emily birkeland

Lead photographer | owner

Photography has been in my family for over 100 years. In 1905, my paternal great-grandfather opened up his first photography studio. What he didn't know then was that he had created a legacy that would inspire and shape the next three generations of our family to come.

I first fell in love with photography when I was 15. At first, it was landscapes, followed by self-portraits, but I found that what I loved most was taking pictures of people. Capturing the heart and soul of someone in a photograph is my driving force. In 2010, I was invited to shoot my first wedding, and since then wedding photography has become a major part of my life. There is nothing quite like holding witness to the joining of two people who love each other. To be entrusted to photograph that kind of unconditional love is a privilege, and something that I am absolutely honored to do.

Nothing inspires me more than being able to share the gift my great-grandfather passed down to me, the opportunity to capture the most beautiful and genuine moments of a person's life.

who is she?


  • When I'm not working, you will most likely catch me listening to the podcast form of Dateline. I'm a former 911 dispatcher, so true crime is embedded in my blood. Keith Morrison's voice soothes me to sleep. (Go figure!) Other podcasts I love: The Bald and The Beautiful, National Park After Dark, This Podcast Will Kill You, and Scam Goddess.


  • I am currently in my horror movies era. I LIVE for fantasy/camp horror. Does it have zombies, vampires, werewolves, or aliens? Sign me UP. I'm on the way to your place right now to stream it with you and scream. I'm a 90's kid. I grew up with Tales from the Crypt, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The X Files. On the inside, I am a goth kid and the lights are still off at Hot Topic.

Top favorites recently:

Fright Night (2011 - *spoiler alert* Colin Farrell can turn me into a vampire anytime!)

Dawn of the Dead (2004 - The zombie in the parking garage is my NIGHTMARE, but I love him.)

Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi is such a fun director that I forgive him for hurting me with Spiderman 3.)

The Shining (My fiance hears me quote this movie at least once a week and is sick of me. The score, the cinematography, the terror - how could one resist? You've always been the caretaker!)

The Strain (Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan have scared the pants off of me with the tv adaptation of their Vampire meets infectious disease novel series, but I somehow keep re-watching it with one eye open, screaming lol.)

It's me, hi.


  • If you listen to any of my reels on Instagram, you may notice that I play a lot of Taylor Swift. Take your judgements elsewhere - her music is fun! I was never a "Swiftie" until 2020 when she dropped Folkore. She's got me HOOKED. I am currently questioning my other life choices. (Currently obsessed with: Goldrush, Bejeweled, Karma, and the lakes.) When not listening to Taylor, I'm definitely listening to movie soundtracks or classic/alternative rock.


  • At the end of most weddings/major events that I photograph in SoCal, I will 1000% be driving to the nearest King Taco to celebrate the end of a successful day. King Taco is my ride or die. I will move mountains to get there. I mean, have you had their salsa verde? I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!


  • In college, I majored in Fine Arts. My focus was drawing and painting. I grew up drawing anything and everything, and also loved painting murals. However, during my sophomore year of college - one of my classmates asked me to photograph her wedding, and that changed the entire trajectory of my life. I still paint to this day, although not as often. I'm currently working on honing my skills digitally and want to start selling prints of my art in the near future.