Why Invest in Photography?

Photographs allow us to preserve the stories of our lives; they are the bridge to remembering our most precious memories. They’re a valuable long-term investment that will continue to gift joy, connection and perspective.

My Style & Approach

My approach is simple—tell your story with integrity and connect as humans first. Some things that identify my style are:

Shooting as a hybrid documentary and editorial photographer. Documentary means that I allow my client's natural movement and instincts to take lead. For a portion of the shooting time, I’m operating as a fly-on-the-wall who’s capturing the real, in-between moments that can’t be fabricated. In the same breath, I also value giving direction as needed to foster a space where clients feel confident and comfortable; this occasional direction allows me to add a fun editorial feel to the overall gallery.

I uniquely hand edit each session to honor essential details such as skin tones and light. I never use presets.

I document with both digital and 35mm film. I love film’s innate ability to trigger nostalgia and emotion, despite the imperfections, grain and flares. In fact, these quirks are what make film so unique and timeless! Not only is it nostalgic, it’s also capable of capturing the depth of color in a way that is difficult to replicate through digital mediums. With film, you’ll receive images that are truly one of a kind.

The Experience

  • Book

    Let’s jump on a call or meet up for coffee (I know a place!) so you can share your story and vision with me. I’ll share my philosophy and process then ultimately, we’ll decide if we’re a good fit. To lock me down as your photographer, you’ll pay a retainer fee and sign an agreement.

  • Plan

    We’ll meet a few times throughout your engagement season to plan your engagement shoot, take your engagement photos, and craft a thorough wedding day photography timeline. I’ll partner with your wedding vendors to ensure we’re all on the same page.

  • Execute

    The best part: shooting time! Come your wedding day, we will all be well prepared so you can be fully present and confident on your day. You’ll receive previews the week following your wedding and your final gallery is delivered 6-8 weeks later.

Collections

Browse my wedding and lifestyle packages below:

  • Documenting candid and emotive photographs of your wedding day on digital and 35mm film. Available to travel anywhere you’ll have me!

    Starting at $4,500

  • Natural storytelling for your everyday. Lifestyle portraits include: proposals, engagements, couples, families, and individuals. Digital and/or film options available.

    Starting at $450

  • Capturing the essence of brands and small businesses through story-driven images. Digital and/or film options available.

    Starting at $450

  • Documenting with the magic of 35mm film! My favorite.

    Add-ons available for all packages! Ask me for more info.

What Sets Me Apart

With 7 years of experience, I can anticipate client needs and offer creative solutions with care and efficiency. When working with me, you can expect:

+ Strong communication

+ Full day coverage to ensure I capture the entirety of your story. It’s important to me that there’s no feelings of stress or restriction with your timeline

+ A photographer who understands how to navigate the relational complexities that come with wedding seasons

+ Custom edited photos that ensure quality, true to life coloring, and honest skin tones; I never use presets

+ To feel supported, seen and heard every step of the way

+ The protection of what makes you unique

+ Photos that you feel confident in & that will exist as heirlooms 50 years from now

+ To HAVE FUN and not take ourselves too seriously

Kind Words

  • "Leilani is a gem. We'd never had professional photos taken & were nervous! She made us feel so comfortable - explored all our ideas (& sent us more!), brainstormed locations, and was very communicative up until the shoot. Leilani's energy the day of was infectious. She captured our love in the dreamiest, most natural way. The edited photos were stunning, and she even took some sweet Polaroids! Leilani clearly loves her community and we feel grateful to be a part of it."

    Esha + Vivek

  • “Working with Leilani has been a beautiful and creative collaboration time and time again. With my business’ evolution, I had a very specific vision for my rebrand photoshoot and Leilani was not only open to my ideas but she truly brought them to life in ways I never imagined. Our photoshoots together are always so relaxed, creative and just plain fun. I’m already dreaming up when we can work together again in the near future!”

    Rachel Leslie, Lāer Studio

  • “It was a joy working with Leilani for our engagement and wedding photos! My husband and I were nervous about having our pictures taken, but Leilani made us feel at ease throughout the whole process. Her documentary style photography beautifully captured our wedding day, with her keen detail to lighting and texture - she captured our wedding in a way that felt truly authentic to who we are. She was professional, kind, and communicative and we are so thankful to have these photos to look back on throughout the years! Thank you for everything, Leilani!”

    Annie + Taylor

  • "Working with Leilani is truly magical—I am so grateful to have found her! From our first photoshoot to my wedding, she has delivered everything I have envisioned and more, each time. Leilani possesses an innate ability to capture life in a beautiful, truthful way. Her work brings forth the beauty of those she captures. She has a gift and she knows how to use it. After working with her, it is evident how much love and care is put behind each photo she takes. The kind, safe environment she fosters during each photoshoot is incredible and eases any nerves one may have. I’m so incredibly happy to have chosen her to document such important moments in my life. I cannot recommend Leilani enough!"

    Brianna + Andrew

  • "We feel so lucky that we found Leilani to capture our wedding story. We were hoping for someone who could really help us celebrate the community of people who have supported us over the years and Leilani took such care to capture our people in beautiful, glowing moments throughout the day. The wedding itself was such a blur, but Leilani's collection of photos allows us to remember all the small moments that made it so special, like little interactions, hugs and laughter with friends and family that Leilani magically captured. Some of our favorite photos are in-the-moment, off-the-cuff snaps that so fully capture the giddy excitement and silliness of the day, and that really honor our people. Months before the wedding, Leilani came over to our home to capture engagement photos, which allowed us to feel comfortable together and take photos in a space that’s so important to us. We have a set of photos Leilani took in our kitchen, where we’re dancing and sitting on the kitchen counter and our dog is there and those photos feel so much like us. We also didn’t expect how joyful it would be to get to go through photos with our people months after the wedding. After getting the final album, we sent it out to friends and family who were totally squealing with joy as they looked through them, calling us on the phone to relive moments. So many people came up to us after the wedding to share how amazing Leilani is; we are so grateful to have her in our community!"

    Molly + Max

  • "Leilani is so gifted!! We have done multiple photoshoots with her - specifically to capture maternity, newborn and family photos with our son. Lei arrives to each photoshoot with a genuine excitement to see our family and clear on the vision of what we want to capture. During the shoot, she gave us great direction on how to stand, where to look, etc - which helped us feel so at ease. Every shoot we’ve done with Lei has been so comfortable and relaxed, and the photos are amazing! She is able to create sweet moments during the shoot that really capture our personalities and connection to one another. We could not be happier with our entire experience and the photos we received!"

    Salomón Family

FAQs

What’s your turnaround time?

My turnaround time for lifestyle shoots is 2 weeks, while weddings are 6-8 weeks.

What cameras do you shoot with?

For digital, I shoot on Fujifilm X-T4s with a variety of lenses that are well maintained. For 35mm film, I shoot on my trusty Nikon F3 with either Kodak Gold 400 or Portra 400 film stocks. I also bring along my Fujifilm Instax Wide Polaroid camera to most shoots.

Where are you based? Do you travel?

I currently live in Portland, OR, but was born and raised in Northern California (Bay Area). As a result, I shoot back home very often. I also travel to shoot weddings all along the West Coast and anywhere you’ll have me! Additional travel fees may apply.

Can we add a second shooter?

I am confident shooting solo for most weddings, but adding a second shooter is always an option! I have a roster of trusted photographers who compliment my photography style and processes.

Let’s get started.