mother and father kissing young daughter

Family Photos

Patiently Waiting

September 20, 2022

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I’ve been channeling some positive juju to this family as they patiently wait to welcome their newest addition. I remember playing all these wild scenarios while waiting for my daughter to come along. Will it be like the movies? Will my water break and gush in the most public of places? Will I be able to adhere to my birth plan and play “The Final Countdown” during the final push? The answer is no to both, but everything turned out beautifully, just like it will for this loving family with the best big sister waiting on the sidelines. I am so honored to be documenting the different stages of their story and to capture who they are before baby’s arrival and whom they will evolve to be in their next chapter.

About Me

Real people are my favorite.

It's why I appointed myself the family documentarian early on, carefully recording life unfolding, and learning along the way how much I love visual storytelling. I picked up my first professional camera when my child was born, knowing those early years were dawning and full of change — and I never looked back. I can't imagine doing anything else.

I'm a maximalist in every sense: all-in on a project or power napping, rarely anything in between. A little weird and impressively clumsy, with absolutely zero shame dancing in public. I live in Alameda (aka the Midwest of the Bay Area) with my husband, my teen, and a menagerie of animals. Fair warning: I bring my outdated 90s dance moves to every session.

My upbringing taught me to find beauty where others see ordinary. Motherhood only deepened that instinct, and I've been known to cry at the drop of a hat. Kleenex is a standing item on my packing list for newborn sessions.

I'm awkward at small talk and large groups are where I go quiet — which is exactly why you'll never find me working weddings or large events, and why you will find me completely at home in yours. I work best in the intimate, the real, and the messy.

I invest deeply in the people I work with and pour my whole heart into every session. Walking away with friendships after a session is always a major bonus — and it's the reason I love my job as much as I do.

WORK WITH ME

©Carmen dunham Photography 2026

branding by Bella Maven 

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