, just send me a snapshot and we can chat.
    That’s It! Once you leave the studio, everything else is taken care of. All you have to do is relax!

    HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

    Personality Minis:     $650 per child. Each child requires a separate booking. A $325 non-refundable booking fee reserves your session, with the balance due the morning of your shoot. Booking fees are non-transferable except in extenuating circumstances. Please give at least one week's notice if you need to reschedule.
    Parent + Kiddo Option: Add a parent or grandparent for $150 per adult. Each adult includes one additional retouched digital file.
    Additional Images: $100 per retouched file or $400 for a set of 5. Most families choose to add a few additional favorites!
    Prints: I can connect you with my trusted local lab to order prints directly, or arrange printing for you for an additional fee.
    Adult Portraits, Family Portraits and Pets: In short, yes! While Personality Minis are just for kids and teens, I love photographing adults and offer professional portraits for business or social needs, custom headshots for aspiring actors and models, kids modeling/acting headshots, and a limited number of on-location and studio family sessions each year. Please reach out and I’m happy to design a custom session for you! Also, while I know pets are part of the family, due to allergies, animals aren’t allowed in the studio.

    WAYS TO SAVE!

    Siblings: Book siblings together (or combine an adult headshot with a Personality Mini) and get 10% off same day back-to-back shoots.
    Portrait Parties: Get a couple of families together for a portrait party: book 5 or more kids for same day back-to-back sessions and get 20% off each session.
    Return Clients & Referrals: I love photographing kids as they grow up! Get a 10% discount if you book another session within 12 months of your last session. If you refer a new client who books a session within 3 months, you’ll get an added 15% off your next session booked within the same calendar year. Discounts do not combine with the exception of referrals.

  • “Oh my gooodnesssss, I’m obsessed 🥹🥹🥹 This is exactly what I wanted! Seriously thank you!!”

    “Lisa, these photos of my children are absolutely incredible! You have such a gift for capturing their personalities and those little expressions that make them who they are. I can’t stop looking at them! You have a real talent, and I’m so grateful to have these beautiful moments captured forever. ❤️”

    "Love these so much, Lisa! Thank you for capturing him so beautifully. You're amazingly talented! These photos are seriously my favorite ever! ❤️"

    “I am obsessed with the photos Lisa. You are so talented. I appreciate these so much. Thank you ❤️”

    "Lisa! These are incredible. The depth and the character and everything. Love them so much. Thanks for bringing both of their personalities to life. What a gift."

    "I feel like you captured his soul."

    “We adore these. Thank you for sharing your talents with us! Can’t wait to hang them on our walls!"

    “Lisa took photos of my son (who is super shy and actually hates having his picture taken), and captured him SO perfectly! She’s the best, and I will treasure these forever!”

    “Photos of the kids are so lovely. Can’t thank you enough ❤️”

    “There is a thoughtfulness that goes into every aspect of the planning and execution of Lisa’s shoot—the clothing guidelines, the length of the session, the role of the parent, the interactions she has with the kids as she shoots. The results are magical and such a gift: not just beautiful photos capturing my kids’ personalities, but an unselfconscious interest and pleasure my boys now show in being found through the lens in this way. They actually ask me to take photos like they’re not looking and want to know when they can return to the studio! Thank you truly and deeply, Lisa. Your work is astounding.”

    “They are beautiful!!! Thank you so much! 🩷🩷🩷”

  • WHAT TO WEAR:‍ Choose a simple solid-color shirt with no logos, no characters and no words on it. Avoid patterns, graphics or anything overly adorned. The kid is the focus, not the clothing.

    FACE AND SKIN: Please clean and moisturize their face, arms and hands. Remove temporary tattoos. With little ones, try to wipe/moisturize prior to arriving so the session can be stress-free.

    HAIR AND NAILS: Keep hair as natural and simple as possible without accessories unless it’s a cultural or religious hairstyle. Please remove chipped nail polish.

    WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING THE PHOTOSHOOT? Hang out in my comfy sitting area or on the patio outside! Kids typically do best with their parents nearby but not behind the camera.

    ALLERGY NOTE: Kindly avoid fragrances and scents; animals are not allowed in the studio. Thanks for understanding!

  • I’m a mama of two hilarious small humans, a Mill Valley native, and a serious cactus collector and poetry lover. I’m also a NICU baby cuddler (yep, it’s a real thing) for sick teensy humans because I want to make the world less lonely. Professionally speaking, I’ve been an advertising and editorial photographer / director for almost 25 years. I’ve shot everything from global campaigns and celebrities to newborns and plenty in between. Emotional, tender-hearted, soulful portraits are what clients know me for and request most. My life (and work) is about delight and joy; I am so lucky that I get to spend my time turning ordinary moments into magic.