My name is Annie Tao. I am a photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I specialize in lifestyle photography where you get to play, hang out, and be yourself. I capture the moments, real emotions and stories that occur during our time together. Check here often or subscribe to my blog (RSS feed) to see what I am up to or get creative inspiration. Thanks for visiting! 
I scoured through thousands of my client photos and pondered my philosophy on photographing people. What I realized was that my philosophy was incredibly simple.
Looking at all these gorgeous faces and families, my heart melts a little. I hope you’ll enjoy it. ~annie
Want to see more? Yippeee… here’s a video on why you should choose Lifestyle Photography.
When you love something, nothing will keep you away.
Emily and Danny were thinking of having a different photoshoot than their last few, like shoot in the city surrounded by cool architecture instead of a garden. Their kids, Aurora and Dex, had a different plan.
They were drawn towards all flowers, fallen leaves, and wandering petals. They collected them on large crunchy maple leaves and held them with care, so they wouldn’t get blown away. Even in a location where 95% of their surroundings was concrete and metal, they’d find the small patch of nature and head there with great big smiles.
Admittedly we were lost a few times while hiking on a mountain ridge that none of us had been to before — but when we arrived at the top, it was the most glorious sunlight.
So we let the golden sunset bathe us while we gathered our thoughts, took in the fresh air, and gazed at the view.
Our being lost temporarily was nothing compared to the benefits of being lost in the beautiful light.
This photoshoot satiated all my senses.
The morning began with making homemade waffles, sipping coffee and hot cocoa, cutting fruit and cheese, and then dining al fresco. The L Family also jumped on their trampoline Steph Curry-style, played a game called “Exploding Kittens”, and bonded with their 7-month old puppy Ripley for some final family photos.
I love when photoshoots span beyond visual beauty and into other senses. ❤️
