San Francisco based portrait photographer Alpana Aras-King has travelled the world to creative narratives for a diversity of clients, corporations and non-profits. Her work has won awards, been commissioned by the New York Times and been displayed internationally with companies such as Apple Inc. Her art-school education and advertising background go hand in hand with her ability to see the big picture.
Client hire Alpana for her authentic storytelling ability to create unique and engaging content. With her masterful eye, she has the ability to find a story in life's everyday moments. Stay in touch with us on social media and get our updates, see new work and find out what is happening in our world!.
Client hire Alpana for her authentic storytelling ability to create unique and engaging content. With her masterful eye, she has the ability to find a story in life's everyday moments. Stay in touch with us on social media and get our updates, see new work and find out what is happening in our world!.
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Or are you the person who wants to learn how to take everyday photographs of the story of your life? As a mom, I know that one day my fourteen year old son will walk out of the house carrying his suitcase instead of his backpack. There is so little time to capture who he is now, in this moment, in this tiny pocket of time, where he wavers between who he is and who he is so quickly becoming.
Chronicles
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What distinguishes Alpana among family/newborn photographers is her AMAZING gift for making photos that are true "art" rather than simply great photos! My husband and I wanted to capture the fleeting and precious moments of our newborn in his first few weeks of life. When we saw Alpana's work it was love at first sight.
Claire + will
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We have had four sessions with her since our oldest child was born, and she continues to amaze me even when i don't think it is possible, she outdoes herself! Her photos are proudly displayed throughout our home and bring daily smiles to my face. We've used her art for holiday cards, grandparent gifts and to decorate our home.
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If I had to count five things that are dear to me, the above box of photos is one of them. When I left India to come to the United States for my Masters, I brought this box of memories. My business Storybox Art draws inspiration from this precious photo box that always lives in my heart. It is my connection to my history, and I believe everyone should have their own box of memories to reflect upon.
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Our time together. Your legacy. Your child's first step. Or second. Your five year old learning to ride a bike. His first tooth lost. Your family at Crissy Field before your move to Florida. These are moments that need to have a place to live. I work closely with your family to create family treasures that will live through posterity.
Reviews (20)
Aki R.
Feb 20, 2018
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I had Alapana photograph my daughter when she was in kindergarten. The photos that she took back then were so beautiful and captured her so perfectly at that age that they remain some of my favorite images.
Eight years later, Alpana has worked her magic again! She did a Mom/Daughter shoot with us and did a beautiful job. The photos (all taken in natural light) are gorgeous, and she really captured the bond that I have with my 13-year-old. Thank you Alpana!
Eight years later, Alpana has worked her magic again! She did a Mom/Daughter shoot with us and did a beautiful job. The photos (all taken in natural light) are gorgeous, and she really captured the bond that I have with my 13-year-old. Thank you Alpana!
Christina D.
Dec 05, 2013
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Angie H.
Sep 20, 2013
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WOW! Alpana was amazing. Somehow she was able to allow my 10 year olds to stay distracted and got the best candid pictures of them!!! She has such a relaxed personality that you just feel at ease with her. The pictures came today and I can't wait to get them put up on the wall. They are truly a work of art!
Jaideep Nair
Dec 02, 2012
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The fact that Alpana is an excellent photographer and artist was always evident from her photos on her blog. But I was completely blown away by the fact that she was able to capture so many amazing photographs during our session when her subjects were our 14-month old twins, who are never still for more than a second. It is almost unbelievable that she could get so many beautiful photographs of both the kids especially since, at any given point in time, our twins tend to move in completely different directions.
The session was very relaxing and fun. She was excellent with the kids, with us and
The session was very relaxing and fun. She was excellent with the kids, with us and
Kristie Lavelle
Sep 13, 2012
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Alpana did a fantastic job with our family photos. I was hoping to come away with a few good shots and in the end there were over thirty photos that were absolutely incredible. Her artistic eye for backgrounds and lighting show up in every photo. We are thrilled with her results and would happily work with her again in the future.
Lorna Tanner
Jun 27, 2012
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Alpana takes amazing photos! The review can really end there because her photos speak for themselves. Although I would like to add that she was a total professional and really brought out the best in our family. We had photographs taken of our 6 week old and the pics were nothing less than magical. She made her dad and I look pretty great too (no small feat considering I was only a few weeks out). The pictures were natural, relaxed, and really captured our family perfectly. I cannot wait to hang them in our home.
The biggest compliment that I can give Alpana is that normally I am drawn to black
The biggest compliment that I can give Alpana is that normally I am drawn to black
Rita A.
Apr 20, 2012
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What a pleasurable afternoon we spent with Alpana last summer! She patiently worked with three generations of my family, capturing each individual perfectly.
Alpana has great artistry, and wonderful vision. She is so professional and meticulous--scouting locations ahead of time and picking the time of day carefully to secure the best possible natural light. We're simply delighted with the joyful, natural portraits of our family members rendered in beautiful light.
Alpana has great artistry, and wonderful vision. She is so professional and meticulous--scouting locations ahead of time and picking the time of day carefully to secure the best possible natural light. We're simply delighted with the joyful, natural portraits of our family members rendered in beautiful light.
Tony M.
Mar 24, 2012
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Storybox Art provided wonderful photography for our wedding. Alpana was extremely flexible and was very outgoing to document the beautiful details we worked so hard to create, and the spontaneous emotions of our friends and family. With luxurious color, skilled use of depth of field and composition, we now have a lasting collection of photographs that help us remember a joyful occasion.
Alpana put lots of time and effort to meet with us before the wedding so she could understand our needs, and went far and beyond our expectations on the day of to capture the ceremony and reception. While she was
Alpana put lots of time and effort to meet with us before the wedding so she could understand our needs, and went far and beyond our expectations on the day of to capture the ceremony and reception. While she was
Jw B.
