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Your Wedding Day Resources

PREFERRED

“She’s like another friend at the wedding,” is a comment Tara Arrowood hears frequently from her brides and grooms. She told Your Wedding Day the reason so many of her couples mention this is because when at their weddings, she is much more than a photographer. “I also offer calmness to the bride and groom and make them feel very special…like ROCK STARS! “

Tara got her start as a professional photographer in a very unofficial way, while vacationing in Paris around the age of 25. “I went with four other people,” she explained, “and none of us thought to bring a camera.” So Tara remedied the situation by purchasing her first 35mm film camera and one lens, the only one she knew existed at the time. With this new camera and one lens, she took over 400 photos. “I had no intension of becoming a photographer, nor did I claim to be one,” she told us.” Although she had enjoyed taking black and white printing classes in high school and loved the idea, she never considered photography as a career.

However, when the prints were returned, Tara was pleasantly surprised. “I was amazed at the images (without even trying to do a great job) – the colors, the composition….but mostly, the story that unfolded from our amazing vacation.” Her traveling companions were equally surprised and encouraging, suggesting that she “do something” with her talent. “These are amazing photos!” they told her.

But Tara had another career in mind, engineering, and continued her studies toward that degree. “I found myself taking a photo class or two,” she said, “developing b&w prints in a local lab, and taking many photos and making many mistakes.”

Golnar and Brian

Francesca and Justin

Monica and Jay

Summer Splendor

Indian Infusion

Enchanted Sensuality

Modern Sensuality

Classic Sensuality

Ultra Posh Tokyo Lounge

Far from being discouraged by those mistakes, she became increasingly encouraged about the possibility of photography as a career to. “I set off to work for a professional who could mold and guide me into taking better photos,” she said. And a few years later, she went to work for that mentor, Kevin Chin.

Tara told us, then, that it only took a few wedding before she realized what her life’s work was to be. “After about my fifth wedding, I announced that this is what I wanted to do for a living.” She said her inspiration came from the brides and grooms and capturing their special moments in time. “I’m inspired by moments – a feeling, an expression, morning sunlight on a cobweb, action, negative space, patterns.”

Tara said one reason couples choose to capture those moments with Arrowood Photography is that she makes sure she and her prospective clients really like one another. “After all,” she said, “if we don’t connect from the beginning, making that connection happen later can be very difficult “

It would be difficult not to connect with Tara, though, and we’ve heard her brides and grooms say they love the special, personal attention they receive. In fact, most people are so thrilled with Tara and her work they want her on their team beginning with the engagement shoot, throughout the wedding process and the wedding, and even after the wedding for years to come for their lifestyle family events and portraits.

You, too, will find that Tara’s much more than a photographer. By the time your wedding day comes around, she will be another friend at your wedding.

By Susan Hart Hellman, Executive Editor

Arrowood Photography
2221 26th Street, #203
San Francisco CA 94107
Phone: 415-550-8500 Click for Website This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Directions


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