"I was a bit nervous about the weather, as the forecast was calling for rain. I was so appreciative that Gena was very flexible and proactively suggested that we push our session date ahead by a day to avoid the rain. 

While my husband and I were eagerly looking forward to the session, our three kids were not enthused about it, and were complaining about having to get their picture taken. They were also not very happy about going into a more local area. Our youngest is particularly strong-willed and her behavior is unpredictable. However, because Gena did a great job engaging our kids and because the spot was quiet, and the locals respectful, they all really enjoyed the session. Our youngest one was so compliant and easy going. It made for a very relaxed session. 

We got our proofs back really quickly and worked with Gena to select the shots to print. Because there were so many great shots, we were uncertain over which ones to pick and what sizes to choose, but Gena provided some very helpful advice and recommendations." 

 - Michelle Davidsen 

"Living in Shanghai was really exciting for us, and we wanted to remember our stay here with pictures of our family in this wonderful city. 

After reviewing several photography studios and freelancers, we decided to proceed with Gena, as we wanted to have the family featured in an outdoor setting with a big focus on our two active boys. I was told by friends that Gena takes pictures of children in their most natural state and after our first meeting with her, my husband and I were sold. 

In her get-to-know-you session, we shared our desires, vision and mission and Gena was able to quickly pull out pictures of other families with similar objectives to show her understanding. Before the photo shoot, she was very helpful on venues and outfits selections for my family

What impressed us most was her patience while working with children during the photo shoot, and her casual and fun ways with my boys, making them thoroughly enjoying their experience that, to this day, they still remember our Shanghai family photographer, Gena. That to us is special." 

 - Kae Yen Ng 

"Our session went really well. We discussed everything beforehand, and then on the day everything went well; we even got some sunshine! The location was exactly what we wanted and made for some great shots, which will remind us we certainly were in China. The timing was good, as it was all over before the children go grouchy and there was no time to feel bored. Gena was amazing with the children and my husband, taking plenty of breaks, making it fun, mixing up who was being photographed so everyone had some time off. 

I think the shoot itself was great fun and it was a pleasure seeing the kids enjoy themselves, as Gena got them all involved and happy. Seeing the results was also fantastic as there were so many amazing pictures

Deciding what we actually wanted and putting into words was the hardest bit, but Gena was very helpful in focusing the mind. 

Absolutely use Gena. She makes the whole shoot easy and is amazing at getting the best out of everyone. She is enthusiastic and calm. When it came to getting prints, etc., she was willing to try new things and came up with a fantastic group of images which we will look at for years to come and remember our time in Shanghai." 

 - Ali Gould 

"Gena has been taking our annual family portraits for three years now, and I have been so utterly thrilled with the results, I refuse to hire anyone else! 

Her technical expertise combined with her artistic mind yields amazing shots. And she does this while engaging my VERY active and mostly distracted 3 and 5 year old boys! She has a very professional understanding of light, framing and how to position us in the photo. 

Besides being such a phenomenal photographer, she's a joyous, friendly, and super awesome person to be around. We're already looking forward to our next session with Gena." 

 - Jenny Romanski 

"Exactly one year ago today (Oct 1, 2012) we had a session with Gena. It was a beautiful day, and thanks to Gena's careful planning, we have great pictures of our corner of Shanghai. We wanted to get shots of the family in our neighbourhood that reflected "our Shanghai", and after discussing this with her, Gena found great spots that gave us the look we wanted. She was great with the kids, and the four year old had such a great time that he asked the next day if there would be another shoot. The pictures have been hanging on the walls for months but I still have that feeling of excitement looking at them as when we first got them!" 

 - Lisa, Urban, Christoph, Phillip and Sophie Walz 

"We have worked with Gena on several occasions to photograph our family. Each and every time, we are impressed with the thought and time she puts into each session - not to mention the gorgeous photos that always result. We enjoy the entire process with Gena. She is involved way before the shoot begins, with discussions on setting, lighting, wardrobe, mood, etc. When the camera comes out, all we have to do is have fun. So the photos Gena gets are natural, lively and capture our family’s true dynamic - beautiful images we will always cherish!" 

 - Danielle and Scott Hull 

"I can't imagine using any other photographer to take pictures of the students at The Wonder Center. Working with very young students can be a trying task, but Gena managed to photograph all of our students in ways that bring out the delight, magic and personality of childhood. Our yearbooks are continually praised for having such natural and lovely portraits." 

 - Sue Leary 

"We worked with Gena in the spring of 2013, as I was looking to finally take some family photos (despite having 2 kids, we never bothered to take any really nice family portraits!). Also, since our time in Shanghai was coming to an end, I really wanted a special memento of our time here. I knew I wanted to work with Gena as soon as I found her website and contacted her. She was quick to respond, so helpful with location recommendations and very professional with her scheduling and follow-up. The day of the shoot went perfectly. She got a great response from the kids and the whole experience was relaxed and fun. The photos themselves were exactly what I wanted. With her helpful suggestion, we used a lovely, out-of-the-way temple as a backdrop and Gena took some gorgeous photos capturing the essence of China. I will cherish these photos always as a reminder of our experience in Shanghai. I highly recommend Gena for all your family photo needs. She was a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process; professional, responsive and talented." 

 - Karen Olsen 

"Gena is an excellent portrait photographer who can relate to her subjects and bring out their delicate emotions. As a mom, Gena can fully understand the feelings of children and babies who are being photographed. We had a very memorable session with Gena and really appreciate her patience in working with us!" 

 - Kay & James Eron

"Gena engaged with us in a warm, relaxed, and connected way that put my kids at ease and brought out their best photo subject selves." 

 - Kate 

"Gena recently took our family photos and the result was really great. She created a fun environment where we could be ourselves, she listened to the ideas we had and had many creative ideas of her own. What we liked best was that we could be ourselves, nothing was forced. The kids (3 & 5), my wife and I had fun and were relaxed, and the photos turned out very natural which is what we wanted. Also, Gena can set up anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and works quickly to help keep things moving so the kids stay interested. This was key for us with our little ones. Her abundance of patients also helped. Lastly, we were able to see all of the photos taken and choose from amongst them ourselves rather than seeing just a select few. We liked that, as we know what we like better than anybody else and wanted to make those choices ourselves. It was a great experience and we will be using her again next year!" 

 - The Phillips Family 

"Gena created a professional portrait of me for my publicity materials. With great patience, she set up the ideal spot to capture the light and feeling of the natural environment, and also created the right professional tone for the photo. Gena put me at ease with her great sense of humor so that I was able to sincerely look happy and energized for this portrait. I was very pleased with the results!" 

 - Nancy Jester 

"We have had the pleasure of inviting Gena into our home to capture some intimate and candid moments with our 4 month old son. Gena spent several hours with us, laughing and chatting as we changed positions and backdrops, got our baby boy in and out of clothes (and even into the bath!). The outcome was wonderful - we absolutely treasure the photos. Thank you, Gena!" 

 - Kristy, Dean and Felix White 

"Gena did the photo shoot for my apparel collection recently. She captured every detail with a master touch. I found that Gena is very committed to her work." 

 - Arti Mittra   


Get in touch!


I'm available for family and commercial portrait commissions, as well as event and sports photography. Use the form to inquire about rates and dates, or just to say hi.

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