About SENNA
Portrait photography, Kodak Portra film stock, shot on a Pentax 645. Natural light. Two hours, two rolls, thirty-two frames. At most, four shoots a month, Saturdays or Sundays in the South Bay — fewer sessions, more attention on each one.
Location, light, wardrobe, vision, camera — the logistics are handled in pre-shoot consultation. What's left the day of is blocking: where you stand, where you sit, and staying present rather than performing — think: hanging out. Low intensity, no pressure, casual. No mechanics, no technical instruction, no tension.
$2,500. $500 deposit to book. Final images, color corrected, delivered within 21 days.
Why FILM?
Honesty matters. Film doesn’t perform—it simply records what is there. With digital, anyone can construct a persona. For some, this act of theater is the point. For us, restraint is everything.
Process is where that truth lives. Handheld light meters, manual camera controls, and whatever the sky gives us. No instant screen to hide behind. Just sixteen exposures on a roll of Portra 400. Twenty years behind a lens has granted me patience, and taught me how to trim away everything non-essential.
Memory fades, and film won't stop that. But it leaves you with something tangible to hold—a real moment preserved in silver, forever.
On a weekend afternoon, I offer a trade: absolute presence in exchange for an heirloom.
Why SENNA?
Most modern photography is built on speed, volume, and the safety net of endless digital files. Assembly-line work designed to rush you through a 25-minute shoot. Senna is the opposite.
Named for the Arabic word for brightness—and the wild plant native to the hills where we shoot—Senna isn’t an aesthetic trend. It’s a completely different way of working, from the first frame to the final print.
We take our time. We consider who you are, how the light falls, and the most elegant way to build an image. The environment is never an afterthought—whether wide and structural or pulled in close, the background belongs to the frame.
When you remove the pressure to produce hundreds of disposable shots, you leave room for something far rarer: thirty-two frames made with absolute intent.