Jan 21, 2012
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We hired alpana to do a newborn/family session in our home. I picked her after looking at more than a dozen other photographers in our area as her work really stood out as being truly special. Her work captures the real beauty among her subjects. But beyond her spectacular photos, she is wonderful to work with. She is patient, great with children, compassionate, and also listens to what you want. Our photos turned out so beautiful, we will cherish them forever.
R. D.
Dec 20, 2011
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Alpana's photos of my son are gorgeous. She first photographed him at 6 1/2 years and recently did another session now that he's 8 1/2 years old. I wanted to capture not only his growth but also the cute gappy smile he has right now before it's gone and he's a big guy with all of his teeth.
I can't say enough about her amazing talent -- she is truly an artist. I am so grateful to have photos capturing all of his many expressions from serious to silly. I love that nothing looks super posed or forced -- every picture is so natural. Adding to the beauty of the photos
I can't say enough about her amazing talent -- she is truly an artist. I am so grateful to have photos capturing all of his many expressions from serious to silly. I love that nothing looks super posed or forced -- every picture is so natural. Adding to the beauty of the photos
Martha W.
Dec 06, 2011
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My girls and I took photos with Alpana anew weeks ago and I couldn't be happier. She has a wonderful eye and uses natural light in such a beautiful way. Either black and white or color. I thought I had a preference for b&w but not with apanas work. The photos are an investment that's so well worth it. She has some wonderful choices in products, wether its prints or albums or
her unique storyboxes. I feel like I have a new treasure now that will become a family heirloom.
her unique storyboxes. I feel like I have a new treasure now that will become a family heirloom.
Kristina B.
Feb 28, 2011
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I came across Alpana's site Storybox Art after searching bay area family photographers. It was a Friday night, and I spent the next couple of hours amazed by every photo I saw! I loved her use of natural lighting and decided to call her up and book a family session. I've used photo studios before, but I really wanted to capture my 5 year old (superhero) in action, and my sweet 9 month old just as they are right now. In a posey photo studio, that's hard to do! When we received our proofs, we were so happy with them, they were amazing! The outcome we received with Alpana's work
Helen C.
Feb 20, 2011
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Alpena's work is absolutely beautiful. She has a wonderful eye for just the right shot and the resulting photographs are just stunning. She helps you through the whole process from giving advice on the best outfits for the shoot and the location to providing high quality products to display the resulting photographs. She gets to know your family and tells a story in pictures. Her quiet way of connecting with your child puts everyone at ease. A great experience resulting in pictures we will treasure forever.
Jennifer G.
Jan 22, 2011
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I have worked with Alpana twice now and her work continues to amaze me. She really can't be compared to traditional family photographers as her work is true art. She is able to capture family moments to create memories to be cherished always. Her photographs of our family not only hang on our walls at home, but also were the perfect gifts for grandparents. I also recently used her for some professional headshots. Candidly, I was a little bit uncomfortable with the idea of getting pictures of just me without the family, but Alpana really set the stage for me to feel completely at ease
Maridette C.
Jul 26, 2010
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I just love her unique and artistic style of photography. She really creates and relaxed and fun photo session. We had a blast. As a result, fabulous pictures that I will treasure forever! My friends and family loved the photos. My friend had already a photo session with her to take photos of her boys. Gorgeous!
Rory B.
Jan 14, 2010
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Alpana took photos of my 2 kids on her NYC trip in Nov 2009. The results were amazing: in just a short time, she captured some beautiful shots of my kids that we will cherish forever. My entire family was amazed when they saw the photos. Alpana is an amazingly talented photographer, and she is wonderful with children. I hope that she will come back again one day so she can capture my kids at a different age.
Heather O.
Dec 28, 2009
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We weren't sure what to expect when we signed up for a New York mini-session with Alpana this fall, and the cold rain in Brooklyn seemed likely to squash our plans. But she worked quickly and cheerfully, in between showers, and the result is what is universally regarded as the best Christmas card of our lives. Go Alpana!
Melinna G.
Jun 04, 2009
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Alpana's work speaks for itself. It is unusual and different -- in a very good way, a way that makes it stand out from the crowd of family photographers. She doesn't just create an image; instead, she captures the spirit of her subject, the feeling of the family, the moment.
She works with her subjects beforehand to understand them so that she can capture their essence in her work. Alpana wants her art to be reflective of her subjects but with a perspective that I find to be unique & refreshing.
Her photograph of my daughter is charming, authentic, and unusual -- captured in
She works with her subjects beforehand to understand them so that she can capture their essence in her work. Alpana wants her art to be reflective of her subjects but with a perspective that I find to be unique & refreshing.
Her photograph of my daughter is charming, authentic, and unusual -- captured in
Karen D.
Apr 13, 2009
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I was lucky enough to find Alpana's website while I was pregnant. As soon as I saw her photographs I knew I wanted to have her take pictures of my family once the baby was born. I am so glad I did. Her photos are truly beautiful and artistic- never posed or forced. Alpana is skilled at working with infants, who can undoubtedly be challenging to work with. Our baby seemed to be particularly fussy on the day we chose to have the pictures taken and when we finished I worried that we didn't get any pictures of her looking happy! I was wrong, the photos came out wonderfully. Alpana spent a
Michael S.
Nov 03, 2008
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Incredible photos of my children. Can't wait to give them to my wife for Christmas. Alpana definitely captures the joy and playfulness of the kids. The photos show the dedication and love of her craft. Alpana is as easy going as you can get which make for a relaxed photo shoot. The kids enjoyed the time with her. Her attention to detail and help with the presentation of the photos are excellent. Thank You again, Mike S
